Sangamon Local Digest

Illinois’ U.S. senators, Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, and U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski want to halt any closing or deactivation of Air Force repair facilities, including the 183rd Wing’s Centralized Repair Facility in Springfield, and are seeking to push back the closure planned for spring 2027 by more than a year, the State Journal-Register reports.

Illinois Times reports the Air Force plans to eliminate the facility at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport by April 1, 2027, affecting 192 positions — 75 full-time jobs and 117 part-time traditional Guard positions. In a Sept. 30 letter, the three Democrats asked defense-bill negotiators to bar closing such a facility until Sept. 30, 2028, unless the Air Force assigns a deployable replacement mission, and they back a push for a second Air Operations Group in Springfield. Duckworth told Illinois Times she is prepared to use Senate holds to force negotiations.

Springfield District 186 board members say transportation contractor First Student needs to fix unreliable bus service six weeks into the school year, Capitol City Now reports. Their comments followed complaints from parents and a school paraprofessional about buses for special-education students; board member Micah Miller pointed to the contract’s sizable price increases.

The contract calls for 95% on-time service with 192 drivers, and neither is being met, business manager Steve Miller said — drivers leave about as fast as they are hired, and certification takes roughly three weeks. Superintendent Terrance Jordan acknowledged a tough start and said district leaders are meeting with First Student. Separately, NewsChannel 20 reports the superintendent said about 180 students have not turned in immunization records.

Former Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin endorsed Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker’s reelection Monday in a Pritzker campaign video, saying he cannot vote for GOP nominee Darren Bailey, NPR Illinois reports. Durkin, who led House Republicans for almost a decade before stepping down in 2023, said he doesn’t agree with Pritzker on everything but that the governor has delivered on issues that matter to him.

Bailey and his wife, Cindy, voted early at the Clay County Courthouse hours later, WAND reports via Capitol City Now. Bailey said Durkin has never been a real Republican, and Illinois GOP Chair Bob Grogan called him an opportunist. Independent candidate Collin Corbett told WAND voters are ready for an independent governor. Election Day is Nov. 3.

Springfield Memorial Hospital, HSHS St. John’s Hospital and the Sangamon County Health Department are running this month’s Community Health Survey for residents of Sangamon and Menard counties, WCMSPI reports. It asks about local health challenges, priorities and quality-of-life concerns.

Earlier survey results led to mental health advocate training and a social care referral program. The survey is open through Oct. 31.

Advance Illinois president Robin Steans told Capitol City Now that a decade of evidence-based funding has been a success for Illinois public schools. The formula adds about $350 million a year for K–12, and districts must file plans for how they’ll spend the money and reports on how they actually did.

Steans said Springfield District 186 has received millions in new dollars every year. When the law passed, more than 160 districts had less than 60% of what they needed; none are below that line now, though some remain under 70% of adequacy. She added that temporary pandemic-era money should have gone to one-time expenses.

The Springfield Fire Department promoted 20 firefighters and officers at a Sept. 30 ceremony at the Springfield Firefighters Lake Club, the State Journal-Register reports: 11 to driver engineer, eight to captain and one — Eric Jaeger — to battalion chief.

Fire Chief Nick Zummo and Mayor Misty Buscher addressed the families, friends and firefighters who attended. The SJ-R story lists every promoted member.

The Salvation Army in Springfield says the Oct. 24 closure of its Family Store at Chatham Square on Wabash Avenue, which was deemed no longer profitable, will not affect its ministry, WAND reports. Merchandise is currently 50% off.

The organization says a thrift store is still needed and it is in the early stages of finding a new location, hoping to open in 2027. The current store is run by the Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Center in St. Louis. The Salvation Army has served Springfield and Sangamon County for 130 years.

With the highly contagious panleukopenia virus confirmed at its shelter, Sangamon County Animal Control and Adoption Center is asking people not to bring in stray cats unless it is absolutely necessary, Capitol City Now reports. The State Journal-Register also covered the outbreak Monday.

The shelter is working to move healthy cats into foster homes and asks anyone willing to foster to call the shelter; details are on the county’s Animal Control and Adoption page.

