News Progress

•October 28, 2015•

The state of Illinois will no longer restrict the movement of any cut, non-coniferous firewood within the state. Illinois joins Missouri, Iowa, and Kentucky in the deregulation of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB).

The 2015 survey of traps detected EAB in 10 new counties in Illinois: Madison, Mercer, Jackson, Saline, Hamilton, Wayne, Clay, Jefferson, Washington, and Bond. The addition of 10 new counties has brought the total count of confirmed counties to 60.

“The survey results this year support deregulation with nearly 60 percent of our counties confirmed positive for EAB,” said Plant and Pesticide Specialist Supervisor Scott Schirmer. “Over the past decade, the regulations and quarantines have served their purpose to slow the rate of spread and afford people time to manage for this pest. However, there comes a time when the pest is too widespread to continue to regulate, and this is our time.” Read More

•October 28, 2015•

The Sullivan American Legion Auxiliary is holding a 50/50 raffle “Fireworks in December”.

Tickets are on sale now through December 4. (Please note there will not be actual fireworks in December)  Read More

•October 28, 2015•

By Trudy Lieberman
Rural Health News Service

The last couple of weeks have brought unexpected and unwelcome news to millions of seniors and disabled people on Medicare. Their already high out-of-pocket costs are going to get higher. For some, premiums for Medicare Part B coverage that pays for doctor and outpatient services will go up as much as 52 percent. For everyone Part D premiums, which cover drug benefits, will increase an average of 13 percent, and everyone will see their annual Part B deductible rise from $147 to $223.

These are not trivial amounts considering that half of all people on Medicare are living on annual incomes of $24,150 or less. In 2010 about 7 million people covered by the program lacked supplemental insurance such as Medigap policies, which cover what Medicare doesn’t. By 2013 the number of people without the additional coverage had more than doubled, most likely because they couldn’t afford to buy it.

What’s going on here? Weren’t Medicare’s costs supposed to go down thanks to the Affordable Care Act?

These increases have nothing to do with Obamacare and everything to do with the laws governing Medicare and Social Security.

Each year the Secretary of Health and Human Services examines the spending for Part B services which actually has risen this past year. By law premiums paid by everyone on Medicare must cover 25 percent of the program’s cost. (General tax revenues cover 75 percent.) And each year the Social Security Administration determines the cost-of-living increases (COLA) for seniors based on the Consumer Price Index. There will be no increase for the coming year. Read More

•October 28, 2015•

Wee Readers Storytime for two year olds and up will meet 10-10:30 a.m. Thursdays in November. The dates and topics are: Nov. 5

“Hibernation”, Nov. 12 “Indian Corn” and Nov. 19 “Turkeys”.

Reading Redbirds Youth Book Club will meet 3:30-4:30 p.m. Tuesday Nov. 3

and 17. The club is open to all fourth-eighth graders who would like to attend and bring a book to discuss.

Adult Book Club will meet 10:30-11:30 a.m. Thursday Nov. 12 to discuss the book Doll Baby by Laura Lane McNeal. Read More

•October 28, 2015•

Does your business require a certain skill set or are you looking to hire highly qualified employees? If so, get a jump start on finding the right employees for your business at Lake Land College’s annual Job Fair.

The college will host a professional job fair on Wednesday, February 24 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Field House on the Lake Land College campus in Mattoon. This event is sponsored by Career Services. Read More