Author Archives:

Colorectal cancer: symptoms and the value of screening

News Progress Posted on by


•April 8, 2026•

by Angela Hogan

Administrator - Moultrie 

County Health Department

Colorectal cancer (CRC) isn’t a common topic of conversation for most adults. However, maybe it should be. Recent statistics from the National Institutes of Health indicate CRC is the second most common cause of cancer-related death in the United States, and it ranks as the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in adults younger than 50 years. Why?

CRC often begins without detectable symptoms. A person can feel healthy, have no obvious warning signs, and still have precancerous polyps or early cancer developing in the colon or rectum. Unfortunately, by the time symptoms are identified and an individual seeks medical attention, the cancerous lesions may have spread.

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Students invited to join healthcare panel discussion

News Progress Posted on by


•April 8, 2026•

High school and college students are invited to a Virtual Healthcare Careers Panel Discussion at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 16th, hosted by the Illinois Rural Health Association. Healthcare professionals will share firsthand what their job really entails, in easy-to-understand terms, and answer students’ questions. The purpose is to give students insight into these high-demand careers and the best paths to get there. 

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Lady Redskins capture first place at second home meet

News Progress Posted on by


•April 8, 2026•

by E. Scott England

It was supposed to be a quad meet last Tuesday, but the Tuscola Lady Warriors had a scheduling conflict and could not make it. St. Anthony and Cerro Gordo-Bement still came though to compete against the Lady Redskins track and field team. Sullivan took first place with a team score of 76 over the Lady Bulldogs (46) and CGB (42).

Julia Moody, who set the school record in the 3200m the previous week, re-broke her freshly set record with a time of 11:44.63. This was more than 20 seconds off her previous record. She also took first in the 1600m with a time of 5:53. 

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Compassionate alternative to foster care

News Progress Posted on by


•April 8, 2026•

by Kimberly Cullen

Safe Families for Children

Families are meant to be places of safety, refuge, stability, and care. Yet, many families face seasons of crisis—whether due to financial hardship, health challenges, or unexpected life circumstances—that can put that stability at risk. In those moments, the priority is clear: ensuring children are safe while also keeping family together. Many families are socially isolated and do not have a support system to walk them through their time of crisis. 

Foster care plays a vital and necessary role in protecting children when their safety is at risk. It provides immediate intervention in situations where children who are at risk for harm or have been harmed cannot remain at home. However, re-unification is an uphill battle that can extend over a period of years. This system also often involves separating children from their parents, which can be a difficult and emotional experience for everyone involved. Even when necessary, that separation can bring uncertainty and stress for children and families alike. 

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Remembering Who We Are……..104

News Progress Posted on by


•April 8, 2026•

Essex

by Janet Roney

I left you guessing last week why a Massachusetts seaman, Ebenezer Noyes, bought 2000 acres of rattlesnake-infested flat prairie land in the Whitley Township area in 1833-34. All his pioneer neighbors thought he was crazy because no one, including Noyes, knew that the black prairie land was among the most fertile soils in the world. Noyes wanted it because it was flat, high, and dry. Why? The late E. D. Hortenstine of Gays, who wrote about Noyes in the 1955 Mattoon centennial newspaper, as well as other sources, explained why.

Although Noyes was trained by his father to be a doctor, he went to sea instead. After surviving a near shipwreck, he left the sea and went west. In 1833, he stayed at Hayden’s Tavern at Whitley Point for some time and eventually married the innkeeper’s daughter. There, he was surrounded by a different kind of sea...a green sea of prairie grass as far as the eye could see. He learned how to survey that sea of grass and helped lay out some early stage/mail routes for the state.

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Is your data secure?

News Progress Posted on by


•April 8, 2026•

by DM Williamee

In 2024, the FBI estimated that over two thousand cyberattacks were reported daily in the U.S., roughly one attack every 40 seconds, costing over $16 billion dollars in reported losses. The vast majority of these were automated, such as phishing and malware, rather than targeted breaches. As AI advances, so does the speed of the bad actors using tech for nefarious purposes. 

Malware, phishing, ransomware, MITM, DDoS, and social engineering are the most common types of cyber attacks. Many people have heard these terms, less are vaguely aware of how these threats work, and most people do not know or consistently use best practices (hygiene) to keep their data safe. For bad actors, a big payday can be like shooting fish in a barrel. It’s not just individual consumers who are at risk; large corporations have been found to have holes in their security as well. To view some of the cyber attacks in 2026 thus far, visit https://tech.co/news/data-breaches-updated-list. Cyber threats and criminals are becoming increasingly more sophisticated, on a larger scale, and far more quickly than threats can be identified and neutralized. 

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LLC seeking community feedback

News Progress Posted on by


•April 8, 2026•

Lake Land College is seeking feedback from community members and prospective students to help design class schedules. Residents of the Lake Land College district are invited to complete a three-minute survey at https://www.SurveyMonkey.com/r/ProspStu26 to share the most optimal class times and formats for their schedule. Survey results will be used to help the College offer more class choices, including online, in-person, evening and weekend options, to help students better balance school with their jobs, family and personal lives.

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