CITY BEAT: ‘SPEED AWARENESS DAY’ WAS SUCCESSFUL EFFORT

  

       The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP) announced the results of the 2025 Speed Awareness Day since last we met.
     The annual event held on Speed Awareness Day held on July 23, 2025, was in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), and law enforcement agencies across the state to promote safer roads and save lives.
     Key Results from 2025:
     Total Citations Issued: 5,189
     Speeding Citations: 3,169
     Other Citations: 2,020
     Total Warnings Issued: 4,140
     Speeding Warnings: 1,688
     Other Warnings: 2,452
     6 DUI (alcohol) arrests
     4 DUI (drug) arrests
     248 traffic arrests
     52 criminal arrests
     Notable Enforcement Outcomes:
     Recovery of six firearms
     An officer located a missing suicidal subject during a traffic stop
     A burglary suspect was apprehended during a traffic stop
     A vehicle wanted in a hit-and-run was recovered
     Felony cannabis arrest
     Multiple arrests for fleeing and eluding
     Arrest on a warrant for aggravated battery
     Several arrests for aggravated speeding
     “Speed Awareness Day is more than just enforcement; it’s about saving lives through education, visibility, and community engagement,” said Kenny Winslow, ILACP Executive Director. “This year’s results show the dedication of Illinois law enforcement to making our roads safer for everyone.”
     “The ILACP thanks every agency and officer who participated, as well as every Illinois driver who slowed down, stayed alert, and made a conscious choice to keep our roads safe.”
     Unfortunately, most of the drivers on Route 51 South, which I drive to and from the newspaper, apparently thought that “Speed Awareness Day” was the day you can drive as fast as you want to drive!
     I guess if they can’t read speed limit signs, they probably didn’t read what “Speed Awareness Day” was about — or care!
     Maybe there should be another special day for the speeding drivers!
     Maybe it could be called “Speed Unawareness Day” ore “Race Day On Route 51 South”!

     • I DON’T normally use rhymes or short poems sent to this newspaper, but I couldn’t pass up publishing the following “speed related” composition from Susan F. Volle.

The Tortoise And The Hare

I am a proud tortoise
driving at the posted speed
the rules of the road
I always heed

While a speeding hare
drives without a care
weaving here and there
with no time to spare

“Can’t you go any faster?”
says the hare
“I can, but I won’t.”
the tortoise doesn’t care

“You may yell and shout
you may cuss me out
but the closer you get to my tail
I will reduce my speed to that of a snail!”

Thank you, Sue, for sending me your composition. I identify with the tortoise.

     • WE’RE NO. 1! The Illinois Driver Report includes a breakdown of the state’s best and worst drivers by city, age group, and vehicle make and model.
     Decatur had the highest number of traffic incidents with 26.7 per 1,000 drivers!
Bloomington had the second most with 24.6. Peoria came in third with 18.8 incidents for every 1,000 drivers.
According to the report, Schaumburg had Illinois’ best drivers with 9.2 incidents per 1,000 drivers. Cicero and Mount Prospect tied for second at 10.8 incidents per 1,000 drivers, and Arlington Heights came in fourth with 10.8.
     WSOY’s Brian Byers and I discussed these statistics during my weekly appearance on last Thursday’s show.
     Being the #1 city in Illinois for having the most traffic incidents is not exactly an honor, but from what I experience in driving each day on our streets and roads, I think many drivers are trying to make sure that we have a repeat of the honor when the new statistics are released!

     • MEMORIES… Following a recent “Scrapbook” article on the history of the near east side of Decatur, including Tolly’s Market at The Pines Shopping Center, Robert Hall sent me this observation: “Great trip down memory lane! I remember buying a cold watermelon from the ice water filled case (at Tolly’s). They would plug it for you to taste, and if you didn’t like it they would get another watermelon to try! Can’t get service like that at the Kroger store!”
     Thanks for the memory, Robert. I remember the “watermelon plugging” and how I was hesitant to buy a watermelon anywhere without it being plugged to make sure it was a good one.

     I don’t remember any other store doing that back then, but Tolly’s was about the only supermarket I patronized back then — except for the A&P store, which my mother always loved, with its “Eight O’Clock Coffee”.
     Tolly’s Market in the Pines was a regular Friday night grocery shopping experience when I was a young adult.
     When I became editor and publisher of this newspaper, Tolly’s was our biggest advertiser and I called on them for the advertising at their new store in The Colonial Mall.
     Awww…memories.

     • DONNIE’S Homespun Pizza, located at 190 N. Merchant St., is now closed.
Nick McNeely, owner of the restaurant, sent the following message on his Facebook account:
     “Closing our doors is not something we ever wanted to do. We’ve done everything we could to keep going, but the current economic climate—both here in our community and more broadly—has made it impossible for us to continue. We simply can’t afford to operate at a loss any longer, especially with our own family and three kids depending on us.
     “We are truly heartbroken. Running Donnie’s has meant so much to us, and we’re grateful for every memory, conversation, and connection we’ve shared with you all.
     “We especially want to thank our staff, who have given their all through thick and thin. Their dedication, hard work, and care are a big part of what made Donnie’s feel like home. We couldn’t have made it this far without them.
     “Thank you for supporting us, for showing up, and for making Donnie’s such a special place over the past year and a half. We appreciate you more than we can say. Thank you for being part of our story.”
With love,
     The McNeelys

     SO SORRY for that news. I’ve chosen to have our newspaper offices downtown for many decades and I’ve watched the core area change over the years. I’m happy when I see a new business open…and sad when one closes.
All the best to the McNeelys.

     • SOMETIMES what seems to be a good idea turns out to be a not-so-good idea — and even dangerous.
     Back in 1969, when I became editor and publisher of this newspaper, I thought it would be a good idea, since the Decatur Tribune was only a year old, to advertise our presence in the community with a “news car”.
     So, I bought a cheap bright red used “economy” car at Lipe Motors on East Eldorado Street, drove it to a sign painter’s business and had him paint the words “Decatur Tribune News Bug” in big letters on it.

     I have the story at how that attempt to advertise the newspaper didn’t turn out exactly the way I had planned.  You can find that information in this week’s “Viewpoint” column on page 3 of the print and online editions.

     • I JOIN Brian Byers on WSOY’s Byers & Co. every Thursday morning at 7:00 for the “City Hall Insider”.

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FOR MORE stories and more “City Beat” and editorial comments, SUBSCRIBE to the print or online editions of the Decatur Tribune by using the “Subscribe” prompt at the top of this page.  You will find many stories and columns about Decatur and Central Illinois each week. The print edition is $50 for 52 issues (one year) and the online edition is $30 for one year.  The combo rate (both print and online editions) is $65 per year.  You can also subscribe to the print edition via USPS by sending $50 to: Decatur Tribune, P. O. Box 1490, Decatur, Illinois 62525-1490.

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