Good morning, Decatur.

Decatur Park District unveiled a revitalized Garfield Park Tuesday with a $1.5 million upgrade that adds a pavilion, playground, interactive wall, basketball courts, walking path, parking lot, and security cameras — all for family enjoyment.

Decatur commercial property owners can now apply for the city's business façade program - a grant designed to fund qualified exterior improvements and boost curb appeal in revitalizing business corridors while the program is open.

Today, FlixBus launches intercity service connecting Decatur to Chicago & St. Louis six days a week; buses depart from the east side of the downtown Transportation Center around noon and at 8 p.m.

Dale Colee joined Byers & Co on August 11 to preview the Pharmacy Facts with Friends podcast featuring guests Josh Hendricks and Mirinda Rothrock and discussed the Stone Thrown Forward Memorial Golf Outing.

Natalie Beck and Julia Livingston previewed additions to the African American Heritage Trail on Aug.

11, featuring a new Preston Jackson sculpture at Ellsworth Dansby Jr. Magnet School and plans for an upcoming mural (as part of ongoing historical markers) discussed on a podcast.

Decatur Public Schools District 61 has a new superintendent, Dr. Nicole Nash Moody, who begins her first year today with a focus on school culture & support for teachers and families.

She will work with community partners as DPS faces budget challenges.

As students return to classrooms, the Illinois State Board of Education and the Department of Transportation urge drivers in Decatur to slow down + follow school-zone limits and yield to crossing guards and pedestrians during drop-offs and pickups.

Motorists should avoid distractions and stay alert for children crossing roads.

A heat advisory is in effect from noon today to 8 p.m. for parts of central, east central, southeast, and west central Illinois, and residents are urged to drink plenty of fluids (and stay in air-conditioned rooms) to avoid heat illnesses.