The first semester of school brought its share of challenges as students and educators readjusted to in-person learning environments. As classes began, it became clear that two interrupted years left many youth falling behind in academics and social learning skills.
A lack of face-to-face interaction and an increased dependence on less-personal virtual learning hindered the development of social skills critical for these formative years. In addition, the stress of changing learning environments made it more difficult for young students to learn or retain as much information. High school students focused on college preparation may have felt added stress of not meeting personal academic expectations or scoring as high on the SAT as the would have liked.
Beyond the classroom, developing adolescent minds may have struggled to process the constant stream of harsh political conversations and news headlines that flooded social media feeds.
"All kids are behind to some extent because they all have experienced the pandemic’s impact in some way," said Rosecrance Central Illinois Director of Substance Use Treatment Carol Bradford. "They need to be reminded that we are all going through this together, including their teachers. Knowing they are not alone will help them, and really all of us, put life in a healthy perspective to face whatever each day brings."
As the spring semester kicks off, adults who are concerned about youth in their lives are encouraged to watch for irritability. That is one of the most common symptoms of struggling youth because they may not have developed the language to effectively articulate feelings and thoughts. Adults also can watch for isolating behaviors, lack of enthusiasm for usual things in life, and excessive acting out or arguing at home or school.
Listening also is important. When youth feel they are heard by a safe adult, they will be more likely to share what they are going through.
Also, recognize resilience. When a teen handles a difficult situation well or bounces back from a disappointment, let them know you saw the success.
Then, begin this semester with healthy structure and routine. Proper rest, nutrition, and exercise will equip the teen with foundational supports for success the rest of the year.
Last, if you sense your child needs help, contact a school counselor, social worker, or teacher. They are as concerned for the child’s wellbeing as you, and they have resources to help. Rosecrance works with schools in the Champaign area to provide assessment and intervention services, as well as a full continuum of care.
Guest Commentary: Develop a plan for 2022
by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator
Proverbs 29.18 "Where there is no vision the people perish. "Everyone needs a strategy. You may be 25 or 85 years in age. Who cares? Probably the only one who cares about your age is you. Your age either tells you that you are too young or too old. Remember, age is only a number. We have to put numbers aside and go with our hearts. If God is in it then don't worry about the number.
What do you want to do? One of the ways to know the will of God is to determine what we believe we would enjoy doing. The will of God is what we would determine to do if we just had enough sense. We will never rise above what we do not want to do. If we want to do something our chances of success are greater.
What is stopping you? Consider your life and where you want to be and determine the blockades. Sometimes the greatest blockade is the decision to move forward. Until we make that decision we aren't going anywhere. Once we know then we can assemble what is required to reach our destination.
Learn from the past and put it behind you. Past failures often eliminate us from life participation. We remember when we failed. A life that is fearful usually accomplishes far less than the life that has faith and confidence. Fear freezes us in our tracks.
Who are you today? Who you are and the direction you are going is far more important than where you have been. You can't change the past but you can steer your life in a new direction.
Develop a life action plan. Why not plan a strategy for the next six months and even the next year? You and God can determine where you will be. Start today!
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Proverbs 29.18 "Where there is no vision the people perish. "Everyone needs a strategy. You may be 25 or 85 years in age. Who cares? Probably the only one who cares about your age is you. Your age either tells you that you are too young or too old. Remember, age is only a number. We have to put numbers aside and go with our hearts. If God is in it then don't worry about the number.
What do you want to do? One of the ways to know the will of God is to determine what we believe we would enjoy doing. The will of God is what we would determine to do if we just had enough sense. We will never rise above what we do not want to do. If we want to do something our chances of success are greater.
What is stopping you? Consider your life and where you want to be and determine the blockades. Sometimes the greatest blockade is the decision to move forward. Until we make that decision we aren't going anywhere. Once we know then we can assemble what is required to reach our destination.
Learn from the past and put it behind you. Past failures often eliminate us from life participation. We remember when we failed. A life that is fearful usually accomplishes far less than the life that has faith and confidence. Fear freezes us in our tracks.
Who are you today? Who you are and the direction you are going is far more important than where you have been. You can't change the past but you can steer your life in a new direction.
Develop a life action plan. Why not plan a strategy for the next six months and even the next year? You and God can determine where you will be. Start today!
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.
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.
Spend the evening with Mexican Gothic author Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The Urbana Free Library will host "An Evening with Silvia Moreno-Garcia" on Wednesday, January 26. Moreno-Garcia, who is a columnist for The Washington Post, is the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow. The book won the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic and Ignyte Award.
She also won several awards, including Locus Award, British Fantasy Award, Pacific Northwest Book Award, Aurora Award, and the Goodreads Award, for her gothic horror story about a woman whose cousin believes her husband is trying to kill her. Set in the 1950s, Mexican Gothic the lead character navigates family obligations, secrets, and greed.
Velvet Was the Night, her newest release, was published in August of last year.
Also in the Zoom meeting with Moreno-Garcia will be Gus Moreno, author of This Thing Between Us. The online talk and discussion begin at 7pm. For more information and a zoom invite contact the Urbana Free Library at (217) 367-4057.
Photo-of-the-Day: January 3, 2022
SJO volleyball season ends at sectionals
Spartans' Shayne Immke and Rachel Divan try to block a kill attempt by Pleasant Plain's Lauren Buxton during their sectional semifinal at Monticello High School on November 1. St. Joseph-Ogden (23-5) won the first set 25-17 but dropped the last two to the eventual state runner-up Cardinals (34-6), 25-20 and 25-21. The 2-1 loss ended SJO's 2021 run for the program's third state final four appearance. See more photos from this game.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
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Amazon lures low-wage workers from nursing home industry with prime packages
Matthew Henry/Burst
The sleek corporate offices of one of Amazon’s air freight contractors looms over Villaspring of Erlanger, a stately nursing home perched on a hillside in this Cincinnati suburb. Amazon Prime Air cargo planes departing from a recently opened Amazon Air Hub roar overhead. Its Prime semi-trucks speed along the highway, rumbling the nursing home’s windows.
This is daily life in the shadow of Amazon.
“We haven’t even seen the worst of it yet,” said John Muller, chief operating officer of Carespring, Villaspring’s operator. “They are still finishing the Air Hub.”
Amazon’s ambitious expansion plans in northern Kentucky, including the $1.5 billion, 600-acre site that will serve as a nerve center for Amazon’s domestic air cargo operations, have stoked anxieties among nursing home administrators in a region where the unemployment rate is just 3%. Already buckling from an exodus of pandemic-weary health care workers, nursing homes are losing entry-level nurses, dietary aides and housekeepers drawn to better-paying jobs at Amazon.
The average starting pay for an entry-level position at Amazon warehouses and cargo hubs is more than $18 an hour, with the possibility of as much as $22.50 an hour and a $3,000 signing bonus, depending on location and shift. Full-time jobs with the company come with health benefits, 401(k)s and parental leave. By contrast, even with many states providing a temporary covid-19 bonus for workers at long-term care facilities, lower-skilled nursing home positions typically pay closer to $15 an hour, often with minimal sick leave or benefits.
Nursing home administrators contend they are unable to match Amazon’s hourly wage scales because they rely on modest reimbursement rates set by Medicaid, the government program that pays for long-term care.
Across the region, nursing home administrators have shut down wings and refused new residents, irking families and making it more difficult for hospitals to discharge patients into long-term care. Modest pay raises have yet to rival Amazon’s rich benefits package or counter skepticism about the benefits of a nursing career for a younger generation.
“Amazon pays $25 an hour,” said Danielle Geoghegan, business manager at Green Meadows Health Care Center in Mount Washington, Kentucky, a nursing home that has lost workers to the Amazon facility in Shepherdsville. The alternative? “They come here and deal with people’s bodily fluids.”
The nursing home industry has long employed high school graduates to feed, bathe, toilet and tend to dependent and disabled seniors. But facilities that sit near Amazon’s colossal distribution centers are outgunned in the bidding war.
“Chick-fil-A can raise their prices,” said Betsy Johnson, president of the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities. “We can’t pass the costs on to our customer. The payer of the service is the government, and the government sets the rates.”
And while gripes about fast-food restaurants having to close indoor dining because of a worker shortage have ricocheted around Kentucky, Johnson said nursing homes must remain open every day, every hour of the year.
“We can’t say, ‘This row of residents won’t get any services today,’” she said.
Reaching Upstream
Nationwide, long-term care facilities are down 221,000 jobs since March 2020, according to a recent report from the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, an organization that represents 14,000 nursing homes and assisted living communities caring for 5 million people. While many hospitals and physicians’ offices have managed to replenish staffing levels, the report says long-term care facilities are suffering a labor crisis worse “than any other health care sector.” Industry surveys show 58% of nursing homes have limited new admissions, citing a dearth of employees.
Kentucky and other states are relying on free or low-cost government-sponsored training programs to fill the pipeline with new talent. Luring recruits falls to teachers like Jimmy Gilvin, a nurse’s aide instructor at Gateway Community and Technical College in Covington, Kentucky, one of the distressed River Cities tucked along the Ohio River.
On a recent morning, Gilvin stood over a medical dummy tucked into a hospital bed, surrounded by teenagers and young adults, each toting a “Long-Term Care Nursing Assistance” textbook. Gilvin held a toothbrush and toothpaste, demonstrating how to clean a patient’s dentures — “If someone feels clean, they feel better,” he said — and how to roll unconscious patients onto their side.
