•February 10, 20201•
Submitted by:
Yolanda Nation
Shelby County 4-H Program Coordinator
The 4-H programs in Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Moultrie, and Shelby Counties are bringing youth a new way to “Explore 4-H”. Each month there will be a different exploratory kit offered for ALL youth - not just 4-H members. Each of these kits will be associated with a 4-H project area that youth can enroll in for a project. Read More
•February 10, 20201•
Ross A Metzger of Gays was named to The University of Alabama Deans List for fall 2020.
A total of 13,128 students enrolled during the fall 2020 term at The University of Alabama made the Dean’s List with academic records of 3.5 or above (on a 4.0 scale), or the President’s List with academic records of 4.0 (all A’s). Read More
•February 10, 20201•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer
The headline is a window into a story.
It’s also one of newspapering’s most interesting (and fun) challenges. How do you convey the nuance of a story in just a few words? How do you alert people that an Anthropologie store is moving into Metropolis, all in a one-column hed (which is newspaper jargon for “head,” which is short for “headline”)?
We have a bunch of award-winning headline writers on staff who constantly amaze me. But sometimes even they get stumped.
Neil Holdway, who heads up our night copy desk operation, wrote me an overnight note about a particular challenge: “So we struggled with my panel headline on the Illinois vaccination rate, where I said ‘1 in 12 Illinoisans have their first dose.’ Looks OK at first, but really, should it be “1 in 12 has ...’? And then you have ‘their’ to deal with.” Read More
25 Years Ago This Week
A prom problem drew a capacity crowd of students and parents to the school board meeting. Because their fundraising efforts fell short this year, juniors asked the school administration to permit them to eliminate the dinner portion of the prom in order to cut costs. Students would go to dinner on their own and attend the dance later under the plan. But Sullivan High School Principal Stuart Hott and Superintendent Rich Voltz vetoed the idea, on the grounds that students driving to dinner on their own in area towns would court increased danger and the fact that they would not be supervised during dinner. Read More
•February 10, 20201•
Capitol News Illinois
The state administered 64,469 COVID-19 vaccinations statewide over the weekend following a single-day record for vaccinations on Friday. As of Monday, Feb. 8, the state has issued over 1.3 million doses, with 2.3 percent of the population having been fully vaccinated.
Illinois has ranked near the bottom of all 50 states in vaccines administered thus far, according to a New York Times database, leading some state lawmakers to call for increased transparency and a more effective process for allowing eligible residents to receive vaccines.
On Monday, Senator Julie Morrison, D-Lake Forest, announced that the Senate Health Committee will hold a special hearing on Thursday regarding the state’s COVID-19 vaccination plan.
“The COVID-19 vaccine is the greatest line of defense we have against the pandemic,” Morrison said in a Monday news release. “Unfortunately, many people across the state who are eligible for the vaccine haven’t been able to get their dose – and that’s disheartening.”
The release said that the hearing has been scheduled amid “hundreds of questions and concerns from constituents” regarding the rollout of the vaccine, citing a “confusing” scheduling process.
“I hope this hearing will lead us toward a path of greater efficiency,” Morrison said in the release.
The virtual hearing, scheduled for noon on Thursday, will feature Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike, as well as representatives from the Chicago and Sangamon County Health Departments. Read More
•February 10, 20201•
Cheri Burcham
Extension Educator, U of I Extension
I think winter is officially here! I actually enjoy the snow and watching the birds at my feeders. I feel that this is usually the time to slow down a little, reflect and regroup, and especially this year more than ever. I found a great article by Extension Program Coordinator Wendy Ferguson on the Extension blog “Naturalist News” about storytelling and some recommended reads in the areas of nature, environment and stewardship. I thought this would be a good time to share it with all of you. Wendy writes:
Welcome to winter. During this cold and snowy time, many American Indian cultures use the time for traditional storytelling. Storytelling serves two main purposes, entertainment and education. And the really good stories do both. Hearing a story or reading a book is like receiving a gift from the storyteller or author. In Native American cultures, a gift of tobacco is offered to the storyteller before the story begins as a sign of respect. The storyteller will often take the tobacco outside and place it on the earth as an offering to the spirits of the story. So in these months dedicated to storytelling here are a few authors worth reading, no tobacco needed. Read More
•February 10, 20201•
Ignoring a chronic condition will not make it go away, and suffering is simply a poor management technique. So, if you live with a long-term health condition, why not learn how to more effectively manage it and live an active and fulfilling life? Believe it or not, although the specifics of managing each condition vary, the skills for managing most chronic conditions are actually quite similar. Take Charge of Your Health is a program designed to help you become a better health manager! Cheri Burcham of University of Illinois Extension and Penny Arthur of Moultrie County Counseling Center have teamed up to provide this program online. Classes will be offered weekly on Wednesday afternoons starting Feb. 24 and ending March 31, from 3:00 – 5:30 PM. Read More
•February 10, 20201•
Submitted by Emily Steele
Spring is characterized by a fury of activity on farms. In the rush to get crops in the ground, safety and health is not always a priority.
Stay safe during this critical time with the free webinar Preparing for a Safe Planting on February 18 about how to prevent common farm injuries and illness. Read More
•February 3, 20201•
6th grade Straight A Honor Roll: Owen Herring, Langsten Klay, Billy Lieb, Cassidy Rohacs, Cooper Shoemaker, Layla Skeeters.
6th grade Honor Roll: Kimberly Hernandez, Kaitlyn Jacobs, Tyler Lisanby, Kale McComas, Jayden Parsons, Embrey Reardon, Rylan Schrock, Riley Strode, Benjamin Newhouse.
7th grade Straight A Honor Roll: Lucas Butcher, Savannah Butcher, Anna Rawlins.
7th grade Honor Roll: Ryker Beckmier, Kamden Morfey.
8th grade Straight A Honor Roll: Mitiku Appleby, Calahan Binion, Savannah Fagan, Maddix Stirrett.
8th grade Honor Roll: Ryan Appleby, Brooke Bolsen, Layla Deel, Jewelyonna Hutchcraft, Lindsay Rohacs, Ava Sherwood.
•February 3, 20201•
By Jerry L. Ginther
NP Guest Writer
Sure, as teens and young adults we looked forward to being on our own. Thinking how liberating it would be to experience the good life we would create for ourselves. Wrongly assuming, most of the time, that our parents had wasted their opportunities, and we thought we would never make the same mistakes. After all we were better educated, and the world had left the last generation and their ideas in the proverbial dustbin, along with the horse and buggy.
After the wars, signs of prosperity were everywhere. Indoor plumbing was becoming a reality in every household as outdoor wells and pumps began to disappear. Gas mains delivered natural gas to houses within the cities. Garages and automobiles were appearing next to homes. Air conditioners protruded from windows, and television antennas towered above many houses. We were modernizing, and the new appliances in homes, such as washers and dryers, were becoming status symbols, and clotheslines were becoming obsolete too. Read More