Photo Gallery | University High beats Danville 7-0 at Showcase

CHAMPAIGN - University High's Annalise Williams and Danville's Alexsa Foley get physical while trying to gain control of the ball during second-half action at the 2nd Annual Girls Soccer Showcase on Sunday. The Illineks scored four goals in the first half and three in the second to shutout the Vikings, 7-0. See 18 more photos from the non-conference game below.

Photos: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

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Warmer temperatures mean tick season is back

Erik Karits/Pixabay

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by Tim Ditman
OSF Healthcare

PONTIAC - People everywhere are conquering their cabin fever and are enjoying the great outdoors after a long, bitter winter. But before you head out for that hike, health care experts remind you to take precautions to avoid tick bites.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates around 300,000 people are infected with Lyme disease each year, and is now warning people to be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of the disease, which is usually contracted through tick bites.

Tina Barton, Infection Preventionist at OSF HealthCare says there are tell-tale signs of Lyme disease, including a rash around the bite mark that takes the shape of a bulls-eye.

"If you get infected, then it starts out with a rash. The rash may not appear for like three days or so and then it’s followed by a lot of like flu-like symptoms," said Barton. "So it can be fatigue and sore throats and things like that can go along with it too.”

When caught early, Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics. However, when untreated the disease can develop into meningitis, or other severe illnesses that can require hospitalization and further treatment.

According to Barton, the best action against Lyme disease is to pay attention to your surroundings and avoid the bite in the first place.

“If you’re going to be in a wooded area or a weedy area, that type of thing, you need to stay in the middle of the path and not out where you’re up against it," she said. "Because there’s a myth out there that ticks fall out of trees, but they don’t fall out of trees, they’re on the ground so they get on you and they crawl up you.”

Tick bite bullseye

The CDC gives us some simple steps to keep tick bites at bay:

Avoid Direct Contact with Ticks

Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter

Walk in the center of trails

Repel Ticks on Skin and Clothing

Use repellent that contains 20 percent or more DEET, picaridin, or IR3535 on exposed skin for protection that lasts several hours.

Use products that contain permethrin on clothing. Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents with products containing 0.5% permethrin. It remains protective through several washings. Pre-treated clothing is available and may be protective longer.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an online tool to help you select the repellent that is best for you and your family.

Finding and Remove Ticks from Your Body

Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors (preferably within 2 hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks that are crawling on you.

Conduct a full-body tick check using a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body upon return from tick-infested areas. Parents should check their children for ticks under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and especially in their hair.

Examine gear and pets. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats, and day packs.

Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors.

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A few things that families with college-bound students should know

If you are going to college this fall, now is a good time to have your parents teach you financial skills like budgeting and bill paying. Learn now will make life on campus away from home much easier.

JeffStateCollege/Pixabay

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StatePoint - Perhaps even more nerve-wracking than waiting for your child’s college acceptance letters is learning whether they’ve been awarded financial aid. Recent changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) designed to simplify the process have led to unforeseen hiccups and technical glitches, causing academic institutions to delay sending out financial aid award letters. However, once you finally get the results, it can give your family a better idea of what to do next.

“Our research shows that for a majority of parents, figuring out how to pay for college was the ‘road to college’ activity that caused them the most stress. By making a financial plan and prioritizing it, you can be well prepared to avoid the most common bumps in the road,” explains Angela Colatriano, chief marketing officer, College Ave.

Colatriano recommends using the spring to teach your child these valuable financial skills: how to set up a budget, how to pay bills and how to manage credit. If your family will potentially be borrowing to finance college, students should also gain an understanding of how loans work, and how the different terms of the loan will affect their monthly payments and overall loan cost.

Speaking of budget, you should set a realistic budget for yourself. A recent College Ave survey found that in addition to helping pay for tuition and housing costs, parents also contribute to their child’s phone bill (65%), health insurance (61%), food and groceries (42%), cable and internet bill (35%) and transportation (32%). Be realistic about which expenses you can afford and where you want to ask your child to chip in.

Decode Award Letters

Financial aid award letters can look different for each school. Familiarize yourself with their components so that when they arrive, you’ll be ready to decipher them. Here’s what to look for:

1. Free money: The award letter will list whether your student is eligible for scholarships and grants (sometimes called Merit or Gift Aid). This is money you typically don’t need to pay back.

