The Herald-News • Sunday, July 26, 2015
|GETTING STARTED
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Stumbling and getting back up VIEWS Kate Schott A few months ago, I used this space to share with you my quest to get healthier. I talked about eating better, being committed to working out and holding myself accountable. I have a confession to make: I stumbled. I was doing great, hitting the gym at least four times a week. I was counting calories and eating fruits and vegetables and fish, and cutting out the fried foods. The weight was coming off, and I was feeling better. Then work got busy, and I didn’t leave the office until late so I stopped for fast food on my way home. Or a friend needed help on something. I was tired so just this one time, I skipped the workout (except it wasn’t just one time). Then I figured I deserved a break from the stress, so I slept in on the weekends instead of getting up to go to the gym. At the end of the day, these were excuses. I’d argue they were legitimate some of the time. But it was years of that mentality that got me into the situation I’ve found myself in – overweight and in danger of being diabetic. It’s OK to take a break once in a while, or to cheat on the diet occasionally. Not every day. Even knowing that, I kept telling myself that starting next week, I would hit the “reset” button and go to the gym and pack carrots and grapes for snacks at work. And then I wouldn’t do that, and then it was, well, at the start of next week ... Finally, last weekend, I woke up early Saturday and headed to the YMCA for a workout. I was a little
sore but it felt good. I went Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday after work. I plan to work out this weekend. I didn’t buy any junk food when I went grocery shopping. By some miracle, my three weeks of not exercising and being not as careful about what I ate as I should didn’t result in any weight gain. I stumbled, but eventually got back up. I expected to have to physically climb some hills as I worked my body into shape, but this mental “hill” was much harder to overcome than any concrete I’ve ever stepped foot on. ••• We tried something new with today’s cover in the Joliet edition of The Herald-News in that we started an article there, instead of our typical main photo with a refer to our cover story, along with references along the side (the rail, in newsroom speak) to other stories we think readers might find interesting. I’ve wanted for some time to try out a format like this. Page designers came up with this format, and we decided, for now, to use it on special occasions, like when we run a series. We started Sunday a threeday series about the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I’d like to know what you think of it. Would you like to see an article start there more often? Or do you like our current format? I’m eager to hear from you. Thank you for reading The Herald-News.
• Kate Schott is editor of The Herald-News, the Morris Herald-News and Herald Life. She can be reached at kschott@shawmedia.com or 815-280-4119. Follow her on Twitter @ Kate_Schott78.
MINOOKA
Mike Mallory – mmallory@shawmedia.com
Minooka Police Patrolman Denise Byrd holds up the Titan Body Camera on Friday. The cameras are being used by the department on a 60-90 day trial run and were developed by BatteryJack of Minooka.
Police testing out body cameras By MIKE MALLORY mmallory@sahwmedia.com MINOOKA – The Minooka Police Department is the first Grundy County law enforcement agency to wear body cameras. As part a 60-90 day trial run, BatteryJack, 772 Twin Rail Drive in Minooka, is supplying Minooka’s 15 uniformed officers with its Titan Body Camera. Minooka police have worn the cameras for about two weeks. BatteryJack spent the past two years researching and developing the Titan Body Camera. Customer Development and Retention Specialist Richard Cardoza said changes already have been made based on officer feedback. The original model had a light on at all times, but officers noted it wouldn’t be ideal for ambush situations, so the light can now be turned on or off. Spurred by national news on the topic of excessive police force, BatteryJack contacted
Minooka Chief Justin Meyer to explore testing out the cameras. “We wanted to see if it would be a good tool for our department,” Meyer said. “Initial feedback is that it’s working well.” Meyer worked on the department’s policy to allow footage to be used as evidence. The camera can record up to nine hours of continuous footage with 16 GB storage. It’s only turned on when needed, so typically two or three hours of footage are recorded in a “busy” shift, Cardoza said. The camera is plugged into a USB port at the department after a shift, where it collects the footage and recharges the battery. The functionality of the camera is based on ease of use. Donny Sweeney of BatteryJack said law enforcement has a tough enough job already so the design intends to not impede on officers’ ability to do their jobs. Minooka Patrolman Ken Briley said he’d like the cam-
era to have a wide lens, infrared capabilities and attach to the uniform more securely. He acknowledged it’s the wave of the future. The company has met oneon-one with local police chiefs over the last six months, but Meyer was the first to try it out. Cardoza said samples are being sent to Dwight police and talks are ongoing with Coal City police. The camera is offered in several different forms of display, and more attachments are coming soon. Cardoza said BatteryJack is able to compete with the “big dogs” of the body camera industry, such as EVO and Taser, because it offers its product much cheaper. For example, when it launches its dashboard camera model soon, it will cost around $1,000. Other companies charge $3,500 to $5,000, he said. Sweeney said Titan has sold about 250 body cameras online to everyone from construction workers to a woman in New York.
incorrect. The Blue Bridge Legacy is the name of the restaurant at 1215 N. Broadway. The Herald-News regrets the error. •••
Accuracy is important to The Herald-News and it wants to correct mistakes promptly. Please call errors to our attention by phone at 815-2804100.
CORRECTIONS In the article “Three Joliet restaurants are given liquor licenses” that was on page 12 of the Friday, July 24, 2015, edition of The Herald-News, the name of one of the restaurants was