Springfield attorney Don Tracy announces U.S. Senate bid
Tracy took over as state GOP party chair in 2021.
Tag: Springfield
The killing of Sonya Massey – one year later
Friends, family and members of the community gathered in Springfield Sunday to remember Sonya Massey, who was shot and killed by a Sangamon County deputy in her unincorporated Springfield home a year ago.
‘Our identity has been frozen in time’: How Native American advocates are influencing Springfield
Attendees of the 2025 Native American Summit, organized by the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative, were draped in regalia and leading a drum ceremony for the first time in an Illinois that was home to a federally recognized tribe.
Groups demand release of after-school program funding
Organizations that provide tutoring, recreation and other after-school programs are calling on Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Education to release $50 million that was included in this year’s budget to fund those programs.
Lawmakers pass nursing home retaliation bill as lame-duck session wraps up in Springfield
A bill cleared the Illinois House 89-16 late Monday, following a 48-2 Senate vote on Sunday, paving the way for more civil suits against nursing homes accused of punishing residents or employees for reporting complaints about facilities.
In the wake of Sonya Massey’s death, Springfield will test a new way to handle mental health calls
Massey’s death at the hands of police has prompted calls for change, but would those changes have been enough to prevent her killing? Sonya Massey, 36, was seeking mental health treatment up until the day she was shot and killed by former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson. County records show 911 calls from Sonya
Retired Springfield police sergeant arrested for aggravated DUI
Michael Egan retired as a sergeant from the Springfield Police Department last week.
Before killing Sonya Massey, Sean Grayson had a case thrown out after bringing charges with no evidence. Departments kept hiring him
Sean Grayson had a history of credibility issues. It didn’t stop him from being hired at police departments in Central Illinois.
Biden to designate 1908 Springfield race riot site as national monument
SPRINGFIELD — President Joe Biden is set to sign a proclamation Friday to designate a national monument at the Springfield, Illinois, site of the 1908 race riot, which later fueled the formation of the NAACP. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing with reporters on Wednesday that the ceremony will be held
Sangamon County Sheriff defends hiring of Sean Grayson. Experts say he was negligent and missed red flags
This story was originally published by Invisible Institute, IPM Newsroom and Illinois Times The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office hired now former deputy Sean Grayson despite his history of policing at five other police departments in 3 years, serious misconduct in the military and integrity issues at former jobs. Experts say this combination of issues should
Deputy who killed Sonya Massey joined Sangamon County Sheriff after past employers questioned his integrity and conduct
Sean Grayson, the former sheriff’s deputy facing murder charges for killing Sonya Massey in Sangamon County, Illinois, left a previous agency after complaints were filed against him for claims of inappropriate conduct with a female detainee and retaliation against her boyfriend after she filed a complaint. Invisible Institute, Illinois Public Media and the Investigative Reporting
Deputy who killed Sonya Massey in Springfield was discharged from Army for serious misconduct
Updated with additional reporting about Grayson’s claims to have been discharged honorably and the circumstances of his hire at the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office. Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy now charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, was previously discharged from the U.S. Army for serious misconduct, military records
Sangamon County deputy indicted for murder in the shooting of Sonya Massey
John Milhiser said the footage will be released to the public Monday, July 22. “Nothing has been redacted, except for the blurring of certain images, which was done out of respect for Ms. Massey and her family.”
Decaying Pillsbury mill in Illinois that once churned flour into opportunity is now getting new life
The group called Moving Pillsbury Forward has $6 million in commitments and plans for obtaining the balance of the $10 million needed to raze the plant and redevelop the site.
Springfield residents go days without power after ‘widespread, devastating’ derecho winds
Observers said the devastation easily matched that of other Springfield-area weather disasters of memory, including a March 2006 tornado and a March 1978 ice storm. The severe weather phenomenon kicked up straight-line winds topping 70 mph and drove rain horizontally.