PEORIA, IL —Tornado season is fast approaching, and on March 29, 2013, Tornado Alley will bring nature’s most dramatic weather phenomena to Peoria Riverfront Museum’s Giant Screen Theater. Sean Casey, Tornado Alley filmmaker and star of the Discovery Channel’s Storm Chasers series, will be in Peoria on March 29 and March 30 with the Tornado Intercept Vehicle (TIV).

Casey and his TIV will be on the museum’s Sun Plaza facing Water Street, beginning Friday morning through Saturday afternoon. Casey will be visiting with Peoria Riverfront Museum members and the general public for photo opportunities, Q & A and autographs. The Q & A session is scheduled for Saturday, March 30 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. in the Giant Screen Theater.

Tornado Alley premieres in the Giant Screen Theater on Friday, March 29, at 11:00 a.m. Tickets are available online at www.PeoriaRiverfrontMuseum.org or at the museum’s front desk. Tornado Alley is the culmination of Casey’s efforts to chase tornados and will give audiences the chance to ride along—to experience a visual powerhouse of never-before-captured tornado footage on the Giant Screen.

“Tornadoes are surreal, unimaginable,” said Casey. “I want to witness something that I am truly in awe of. My dream has always been to get footage that’s as powerful as the subject matter. There’s a huge difference between filming a tornado from a couple miles away with a telephoto lens, and filming a tornado that’s on top of you with a wide-angle lens.”

The Rotary Club of Peoria-North presented area high school seniors with the 2013 Rotary Club of Peoria-North Prescott E. Bloom Service Above Self Award at their March 14 meeting. Recipients are selected by their school based on a record of outstanding service to their school and community. Recipients received a certificate and stipend as a token of reward for their actions of “Service Above Self!”

Contact the Club’s Executive Director, Paula Bergstresser, at 309-683-3230 for additional information.

Peoria – Help raise awareness of child abuse by joining “Hands Around the Courthouse” on Friday, April 19, at noon in the Peoria County Courthouse Plaza, 324 Main Street, downtown Peoria. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and the Youth Services Network Panel is hosting its 6th Annual Hands Around the Courthouse event to draw attention to the more than 1,000 pending child abuse and neglect cases in Peoria County.

During the event, advocacy and justice officials will say a few words about the unfortunate cases still pending and the importance of child abuse prevention. Persons attending the event will have an opportunity to tour the Mobile Parent Resource Center, a renovated school bus equipped as a mobile classroom that provides on-site educational programs, early childhood screenings, and resource information to parents in the community. The Mobile Parent Resource Center is a collaboration of Bradley University, Peoria Public School District 150, and the City of Peoria.

Organizers of “Hands Around the Courthouse” appreciate Radio Peoria for providing sound and participants are encouraged to wear blue to show their support of Child Abuse Prevention Month. For more information about the event, please call Court Appointed Special Advocates or CASA at (309) 669-2939.

(PEORIA, March 25, 2013) – Eight central Illinois hospitals voluntarily shared the percentage of employees who were immunized for the seasonal flu between October 2012 and February 2013 as part of a flu reporting project developed by Quality Quest for Health of Illinois. Originally started in 2009, the project included 34 Illinois hospitals for the 2012-2013 flu season. The national immunization rate average among healthcare workers is estimated at 64 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The final numbers for the eight regional hospitals include:

Proctor Hospital, Peoria 99%
Advocate Eureka Hospital, Eureka 98%
Advocate BroMenn Medical Center, Normal 97%
OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, Bloomington 97%
OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Peoria 95%
Methodist Medical Center of Illinois, Peoria 94%
OSF Saint James – John W. Albrecht Medical Center, Pontiac 93%
Pekin Hospital, Pekin 79%

“We are proud of all these hospitals for being well above the national average for healthcare worker immunization rates,” said Bonnie Paris, program development manager at Quality Quest. “Flu immunization among healthcare workers is important for the continued safety and care of patients. Publicly reporting hospital employee immunization rates helps providers see how they compare to others and motivates them to bring their numbers up.”

The Joint Commission challenges hospitals to meet the gold standard vaccination rate of 95 percent for healthcare workers. During the 2010-2011 influenza season, the average rate for the participating hospitals in the Quest project was 81 percent. During the 2011-2012 flu season, the percentage jumped to 90 percent for project participants and by this year, the number increased to 93 percent. The rates of all 34 participating hospitals may be viewed at www.qualityquest.org.

High percentages were expected this year because several hospitals implemented universal employee vaccination policies. Exceptions to these policies include individuals who have a medical or religious reason not to participate. Those who do not get vaccinated must wear a mask.

“Of special interest is a new requirement the Joint Commission enacted last July that all accredited healthcare organizations establish an annual influenza vaccination program for licensed independent practitioners and staff,” noted Paris.

