The Sentinel

St. Joseph-Ogden baseball team notch 20th win

St. Joseph-Ogden's Jack Robertson tries to beat a throw to home plate in the bottom of the third inning. Robertson was called out on the play.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

ST. JOSEPH - Maddux Carter went 3-for-3 at the plate and scored twice in St. Joseph-Ogden's home game against Westville on Wednesday. The Tigers led for two and a half innings before Carter and the SJO bats ignited and fueled a 7-3 non-conference victory at Meier Field.

After Carter reached first on a grounder to left field, Luke Landrus followed up with a line drive to the same outfielder putting runners on first and second for the Spartans. With no outs, Jared Altenbaumer stood his ground against Westville pitcher Cade Schaumburg on a 3-2 count and walked.

Bases loaded, first baseman Adam Price put Schaumburg's third pitch in center field scoring Carter and Landrus for two of his three RBIs on the day.

Price scored the team's third run after Braxton Waller doubles out to right field for the go-ahead run. Two batters later, Coy Taylor drove in Waller and Taylor Voorhees to pad the score at 5-2.

The Spartans picked up two more runs, one in the bottom of the 4th and another in the bottom of the 6th to secure the squad's 20th win of the season.

Sophomore Nolan Earley hurls a pitch in the fourth inning for the Spartans. Earley threw 54 strike while on the bump giving up five hits and three runs after 98 pitches across six frames. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Box Score

St. Joseph-Ogden - 7

Luke Landrus 4-1-2-0-0
Jared Altenbaumer 2-1-0-1-2
Adam Price 4-1-2-3-0
Taylor Voorhees 3-1-0-0-0
Braxton Waller 2-1-1-1-1
Nolan Earley 2-0-0-0-1
Coy Taylor 3-0-1-2-0
Tanner Jacob 3-0-0-0-0
Maddux Carter 3-2-3-0-0

ab-r-h-rbi-bb
Total 26-7-9-7-4

Westville - 3

AB-R-H-RBI-BB
Mcmasters 4-1-0-0-0
Russell 4-1-1-0-0
Wichtowski 2-0-0-0-1
Haurez 4-1-2-1-0
Schaumburg 3-0-2-1-1
Barney 3-0-0-0-1
Maddox 3-0-0-0-0
Darling 2-0-0-1-1
Smith 3-0-0-0-0

ab-r-h-rbi-bb
Total 28-3-5-3-4

Recipe | Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken

Photo provided

Family Features - As you plan your summer fun, think also about adopting healthy habits that can help keep your blood pressure under control. When your blood pressure is consistently high - a condition called hypertension - blood flows through arteries at higher-than-normal pressures. This can cause serious health problems not just for your heart, but also for your blood vessels, kidneys, eyes and brain.

Hypertension affects women and men of all ages but making small lifestyle changes can go a long way toward prevention. Start with updating your summer menu with delicious, heart-healthy recipes, like Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken.

Following a heart-healthy eating plan, such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), which emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, poultry, beans, nuts, low-fat dairy and healthy oils, can help keep your blood pressure in a healthy range. Developed through research by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), DASH focuses on reducing sodium and limiting foods that are high in saturated fat, including fatty meats, full-fat dairy and tropical oils.

Along with adding healthy recipes to your summer menu, NHLBI's The Heart Truth program encourages these healthy habits that can help you control blood pressure:

Move more: Aim for at least 150 minutes (2 1/2 hours) of physical activity each week. Try keeping yourself on pace each week by shooting for 30 daily minutes of activity over five days.

Aim for a healthy weight: Research shows adults with overweight and obesity can lower their blood pressure by losing just 3-5% of their weight. Ask a friend or family member to join a weight loss program with you; social support can help you both stay motivated.

Manage stress: Reduce stress - which can increase blood pressure - with meditation, relaxing activities or support from a counselor or online group.

Quit smoking: Smoking damages your heart and blood vessels. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or find other resources available online.

Get your summer off to a heart-healthy start by talking to your health care provider about your blood pressure numbers and what they mean. To learn more about heart health and blood pressure, visit hearttruth.gov and find DASH-friendly recipes at healthyeating.nhlbi.nih.gov.

Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken

Recipe courtesy of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Sauce:

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons orange juice

1 teaspoon garlic (about 1 clove), minced

1 teaspoon ginger, minced

12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 2 large breasts), cut into 1-inch cubes (about 24 cubes)

1 cup fresh pineapple, diced (about 24 pieces)

8 wooden skewers (6 inches each), soaked in water

To make sauce: Combine ketchup, soy sauce, honey, orange juice, garlic and ginger; mix well. Separate into two bowls and set aside.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Preheat oven to 350 F.