Illinois State Police will hold a large, multi-agency training exercise at the Illinois State Fairgrounds (801 E. Sangamon Ave.) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, NewsChannel 20 reports.

Neighbors may hear loud noises and sirens and see dozens of responders, vehicles, hazmat suits and tactical gear. ISP says there is no real threat, and routine police and fire service will not be affected.

Illinois’ U.S. senators, Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, and U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski want to halt any closing or deactivation of Air Force repair facilities, including the 183rd Wing’s Centralized Repair Facility in Springfield, and are seeking to push back the closure planned for spring 2027 by more than a year, the State Journal-Register reports.

Illinois Times reports the Air Force plans to eliminate the facility at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport by April 1, 2027, affecting 192 positions — 75 full-time jobs and 117 part-time traditional Guard positions. In a Sept. 30 letter, the three Democrats asked defense-bill negotiators to bar closing such a facility until Sept. 30, 2028, unless the Air Force assigns a deployable replacement mission, and they back a push for a second Air Operations Group in Springfield. Duckworth told Illinois Times she is prepared to use Senate holds to force negotiations.

Springfield District 186 board members say transportation contractor First Student needs to fix unreliable bus service six weeks into the school year, Capitol City Now reports. Their comments followed complaints from parents and a school paraprofessional about buses for special-education students; board member Micah Miller pointed to the contract’s sizable price increases.

The contract calls for 95% on-time service with 192 drivers, and neither is being met, business manager Steve Miller said — drivers leave about as fast as they are hired, and certification takes roughly three weeks. Superintendent Terrance Jordan acknowledged a tough start and said district leaders are meeting with First Student. Separately, NewsChannel 20 reports the superintendent said about 180 students have not turned in immunization records.

Former Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin endorsed Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker’s reelection Monday in a Pritzker campaign video, saying he cannot vote for GOP nominee Darren Bailey, NPR Illinois reports. Durkin, who led House Republicans for almost a decade before stepping down in 2023, said he doesn’t agree with Pritzker on everything but that the governor has delivered on issues that matter to him.

Bailey and his wife, Cindy, voted early at the Clay County Courthouse hours later, WAND reports via Capitol City Now. Bailey said Durkin has never been a real Republican, and Illinois GOP Chair Bob Grogan called him an opportunist. Independent candidate Collin Corbett told WAND voters are ready for an independent governor. Election Day is Nov. 3.

Springfield Memorial Hospital, HSHS St. John’s Hospital and the Sangamon County Health Department are running this month’s Community Health Survey for residents of Sangamon and Menard counties, WCMSPI reports. It asks about local health challenges, priorities and quality-of-life concerns.

Earlier survey results led to mental health advocate training and a social care referral program. The survey is open through Oct. 31.

Advance Illinois president Robin Steans told Capitol City Now that a decade of evidence-based funding has been a success for Illinois public schools. The formula adds about $350 million a year for K–12, and districts must file plans for how they’ll spend the money and reports on how they actually did.

Steans said Springfield District 186 has received millions in new dollars every year. When the law passed, more than 160 districts had less than 60% of what they needed; none are below that line now, though some remain under 70% of adequacy. She added that temporary pandemic-era money should have gone to one-time expenses.

The Springfield Fire Department promoted 20 firefighters and officers at a Sept. 30 ceremony at the Springfield Firefighters Lake Club, the State Journal-Register reports: 11 to driver engineer, eight to captain and one — Eric Jaeger — to battalion chief.

Fire Chief Nick Zummo and Mayor Misty Buscher addressed the families, friends and firefighters who attended. The SJ-R story lists every promoted member.

The Salvation Army in Springfield says the Oct. 24 closure of its Family Store at Chatham Square on Wabash Avenue, which was deemed no longer profitable, will not affect its ministry, WAND reports. Merchandise is currently 50% off.

The organization says a thrift store is still needed and it is in the early stages of finding a new location, hoping to open in 2027. The current store is run by the Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Center in St. Louis. The Salvation Army has served Springfield and Sangamon County for 130 years.

House Minority Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) has filed House Bill 5813, which she says would help property owners harmed by recent Illinois rental laws, WAND reports via Capitol City Now. The bill would require the summons and complaint to be served within five business days, tenants to appear in court within five business days of receiving the eviction notice, and hearings within 10 business days of a tenant’s first appearance.

