Four misconceptions owners have about flooding and water damage in their homes

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StatePoint Media - Many people look forward to spring when the weather warms up and flowers start to bloom, but it also marks the start of the peak time of year for flash flooding in the United States. According to NOAA, 75% of flash floods happen between late April and mid-September. With two major storms passing through East Central Illinois in the last week, you should remember when water backs up and overflows, it generally goes where it doesn’t belong and can cause serious damage to your home.

Unfortunately, many homeowners have misconceptions about floods, leaving them unprepared. Here are four of the biggest myths:

1. Homeowners insurance policies cover flood damage. A typical homeowners policy covers water damage from a sink or bathtub overflowing but won’t help with flood damage caused by storms – something many homeowners only discover after it’s too late. However, some insurance companies offer coverage to help fill the gaps so you don’t have to pay out of pocket for repairs and replacements. For example, Erie Insurance now offers Extended Water coverage, which covers damage caused not only by natural disasters, but also by sewer and drain backups.

2. Only people who live in flood plains need flood insurance. A national survey commissioned by Erie Insurance found that 53% of homeowners think only people who live in high-risk flood zones should buy flood insurance. However, 25% of flood claims are filed by people who live outside those areas. Additionally, FEMA says floodwater only needs to get a mere 3 inches high to make it likely that you’d need to replace drywall and baseboards.

3. There’s nothing you can do to prevent flood damage. Nothing is foolproof, but there are ways to protect your home from water damage. Install a sump pump along with a battery backup and regularly test it. Improve drainage around your home by clearing leaves and debris from gutters, storm drains and downspouts. You can also install water sensors to alert you of water or leaks within your home. If a storm is on the way, plan ahead by placing valuables and sentimental items into plastic storage bins, moving items off the floor (especially if they are stored in basements and lower levels of a home) and by making a home inventory. A list of all your personal possessions, along with their estimated values, will help if you need to file an insurance claim.

4. Insurance can only help you after an incident. Many homeowners don’t realize they may be able to get reimbursed for taking steps to protect their homes when flooding is imminent. As one example, under certain circumstances Erie Insurance will reimburse homeowners up to $10,000 for materials such as sandbags and the sand to fill them, fill for temporary levees, pumps or plastic sheeting and lumber used with these items, as well as labor.

“We encourage homeowners to not underestimate the risk of flooding, and to be aware of the significant amount of damage that even a small amount of water can cause,” said Michelle Tennant, vice president of product management, Erie Insurance. “Talk to your independent insurance agent about your home and your neighborhood to make sure you have the coverage that’s right for you.”

To learn more about protecting your home from floods, visit erieinsurance.com/extended-water.

Life is unpredictable. So is weather. But one thing is certain: if it can rain (or snow), it can flood. Make sure you’re protected with the right type of insurance.

Illinois House Bill could help people avoid crushing medical debt

Photo: Matthew Henry/Burst

by Mark Richardson
Illinois News Connection

A new report finds thousands of low-income or uninsured people in Illinois face medical debt that is depleting their savings and, in some cases, affecting their health.

The report, from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, described situations where patients racked up big bills because they didn't know that hospitals or community agencies could offer financial assistance. House Bill 2719 was filed this week to require all Illinois hospitals to screen uninsured patients and inform them of their options for paying medical bills.

Luvia Quinones, senior director of health policy at the coalition, said many low-income and working-class people are unnecessarily losing sleep - and cash.

"Many of these individuals are actually eligible for something, whether it be some type of health coverage program or for hospital financial assistance," she said, "and unfortunately, many of them are not made aware of either of these services or programs."

The Illinois Department of Health Care and Family Services reported in 2021 that more than 900,000 people in the state were uninsured. It said one-third of them qualify for coverage under Medicaid or through the Insurance Marketplace, while others are eligible for hospital financial programs or charity care.

Most Democrats in the General Assembly support the bill, but Republicans have not publicly staked out a position. The measure is pending before the Health Care Availability and Accessibility Committee. Quinones said the bill's goal is ultimately to prevent excessive medical debt.

"By hospitals screening these individuals, you could prevent them both ending up in medical debt," she said, "and it could also help the hospitals to be able to get reimbursed for some of the services."

