THUMBS UP! For the settlement in a debate that was affecting public safety. The Shelbyville City Council has agreed to move forward with a resolution allowing for a dive team to serve the city. The reversal ends almost a month of the Shelby County Dive Team being out of operation as a mass resignation. County Board member Tad Mayhall said, "This community needs that service, you know, whether it be for lakes or the waterways within the county or floods.”

THUMBS UP! To the American Civil Liberties Union bringing a possibility to the fore. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill that makes anyone in Illinois who engages in doxing to be found civilly liable in court. The bill passed through the House and Senate with bipartisan support. Doxxing can take the form of publishing with malicious intent someone’s home address, phone number, Social Security number or any other identifiers on social media or elsewhere on the internet. A person could be civilly liable if they share information with knowledge or reckless disregard that the person whose information was shared publicly “would be reasonably likely to suffer death, bodily injury, or stalking.” Legislators clarified that constitutionally protected protesting is not a form of stalking, and neither protesting nor news reporting can be considered doxing. The ACLU protested that the law could be applied with a much wider net than intended. That may never happen. But the ACLU bringing the discussion to the fore makes us aware of the possibility. It's the responsibility of all of us to keep an eye out for it.

THUMBS UP! To legislation recognizing organizations like 4-H and FFA are part of education. Students participating in work-based learning events will no longer be punished with unexcused absences. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation allowing students to count such events towards school attendance. The measure was approved without opposition by state lawmakers during the spring legislative session. The majority of students involved with these types of groups are overachievers who are capable of budgeting their time so their schoolwork still gets done. This is a nice recognition of that.

THUMBS UP! To the Macon County Board. The entity issues a proclamation condemning the 1893 lynching of Samuel Bush in Decatur. The proclamation was a response to repeated requests by County Board member Karl Coleman and other members of the community who have spoken during public comments at board meetings. A plaque to commemorate Bush's murder was dedicated on the Macon County Courthouse lawn in June.

THUMBS DOWN! To a horrible statistic released last week. About 49,500 people took their own lives last year in the U.S., the highest number ever, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Suicides are more common in the U.S. than at any time since the dawn of World War II. Contrary to what we might expect, the most significant increases were seen in older adults. Deaths rose nearly 7% in people ages 45 to 64, and more than 8% in people 65 and older. White men, in particular, have very high rates. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, help is available; call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.

THUMBS UP! To Vinnie and Debra Barbee. Vinnie Barbee began his annual block party. “Barbee-Q,” at Water Street Mission 22 years ago. Originally his effort to bring Decatur Celebration's atmosphere to the town's homeless, the Barbee-Q is now a tradition whose longevity ranks with some of Decatur's best offerings.

THUMBS UP! To attempting to corral political fakery. The Federal Election Commission has begun a process to potentially regulate AI-generated deep fakes in political ads ahead of the 2024 election. Artificial intelligence-generated material is yet another attack on our sensibilities and is a more sophisticated version of traditional mud-slinging. It's also oe thing we don't need to battle during an election cycle.