Another Illinois State Trooper has been killed in an accident.
The trooper had pulled over a truck on Illinois Route 20 near Freeport.  While on the shoulder, her vehicle and the stopped truck were hit by another truck.
Motorists have got to start paying better attention. When you see a squad on the side of the road, move over. If you can’t move over, slow down. These troopers are risking their lives to keep us safe, the least we can do is slow down when we see them, or other vehicles, on the side of the road.
We all have to be more aware when we drive.  
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Spring may have sprung…although there was a possibility of snow in the last day or two, according to some weather forecasts.

I always think of baseball as being the true sign of spring. The Cubs kicked off their year with a win in Texas while the White Sox came up short in Kansas City.  
I am a Cub fan but I really would like the Sox to win. There are a lot of good, young players on the south side of Chicago, and they will make for an interesting team to watch.
Although Texas may be nice in March, Wrigley could be cold when the home opener happens April 9. I have tickets for April 12 and I imagine I will wear long underwear and a winter coat.
One other sign of spring I am waiting for is the yard full of crocuses on Seventh Street. I don’t know whose house it is, but there is always a bloom of purple once the weather warms.
The pictures out of Kansas and Nebraska were truly unbelievable. Roads washed out, bridges gone, dams destroyed, homes and businesses lost, family farms destroyed. It was truly sad to see.
I imagine the cost to rebuild and recover will be in the billions of dollars, and I don’t see how states can absorb financial hits like that without help. I feel sorry for farmers who lost crops and livestock in addition to buildings. I hope they can recover.
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I attended the State of the Community dinner last week. Interesting talks were given by presenters from BrightFarms, the city and Americold.
There will be an open house at the new Americold facility. That would be pretty neat to see because it is highly automated. And the city may have an announcement on the vacant Nippon Sharyo plant within the next few weeks.  
There was lots of positive energy in the room. It was nice to see that.

Terry Dickow is a retired elementary school teacher with lots of opinions, some you will like, some you won’t. He can be contacted at terrydickow@gmail.com.