An appellate court in Springfield says opponents of a pig farm outside Rochester must pay for delaying the project. However, neither side is overly happy with the outcome. “It’s a mixed bag,” says Springfield attorney Thomas Immel. His client, Rochester pig farmer Robert Young, won a $24,000 award of damages earlier this month – far […]
Patrick Yeagle
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Springfield father cleared of shaking infant daughter
Richard Britts of Springfield told the police again and again that he never harmed his then three-month-old daughter, Saniya. “Right now, I know all fingers are pointing at me, man, but I love my baby,” Britts told police in a January 2010 interview. “I would never hurt her like this, man.” A jury last week […]
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Olympian and world record holder visits Springfield
Though she wore long sleeves, Jean Driscoll’s muscular arms were evident as she confidently gripped the handrims of her wheelchair. She hasn’t competed professionally in years, but Driscoll clearly maintains her athletic physique, as well as her drive for success. The seven-time winner of the Boston Marathon in the women’s wheelchair division visited the Illinois […]
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IEPA withdraws Tenaska Taylorville permit
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency withdrew a pollution permit last week for a proposed power plant in Taylorville after federal regulators asked the state to allow a controversial “clean coal” technology. IEPA previously issued a permit to Nebraska-based power company Tenaska allowing the company to operate its Taylorville Energy Center project as a natural gas […]
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Video gambling comes to Springfield
Springfield bars, restaurants and fraternal organizations will soon be able to offer video gambling legally, thanks to a 7-2 vote by the Springfield City Council on Tuesday. The nine aldermen seemed weary heading into debate on the video gambling proposal, following an hour-and-forty-minute hearing on a proposed tanning ban for minors that ended up being […]
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Congress candidates clash on health care
As the Republican-controlled U.S. House continues its crusade to repeal the federal health care reforms passed in 2010, two candidates seeking to represent Springfield in the House take to the campaign trail with widey different views on the reform law. Republican Rodney Davis of Taylorville and Democrat David Gill of Bloomington each seek Illinois’ new […]
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Gambling could pay for road repairs
Springfield could raise money for infrastructure improvements from video gambling if the city council approves a measure introduced last week. Springfield mayor Michael Houston introduced a proposal to allow video gambling in Springfield, incorporating a 2009 state law that legalizes video gambling terminals in bars, hotels, banquet halls and other facilities. The state law and […]
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SMTD sees change ahead
Janice Smith of Springfield says the public bus system is her lifeline. She rides buses all over Springfield to work, to shop and to visit friends – in short, everywhere. She’s on a bus almost every day of her life, except on Sundays, when the buses don’t run where she needs to go. “On Sundays, […]
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Hollywood, Illinois
Springfield may not be the first place people think about when imagining locations to shoot movies or TV shows. But thanks to the efforts of one local group, this city and the central Illinois region have earned a reputation as a great place to film and find professional talent. Dean Williams helped start the Central […]
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Two Springfield couples fight for same-sex marriage
Randy Walden did everything right, but it wasn’t enough. When Walden’s partner of nine years, Curt Sills, was diagnosed with cancer in 2002, Walden and Sills drew up documents giving Walden power of attorney and placing Walden in Sills’ living will. As Sills grew weaker in 2004 and had to be taken to the hospital, […]
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Lawmakers vote to reinstate early prisoner release
Illinois prison inmates may soon qualify for early release once more under a bill passed by state lawmakers last week. If approved by Gov. Pat Quinn, the move would address state prison overcrowding that resulted in part from the suspension of early prisoner release more than two years ago. On May 31, the last day […]
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Park district mulling Griffin Woods purchase
The warm summer breeze rushes through the dense underbrush of the second-growth forest known colloquially as Griffin Woods, filling the close space with the rustle and shimmer of thousands of leaves. A broken shoelace, a potato chip bag and a few empty beer bottles lie just inside the perimeter, a testament to careless trespassers who […]