Housing Action Illinois policy director Bob Palmer told WAND the most important steps to reduce evictions are making sure the lowest-income renters can afford rent and supporting emergency rent assistance and homelessness programs. The bill was filed two weeks ago and has no cosponsors yet.

With the highly contagious panleukopenia virus confirmed at its shelter, Sangamon County Animal Control and Adoption Center is asking people not to bring in stray cats unless it is absolutely necessary, Capitol City Now reports. The State Journal-Register also covered the outbreak Monday.

The shelter is working to move healthy cats into foster homes and asks anyone willing to foster to call the shelter; details are on the county’s Animal Control and Adoption page.

The Springfield-based Illinois Manufacturers’ Association brought its “Makers on the Move” bus tour to the University of Illinois Springfield on Monday to promote UIS’s new Bachelor of Applied Science in engineering technology, Illinois Times and Capitol City Now report. Chancellor Janet Gooch said the program answers what employers say they need.

Dean Travis Bland said it uses a work-and-learn model so people who already have jobs can earn credit on the job while they upskill. IMA CEO Mark Denzler said manufacturing makes up 14% of the state’s economy. The tour plans about 40 stops this week; UIS says the degree launches in 2027.

Illinois State Police will hold a large, multi-agency training exercise at the Illinois State Fairgrounds (801 E. Sangamon Ave.) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, NewsChannel 20 reports.

Neighbors may hear loud noises and sirens and see dozens of responders, vehicles, hazmat suits and tactical gear. ISP says there is no real threat, and routine police and fire service will not be affected.

Illinois has joined a coalition of 25 states, counties and cities suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over its repeal of Biden-era limits on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, St. Louis Public Radio reports. The suit asks the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to throw out the repeal and restore the 2024 rules.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul called the rollback reckless and unlawful. The Trump administration says the repeal will save more than $300 billion. The coalition also told the EPA it plans to sue over the agency’s failure to set wider greenhouse gas limits.

The Illinois Department of Transportation says a pavement overlay project on Stevenson Drive from Adloff Lane to the Interstate 55 ramps begins Monday, Oct. 5, and is estimated to be finished by the end of the week.

Lane closures will be needed, so drivers should expect delays, allow extra time, obey work-zone speed limits, and use alternate routes if possible.

More than 7,300 City Water, Light and Power customers on Springfield’s west side lost electricity for more than an hour Sunday evening, WCMSPI and WAND report. The outage hit customers served by the Old Jacksonville and Durkin substations.

CWLP said a lightning arrestor on a motor-operated switch at the Old Jacksonville Road substation failed after 7 p.m.; the Springfield Fire Department also reported seeing a fire at a transformer. Power came back to Old Jacksonville customers at 7:50 p.m. and to the remaining Durkin customers at 8:25 p.m., per WAND.

A new Illinois Economic Policy Institute and University of Illinois report projects $57 billion in new data-center investment through 2035 would create about 121,000 jobs — mostly temporary construction and spin-off work, with just 2,800 direct permanent positions — plus nearly $300 million a year in property-tax revenue, Capitol News Illinois reports.

The authors estimate added energy demand would raise average residential electric bills by about $12 a month, or $150 a year, in a mid-level scenario. Utility watchdogs and environmental groups are skeptical, and the report’s 10 recommendations echo the POWER Act, which stalled in the spring; advocates hope it moves in the fall veto session.

Capitol City Now reports Memorial Health’s Mammogram Mondays program offers free screening mammograms on Mondays throughout October for women 40 and older who are uninsured or underinsured, at all five Memorial Health hospitals.

In Springfield, appointments are at the Baylis Building, 747 N. Rutledge St. Call 217-757-4211. The Springfield Memorial Foundation covers eligible costs. Coverage also notes men may receive mammograms when clinically indicated.

Homelessness in Illinois fell 6% from 2025 to 2026, but chronic homelessness rose 28%, according to a new Illinois Department of Human Services report marking five years of Gov. JB Pritzker’s Home Illinois plan, Capitol News Illinois reports. The state task force expects to spend almost $620 million in fiscal 2027.

