Excitement is growing at the University of Illinois Springfield as construction is underway on the new Library Commons building. The publicly funded project was made possible by a $42.5 million investment from the state of Illinois. The three-story, 52,000-square-foot building is being built next to the Student Union and is expected to open in 2027. […]
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A civic center for Jacksonville
A Jacksonville organization has signed an option to purchase the historic Illinois Theater building in the city’s downtown and has embarked on an ambitious three-month, $8.8 million fundraising campaign to finance the purchase and pay for the building’s transformation into a new multipurpose civic center. “This civic center will become not only a cultural hub […]
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Proposed rail merger raises competition concerns
Some transportation groups are skeptical and some ag groups are seeking more information about the implications of a planned merger between rail rivals Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. DTN reported both companies’ boards of directors unanimously agreed to a deal July 29 in which Union Pacific will acquire Norfolk Southern for $85 billion, resulting in […]
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City Council approves third round of cannabis grants
Former Ward 2 Ald. Frank McNeil, lead plaintiff in a federal court case that resulted in Springfield switching to the aldermanic form of government in 1987 and electing its first Black members of the City Council, wants to restore the city’s first Black-owned doctor’s office. “I look at this as a community enrichment project,” McNeil, […]
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Two health insurers leave Illinois market
Only two health insurance companies are slated to offer marketplace health plans in central Illinois next year, halving the amount of insurance issuers the region currently has as Aetna and Health Alliance announced they will be exiting the insurance marketplace in 2026. However, Aetna will still offer Medicare plans next year. In addition, health policy nonprofit […]
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RISE to host Give & Take Professional Clothing Drive
Have good quality, professional clothing you don’t need any more or looking to update or build your professional wardrobe? RISE, the young professionals group of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, is holding a Give & Take Professional Clothing Drive on Aug. 22-23. All clothing donations will be accepted from 10 a.m. -7 p.m. on Friday, […]
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All signs point to the future
Ace Sign Co.’s history reaches all the way back to hand-painting carriages in the 1860s and moves forward to its official launch under the Ace Sign Co. name in Springfield in 1940. The company’s pride in its heritage, and respect for the evolution of the sign industry overall, can be seen in the sign museum […]
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How AI is shaping the cybersecurity industry
Artificial intelligence is more accessible than ever before. The global AI market was valued at around $189 billion in 2023 and is currently on track to hit a mammoth $4.8 trillion by the next decade. What used to be an experiment has now become a $1 billion industry and a daily habit or necessity for […]
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Using generative AI as a collaborator
“There’s so much information about artificial intelligence and how it can change the way people work – from writers to photographers to designers to information officers to those in health care – this is why we chose to offer the AI for Communicators workshop,” said Christy Broccardo-Grove, communications director for Safe Electricity, and webmaster, past […]
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High school student teaches free technology classes for kids
The Cambridge Dictionary defines a prodigy as “someone with a very great ability that usually shows itself when that person is a young child.” Whether Chatham resident Navtej Bhatti is one might be open to interpretation, but let’s do a brief roll call of what Bhatti has accomplished to this point as a 16-year-old preparing […]
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Q&A with Sheila Feipel
After graduating from University of Illinois-Champaign, Sheila Feipel moved to France for two years and later worked as a French teacher. She switched to the technology industry in 2000 and has been the Springfield branch manager for Heart Technologies since 2015. Feipel is extensively involved in the Springfield community and has been a mentor with […]
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Federal housing credit expansion could increase affordable rental units in Illinois
Expansion of the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit could allow construction of tens of thousands more affordable housing units in Illinois. The latest domestic policy plan signed by President Donald Trump on July 4 will increase available funding by 12% for a key tax credit used by developers to offset a portion of construction costs. It […]