Throwback Thursday | Spartans beat Momence by 12

SJO wins at home

St. Joseph-Ogden's Aaron Woller dribbles the ball around a Momence player during the Spartans' home game on February 8, 2013. Woller drained two free throws in the fourth quarter to help SJO defeat the visiting Redskins, 53-41. Woller and the St. Joseph-Ogden program went on to finish the season fourth in the state in Class 2A.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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CU is a great place for tennis; 5 really good reasons why you want play, too

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

David Diep, from Champaign, hits a backhand shot while playing during the USTA state tournament at Atkins Tennis Center in August of 2022. Tennis is a widely popular recreational sport in Champaign-Urbana, so much so that there are well over 120 public and private courts in or within a 10-minute drive for most players.

URBANA - If you love tennis, then Champaign-Urbana is a great community to live in. With over 120 courts available, two well-maintained indoor facilities, and plenty of options for lessons and instruction, tennis is a fun sport for all ages to stay physically active, mentally sharp, and compete as a recreational player anywhere from a local level all the to way various national championships.

There are so many tennis players in the college town, home of the University of Illinois, that even with the unbelievable number of courts available for a community its size, there are times and days throughout the warmer months when players can have a hard time finding an open court.

Playing tennis, like several other active sports, is a worthwhile activity for activating the brain and keeping neural networks functioning longer because it requires a combination of tactical thinking, creativity, coordination, and agility. One benefit to hitting the courts on the reg is hanging out with other players, sharing postmatch stories, and thrill of hitting a match-winning shot, which seems to delay the onset of Alzheimers and other cognitive diseases.

Tennis for older adults can help them stay physically and mentally active well into your 70s and 80s. For example, a study conducted in Japan found that male tennis players enjoyed a significantly lower risk of developing dementia, like to the tune of being 25 percent less likely to develop the disease because of the social aspects of the game.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

In Champaign-Urbana there are dozens of opportunities to play for all ages. Between private instruction, organized workouts, leagues, teams, and informal groups, you can almost play tennis every day of the week, all year long.

Social tennis, meeting new people and making new friends (and sometimes rivals) is a never-ending in a college community like Champaign-Urbana. There are dozens of informal groups that meet at neighborhood courts and daily clinics and drill sessions every week at Atkins Tennis Center and the park district's Dodds Tennis Center. All three area country clubs have tennis courts available for their members, or you can join the United States Tennis Association to play on a team or in sanctioned tournaments around the country.

Here are five other reasons why you should grab a new can of balls, that old racquet in the closet or garage, and a few friends for a couple hours a week with friends:

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

There is nothing like the thrill of putting the ball away for a winner in a during a tough match. Sometimes it is hard to contain your emotions when you come out on top with a win.

Enjoyment ~
Regardless of your level of experience, tennis is fun. Whether you play casually with friends or competitively in tournaments, the thrill of hitting the perfect shot to win a game is hard to beat. Whether you are pounding 100 mph serves down the T for an ace or hitting the perfect drop shot to humiliate your opponent, technique and strategy can overcome youth, and in many cases, experience.

Cardiovascular Health ~
Tennis can be a physically demanding sport. Most players find that as their level of play improves, the more calories they burn on the court. Young or old, playing tennis can help improve your cardiovascular health by getting their heart rate up and increasing your endurance.

Bone Health ~
Tennis is a weight-bearing activity that can help improve bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis in older adults. Stronger bones reduce the chances of breakage from a routine, run-of-the-mill injury like tripping and falling off a slippery, ice-covered curb in the wintertime.

Stress Relief ~
Tennis is a fun and challenging activity that can help reduce stress and promote relaxation. After spending an hour and half chasing the ball from one side of the court to the other, concentrating on something enjoyable will put any stress you might have on the furthest backburner. For older adults, tennis is beneficial in taking a break from their daily routines and enjoy time outdoors or tennis buddies.

Mental agility ~
Playing competitive tennis is mentally challenging. Not only does it require quick thinking and strategy, but also a high-level emotional control and focus. Playing regularly, can help improve problem-solving skills, decision-making abilities, and the ability to remain focused under pressure.

Champaign-Urbana has a large, friendly, and vibrant tennis community. You can have fun playing seven days a week: After all, it is all love out on the courts.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

When the stakes are high, tennis can become a very emotional sport. The level of camaraderie with teammates and opponents, even at the recreational level, creates lasting memories.

