The Springfield reporter for the Peoria Journal-Star used to turn out more stories than any other reporter at the State Capitol.

He wrote all sorts of little articles on bills he thought might interest his readers.

You could read his paper and figure out virtually everything of potential importance that had happened the day before.

Now, there is nowhere to go, except the General Assembly web site, and, there, you have to sort through slow-moving lists of what has happened.

O’Connell retired when George Ryan was Secretary of State. I remember because Ryan gave him a state seal door knob.