•August 11, 2021•
Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity have announced that Booth Library on the campus of Eastern Illinois University was awarded a $50,000 grant to implement a digital literacy program in the Southeastern region of Illinois. The grant is part of the Office of Broadband Regional Engagement for Adoption + Digital Equity (READY) program, through which $200,000 was awarded to four regional entities to accelerate progress toward eliminating the digital divide. In addition to EIU, READY grantees include awards of $50,000 for the following entities:
· Region 1 Planning Council on behalf of the Northern Stateline Region
· Southern Illinois University on behalf of the Southern Region
· University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on behalf of the East Central Region Read More

•August 4, 2021•
Each year thousands of individuals are injured while mowing the lawn. These injuries can be as simple as a first degree burn to something as tragic as an amputation or even death. HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital urges the public to use caution while mowing, especially when children are involved.
Prevention of these injuries is key, as the most common injuries could be prevented by just slowing down and being aware of your surroundings.
The types of injuries sustained while mowing the lawn vary greatly. Some of the most common injuries are:
Cuts: Cuts can occur anywhere on the body but most often occur on the hands and feet from the sharp blades. Small wounds or cuts can harbor unsafe bacteria. Infections are common, and antibiotic medicines usually are necessary.
Burns: The hot engine, gas tank or exhaust of a lawn mower can cause burns. Read More

•August 4, 2021•
Caregivers often feel physically, emotionally and financially drained while caring for a loved one with a chronic condition. They may feel as though they have lost their identity or are ill-equipped to help their loved one. “Powerful Tools for Caregivers” is a self-care educational program to help participants build skills that caregivers need to take better care of themselves as they provide care to others.
“This is not a support group – it’s a training course about how to not lose yourself while caring for someone with a chronic condition. We teach participants coping mechanisms, communication methods, and identifying certain traits in themselves and their caretaker,” Andrea Applegate, class facilitator, said. Read More

•August 4, 2021•
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced last Tuesday that it is fully adopting updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) masking recommendations to protect against COVID-19 and the Delta variant.CDC recommends that everyone, including fully vaccinated individuals, wear a mask in public indoor setting in areas with substantial and high transmission. CDC is also recommending universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. Read More