News

June 30, 2026 Lakeisha Purchase Lakeisha Purchase is a Springfield leader, entrepreneur, and Ward 5 alderwoman recognized as one of the Springfield Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 honorees. She is the owner of 5th Street GEM, a downtown event venue, a lobbyist, and a real estate investor. With a degree in political science, she has […]

April 14, 2026 by Dilpreet Raju “A good step forward” A three-building apartment complex with 22 affordable housing units for people exiting homelessness is opening where the Sportsman’s Lounge once stood. The longtime tavern, which had operated under various names for more than a century, closed in September 2023, around the same time the Springfield […]

March 16, 2026 By Hannah Flayhan https://www.wandtv.com/community/black-family-wellness-expo-brings-health-resources-and-community-support-together/article_fb371f8b-682f-4436-9641-383e1e0e7d12.html SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – Tri-County (IL) Chapter of The Links Incorporated hosted its annual Black Family Wellness Expo in Springfield Saturday. The event is free and families had access to health education, screenings and community resources. Ward 5 Alderwoman and The Links Incorporated member Lakeisha Purchase said that […]

March 1, 2025 SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS) — As Springfield’s city council navigates the newly approved budget, concerns loom over the declining corporate fund, which has decreased consecutively since 2023. Alderpeople, including Ward 9 alderman Jim Donelan, emphasize the need for caution in future financial planning. Ward 5 alderwoman Lakeisha Purchase highlighted the alarming trend, stating, […]

February 28, 2025 SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND)- For Black History Month, Springfield city leaders met to celebrate achievements the city has made. Among the list of recent achievements, the city currently has the most simultaneously serving alderpeople of color, the most people of color in a mayor’s cabinet, and the most Springfield police officers of color. […]

January 16, 2025 By Scott Reeder https://www.illinoistimes.com/news-opinion/postal-problems-19628953 Springfield postal workers are bracing for bad news as federal officials ponder moving some functions of Springfield’s packaging and distribution center to St. Louis. The move would be part of a national effort to consolidate functions within the nation’s mail system. In May, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy paused plans […]

August 5, 2024 SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — In the last 10 years, five new underpasses have been completed and four additional have been reconstructed as part of the Springfield Rail Project. The latest of these are the Madison and Jefferson Street overpasses. “The new underpasses eliminate the potential for vehicle and train accidents,” said Illinois […]

by Trent Nelson May 4, 2023 https://www.wmay.com/2023/05/04/wmays-exclusive-post-election-sit-down-with-ward-5-alderwoman-lakeisha-purchase-at-resource-one-in-downtown-springfield/  The sun was shining on that Friday. It was a nice day for a walk in Downtown Springfield, with a slight breeze and a cool blue sky above. There are so many shops and interesting little sites as you walk up Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth streets, that it seems […]

I went Beyond the Podium with WICS/WCCU on March 29th 2023. Click the link below to watch: https://newschannel20.com/news/beyond-the-podium/beyond-the-podium-lakeisha-purchase 

Watch WAND TV News Coverage of the Medics First Grand Opening on March 24, 2023 by clicking the link below: https://www.wandtv.com/medics-first/video_3d04da83-8b45-5a0a-b4d9-4313a4750a1e.html 

The Lofts on Madison gets go-ahead; city council adds labor agreement amendment https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/local/2022/12/21/springfield-city-council-gives-ok-to-new-medical-district-development/69739794007/ The full Springfield City Council Tuesday gave its approval to a $28.3 million proposed development by a New York company at Fifth and Madison streets, but not before adding an amendment ensuring that a Project Labor Agreement has to be negotiated in the future. […]

April 6, 2022 SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – Governor JB Pritzker announced critical renovations taking place at the historic Illinois State Armory in downtown Springfield. The project will consist of a complete renovation of the Armory to provide executive office space for employees from various state agencies. Renovation work will take part in two phases of […]