Guest Commentary | The Trump-Daniels saga, will it never end?

by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator

An ongoing saga continues to surround Former President Donald Trump and porn star Stormy Daniels. Will it never end? Trump may or may not be indicted by the time you read this but who knows? Who isn’t tired of hearing about an alleged sexual encounter between these two.

Former President Trump has denied the encounter ever occurred but Daniels has said it did occur. Who is telling the truth? Who should we believe? Is there proof of this alleged “affair” or sexual encounter?

Does anyone have a video of the Trump and Daniels encounter? Apparently, Daniels is big on videos for money participating in encounters that most of us really do not want to see. I’m sure some people do since pornography an international addictive problem that destroys more lives than we will ever know. Even if it existed, we certainly do not want to see any such “encounter” between Daniels and Trump. Even. So, how do you prove such an event took place. We are back again to “he said, she said.”

President Trump has had his feet to the fire because he is alleged to have paid $130,000 to Daniels to keep quiet about the “encounter.” The problem is unclear. Is he alleged to have paid the money out of campaign funds raised for his Presidential bid in 2016? Or, is this about being an amount of money beyond the legal campaign donation cap and how could it ever be considered a campaign donation? Does any of it make sense? As much money as Trump has, would he not have just paid her out of his petty cash fund? If Daniels and Trump had a dispute then how is it illegal to have settled a dispute? People do it every day.

Trump made millions just from his reality television show The Apprentice on NBC. I always figured this is one reason NBC hates Trump so much. He made them a lot of money and the show was still making major money when he quit to run for President. Money and greed color everything.

Why don’t they just produce the check written to Daniels? Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney who served time in prison, allegedly gave the money to Daniels and was reimbursed by Trump. Did he write a check from his personal account? How did Trump reimburse Cohen? Did he go to the bank and get a cashier’s check? Just go back and do an audit. How credible is Cohen? Does Cohen know for sure which account the money came from?

Back in 1974 Jerry Springer, (Yes, the TV reality show star) resigned from the Cincinnati City council because he had written two checks to two different prostitutes in Northern, Kentucky. The controversy took over his life but he was later reelected to the city council and even later served as mayor. In one of his commercials, that I remember seeing, he said, “I made a mistake. I paid a prostitute with a check.” He actually wrote two checks. One was for $50 and the other was for $25. He would go on to serve as Cincinnati’s mayor from 1977-1978. But wait, he admitted to it and he didn’t pay it from campaign or government funds.

Looks like if Trump could get in trouble for paying for an “encounter,” then Daniels would be in trouble for prostitution. But wait, she didn’t collect money for an alleged encounter with Trump, but she got money to be quiet about the encounter with Trump. Is this not blackmail? Are there not any consequences for blackmail? Apparently, there is more money to be made from being quiet about “encounters” than actually selling oneself for an “encounter”. She did reportedly receive a handsome book royalty check to talk about her life that attorney Michael Avenatti stole. He is now serving time in prison for defrauding clients and tax evasion.

There is probably more that will be said about this alleged “encounter”. This proves it doesn’t work to pay porn stars hush money, because, they take the money and still tell everybody.

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Dr. Glenn Mollette is a syndicated American columnist and author of Grandpa's Store, American Issues, 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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Photo of the Day | Spartans dance their way to the final four

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Tolono - Young Spartan fans dance during a timeout at the Rocket Center during St. Joseph-Ogden's sectional semifinal game against Kankakee McNamara on February 28, 2013. Tied at 56-all at the end of regulation time, SJO outscored the Fightin' Irish 10-3 to advance to the sectional title game against Monticello.

Four of the five Spartans who scored in the postseason game finished with double-digit scores. Chase Patton led the team's effort with 21 points, and Brent Schluter, a force in the paint, added another 20 in the victory. Nate Michael finished with 12 points, including a critical trey in the extra session. Louis Acklin drained a pair of free throws in OT to finish with 11 points. Corbin Hesterberg rounded out the scoring effort with a first-quarter field goal.

Despite a quick turnaround and exhausting contest against McNamara, SJO's Fab Five returned to the Rocket Center 24 hours later to dominate Monticello in the sectional title game 65-38 on the school's first IHSA Final Four appearance.

