A 38-acre lot the city of Springfield owns along Clear Lake Avenue may become a $38-million complex of municipal warehouses and offices. The city is contemplating erecting a $24 million water distribution facility and a $14 million Public Works building in the 2100 block of Clear Lake Avenue. The matter was slated for consideration by […]
Scott Reeder
Scott Reeder is a staff writer at Illinois Times.
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Governor’s Mansion block slated to become a park
The vacant block in downtown Springfield across from the Governor’s Mansion may be on the brink of becoming a city park, Mayor Misty Buscher told Illinois Times recently. “I’m referring to it as the ‘North Mansion Park,’” she said. “We’ve had conversations with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and with landscape architects to create […]
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Seeing crime in real time
Imagine being a police officer racing to an emergency at a school or business and being able to see what is happening inside the building while you’re driving to the scene. A new program adopted this year by the Springfield Police Department can transmit live images from security cameras across the city to computer screens […]
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Sweet Basil owner addresses sudden closure
Billie Dent was waitressing at Sweet Basil Café last month when she and about 20 coworkers learned they were out of work the hard way – Sangamon County sheriff’s deputies arrived and evicted the restaurant from the building. “We had one table of customers in there at the time; we asked if they could finish […]
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Out of the ashes
The 911 call came in at 10:29 a.m. June 19 – someone in one of the apartments near Café Moxo smelled smoke. Two Springfield firefighters arrived and wandered about the apartment but couldn’t detect anything of concern. They ended up leaving after 20 minutes. About 45 minutes after the initial call, the building at 413-415 […]
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SIU looks to Springfield for aviation school, law school
Southern Illinois University has committed to expanding its pilot-training program to Springfield, enabling future aviators to earn bachelor’s degrees without leaving the capital city, SIU President Daniel Mahony told Illinois Times. “Aviation is one of our most popular programs, but because of the space issues we have (in Carbondale) we really can’t expand that program. […]
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SMTD tries to reduce pollution
The federal government is cutting Springfield Mass Transit District a check to the tune of $17.8 million to provide the city with buses that pollute less and are more efficient to drive. The transit district will be adding 12 hybrid buses that are powered by a combination of diesel fuel and batteries, along with seven […]
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Rebuilding the Catholic Church
Imagine a place where pupils study Aristotle and also learn how to plane boards. San Damiano College for the Trades will do just that. The future central Illinois school just hired its first president, Kent Lasnoski, who is moving to Springfield from Wyoming, where he led another Catholic college. He hopes to open the doors […]
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City launches program to rehab east-side homes
The city of Springfield is launching a pilot program geared toward helping first-time homebuyers by rehabilitating dilapidated properties on the city’s east side. “On the east side of Springfield, we own properties as a city, and we’re not doing enough to revitalize the neighborhoods,” said Ethan Posey, Springfield’s director of community relations. “We own a […]
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Motivation to move
Some people will soon be paid $5,000 to move to Jacksonville, Illinois. The Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Corporation is offering the bounty as part of its ongoing effort to lure professionals to the community of 17,600 and surrounding Morgan and Scott counties. According to the U.S. Census, during the second decade of this century Jacksonville […]
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U.S. Postal Service delays decision
While delays within the U.S. Postal Service are not usually applauded, one made this month by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy was celebrated in Springfield. The Postal Service has chosen to pause until January moving some functions of Springfield’s packaging and distribution center to St. Louis. This is part of a national endeavor to consolidate processing […]
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Attorney trio in trouble
A Springfield lawyer was asked to resign from her city job this month after allegations of unethical behavior came to light from her time working for the Office of the Illinois Attorney General. At the heart of the controversy is Salena Young and the two men with whom she lives; both also worked with her […]