City Beat

           AS ALL of us continue to cope with the changes in our lives brought on by the COVID-19 Pandemic, I pray that you are safe and healthy and the destruction of lives from this terrible disease will soon be over. Obviously, publishing a print newspaper each week has not been easy, but that’s…

         • SAD NEWS — The announcement Tuesday evening that a Macon County resident had died from COVID-19 was sad to hear and read.      The following statement was released: “The Joint Crisis Communication Team is saddened to announce the death of a Macon County resident with COVID-19. We would like to extend our heartfelt…

         • We knew it was going to happen sooner or later in Macon County even though daily updates from the Joint Crisis Communication Team kept reporting that residents who had been tested had negative results for COVID-19. The “negative results” good news updates ended Friday evening when the Joint Crisis Communication Team…

     Governor JB Pritzker’s “stay at home” order on Friday (more details in story elsewhere on this site) has impacted our community more than anything during the many decades that I’ve been publshing this newspaper. So much of what has been “routine” for all of us, is no longer “routine”, and the uncertainty of when all…

         THE COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted Decatur and Macon County in a way that’s mind-boggling and difficult to grasp. I’ve never seen such a changing impact on a community and nation in such a short period of time. Since there has been. and continues to be, a lot that we don’t know about this…

       Decatur and Macon County voters will have few decisions to make on primary ballots this time around — because there aren’t that many contested races. There’s a shortage of candidates, even though two of the major county offices — state’s attorney and circuit clerk — will have new officeholders after November’s General Election as…

            • PLEASED to see Macon County’s law enforcement agencies employ another tool in making our roadways safer with the No-Refusal Program that was announced last week.  Big THANKS to Macon County Sheriff Tony Brown, Decatur Police Chief Jim Getz, and Macon County State’s Attorney Jay Scott. Impaired driving is dangerous and a threat to…

       Last week’s early release from prison of former Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, after President Trump commuted his 14-year prison sentence, brought back some memories. Blagojevich’s years as governor were essentially the same as my years as mayor and, as the photo on the front page of the print edition shows, I introduced him…

         Last Thursday something happened so positive that, as I left the WSOY studios following my weekly appearance on Byers & Co., I had a really warm feeling in my heart, despite the extremely cold temperature when I walked out of the building. The Salvation Army’s Emergency Cold Cot Program was out of money…

       • THE REGULAR scheduled City Council meeting falls on Monday, February 17th on Presidents Day which is a holiday for City Government. The meeting has been rescheduled for Monday, February 24th at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. Hopefully, things have calmed down since the last regular meeting and meaningful ideas, concerns and…