Alternately thread three chicken cubes and three pineapple chunks on each skewer.

Grill skewers 3-5 minutes on each side. Brush or spoon sauce from one bowl onto chicken and pineapple every other minute. Discard remaining sauce from first bowl.

To prevent chicken from drying out, finish cooking to minimum internal temperature of 165 F in oven. Using clean brush or spoon, coat with sauce from remaining bowl before serving.

How to spot Medicare scams and protect yourself

Medicare fraud occurs when someone makes false claims for health care services, procedures and equipment to obtain Medicare payments.

Family Features - More than 65 million people in the United States were enrolled in Medicare as of February 2023, with more people becoming eligible and enrolling each year. Anyone on Medicare is at risk of Medicare-related fraud, and the Medicare program continues to warn people to watch out for scammers who steal Medicare Numbers and other personal information to exploit beneficiaries' benefits.

Broadly speaking, Medicare fraud occurs when someone makes false claims for health care services, procedures and equipment to obtain Medicare payments. Medicare fraud costs taxpayers billions of dollars and puts the health and welfare of beneficiaries at risk.

"Anyone on Medicare can be a target of Medicare fraud," said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. "But there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones by using CMS' fraud tips to recognize and report potential scammers. Let's all work together to make sure you're not a victim of Medicare fraud."

How to Spot Medicare Scams
There are many types of Medicare scams, taking the form of unsolicited emails, phone calls, text messages, social media posts and phony websites. Scammers often claim to be from the Medicare office, an insurance company or a government office. They'll ask for your personal and financial information, such as your Medicare or Social Security Number, so that they can submit false claims for payment.

Remember that Medicare will never call, text, email or contact you through social media asking for your Medicare Number.

How to Protect Yourself
You'll also need to know how to protect yourself from potential fraudsters. Remember to:

* Guard your Medicare Number just like your Social Security card and credit card

* Share your Medicare Number only with trusted health care providers

* Review your Medicare statements, watch for services billed that look suspicious and ask questions if something looks wrong

How to Report Scammers
Reporting Medicare fraud protects you and millions of other people with Medicare and those with disabilities. If you or someone you know have experienced Medicare fraud or suspect an offer you've received is a scam, report it as soon as possible.

To learn more about Medicare fraud, visit Medicare.gov/fraud. To report potential Medicare fraud, you can call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Information provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The perfect side gigs to get you through the next pandemic or economic downturn

Some side gigs are better than others. There are five that standout for people who need or want to work from home.

Photo:Bruce Mars/Unsplash

Night deliveries can be a perfect solution for people who work long shifts at home and need something past bedtime.

SNS - As much as we would like to think it is, the COVID-19 pandemic is not over, even though most countries and aspects of life are returning back to normal. Facing the facts, the way we work and live has changed forever. In many respects, the pandemic has brought a new level of financial insecurity that might never ever fully go away.

Thousands of people were laid off in the last couple of years thanks to the global pandemic. For many, their earnings have been significantly reduced or put on pause. This increased the need to look for alternatives to full-time jobs and ways to earn money from home.

If you are looking for a side hustle rake in extra cash when you can’t go to the office, here are five pandemic-proof side gigs that will inspire you to jump into multiple income streams and make ends meet during the next pandemic outbreak.

Step up the delivery game

With people staying at and doing more from home than ever, the number deliveries on a daily basis has increased drastically. Nearly everything - food, drinks, medicines, and even building supplies - can be delivered to the customer's front door.

Personal delivery services are pandemic-proof

Kindel Media/PEXELS

Use this opportunity to step up the delivery game, and instead of joining big companies such as Uber Eats or Door Dash, go for something out of the ordinary.

Carefully research local delivery trends in your city. Look to see if there is a need for something else. Night deliveries can be a perfect solution for people who work long shifts at home and need something past bedtime. Plus, after hour deliveries are billed at a premium, too, so you can earn quite a bit of cash this way.

Sell and rent things you don’t need

Spending more time at home probably gave you time to clean up your home and eliminate the items you no longer need. You should consider selling some of these items and earn some extra money.

Also, renting excess stuff or space in your home is a great way to earn more without making a big commitment.

For example, people living in big cities often have storage issues in their homes. City dewellers are always looking for more space, and renting out space in your storage unit, shed, garage, or basement might be a low-stress way to bring in extra cash without having to really work at it .

Have an RV? Rent by the day, week or even month to people who love to travel. If you have a truck, you might rent out for a day to someone is moving to a new apartment or home.

Renting is a great side hustle because it is a relatively passive income, makes money from things you don’t use, and is incredibly versatile. You can rent almost anything – just be sure to market it correctly.

Become a content writer

Put those good grades in English grammar and information from all the books you have read for school or pleasure to work. It has never been a better time to be bookworm.

All sorts of websites and companies are looking for good writers to develop and provide content for their online platform. Writers who are creative, good with words, and can produce work on deadline will find no shortage of opportunites. Even working part-time, you can earn hundreds of dollars creating online content.

Photo: Alexander Grey/Unsplash

Concentrate on niches you are familiar with to make it easier to do research for you articles and write pieces quickly. And, who knows, this might become your full-time job!

On top of that, content writing is a career you can easily work from home at your own pace. It is one of the best pandemic-proof side gigs! All you need is a computer and an internet connection.

You will also need a place to work where you can focus. Create a writing nook or home office to help you stay away from noise and other distractions.

Virtual assistant – helps others be organized and efficient

If your old job was not the right place to show your organizational skills, punctuality, and creativity, this one might be the right for you. Working as a virtual assistant is a perfect way to demonstrate superior multi-tasking and problem-solving skills while helping others run their businesses smoothly or deal with significant life events organization.

While you can help a business owner deal with time-consuming, repetitive tasks such as managing calls and emails, you can also help people organize events such as weddings or even relocating to new cities.

Let’s say someone needs to move a big household without taking a break at work – you can step in and assist them with the packing organization, hiring a moving team, and other tasks, and show them they can stay productive during the move even when there is a lot on their plate.

Remote tutoring

Another pandemic-proof side-gig you can do with almost any skill you are good at is online tutoring.

The internet has given us the power of live communication, making it easy to teach someone the same way you would in person, so use this to your advantage and earn some money. You can teach kids, older students, and adults – just pick a skill or subject you are really good at and be ready to share your knowledge.

However, tutoring is not something everyone can do. You will need a lot of patience and excellent communication skills, not to mention the ability to adapt to different styles and paces of learning for your students. If you have a skill that is ready to share with others, this is the right side gig for you.

Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic has caught the business world off guard, and many people struggled to make ends meet. A lot of Americans still have not recovered to pre-pandemic financial health.

This era brought many financial, physical, and mental health issues that we must deal with for years to come. With these pandemic-proof side gigs you can continue to earn money, explore your creativity, skills, and possibilities and feel better about yourself.

Staying at home during a pandemic can be challenging. Finding a way to keep moving forward and working is essential to your mental health and helps to keep anxiety and depression at bay. Throwing yourself into a new opportunity is a great way to develop an always-adapting mindset that will help you overcome hard times, such as job loss, and use your skill set to take advantage of the situation.

Photo: Brooke Cagle/Unsplash

Tutoring online or in-person to help others succeed is a fun and rewarding way to earn money during a pandemic or whenever you need to make extra cash.

Ruby Tarr hits homer, leads Rockets in 14-4 win over Prairie Central

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

FAIRBURY - Ruby Tarr swings at a Cissna Park pitch on Tuesday, April 11. The senior led the Rockets' offense in their Illini Prairie Conference road game last Friday at Prairie Central with two hits, including a home run, and four RBI in a 14-4 drubbing. The league victory extends the Unity softball team's current win streak to nine games. Tarr and Rockets (18-1 overall, 5-1 conference) are back on the home turf on Tuesday in a make-up contest against St. Anthony.

Guest Commentary | Getting shot at because you knocked on the wrong door is beyond insane

by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator

Knocking on doors is as American as apple pie. Politicians, sales persons, clergy, girl scouts, federal census workers, and the list goes on of persons and professions who have depended on knocking on doors.

When I was a child, I sold Grit newspapers. I needed to knock on a lot of doors to sell 20 papers which made me a cool $1. Serving churches for years, I have probably knocked on over a thousand plus doors to invite people to church. I’m so glad no one shot me.

The recent shooting of a 16-year-old teenager in Kansas City, mistakenly knocking on the wrong door, is beyond insane. The teenage boy was at the wrong house to pick up his brothers who were a block away. Who shoots through a door without reason unless the individual is crazy or on drugs or perhaps both? The problem is, we do have a severe mental illness epidemic in America and a drug crisis. Throw in America’s growing gun violence issues and therefore knocking on strange doors becomes a scary scenario.

