The Sentinel

Maroons stay perfect with four-inning rout over Peoria Lions

Champaign Central's first-inning outburst rocks host Peoria in conference softball win.

by Ben Robertson
The Sentinel

PEORIA — Champaign Central kept its unbeaten streak alive on Saturday afternoon, overpowering host Peoria 21-0 in a four-inning victory to improve to 8-0 on the season.

The Maroons set the tone early, scoring 10 runs in the opening frame and piling on six more in the second before closing out their scoring with five in the third. Central tallied 19 hits and 16 RBIs in the win, while eight players combined for eight stolen bases.

Senior shortstop Kaitlyn Helm led the offensive effort with a perfect 4-for-4 day at the plate, recording two triples and driving in multiple runs. Helm also crossed the plate four times.

Molly Kloeppel delivered a standout performance, driving in four runs on three hits, including a triple in the first inning and a two-run home run to center in the third. Kloeppel also tripled during the opening frame, contributing to the Maroons' early scoring burst.

Grace Bandy added a triple and a double, scoring multiple runs, while Maisie Bowers went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs. Bowers also earned the win in the circle, tossing three hitless innings and striking out five. Peoria was held without a hit across the abbreviated contest.

The Maroons’ first-inning outburst featured extra-base hits from Bandy, Helm, and Kloeppel, a walk drawn by Mya de la Cruz to bring in a run, and an RBI double from Bandy in her second at-bat of the inning. Central continued its production in the second inning with RBIs from Jaila Davis, Kennedy Hedrick, Helm, and Bowers.

Central sealed the win in the third with a six-hit inning, highlighted by Kloeppel’s homer and Bowers’ two-run double.

Champaign Central returns to action on Monday at Mattoon against the Green Wave to extend its perfect start to 9-0.

Illinois adds Aaliyah Guyton to women's basketball roster

CHAMPAIGN – The Fighting Illini women's basketball program is gearing up for a dynamic boost with the addition of Aaliyah Guyton, announced head coach Shauna Green. Guyton, a 5-foot-7-inch guard hailing from Peoria, Illinois, joins Illinois as a rising sophomore transfer from Iowa, marking a significant recruitment coup for the Big Ten squad.

Guyton, who played her prep ball at Peoria High School, brings a robust basketball pedigree to Champaign. Her career trajectory includes a notable stint with the Iowa Hawkeyes, where she made 29 appearances and averaged 4.7 points per game during her freshman campaign. Iowa, a formidable force in NCAA competition, secured a No. 6 seed in the tournament and advanced to the Round of 32 last season.

"I chose Illinois because of the strong sense of community, the incredible growth opportunities, and the chance to be part of something meaningful alongside an amazing team and staff," said Guyton, expressing her enthusiasm for the upcoming season. "I'm truly grateful to Coach Green for recruiting me again; it really speaks to the belief she has in me. I'm excited to get started and be a part of the FamILLy!"

Recognized as the No. 57 prospect nationwide by ESPN HoopGurlz and the top player in Illinois by PrepGirlsHoops.com in the Class of 2024, Guyton's accolades extend beyond her collegiate debut. As a high school standout, she earned consensus all-state honors, averaging 21.6 points per game during her junior season before an injury-shortened senior year.

Coach Green expressed her excitement about Guyton's addition, highlighting her versatility and leadership potential. "I am absolutely thrilled to have Aaliyah join our family," said Green. "She brings Big Ten experience and the ability to lead our team at the point guard position. Aaliyah's scoring ability and elite defensive skills will be invaluable to our system. I cannot wait to get Aaliyah to campus!"

With Guyton set to don the orange and blue for the 2025-26 season, Illinois fans can look forward to her having a positive impact on and off the court. With the next season months away, the Fighting Illini look poised to capitalize on Guyton's talents as they pursue new heights in Big Ten competition.

Understanding the Link Between Stress and Chronic Pain: Key Findings Revealed

Study says depression and anxiety caused by chronic pain may contribute to a poor quality of life and reduce life expectancy.

by Terri Dee
Indiana News Service

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - April is National Stress Awareness Month. Stress is the body's way of processing work, personal, and family pressures, or other triggers.

A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association has found a link between stress and chronic pain, which is defined as pain that persists for three months or more and lasts beyond the normal healing time of an injury or illness.

Former chiropractor Dr. Sean Pastuch is CEO of Active Life, a personal coaching company focusing on chronic pain-management options.

He suggested that biological, psychological and social interventions could be effective forms of treatment.

What is viewed as pleasurable to some may feel painful to others.

"The connection between all of those three things -- the physical, the mental, and the emotional -- is that when we think about pain, no one's defining what the word means," said Pastuch. "So, if we evaluate what the word 'pain' means, then we come to find that in order for there to be pain, there needs to be a negative emotional component to it."

He said that if you feel something, you have to decide if you like the way it feels or not. And what is viewed as pleasurable to some may feel painful to others.

The study also says depression and anxiety caused by chronic pain may contribute to a poor quality of life and reduce life expectancy.

