For the second time in as many weeks, the Sangamon County Board was served a lawsuit seeking to overturn a Board zoning decision. In June, the board’s legal adviser and assistant state’s attorney, Joel Benoit, warned the board of potential legal action from Summit Ridge Energy. He said the petition for a 20-acre solar farm […]
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Residents sue Sangamon County, CyrusOne
Several Waverly residents who live approximately a mile or less from the site recently approved for the CyrusOne data center filed a lawsuit against Sangamon County and the Sangamon County Board July 6 seeking to overturn the county’s approval of the project. Chloe Russell, a Plainfield lawyer, filed the case that claims the county’s approved resolution from April […]
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Developers pitch solar farm to Divernon residents
A Dallas-based company hopes to build a 1,100-acre solar project between Divernon Township and Pawnee Township by 2029. Leeward Renewable Energy held an open house Wednesday at the Divernon American Legion, where community members and representatives of the company met to talk about the solar farm’s location, construction, environmental impact and employment potential. Henkle Branch […]
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Residents sue to stop Sangamon County data center
This is a developing story, check back for updates. Several Waverly residents who live approximately a mile or less from the site recently approved for the CyrusOne data center filed a lawsuit against Sangamon County and the Sangamon County Board July 6 seeking to overturn the county’s approval of the project. Chloe Russell, a Plainfield […]
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Mayor, state detail Y block plans
A permanent amphitheater for free Levitt AMP Springfield Music Series concerts and other community events would be built on the downtown Y block, and the state would acquire the two-acre property as part of a $4 million, state-funded development plan for a public park that City Council members may consider for approval this month. Mayor […]
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Pritzker signs landmark AI regulation bill that aims to mitigate risks
Gov. JB Pritzker signed artificial intelligence legislation modeled after similar bills in California and New York on Monday, furthering a push for a state-driven national framework in lieu of federal regulations. “Congress and the president ought to be passing similar legislation, but they’ve so far been unwilling, because many are captive to special interests that […]
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Sangamon County seeks more local control
The Sangamon County Zoning and Land Use Committee discussed ways to regain more local control over renewable energy projects, such as solar and wind farms, in light of a recent state law that restricts authority of municipal governments to veto such developments. At the June 18 meeting, lawyers gave the committee a laundry list of […]
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Crowd reacts to Christian County data center plan
Facing strong opposition to a proposed $6 billion data center near Taylorville, a founder of Eagle Rock Partners told the Christian County Board he wouldn’t want to live next door to the center his firm wants to build. But Ken Loeber added that the center, on farm ground two miles southwest of the Christian County […]
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Show me the job losses
Across the nation, economists have expressed concerns about the reliability of Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not because of political bias or thumbs on the scale, but rather a lack of manpower amongst the scaled-back federal agency tasked with fielding data about the country’s economic health. That concern stretches to Springfield, according to Ryan McCrady, […]
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Springfield Memorial Hospital CEO to resign
The president and chief executive officer of Springfield’s largest hospital is resigning after fewer than two years at the helm. Jay Roszhart, 41, who was promoted to lead 500-bed Springfield Memorial Hospital on July 1, 2024, will leave on June 12, according to a statement June 9 from Drew Early, senior vice president and chief […]
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Illinois seeks two Crest Hill prisons, leaving Lincoln out of Logan Correctional Center rebuild plan
The Illinois Department of Corrections is officially planning to rebuild both Logan and Stateville correctional centers in Crest Hill, dashing locals’ hopes that the state would rebuild Logan at its current Lincoln location. The June 5 announcement comes two years after Gov. JB Pritzker and IDOC originally announced the state would rebuild the Logan and […]
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Downtown Springfield bill fails to come to fruition
In the waning hours of legislative session, the Illinois General Assembly got close, but failed to pass a bill that would create multiple government boards to promote redevelopment of downtown Springfield. Sangamon County Board Chair Andy Van Meter said he expects elected officials to keep working on the proposal. The Senate approved an amended House […]