Sangamon County Sheriff defends hiring of Sean Grayson. Experts say he was negligent and missed red flags

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

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

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…

Urbana activists want more police oversight. But local laws hold the civilian review board hostage
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Urbana activists want more police oversight. But local laws hold the civilian review board hostage

This story is part of a partnership focusing on police misconduct in Champaign County between the Champaign-Urbana Civic Police Data Project of Invisible Institute, a Chicago-based nonprofit public accountability journalism organization, and IPM News, which provides news about Illinois & in-depth reporting on Agriculture, Education, the Environment, Health, and Politics, powered by Illinois Public Media….

Two men looking at a third man who is a judge.
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Amid pushback to requests for more police, Urbana City Council votes to fund only two positions

The Urbana City Council moved to approve its budget for the next fiscal year at a council meeting Tuesday. The Urbana Police Department had asked the Council to fund 11 positions. But after months of pressure from community members to divert funds away from police to groups that provide social services, the Council voted to…

217 Today: The new FAFSA rollout has been a mess. Here’s how many Illinois high school students are doing

217 Today: The new FAFSA rollout has been a mess. Here’s how many Illinois high school students are doing

Tuesday, May 7, 2024 Today’s headlines: A new lawsuit says that child sexual abuse at Illinois juvenile detention centers was pervasive and systemic for decades. Three lawmakers in Illinois’ Jewish Caucus visited the University of Illinois yesterday to express support for Jewish students. Promise Healthcare and the Champaign Unit 4 School District are working together…

217 Today: Palestinian NIU graduate student adds voice to call for ceasefire in war in Gaza

217 Today: Palestinian NIU graduate student adds voice to call for ceasefire in war in Gaza

Monday, May 6, 2024 Today’s headlines:  A coalition of organizations is suing the City of Chicago for denying a permit to march downtown during this summer’s Democratic National Convention. The Illinois Department of Human Services is proposing a 14 billion dollar budget for this upcoming fiscal year.  Researchers at the University of Illinois are exploring…

217 Today: 15 migrant couples got married in Chicago: See the prep, ceremony and wedding party

217 Today: 15 migrant couples got married in Chicago: See the prep, ceremony and wedding party

Tuesday, April 30, 2024 Today’s headlines:  A protester arrested at pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the University of Illinois was released Monday after about 60 hours in the Champaign County jail. Some Jewish students at the University of Illinois’ Urbana campus are commemorating Passover while camping out for Palestine. The Illinois Department of Corrections is proposing moving…

217 Today: Pro-Palestine groups reconstruct encampment, dispute UIUC officials’ account of protest negotiations

217 Today: Pro-Palestine groups reconstruct encampment, dispute UIUC officials’ account of protest negotiations

Monday, April 29, 2024 Today’s headlines:  Pro-Palestinian demonstrators camped out overnight at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. They’re back to demand the campus divest from companies with ties to Israel’s military. A recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found working-age rural residents die from natural causes at a higher rate than their…

217 Today: Freeport High School students help fill in the gaps in local news

217 Today: Freeport High School students help fill in the gaps in local news

Tuesday, April 23, 2024 Today’s headlines:  For the first time since the 19th century, a Native American tribe has sovereign authority over land in the state of Illinois. The U.S. Senate is poised to consider aid for both Israel and Ukraine this week. Illinois state officials are working to reduce disparities that make Black women…

217 Today: The ancient farming practice that’s getting a new life — and reducing emissions

217 Today: The ancient farming practice that’s getting a new life — and reducing emissions

Monday, April 22, 2024 Today’s headlines:  Illinois is, once again, home to a federally recognized tribal nation. Young adults incarcerated in Illinois prisons could soon have access to educational opportunities and mental health services. On Saturday, Crystal Lake Park in Urbana was filled with people learning about ecology ahead of Earth Day.  The Fighting Illini…

217 Today: Citing the mental health crisis, some hope to see Illinois legalize psilocybin

217 Today: Citing the mental health crisis, some hope to see Illinois legalize psilocybin

Tuesday, April 16, 2024 Today’s headlines:  The U.S. Supreme Court seems ready to narrow a federal bribery law used in some big Chicago corruption cases. Governor J.B. Pritzker is promoting his plan to eliminate medical debt for hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans. Urbana School District 116 is set to vote Tuesday on which elementary school will…

217 Today: Newspapers in rural areas are folding, leaving vast news deserts. But there are bright spots

217 Today: Newspapers in rural areas are folding, leaving vast news deserts. But there are bright spots

Monday, April 15, 2024  Today’s headlines:  Illinois lawmakers are moving to update the state’s biometric privacy law.  The major theme for a service celebrating the life of local educator Dr. William Patterson was, “It don’t stop.” A shooting in a Chicago neighborhood killed a 7-year-old girl and left nearly a dozen others injured. In today’s deep…

217 Today: People travel to southern Illinois and Missouri from across the U.S. to view solar eclipse

217 Today: People travel to southern Illinois and Missouri from across the U.S. to view solar eclipse

Tuesday, April 9, 2024 Today’s headlines:  For a few minutes in the middle of the day, millions around Illinois experienced darkness as part of a total solar eclipse on Monday. More than 300 University of Illinois Chicago faculty, students and alumni are sounding the alarm about an effort to rein in campus speech. In today’s…