Mateo Sanchez & Friends set to play at the Rose Bowl in Urbana

The Rose Bowl Tavern now offers regular jazz shows, jam sessions and a comedy open mike night. Located at 106 N Race Street, there's plenty of free parking after 5pm in the city lot just outside the side entrance on the north side of the building.

For live music this week, check out the father and son duo Jake & Jackson on Tuesday, Mateo Sanchez & Friends on Friday, and then close out the week with Chachi & Falbo on Sunday. Check out some of the other great shows, too. No cover most nights. Check out the Rose Bowl's website for nightly admission.

Here's this week's live entertainment line-up:

For more information on upcoming shows, special hours and promotions, visit their website at www.rosebowltavern.com and on Facebook at @RoseBowlTavern.

Rockets notch 11th win of the season, Unity picks up IPC victory

TOLONO -- Both teams were off to an ugly start in their first basketball game of 2022. Unity's shotmakers converted on just 34.2% of their shots while hosting Olympia in their Illini Prairie Conference game last Friday. Luckily, the visiting Spartans' shots weren't falling either allowing the Rockets to post a 41-34 win over their guests.

Backed by Will Cowan's 10 rebounds, seven of them on the defensive end of the court, Unity held Olympia to just six first-half points inside the Rocket Center.

The Spartans, who made baskets on 23.8% of the balls they tossed at the rim, were led by Chase Litwiller's double-double 19 points, and 11 boards.

Unity (11-2) took an early lead on a three-pointer from Cowan and two more, in addition to a field goal, from senior Blake Kimball for an 11-4 first-quarter lead. Kimball was Unity's only scorer in the next frame with six points. Meanwhile, Olympia mustered only two points, both on free throws from Litwiller and his brother Andrew before halftime.

Despite being outgunned 28-24 in the second half, a fourth-period burst from Kimball and teammate Henry Thomas' six crucial free throws kept the game from slipping away. Jacob Maxwell hit a field goal and free throw in the final frame for the Rockets.

Kimball led all scorers with 25 points. He also added to the cause six rebounds and a pair of steals from his 35 minutes on the court. A bigger asset on defense on Friday, Cowan finished the night with four points.

Cowan & Co. are at home again tomorrow against Tuscola. The varsity game is scheduled to start at 7pm. The Warriors are 12-3 on the season with losses to Okaw Valley, Monticello, and Indiana's 21st Century Charter.

Box Score

Final: Prairie Central 48 - Urbana 21

	1	2	3	4	F
Unity	11	6	5	19	41
Olympia	4	2	10	18	34

Unity --
Kimball 5 (4) 3-10 -- 25, Cowan 0 (1) 0-0 -- 3, H. Thomas 0 (0) 6-8 -- 6, Rawdin 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Warfel 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Saunders 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, Porter 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, O'Neil 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Price 1 (0) 0-0 -- 2, A. Thomas 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Langendorf 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Maxwell 1 (0) 1-6 -- 3

Olympia --
Ragland 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Peifer 1 (0) 1-2 -- 3, Wilson 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, D. O'Donnell 0 (0) 1-2 -- 1, Swartzendruber 0 (2) 0-0 -- 6, Pierce 1 (0) 2-4 -- 4, A. Litweiler 0 (0) 1-2 -- 1, Wilie 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Dane 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, C. Litwiler 6 (0) 7-9 -- 19, David 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Evans 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, G. O'Donnell 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0, Olsen 0 (0) 0-0 -- 0

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Area COVID-19 Dashboard for January 10, 2022

Champaign County loses another resident to the Coronavirus. The individual is the eighth person to die this month from complications due to the respiratory infection.

In the past 14 days, there have been 247 positive cases of Covid-19 in St. Joseph, 203 in Tolono, 67 in Sidney, and 48 in Ogden.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the number of available ICU beds in Region 6 dropped to 21. There were 22 out of 150 available on January 8. Region 6 includes Champaign, Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Dewitt, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Iroquois, Jasper, Lawrence, Macon, Moultrie, Piatt, Richland, Shelby, and Vermillion counties.

Ventilator usage decreased by 47 from 179 of 298 available units to 236 in the region.

Active Champaign County Cases:

7,094

Net change in the county: 55

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Current local cases 1/10/22

Number in parenthesis indicates new cases since 1/9/22

Ogden • 40 (6)
Royal • 7 (2)
St. Joseph • 217 (18)
Urbana • 2483 (303)
Sidney • 54 (4)
Philo • 65 (6)
Tolono • 162 (12)
Sadorus • 7 (2)
Pesotum • 30 (7)

Total Active Local Cases:

3,065

Net change in local cases: -3

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Total Local Confirmed Cases: 17,704

New cases: 360

The information on this page is compiled from the latest figures provide by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District and the Illinois Department of Public Health at the time of publishing. Active cases are the number of confirmed cases reported currently in isolation. Local is defined as cases within the nine communities The Sentinel covers.

