ILLUSTRATION BY KIRK LYTTLE/MCT With about $4 billion in transportation and other projects planned for Springfield in the coming years, groups in Springfield are already working to ensure a fair share of the jobs generated go to minorities. The Faith Coalition for the Common Good and Bridging the Gap, both based in Springfield, are helping […]
Shelly Heideman
Posted inNews
Illinois leaders campaign for federal immigration reform
Several prominent public figures in Illinois are pushing for passage of a federal immigration reform bill, which President Barack Obama called “the best chance we’ve had in years to fix our broken immigration system.” The Senate could pass the bill by July 4, though it faces an uphill battle in the House of Representatives. For […]
Posted inNews
Parents need to have their voices heard at school
A growing number of parent “no-shows” at parent-teacher conferences and a consistently poor performance of low-income and minority students have one coalition looking for ways to rebuild the parent-teacher relationship in Springfield. The Faith Coalition for the Common Good (FCCG), a nonprofit organization made up of faith-based and community organizations, has started a grassroots discussion […]
Posted inNews
Immigration reform coming
Sitting on his living room couch in Beardsville, a young Mexican immigrant named Alejandro smiles wistfully as he recalls marrying his wife Maria in 2006. They met and married in Beardstown, raising two sons, Alex, 5, and Diego, 2. But Alejandro’s smile quickly turns into a pained grimace as he describes how Maria took their […]
