SJO girls win conference basketball title

St. Joseph-Ogden's Taylor Wells goes up for a shot between Unity's Raegen Stringer and Addison Ray during second quarter action on Saturday. Wells and the Spartans (19-7) clinched the Illini Prairie Conference girls' basketball title after defeating the visiting Rockets, 49-27. The SJO girls host their final conference game of the season when Paxton-Buckley-Loda (11-16) rolls into town on Monday. Meanwhile, 20-8 Unity will host the Monticello Sages at the Rocket Center as well on Monday.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Date night dining: Italian Sausage, Spinach & Tomato Rigatoni

Family Features -- Planning a delicious, romantic date night doesn't have to take you any further than your own kitchen. You don't have to be an accomplished chef to set the table for romance, but you can take inspiration from simple, quality Italian dishes to celebrate the link between food and love.

Photo provided

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, this romantic meal can be ready in minutes or, like a great love story, simmered to perfection. To plan the ultimate date night at home, start by choosing a dreamy main dish made with mouthwatering sauces.

Everybody knows a flavorful sauce makes a great Italian meal, but the sauce doesn't need to be made from scratch (at least, not completely). For example, Bertolli d'Italia sauces are made in Italy for authentically delicious flavor. They are crafted with tomatoes vine-ripened under the Italian sun, finely aged Italian cheeses, fresh cream, and Mediterranean olive oil. The result is a sauce that's perfect for your date-night meal.

Once you select your main course, prepare a simple salad of greens with a drizzle of Italian vinaigrette or Caesar dressing. Pop a loaf of bakery-fresh Italian or focaccia bread into the oven to warm through and serve with butter or olive oil for dipping.

While the dinner candles are still lit, cap off the meal with a classic Italian dessert from your local bakery, like tiramisu from Rick's Bakery in downtown Urbana. You can serve cannoli or a creamy panna cotta from the supermarket bakery near you topped with fresh fruit.

Italian Sausage, Spinach & Tomato Rigatoni

Prep time: 10 minutes / Cook time: 20 minutes

Here's what you'll need:

Water

1/2 box rigatoni pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

16 ounces sweet Italian sausage

1 jar Bertolli d'Italia Marinara Sauce

2 cups fresh baby spinach

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Directions:

Bring large stockpot of water to boil. Boil rigatoni pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil. Add onions, garlic and mushrooms. Saute until vegetables start to brown. Add Italian sausage and cook until done, breaking into small pieces. Add sauce and bring to low boil.

Add baby spinach. Cook until spinach is mostly wilted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Add drained pasta to pan with sausage and sauce. Toss and divide between plates. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Find more romantic dishes perfect for sharing at Bertolli.com.

Did you use this recipe? Send us your pictures and we'll feature them on The Sentinel site! Email photos to editor@oursentinel.com.

Area high school grads make the Parkland College fall Dean's List

This week, Parkland College announced the Dean's List for fall 2021. In order to make the list, students must earn a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0-grading scale for the semester to receive recognition for their outstanding academic performance. Students enrolled in fewer than 12 hours can make the Dean’s List by achieving a 3.5 cumulative GPA for 12 or more hours during the current academic year.

The fall 2021 honorees from our area, which includes Ogden, Pesotum, Philo, Sadorus, St. Joseph, Tolono, and Urbana, are listed below by hometown.

OGDEN
Zach T David
Kenly R Taylor

PESOTUM
Hans G Goodmann
Olivia D Kieffer

PHILO
Abigail L Dodd
Karson J Ewerks
Ella G Godsell
Lindsey L Miller
Mercedes E Rentschler

SADORUS
Riley E Millsap
Eric D Phillips II
Katharine C Wells

ST. JOSEPH Austin C Anderson
Craig A Antonio
Emily A Bigger
Antoni L Blas
Ross D Booker
Jacob M Dwyer
Dakota N Franzen
Erin E Henkelman
Ethan P Lane
Aiden C Livesay
Nathan T Maier
Lexi L Ribbe
Rachel L Smith
Erica P Stevenson
Anna A Tranel
Dillon D Uken
Anna R Wentzloff
Logan M Wolfersberger
Lucas A Woods

