Local Public Safety and Health

Springfield Police: One dead in Holly Drive shooting
One person was killed in an east side shooting on Saturday morning, the Springfield Police Department reports. The SPD informed the press that at approximately 3:30 AM on Saturday, July 19, officers were dispatched to the 1900 block of Holly Drive. There, police discovered a female who had been struck by gunfire. There...
Jul 20, 2025

Dee: IL beaches pose danger from bacteria presence
Terri Dee Illinois News Connection "Don't go into the water" is a warning Illinoisans may want to heed. A 2024 study released this week found all state-border beaches on Lake Michigan last year had evidence of contamination. Findings from the Safe in Swimming report indicate these conditions could cause serio...
Jul 13, 2025

Hancock: Illinois hospitals fear massive cuts under Trump domestic policy law
Medicaid cuts expected to hit rural hospitals the hardest Article Summary: President Trump's domestic policy bill contains massive cuts in federal Medicaid spending over the next 10 years. One analysis predicts $48 billion in spending reductions in Illinois over a decade. The cuts limit states' ability to raise mo...
Jul 10, 2025

Springfield youth charged with fatally stabbing his mother more than a year ago found mentally fit to stand trial
A Springfield youth charged with fatally stabbing his mother more than a year ago has been found mentally fit to stand trial. Sixteen-year-old Jonathan Long is charged as an adult with first-degree murder in the June 2024 stabbing death of 51-year-old Misty Long in her home on Shadow Fax Drive in the Twin Lakes subdivi...
Jul 10, 2025

First-degree murder charges dropped against 46-year-old Rochester man in connection with fatal shooting along North Dirksen Parkway in Springfield in April
First-degree murder charges have been dropped against a 46-year-old Rochester man in connection with a fatal shooting along North Dirksen Parkway in Springfield in April. Sangamon County State's Attorney John Milhiser told Newschannel 20 that his office and Springfield Police determined that Nicholas Kammueller acted i...
Jul 10, 2025

Sangamon County Coroner's Office earns national accreditation for excellence in service
The Sangamon County Coroner's Office announced on Tuesday that it had recently earned national accreditation from the International Association of Coroners & Medical Examiners - IACME - a distinction that recognizes the office for achieving the highest standards of professionalism, transparency, and service to the ...
Jul 08, 2025

Riverton man charged with possession of child pornography and sexual contact with an animal
A Riverton man is charged with possession of child pornography and having sexual contact with an animal. Court documents show 39-year-old Benjamin Tarr was ordered to remain in custody after being charged on Wednesday. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 25.
Jul 08, 2025

Over 100 City Water, Light and Power customers were without water service Monday after three water main breaks
About 125 City Water, Light and Power customers were without water service Monday after three water main breaks. Service was restored at about 8 pm to about 100 customers near West Jefferson Street affected by two six-inch main break and another 25 customers in Jerome affected by a break in a four-inch main.
Jul 08, 2025

Springfield School District 186 recommends not approving proposed tax increment financing district in Jerome as presently written
Springfield School District 186 has recommended not approving a proposed tax increment financing district in Jerome as written. District 186 Director of Business, Finance and Operations Steve Miller told board members Monday night that the district stands to lose more than $4 million over the 23-year life of the distri...
Jul 08, 2025

Sangamon County Coroner announces identification of remains found Thursday, July 3 in Springfield
The Sangamon County Coroner, Jim Allmon, has identified the human remains found on July 3 in a wooded area near Wabash Ave. and South Macarthur Blvd. Derek Wartenbe, 37, of Auburn, was scientifically identified today during a post-mortem procedure. Preliminary autopsy findings showed no evidence of injury of trauma. Th...
Jul 07, 2025