Peoria City/County Health Department advises residents to take precautions during extremely high temperatures. During a heat wave, individuals who have no access to a cool environment should use cooling centers for relief from the heat. Heat related injuries such as heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and dehydration may develop with or without feelings of discomfort. Young children, particularly infants, and older adults are extremely sensitive to heat and can easilybecomedehydrated and losemorebodyfluidsthanusual.

Cooling Centers in Peoria include the following:

• SalvationArmy, Sylvia Fites Center, 414NEJefferson,8:30-4,M-F
• DepartmentofHumanServices(DHS),2301NEAdams,8:30-5M-F
• FriendshipHouse,800NEMadison(cornerofMadison&Wayne),8:30-5
• AllPeoriaFireStations,open24/7
• CivicCenterVerizonCafé(waterstations,tablesandchairs),201SWJeffersonAvenue
• Link to Cooling Centers Map for Central Illinois or see link below.

To prevent heat related injuries during hot weather, take the following measures:

• Try to stay cool, preferably in an airconditioned area.
• Wearhatsandlight-colored,lightweight,looseclothes.
• Limitoutdooractivities and avoidvigorousphysicalactivitiesinhotandhumidweather.
• Takefrequentbreaks and drinkplentyoflikewater,regardlessofyour activity level. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.
• Avoidliquidsthatcontaincaffeine,alcoholorlargeamountsofsugar–theycauseyoutolosemorebodyfluids.

Remember your children, neighbors and pets:

• Don’t leave children, elderly, or pets inside a parked vehicle, even for a few minutes. Hotspots develop, even with the windows rolled down.
• Check in with family, friends, and neighbors who may be affected by extremely high heat.
• Takecareofyourpets.Giveextrawaterandbesure to place the water dish in a shaded area if outdoors.Makesurepetshaveaprotectedplacewhere they can get away from the sun.

Additional Resources:

• Cooling Centers throughout State of Illinois, Illinois Department of Human Services 800-843-6154.
• Map link to Central Illinois Cooling Centers. http://peoriacountygis.maps.arcgis.com/.
• Other Public Health information, Peoria City/County Health Department website www.pcchd.org.

 Cooking out for Labor Day? Don’t forget food safety!

 In recognition of National Food Safety Month, the Peoria City/County Health Department offers some safety tips to cook, serve, and save food at your picnics and cookouts this Labor Day weekend. Keep food borne illness away by following these tips for packing the perfect cooler and grilling food for the perfect cookout: 

• Bring one cooler for beverages and a separate cooler for food to maintain proper food temperatures since beverage coolers are opened more frequently.
•  Pack your food cooler with ice packs along with loose ice so that it will remain below 41°F, reducing the risk for harmful bacteria to grow. 
• Use a metal stemmed thermometer when grilling meat to ensure proper internal temperatures are reached. Chicken (poultry) should be grilled to at least a minimum of 165° F, pork to 155°F, and beef or hamburgers to 145°F. 
• Use separate utensils for raw foods and cooked foods to avoid cross-contamination. 
• To save leftovers, immediately put perishable food away in a cooler containing ice or ice packs. 
• Discard any leftovers that have been outside for more than two hours; however, if the temperature exceeds 90°F, discard food left out after one hour. When in doubt, throw it out!

 For more information on important Public Health issues, visit the Peoria City/County Health Department website at www.pcchd.org.

The Peoria City/County Health Department continues efforts to improve community health in Peoria County with the overarching goal “to increase the number of people who are healthy at every stage of life.”

Date:  TOMORROW, Tuesday, August 26
Time: 6:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Place: Courtyard Estates (formerly Jumer’s), Movie Room , 117 N. Western Ave., Peoria IL 61604

The Peoria chapter of the National Organization for Women will host a screening of the documentary, “Iron Jawed Angels.” The film follows political suffragists leaders Alice Paul and Lucy Burns as they use peaceful and effective nonviolent strategies, tactics, and dialogues to revolutionize the American feminist movement to grant women the right to vote.  The film is approximately 1.5 hours long, with discussion encouraged to follow afterwards.

