Mindy Goodrich

EUREKA

Think twice before visiting patients in hospital

With a recent area rise in seasonal flu activity, Advocate Eureka Hospital in Eureka is asking the public to voluntarily limit hospital visits. This precautionary measure is designed to protect patients, visitors, and staff from contracting and spreading the flu and other upper respiratory illnesses.

Health officials have noted increased flu activity throughout Woodford County and central Illinois, prompting several area hospitals to follow best practices from the Illinois Department of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Effective immediately, it is requested that:

• Visitors should be at least 18 years of age and older. This will minimize patient exposure to children, who are known to be high risk for transmission of viral infections, and will also help protect children from contracting an illness while visiting the hospital.
• Individuals who are not feeling well or have had flu-like symptoms in the past seven days should not visit hospitalized patients. Flu-like symptoms include a fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, cough and/or sore throat. 
• When entering and leaving a patient’s room, everyone should wash their hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand foam/gel. Washing helps limit the spread of disease.
• People should cough or sneeze into their arm, shoulder or tissue (not hands) to reduce the spread of germs that can be passed from hands touching surfaces or people. 

College unveils program to ensure graduation in 4 years

Eureka College has introduced the Uniquely Eureka Advantage, a program that will begin in fall 2017, and features bold commitments including graduation in four years, a four-year tuition freeze, an experiential learning award to all new students and opportunities to study abroad and participate in campus activities.

All incoming new students who meet the requirements for admission in the fall of 2017, maintain satisfactory academic progress and meet various additional requirements are eligible to take advantage of all five commitments the program offers.

The Uniquely Eureka Advantage is being called the college’s way of doubling down on its commitments and further enhancing students’ experience.

Eureka College is committed to helping all incoming first-year students graduate in four years. If students follow all guidelines and requirements and fail to graduate in four years, the fifth year will be tuition-free.

Additionally, tuition will be “frozen” for all four years for incoming freshmen in fall 2017. This commitment applies to students who are in good academic standing and continuously enrolled for four academic years or eight semesters.

The third commitment offers all new students a $2,000 Experiential Learning Grant. The grant may support high-impact practices such as internships, mentorships, research or conference presentation or study-abroad opportunities. Students will be eligible for the grant after completing 45 credits hours.

The college also is increasing its commitment to offering study abroad opportunities to all students who choose to include this experience as part of their learning and service. Similar to the Experiential Learning Grant, students will work closely and under the guidance of faculty and staff and must have completed 45 credit hours. 

MINONK

City council names new ambulance chief

After several months without an ambulance chief, the Minonk City Council approved the appointment of Mindy Goodrich as Ambulance Chief at the council’s regular meeting, Feb. 6.

STATE

Lawmaker wants to reduce number of state symbols

Is pumpkin pie endangered as the official pie of Illinois? If so, how would the change play in Morton? The state pie and other symbols could be endangered if a proposed bill makes its way to becoming law.

Senate Bill 690, sponsored by freshman Sen. Tom Rooney (R-Rolling Meadows) proposes that Illinois get rid of symbols such as the state bird (cardinal), state flower (violet) and state animal (white-tailed deer), among many others. Rooney says too many state symbols has caused the value of the important ones to suffer. His legislation would leave only the state flag, state seal, state motto and state song.

In 2015, pumpkin pie was elevated to its current status and sweet corn became the official vegetable of Illinois.

Two legislators are hoping to add more symbols. Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville) is seeking to make corn the official state grain of Illinois, while Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez (R-Leland Grove) introduced a bill that hopes to make shelter dogs and cats the state’s official pet.

In addition to the end of pumpkin pie as the state pie, Rooney’s bill would eliminate the following symbols: bird, insect, official language, mineral, tree and flower, animal, fish, prairie grass, vegetable, fruit, fossil, artifact, folk dance, theater, soil, snack food, amphibian, reptile and tartan.

–Woodford County News Briefs–