For May’s cover story, I wrote about Southern Illinois University’s efforts to treat and prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Brent Bohlen, a retired state worker and current exercise enthusiast, is an unlikely person to be speaking to doctors at a high-level conference on Alzheimer’s disease held this month at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield. […]

For the last week of the legislative session, I wrote about one of the more successful environmental initiatives: an effort to regulate the sale of mercury thermostats. The bill passed both the House and Senate, and is currently awaiting the governor’s signature. Illinois environmentalists, manufacturers and lawmakers are turning up the heat in the fight […]

Continuing my focus on environmental stories, this week’s story is about Lake Land College’s efforts to create a sustainable campus. I love writing these kinds of articles, since I’m always interested in real-life applications of green technologies. Lake Land College in Mattoon has reduced its energy costs by nearly $100,000 annually, as part of a […]

This week’s story is about Jeffrey Smith, an anti-GMO advocate. Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are present in most food you buy at the grocery store. I profiled Smith’s efforts to stop GMOs and provide healthy alternatives. Your favorite fruits and vegetables could be hazardous to your health, says Jeffrey Smith, executive director of the […]

This week, I investigated the proposed Taylorville Energy Center. I wish I’d had a chance to speak to Tenaska, the company behind the project. Unfortunately, they did not return calls in time for deadline. I hope to do a follow-up story to learn more about the project from all perspectives. Taylorville Energy Center, a proposed […]

This week’s story is about Illinois’ telecommunications laws. Companies like AT&T want a revamp of what they see as outdated regulations. Illinois telecommunication laws need a rewrite, technology providers say. Outdated legislation means the state is losing jobs and business growth, members of the telecom community told the House’s Bipartisan Job Creation Task Force at […]

This was my second cover story for Illinois Times. I learned a lot from my first cover story (nuclear power), and successfully applied those lessons in this article. I’m very pleased with how it turned out, and would like to continue coverage on the challenges of mass-producers meeting the organic food demand. From floor to […]

This story was in the making for a long time. The bill took a while to make its way through, which (I learned a long time ago) is pretty normal for any state legislature. Just a short piece about horseback riding rights. When I was a reporter on Mackinac Island, I learned all about the […]

This week, I wrote about a lecturer who spoke at Southern Illinois Medical School. He talked about health care reform, particularly the ethics and miscommunications that lead to the death panel rumors. It was very insightful, and I enjoyed interviewing him after the lecture. Health care reform is barely two weeks old, and many Americans […]

I had a great time reporting on this story. Though I’m very passionate about alternative energy, I’d never had the opportunity to see a wind turbine up close. I got a chance to watch the workers assemble the tower and to ask them questions during the process. I also took photos for this story, and […]