Tuesday, September 07, 2010
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Champaign-Urbana, IL Community Magazine - You Live

 

Decatur, IL Community Magazine

 

Decatur is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city, sometimes called "the Soybean Capital of the World," was founded in 1823 and is located along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in in Central Illinois. In 2000 the city population was 81,500. According to Sperling's Best Places, Decatur's metropolitan area population is 109,309.


Decatur has many older restored homes and restored downtown commercial areas.[citation needed] In the transition from a manufacturing to a service economy, Decatur has experienced some population sprawl as new development activity grows to the outer Decatur metro area, seemingly blurring the detectable boundaries of contiguous city limits of neighboring communities Mt. Zion, Harristown, Forsyth, and Maroa.

Decatur and Macon County's most notable resident was Abraham Lincoln, who settled with his family west of town in 1830 and later practiced law in the city before moving to Springfield.

 
An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but too much red meat can increase your risk of death, according to the first major study of meat's impact on overall mortality. Individuals who eat more red and processed meat have an increased risk of death from all causes and also from cancer or heart disease over a 10-year period, according to a new report in "Archives of Internal Medicine" journal.
A marker at the site of Lincoln's first home in Illinois. The Lincolns moved to the area March 1830 from Indiana and constructed a 16 x 16-foot (4.9 m) log cabin on the site.
founded in 1971, is a comprehensive community college offering baccalaureate, technical, continuing education, and community service programs. The College has an "Open Door" policy which allows anyone within the district that could benefit from a higher education to be admitted to the College. The purpose of a comprehensive community college is to serve all who then can serve to build a better society.
Challenging minds, changing lives. For more than 100 years, Millikin University has been challenging students to reach their full intellectual potential and changing lives by preparing them for meaningful careers and personal lives.
Decatur was the original home of the Chicago Bears, from 1919 to 1920. The football team was then known as the Decatur Staleys and played at Staley Field, both named after the local food-products manufacturer. From 1900 to 1974 Decatur was the home of The Commodores, a minor-league baseball team playing at Fans Field. The USTA/Ursula Beck Pro Tennis Classic has been held annually since 1999. Male players from over 20 countries compete for $10,000 in prize money as well as ATP world ranking points at the Fairview Park Tennis Complex. The tournament is held for ten consecutive days at Fairview Park concluding on the first weekend in August. Starting in 2007, Decatur has hosted the Rodney T. Miller Lakeside Triathlon. This sprint-distance triathlon presently is scheduled on the first weekend each July. The MidState Soccer Club is based in Decatur.
Today, 85 percent of the Lake’s water originates from the Sangamon River, with Long, Big, and Sand Creeks contributing the remainder. Water that ultimately drains into Lake Decatur comes from an area, or watershed, of 925 square miles — 592,000 acres — in seven counties. “ We think of Lake Decatur as an urban lake because it’s entirely contained within city limits,” says Alexander, “but only about half of the city (generally east of Route 51) drains into it.” Sheer volume surprises as well. The Lake’s capacity is 6.5 billion gallons and, along with 10 groundwater wells, it provides water to approximately 34,000 service connections and about 87,000 people. On an average day, the needs of the City and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) alone consume 38 million gallons of Lake water. The impetus for Lake Decatur — Tate & Lyle North America (A.E. Staley) — is the City’s second largest water customer, behind ADM and just above Intermet Corporation. Decatur’s water rates also are among the ten lowest statewide.
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