The City of Springfield plans to build and rehabilitate hundreds of homes as part of a strategy to end homelessness within two years. The city’s 2010-2014 Consolidated Plan, created by the city’s Department of Opportunity, Planning and Economic Development (OPED), lays out plans to improve affordable housing, economic development, infrastructure and public services using millions […]
springfield
Posted inNews
Car guys go for the X Prize
In a garage-turned-workshop south of Divernon sits what could be the future of personal transportation. Surrounded by spare parts and power tools is a made-from-scratch car that looks like something a science fiction writer in the 1930s would have dreamed about. The outside of this deceptively-classic “teardrop” car looks like a cross between a Volkswagen […]
Posted inNews
Big changes at the SJ-R
Tough economic conditions and a new approach to news distribution have prompted changes at Springfield’s daily newspaper. The State Journal-Register newspaper, owned by Fairport, N.Y.-based Gatehouse Media, last month underwent a change in strategy and leadership possibly tied to Gatehouse’s troubled financial position. On May 25, SJ-R announced the resignation of Scott Bowers as publisher […]
Posted inNews
Raw Deal
Music director Karen Lynne Deal will be saying goodbye to the Illinois Symphony Orchestra at the end of the coming season, but the controversial maestra would prefer to stay if she could. “I wish this wasn’t the way this was ending, because I feel like we’ve finally gotten the pieces of the puzzle together so […]
Posted inNews
Bike to the future
It’s a good time to be in the bike business, says Rich Moscardelli, manager of Ace Bike Shop on MacArthur Boulevard in Springfield. Among the hip trends this season are saving money, getting in shape and green living – all factors that push people to ride bikes. “It’s getting to be more popular, and especially […]
Posted inNews
Auditor uncovers millions in misspent state funds
A series of audits released last week reveal a rash of problems among state agencies and programs. Performed by the office of Illinois Auditor General William Holland, the audits expose millions of dollars of undocumented spending, lax enforcement of inventory and spending controls and poor staff training that resulted in inaccurate financial records. An audit […]
Posted inNews
East side murder brings call for change
A slightly tense and confrontational passion filled the air of an old meeting room at Union Baptist Church on Springfield’s east side. Gathered there on a humid Thursday evening last week were more than 50 activists, neighbors and business owners – all concerned about the state of their neighborhood. Their meeting was precipitated by tragedy, […]
Posted inNews
State shuffling agency offices
State offices in Springfield are about to do the do-si-do as Illinois shuffles office spaces in an attempt to eliminate costly expired leases. The leases are negotiated by the state’s Central Management Services agency, which spent almost $41.3 million for real property rental in Fiscal Year 2010. Many of the new leases replace expired “holdover” […]
Posted inOpinion
The Presidential museum turns five
Abe World opened five years ago this month, on April 19. Drawing on all the dark arts of electronic hucksterism, the new museum was to transform Springfield into a Mecca for patriots who would make their hajj by the millions in their Caravans and Odysseys. Has it? Has it returned a decent profit on the […]
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 […]
Posted inNews
Springfield foreclosure rate up slightly
The foreclosure rate in Springfield continues to hover around one percent, but one Springfield woman has a plan to help reduce it and prevent future foreclosures. First American Core Logic, a mortgage data analysis company based in California, says Springfield’s rate of foreclosures was .99 percent in February 2010, just above the .98 percent rate […]
Posted inNews
Springfield bus routes undergo major changes
Margaret Wood knows when her disabled 47-year-old son, Gary, is supposed to be home from work. Gary rides the same bus to work every day, so when he didn’t come home one evening, Margaret Wood became concerned. “I was out looking for him (Gary) when he didn’t come home in time,” Wood said, recalling how […]