I admit hearing someone knock on the door at dinner time is a bit aggravating. Usually for me, it’s a high school band member selling mulch to raise money for the band. Or, it’s someone raising money for another school project. You can’t be irritated with a 15-year-old kid is out trying to raise money for his school. Unless, you are crazy or on drugs. Then anything might tick you off. By all means, don’t be this person.

For the most part, more and more industrious people are relying on social media to try to gain new business. It’s true you can reach more people more efficiently via Internet advertising, social media and other media sources than by taking all day to knock on a few doors. If people want it, they will respond to your advertising.

People have rightfully withdrawn from knocking on doors because they are paranoid of disturbing someone’s favorite television program, meal or nap. This is never a good environment for making a sale or making a friend.

Maybe the day of selling magazine subscriptions, brushes, vacuum cleaners, and stuff like that door-to-door is in the past. Do any ministers ever knock on your door and invite you to church?

If someone does knock on your door, don’t immediately invite them into your house. They should have a picture identification badge for you to see. They also should talk to you about a future appointment when you can make time for the pitch. In addition, they should present you with some information containing a phone number so you can call them if you have further interest. You can always say “no thank you,” and shut your door. If you have a chain lock on your door or a glass locked door you can talk through then you are even better off.

Give consideration to the hard work some people put into knocking on doors. Give careful consideration to how you answer the door.

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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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As gun violence is rises to epidemic levels, many traumatized Americans now live in fear

Photo: Kerttu/Pixabay

by Liz Szabo
KFF Health News

A majority of Americans say they or a family member has experienced gun violence, such as witnessing a shooting, being threatened by a person with a gun, or being shot, according to a sweeping new survey.

The national survey of 1,271 adults conducted by KFF revealed the severe physical and psychological harm exacted by firearm violence, especially in minority communities.

Nearly 1 in 5 respondents, including 34% of Black adults, 18% of Hispanic adults, and 17% of white adults, said a family member had been killed by a gun.

The survey “confirms that firearm-related injuries are ubiquitous,” said Dr. Selwyn Rogers, a surgeon and founding director of the UChicago Medicine trauma center. “For every person killed, there are two or three people harmed. These are people who have had fractures, who may have been paralyzed or disabled.”

Beyond causing physical injuries, gun violence has left many Americans living with trauma and fear, Rogers said.

Just over half of adults say gun-related crimes, injuries, and deaths are a “constant threat” or “major concern” in their communities. Black and Hispanic adults were more likely than white adults to describe gun violence as a constant threat or major concern. About 3 in 10 Black or Hispanic adults say they feel “not too safe” or “not safe at all” from gun violence in their neighborhoods. (Hispanics can be of any race or combination of races.)

Photo: StockSnap/Pixabay

Women also reported high rates of concern about firearm violence, with 58% saying gun-related crimes are a constant threat or major concern, compared with 43% of men. More than half of intimate partner homicides are committed with guns.

Parents are worried about their children as well.

About 1 in 4 parents of children under 18 say they worry daily or almost daily about gun violence, the KFF survey found, and 84% of adults report having taken at least one precaution to reduce their family’s risk from gun violence. More than one-third of adults say they have avoided large crowds, such as at music festivals or crowded bars, for example.

Gun violence surged during the pandemic. There were a record 48,830 firearm-related deaths in 2021, an increase of 23% from 2019, according to an analysis by the Pew Research Center. The increase among children was even sharper. Firearm deaths among Americans under 18 — which include those due to homicide, suicide, and gun-related accidents — increased 50%, from 1,732 in 2019 to 2,590 in 2021.

Guns have become the leading cause of death among children and adolescents ages 1 to 19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The pandemic also coincided with a huge increase in gun purchases, which grew an estimated 64% from 2019 to 2020.

According to the KFF survey, 29% of adults have purchased a gun at some point to protect themselves or their families, with 44% of parents of children under 18 keeping a gun in the home. Yet 78% of parents in gun-owning households fail to follow safety recommendations, such as locking guns and ammunition, storing guns unloaded, and storing guns and ammunition separately, practices that have been shown to reduce the risk of thefts, accidents, and suicides.

