•October 15, 2025•

October is Infant Safe Sleep Awareness Month, and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is reminding parents and caregivers of three steps they can take to create a safe sleep environment for infants in their care. It’s as simple as ABC - infants should always be placed to sleep ALONE, on their BACKS, and in a safe CRIB.

Unsafe sleep practices are a leading cause of death for infants across the United States, with 126 Illinois infants losing their lives before their first birthday in 2024. These tragic, and often preventable, deaths frequently stemmed from accidental suffocation due to infants being placed to sleep somewhere other than a crib or bassinet; sharing an adult bed; or sleeping with soft bedding or other items in the crib.

•October 15, 2025•

The 4th annual Glimmer Night will be held on October 25 at Building 1225 in Sullivan. This unforgettable evening is designed especially for local adults with developmental delays - a true prom night experience filled with joy, celebration, and community.

From the moment guests arrive, they are treated like royalty. Each attendee receives a crown or tiara and a personal introduction before stepping onto the red carpet in dazzling suits and elegant gowns. A professional photo backdrop captures the magic of the evening, ensuring everyone leaves with a keepsake from their special night.

Grandma’s Chamber Pot
•October 15, 2025•

by Janet Roney

 I have too much stuff. Henry David Thoreau had a cure for too much stuff in his masterwork, Walden. He said to imagine tying everything you own onto a long rope, then dragging it all behind you everywhere you go. We would soon get rid of most of it.

When I pawed through piles of stuff inside my great aunt Oma Baker’s ancient oak wardrobe, looking for two Afghans I bought for gifts, I wondered who was responsible for all this stuff. Was it my Baker ancestor who came from Wales to Rhode Island in the 1600s to worship freely with Roger Williams? Did he bring a bunch of stuff with him, like this wardrobe, a bedstead, and maybe a chamber pot? Not likely. Did my Shuman ancestor, who left Germany for Philadelphia in the 1830s to escape becoming cannon fodder, bring his beer steins, walking sticks, and a cuckoo clock along with his shoe cobbler tools? No way! Did the little servant girl who came to Jamestown in 1610, the mother of my husband’s family line, drag a line of possessions after her to the new World? I don’t think so. All the stuff I was pawing through accumulated recently. 

Since opening its doors in January 2024, Willow Breeze Hospice House has offered a beautiful home-like atmosphere where skilled nurses help make patients’ last days as comfortable as possible, while also offering amenities for their families. This year’s net proceeds of $32,000 from Hospice Binga support a Hospice House Endowment to help those with limited resources pay for their stay. Most insurances will cover hospice care, but not room and board.

•October 8, 2025•

During Fire Prevention Week (October 5-11), the American Red Cross of Illinois reminds everyone of the dangers of home fires, which claim seven lives every day in the U.S. To help protect your household, test your smoke alarms each month and practice your escape plan until everyone can get out in less than two minutes.  

“Home fires can occur any time, any place,” said Kellie O’Connell, Chief Executive Officer for the Red Cross of Illinois. “The sooner an alarm alerts you to a fire, the sooner you can get out. This is critical because fire experts say you may have less than two minutes to escape a burning home before it’s too late.” 

Tips for creating your home fire escape plan and practicing your 2-minute drill: