If you have driven through Callaway recently you have undoubtedly noticed the new safety feature that has been installed at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Kimball Street. It is a flashing stop sign, and the addition of the signs was the brainchild of Charlie Jorgenson.

“Back when Robert Pitkin had the Corner Stop we would have coffee there and we noticed a lot of the vehicles would just go through there at 30 to 40 mph over the speed limit. Most of them were from out of county,” Jorgenson explained. “I was in Kearney one day and saw the ones down there and thought that might help.”

Jorgenson went to the Village Board with his idea and the board thought the cost of the signs was a little too much for them to take on. “We get donations for safety equipment for the fire department, so I brought it up to the firemen and they decided they could put some money towards it,” Jorgenson continued.

Once the Callaway Fire Department agreed to help with the purchase of the signs, Dan Trumbull went to the Village board who also got on board and chipped in the remainder of the cost. The CVFD donated $2,000 for the signs.

“I’ve been on enough wrecks at stop signs like this to know that somebody was gonna get run over one of these days,” Jorgenson said. “I’ve almost been hit twice.”

Jorgenson has been a member of the Callaway Fire Department for 44 years, and just gave up his EMT license this year after serving in that role for 40 years. Community safety is an issue close to his heart, and it is his hope that the new stop signs prevent what could have been a tragedy.