Photo: Skitterphoto/Pixabay

Dr. Abdullah Pratt, an emergency physician at the UChicago Medicine trauma center, has lost a dozen close friends to gun violence, including his brother. His father never recovered from that loss and died about seven years later, at age 64.

“As soon as my brother got killed, he stopped taking his medications and started chain-smoking out of nowhere,” Pratt said.

Gun violence also wears away communities, Pratt said.

In neighborhoods with high crime rates, the daily drumbeat of loss can lead residents to conclude there’s no point in voting, going to school, or trying to improve their lives. “They think, ‘What am I voting for if I can’t have basic access to safety on a day-to-day basis?’” Pratt said.

And while mass shootings and homicides grab headlines, Rogers, the surgeon, noted that suicides account for more than half of firearm-related deaths in the U.S. and cause ripples of grief throughout a community. Researchers estimate that every suicide leaves at least six people in mourning.

Pratt said he feels guilty he wasn’t able to help a close friend who died by suicide with a gun several years ago. The man had recently lost a job and had his car repossessed and came to Pratt to talk about his troubles. Instead, Pratt spent the visit asking for parenting advice, without realizing how much his friend was hurting.

“There were no red flags,” Pratt said. “A couple days later, he died.”

Gun violence has also shaped the trajectory of Bernice Grisby’s life.

Grisby, now 35, was shot for the first time when she was 8, while playing on the swings at her school in Oakland, California. She was shot a second time at age 15, when she was talking to friends after school. One of her friends died that day, while another lost an eye; Grisby was shot in the hip and experiences chronic pain from the wound.

Two of her brothers were fatally shot in their 20s. Her 15-year-old daughter was recently robbed at gunpoint.

Rather than leaving Oakland, Grisby is trying to save it. She works as a street counselor to young people at high risk of gun violence through Oakland’s East Bay Asian Youth Center, which aims to help young people living in poverty, trauma, and neglect.

“My life is a gift from God,” Grisby said. “I am happy to be here to support the youth and know that I am making a difference.”

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

Tigers blanked in home match against Morton

Photo:PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Tigers' Ian Peters hits a serve while playing doubles with Luke Pankau during their team's home match against Normal West last Wednesday. Peters and Pankau were edged out of a win last week to West's Brian Bach and Alex Lamboley at #2 doubles after forcing a third-set tiebreak, 1-6, 7-5, 10-12.

URBANA - Despite windy tennis conditions, Ian Peters fell in singles and doubles action at Blair Park during Urbana High School's home meet against Morton.

Playing in the #6 singles spot, Peters gave his all in his first set against Potters' Asa Olden. After narrowly losing the first set 7-6, he could only muster just two wins on his way to dropping the second set 6-2. Once again teamed-up with Luke Pankau, the duo suffered a double-bagel at #2 doubles at the hands of Morton's Carter Kendall and Joe Campbell.

After picking up conference wins over both Normal West and Centennial 6-3 last week, the Tigers' tennis team lost the non-conference match to Morton, 9-0.

Box Score

Urbana - 0, Morton - 9

Singles:

No. 1 - Carter Kendall, Morton def. Parker McClain, Urbana (H.S.), 6-1, 6-0
No. 2 - Aiden Belsly, Morton def. Elijah Walker, Urbana (H.S.), 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 - Joe Campbell, Morton def. Joe Solava, Urbana (H.S.), 6-4, 6-2
No. 4 - Blake hoemaker, Morton def. Xander Ashley, Urbana (H.S.), 6-0, 6-1
No. 5 - Seth Klopfenstein, Morton def. Jack Perry, Urbana (H.S.), 6-2, 6-3
No. 6 - Asa Olden, Morton def. Ian Peters, Urbana (H.S.), 7-6, 6-2

Doubles:

No. 1 - Aiden Belsly, Morton - Blake shoemaker, Morton def. Parker McClain, Urbana (H.S.) - Elijah Walker, Urbana (H.S.), 6-4, 6-4
No. 2 - Carter Kendall, Morton - Joe Campbell, Morton def. Luke Pankau, Urbana (H.S.) - Ian Peters, Urbana (H.S.), 6-0, 6-0
No. 3 - Seth Klopfenstein, Morton - Asa olden, Morton def. Xander Ashley, Urbana (H.S.) - Joe Solava, Urbana (H.S.), 6-7, 6-3, 11-9

If your contact lenses are becoming a problem, here are 5 tips to make things better