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After school shooting last week, survey finds teens can obtain a loaded gun in under 15 minutes

Jabba from Pixabay

by Markian Hawryluk
Kaiser Health News

KHN - One in 4 Colorado teens reported they could get access to a loaded gun within 24 hours, according to survey results published Monday. Nearly half of those teens said it would take them less than 10 minutes.

“That’s a lot of access and those are short periods of time,” said Virginia McCarthy, a doctoral candidate at the Colorado School of Public Health and the lead author of the research letter describing the findings in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics.

The results come as Coloradans are reeling from yet another school shooting. On March 22, a 17-year-old student shot and wounded two school administrators at East High School in Denver. Police later found his body in the mountains west of Denver in Park County and confirmed he had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Another East High student was fatally shot in February while sitting in his car outside the school.

The time it takes to access a gun matters, McCarthy said, particularly for suicide attempts, which are often impulsive decisions for teens. In research studying people who have attempted suicide, nearly half said the time between ideation and action was less than 10 minutes. Creating barriers to easy access, such as locking up guns and storing them unloaded, extends the time before someone can act on an impulse, and increases the likelihood that they will change their mind or that someone will intervene.

“The hope is to understand access in such a way that we can increase that time and keep kids as safe as possible,” McCarthy said.

The data McCarthy used comes from the Healthy Kids Colorado Study, a survey conducted every two years with a random sampling of 41,000 students in middle and high school. The 2021 survey asked, “How long would it take you to get and be ready to fire a loaded gun without a parent’s permission?”

American Indian students in Colorado reported the greatest access to a loaded gun, at 39%, including 18% saying they could get one within 10 minutes, compared with 12% of everybody surveyed. American Indian and Native Alaskan youths also have the highest rates of suicide.

Nearly 40% of students in rural areas reported having access to firearms, compared with 29% of city residents.

The findings were released at a particularly tense moment in youth gun violence in Colorado. Earlier this month, hundreds of students left their classrooms and walked nearly 2 miles to the state Capitol to advocate for gun legislation and safer schools. The students returned to confront lawmakers again last week in the aftermath of the March 22 high school shooting.

The state legislature is considering a handful of bills to prevent gun violence, including raising the minimum age to purchase or possess a gun to 21; establishing a three-day waiting period for gun purchases; limiting legal protections for gun manufacturers and sellers; and expanding the pool of who can file for extreme risk protection orders to have guns removed from people deemed a threat to themselves or others.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, firearms became the leading cause of death among those ages 19 or younger in 2020, supplanting motor vehicle deaths. And firearm deaths among children increased during the pandemic, with an average of seven children a day dying because of a firearm incident in 2021.

Colorado has endured a string of school shootings over the past 25 years, including at Columbine High School in 1999, Platte Canyon High School in 2006, Arapahoe High School in 2013, and the STEM School Highlands Ranch in 2019.

Although school shootings receive more attention, the majority of teen gun deaths are suicides.

“Youth suicide is starting to become a bigger problem than it ever has been,” said Dr. Paul Nestadt, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.

“Part of that has to do with the fact that there’s more and more guns that are accessible to youth.”

While gun ownership poses a higher risk of suicide among all age groups, teens are particularly vulnerable, because their brains typically are still developing impulse control.

“A teen may be bright and know how to properly handle a firearm, but that same teen in a moment of desperation may act impulsively without thinking through the consequences,” said Dr. Shayla Sullivant, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Children’s Mercy Kansas City. “The decision-making centers of the brain are not fully online until adulthood.”

Previous research has shown a disconnect between parents and their children about access to guns in their homes. A 2021 study found that 70% of parents who own firearms said their children could not get their hands on the guns kept at home. But 41% of kids from those same families said they could get to those guns within two hours.

“Making the guns inaccessible doesn’t just mean locking them. It means making sure the kid doesn’t know where the keys are or can’t guess the combination,” said Catherine Barber, a senior researcher at the Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Injury Control Research Center, who was not involved in the study. “Parents can forget how easily their kids can guess the combination or watch them input the numbers or notice where the keys are kept.”

If teens have their own guns for hunting or sport, those, too, should be kept under parental control when the guns are not actively being used, she said.

The Colorado researchers now plan to dig further to find out where teens are accessing guns in hopes of tailoring prevention strategies to different groups of students.