SIDNEY
Taylor R Dooley

TOLONO
Tanner Block
Stephanie Corrales
Leah E Gateley
Kaitlynn M Gray
Shay F Haluzak
Chelsie A Helmick
Megan L Henry
Maggie R Hewing
Cassidy L Kamradt
Rachael P King
Kristen N Lareau
Korie J Novak
Connor D O'Donnell
Brayden Percival
Jana E Ping
Rakesh Sharma
Jillian R Stadel
Mikayla M Wetherell
Kimberly A Pruetting

URBANA

Emma M Aders
Chase W Alexander
Audrey N Babcock
Jacob W Barker
Emily L Bennet
Jeremy D Bobbitt
Alana G Brown
Jhone Brown
Miriam N Calderon
Vahagn Chiflikyan
Kathryn R Choate
Richard M Coulter
Emily R Crane
Jesse J Cunningham
Abigail M Dunham
Lashae R Dunn
Emma K Fleming
Laini M Flessner
Janna H Fouly
Josiah C Freedman
Logan A Freeman
Colin P Fried
Margaret J Hall
Brandon N Hamilton
Allene G Hari
Jackson F Henderson
Liang M Hernandez-Lima
Kelly E Hoene
Enrique G Horna Chavarria
Matthew R Horner
Jacob R Ingalsbe
Sarah R Isaf
Yixuan Jin
Karis I Johnson
Tyler J Jurczyk
Alex M Kwok
Ariana I Loor
Amy C Love
Benoit S Lukunku
John D Lyons
Sebastian W Marlow
Santiago Martinez
Max J McCracken
Kathleen L McCullough
Kyle T McKay
Jessica A Miller
Jackson Moffat
Matt A Moutvic
Thomas J Negromo-Osagie
Ghada A Odeh
Sara M Odeh
Rebecca M Owen
Moriah E Owens
Christina M Parks
Jil V Patel
Romin M Patel
Maleah N Perry
Joel V Petersson
Tom L Phetchareune
Rachelle H Pierro
Ashley L Pruemer
Malyda T Radanavong
Anthany Ravanh
Kayla C Regnier
Dain M Richie
Marvin A Rios
Brandi L Ropinski
Ilean L Rubio
Sophia E Solava
Joshua G Stebbins
Madeline R Supp
Jacob A Tatman
Jake B Van Anrooy
Curtis J Viselli
Elizabeth C Viselli
Isabelle M Vliet
Christopher M Walker
Tatiana A Wallace
Avery J Wright
Robin E Young
Allonna B Yutzy
Ovidiu A Zaharescu

SJO beats Olympia by 50

St. Joseph-Ogden's Andrew Beyers goes up for a second-half shot in the Spartans' home game against Olympia last Tuesday. SJO (17-6, 4-2 IPC) hammered the visiting Spartans by 50 points, 90-40. Beyers, who played a stellar defensive game, finished the contests with five points. More photos coming soon. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Boosting your online security, tips from a convicted hacker

Photo: Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels

by Cezary Podkul

Ngô Minh Hiếu was once a fearsome hacker who spent 7 1/2 years incarcerated in the U.S. for running an online store that sold the personal information of about 200 million Americans. Since leaving prison, Hiếu has become a so-called white hat hacker, attempting to protect the world from the sorts of cybercriminals he once was.

These days, Hiếu said, it doesn’t take much hacking to access sensitive details about Americans. Companies and governments routinely leave databases exposed online with little or no protection, as we’ve reported, giving cybercriminals an easy way to harvest names, emails, passwords and other info. While in prison, Hiếu wrote an online security guide for the average internet user. As he and others have pointed out, it’s impossible to create an impenetrable shield. But here are some of his tips for how you can mitigate your risks, along with some other practical online security advice.

1. Stop reusing passwords

Make 2022 the year you finally stop reusing passwords. Once a password is exposed in a data breach, as routinely occurs, cybercriminals may use it on other websites to see if it grants them access and lets them take over an account or service. To help you generate lengthy, difficult-to-guess passwords without having to commit them to memory, use an encrypted password manager such as 1Password or LastPass. These services, which typically charge $3 to $4 per month, also monitor databases of breached passwords, like Have I Been Pwned, which can identify some passwords that have already been made public.

2. Delete unused accounts

Another benefit of using a password manager is that every time you create a new account at a website, you can log it in your password app. The app will track when you created a password and when you last modified it. If you notice that you haven’t used a website in a few years, and you don’t think you’re likely to use it again, delete your account from that website. It will mean one less place where your data resides.

