“Taste of 4-H”  will be held at the Boys & Girls Club Carlson Center in Machesney Park on Friday, Nov. 10 and will begin at 9 a.m.

ROCKFORD

Foundation, Library sponsor  scholarship night

The Rock Valley College Foundation is once again partnering with the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois and the Rockford Public Library to sponsor a Community Scholarship Fair. The fair will be held Tuesday, Dec. 5 from 5-7 p.m. at Mendelssohn Hall, 406 N. Main St. in Rockford.

The Community Scholarship Fair is a free event that provides students of all ages and citizenship status with information on scholarships. Representatives from numerous local organizations will be available to speak to students and advise them on financial aid options.

Seminars will also be offered from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. The Rock Valley College Financial Aid department and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) will talk about the financial aid process, filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), financial aid programs provided by the ISAC, and how to apply for RVC Foundation scholarships. The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois and the Rockford Public Library will discuss Community Foundation scholarship opportunities, including how to apply, and how to use the Rockford Public Library’s local scholarship database and scholarship resources.

For more information visit cfnil.org or rockfordpubliclibrary.org, or call the Rockford Public Library at (815) 965-7606.

STATE

Decade sees teen driving deaths down by half

Fewer teens are dying behind the wheel in Illinois. And, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is crediting a graduated driver’s license law with the 51 percent drop in teenage-driver deaths in the past decade.

White cited Illinois Department of Transportation data that show there were 76 fatalities among motorists aged 16-19 in 2016. That’s down from 155 in 2007, the year before the Graduated Driver’s License program took effect.

The program gives teenagers more time to gain experience behind the wheel under a parent’s or guardian’s supervision. It limits in-car distractions and requires teens to earn their way from one stage of driving to the next.

White, a Democrat running for his sixth term as secretary of state in the 2018 elections, announced the numbers last week at the beginning of National Teen Driver Safety Week.

REGION

Mercyhealth links with Blue Cross Blue Shield

Mercyhealth has announced  it is participating in the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois PPO Network.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2018, patients with commercial insurance who have Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois’ PPO will have full in-network access to Mercyhealth’s integrated hospitals, physicians and services throughout Winnebago, Boone and Ogle counties. This includes access to Mercyhealth:

• Hospitals (Including Mercyhealth Hospital-Rockton Ave. and the new Mercyhealth Hospital-Riverside Blvd.)
• Clinics and specialty centers
• 675+ primary and specialty care physicians
• Home health services
• Hospice services
• Medical equipment and supplies
• Pharmacies
• Urgent care services

“Our participation is great news for those Blue Cross patients who have not had access to Mercyhealth hospitals in our Rockford region for many years,” said Javon R. Bea, President and CEO of Mercyhealth.

ROCKFORD

Kids can opportunity to get ‘Taste of 4-H’

University of Illinois Extension and the Rockford Boys & Girls Club are working together to host a project workshop day for youth ages 8-14. Kids will have a chance to try out different projects, make and take something home and just have fun.

“Taste of 4-H”  will be held at the Boys & Girls Club Carlson Center in Machesney Park on Friday, Nov. 10 and will begin at 9  a.m. Youth will have a chance to choose between 6 different project sessions including woodworking, making jewelry, paper crafting and more.

This event is open to ALL youth ages 8-14 (4-H enrollment is not necessary). Registration is required. Deadline to register is November 9, 2017 through our online registration web.extension.illinois.edu/jsw/.

For questions and more information, please contact the U of I Extension office at (815) 986-4357.

–Winnebago County News Briefs–