Senior Services Associates needs volunteers to help with food and essential item deliveries. A background check is required. To request the background and volunteer enrollment forms, contact:  Deborah Lee Sheppard, RSVP Coordinator, at dsheppard@seniorservicesassoc.org, (email is the best method) or by phone, 630-553-5777

KENDALL COUNTY

Prepare now for severe springtime weather 

Springtime can bring severe weather.

Tornadoes can; happen anytime and anywhere; bring intense winds, over 200 MPH; and look like funnels.

Before a tornado, establish a safe zone in your home and make sure everyone knows where to go for shelter. Sign up for your community’s warning systems. If your community has sirens, then become familiar with the warning tone.

Tornadoes vary greatly in their appearance and can occur with little or no warning. It is important to know the signs that a tornado could be imminent. Signs include; a dark, often greenish sky, a wall cloud, particularly if it is rotating, large hail, which is often produced by the same storms that produce tornadoes, a loud roar, similar to the sound of a freight train.

A tornado watch means that weather conditions are favorable for tornadoes and a tornado warning means one has been spotted in your area.

If you are under a tornado warning, find safe shelter right away. If you can safely get to a sturdy building, then do so immediately. Go to a safe room, basement, or storm cellar. If you are in a building with no basement, then get to a small interior room on the lowest level. Stay away from windows, doors, and outside walls. Do not get under an overpass or bridge. You’re safer in a low, flat location. Watch out for flying debris that can cause injury or death. Use your arms to protect your head and neck.

Taking an active role in your safety today will assist in your response when severe weather is approaching. For more information on emergency preparedness for elders and pets, please click images below. You may also visit www.kendallhealth.org or call 630-553-9100 to learn more.

Coronavirus: What to do if you feel ill

The Kendall County Health Department, alongside the Kendall County Fire Chiefs, continues to monitor novel (new) coronavirus (COVID-19).

The departments are sharing important information intended to help everyone during this COVID-19 pandemic.

If residents begin to have symptoms such as headache, cough, sneezing or a runny nose, first call your primary care physician, according to the Kendall County Health Department.

The primary care physicians have the process to pre-screen you and advise you on a course of action, according to the agency. “Please do not rush to the hospital emergency department or call 911, unless the symptoms are severe,” the statement released Sunday, March 22.

In the event of extreme illness and you need to call 911, if able, wait by the front door for the ambulance to arrive.

Residents should continue to go to Kendall County Health Department website to keep in touch with this evolving situation. Community members are welcome to call the health department at 630-553-9100 with questions.

For more information on COVID-19, visit Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by Johns Hopkins CSSE real time map and the Coronavirus Prevention video,

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (left) and Kendall County Health Department Executive Director Dr. Amaal Tokars held a Facebook video town hall on March 25 to provide updates on the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo courtesy of Kendall Co. Health Dept.)

Sheriff’s office makes plea to residents

In the days and weeks ahead, the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office said it is asking residents to try and make the jobs of first responders easier during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The environment is rapidly changing. It is important that we all follow the advice of our local, regional, state and national health care professionals. While this safety challenge is global, we can all expect our daily lives to be disrupted and impacted to varying degrees,” Sheriff Dwight Baird said in a released statement.

The sheriff’s office will continue to patrol neighborhoods and enforce the law — disorder, misconduct or criminal acts and offenders will be held accountable.
Decisions about incarceration for crimes committed during this emergency period will be done in coordination and consultation with the judicial branch. The imposition of bail will be made on a case-by-case basis in coordination with the State’s Attorney’s Office, according to the sheriff’s office.

To protect everyone’s health, the sheriff’s office is limiting visitation at the correctional facility. These measures are temporary and will be reevaluated upon the advice of health professionals.
“We ask everyone to try to ease the burden on first responders during this trying time and please remember every health care worker, officer, paramedic and deputy has a family at home they are concerned about as well. We are all in this together,” Baird stated.

OSWEGO

 Groot changes collection service procedures

Groot, the village of Oswego’s contracted waste hauler, has made changes to the way its waste haulers will be collecting trash to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community and among its workers. Here’s a reminder of what you need to know:
• If you use your own trash can:
You must bag your trash, tie the bags, and put them in the trash can. In many cases, haulers collecting trash cans must touch the can in order to toss the garbage into the truck. If a hauler sees loose garbage in your trash can, they will not touch the can.
• If you use a Groot-issued toter cart:
Nothing has changed. Place your trash in your toter cart as usual. Haulers will collect your trash using the mechanical arm on the garbage truck, as usual.
No bulk items or trash/recycling outside the can
Until further notice, waste haulers will not collect bulk items, electronics, construction debris, or appliances, and they will not collect any trash left outside of a can or cart. This includes items for recycling.

Haulers will not collect any recycling that is left outside of your recycling cart.

Haulers will not return to collect any trash that is missed or not put at the curb on time.
Visit oswegoil.org and click on E-mail Alerts
For additional information on village of Oswego operations and resources for residents and businesses, visit the village’s COVID-19 page. Residents can also follow the village of Oswego on Facebook and Twitter for to-the-minute updates.

Packaged alcohol sales allowed with takeout

On March 21, Village President Troy Parlier signed a second executive order to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in Oswego.

The order reinforces the State of Illinois’ Stay at Home Order, closes village of Oswego facilities to the public, and suspends licenses for door-to-door solicitors.

It also allows restaurants and bars that typically sell alcohol for on-premises consumption to offer packaged sales of alcohol along with their curbside or takeout service.

A few rules:
• No alcohol delivery is permitted.
• No drive-thru alcohol sales. (You’ll have to get out of the car to show ID.)
You don’t have to buy food to also buy packaged alcohol.

As always, you must be 21 and show ID to buy alcohol. (All other laws relating to the purchase, sale, and consumption of alcohol are also still in effect.)
Contact the village clerk’s office at 630-554-3259 during regular business hours or email ttouchette@oswegoil.org if you have any questions.

Police keeping an eye on seniors

The village of Oswego is offering a daily check-in program for the duration of the State of Illinois Stay at Home order.

This is offered for Oswego residents who are seniors or those with medical concerns who may live alone.
If you live alone or know someone who lives alone, enroll in the “I Live Alone” program. Once signed up, you will receive a daily telephone call with a friendly check-in.

If no answer is received, and have not been otherwise notified that you are away, a police officer will be sent to check on you. We hope many seniors and their families will find this to be a comfort during this time.
Contact the Oswego Police Department at 630-551-7300 to sign up. This is a free service.

YORKVILLE

Refuse and Recycling Collection Changes
Beginning March 23, Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS), the village’s contracted provider for residential garbage, recycling and yardwaste pickup, will make the following garbage and recycling collection changes until further notice to mitigate concerns over COVID-19:
The collections of bulk items, white goods (appliances) and e-waste will be suspended. Loose material, bulk items (mattresses, furniture, etc.), appliances, electronic waste or other large items at the curb will not be collected for the safety of staff and residents.
At this time, normal garbage, recycling and yardwaste service will remain unaffected by these changes.
For questions or more info, contact Lakeshore Recycling at (844) NEED.LRS, email Montgomery@LRSrecycles.com or visit their website at www.lrsrecycles.com/montgomery/.

 “Birthday Parades” Banned in Montgomery

The village of Montgomery is sending out a reminder that the Stay at Home order allows for only essential travel. Setting up birthday parades and meetings in vehicles in parking lots does not constitute essential travel and is discouraged and a violation of the stay at home order that we must adhere to.