OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois in Peoria recently received national recognition for two of its programs.

REGIONAL

Farm Bureau hosts Smart Farming conference

The Illinois Farm Bureau holds its Farm Income and Innovations Conference (formerly Commodities Conference) will delve into how changing consumer desires, supply chain management, and public policies are impacting agriculture.

The focus of the conference will be Smart Farming: The Next Evolution in Agriculture and will be held on July 25-26 at the Bloomington-Normal Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, 210 Broadway Ave., Normal.

Each session will be tailored to deliver messages and promote discussions that will help farmers prepare their farms for the next generation.  The latest consumer and food marketing trends, lessons for farm management, and strategies for improving your profitability via alternative markets will be on the agenda.

Early registration is open through July 19. For more information, call (309) 862-9000 or toll free (888) 236-2427. Or go to http://www.ilfb.org/ifb-news-and-events/conferences-events/fiic2017.aspx.

Children’s hospital gets national ranking

Peoria’s children’s hospital continues to receive national recognition for its work by U.S. News & World Report. The magazine has recently ranked two programs among the top in the nation.

OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois’ pediatric urology program has been ranked three times in the last four years; however, this was the first time the hospital has been ranked for another specialty: neonatology. Pediatric urology was rated No. 29 in the nation while neonatology ranked 49th.

The hospital was one of 187 children’s hospitals assessed using surveys and clinical data.

EAST PEORA

Car Seat Checks

First Wednesday of each month March through December               

• 1-4 p.m.
• Central Fire Station, 201 W. Washington St., East Peoria
• Cost:  Free!

Parents and child caregivers can make sure car seats are properly installed in vehicles during this free program.

Nationally-trained child passenger safety technicians will be available to educate caregivers on proper installation of child restraints and best practice guidelines. According to Safe Kids, a national organization promoting car seat safety, 95 percent of car seats are installed incorrectly.

Car seat checks will not be scheduled in January and February due to the uncertainty of winter weather.

For more information, call the Children’s Hospital of Illinois, 1-877-277-6543.

Those who cannot attend the monthly event can schedule an appointment for a car seat check by calling 698-4700 and asking for the assistant fire chief on duty. There is no charge for the appointment.

MORTON

Library serves up music, grilled cheese

Sidetracked, a band performing an eclectic mix of jazz, pop and soul, will perform, and Nacho Mama’s Grilled Cheese Food Truck will sell grilled cheese sandwiches, nachos and more from 5:30-7:00 p.m. July 14 at Morton Public Library, 315 W. Pershing, Morton.   

The free concert will be held in Hannah’s Reading Garden. The public is invited to bring lawn chairs.  

PEKIN

Police warn about lethal form of heroin

The Pekin Police Department has issued a warning about a form of heroin that is circulating, called purple heroin. It got its name because it turns purple once it is in the syringe. This type of heroin contains Fentanyl, and could be lethal if used intravenously or absorbed through the skin.  

For those who have a drug problem and would like help, Pekin police suggest drug users look into the department’s Safe Passages Program by calling (309) 478-5330.  

ICC to increase class offerings

The Pekin City Council has reached an agreement with Illinois Central College that gives ICC two years free of rent at the city-owned building on Hanna Drive. The agreement will allow the college to offer more classes at its southernmost campus, giving more options to students.

Among those options are more night classes and an expansion of ICC’s Early College programs for students from Pekin Community High School and high schools in the southern part of Tazewell County.  

Other educational opportunities will be expanded. For example, the college is adding an accounting technician program, designed to provide training that can translate into a job. The college will also offer more general education courses at ICC Pekin to make it easier for students to transition to the main college campus in East Peoria or the campus in Peoria to complete their programs. 

Summer swim classes for all ages, ability

The Pekin YWCA is offering a variety of summer swim lessons. Registration for the next session runs July 10-15. Classes start July 17 and conclude Sept. 9. There are aquatic programs for ages 6 months through adult. The infant and preschool program is for children ages 6 months old through 5 years old. Learn-to-swim group lessons are for children 6 years old and up.

The YWCA also offers private and semi-private swim lessons.

All ages are welcome to participate in the adaptive aquatics class. It is designed to provide more individualized instruction to those with learning or physical disabilities.

Special Olympics swimming is offered to any swimmer 8 years old and up who has a physical and/or learning disability. Classes are 40 minutes long. 

The YWCA is at 315 Buena Vista Ave. Call (309) 347- 9922 for questions about membership and classes.  

WASHINGTON

The Illinois Department of Transportation is recommending new traffic patterns now that the new pavement markings have been installed at the Spring Creek intersection

For more information, go to the IDOT District 4 link https://twitter.com/IDOTDistrict4/status/879774235442499585.

–Tazewell County News Briefs–