The Central Illinois Continuum of Care saw a 31% increase, which local providers partly attribute to a count that reached more rural areas plus a shortage of affordable housing. The report says Illinois is short about 142,000 homes and notes rents rose 27% from 2019 to 2024.

City Water, Light and Power is marking Public Power Week Oct. 4–10 (starting today), spotlighting benefits of community-owned utilities, the Springfield Herald reports.

Mayor Misty Buscher and CWLP Chief Utility Engineer Scott Rogers spoke about local control, reliability, and affordable rates. Read the Herald for full quotes and any related IRP notes.

The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department released dashcam footage Friday evening of an off-duty lieutenant striking a pedestrian in a downtown Springfield crosswalk on Sept. 24, Illinois Times reports.

Andrew Henton was turning left from Ninth onto Monroe in a work-issued vehicle when he hit a man walking north in the crosswalk on a green light, according to a county statement. Springfield police investigated and issued a citation; the victim’s name and injury status were not released.

Springfield Business Journal’s Michelle Ownbey told WTAX that downtown dining and retail keep shifting: outdoor food court the Railyard is passing from Tim and Emily Lewis to Brad and Adria Martin of Oakview BBQ as the Lewises prepare a Florida move.

Bus Stop — washed out of Fifth and Monroe by this year’s water-main break — is relocating into the former Bar None space and aiming to open before Halloween. The former Fifth Street Flower Shop will become Kindness + Co., a Christian bookstore that also plans community donations.

Sangamon County Animal Control & Adoption Center said feline panleukopenia — a highly contagious, potentially life-threatening cat virus — has been identified in the shelter. The virus hits kittens and unvaccinated cats hardest and can spread via litter boxes, bedding, bowls, clothing, and hands.

The shelter asks the public to avoid bringing stray cats in unless absolutely necessary, and to call 217-535-3065 first about healthy-looking strays. Temporary fosters for healthy cats can reduce crowding.

The City of Springfield and City Water, Light and Power marked completion of a federally supported electric vehicle charging project, adding the last ports to a network of about 40 Level 2 chargers at nine city sites.

Coverage notes downtown, UIS, and other public lots among the locations; check local reports for addresses and rates.

NewsChannel 20 reports plans for a permanent memorial to the YNOT crash victims at Chatham Community Park, giving families and neighbors a lasting place to gather and remember.

Check the original report for dedication timelines and how the community can participate.

Springfield Memorial Hospital, HSHS St. John’s Hospital and the Sangamon County Health Department are running this month’s Community Health Survey for residents of Sangamon and Menard counties, WCMSPI reports. It asks about local health challenges, priorities and quality-of-life concerns.

Earlier survey results led to mental health advocate training and a social care referral program. The survey is open through Oct. 31.

Springfield District 186 board members say transportation contractor First Student needs to fix unreliable bus service six weeks into the school year, Capitol City Now reports. Their comments followed complaints from parents and a school paraprofessional about buses for special-education students; board member Micah Miller pointed to the contract’s sizable price increases.

The contract calls for 95% on-time service with 192 drivers, and neither is being met, business manager Steve Miller said — drivers leave about as fast as they are hired, and certification takes roughly three weeks. Superintendent Terrance Jordan acknowledged a tough start and said district leaders are meeting with First Student. Separately, NewsChannel 20 reports the superintendent said about 180 students have not turned in immunization records.

With the highly contagious panleukopenia virus confirmed at its shelter, Sangamon County Animal Control and Adoption Center is asking people not to bring in stray cats unless it is absolutely necessary, Capitol City Now reports. The State Journal-Register also covered the outbreak Monday.

The shelter is working to move healthy cats into foster homes and asks anyone willing to foster to call the shelter; details are on the county’s Animal Control and Adoption page.

The Salvation Army in Springfield says the Oct. 24 closure of its Family Store at Chatham Square on Wabash Avenue, which was deemed no longer profitable, will not affect its ministry, WAND reports. Merchandise is currently 50% off.

The organization says a thrift store is still needed and it is in the early stages of finding a new location, hoping to open in 2027. The current store is run by the Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Center in St. Louis. The Salvation Army has served Springfield and Sangamon County for 130 years.