City Beat
City Beat: Former Mayor Howley Comments On Citizen Participation, Threats At City Council Meetings
Terry Howley, who was my predecessor as Decatur’s mayor, sent me an email after reading my recent column about threats to the public officials over the years. He wrote: “Read your column last week about (Mayor) Gary Anderson and his ‘incident’. The perp was Owen Balding, who was a weekly visitor to council meetings.…
Read MoreCITY BEAT: LOTS OF MEMORIES IN THOSE OLD SCHOOL BUILDINGS
Last week, my “Scrapbook” article in the Decatur Tribune was on the history of Woodrow Wilson Junior High School in Decatur— a building that has received a lot of attention the past few months as a possible option to replace the dead and buried plan to build a new school in part of Lincoln…
Read MoreCITY BEAT: PUBLIC OFFICIALS ARE OFTEN TARGETS FOR THREATS
I think anyone who has served in public office is very much aware of the threats that often come from those who strongly disagree on controversial issues. I remember an incident many years ago when a citizen got so angry at Mayor Gary Anderson that he punched him in the stomach and called him…
Read MoreCITY BEAT: Park District Was Key In Eliminating New School Site From Lincoln Park
LAST WEEK’S victory for the opponents of building a new school in Lincoln Park came as a result of the Decatur Park District throwing in the towel and deciding not to sell the land to the Decatur School District. As I wrote in last week’s column, which rolled off of the press a short…
Read MoreCity Beat: People, Places And Political Races — And Lincoln Park Spaces
• I ENJOYED my visit with State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) who came to the Tribune for an interview last week. Turner was appointed to represent the 48th State Senate District in February of 2021, when Senator Andy Manar resigned the position to become a member of Gov. J.B.…
Read MoreCity Beat: Budzinsky, Deering Come Out Swinging In Race For IL 13 Seat
The primary election voting machines had barely cooled off when Democrat Nikki Budzinski and Republican Regan Deering started going after each other. Both won their respective primaries in the race for the seat in the new Illinois 13th Congressional District, which includes some…
Read MoreCity Beat: Voices Against Building A New School In Lincoln Park Continue to Increase In Number
As I’m writing this week’s column, the Decatur School Board has not made a decision on building a new school in Lincoln Park. Last week, it was the neighborhood raising its voice in opposition to using Lincoln Park as the site for a new school. The neighborhood voices are still strong, and growing…
Read MoreCity Beat: Neighbors Rally To Stop New School From Being Built In Lincoln Park
THE ‘Letter to the Editor” from Phil Clary that is printed in today’s print and online editions of the Decatur Tribune, does a good job of explaining how the neighbors of Lincoln Park feel about a new school that is being proposed for the park. To indicate that residents of the area are upset is…
Read MoreMiller, Deering, Budzinski, Root And Mendenhall Among Winners In Tuesday’s Primary Election
Although the results are not official as I’m writing this update, primary races that have been of special interest of our coverage over the last many months finally have winners. Congresswoman Mary Miller of Oakland defeated Congressman Rodney Miller of Taylorville in the 15th District Republican Primary. There’s not much doubt that the…
Read MoreCity Beat: Some Final Observations On A Few Campaigns Before Tuesday’s Primary Election
Next Tuesday (June 28) is Primary Election Day and after the polls close we will finally have some lingering questions answered. We’ll find out, once all the votes are counted, which candidates are moving on to the General Election November 8, which candidates have already won the office they seek because they will have no…
Read More