Photo: Ave Calvar/Unsplash

(StatePoint Media) - If you’re one of the 45 million Americans who wear contact lenses, you know what a great choice they can be, whether you play sports, want to avoid the nuisance of foggy glasses or simply find yourself feeling more confident in them. However, it may be time to give your contact lens care routine a makeover, particularly if your lenses feel dry or uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, one in five contact lens wearers find lenses to be less comfortable by the end of the day. Consider the following tips for all-day comfort:

1. Practice healthy tech habits: Long hours on screens can be a contributing factor to eye discomfort, mainly because of less blinking; however, making a few adjustments can help. The experts at Bausch + Lomb recommend following the 20-20-20 rule. For every 20 minutes of screen time, take a 20 second break to look at something 20 feet away. If you work with computers all day, you should also remember to blink regularly. It can be surprisingly easy to forget to blink when you’re focused on the next deadline! Finally, adjust the brightness and text size on your devices to reduce eye strain and optimize comfort.

2. Insert and remove contacts with care: The order of steps you follow as you insert and remove your contacts matters. In the morning or as you’re getting ready to go out, insert contact lenses with clean hands before applying makeup. Before bed, wash your hands, remove your contacts and clean your lenses before going to sleep. One-third of contact lens wearers have fallen asleep in their lenses, but doing so increases the risk of infection.

3. Follow lens care directions: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 40-90% of contact lens wearers do not properly follow their contact lenses’ care instructions. It is recommended to follow the complete recommended lens rubbing and rinsing times in the product labeling to adequately disinfect your lenses and reduce the risk of contact lens contamination. Reduced rubbing or rinsing time may not adequately clean your lenses. And never “top off” or reuse solution. Fill the lens case with fresh solution every time you store your lenses – don’t cut corners!

4. Clean and moisturize: One in three contact lens wearers experiences dry lenses, and one in five find lenses to be less comfortable by the end of the day. Show your eyes some love by using a contact lens solution recommended by board-certified optometrists, one that is uniquely-formulated for dry, uncomfortable contact lenses. Biotrue Hydration Plus Multi-Purpose Solution not only offers exceptional cleaning and disinfection and dissolves protein build-up, it’s also formulated with your eyes’ biology in mind to promote all-day comfort. It contains naturally-inspired ingredients found in tears such as hyaluronan, a moisturizer, and potassium, an electrolyte. It keeps more moisture on your contacts (for 12 hours compared to original Biotrue Multi-Purpose Solution, based on a laboratory study) as well as provides up to 20 hours of moisture (based on a laboratory study). For more information and complete use instructions, visit https://www.biotrue.com.

5. Recycle: While not directly related to the comfort of your eyes, you can sport your contacts with more ease knowing you’re doing so with the environment in mind. You’re likely already recycling contact solution bottles and eye care product cartons through curbside recycling. Now, thanks to a collaboration between Bausch + Lomb and TerraCycle, there’s a way to properly recycle the smaller plastic components within these products. Pop off the caps of your solution and eye drop bottles and place them in any shipping box, along with old lens cases, empty eye drop bottles and single dose eye drop vials. When the box is full, print the prepaid label and mail it to TerraCycle. These components are combined with other recycled materials and turned into new products. To learn more, visit terracycle.com/biotrue.

Stop chalking up dry, uncomfortable lenses to being a regular part of wearing contacts. With a few tweaks to your routine, you can experience comfort throughout the day. Biotrue is a trademark of Bausch + Lomb Incorporated or its affiliates.

Photo of the Day | April 19

Junior Luke Landrus with teammate Braxton Waller

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

St. Joseph - Junior Luke Landrus (right) celebrates his three-run homer in the fourth inning with teammate Braxton Waller on his way to the dugout at Meier Field. St. Joseph-Ogden tallied at least three runs in four of their five innings against visiting Normal University High School last Friday to win 17-7. Landus, who appeared at the plate three times, drove in five runs on three hits. SJO plays its next two contests on the road, starting with Pontiac on Thursday and a doubleheader at Illinois Valley Central on Saturday.

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Spanish dancers introduce Sevillanas to Urbana

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

URBANA - Flor Quiroz and members of the La Fuerza Flamenca perform at Lincoln Square Mall on Saturday during this year's Boneyard Arts Festival. Earlier, she and dancers from the University of Illiniois student dance troupe taught Sevillanas to workshop participants at the mall. Quiroz, a sophomore at the UofI, has studied the cultural dance form for just under a year. Influenced by Flamenco, Sevillanas is a style of dance from the Sevilla region in Spain.