By Patrick Yeagle A proposed natural gas plant near Pawnee would bring needed development to Sangamon County, according to an economic impact study released this week by the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce. The study comes as the Springfield City Council weighs whether to approve a deal with a plant that would partly compete with […]
Patrick Yeagle
Posted inColumns
Brewing supply store opens in Springfield
By Patrick Yeagle Springfield beer and wine brewers have a new option for supplies with the opening of Capitol City Brewing Supply this week. Owned by father-son team Jeremy and Blake Burris, the new shop opened Aug. 30. Blake Burris says his father, Jeremy, got into homebrewing with wine, then expanded into beer. Blake, now […]
Posted inArticles
Rauner vetoes creation of state-run workers’ comp insurer
By Patrick Yeagle Gov. Bruce Rauner on Friday vetoed earlier this month a bill which would have created a state-run insurance provider for workers’ compensation. The veto comes amid debate over whether private insurers bilk employers through allegedly outsize premiums. In 2011, Illinois adopted several changes to its workers’ compensation system, including lowering reimbursement for […]
Posted inArticles
Minimum wage hike likely dead after Rauner veto
By Patrick Yeagle Gov. Bruce Rauner last week vetoed a bill which would have raised the statewide minimum wage to $15 per hour. The bill’s sponsors vow an override vote attempt, but it likely lacks enough support to reach the required three-fifths majority. Among other provisions, Senate Bill 81 would have raised the current $8.25 […]
Posted inArticles
Illinois renews ‘angel investment’ tax credit for tech
By Patrick Yeagle Illinois renewed a tax credit last week aimed at spurring investment in new technology companies. The previous “angel investment” tax credit expired at the end of last year, but on Aug. 24, Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a law renewing it through 2021. Angel investment loosely refers to individuals or groups using their […]
Posted inArticles
Former Goodwill building to house different nonprofit – Building permit roundup
By Patrick Yeagle The former Goodwill building on North 11th Street in Springfield is slated to become the new headquarters for a different nonprofit. Capitol Reuse Center Inc. purchased the building at 815 N. 11th St. earlier this year for $15,000 and obtained a permit this week from the City of Springfield to remodel the […]
Posted inArticles
City council to consider TIF money for flood mitigation at North Mansion Block
By Patrick Yeagle The City of Springfield hopes to use TIF money to alleviate flooding on Jackson Street downtown, which could facilitate development of the empty North Mansion Block. The city’s economic development panel voted Tuesday to okay a request from the city to use TIF money for the project’s planning. The request now needs […]
Posted inArticles
Express brings Clydesdales to State Fair
By Patrick Yeagle They weigh as much as a ton. Their feet are as big as dinner plates, and their shoes weigh three pounds each. A man of average height barely reaches to tops of their shoulders. They are the revered Clydesdale horses, and they’re coming to Springfield for the Illinois State Fair, thanks to […]
Posted inArticles
Dragon Fire Pizza making Springfield debut at State Fair
By Patrick Yeagle What do you get when you put a wood-fired brick oven burning at 1,000 degrees inside a trailer? Besides a very warm trailer, you get Dragon Fire Pizza, a food truck expanding to Springfield from Champaign. The truck will debut here during the Illinois State Fair and then establish a weekly route […]
Posted inArticles
City demolishes former Ridgely village hall after legal battle – Building permit roundup
By Patrick Yeagle The City of Springfield this week began demolishing a north-end building constructed in 1885. A demolition permit was issued this week following a two-year legal battle, during which the building’s owner attempted to establish a hydroponic garden and community center at the site. The Ponics Project owned 1901 Elizabeth St., a 132-year-old […]
Posted inArticles
Building permit roundup – Aug. 2, 2017
By Patrick Yeagle The City of Springfield Building and Zoning department has approved the following building permits: Cell phone carriers Verizon and AT&T obtained permits for a cell tower “collocation” at 2723 W. Monroe St. The work on the $98,000 project is being done by Effective Electric, Inc. and Communication Builders, Inc. Meanwhile, cell phone […]
Posted inArticles
A tale of pluck – Barnabas Helmy’s electronic Puck
BY PATRICK YEAGLE Like many inventions, Barnabas Helmy’s Puck began with a problem. Helmy’s daughter, two years old at the time, ruined the remote control for their home’s Apple TV by chewing on it. “They’re expensive, and it’s not even that functional of a remote,” Helmy said, sharing a story he has told dozens of […]