“Contextualizing these data a little bit further will help us better understand types of education and prevention that can be done,” McCarthy said.

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

Throwback Thursday | SJO makes first basketball final four appearance

(Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

PEORIA - Sophomore Tyler Harms dribbles the ball away from Winnebago's Dalton Langholf during St. Joseph-Ogden's third-place 2A game at Carver Arena a decade ago. SJO finished the season 29-6 at the state tournament after falling 67-54 to the Indians in the program's first final four appearance in school history. Three years later, the Spartans would return to Peoria to take home the Class 2A title.

Top recommended diet by nutrition experts could also reduce risk of dementia

by Tim Ditman
OSF Healthcare

SAVOY - Among the New Year’s resolutions worldwide, many people have pledged to find and stick with a healthy diet. But there’s a lot more to it than just grabbing every “reduced fat” item off the grocery store shelf.

Karen Whitehorn, MD, an OSF HealthCare internal medicine physician, hears questions all the time about diets. Her first question back is usually: what do you want out of your diet? Do you want to be healthy? Lose weight? Manage a medical condition? Sort through the details, and you’ll find the best option.

Photo: Dana Tentis/PEXELS

Exploring the popular options

U.S. News and World Report recently consulted a panel of medical and nutrition experts to rank the best diets. The Mediterranean diet topped the list. Dr. Whitehorn says this diet is based on the eating habits of people who live near the Mediterranean Sea. It’s a plant-based diet, incorporating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, brown rice and seafood.

An added benefit: new research shows the Mediterranean diet could reduce dementia risk.

“The Mediterranean diet is actually pretty easy to follow. But you need to make sure you have the right food in your home,” Dr. Whitehorn says. “It might be a little more difficult during the winter to get fresh fruits and vegetables. If you can’t, frozen is OK. Canned is OK. But we recommend you rinse the canned food first to decease some of the salt.”

Number two on the U.S News list is a plan Dr. Whitehorn recommends often: dietary approaches to stop hypertension, or the DASH diet. It recommends foods that are low in sodium and high in magnesium and potassium.

Some people may incorporate fasting into their diet. Dr. Whitehorn says fasting, when done in consultation with a medical expert, can work. But she’s hesitant to recommend it broadly.

"Our bodies need nutrients every couple hours. So to not eat anything for 12 hours can cause other problems," Dr. Whitehorn says. "If you’re diabetic and don’t eat for 12 hours, your blood sugar could drop too low. Then when you eat, it could go too high."

Avoid misinformation and fads

Watch out for fad diets on social media, Dr. Whitehorn says. Remember the saying: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.

"Fad diets are not consistent. They’re not healthy. They don’t provide you the nutrients you need. If it requires you to take a pill or drastically reduce your calories, it’s not really a healthy diet. It can only be followed in the short term."

On the contrary, working out a diet plan with your health care provider has a better chance of achieving long term results.

"A healthy diet gives you the energy you need to do everyday activities," Dr. Whitehorn says. "It has been shown to increase your life expectancy. And it helps prevent chronic medical problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and heart disease."

Roch's to host Fine Arts program fundraiser this weekend

ST. JOSEPH - The St. Joseph-Ogden High School Fine Arts is holding a fundraiser this Sunday at Roch's Place in downtown St. Joseph.

Proceeds from the event will be donated to the fine arts program at the high school.

"Bring your family, your requests, and your wallets and let's pack the place for the SJO Fine Arts!" organizers wrote on Facebook.

Logan Allen Music is headlining the three-hour event slated to start at 3 p.m.

In the Know | Recent articles you might have missed

Illinois tennis team suffers first conference loss, Illini fall 4-0 to #2 OSU

Illinois' Mathis Debru celebrates after he and doubles partner Oliver Okonkwo tie up their match at 4-all. The duo fell 6-4 to Ohio State's Robert Cash and Justin Boulais. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

URBANA - One would have thought the steady 20mph breeze at Shahid & Ann Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex would have been ideal conditions for Illinois to upset #2 Ohio State (19-2) on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, the 70º day, blessed with plenty of sunshine, did not fair well for the Fighting Illini (13-8), who lost the home match 4-0 to Buckeyes in their second Big Ten match of the season.

The key to OSU's victory and Illinois' demise was the basic 'brains over brawn' approach.