City Beat

       • Over the last several years I’ve written a few columns about my infamous possessed car “Christine” and how she seems to have a mind of her own. That’s resulted in more than a few people walking cautiously near my car, apprehensive that Christine may grab them — or sting them! Other readers…

      • EARLY voting for the June 28 Primary Election is only 3 weeks away, starting on Thursday, May 19. Congressional candidates in the 13th and 15th District races, which involve Decatur and Macon County, are picking up the pace even more as the day draws near.      Republicans Regan Deering and Jesse Reising, and Democrat…

       As I mentioned in last week’s column, because of redistricting, Congressman Rodney Davis who has represented the 13th District for the past decade is running in the 15th District against Rep. Mary Miller in the Republican Primary June 28. That leaves the new 13th District, which includes part of Decatur and Macon County without…

  With the Primary Election still two-and-a-half months away on June 28 there is no shortage of fireworks between the candidates in the 15th Congressional District race. Rep. Rodney Davis of Taylorville and Rep. Mary Miller of Oakland are both Republicans but there is a sharp difference in their political views and that has already…

       • A DAY after last week’s editorial on the lies that politicians tell, one of our readers sent me a link to The Independent which quoted an article from The Washington Post: “According to analysis by the Washington Post, Mr Trump made 30,573 false or misleading claims between his first day in office, on…

       I don’t have to look very far to find businesses that are understaffed because they cannot attract people to work for them. A few businesses have even closed their doors because they could not find anyone to work and the lack service can be felt at several local businesses because they do not have…

         THE city councilman was irritated that one of his pet projects had not been on the agenda. He turned to the mayor and sternly said: “Mr. Mayor. I have asked repeatedly that what I’ve been working so hard on be on the agenda for a vote. When is that going to be on…

       I WAS A child as World War II gripped the world and I didn’t understand a lot about what was going on. I did sense the strong emotional toll the war was taking on the people around me. I remember my mom, who had brothers overseas fighting in such epic battles as the Battle…

       During the years I served as Decatur’s mayor, I had a lot of interesting people address the city council during the “Appearance of Citizens”.      David Daker was a semi-regular who appeared before us to express his views on controlling drive-through liquor sales. During his appearance one night he asked how drunk a person could…