Many adults with Type 2 diabetes in the U.S. are not meeting optimal heart health targets

by American Heart Association

DALLAS — Fewer than 1 in 5 adults with Type 2 diabetes in the U.S. are meeting targets to reduce heart disease risk. Fortunately, available therapies can help when combined with new approaches that address social determinants of health and other barriers to care, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in the Association’s flagship journal Circulation. A scientific statement is an expert analysis of current research and may inform future clinical practice guidelines.

"This new scientific statement is an urgent call to action to follow the latest evidence-based approaches and to develop new best practices to advance Type 2 diabetes treatment and care and reduce CVD risk," said Joshua J. Joseph, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA, chair of the statement writing group and an assistant professor of medicine in the division of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, Ohio. "Far too few people – less than 20% of those with Type 2 diabetes – are successfully managing their heart disease risk, and far too many are struggling to stop smoking and lose weight, two key CVD risk factors. Health care professionals, the health care industry and broader community organizations all have an important role to play in supporting people with Type 2 diabetes."

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, affecting more than 34 million people in the U.S., representing nearly 11% of the U.S. population, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2020 National Diabetes Statistics Report, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and disability among people with Type 2 diabetes (T2D). Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body is unable to efficiently use the insulin it makes or when the pancreas loses its capacity to produce insulin. People with T2D often have other cardiovascular disease risk factors, including overweight or obesity, high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Adults with T2D are twice as likely to die from CVD — including heart attacks, strokes and heart failure — compared to adults who do not have T2D.

The new scientific statement, based on the writing group’s extensive review of clinical trial results through June 2020, addresses the gap between existing evidence on how best to lower cardiovascular risk in people with T2D and the reality for people living with T2D. Targets to reduce CVD risk among people with T2D include managing blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels; increasing physical activity; healthy nutrition; obesity and weight management; not smoking; not drinking alcohol; and psychosocial care. Greater adherence to an overall healthy lifestyle among people with T2D is associated with a substantially lower risk of CVD and CVD mortality.

"In the United States, less than 1 in 5 adults with T2D not diagnosed with cardiovascular disease are meeting optimal T2D management goals of not smoking and achieving healthy levels of blood sugar, blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, also known as ‘bad’ cholesterol," Joseph said.

A surprisingly large proportion – as high as 90% - of factors to effectively manage CVD with T2D includes modifiable lifestyle and societal factors. “Social determinants of health, which includes health-related behaviors, socioeconomic factors, environmental factors and structural racism, have been recognized to have a profound impact on cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes outcomes,” he said. “People with T2D face numerous barriers to health including access to care and equitable care, which must be considered when developing individualized care plans with our patients.”

Shared decision-making among patients and health care professionals is essential for successfully managing T2D and CVD. A comprehensive diabetes care plan should be tailored based on individual risks and benefits and in consideration the patient’s preferences; potential cost concerns; support to effectively manage T2D and take medications as prescribed, including diabetes self-management education and support; promotion and support of healthy lifestyle choices that improve cardiovascular health including nutrition and physical activity; and treatment for any other CVD risk factors.

"One avenue to continue to address and advance diabetes management is through breaking down the four walls of the clinic or hospital through community engagement, clinic-to-community connections and academic-community-government partnerships that may help address and support modifiable lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity, nutrition, smoking cessation and stress management," Joseph said.

The statement also highlights recent evidence on treating T2D that may spur clinicians and patients to review and update their T2D management plan to also address CVD risk factors:

New ways to control blood sugar

The American Heart Association’s last scientific statement on blood sugar control was published in 2015, just as research was starting to suggest that glucose-lowering medications may also reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure or cardiovascular death.

"Since 2015, a number of important national and international clinical trials that specifically examined new T2D medications for lowering cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular mortality risk among people with Type 2 diabetes have been completed," Joseph said. "GLP-1 (glucagon-like pepdite-1) receptor agonists have been found to improve blood sugar and weight, and they have been game changers in reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, heart failure and kidney disease." GLP-1 medications (injectable synthetic hormones such as liraglutide and semaglutide) stimulate the release of insulin to control blood sugar, and they also reduce appetite and help people feel full, which may help with weight management or weight loss.

In addition, SGLT-2 (sodium-glucose co-transporter 2) inhibitors (oral medications such as canaglifozin, dapagliflozin, ertugliflozin and empagliflozin) have also been found to be effective in reducing the risks of CVD and chronic kidney disease. SGLT-2 inhibitors spur the kidneys to dispose of excess glucose through the urine, which lowers the risk of heart failure and slows the decrease in kidney function that is common among people with T2D.

"Cost may be a barrier to taking some T2D medications as prescribed, however, many of these medications are now more commonly covered by more health insurance plans," Joseph said. "Another barrier is recognition by patients that these newer T2D medications are also effective in reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, heart failure and kidney disease. Increasing public awareness about the link between CVD and T2D and provide support, education and tools that help improve T2D and reduce CVD risk are at the core of the Know Diabetes by Heart™ initiative, from the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association."

