Author: joeward7

Tim Landis
The State Journal-Register

The McDonald’s on MacArthur Boulevard tradition in Springfield ends this month after nearly 60 years. A statement from current owner/operator Dave Kaspryzk on Monday indicated the restaurant at 1825 S. MacArthur Blvd. would close Jan. 31 in order for him to concentrate on his franchises in Chatham and at 501 South Grand Ave. E. in Springfield.

“We are choosing to invest our resources into other restaurants within our organization at this time,” Kaspryzk said

Mary Hansen
The State Journal-Register

Last April, residents saw six alternatives for resurfacing and improving MacArthur Boulevard between South Grand and Wabash avenues from the city of Springfield and the Illinois Department of Transportation. In 2017, Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin says the city should take that section of road over from the state and

Mary Hansen
The State Journal-Register

Despite the Springfield City Council’s rejection Tuesday of his proposal for the city to buy a building on the Old Capitol Plaza, Mayor Jim Langfelder said he would bring an amended plan back to the aldermen in the coming weeks.

With no debate, the council by a vote of 7-3 shot down the $425,000 request for downtown tax increment financing funds to buy the building at 521 E. Washington St. from Bank & Trust Company of Chatham.

Mary Hansen
The State Journal-Register

Laminated maps of the United States and the world hang on the wall of the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, showing with pushpins where some of the thousands of tourists that visit the city every year are from. Tourists can stop by the office at 109 N. Seventh St. to get recommendations for what to see and directions to nearby landmarks.

The maps and offices for the convention bureau’s 14 staff could have a new home

Tim Landis
The State Journal-Register

A neighborhood coffee bar is coming to a Springfield commercial corner traditionally known for gas pumps, convenience stores and, most recently, a title-loan company.

Pittsfield residents Jane Ann and Jonas Petty plan to begin renovation soon toward the opening of Free Press Coffee House in the former service-station space at MacArthur Boulevard and South Grand Avenue. The shop is one of two for Springfield. A mid-January opening is planned in a retail strip center at Cotton Hill and Toronto

Mary Hansen
The State Journal-Register

City employees retired in greater numbers that year than any other in a five-year period. According to the city’s human resources office, 84 workers retired in 2015, compared to 60 so far this year.

City officials and others have different perspectives on why the bump in retirements happened. Some point to the Springfield City Council’s decision to get rid of a perk that allowed employees nearing retirement to cash in unused vacation days, “spiking” their future pension payments.

“The discussion at the time was should we cut it off now, or

Mary Hansen
The State Journal-Register

Four large windows on the second floor of the former National Museum of Surveying provide a sweeping view of the Old State Capitol. Aldermen and neighborhood groups got to see for themselves Friday, as representatives of the Bank & Trust Company of Litchfield, which owns the building, took them on a tour.

In advance of the next Springfield City Council meeting, Mayor Jim Langfelder wanted to

Mary Hansen
The State Journal-Register

In an effort to bring more transparency to how pension debt payments are calculated, Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin has proposed changes in how the city awards contracts for actuarial services.

“This is a situation that I think, because of the financial impact that actuaries have on city finances, that we really need to take a closer look at not just the contract, but the services that relate to the contract,” McMenamin said at

Tim Landis
The State Journal-Register

A major renovation at one of Springfield’s oldest shopping centers – including expansion of the soon-to-close Kmart on Wabash Avenue – includes new tenants, two new retail buildings and an overall new look. Work expected to take several months at Sherwood Plaza shopping center should begin soon after the start of the new year.

Project plans were given preliminary approval with little discussion on Thursday by a zoning committee of the Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission.

Mary Hansen
The State Journal-Register

Residents of Springfield’s Ward 6 have a new alderman to represent them through the April election. In an emergency meeting Tuesday, the Springfield City Council approved the appointment of a former alderman, Barry Becker, to the temporary post left vacant by Cory Jobe’s resignation.

Working on the budget will be his top priority during his time on the council, the 75-year-old Becker