News

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 […]

Most of the 250 people who turned out at a public meeting Jan. 5 in Lincoln to hear a Florida-based company’s plans to build a $5 billion data center in rural Logan County clapped, chanted, stood and yelled in opposition. “Who asked for this future for Logan County?” Mount Pulaski resident Sebastian Scassiferro said in […]

When a progressive Chicago alderperson scolded Gov. JB Pritzker in November over his opposition to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s failed proposal to tax large corporations $21 per employee, Illinois’ billionaire chief executive was quick with a retort defending his progressive bona fides. “What we need is a progressive income tax, a graduated income tax in this […]

A public outcry and inaccurate information on social media about a proposed data center in rural Logan County have prompted officials to delay votes on zoning necessary for the project until at least February. In the meantime, representatives of Miami-based Hut 8 Corp. plan to make a presentation and answer questions about the company’s proposal […]

Mark Hanna knew the first question at the Citizens Club of Springfield’s Dec. 19 public policy forum regarding the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport would be something along the lines of, “Any new commercial airline routes coming soon?” Not much to report, Hanna said, although there have been some preliminary talks about possible Allegiant Airlines routes […]

A publicly traded company wants to build a large-scale data center in rural Logan County near Latham, about 30 miles northeast of Springfield, while local residents scramble to find out more details and delay what could be a mid-January vote on a zoning change that’s needed for the plan to proceed. “There’s a huge lack […]

Imagine a vibrant town center that serves as a hub of cultural and social activity. There’s a beautiful, tree-lined roundabout and plaza in the middle of it all, with a water feature that serves as a splash pad for children on a summer day, and a nice spot to read a book or to catch […]

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a settlement this week with Menards to resolve a suit Raoul and nine other attorneys general filed claiming the home improvement chain violated consumer fraud laws by deceptively marketing its 11% rebate program as a way for customers to save money when they were really receiving future store credit. […]

Illinois lawmakers vowed to keep fighting for protections against artificial intelligence after President Donald Trump signed an executive order Dec. 11 to shield tech companies from state laws. Trump’s order targets state regulations, including several in Illinois, that he said are inconsistent with national policy on AI. Critics said Illinois will not be swayed by the influence […]

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 […]

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 […]

Organized labor showed out in force at a public meeting Dec. 3 to support a proposed $500 million data center in southwest Sangamon County, while a smaller yet vocal coalition of critics questioned the project’s long-term impact on the local economy and electric rates. “This project is about more than steel and concrete,” Aaron Gurnsey, […]