The local American Red Cross chapter would like to encourage people to eat at Papa Murphys today. 15% of all regular priced food items will be donated to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund when patrons mention Red Cross. The fundraiser goes from 11:00 a.m. through 9:00 p.m.
Papa Murphy’s locations in Bloomington, Danville, Decatur, Mattoon, Morton, Normal, Pekin, Peoria, and Springfield will be participating.
Friends of the Children of Haiti and Friendship House to Also Benefit
On June 4th, 2011 Andrew Brinker, Tom Inman, Justin Montgomery, Jerry Montgomery, Bobby Jones, and Steve Hammond climbed into their canoes and began a journey -canoeing from Lake Michigan to Peoria. The group undertook the task to help raise money for three locally based organizations.
“We are hoping this will become an annual event, allowing us to choose a different Charitable Organization each year,” said Steve Hammond, one of the organizers. “This year we chose FOTCOH (Friends of the Children of Haiti), Family House, and The Salvation Army to receive proceeds.”
The men set up a fund-raising website and took pledges to support their efforts. They are hoping to reach Peoria sometime Wednesday, June 8th at the Peoria Riverfront. The proceeds that come to The Salvation Army will be earmarked for use at The Salvation Army camping programs at Eagle Crest Camp. For more details on Eagle Crest Camp, visit the website at www.eaglecrestcamp.org.
Since spring is here and summer is rapidly approaching, the Peoria City/County Health Department would like to remind citizens of the potential risk for West Nile Virus (WNV) infection. The Peoria City/County Health Department will again be collecting dead birds with emphasis on crows and blue jays. Bird collection runs June through October 15, 2011.
Birds infected with WNV are good indicators of the potential for human infection. Testing the birds early will allow public health officials to see if there is evidence of WNV infection in the area. The birds must be dead less than 48 hours and show no signs of deterioration or known cause of death. A maximum of 5 birds will be collected during this period. If you find any other dead birds that do not meet the criteria for submission, the following steps can be taken to dispose of them safely:
• wear gloves to pick up the dead bird,
• place the dead bird in a plastic bag, and
• dispose of it in the garbage receptacle.
WNV is a mosquito-borne disease that can cause encephalitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord). WNV infection is transmitted through a mosquito bite to people, other birds, and animals after the mosquitoes feed on birds that are infected. This infection can also be spread through infected transplanted organs and blood transfusions but the likelihood of infection through this route is very small.
In 2010, one human case of WNV was reported in Peoria County. However, 61 human cases and 4 deaths were reported in the State of Illinois. Anyone can get WNV infection; however, people over 50 years of age and those with weakened immune systems have the highest risk of developing a severe illness. The best way to prevent WNV infection is to reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home and to take personal precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Community monitoring and prevention measures are important so that you and your family can take steps to reduce the risk of getting infected with WNV and other mosquito related illnesses.
Here are some easy tips to prevent WNV infection:
• Stay indoors between dusk and dawn to avoid mosquito bites. These are the times when the mosquitoes are most active. If outdoors at these times, wear shoes and socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt. Loose-fitting, light colored clothing is best.
• Use mosquito repellant containing when it is necessary to be outdoors. Apply repellant sparingly, as indicated on the repellent label, to exposed skin or clothing. Consult a physician before using repellents on young children. Several products the CDC recommends are DEET, Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (PMD), or IR3535.
• Eliminate stagnant water in birdbaths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires, and any other receptacles that could hold a small amount of water.
• Check for and repair any tears in residential screens, including porches and patios.
• Clean clogged roof gutters.
• Turn over plastic wading pools when not in use.
• Aerate ornamental ponds or stock them with fish.
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools that are not being used.
• Use landscaping to eliminate standing water on your property.
For information on bird submission or WNV, call the Peoria City/County Health Department, Environmental Health at 679-6161. For other information on public health issues, visit our website at www.pcchd.org.
With the end of the fiscal year approaching on June 30, state Rep. Jehan Gordon (D- Peoria) is encouraging local small businesses with fewer than 50 employees who have created a job in the last year to take advantage of Illinois’ Small Business Job Creation Tax Credit, which offers a $2,500 tax credit for every qualifying new job that a business creates and sustains for at least one year.
“Small businesses are the heart and soul of our communities, and employ most of the workers in the state,” said Gordon. “This tax credit offers a little extra help to small businesses that are investing in new employees and putting citizens back to work. However, the time is running out for businesses to take advantage of this opportunity and I want to make sure everyone knows about it.”
Last year, Gordon co-sponsored Senate Bill 1578, which offers small businesses that have 50 or fewer employees a $2,500 tax credit for each full-time job they create and sustain for at least one year. Credits are awarded to businesses on a first-come, first-served basis in an application process overseen by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. There is a $50 million cap on the total amount of credits that may be awarded, an amount which equals credits for 20,000 new jobs in the state of Illinois. To date, only $7 million in credits have been claimed.
The Small Business Job Creation Tax Credit applies to all new positions created between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011. Businesses can apply for positions they created during that time period retroactively, but they must have registered the new position with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity before June 30, 2011. Registration can be completed online at jobstaxcredit.illinois.gov.
“The best thing for our state is to make sure that citizens are working and that are businesses are profitable,” said Gordon. “I will continue to work with my colleagues and local businesses to ensure that we are creating policies that promote economic development, keep jobs in Illinois and put local residents back to work.”
For more information on the Small Business Job Creation Tax Credit, please contact Gordon’s constituent service office at (309) 681-1992.
Ever wonder if your child suffers from ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)? Methodist Medical Center is offering an opportunity to learn more about ADHD and get your questions answered by an experienced Methodist pediatrician. Dr. Joseph Flint of Methodist Medical Group Pediatrics at Morton will host a Coffee with the Doctor Wednesday, June 29, 2011.