3. Add an additional layer of security

Use multifactor authentication — which requires a second, temporary code in addition to your password to log in to a site or service — whenever possible. Some services send a six-digit code via text message or email. But the most secure method is to use an app that generates a numerical code on your phone that’s in sync with an algorithm running on the site. To make the process easier, you can download an app like Authy that, like a password keeper, helps you generate and manage all your multifactor authentications in one spot.

4. Manage your apps’ privacy settings

A lot of the data about us that gets leaked consists of information we don’t even realize apps and services collect. To limit that risk, check the privacy settings for any new app that you install on your computer, smartphone or other device. Deselect any services you don’t want the app to have access to, such as your contacts, location, camera or microphone. Here are some guides on how to manage your apps’ privacy settings for iPhone and Android devices.

5. Think before you click

Clicking on a link from a text message, an email or a search result without first thinking about whether it’s secure can expose you to phishing attacks and malware. In general, never click on any links that you didn’t seek out and avoid unsolicited emails asking you to open attachments. When in doubt, hover your cursor over a hyperlink and scrutinize the URL. Avoid it if it would lead you to somewhere you don’t expect or if it contains spelling errors like a missing or extra letter in a company’s name. And for safer online browsing, consider paying for an antivirus tool like Malwarebytes that helps you avoid suspicious URLs online (or sign up for a free browser guard extension).

6. Keep your software up to date

Whether it’s your web browser or the operating system on your computer or smartphone, it’s always a good idea to download and install the latest software update as soon as it’s available. Doing so fixes bugs and helps keep your systems patched against the latest security threats. To make sure you don’t forget, turn on notifications for new updates or enable autoupdate settings if they’re available.

7. Limit what you’re sharing online

Some of the large collections of personally identifiable information that have been floating around online weren’t hacked or stolen: They were simply scraped from social media websites like LinkedIn or Facebook. If you don’t want a particular piece of info about you out there, don’t put it on your social media profile. Scrub anything you don’t want exposed in your profiles, and check the platforms’ privacy settings to see who can access whatever is left. You can also pay for a service like DeleteMe, which helps centralize and pursue requests to delete your personal information from various data brokers.

8. Secure your SIM

One technique that has become increasingly common in recent years is SIM swapping: A cybercriminal tries to dupe your mobile carrier into switching your number from a SIM (the memory card that tells your phone it’s yours) that you control to a SIM that they control. The goal is to commandeer your phone so they can get around multifactor authentication settings that protect your financial accounts. To guard against SIM swaps, contact your carrier to establish an account PIN, or follow these directions if you’re with Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile. And if you switch carriers, change your PIN.

9. Freeze your credit reports

If you’re afraid that a scammer might use your identity to open a fraudulent credit line in your name, consider placing a freeze on your report. A freeze will restrict access to your credit report, meaning that no one (not even you) will be able to open a new credit line while it’s in place. If you decide to apply for a loan or a new credit card, you can always unfreeze your credit later on. Freezing and unfreezing your credit is free, but you have to contact each of the three major credit bureaus separately to do it. Here’s a guide on how to get started.

10. Back up your data

Don’t assume that you’ll always have access to all your files and folders. Backing up your data can help you guard against virus infections as well as hard drive failure and theft or loss of your computer. You could use well-known cloud storage providers such as Dropbox or Google Drive to save copies of your data or buy a subscription to an online cloud backup service that automatically saves your files and lets you restore them if anything happens. All such services offer encryption, but if you’re afraid of storing your data in the cloud, keep an encrypted copy on a separate hard drive.

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To the editor: True Americans unite to vanquish the fourth reich or be forever enslaved!

To the editor,

Throughout history, hundreds of thousands of the greatest Americans ever have been willing to fight and die to secure and preserve the freedoms, rights, and privileges they bestowed upon our succeeding generations in this country.

Now, we are witnessing thousands of Fourth Reich disciples who are willing to kill hundreds of thousands of Americans to destroy that inheritance and our country in the worship of someone who emulates Adolph Hitler, Joseph Goebbels, and Jim Jones.

