Criminal charges have been dropped against Nicolas Paz, a Springfield restauranter who had been accused of defrauding the state of more than $100,000 in sales tax revenue. But his wife, Amanda Paz, has pleaded guilty to sales tax evasion. According to court records, Amanda Paz has already paid the state the money it was owed […]
Scott Reeder
Scott Reeder is a staff writer at Illinois Times.
Posted inNews
New manufacturer for Springfield
An international crane manufacturing firm is opening a plant in Springfield that will likely employ more than 100 people on the city’s west side. In addition to the blue-collar jobs assembling cranes, the firm will employ a host of professional positions as it plans to make Springfield its first manufacturing site in the U.S., Dominic […]
Posted inNews
Town & Country Shopping Center staying the course
The future of the Town & Country Shopping Center on MacArthur Boulevard is unclear after the aging strip mall failed to sell at auction this month, but the owner of the property says he remains hopeful it will be redeveloped. “I’m always optimistic because as a real estate developer, you have to be optimistic,” David […]
Posted inNews
Springfield gets a city planner, again
The city of Springfield has hired Suraksha Bhandari as its new professional planner, bringing a blend of international experience, architectural training and research-driven urban planning to city hall. Bhandari comes to Springfield from Salt Lake City, where she completed a master’s degree in city and metropolitan planning at the University of Utah and worked in […]
Posted inPeople on the Move
Former city director addresses his departure
In the wake of the assassination of conservative pundit Charlie Kirk, a city of Springfield department head posted something on Facebook critical of the influencer and now he no longer has a job. “I had never heard of this guy before he got shot,” James ‘Jayme’ Sullivan told Illinois Times. “I was on vacation when […]
Posted inArticles
Budzinski hosts Springfield forum on postal service problems
Local mail service is in crisis, and it will likely get worse if the federal government follows through with a proposal to move a Springfield letter distribution center to St. Louis, contended a group that gathered Monday in a public forum at Lincoln Land Community College. The meeting, led by U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, […]
Posted inArticles
Two Springfield attorneys have law licenses suspended
A Springfield lawyer faces a two-year suspension of her law license after a state commission cited her recently for unethical conduct during her time employed by the Illinois Attorney General and the city of Springfield. The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, or ARDC, investigates complaints against lawyers and makes recommendations to the Illinois Supreme […]
Posted inArticles
Major solar development opens in Sangamon County
Sangamon County is now home to the largest solar power development east of the Mississippi River. On April 30, Swift Current Energy, a Boston-based firm, held a ribbon-cutting at its Auburn office for the Double Black Diamond solar farm. The collection of solar panels was erected on more than 4,000 acres in western Sangamon County […]
Posted inArticles
Reinvesting in downtown Springfield
“It’s in transition.” That description of the city’s central business district was often repeated during the first of a series of public meetings held by Downtown Springfield, Inc. The downtown’s current challenges are well-known: the departure of state office jobs, a devastating fire last June, vacant business fronts and the recent closure of the Wyndham […]
Posted inArticles
Springfield airport waiting on payment from state
Imagine being owed $1 million and going years without collecting. Emails are sent, with no response. Phone calls aren’t returned. Knocking on the door doesn’t do any good because no one seems to ever be in the office. As a last resort, a note demanding payment is slipped under the deadbeat’s door. But still, no […]
Posted inArticles
Surplus to success
It’s said one person’s junk is another’s treasure. In that vein, a budget proposal before Illinois lawmakers would use $500 million to turn some of Illinois’ biggest state-owned eyesores into economic development opportunities. Abandoned, dilapidated facilities in Lincoln and Jacksonville are among five across Illinois that are targeted in the “Surplus to Success” program being […]
Posted inColumns
DOGE cuts come to Springfield
Springfield business owner John Chiang received a letter March 10 that landlords dread: a tenant is breaking its lease. The tenant is the U.S. government’s Department of Labor, which rents office space on the second floor of the building at 3161 W. White Oaks Drive. The building is owned by Chiang, 82, who also owns […]