2. Federal Work-Study: Your child might be eligible for Federal Work-Study jobs. While jobs aren’t guaranteed, they can be a good opportunity to help cover educational expenses.

3. Student Loans: Schools will list any federal loans your child is eligible to receive. Helpful hint: They may be grouped with scholarships and grants. You should also note whether the loan is subsidized or unsubsidized. Because unsubsidized loans accrue interest while your student is enrolled and during deferment periods, this will affect the overall loan cost.

4. Other factors: Check if awards being offered are for all four years and understand what your child will need to do to continue being eligible for them, year-to-year.

To get an apples-to-apples look at the offers, calculate the net direct cost of each school by subtracting offered scholarships and grants from the cost of attendance (tuition, room, board, textbooks and fees). If applicable, you can subtract work-study aid too. You should also factor in expected increases in tuition, room, board and other fees.

Fill in the Gaps

If after doing the math, you find you have a financial gap to cover, look into private scholarships. One easy one to enter on a monthly basis is College Ave’s $1,000 Scholarship Monthly Sweepstakes.

You may also want to consider a private student loan or parent loan. Look for a lender with great rates, flexible repayment terms, and the opportunity to customize the loan to fit your budget. For example, College Ave offers student loan calculators, a pre-qualification tool that offers quick answers without affecting your credit score, and other helpful tools and resources. To learn more, visit CollegeAve.com.

“The important thing is not to panic. If you filled out the FAFSA, financial aid award letters are on the way. And once you receive them, you and your student can get to the fun part of planning for the future,” says Colatriano.

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ASSE seeking host families for international high school students

Hosting a high school international student is a popular way to learn about other cultures and create lasting bonds with people from other parts of the world.

Photo: Hillary Fox/PEXELS

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WAYZATA, MN - ASSE International Student Exchange Programs (ASSE) is looking for local families to host high school exchange students aged 15 to 18 from Australia, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Japan, and other countries.

If you are a young family, retired, a single parent, or an empty-nester, hosting an international exchange student is a chance to expand your cultural horizons without leaving the comfort of your home. Hosting international students offers a unique cultural exchange where as the host you can learn more about a particular culture, their traditions, and everyday way of life. This exposure promotes a better understanding and deeper appreciation for ways of life that differ from our own. Thanks to daily interactions and conversations, both the student and host gain valuable insights into different perspectives, customs, and languages.

Another reason to host international students is that it facilitates personal growth and development.

For the host family, it offers an opportunity to expand their worldview, enhance communication skills, and develop empathy and intercultural competence. For the students, living abroad provides an opportunity to step out of their comfort zone, adapt to new environments, and build resilience and independence. They can also improve their language skills and develop a deeper understanding of issues that affect both cultures.

Some families become serial hosts, enjoying lasting friendships and the connections formed that extend beyond the hosting period.

William Fortunato

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Generally, the host and student forge meaningful relationships built on shared experiences and mutual respect. These connections can transcend geographical boundaries and last a lifetime, providing opportunities for future collaborations, visits, and cultural exchanges.

"I was so excited to see my host family and get to know them. I’m sure they were too. I call my host parents 'mom' and 'dad,' and you know, it does make us feel as a family," said Dilrabo Sultanmuratova, a student from Kazakhstan. "I’m very lucky to have such an awesome host family. They consider me like their real daughter; we have a very good relationship with each other. We have so many good memories together."

ASSE students arrive with their own spending money and comprehensive insurance coverage. Each student is carefully selected based on their academic achievements and personality for placement.

Hosting an international student can be a life-changing experience. Brian Miller, a veteran whose son fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, admitted that 9/11, along with his son's experiences while deployed, largely contributed to his view of Middle Eastern culture.

"I wouldn't say hate or racist, I would say dislike of the Muslim community," Miller said.

"Once we got Ali in the home, I got to learn a lot and he enlightened me to quite a few things," Miller said. Over time and conversations, Ali and the Shirkieville, IN family became "virtually inseparable" thanks to the YES Scholarship Program started by Richard Lugar and Ted Kennedy after 9/11.

After hosting Ali in 2013, Miller said his perspective on the Muslim culture changed.

To learn how you can become an ASSE Host Family, contact the ASSE Midwestern Regional Office at 1-800-736-1760 or visit www.host.asse.com.

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