It has always been and will always be harder and take longer to create and build a civilized, unified society through a shared belief in mankind’s highest ideals and potential, than to internally subvert those goals through destruction and death through division, merely to usurp power from the good citizens who have failed to defeat those who employ propaganda, misinformation, and lies, the foundations of the traitors in their treason to destroy any power great enough to oppose the subjugation of everyone to their evil plot.

Through the masterful use of the power of projection, the Fourth Reich misleads their followers by accusing their opponents of what they themselves are actually doing to magically distract their followers from realizing the truth. ABTT! (Anything But The Truth!) is the gospel to which they must adhere religiously to prevent the end of their masquerade and reign of terror.

Failure to recognize the Fourth Reich masquerading behind the once proud and honorable Republican Party name will soon lead to our country’s inevitable end as is their ultimate goal.

~ John Kenneth Young
St. Joseph

High blood pressure linked to midlife changes in the brain

Younger adults who had higher cumulative blood pressure exposure (from 25 to 55 years of age) had more changes visible on brain imaging at midlife ...

by American Heart Association

NEW ORLEANS -- High blood pressure among younger adults, ages 20-40 years, appears to be linked to brain changes in midlife (average age 55) that may increase risk for later cognitive decline, according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2022, a world premier meeting for researchers and clinicians dedicated to the science of stroke and brain health to be held in person in New Orleans and virtually, Feb. 8-11, 2022.

According to the American Heart Association, from 2015-2019 more than 47% of U.S. adults had high blood pressure. In 2019, the U.S. age-adjusted death rate primarily attributable to high blood pressure was 25.1 per 100,000. High blood pressure death rates for non-Hispanic Black adults were 56 per 100,000 among males and 38.7 per 100,000 for females.

Studies have found that high blood pressure disrupts the structure and function of the brain’s blood vessels, damaging regions of the brain that are critical for cognitive function.

"There are studies to suggest changes to the brain may start at a young age," said Christina Lineback, M.D., lead study author and a vascular neurology fellow at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. "Our study provides further evidence that high blood pressure during young adulthood may contribute to changes in the brain later in life."

Researchers analyzed 30 years of follow-up including MRI brain images (performed once at the age of 30, and then again at midlife - about the age of 55 years) for 142 adults from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. The CARDIA study enrolled participants from four U.S. cities (Birmingham, Alabama; Chicago, Illinois; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Oakland, California), in 1985-1986. In total, the study recruited more than 5,000 Black and white adults, ages 18 to 30 years, who have been followed for over 30 years.

In one follow up including 142 of the participants (42% women), researchers examined changes in brain structures in midlife (average age 55) from cumulative exposures to vascular risk factors, including high blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index, smoking and glucose, from young adulthood to midlife. They also evaluated if there were any differences by race or ethnicity; nearly 40% of the study participants (n=55) were Black adults.

The analysis found:

Younger adults who had higher cumulative blood pressure exposure (from 25 to 55 years of age) had more changes visible on brain imaging at midlife, which may increase the risk of cognitive dysfunction in mid- and late life.

The brain changes that occurred were similar across all races and ethnic groups examined in the study when accounting for the degree of high blood pressure exposure.

"We were surprised that we could see brain changes in even this small sample of participants from the CARDIA study," Lineback said. "Given the greater likelihood of high blood pressure in some racial and ethnic groups, this study’s finding should encourage health care professionals to aggressively address high blood pressure in young adults, as a potential target to narrow disparities in brain health."

A potential next step is to develop and implement systems to better treat and monitor blood pressure in young age groups and assess for brain changes over time, according to Lineback.

A limitation of the study is that it is a retrospective analysis, which means the findings cannot prove the brain changes were caused by high blood pressure.

The study was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Institutes of Health. Co-authors include Simin Mahinrad, M.D., Ph.D.; Yufen Jennie Chen, Ph.D.; Todd Parrish, Ph.D.; Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, M.D., Sc.M., FAHA; and Farzaneh A. Sorond, M.D., Ph.D.

Flashback Friday | SJO girls roll, knock off Westville by 31

Left: Westville's Taylor Ceader tries to dribble around St. Joseph-Ogden's Rachael Graham during their early season nonconference game on December 5, 2009. The Spartans easily defeated the Lady Tigers, 70-39. Right: Spartans' Hannah Gaylord dribbles in the fourth quarter. Gaylord, a 5'8" sophomore, finished the contest with nine points. (Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Flashback
Friday

Spartans' Kelsie Rademacher goes up for an easy shot under the basket during the third quarter. She finished the contest with six points. The St. Joseph-Ogden girls team would go on to win their next four games heading into the State Farm Holiday Classic the last week of December. The program finished the 2009-10 season with 18 wins against 10 losses and in second place in the Sangamon Valley Conference final standings.

(Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Left: Tigers' Chelsie Davis dribbles past Spartans' Emily Kayser during the first half. Right: SJO's Tori Master (right) tries to pass the ball to a Spartan teammate. Want to see more photos from this game? Follow this link to learn how. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

United Prairie to add partner, Ceres Solution to acquire one-fifth ownership

TOLONO -- Ceres Solutions, an agricultural cooperative based in Crawfordsville, IN, announced today the company's intent to purchase a significant share of Tolono-based United Prairie LCC.

Ceres Solutions would become 20% owner of the operation and existing stakeholders in United Prairie would have reduced ownership percentages accordingly.

According to today's press release, "The immediate advantages to both organizations would be alignment between two strong midwestern agricultural operations, and potential synergies of procurement, logistics, and other opportunities. Both Ceres Solutions and United Prairie would continue to operate independently in their customer-facing segments and compete in the marketplace."

United Prairie was formed in 1996 combining the crop production divisions of Unity Grain and Grand Prairie Cooperative. Over the past 20 years, the operation has grown to 11 retail locations throughout central Illinois.

"The proposal demonstrates the ongoing importance of developing strong strategic partnerships to continue to serve local farmers with products, services, technologies, and innovation," said Curt Miller, CEO of United Prairie. "United Prairie’s direction has always been to add cooperative owners that enhance our ability to provide the highest level of service and value to the growers we serve."

The transfer of ownership is expected to be completed by August 1.

Jeff Troike, CEO of Ceres Solutions added, "We’re pleased to take this next step in making an investment that will benefit both Ceres Solutions and United Prairie."

Winter Wonderland: Sentinel area snow scenes

With much of the Sentinel area blanketed from this week's snowstorm, we asked followers on Twitter and Facebook to send us their snow photos to share. Below are some of the moments and scenes readers wanted to share.

Sidney

Sophia Dillman makes a snow angel. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Whalen.

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Tolono

Duke. Photo courtesy of Alli Griffin.

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Tolono

Photo courtesy of Paul Noerenberg.

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Sidney

Sophia Dillman out enjoying the heavy snowfall. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Whalen.

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Tolono

Photo courtesy of Cassie Roberts.

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Tolono

Photo courtesy of Dave Bryan.

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Tolono

Photo courtesy of Gary Brown.

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Tolono

Photo courtesy of Josh Hellmer.

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Tolono

Photo courtesy of Toni Waltzer David.

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Did you get a really cool snow pic from this week's storm that we can share with our readers? Email it to us at editor@oursentinel.com. Deadline for submissions is 6pm on Saturday, February 5.

Governor's budget proposal includes tax savings for Illinoisans

This week, Governor J.B. Pritzker will propose that state lawmakers pass legislation that would put a few extra greenbacks in the pockets of Illinoisans.

The upcoming proposal outlines three tax breaks for residents. It includes suspending the 1% sales tax on groceries for one year. State motor fuel taxes were set to increase this year. That rate hike would be frozen at 39 cents per gallon. The biggest savings in the governor's play would come by way of a property tax rebate of up to $300 for homeowners.

Homeowners will still be able to deduct the normal 5% rate of their property tax bills up to $300 from their income taxes, but the new plan would double the value of that deduction with a direct one-time payment. This rebate will apply to workers making $250,000 annually or less or to couples making $500,000 or less.

Taxpayers will get that in the form of either a check or an electronic deposit after filing a state income tax return. A return must be filed even if the individual does not owe anything in taxes.

Collectively, Illinois consumers would save about 1 billion in taxes if legislators advance the proposal. With inflation at 7% and mid-term elections on the horizon, the abatement would be paid by the nearly 1 billion currently in surplus thanks to marijuana tax revenues and federal Covid relief monies the state has received.

The reduction in tax levies would last one year. However, there is scuttlebutt that they could remain in place a bit longer.

Pritzker is not the only governor looking to cut taxes for their residents. Indiana and New York are also attempting to advance proposals aimed at lowering taxes for their residents.