The curriculum covers the practical aspects of working in a nursing home: bed-making, catheter care, using a bedpan and transferring residents from a wheelchair to a bed.
“It takes a very special person to be a certified nursing assistant,” Gilvin said. “It’s a hard job, but it’s a needed job.”
Over the past five years, Gilvin has noticed sharp attrition: “Most of them are not even finishing, they’re going to a different field.” In response, nursing schools are reaching further upstream, recruiting high school students who can attend classes and graduate from high school with a nurse’s aide certificate.
“We’re getting them at a younger age to spark interest in the health care pathways,” said Reva Stroud, coordinator of the health science technology and nurse’s aide programs at Gateway.
Stroud has watched, with optimism, the hourly rate for nurse’s aides rise from $9 an hour to around $15. But over the years that she’s directed the program, she said, fewer students are choosing to begin their careers as aides, a position vital to nursing home operations. Instead, they are choosing to work at Walmart, McDonald’s or Amazon.
“There is a lot of competition for less stress,” Stroud said. A staunch believer in the virtue of nursing, she is disheartened by the responses from students: “‘Well, I could go pack boxes and not have to worry about someone dying and make more money.’”
Even for those who want a career in nursing, becoming a picker and packer at Amazon carries strong appeal. The company covers 100% of tuition for nursing school, among other fields, and has contracted with community colleges to provide the schooling.
Amazon is putting Kayla Dennis, 30, through nursing school. She attended a nursing assistant class at Gateway but decided against a career as a nurse’s aide or certified nursing assistant. Instead, she works at the Amazon fulfillment center in Hebron, Kentucky, for $20.85 an hour with health insurance and retirement benefits while attending school to become a registered nurse, a position requiring far more training with high earning potential.
“Amazon is paying 100% of my school tuition and books,” Dennis said. “On top of that, they work around my school schedule.”
Waiting for a Rising Tide
The nursing home workforce shortages are not a top concern for the state and local economic development agencies that feverishly pursue deals with Amazon. Cities nationwide have offered billions of dollars in tax breaks, infrastructure upgrades and other incentives to score a site, and the spoils abound: Amazon has opened at least 250 warehouses this year alone.
Amazon has been a prominent force in northern Kentucky, resurfacing the landscape with titanic warehouses and prompting pay bumps at Walmart, fast-food franchises and other warehouse companies. The company has “made significant investments in our community,” said Lee Crume, chief executive officer of Northern Kentucky Tri-County Economic Development Corp. “I’m hard-pressed to say something negative.”
Amazon representatives did not respond to interview requests for this story.
Some labor experts said Amazon’s “spillover effect” — the bidding up of wages near its hubs — suggests companies can afford to compensate workers at a higher rate without going out of business.
Clemens Noelke, a research scientist at Brandeis University, said that is true — to a point. Because Amazon draws workers indiscriminately from across the low-wage sector, rather than tapping into a specific skill profile, it is hitting sectors with wildly different abilities to adapt. Industries like nursing homes, home health care agencies and even public schools that rely on government funding and are hampered in raising wages are likely to lose out.
“There are some employers who are at the margin, and they will be pushed out of business,” Noelke said.
A survey conducted in November by the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities found 3 in 5 skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities and care homes were concerned about closing given the number of job vacancies.
The solutions proffered by state legislators rely largely on nurse training programs already offered by community colleges like Gateway. Republican Rep. Kimberly Poore Moser, a registered nurse who chairs the state’s Health and Family Services Committee, said that while legislators must value health care jobs, “we have a finite number of dollars. If we increase salaries for one sector of the health care population, what are we going to cut?”
Moser said Kentucky’s bet on Amazon will pay off, eventually. “The more we inject into our economy, the more our Medicaid budget will grow,” she said.
That confidence in a rising-tide-lifts-all-boats approach frustrates Johnson, president of the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities. Lawmakers have difficulty grasping the complexity of financing a nursing home, she said, noting that Kentucky’s Medicaid reimbursement rates stagnated at a one-tenth of 1% increase for five years, before receiving a larger increase to offset inflation the past two years.
The Biden administration’s Build Back Better Act, still before Congress, would infuse billions of dollars into in-home care and community-based services for seniors, largely through federal Medicaid payments. It includes funding aimed at stimulating recruitment and training. But the measure is focused largely on expanding in-home care, and it’s not clear yet how it might affect nursing home pay rates.
For now, the feeding frenzy continues. Just off Interstate 65 in Shepherdsville, Wendy’s, White Castle and Frisch’s Big Boy dangle offers of “work today, get paid tomorrow.” FedEx signs along the grassy medians that once advertised $17 an hour are stickered over with a higher offer of $23. The colossal Amazon warehouse bustles with workers in yellow safety vests.
