•January 11, 2023•

It’s time to start thinking about preschool for the upcoming school year for your child. To find out what preschool options are available in your community, please schedule an appointment to have your child screened. Project H.E.L.P. and the Windsor School District offer free developmental screenings to provide parents the opportunity to discover how their child is developing in the areas of speech, language, concepts and motor skills. Vision and hearing screenings will also be provided free of charge. Free developmental screenings will be held on Friday, February 10 at Windsor Christian Church, 1100 Broadway in Windsor. Signed parent/guardian permission is required. Screenings are required for possible enrollment in the Project H.E.L.P. preschool classroom. For an appointment call Missy Hendrickson at 217-459-2447.

•January 4, 2023•

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is partnering with The Power Project to train group home and residential care facility staff across Illinois on how to identify, intervene and prevent human trafficking among their youth in treatment. Nearly 1,000 congregate care staff in 37 facilities across the state completed Commercial Sexual Exploitation 101 training in 2022.
“As a former youth in care, I realize that I could have very easily become a victim of human trafficking when I was younger, and now it’s my passion to look for ways to prevent youth from being trafficked in the first place. It is so much easier to keep a kid from being broken, rather than trying to put them back together,” said The Power Project Founder and CEO Mieko Taylor. “A key part of prevention is helping create safe spaces for youth to get help when they have been identified as a victim of trafficking. Through this partnership with Illinois DCFS, we can help make that a reality, and I am able to give back to an agency that once gave to me.”
“Human trafficking is not something that only happens to adults in other countries; it occurs every day across Illinois to children whose average age is 14,” said Illinois DCFS Director Marc D. Smith. “Youth in care and those living in congregate care facilities are especially vulnerable, and providing this training to staff who care for our children in these settings is one more step we can take to ensure their safety.”
Often, victims of human trafficking do not seek help because they are fearful, ashamed of their situation, distrust law enforcement or become dependent on the perpetrator. The Illinois Safe Children Act assures that children who are coerced into human trafficking/prostitution are innocent and immune from criminal prosecution and will be placed in the child welfare system with DCFS instead of the criminal justice system.
Illinois DCFS also maintains strong partnerships with the FBI, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, the Chicago Police Department and the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center to help locate missing or runaway youth who are at risk of falling victim to human trafficking and ensure appropriate services and housing are in place when a child victim is rescued.
The department partners with three agencies to provide support and services to youth who have been trafficked or are at risk of being trafficked. Chicago’s ReClaim13 provides mentors, a group home for girls aged 10-17 and a transitional living program (TLP) setting for victims of sex trafficking between the ages of 18-25; Hoyleton’s HALO (Healing and Loving Oneself) program provides services and support to youth in southern Illinois who have been victims of sex trafficking or are at risk of becoming victims; and Selah Freedom provides prevention services to youth in care across the state.
KNOW THE SIGNS. A trafficked child might:
Have an adult control them by speaking for them.
Seem out of place given the time of day or night.
Look disheveled or dressed in clothes that they could not afford to buy.
Show signs of physical abuse such as bruising or red marks.
Not possess any form of identification.
Perform inappropriate work for their age and not be compensated.
Anyone who believes a child might be trafficked, or in danger of being trafficked, should immediately call 911 and the DCFS Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-25-ABUSE (1-800-252-2873).
About the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Founded in 1964, DCFS is responsible for protecting children from abuse or neglect by responding to calls received on the Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-25-ABUSE (1-800-252-2873). With the goal of keeping children safe, DCFS strengthens and supports families with a wide range of services. When keeping a child safe means removing them from the home, DCFS makes every effort to reunite them with their family. When the best interest of the child makes this impossible, DCFS is committed to pursuing guardianship or adoption by loving families to provide children with a safe and permanent home. DCFS is also responsible for licensing and monitoring of all Illinois child welfare agencies.[/s2If]

•January 4, 2023•

The Amish Country Tractor Cruise will not be held in 2023 and there are no plans to have the cruise in future years. “My interests have changed.” says Jim Fleming, Director and Co-Founder of the cruise which started in 2010. The cruise traveled a different route each year and attracted participants from seven states. The cruise was very successful and received national recognition in the Heritage Iron magazine in 2021. Fleming added, “what made this cruise successful were the excellent volunteers and sponsors who gave of their time and money to make it a safe and fun event.” Monies from the cruise funded scholarships for FFA members. Arthur is unique in that it has hosted two cruises in recent years. The Cliff Kauffman Memorial Tractor Drive is scheduled for Labor Day in Arthur.

•December 28, 2022•

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Lake Shelbyville is looking for qualified candidates to fill student vacancies for the 2023 summer recreation season. Lake Shelbyville offers a great work experience opportunity for those students who plan to make a career in biological sciences, outdoor recreation, or law enforcement. Temporary student positions are available for graduating seniors and college students at the GS-02 level. These positions are available in Interpretive Services, Visitor Assistance, Facility/Grounds Maintenance, Environmental Stewardship, and Administration with an hourly rate around $15.30 and a 40 hour per week work schedule during the summer term. Candidates may be required to work a combination of days, nights, weekends, and holiday shifts.
Basic Requirements and Qualifications:
• Enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a technical or vocational school, 2-year or 4-year college or university, graduate or professional school, at a qualifying educational institution on a half-time or full-time basis pursuing a qualifying degree or certificate
• Minimum education requirement of high school diploma or GED
• Good academic standing with a cumulative 2.0 grade point average
• Transcripts and proof of enrollment/acceptance letter• Detailed resume showing eligibility for this position
• Required to sign a Pathways Participant Agreement
Temporary Student Position(s): Announcement closes January 11, 2023
Job Announcements are available online at www.usajobs.gov under the job announcement number. Applicants must create a USAjobs account, build a profile, and create a resume. The job announcements can be located by entering the announcement number into the “keyword” search query on the homepage. Applicants are strongly encouraged to call the Lake Shelbyville Project Office at (217)774-3951 extension 0 for any questions or assistance in applying for these positions.

•December 21, 2022•

Colten Lash, of Bethany, has been named to the Honor Roll at Bethel University. To qualify for the Honor Roll, undergraduates must have completed 12 or more hours of academic work with an average GPA of 3.7 or above and no grade lower than a “C.”