I find it helpful to look at the historical perspective on current issues, such as the perception that City Water, Light and Power is on the decline and the kerfuffle over the city siphoning funds from CWLP into the city’s general account.

People who live in the PORTA and A-C Central school districts will soon get to let their elected officials know how they feel about a possible merger.

Habitat for Humanity of Sangamon County is hoping to get some help from the Illinois Air National Guard as it expands its services for people who need safe and affordable homes.

Springfield aldermen on Tuesday unanimously approved the city’s eighth tax increment finance district — this one intended to revitalize a struggling section of MacArthur Boulevard.

Annie Tierney made a pros-and-cons list about living in downtown Springfield before she and husband Ben moved into the Lincoln Square Apartments in July. The pros won out. An urban design team looking at trends in downtown Springfield said enticing more people like Tierney to live in the heart of the city is vital to the area’s future growth.

A transportation business received $1.7 million worth of state work over two years even after a federal conviction for hundreds of thousands of dollars in state Medicaid fraud, according to an investigation released Tuesday. 

Gov. Pat Quinn wants to close the supermaximum-security prison near Tamms, a women’s prison in Dwight, two juvenile prisons and six halfway houses as part of an austerity budget he will unveil Wednesday. Follow and chat about Quinn's speech here at noon.

The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce wants to know if there are companies either in Springfield or the region with air cargo or air freight needs.

Ted Turner: Congress is trying to do an end run to OK the Keystone oil pipeline, which could mean disastrous toxic spills and poisoned water.

Violence left five people dead today as protests over Quran burning by coalition troops intensified in Afghanistan. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul went into lockdown.

Four more bodies were found aboard the shipwrecked Costa Concordia, Italian civil protection officials said Wednesday, more than a month after the cruise liner struck rocks off the coast of Italy.

Two days of talks in Iran went nowhere and the frustration of the global nuclear watchdog agency was palpable in the terse statement it issued afterward.

Singing sensation Adele continued rolling in the prizes at the Brit Awards in London, but she made headlines Wednesday for something else: she gave the middle finger when she was cut off during the live broadcast.

The GOP presidential debate Wednesday is the last time the candidates will share a stage before primaries in Arizona and Michigan on Tuesday.

Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher gathered everyone together in the Lakers' locker room Monday night and tried to set the tone for the second half of the season.

Dwyane Wade scored 30 points and added 10 assists, Mario Chalmers and Chris Bosh each scored 20 points and the NBA-leading Miami Heat stretched their winning streak to seven games with a 120-108 win over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night.

Following Monday's game between the teams at the Garden, New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin told New Jersey Nets power forward Kris Humphries that he doesn't understand why Knicks fans boo Humphries.

Brady Quinn is apologizing to Tim Tebow for unflattering comments Quinn made about the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback in a GQ article.

Tom Martinez, the longtime coach and mentor of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, died Tuesday on his 66th birthday.

Maryland coach Randy Edsall has changed his mind and decided to grant former quarterback Danny O'Brien a full release from the program with no transfer restrictions, according to a news statement the school issued Wednesday.

Ben Roethlisberger has met with new Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported, citing multiple team sources.

The first study to measure the head impacts among youth football players has found that some hits absorbed by second graders are as forceful as those in the college game.