And in nearby Mount Washington, Sherrie Wathen, administrator of the Green Meadows nursing home, strains to fill a dozen vacancies, knowing she can’t match Amazon’s package for her entry-level slots. Instead, Wathen, who began her own nursing career at 18, tells prospective employees to consider life at a factory: “You’re going to have the same day over and over.”
At the nursing home, she said, “I am the only family this lady has. I get to make an impact rather than packing an item in a box.”
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Photo-of-the-Day: January 2, 2022
Dribbling in his father footsteps
St. Joseph-Ogden's Nate Michael brings the ball down the court on the same floor that his father once did as a member of the Illinois basketball team at the State Farm Center on Saturday, December 7, 2013. The Spartans, who placed fourth in last year's state tournament in Class 2A, defeated the Sages 70-53 in the Centennial Shootout at the University of Illinois' State Farm Center. SJO improved to 3-0 on the season while Michael finished the game with 13 points and five steals. See more photos from this game.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
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Who doesn't love Tiramisu? An 'easy' dip to take dessert to a new level
(Culinary.net) -- Do you know that moment when something sweet hits your taste buds and a smile instantly spreads across your face? It's almost magic to some. To others it's just simply bliss. After all, who doesn't love Tiramasu?
This week, try this simple, yet sophisticated dessert for an easy way to ensure smiles all around with hot chocolate for the kids, movie night with friends, or for light snack with a nightcap.
Photo provided by Culinary.net
Try this Easy Tiramisu Dip because whether you're relaxing at home, having a small get-together with friends or joining your annual family gathering virtually, this dip is sure to spread culinary cheer.
The recipe starts with "easy," and it holds true to its name. With a short list of ingredients and only a handful of instructions, this is something you can whip up (literally) in just a few moments. Also, using minimal tools in the kitchen is always a plus for at-home chefs. The only appliance needed to make this recipe is a mixer.
The outcome is fluffy, rich and sweet with a hint of espresso. It's not overpowering, however, so little ones or non-coffee lovers can still enjoy this delicious dip.
This is also a unique dessert because it can be served cool or chilled. If you are planning to take a sweet treat to a party this holiday season, this is nearly perfect. No oven time needed and simple to serve to kids and adults alike.
Serve with ladyfingers or fruit to bring that sweetness to a whole new level, and it's topped with a final sprinkle of cocoa powder to give it that extra appeal. You do eat with your eyes first after all.
Give this one a try and see the faces of your loved ones light up with joy this season. This creamy, tasty dip is sure to impress.
For more easy dessert recipes, visit Culinary.net.
Easy Tiramisu Dip
Servings: 4
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon espresso powder
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 ounces Mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
wafers or fruit, for dipping
In medium bowl, whisk heavy whipping cream and espresso powder until blended.
In large bowl, use hand mixer to beat cream cheese until smooth. Add Mascarpone cheese and beat until combined. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating after each addition. Add vanilla extract; beat mixture. Add espresso mixture; beat until soft peaks form.
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Spoon mixture into serving bowl. Sprinkle with cocoa powder. Serve with wafers or fruit.
1 tablespoon espresso powder
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 ounces Mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
wafers or fruit, for dipping
Reach your 2022 goals with an ‘anti’ resolution list
Photo: Brodie Vissers/Burst
(NAPSI) —- As the world celebrates the new year, many will make an annual list of resolutions and goals, which often include improving overall health and fitness.
As we continue to weather the COVID-19 pandemic, improving overall health is front and center, more so than usual. However, according to the U.S. New Year’s Resolutions 2020 study conducted by YouGov, over half of those who set New Year’s resolutions can’t follow through.
Luckily, exercise physiologist and Bowflex fitness advisor Tom Holland has a new approach to setting and reaching your health and fitness goals this year.
Focus on Anti-Resolutions
Holland recommends turning the typical New Year’s resolutions list on its head by creating “anti-resolutions” to focus on what you’re not going to do. For example, instead of saying “I’m going to work out every day” or “eat only healthy foods,” resolve to not make excuses. This can take the focus off the broader goal and onto in-the-moment actions. The next time you plan to go the gym or cook a healthy meal, and you start to come up with reasons today’s not the day, you can remember your resolution to not make excuses. If you set unrealistic resolutions to transform your entire lifestyle all at once, it’s more difficult to take the necessary steps to get there.
Most people have made excuses for not making a workout or sticking to a routine. This anti-resolution approach changes the focus from overly ambitious goals to a more subtle mindset shift.
