Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How will closing Decatur’s Air Evac base affect emergency response times?

Make time for Free Bra Fittings to Support Breast Cancer Awareness on the Decatur Patch calendar

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Monday September 21st Patch AM
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Hello Decatur! Here's our latest buzz. Let's get into it. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How will closing Decatur's Air Evac base affect emergency response times?
  • How international teachers are reshaping Decatur classrooms and student experiences
  • How a bar dispute and new memorial spotlight Decatur gun violence.

Also on today's calendar: Free Bra Fittings to Support Breast Cancer Awareness and 10 more events.

Today's riddle: What do you call advice from a cow ? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Monday: Cooler with a shower in spots, with a high of 69 and low of 59 degrees.
  • Tuesday: Mostly cloudy with a shower, temps: high: 68, low: 54.
  • Wednesday: Some sun, then turning cloudy, with a high of 70 and low of 54 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Air Evac closes Decatur base, cites limited resources (wcia.com) — Residents in Decatur will soon lose their local Air Evac Lifeteam base at Decatur Airport, as the company shifts aircraft and crews to higher-demand locations. Service won't disappear entirely, though—air medical coverage will now come from nearby bases in Mattoon and Effingham, while the company emphasizes its ongoing commitment to local patients and first responders.
   

2. International teachers find their place in Central Illinois classrooms (capitolcitynow.com) — Classrooms in Decatur Public Schools are being shaped by more than 40 international teachers, including educators from Guyana and Ghana now working at Dennis Lab Schools. These teachers describe adjusting to new technology and teaching styles while sharing their cultures, foods, and stories with Decatur students, who in turn help them learn about life in the United States.
   

3. Gun pulled in bar confrontation, cops report (herald-review.com) — Police say a confrontation at a Decatur bar early Sunday escalated when one patron reportedly pulled a gun, underscoring ongoing concerns about local violence. Community members also recently gathered on North Church Street to dedicate a memorial honoring youth lost to gun violence, including 2011 victim Mishyra Wheeler, with city and church leaders calling for healing and change.
   

4. One person dead after overnight shooting in Decatur (newschannel20.com) — Decatur police are investigating a deadly early-morning shooting and crash near E. Whitmer Street that left a 33-year-old driver dead after he was taken to Decatur Memorial Hospital. Detectives are reviewing evidence, video, and interviews, and are asking anyone with information to contact the Criminal Investigations Division or Crime Stoppers to help move the case forward.
   

5. Cops investigate after Decatur woman says she was kidnapped (herald-review.com) — A Decatur woman reportedly sought help at a stranger's door Saturday night, telling police she had just been kidnapped, prompting an investigation by local officers. The piece also showcases historic photos and milestones from the Decatur Police Department, tracing how the force and its equipment have evolved over the past century in the community.
   

📸 Around Decatur

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Decatur

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Please stop by TEAMO CAFE at 2928 Oakland Ave.
    She is a former student of my husband's at Richland Culinary Institute. The owner's name is Gabby Tacud. It's her GRAND OPENING DAY!!. She is at the… (Nextdoor Windsor Village)
  • On our front porch, the mortar between our bricks is crumbling and coming out in some places...
    Can anyone give me a recommendation who could clean up the mortar? What about the iron rail on the porch? It is rusty and I'd like it sanded down… (Nextdoor Home Park)
  • Aramark posted a job opening for Student Worker - Food Service or Catering - Millikin University in Decatur. Apply here.
  • Lancer Hospitality Group posted a job opening for Food Service Supervisor in Decatur. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Decatur here.

Ok Decatur! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Beef Tips (Thank you Gary M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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