It’s been less than three months since Jonathon Monken became director of the Illinois State Police, but already he has jolted the agency. Which is sort of what troopers were hoping he would do, because dang, the place needed a good shake-up.

Jerry Ann Allers of La Grange Park is the mother of a son who was treated for cancer. He died at the age of 20, cancer free with only two more chemo treatments left. Why did he die? He developed an unexplained lung infection and spent two horrific months on a ventilator, dying slowly.

Obama spaketh, and it was good: “We have to find more environmentally sound ways of mining coal than simply blowing the tops off mountains,” he proclaimed.

The decision in California regarding same-sex marriage was indeed historic, but not in a positive light. For the first time in U. S. history, the rights of an entire group of citizens were stripped away in a state constitution. Hate mongers celebrate because the decision upheld the “will of the people.

the loony laughter punctuates the lake the fire dies in embers at our feet our halcyon time is over and I ache for trials that tomorrow we must meet.

Almost every reporter who covered the unveiling of new budget-cutting recommendations by the governor’s Taxpayer Action Board last week claimed the “TAB” had found a half billion dollars in reductions for the coming fiscal year.

With all the poverty that exists in the United States Brent De Land, who founded the local nonprofit Haitian Development Fund, sometimes doesn’t know how to ask people to give his organization money for its health clinic in Haiti.

Even though politicians and education reformers have been singing the praises of charter schools for a number of years now, the concept has been slow to catch on outside of America’s big inner cities. This is especially true in Illinois, where only nine of the state’s 39 charter schools are located outside of the city of Chicago.

Green doesn’t always mean good. That’s the message that Tom Clay, the executive director of the Illinois Audubon Society, and Vern LaGesse, an ecological restorationist and president of the Friends of the Sangamon Valley, want to send with their new plan to revamp Adams Wildlife Sanctuary.

Cast members from the organization’s three upcoming shows cheered wildly as Muni President Flynn Hanners mentioned them in his opening night remarks last Friday. As Hanners spoke, the audience sat before him with balloons and flowers tucked away in preparation for a post-show reception.

There was a time in this town when Second Street was today’s Koke Mill Road, at the western edge of the city. Back then the Industrial Age, nurtured for decades on the east coast, was sweeping west like wildfire, riding steel rails and embracing Illinois’ new capital city, the third town to hold the honor.

Grüner Veltliner is Austria’s best known, best loved wine, made from grapes of the same name. (Most new world wines — those from America, South America, Australia, etc., are labeled by their predominant or sole grape variety as in Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, etc.

Washington is Walter Garber, an administrator in the New York transit system who’s been temporarily demoted because he’s under investigation for taking bribes. As fate would have it, he’s in charge of the Pelham line when a small group of men take one of the trains on that route and hold it and all aboard hostage.

Phil, Stu and Alan (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis) are the unlikely trio that winds up losing their buddy Doug in Sin City two days before his marriage.

I received an e-mail last week from Jacob Shane, better known to central Illinois music fans as Jake Shane, the young blues picker who represented the Illinois Central Blues Club at the 2007 International Blues Challenge in Memphis.

Original College Night hosted by Video DJ The Doctor Of Rock.

Autumn Zero hails from the little town of Sullivan, southeast of Decatur, but they create big sounds with their music. The hard-rocking, power trio released a debut CD, Woodberry Bridge,.

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Each Saturday in June, the MacArthur Boulevard Business Association’s Artists Market touts 35 artists displaying their handcrafted wares including fine crafts, original art work, photography, painted furniture, jewelry and ceramics outdoors at the Town and Country Shopping Center on MacArthur Boulevard.

Tonight kicks off the summer concert series for Springfield’s own municipal band. You’ll hear a woven fabric of sounds from tubas, flutes, French horns, trumpets and more as 50 local musicians play a variety of music under the direction of Gene Haas. Ice cream socials are provided at each show by area churches and civic groups.

Six bands on two stages feature the best in local and national jazz and blues bands. Hear the soothing and sultry sounds of Zach Radwine Trio, Black Magic Johnson, Aduki Jazz Quintet, Suzy

NOTICE UNDER ASSUMED BUSINESS NAME ACT STATE OF ILLINOIS COUNTY OF SANGAMON TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Notice is hereby given that on the 20th day of May, 2009 a Certificate of Ownership of business was filed in the Office of the County Clerk of...

required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOME- OWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DYAS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.

N THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE 7TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT SANGAMON COUNTY — SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS LASALLE BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR FIRST FRANKLIN MORT- GAGE LOAN TRUST, MORT- GAGE LOAN ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007- FF2, PLAINTIFF VS LISA BANKHEAD A/K/A LISA A.

After robbing a bank in Cornwall Bridge, Conn., Jason Durant, 32, tumbled down a steep embankment behind the bank, crashing into a snowplow blade at the bottom and breaking his leg in several places. The Waterbury Republican- American reported he also lost his gun and the stolen money, leaving him with only $2.

A couple years ago, I “met” a guy online, and we started e-mailing and sexting (sending sexy texts via cellphone). We decided to meet, but he canceled. I figured he was married, and dropped it. Within a few months, his sexts were popping up again. Five months ago, I met my boyfriend.