To help you continue or take those first steps on your fitness journey, Holland also recommends connected fitness services and apps, such as the JRNY digital fitness platform. With the JRNY app, you can easily fit exercise into your schedule with a wide range of personalized, trainer-led workouts. JRNY is integrated with Bowflex cardio equipment, including stationary bikes and treadmills, and features off-product workouts such as HIIT, strength, yoga, stretch and Pilates, which can be accessed from a mobile device or tablet via the JRNY app. So many options means no more excuses. No matter your fitness level, goals or lifestyle, JRNY has exercise programs to help you stay motivated and active so you can make exercise a habit in your life.
Determine What Works Best for You
Often people struggle to get started working out because they think they need to go to the gym all the time or sacrifice privacy, comfort and entertainment to see results. Holland notes that it’s important to not let trends, other people’s opinions or even your own preconceived notions get in the way.
It’s easier than ever before to find a workout routine that aligns with your lifestyle. If going to the gym isn’t your speed, you could pick up a versatile fitness product such as a set of Bowflex SelectTech 552 dumbbells or download the JRNY mobile app for access to hundreds of video workouts that can be done from the comfort of your own home—no expensive gym membership or commute required.
If you find your motivation is dwindling, the Bowflex Max Total 16 is a great option that lets you do high-intensity, interval workouts at home while streaming your entertainment subscriptions including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, and Disney+.
This new year, try a different approach to health and fitness resolutions by kicking the overly ambitious goals of the past to the side in favor of setting anti-resolutions instead. At the same time, take advantage of what today’s fitness technology has to offer to improve your odds of success and make this your year.
Area COVID-19 Dashboard for January 2, 2022
Active Champaign County Cases:
5,003
Net change in the county: -157 Current local cases 1/2/22
Number in parenthesis indicates change over previous report on 1/1/21
Ogden • 28 (0)Royal • 2 (0)
St. Joseph • 151 (6)
Urbana • 1739 (75)
Sidney • 38 (3)
Philo • 43 (4)
Tolono • 139 (13)
Sadorus • 14 (0)
Pesotum • 13 (1)
Total Active Local Cases:
2,167
Net change in local cases: -51Total Local Confirmed Cases: 15,264 New cases: 102
The information on this page is compiled from the latest figures provide by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District 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.
Mary Miller secures Donald Trump endorsement over 15th district incumbent Rodney Davis
On Saturday, former President Donald Trump endorsed 15th congressional district representative Mary Miller in the upcoming Illinois Republican primary on June 28. Miller, who quickly earned notoriety nearly a year ago at a rally two days after she was sworn in uttering a quote from Adolf Hitler, will have to unseat GOP incumbent Rodney Davis.
Illinois’ new district lines moved Davis' Taylorville home out of the 13th congressional district and into the 15th. Miller's residence in Oakland home was drawn into the 12th district. Representatives are not required to live in the districts they represent.
On November 30, with the backing of 31 of the 35 Republican county chairmen and 14 Republican state lawmakers in IL-15, Rep. Davis announced his bid for reelection.
"My family and I are excited to announce that I am running for re-election to Congress," said Davis in a press release. "I’ve been proud to fight hard for and work on behalf of central Illinois families in this district for many years, both as a member of Congress and as a staffer to my good friend and mentor, former Congressman John Shimkus."
In the New Year's Day release Rep. Miller said she is "in a strong position to win re-election in the new 15th Congressional District, which gave President Trump 68 percent of the vote in 2020."
The former president, who is considering another campaign for the highest seat in the land, said, "Congresswoman Miller is doing a fantastic job representing the people of Illinois! Strong on Election Security, the Second Amendment, and our Military and Vets, Mary is a champion of our America First agenda. She fights hard against Joe Biden’s open borders, runaway inflation, and the radical indoctrination of our children. Mary has my Complete and Total Endorsement!”
Clearly, the thinkers in the Miller campaign camp deemed Davis' seat an easier mark than that of Rep. Mike Bost in IL-12 in her new home district. Both Davis and Bost are liked by constituents and well-funded.
Rep. Miller's outspoken rhetoric on America's Covid-19 vaccine strategy and voting no on awarding Congressional Gold Medals to Capitol Police officers who stopped the January 6 insurrection may handicap her election efforts. A member of the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus, she was one of 21 Republicans to vote against the bill that passed with 406 votes.
In the New Year's Day release, Rep. said she is not a career politician and not afraid to take on the DC swamp.
"I'm proud to be the only member of Congress from Illinois who is fighting to impeach Joe Biden and the lawless Biden Cabinet for leaving our border exposed to an invasion of illegal immigration," said Miller, whose two-year term ends next January. "I am the only member from Illinois who has fought every effort by Joe Biden to use COVID vaccine mandates to fire Americans from their jobs and I opposed funding COVID vaccine databases that share information with the federal government."