The following hospitals participated in the flu reporting project for 2012-2013: Advocate BroMenn Regional Medical Center, Normal*; Advocate Eureka Hospital *; Alexian Brothers Medical Center, Elk Grove Village*; Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana*; CGH Medical Center, Sterling; Decatur Memorial Hospital*; FHN Memorial Hospital, Freeport*; Genesis Medical Center – Illini Campus, Silvis*; Hoopeston Regional Health Center*; Illini Community Hospital, Pittsfield*; Illinois Valley Community Hospital, Peru; Massac Memorial Hospital, McDonough District Hospital, Macomb; Metropolis; Memorial Hospital, Carthage*; Methodist Medical Center of Illinois, Peoria; OSF Holy Family Medical Center, Monmouth*; OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center, Rockford*; OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center, Ottawa*; OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Peoria*; OSF Saint James – John W. Albrecht Medical Center, Pontiac*; OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, Bloomington*; OSF St. Mary Medical Center, Galesburg*; Pana Community Hospital*; Passavant Hospital, Jacksonville; Pekin Hospital; Pinckneyville Community Hospital*; Proctor Hospital, Peoria*; Richland Memorial Hospital, Olney*; Riverside Medical Center, Kankakee; Sherman Hospital, Elgin; St. Alexius Medical Center, Hoffman Estates*; St. John’s Hospital, Springfield*; St. Mary’s Hospital, Decatur*; Washington County Hospital, Nashville*.

Peoria, IL (March 25, 2013)—Greater Peoria is the healthiest large metro in Illinois according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. The report looks at six categories of well-being including emotional and physical health, work environments and access to healthcare. Greater Peoria outranks the Quad Cities, St. Louis, Chicago/Naperville/Joliet and Rockford MSA’s. The Peoria MSA also ranks in the top third nationwide. Of the largest 189 MSA’s in the country, Greater Peoria comes in at 62 which is up 113 spots from 2011.

The Gallup-Healthways report also compares the health and wellbeing of 436 congressional districts in the U.S. The 18th congressional district of IL ranks 154 which is up 68 spots from 2011. The state of Illinois rose in the ranks for overall health and well-being but still stays in the middle of the pack. The Land of Lincoln ranked 28 in 2012 which is up slightly from a ranking of 32 in 2011.

This report is compiled from data collected January 2, 2012 – December 30, 2012. Gallup and Healthways produce a biannual report on the Well-Being of each of the 50 U.S. states and their respective cities and an annual report on each of the 435 U.S. congressional districts. The Well-Being Index is designed to shed light on the area-specific issues so leaders can build and shape policies and strategies to address the needs of their communities. To learn more visit http://www.well-beingindex.com/default.asp.

PEORIA, IL- Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria) and the Treasurer’s Office are canceling a local I-Cash Day planned for Monday, March 25 due to inclement weather.

Gordon-Booth and the Treasurer’s Office were planning three stops at the following locations:

Kroger Grocery Store from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
1405 W. Garfield Ave., Bartonville

City Link Transit Center from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
407 S.W. Adams St., Peoria

Kroger Grocery Store from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
3311 N. Sterling Ave., Peoria

If you have any questions about I-Cash or any other upcoming events, please contact Rep. Gordon-Booths’s constituent services office at (309) 681-1992 or by e-mail repjgordon@gmail.com.

Join us for the first tournament of the season! Sign up now for the Peoria Park District’s Opening 2-Player Scramble held at Donovan Golf Course on Saturday, April 6. Entry deadline is Sunday, March 31. Cost is $35/team, plus green fees. Entry forms are available on-line at www.ppdgolf.org and at all PPD courses.

For more information on the Peoria Park District’s tournament program, call Golf Operations at (309) 689-3329.

The Affordable Care Act Workshop scheduled for 11:45 today with the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce has been cancelled due to weather. It will be rescheduled.

Starting Tuesday, March 26, 2013, the left lane of Jefferson Street will be closed reducing Jefferson to two lanes from Oak Street to Persimmon Street. Motorists should expect occasional reduction of Jefferson Street down to one lane during daytime hours throughout the construction season. Crews will be working to install new sidewalks along Jefferson Street as part of the City’s efforts to revitalize the Warehouse District. Access will be maintained to the businesses along Jefferson during this project.

The City of Peoria appreciates the cooperation of the motoring public and looks forward to the completion of a successful project. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the Department of Public Works at 494-8800.

CANDIDATES FORUM
Monday, March 25, 2013 at 6:00 p.m.
St. Paul Baptist Church, 114 W. Forrest Hill Ave., Peoria, IL 61604

THE NAACP AND PCLC (PEORIA CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP COUNCIL) ARE SPONSORING A CANDIDATES FORUM FOR THE CITY COUNCIL AND TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR CANDIDATES.
PLEASE COME OUT, ASK YOUR QUESTIONS, AND SEE WHAT THESE CANDIDATES HAVE PLANNED FOR OUR CITY.

JACKIE PETTY & HELEN KING
Questions please contact Jackie Petty at 688-2323