•October 19, 2022•
With National Mammography Day approaching on October 21, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) are urging women in Illinois who have delayed breast cancer screenings due to the COVID-19 pandemic to take action and schedule a comprehensive exam now.
“Breast cancer is a tragic disease—taking the lives of more than 40,000 women throughout the nation each year,” said Governor Pritzker, who issued a proclamation declaring October 21 is Mammography Day in Illinois. “But thanks to modern medicine, we can lower that number with early detection and regular mammograms. This National Mammography Day, I encourage the women of Illinois to schedule their annual mammogram, especially those who’ve delayed their exam amidst the chaos of the pandemic.” Read More
Department on Aging to Assist Older Adults During Medicare Open Enrollment Period
•October 19, 2022•
The Medicare open enrollment period began on Saturday, Oct. 15, older adults looking to change their existing Medicare plan can receive free, personalized assistance through the Illinois Department on Aging’s (IDoA) Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP).
“It is that time of year where people with Medicare will encounter numerous advertisements about the various Medicare health and drugs plans for 2023,” said Illinois SHIP Director Sandy Leith. “Don’t go it alone, let us put your mind at ease when you discuss your options with a certified SHIP counselor and make an educated choice.” Read More
Governor Pritzker Continues Effort to Adjust COVID-19 Requirements
•October 19, 2022•
As part of an ongoing effort to carefully roll back Illinois’s COVID-19 executive orders, Governor Pritzker on Monday updated masking and testing requirements for healthcare facilities and long-term care centers. These new guidelines, which went into effect Monday, are in line with updated Center for Disease Control recommendations. Federal requirements remain in effect for those facilities.
“Thanks to the tremendous efforts of our health care workers and residents, Illinois has done better at keeping our people safe with vaccines, boosters, and masking, which puts us in a position to continue to scale back health care requirements in line with the CDC,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “COVID-19 is on its way to becoming endemic, like the flu, but it still poses a real threat to our immunocompromised and disabled communities. Here in Illinois, we look out for one another—it’s what defines us as Illinoisans. Let us continue to live up to those ideals by masking up and testing when we have symptoms and getting COVID-19 booster shots—as I recently did—so that we can protect our neighbors.” Read More
Illinois Department on Aging to Honor Long-term Care Residents During Residents’ Rights Month
•October 19, 2022•
Joining advocates, residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, facility staff and others across the country, the Illinois Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) will honor the individual rights of long-term care residents by celebrating Residents’ Rights Month this October. Designated by the National Consumer Voice for Long-Term Care (Consumer Voice), Residents’ Rights Month highlights residents living in all long-term care settings, as well as gives special recognition to the work of the individuals who help assure their dignity, privacy and other basic human rights are maintained. Read More
October is College Changes Everything Month
•October 19, 2022•
October is College Changes Everything® (CCE) Month in Illinois, when the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) teams up with high schools and community partners to support students in completing their college and financial aid applications. During CCE Month and the Fall CCE Campaign from Labor Day through Thanksgiving, ISAC and its partners provide an intensive schedule of free college and financial aid application completion workshops available statewide. That’s especially important this year, as students will see changes in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) that will begin to simplify the application, and there will be expanded financial aid eligibility for some students. The 2023-24 FAFSA and the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid became available Oct. 1, 2022. Read More
Three Different Columns In One, and None Of Them Very Good
•October 19, 2022•
By Jim Baumann
NP Guest Writer
Sports columnist/word wizard Jim O’Donnell passed along to me a Washington Post column by Random House copy chief Benjamin Dreyer on what I’ll call poofy words. I found it most interesting.
In it Dreyer writes about his relentless search-and-destroy mission for the word “very,” which is often very unnecessary — just as my use of it in this sentence was.
He also might criticize my use of “most” to describe his column as interesting. It wasn’t the most interesting column I’ve ever read, but “interesting” by itself felt like I’d shortchanged it. Read More
Remember When? 10-19-2022
25 Years Ago This Week
The Moultrie County Sheriff’s Dept. received a $10,362 grant from the Illinois Dept. of Transportation. Sheriff Rieck Kendall said that with the help of the grant the county would be able to hire deputies for additional patrols on what would have been off-duty hours. The grant paid for 40 additional eight hour shifts without increasing the county budget.
Bethany High School celebrated Homecoming with a variety of activities including a powder puff game, parade and the Homecoming Court. That year’s King was Keith Fair and Queen was Natalie Cohan. Read More
Facts for Families: Take a Moment of Mindfulness
•October 12, 2022•
By Cheri Burcham
Family Life Educator
Many times in this column, I have shared articles about mindfulness and techniques you can use to relieve stress. Extension Educator Emily Schoenfelder recently wrote this article about one of those techniques called progressive muscle relaxation. Emily says: Life can be overwhelming! Sometimes, you just need to take a minute. Next time you get to that point, try this relaxing mindfulness technique to help you rest, relieve tension, or reset your body after stress. Read More
Windsor High School 2022 Homecoming Royalty
Photo furnished
Windsor High School 2022 Homecoming Royalty
Front Row (l to r): Crown bearer Livvy Johnson, 2022 Queen Reese Bennett, 2022 King Rhett Rincker, Crown bearer Jax Johnson. Back Row (l to r): Freshman Attendant Leah Kasey, Sophomore Attendant Avery Starwalt, Junior Attendant Aubree Brown, Queen Candidates Kiersten Wheeler and Gracie Brownlee, 2021 Queen Ella Gilbert, 2021 King Sam Welton, King Candidates Robbie McDaniel and Dylan Curry, Junior Attendant Benji Folkers, Sophomore Attendant Rylan Rincker, and Freshman Attendant Heath Westendorf.
Moultrie County Baby Talk 2022
Photo by Crystal Reed
Mo. Co. Baby Talk Hosts Touch a Truck
Moultrie County Baby Talk held a Touck A Truck event in the parking lot of Sullivan United Methodist Church on Thursday, October 6. Children and their families were able to check out a race car, sprint car, dump truck, two tractors, Dive Team vehicles and boat, police car, fire truck, ambulance and sheriff’s vehicles. Pictured is Brooks Dewitt in a sprint car.
Photo by Crystal Reed
Looking at an Endloader
Axel and Lennox Cain took interest in the endloader that was on display at the Baby Talk Touch A Truck event.
Photo by Crystal Reed
Checking Out Dive Equipment
Beau Brettschneider tried on a dive mask at the Baby Talk Touch a Truck event held last Thursday.