Miller was one of 147 Republicans who voted to overturn results in the last election.
"With hard work, prayer, and faith in our country, conservatives will take back the House and Make America Great Again," she said.
Area COVID-19 Dashboard for January 1, 2022
Active Champaign County Cases:
5,160
Net change in the county: 715 Current local cases 1/1/22
Number in parenthesis indicates change over previous report on 12/31/21
Ogden • 30 (4)Royal • 3 (0)
St. Joseph • 155 (28)
Urbana • 1792 (328)
Sidney • 36 (8)
Philo • 42 (7)
Tolono • 132 (27)
Sadorus • 15 (1)
Pesotum • 13 (6)
Total Active Local Cases:
2,218
Net change in local cases: 290Total Local Confirmed Cases: 15,162 New cases: 409
The information on this page is compiled from the latest figures provide by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District 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.
Photo-of-the-Day: December 31, 2021
Plenty of team spirit
(Left to right) Unity's Reagan Little, Ruby Tarr, Julia Ping, and Jayci Mcgraw cheer from the bench after a point for the Rockets during their conference home match against Monticello on October 28. In a fierce battle for another victory against the Sages, Unity, who won an earlier match between the two rivals on the road 25-19, 25-16, lost the three-setter, 2-1. See more photos from this game.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
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Area COVID-19 Dashboard for December 31, 2021
The county will close out the year with a record number of hospitalized Covid-19 patients. The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District reports there are currently 44 individuals under doctors care in ICU.
Today's public health data shows 271 new cases identified in The Sentinel area in the past 24 hours. Of the number, 224 were from Urbana residents, 15 in St. Joseph, and 15 new cases in Tolono. Ogden, Sidney, Sadorus, and Pesotum saw a combined increase of 17 new cases in the four villages.
Active Champaign County Cases:
4,445
Net change in the county: 477 Current local cases 12/31/21
Number in parenthesis indicates change over previous report on 12/30/21
Ogden • 31 (6)Royal • 3 (0)
St. Joseph • 140 (15)
Urbana • 1550 (224)
Sidney • 30 (3)
Philo • 36 (5)
Tolono • 110 (15)
Sadorus • 14 (1)
Pesotum • 14 (2)
Total Active Local Cases:
1,928
Net change in local cases: 212Total Local Confirmed Cases: 14,753 New cases: 271
The information on this page is compiled from the latest figures provide by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District 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.
Area COVID-19 Dashboard for December 30, 2021
The number of active Covid cases rose by 612 patients out 3,841 tests that were performed in the last 24 hours. The five-day moving average number of cases identified as positive has risen to 195 per day.
The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District reports that 63.26% of the county's population has been fully vaccinated. Almost 70% of county residents have received at least one dose of the three available shots. More than 72% of Illinois' population has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and more than 64% of Illinois’ total population is fully vaccinated according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Carle Foundation Hospital reports 138 Covid-19 patients are currently under care at their facility. Ninteen of those individuals are in the ICU.
Royal • 3 (0)
St. Joseph • 128 (17)
Urbana • 1376 (277)
Sidney • 29 (3)
Philo • 31 (6)
Tolono • 97 (21)
Sadorus • 14 (5)
Pesotum • 12 (1)
Total Active Local Cases:
Total Local Confirmed Cases: 14,482 New cases: 333
Active Champaign County Cases:
3,968
Net change in the county: 612 Current local cases 12/30/21
Number in parenthesis indicates change over previous report on 12/29/21
Ogden • 26 (3)Royal • 3 (0)
St. Joseph • 128 (17)
Urbana • 1376 (277)
Sidney • 29 (3)
Philo • 31 (6)
Tolono • 97 (21)
Sadorus • 14 (5)
Pesotum • 12 (1)
Total Active Local Cases:
1,716
Net change in local cases: 260Total Local Confirmed Cases: 14,482 New cases: 333
The information on this page is compiled from the latest figures provide by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District 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.
Photo-of-the-day: December 30, 2021
SJO headed to state!
St. Joseph-Ogden's Louis Acklin lifts teammate Nate Michael into the air after the Spartans (29-3) carved out a 59-47 win over the Riverton Hawks for the 2013 Supersectional title. The SJO basketball team punched their ticket to state in front of a near-capacity crowd at the 3,000 seat Recreation and Athletic Center on the University of Illinois-Springfield campus. A first-time state qualifier in basketball, the team advanced to Class 2A state semifinal game at the Peoria Civic Center against 31-1 Harrisburg. See more photos from this game.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
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Food: Tempt guests with this Apple Oat Crumble treat
(Family Features) -- Entertaining guests during the holidays isn't just about a main course that calls all to the table. What often makes a festive gathering more fruitful is a spread of delicious appetizers, delightful drinks and divine desserts that keeps everyone coming back to the kitchen for more.