Dr. Flint will explain the symptoms of ADHD, how it is diagnosed, and the many treatment options that are available.
Coffee with the Doctor will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Methodist Medical Group Pediatrics at Morton, 1909 N. Morton Ave. This event is free however space is limited. To reserve a seat call 636-9500 by June 27.
Seshadri Guha and Dawn Bozeman join the Board of Directors
The American Red Cross Central Illinois Chapter will hold the 95th Annual Meeting on Thursday, June 9, 2010 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. (program at 6:00 p.m.) at the Peoria Country Club (4700 Grandview Drive; Peoria Heights, IL).
New board members to be elected are:
Dawn Bozeman, Dunlap School District Board Member
Seshadri Guha, CEO of CGN & Associates
Brad Ingram, Partner at Heyl, Royster, Voekler & Allen, will be retiring as chairman of the Central Illinois Board and Mark Spenny, President & CEO of CEFCU, will be elected as board chair.
Proctor Hospital is please to announce that Caron Treatment Centers has selected Ameel Rashid, M.D., of the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery at Proctor Hospital, one of two recipients to receive the Fourth Annual CARON Dr. Jasper G. Chen See, M.D. Volunteer Leadership Award.
Phil Scherer, Administrative Director for the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery at Proctor Hospital accepted the award on behalf of Dr. Rashid at a May 16 NAATP (National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers) Board Reception, which is part of the 2011 NAATP Annual Addiction Treatment Leadership Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.
Dr. Rashid will be presented the Award at a reception in his honor at Proctor Hospital on Thursday, June 9.
Pat George, Kansas Secretary of Commerce and Board Chairman of Valley Hope Association, was also a recipient.
“Dr. Rashid is recognized internationally as a pioneer in the field of addiction medicine,” said Rick Zehr, Vice President at Proctor Hospital. “His 32 years of compassion for those suffering from addiction has changed the lives of over 100,000 addicts and family members. He is the cornerstone upon which the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery has become the world’s most comprehensive addiction treatment provider.”
Dr. Rashid was nominated by Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery (IIAR) at Proctor Hospital for his generosity and leadership in addiction treatment. Co-Medical Director at IIAR, Dr. Rashid’s involvement and leadership has grown the program into one of the world’s premier comprehensive hospital-based as well as free-standing residential and outpatient addiction services for adults and adolescents. Always there to lend a helping hand, Dr. Rashid knows the importance of spending extra time with patients who need additional emotional and medical support and has personally contributed material items to the unit so that his patients receive the best care. In 2007, Dr. Rashid spearheaded IIAR’s first-annual Recovery Walks!, which raised over $70,000 and established the Ameel Rashid Scholarship Fund for Addiction Recovery. A dream realized, the scholarship fund provides monetary support to those who are appropriate for treatment services at IIAR but are unable to meet the financial requirement. Now in its 5th year, Recovery Walks! has grown and expanded the scholarships’ resources encouraging individuals to seek treatment for addiction and live a life of recovery.
The following is important info we, as US citizens, should be aware of. The facts are here. Some readers may view this only as my opinion, my spin. However, it’s still information you may or may not be aware of.
“The U.S. House of Representatives apparently has declared War on Women with their recent passage of H.R.3. Contrary to pledge to focus on jobs and the economy, Speaker Boehner and his allies pass extreme bill that attacks women’s freedom and privacy. It now goes to the U.S. Senate.
This is extreme anti-choice bill indicates just how far House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other anti-choice politicians are apparently willing to go to pacify their anti-choice base at the expense of women’s health and the nation’s priorities. This bill manipulates the tax code in an effort to advance anti-choice policies that could trigger an IRS audit for rape and incest survivors who choose abortion care.
So far, 135,000 signatures in opposition to this bill have been sent to House Speaker Boehner. Over 400,000 messages have been sent to Congress opposing these anti-choice policies. So, how did your Representative vote on this? How do you think your U.S. Senator will vote? They need to hear your opinion.”
The Peoria Park District presents Lil’ Guys & Gals on Saturday, June 18 and Sunday, June 19 at Detweiller Golf Course. The tournament is free to enter and is for juniors up to 11 years of age living in Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford Counties.
Entry deadline is June 12. This event is co-sponsored by the Journal Star and Pepsi Americas.
Entry forms are available on-line at www.peoriaparks.org/golf and at all PPD courses. For more information on the Peoria Park District’s junior tournament programs, call Dustin Martin, PGA at (309) 674-1663.
On Saturday, June 11, 2011 the Woodford County Sheriff’s Office and the W. D. Boyce Council will host its 2nd Annual Law Enforcement Exploring Shooting Competition and Training at the Illinois State Police Headquarters in Metamora, IL. The competition begins at 8:00 a.m. and ends with an award program at 2:00 p.m. Youth participating are members of the Council’s Law Enforcement Exploring programs with the following departments: Woodford County Sheriff’s Office, Peoria Park District Police, Pekin Police and Minier Police.
Youth participating in Law Enforcement Exploring range in age from 14 through 21 and gain valuable lessons that include: hands on career education, developing leadership skills, building character and experiencing positive social interaction with peers. In central Illinois, there are seven Law Enforcement Exploring programs. In addition to the departments participating at the competition, there are programs with Princeton Police, Danvers Police and Bloomington Police, for a total of 149 youth enrolled in the program.
The Shooting Competition and Training was created to prepare Explorers for the National Law Enforcement Exploring Competition. Additionally, the local Competition and Training allows Explorers who are unable to afford the National Competition to receive a similar experience locally at a more affordable price.
For more information on the competition, the Law Enforcement Exploring program, or other Career Exploring posts, contact Alison Oaks at alison.oaks@lflmail.org or visit www.learningforlife.org.