City Beat

       ON A table in my office, only a few feet from the edge of my desk, is a special lighthouse — crafted out of copper and created by my dad, Sam Osborne, when he was a teenager in the United States Navy in the late 1920s. It was always in my parents’ home from…

       Phil Romano was telling me a few days ago about nearly being run over by a car as he was crossing the street downtown on his way to the post office! Phil said he was walking in a designated crosswalk and the driver of the car had his mind somewhere else as he waited…

       With no thanks to the majority of residents in Macon County who refused (for whatever reason) to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the state has reached a positivity rate to fully reopen on Friday, June 11. Only about 1/3rd of Macon County residents have been vaccinated making our area one of the least vaccinated counties…

       A local woman reportedly went to a Walmart Pharmacy recently to pick up her prescription and was told the pharmacy was closed — due to a lack of help. She had to call her doctor’s office and change her pharmacy to Walgreen’s in order to get her medicine. Hopefully, by the time you read…

       Memorial Day is a special day on the calender — especially this year. As we approach Memorial Day weekend and the services planned to remember our fallen heroes in all wars, the life and tragic death last week of Champaign Police Officer Chris Oberheim weighs heavy on my thoughts. Officer Oberheim was shot and…

          The first ribbon cutting for a grand opening of a local business that I did after becoming mayor was for Pastabilities, an Italian restaurant located at 134 East Main Street. The restaurant was successful for many years, and I was a frequent customer since it was about a half block from my office and…

       As indicated in the front page story in this week’s print and online editions of the Decatur Tribune, a group called “History of the Heartland” is focusing attention on the old Van Dyke interurban station that is in danger of being another local historic structure to disappear from view.      As someone who has spent…

       Patrick McDaniel’s service on the Decatur City Council has ended with the swearing in of newly-elected Ed Culp to take his place at Monday night’s meeting.                      Pat, a long-time friend and a past reporter for me at this newspaper, served ten years as a city council member and was mayor pro tem when…

       • BIG CONGRATS to St. Teresa High School English Teacher and department head Arlis DeJaynes, for being chosen (out of 875 teachers in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois) as the winner of the 2021 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award. Bishop Thomas John Paprocki presented DeJaynes with the award during a surprise celebration at…