For appetizing dishes from the first guest at the house to the last out the door, you can heighten the flavor and appearance of favorite recipes with one simple ingredient: apples. Ranging from tart to sugary sweet, finding the right balance for your palate is key. Scent can also influence taste, especially when you have a balanced sweetness with an uplifting, fresh aroma.
Turn to an option like Envy Apples this holiday season for satisfying texture and taste with a consistently balanced, refreshing sweetness coupled with a crisp, elegant crunch. They make for an easy snack when eaten fresh out of hand but are also perfect for holding over pre-dinner appetites in small plates like Bell-Issimo Brie Melt or Apple Stuffing Bites with Rosemary Gravy.
The versatile flavor of apples isn't just limited to foods, however. For the adults in the room, Pumpkin Spice Apple Cider with a splash of bourbon is a seasonally appropriate way to quench thirst and break the ice. Simply omit the bourbon for a kid-friendly version so the whole party can savor a sip.
Easy to spot with their crimson red skin over a golden background that practically glows, Envy Apples offer an easy, eye-catching way to try new tastes and celebrate joyful occasions together. The bright white flesh is naturally slow to brown when sliced for a fresher flavor in sweet treats like Apple Oat Crumble and Citrus Caramel Topping for a tasty way to elevate your holiday get-togethers.
Find more sweet holiday recipes at EnvyApple.com.
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Envy Apples, diced into large cubes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup cold butter, diced small
1/2 cup caramel
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 orange, zest only
1 tablespoon orange juice
vanilla ice cream
Preheat oven to 350 F. In bowl, stir together sugar and ground cinnamon. Toss apples in lemon juice then in cinnamon sugar mixture. Spread in 9-inch pie dish. In another bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour and oats. Using hands or fork, cut in butter until pea size crumbs form. Sprinkle evenly over apples. Bake 40-45 minutes until mixture is bubbling and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool 15 minutes. In small pot, whisk caramel, salt, orange zest and orange juice until warm. Spoon apple oat crumble over large scoop vanilla ice cream and top with salted citrus caramel.
Photo provided
Apple Oat Crumble and Citrus Caramel Topping
3 tablespoons sugar1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Envy Apples, diced into large cubes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup cold butter, diced small
1/2 cup caramel
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 orange, zest only
1 tablespoon orange juice
vanilla ice cream
Preheat oven to 350 F. In bowl, stir together sugar and ground cinnamon. Toss apples in lemon juice then in cinnamon sugar mixture. Spread in 9-inch pie dish. In another bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour and oats. Using hands or fork, cut in butter until pea size crumbs form. Sprinkle evenly over apples. Bake 40-45 minutes until mixture is bubbling and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool 15 minutes. In small pot, whisk caramel, salt, orange zest and orange juice until warm. Spoon apple oat crumble over large scoop vanilla ice cream and top with salted citrus caramel.
St. Joseph library to host books sale starting January 3
St. Joseph -- Next Monday, the St. Joseph Township-Swearingen Memorial Library, located at 201 N. Third in St. Joseph, will host their Winter Used Book Sale through January 27.
Buyers can choose from a variety of titles from adult fiction, non-fiction, mysteries, and science fiction to fantasy, horror, romance novels, adventure, cookbooks, and more. There will also be a selection of children’s fiction, non-fiction, and picture books available. A limited supply of DVDs, videos, music CDs, audiobooks, and large-print books will also be included in the sale.
The sale will run during normal library hours, which are: Mondays 1p to 8p; Tuesdays 9a to 6p; Wednesdays 1p to 6p; Thursdays 9a to 6p; Fridays 9a to 5 p; and Saturdays 9a to 1p.
For more information call (217) 469-2159.
Photo-of-the-Day: December 29, 2021
Third best in the state
St. Joseph-Ogden's Peyton Crowe hugs teammate Bree Trimble after their Class 2A third place victory over Hillsboro at the IHSA Girls Basketball State Finals in Normal on February 23, 2019. The Spartans led by as much as 26 points on their way to the program's best finish in school history. Crowe scored 13 points in the win, while Trimble put a team-high 28 points on the board. SJO ended the season with just one loss after the 68-53 win on Saturday. See more photos from this game.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
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Debunking the myths about gout
When many people think of gout, they often picture swelling and pain in the big toe. However, gout - an extremely painful form of inflammatory arthritis - can occur in any joint when high levels of uric acid in the blood lead to the formation of urate crystals.
If your body creates too much uric acid or cannot clear uric acid properly, you may experience sudden and sometimes severe gout attacks, called flare-ups, that include pain, swelling or redness in your joints. The condition can disrupt many aspects of daily living, including work and leisure or family activities.