A 2022 Indiana Chronic Care Policy Alliance report shows almost 8% of adults have chronic pain, with arthritis as the leading disorder.

Patsuch said patients face obstacles in finding a physician who can identify their pain, which means fewer or no opportunities to receive treatment.

"The reason why doctors struggle to help people with chronic pain, and why the confidence level among doctors is low," said Pastuch, "is because of all the medical schools, fewer than 15 actually have dedicated curriculum to supporting a patient with chronic pain."

Of the medical schools that offer a pain-management curriculum, he said the majority focus on students in the anesthetics department.

Patsuch suggested that when a patient is with their doctor, to use words other than "it just hurts." They need to be able to describe what hurts and ask, "How do I want to resolve it?"

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Child abuse cases rise in Indiana, leaving both mental and physical scars

Indiana is a mandated reporting state. More than 7,500 children were removed from their homes last year because of abuse and neglect.

by Terri Dee
Indiana News Service

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - More than 7,500 Indiana children were removed from their homes last year because of abuse and neglect. According to The Indiana Youth Institute's 2024 Kids Count Data Book, that number represents a 26% increase from 2022.

Indiana's Child Abuse and Neglect Law includes persistent hunger and ongoing fatigue as symptoms of behavioral abuse.

Jeff Wittman, Prevent Child Abuse Indiana director, said child abuse resulting in bruises, broken bones and some lacerations may be easier to see than less obvious -- and potentially more serious -- forms of abuse.

"But the things that go unnoticed or harder to see are changes in behavior. So it's incumbent upon adults and those in roles of caregiving and authority and things like that, to be aware of children, to know them well enough where you can see changes in behaviors," he said.

Indiana's code lists additional signs of sexual abuse of minors as the child having sexual knowledge well beyond their age, imitating sexual behavior and a preoccupation with their bodies every adult at least 18 years of age has a legal obligation to report child abuse and neglect cases.

Every adult at least 18 years of age has a legal obligation to report child abuse and neglect cases.

Wittman said the agency will occasionally receive calls from concerned citizens who have witnessed an incident or a child's actions and sense that something isn't quite right. He said people are familiar with the phrase 'when you see something, say something,' and are more proactive about picking up a phone and calling the agency. He said, as a society, "This is really where we need to be" to help an abused or neglected child."

"If we see situations that bring to mind or cause us to be concerned, where children might not be getting their basic needs met, or they seem to always be hungry and never have, enough food or maybe they are, crying all the time, or they're running away from their parents," he added.

Wittman explained that Indiana is a mandated reporting state, which means every adult at least 18 years of age has a legal obligation to report child abuse and neglect cases.

To report child abuse and neglect, call the hotline at 1-800-800-5556.

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Happy days for homeschool parents, Illinois HB2827 stalls in the House

House Bill 2827 fails to pass Illinois House. Some Democrats spoke out against bill regulating Illinois homeschool practices while the sponsor says, "it is necessary to ensure homeschool children are protected."

Homeschool student studying with laptop — A young student does research on her laptop at home. According to opponents, House Bill 2827 creates a lot of red tape for homeschooled children. It would make schools pass records up through several layers of government and require tracking down families to review what they’re teaching and whether their kids are skipping school or not. The measure failed to make it out of the Illinois House on Friday.

By Greg Bishop .::. Associate Editor
The Center Square

SPRINGFIELD - Homeschool parents worried about the state of Illinois imposing regulations on the practice have a reprieve after the measure failed to advance.

House Bill 2827 accumulated tens of thousands of opponent witness slips filed against it since the measure was filed earlier this year. Sponsor, state Rep. Terra Costa Howard, D-Glen Ellyn, rose Friday to announce the bill isn’t ready, but said it is necessary to ensure homeschool children are protected.

“To the victims who are out there: We see you, we hear you and we will keep fighting for you,” she said.

Costa Howard said she was keeping the measure held on third leading into the Friday deadline to pass House bills to the Senate. She defended the measure, saying it does not mandate curriculum, but does require homeschool families to report to government officials that they homeschool, or they could face truancy charges.

“It truly is a simple form that can protect families from those nosey neighbors,” she said.

Homeschool parents worried about the state of Illinois imposing regulations on the practice have a reprieve after the measure failed to advance.

The fight isn’t over for opponents.

Tens of thousands of opponents filed witness slips against the measure since it was introduced earlier this year. Some Democrats spoke out against the measure, saying it could criminalize homeschool parents raising and teaching their children how they see fit.

Republican state Rep. Amy Elik said the bill was “doomed from the beginning.”

“A simple form was not so simple was it? It created burdens on families across Illinois, our entire school system,” Elik said, “and nobody seems to care that that was going to cost our schools and our families valuable resources that could be spent instead of fixing our public school system that often fails children.”

Elik said she’s glad the measure is being held, but she said the fight isn’t over for opponents.

“I can tell you our families still feel like they are under attack and walking on eggshells in Illinois,” she said. “That happens all the time in this chamber.”

The measure will be held, but could come back up in some fashion before the scheduled end of session May 31.

Legislators are off next week. The House returns April 22. The Senate returns April 29.