Personalized blood pressure control

The statement highlights that individualized approaches to treating high blood pressure are best. These approaches should consider ways to minimize the side effects of hypertension treatment and avoid potentially over-treating frail patients.

Importance of lowering cholesterol levels

Statin medications remain the first line of lipid-lowering therapy, and the Association suggests other types of medications may be considered for people unable to tolerate a statin or who aren’t reaching their LDL cholesterol targets with a statin. These medications may include ezetimibe, bempodoic acid, bile acid resins, fibrates and PCSK-9 inhibitors, depending on the individual’s overall health status and other health conditions.

Re-thinking aspirin use

Older adults (ages 65 years and older) with T2D are more likely than those who do not have T2D to take a daily low-dose aspirin to help prevent cardiovascular disease. However, it may be time to review if daily low-dose aspirin is still appropriate. Recently published research suggests the increased risk of major bleeding from aspirin may outweigh the benefits, and newer, more potent antiplatelet medications may be more effective for some people.

The statement reinforces the importance of a comprehensive, multidisciplinary and individualized approach to reduce CVD risk among people with T2D. Optimal care should incorporate healthy lifestyle interventions, and medications and/or treatments including surgery that improve T2D management and support healthy weight and weight loss. Social determinants of health, structural racism and health equity are important factors that must also be considered and addressed.

Guest Commentary: A kind act & the Great Resignation

by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator

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A young adult lady in Johnson county, Kentucky, was recently faithfully working her convenient store register job. She had a line of patrons buying drinks and paying for gasoline. Someone asked her how much money she made?

"Nine dollars an hour," she said. "I’ve worked here over two years and the pay has been $9 an hour. I’ve asked for a raise. I work hard. I’m here almost all the time. A manager from the chain of stores always says, 'We are looking into it.'"

She added, "I have to find another job because I can’t take care of myself and my children on $9 an hour."

A patron in line who was only buying a cup of coffee with a $20 bill took the cash she had just handed him in change and said to her, "Please take this and buy some lunch today."

The lady said, "Uh, no, I don’t want that," but the man insisted and she accepted it with tears coming from her eyes. "Thank you, thank you so much she said to the man. I’ve never had anybody to do anything like this for me in my life."

It was good to see a random act of kindness but the episode was a real case scenario of how hard life is for many Americans just like this lady, working for low hourly wages.

On January 5th, the US Department of Labor released its Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary (JOLTS), revealing that the number of resignations reached 4.5 million in November. The number increased by 370,000, matching September's quit rate record high of 3% — indicating that the Great Resignation isn't showing signs of stopping.

Will the Johnson County lady quit her Job? She will, if she can find a better paying one. Unfortunately, in this area of the country that’s not easy to do. She may have to move in order to make more money. Many employers across the country have had to raise what they are offering in order to find and keep good employees. Thus, many of the Americans who did quit their jobs in November did so because of the lure of better pay in other places.

In Kentucky the federal minimum wage is $7.25. It’s the same wage for many other states but some are doing much better. However, you can’t go by the state minimum. You have to find the right employer who is paying what will make you happy and determine what it will require of you to be an employee.

If you are looking at state guidelines in hopes of better pay, Good luck!

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Dr. Glenn Mollette is a syndicated American columnist and author of American Issues, Every American Has An Opinion and ten other books. He is read in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization.

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This article is the sole opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of The Sentinel. We welcome comments and views from our readers. Submit your letters to the editor or commentary on a current event 24/7 to editor@oursentinel.com.

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Watch tonight's area basketball teams play online

The St. Joseph-Ogden girls basketball team hosts Prairie Central (12-5) in their second Illini Prairie Conference match-up in the new year.

Coming off a 57-23 road win over Pontiac, the Spartans are 11-5 for the season.

Meanwhile, the Unity girls' basketball squad, who were supposed to play Tuscola on Saturday, make a short trip to northwest Champaign to take on St. Thomas More. The non-conference contest was canceled due to freezing rain and icy road conditions.

In the Rockets' last outing, Maddie Reed and Taylor Henry combined efforts to produce 20 of Unity's 37 points in the home win over Paxton-Buckley-Loda's girls' team.

Below is tonight's line-up on the NFHS Network.

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Tonight's Live NFHS Broadcasts

January 10, 2022

ST. JOSEPH-OGDEN HIGH SCHOOL 5:30 PM Central Girls Junior varsity Basketball vs Prairie Central 6:00 PM Central Boys Freshman Basketball vs Oakwood 7:00 PM Central Girls Varsity Basketball vs Prairie Central UNITY HIGH SCHOOL 6:30 PM Central Girls Varsity Basketball @ St. Thomas More

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