"I was diagnosed with kidney disease in 2009 and it wasn't too long after that I started dealing with gout issues," said registered nurse Theresa Caldron. "Gout affects your quality of life in a lot of different ways. You're going through days of pain and no one knows it because you don't look sick."
Because the kidneys filter and release uric acid, people with kidney disease are more likely to experience a buildup of urate crystals and, therefore, gout. In fact, 1 out of 10 people with chronic kidney disease have gout, and an even higher percentage of people with gout have kidney disease.
To help debunk some myths around the condition, the American Kidney Fund, in partnership with Horizon Therapeutics, created the "Goutful" education campaign, which aims to educate and empower patients with gout to help them live easier and prevent further health complications, especially relating to their kidneys. Consider these common myths:
Myth: Gout is rare.
Gout is a relatively common condition. More than 8 million Americans have gout, and it is the most common form of arthritis in men over 40. Myth: Gout is a man's disease.
Anyone can get gout, but it's more common in men than women. Though men are 10 times more likely to develop gout, rates of gout even out after age 60 since gout tends to develop for women after menopause. Myth: Only people who are obese get gout.
People of all sizes can develop gout. Though people who are obese are at higher risk, gout is more common in people who have other health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or kidney disease. Others more at-risk for gout are males 30-50 years old, Asians, Pacific Islanders, Black people, people with a family history of gout, people with organ transplants and people exposed to lead. Myth: Gout eventually goes away on its own.
Symptoms of gout attacks often go away within a few days, but that doesn't mean gout is gone. Even if you don't feel symptoms, urate crystals can build up beneath the surface, which can cause long-term health problems like joint and kidney damage. Myth: There are things you can eat to prevent or cure gout.
Certain foods may help decrease the level of uric acid in your body, but diet alone is not a cure for gout. People with gout who follow healthy diets may still need medicine to prevent flare-ups and lower uric acid levels. Alcohol and foods rich in purines, especially red meat and seafood, should be avoided if you are prone to gout. If you think you might have gout, talk with your doctor or a gout specialist about your symptoms. Visit kidneyfund.org/gout to learn more about gout and kidney disease.
Gout is a relatively common condition. More than 8 million Americans have gout, and it is the most common form of arthritis in men over 40. Myth: Gout is a man's disease.
Anyone can get gout, but it's more common in men than women. Though men are 10 times more likely to develop gout, rates of gout even out after age 60 since gout tends to develop for women after menopause. Myth: Only people who are obese get gout.
People of all sizes can develop gout. Though people who are obese are at higher risk, gout is more common in people who have other health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or kidney disease. Others more at-risk for gout are males 30-50 years old, Asians, Pacific Islanders, Black people, people with a family history of gout, people with organ transplants and people exposed to lead. Myth: Gout eventually goes away on its own.
Symptoms of gout attacks often go away within a few days, but that doesn't mean gout is gone. Even if you don't feel symptoms, urate crystals can build up beneath the surface, which can cause long-term health problems like joint and kidney damage. Myth: There are things you can eat to prevent or cure gout.
Certain foods may help decrease the level of uric acid in your body, but diet alone is not a cure for gout. People with gout who follow healthy diets may still need medicine to prevent flare-ups and lower uric acid levels. Alcohol and foods rich in purines, especially red meat and seafood, should be avoided if you are prone to gout. If you think you might have gout, talk with your doctor or a gout specialist about your symptoms. Visit kidneyfund.org/gout to learn more about gout and kidney disease.
Area COVID-19 Dashboard for December 29, 2021
The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District reported three additional Covid-relate deaths on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the number of active reported cases for the county has soared to 3,356 and to 1,456 for the communities The Sentinel covers. Both numbers reflect the largest number of current infections since the start of the pandemic.
Royal • 3 (1)
St. Joseph • 116 (11)
Urbana • 1153 (214)
Sidney • 29 (11)
Philo • 27 (7)
Tolono • 82 (21)
Sadorus • 10 (1)
Pesotum • 12 (2)
Total Active Local Cases:
Total Local Confirmed Cases: 14,149 New cases: 271
Active Champaign County Cases:
3,356
Net change in the county: 371 Current local cases 12/29/21
Number in parenthesis indicates change over previous report on 12/28/21
Ogden • 24 (3)Royal • 3 (1)
St. Joseph • 116 (11)
Urbana • 1153 (214)
Sidney • 29 (11)
Philo • 27 (7)
Tolono • 82 (21)
Sadorus • 10 (1)
Pesotum • 12 (2)
Total Active Local Cases:
1,456
Net change in local cases: 192Total Local Confirmed Cases: 14,149 New cases: 271
The information on this page is compiled from the latest figures provide by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District 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.
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