Man wrongfully convicted of murdering 6-year-old boy in Illinois is free after 35 years in prison
The following story was published by CNN on Dec. 13, 2023.
"A man wrongfully convicted in the 1988 murder of a 6-year-old boy in Illinois is free after 35 years behind bars, the Cook County State’s Attorney Office said.
Brian Beals, who was a college athlete studying to be a police officer when he was arrested, was released after a Cook County court granted a petition to vacate the conviction, according to a statement from the state’s attorney’s office.
UIS men's soccer coaches gets big award
The story was published by The State Journal-Register on Dec. 6, 2023.
"The University of Illinois Springfield men's soccer team earned the NCAA D-II Midwest Staff of the Year award, the United Soccer Coaches announced on Monday.
The Prairie Stars, led by Adam Hall in his eighth season as head coach, won the Great Lakes Valley Conference regular season title in 2023. Hall was named the GLVC's Coach of the Year for that effort, which culminated in the third straight NCAA D-II tournament appearance for UIS."
UIS offers resources to students facing food insecurity
The following column was written by Jill Hawkins-Wright, director of the UIS Volunteer and Civic Engagement Center. It was published on Nov. 21, 2023.
"On the campus of the University of Illinois Springfield lies a repurposed conference room full of refrigerators, shopping baskets, canned goods and bookcases stocked with bread.
UIS program helping to create national best practices for child protection training
The following column was written by Betsy Goulet and Amy Wheeler. It was published by The State Journal-Register on Nov. 17.
"A child protection investigator and detective approach the front door of a small house with limited information on the situation they are about to face. This multidisciplinary team is responding to a report that a young child is at risk of harm. However, on this particular occasion, the family members that the team will encounter are actors and the small house is actually the University of Illinois Springfield’s Residential Simulation Lab.
UIS awarded federal grant to develop tolerance, diversity, and anti-bias training for law enforcement
The following story was reported by WICS-TV 20 on Nov. 9, 2023.
"The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) Alliance for Experiential Problem-Based Learning has been awarded a $699,190 federal grant to develop tolerance, diversity, and anti-bias training for law enforcement.
The funding was awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) with support from U.S. Senator Dick Durbin."