Sentinel Digest |Our stories from June 4 to June 11

Jun 11, 2025 10:58 pm  .::.  Area football players to play in all-star football game June 21 ST. JOSEPH - Two of central Illinois’ top high school football talents and other members from the Illini Prairie Conference will join an elite group of players from across the state for one final game in their prep careers. Coy Taylor of St. Joseph-Ogden and Robert Boyd-Meents of Paxton-Buckley-Loda will take the field June 21 at Tucci Stadium in Bloomington for the 51st Annual Illinois High School Shrine Game. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m., with pregame ceremonies beginning at 10 a.m. Tickets are $10 and available at the gate. Read in browser » Jun 11, 2025 07:53 pm  .::.  Guest Commentary |It was a terrible idea for Musk to become so heavily involved in government and politics Elon Musk's wealth mainly comes from his ownership stakes in two companies: 1. Tesla – around 37% of his wealth is from Tesla stock, although it was as high as 75% in 2020. 2. SpaceX – valued contracts include a $20 billion deal with the United States federal government. Read in browser » Jun 11, 2025 06:49 pm  .::.  Commentary |From Holocaust Remembrance to Gaza: Scholars raise genocide alarm Dorothy Shea, the acting U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, recently vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding an "immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza." This veto was issued despite the resolution’s description of the humanitarian situation in Gaza as "catastrophic," and in the face of unanimous support from the council's other 14 members. Read in browser » Jun 10, 2025 11:22 pm  .::.  Father McGivney win state semifinal baseball game over Pawnee in four innings CHAMPAIGN - Father McGivney's Omar Avalos celebrates on third base after hitting a line drive to right field. The sophomore collected the team's first RBI, tying the score at 1-all. Read in browser » Jun 09, 2025 01:42 pm  .::.  How sweet it is! Cyclones win Class 2A state baseball title in heart-stopping thriller CHAMPAIGN - The Sacred Heart-Griffin baseball team mug teammate Tommy Lauterbach after he drilled the game-winning RBI deep into left field during their Class 2A championship baseball game against Teutopolis. Read in browser » Jun 09, 2025 12:45 pm  .::.  Bill allows Illinois highway cameras to be used to investigate other crimes SPRINGFIELD - A bill passed in this year’s legislative session would rewrite the definition of a “forcible felony” to allow Illinois State Police to use images obtained from automatic license plate readers in cases involving human trafficking and involuntary servitude. Read in browser » Jun 06, 2025 12:15 pm  .::.  Snoring Could Signal a Hidden Stroke Risk – Here’s Why URBANA - Here’s another reason to pay attention when your partner complains that you’re snoring or gasping for air at night: sleep apnea – repeated episodes of stopped or slowed breathing during sleep – and stroke go together in more ways than you think. Read in browser » Jun 05, 2025 07:50 pm  .::.  State Rep to hold satellite office hours for St. Joseph, stops in Vermilion County also set ST. JOSEPH - State Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) is ready to hear from his constituents. Earlier this week, Niemerg announced "Satellite Office Hours" for St. Joseph, Homer, Fairmount and Georgetown on Tuesday, June 10. This popular program provides opportunities for constituents to meet with legislative staff to receive help and discuss state issues and concerns. Read in browser » Jun 05, 2025 01:06 pm  .::.  OSF to merge Urbana, Danville hospitals in overhaul for 2026 URBANA - OSF HealthCare announced a major transformation in its east central Illinois operations Tuesday, revealing plans to merge two regional hospitals into a single entity with dual campuses. Read in browser » Jun 05, 2025 11:26 am  .::.  Microplastics: Why you should worry about in our food supply? URBANA - From news reports to social media blurbs to medical studies, they’ve been in the public eye a lot lately. And experts say that likely won’t change. We’re talking about microplastics or nanoplastics, incredibly small pieces of plastic that can get into our body. Read in browser » Jun 05, 2025 03:48 am  .::.  Guest Commentary |Bitcoin King: From luxury townhome to jail Would a million dollars make you happy? Would you be satisfied knowing you could eat well and do whatever you wanted? A million dollars isn’t what it used to be, but it’s still a huge sum of money. You could earn about $40,000 a year in interest. But wait—what if you had $100 million? You would be one of the richest people in the world! Can your mind even comprehend having that much money? Would you be satisfied? What about $100 million in bitcoin? Read in browser » Jun 05, 2025 02:23 am  .::.  Updated: Urbana to host two 'NO KINGS' protests on June 14 After the courthouse protest, a free community dinner will be served at 6 p.m. at the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center in Lincoln Square Mall, sponsored by the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Read in browser » Jun 04, 2025 11:43 pm  .::.  U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear Illinois congressman’s appeal of mail-in voting SPRINGFIELD - The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear an appeal on a lawsuit led by Illinois Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bost challenging Illinois’ mail-in voting law. Bost and a pair of Illinois primary delegates for President Donald Trump sued the Illinois State Board of Elections in 2022, arguing that the state’s law allowing mail-in ballots to be counted after Election Day violates the federal law establishing an “Election Day.” Both a lower federal trial court and federal appeals court have ruled Bost lacked standing to sue. Read in browser » Jun 04, 2025 10:58 pm  .::.  Book Review |Sky High: A Soaring History of Aviation Humans have dreamed of flying since the beginning of time. Now that transcontinental air travel is common, flight is often taken for granted. Sky High: A Soaring History of Aviation by Jacek Ambrożewski traces the grand story of humanity's pursuit of flight, beginning with ancient legends passed down through cultures and ending with the historic journey of the solar-powered plane Solar Impulse 2 in 2015–2016. Read in browser » Jun 04, 2025 09:27 pm  .::.  Amid uncertainty in Washington, Illinois lawmakers pass slimmed-down Medicaid package SPRINGFIELD - Nearly every year, Illinois lawmakers pass a package of measures dealing with the state’s Medicaid program, the joint federal and state health care program that covers low-income individuals. Known as the Medicaid omnibus bill, it sometimes includes bold components, like a 2021 initiative that made millions of dollars available to local communities to help them plan and design their own health care delivery systems. Other packages have focused on smaller changes like guaranteeing coverage for specific conditions and medications or adjusting reimbursement rates for different categories of health care providers. Read in browser » Jun 04, 2025 02:14 pm  .::.  Opening your home, opening your world: Families invited to host exchange students this fall As families across the country plan for the school year ahead, one nonprofit is inviting them to take part in a cultural exchange that reaches far beyond the classroom. World Heritage International Student Exchange Programs is currently seeking host families willing to welcome international students into their homes for the upcoming school year. Read in browser » Jun 04, 2025 01:24 pm  .::.  Don't forget the tip: Why your hotel housekeeper deserves a little extra during your stay Vacation season is here, and travelers everywhere are packing bags, booking hotel rooms, and looking forward to a break. But while you’re relaxing poolside or enjoying a freshly made bed, there’s someone working hard behind the scenes to make your stay more comfortable: your hotel housekeeper. Read in browser »