PEORIA, Ill. – Representative Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria) will be hosting her 6^th Annual Free Community Shred Day on Saturday, September 20 from 9 AM to 12 PM in the North Parking Lot of Landmark Recreation Center, 3225 N. Dries Lane in Peoria IL. AAA Confidential Security will shred documents, disks and hard drives that are dropped off the day of the event. 

“Most people have old documents at home that they don’t need to hold on to anymore. If these documents are not disposed of properly, other people could get your personal information, leading to identity theft and other problems,” Gordon-Booth said. “I encourage anyone interested in safely disposing these items to stop by.  

Residents are welcome to drop off old personal documents, unused credit cards, computer disks or hard drives to be securely destroyed by AAA Confidential Security Corporation, a NAID certified shredding company based in Peoria. There is a limit of 10 boxes per household. 

For more information, please contact Gordon-Booth’s constituent service office at 309-681-1992 or email her at repjgordon@gmail.com.

Peoria, IL – August 26, 2014 – Bradley University is among a select group of institutions in Illinois to be entitled for the Gateways to Opportunity Credentials. Gateways to Opportunity, a professional development support system in Illinois, is designed to provide guidance, support and recognition to practitioners who serve children and families in the state.

Belleville, Ill. (Aug. 25, 2014) – Illinois American Water announced today the winners of the company’s “Value of Water” Facebook photo contest.  Three organizations throughout Illinois American Water’s service areas will share a donation of $1,500.

Illinois American Water invited 12 local organizations to submit photos and thoughts to depict what water service means to their organization and community.  The public was invited to vote on the photos which were posted to Illinois American Water’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ilamwater.  Over 8,800 votes were cast during the contest’s duration between July 22, 2014 and August 20, 2014.  

“Illinois American Water received so many great entries depicting the value of water service and the response from the public was reflective of their efforts.  These organizations are making a difference in our communities; we are proud to partner with them,” said Karla Olson Teasley, Illinois American Water President.

Based on the results of the contest, Illinois American Water will issue three grants as follows:

Streator Child Development Center in Streator earned their organization $750 (first place).  
Tazewell Animal Protective Society (TAPS) in Pekin earned their organization $500 (second place). The Sterling Fire Department in Sterling earned their organization $250 (third place).  

More information about the Value of Water service and Illinois American Water can be found at www.illinoisamwater.com.  

PEORIA – (August 25, 2014) While affecting more than 18 million women in the U.S., incontinence is not just a normal part of aging. Learn various self-help strategies for incontinence and the latest news on medicines and surgery for incontinence in women during the Fourth Annual Robert A. Flinn, MD Endowed Lectureship. 

Join guest speaker Dr. Deborah Erickson at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 10 at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria for this special, informative event that is free and open to the public. 

Dr. Erickson, a Professor of Urology at the University of Kentucky, has spent more than 20 years conducting research, teaching and providing urological care for patients. Dr. Erickson has a special interest in the areas of incontinence, neurogenic bladder, urinary tract infection and interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome.  

What:“Female Bladder Control Problems: What You Can Do and What Your Health Professional Can Do”

When:  7:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 10

Where:   University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, One Illini Drive (near the southeast corner of Main and Kumpf Boulevard)

Also:  The presentation is free and open to the public, but space is limited. For more information or to register, please call Jodi at 309.624.4533 or email jfrasure@uic.edu. 

Dr. Erickson has received several awards and numerous requests to lecture in these areas of urology. She also is one of four associate editors of The Journal of Urology. 

The Robert A. Flinn, MD Endowed Lecture is presented by the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria and Children’s Hospital of Illinois at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center and honors the late Dr. Robert Flinn, a man who dedicated his life to patient care and medical education.

On 08/23/14, Marvin E. McShan, d.o.b.  6-2-51, was reported to the Peoria Police Department as a missing person, (Peoria Police Case #14-17238).  He was last seen on Saturday August 23, 2014 at approximately 0030 hours, driving his Chevy HHR.

On 08/24/14, at 0939 hours, the Peoria Police Department was notified that a Chevy HHR was located in the 2700 block of Nevada (odd alley).  Mr. McShan was located inside his vehicle deceased.  At this time, there does not appear to be any foul play.  An autopsy is pending.

The Peoria Police Department would like to thank the public for their continued assistance in providing information about the location of missing and wanted persons.