City Times Staff

Lt. Mike Morgan from the Portage Co. Sheriff’s Office helps two youngsters cross McDill Ave./County Hwy. HH on Friday, Oct. 7.

Morgan’s handheld radar scanner is clearly visible in his right hand — something he’d been pointing at passing vehicles for the 30 minutes or so he was stationed at the intersection.

“I’m getting the funniest looks from people when they see me,” Morgan said of the motorists driving by. “They’re like, ‘Oh, no — he’s got the radar gun out!'”

The intersection has been the subject of debate for the past few years, when the last paid school crossing guards quit over concerns for safety at the crosswalk. Since then, the school district has offered busing for McDill Elementary students who otherwise would have to cross the busy street, and a mixture of parent volunteers and deputies have also helped kids cross safely.

The Village of Whiting is also considering the purchase of a speed radar sign and a “yield” sign to bring more awareness to the county-owned roadway’s speed limit, which in that area is 25 mph.

A group of bicycle enthusiasts also recently presented to village residents a proposal to re-stripe the HH roadway to allow for bicycle lanes, but the Portage Co. officials say they have no plans to change traffic patterns in the immediate future.