Silas Johnson was born and raised in Mississippi but has lived in Springfield for the past 50 years. He had a dual career for many years, working as a journeyman electrician in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 193 while also pastoring Community Baptist Church for a decade and then Calvary Baptist Church for […]
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To move or remodel?
To say the last three years have been interesting for the real estate market, including home builders, is an understatement. The pandemic changed how people go to work and how they spend time at home. Remote work prompted some to buy larger homes with more outdoor space, and some people remodeled existing homes to include […]
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City of Springfield penalized for violating Fair Housing Act
The 7-year-old federal court case that determined Springfield illegally discriminated against people with disabilities through residential zoning is approaching a conclusion. The late U.S District Court judge Richard Mills ruled in March 2020 that the city violated the federal Fair Housing Act through a spacing ordinance prohibiting two homes for people with disabilities from operating […]
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Homes are selling quickly and cash is king
Whether you’re the homebuyer or the seller, the current housing market requires you to be prepared, decisive and ready to move forward swiftly. That was the message emphasized at the Chatham Area Chamber of Commerce’s February luncheon, held at Illinois Realtors, which focused on the area housing market. The panel discussion included Jane Hay of […]
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That empty feeling: Can vacant office space downtown be transformed into residential dwellings?
The paradox of America’s deserted downtowns and the affordable housing crisis has been reported on by well-known media outlets such as PBS, CNN, The New York Times and Slate magazine. One potential solution to this problem is to convert vacant commercial space into residential housing. Although this potential solution comes with many barriers, it’s not […]
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Make a nomination for the 2024 Women of Influence
Do you know an outstanding woman who deserves recognition? Security Bank is proud to partner with Springfield Business Journal for the annual Women of Influence recognition program, honoring local women for their contributions to the Springfield area community. Selected by their peers through submitted nominations, all have made important contributions to the community at large. […]
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How to succeed as a Black-owned business
Black people comprise more than 14 percent of the nation’s population but only 2.3 percent of businesses are Black-owned, according to recent U.S. Census Bureau figures. The most recent American Communities Survey shows that while Black businesses make up approximately 11 percent of all businesses in Illinois, they comprise only two percent of the state’s […]
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City council passes budget
Water rates in Springfield will rise 32% beginning March 1 and another 32% a year later after contentious debate among City Council members and a 7-3 vote on Feb. 20. “We don’t have a choice,” Ward 10 Ald. Ralph Hanauer said of the increases, the first since 2011. He blamed prior city councils and prior […]
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Sam McCann pleads guilty during trial
Former state Sen. Sam McCann pleaded guilty to all nine felony charges related to misuse of campaign funds for personal benefit on Feb. 15, one day before his bench trial was expected to end and as he considered taking the stand in his defense. McCann previously said his prosecution in Springfield’s U.S. District Court was […]
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Sam McCann finally has his day in court
Sam McCann illegally spent political contributions funded by the union dues of those who saw him as a friend of working people on luxury vehicles, a recreational motor home, trips, personal debts, home mortgage payments and to boost his income. Those were the allegations contained in evidence and statements presented on Feb. 13 during the […]
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McCann trial postponed until Feb. 12
The scheduled Feb. 5 start of former Conservative Party gubernatorial candidate Sam McCann’s trial was delayed until Feb. 12 after the judge presiding in the alleged illegal campaign fund spending case learned McCann was hospitalized in St. Louis. McCann, a Macoupin County resident charged in a federal grand jury indictment three years ago, told U.S. […]
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Springfield down to two residential waste haulers
Waste Management transferred most of its residential business in Springfield to Republic Services because alleys made service to certain parts of the city inefficient, a company spokesperson said. “Our company is moving more to automation,” Lisa Disbrow, spokesperson for Waste Management of Illinois Inc., told Illinois Times on Feb. 6. WM’s increasing use of garbage trucks […]