Category Archives: Uncategorized

ISP Report Part 1 The first installment of several reports on the investigation on Springfield Police Officers Graham and Carpenter.

Retired Illinois Supreme Court Justice John Nickels, who worked to increase the legal access of low-income people, has died after a long illness at age 82. Illinois Supreme Court spokesman Joe Tybor says Nickels died Monday at his home in Maple Park. … Continue reading →

The Ford Edsel is widely known for being one of the greatest marketing flops in history. It had a brief run from 1958 to 1960. But not everyone gave up on the Edsel, as Rachel Otwell explains: Photos by Rachel … Continue reading →

The bipartisan committee of lawmakers tasked with fixing Illinois’ $97 billion pension crisis will hold its first meeting next week. The committee has scheduled a public hearing for Thursday morning downtown Chicago. Gov. Pat Quinn called lawmakers back to Springfield … Continue reading →

Springfield’s Muni out-door theater is putting on its largest production yet. With a cast of just about fifty actors, plus chorus singers, Les Miserables cost 50 percent more than the average Muni show. When Les Mis recently became available to … Continue reading →

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis is distancing himself from a GOP supporter who made harsh remarks about a Davis challenger. An email from Montgomery County GOP Chairman Jim Allen called Erika Harold of Urbana a “street walker” and “love child” of … Continue reading →

Governor Pat Quinn is giving legislators less than three weeks to come together on a pension overhaul. So far the formation of a rare “conference committee” is the only result of the special legislative session Quinn called to deal with … Continue reading →

Paper notebooks are still a requirement in schools. But devices like iPads are becoming increasingly more popular in classrooms. In the second half of the WUIS series on technology and teaching, Rachel Otwell visits elementary schools in Springfield’s District 186 … Continue reading →

The U.S. Supreme Court is granting the Illinois attorney general more time to decide on an appeal over the carrying of concealed weapons. A spokeswoman for Attorney General Lisa Madigan says the court decided Tuesday to extend the deadline to … Continue reading →

Tim Landis of the State Journal-Register tells us about the new home for Robert’s Automotive, what’s next in the long awaited Stanford Avenue extension project and who purchased the St. George Building in downtown Springfield: Play mp3

The Springfield school board continues to discuss a rule on the books that requires administrators to live within district 186 boundaries. Vice president Adam Lopez has adopted the cause, saying the policy should either be enforced, or removed from regulations. … Continue reading →

While most high schools teach an assortment of foreign languages: Spanish, French, German – other types of languages are finding their way into classrooms. Like Java. Never heard of it? It’s basically a language computers speak. At one time, this … Continue reading →

The Illinois Pollution Control Board found a coal mine in McDonough County violated water quality regulations more than 600 times. Scott Stuntz begins a three-part series on the state’s regulation of the coal industry with a visit to the mine … Continue reading →

The Pharmacy is an artist cooperative in Springfield with studio and gallery space. It’s based in what used to be the Watts Brothers Pharmacy. The group also holds open-mic nights, provides song-writer workshops, and more. And now, it’s inviting kids … Continue reading →

Geocaching in Springfield’s parks starts this week. As Ray Carter explains, it’s a type of scavenger hunt using electronic devices. .mp3 – :57 Geocaching requires players to use coordinates on G-P-S devices to locate hidden objects, known as caches. The … Continue reading →

Decatur Police have arrested the man they believe to be responsible for a hit-and-run accident last week that claimed the life of a 17-month-old boy. The Decatur Herald & Review reports a 24-year-old man was taken into custody at 7:30 … Continue reading →

Former White House chief of staff Bill Daley plans to lay out a three-step plan to end the deadlock on pension reform in Illinois. The Chicago Democrat announced last week he’s forming a committee to explore running for governor in … Continue reading →

Governor Pat Quinn says he’s reviewing a measure that would lift Illinois’ long-standing concealed carry ban. It took legislators months to reach a compromise, and still gun control and gun rights activists both say they’re not happy.   Other critics say … Continue reading →

The Sangamon Co. Sheriff’s Department is asking for the public’s help in solving a missing persons case. 57-year-old Timothy P. “Mo” Ryan of Springfield was last seen during the morning of June 3rd, in the area of the South 6th … Continue reading →

For two decades Springfielders have celebrated Juneteenth. It’s a holiday commemorated in most states. It marks the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas in 1865, which came two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Locally, festivities include … Continue reading →

Gen. Benjamin Grierson won acclaim for his tactical raid that helped the Union forces take Vicksburg.  But before then, he was a music teacher in Jacksonville.  This weekend, the community’s annual event to honor Grierson takes place.   Plenty of free … Continue reading →

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart says the concealed carry bill recently passed by the Illinois Legislature is “fatally flawed.” Dart says the measure’s permitting process wouldn’t stop some people from having guns who shouldn’t have them. Dart made the assertion … Continue reading →

WUIS has brought you interviews with all the new Springfield school board members seated last month. Today we speak with Scott McFarland – he’s serving his second term on the board. McFarland recently saw the closures of multiple schools in … Continue reading →

Springfield may go an entire school year without a permanent superintendent for public schools: Walter Milton left district 186 in March – a separation agreement worth over $175,000 saw him out. He’s been replaced by interim superintendent Bob Leming. The … Continue reading →

A spokesman for former White House chief of staff Bill Daley says the Chicago Democrat is “100 percent in” the 2014 race for Illinois governor. Daley announced Tuesday that he’s formed an exploratory committee to run against Gov. Pat Quinn, … Continue reading →

Former White House chief of Staff William Daley says he’s forming a committee to explore running for Illinois governor in 2014. The Chicago Democrat made the announcement in a video posted online Tuesday morning. In it, he says Illinois “can’t … Continue reading →

Camp Nelson in Kentucky will be the topic of this month’s Illinois State Museum Science Series program.   Dr. Stephen McBride, who works at the civil war site, will discuss the importance of the camp where African American soldiers were trained.  … Continue reading →

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is asking lawmakers to approve both rival plans on how to solve the state’s nearly $100 billion pension crisis. But it’s unclear if legislative leaders will agree. Quinn made the request Monday in a meeting in … Continue reading →

The Springfield school board has four new members, they were seated last month. WUIS has brought you interviews with three of them, today we speak with the fourth – Chuck Flamini, who also is the new school board president. He … Continue reading →

Gov. Pat Quinn says he has spoken with House Speaker Michael Madigan and they plan to sit down Monday to discuss how to fix Illinois’ $97 billion pension crisis. Quinn has been trying to meet with Madigan and Senate President … Continue reading →

Researchers at Illinois State University say they’ve authenticated two new pages to add to the math notebook believed to be the oldest surviving document written by Abraham Lincoln. Math professors Nerida Ellerton and Ken Clements on Friday said the two … Continue reading →

SOHO is in its 9th year of highlighting local bands with a downtown street festival. The festival begins tonight (Fri. 6/7) and goes through Saturday. There will be food and alcoholic beverages on site as well as a kids area … Continue reading →

Michigan native Marshall Crenshaw hasn’t stopped playing music since he rose to fame in the 1980s. It’s been a career that spans just over 30 years – he’s also been an author, actor, radio host, and music producer. He played Buddy Holly … Continue reading →