Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News
Newspaper covering Franklin County, Illinois
INA -Rend Lake College’s Austin Swalls (Carterville) and Kenny Berry (Granite City) pose for a photo with Head Coach Tommy Holder. The sophomores were recognized before the team’s final regular season game Friday night. Swalls would hit a clutch 3-pointer late in the second half to help RLC secure the 86-83 win over the Shawnee Saints. The Warriors enter postseason play next week. FROM LEFT are; Swalls, Holder and Berry. (Nathan Whheeler RLC Public Information)
The following are tweets from the US secret Service
Independent UK photo.
WASHINGTON, DC – Secret Service personnel are responding to reports of a person who allegedly suffered a self-inflicted gun shot wound along the north fence line of @WhiteHouse.
UPDATE: No other reported injuries related to the incident at @WhiteHouse.
John Roberts of Fox News says the following: “Medical personnel are responding to the incident. The person involved in the incident was not immediately identified and his condition was unknown.”
A White House official told Fox News that President Trump has been briefed on the incident and referred all questions to the Secret Service.
President Trump is currently in Mar-a-Lago and is expected to return to Washington, D.C., later on Saturday.
Please follow the link for this breaking story from Fox News.
HICKMAN, KY – Hickman City Police officer was found dead Saturday morning in a flooded field.
Kentucky State Police say 45-year-old Officer Rodney Smith of Boaz was located at 5 a.m.. in the field off of Bernal Avenue in Hickman City. Police say the cruiser he had been driving was also located.
Please click on the link for the full story from Matt Margraf of WKMS radio, of Murray State University.
http://wkms.org/post/hickman-police-officer-found-dead-flooded-field
By ReAnne Palmer – Rend Lake College Public Information
RLC’s College Signing Days begin later this month at Hamilton County Senior High School. Last year, Hamilton County sent 51 seniors to RLC – one of the biggest classes of the year.
(ReAnne Palmer / RLC Public Information)
INA – Rend Lake College is continuing to celebrate local high school seniors who choose to further their education with College Signing Days. The event, back for a third year, invites high schoolers to take pride in their choice to attend college.
During College Signing Days, Academic Advisors travel to each of the 13 high schools in RLC’s district to speak one-on-one with students and help them prepare for their first semester of college life. This includes addressing concerns, answering questions, and registering students for summer and fall 2018 classes.
The high school students will also receive a one-of-a-kind T-Shirt celebrating their first step into higher education, followed by the signing of a banner and photo.
College Signing Days kick off on this month with visits to Hamilton County Senior, Norris City-Omaha-Enfield, and Sesser-Valier high schools. The month of April will highlight seniors at Christopher, Mt. Vernon Township, Pinckneyville Community, Waltonville, Wayne City, and Woodlawn high schools. RLC will wrap up College Signing Days in May at Benton Consolidated, Thompsonville, and Webber Township high schools.
According to the U. S. Department of Education, college graduates typically earn more and are less likely to face unemployment than those with a high school diploma.
Over the course of a lifetime, the average worker with a postsecondary degree will earn approximately $1 million more than a worker without a postsecondary education. In fact, by 2020, an estimated two-thirds of job openings will require college education or training.
Registration for Summer and Fall 2018 is going on now. Classes start the week of June 4-8 for the summer semester and during the week of August 20-24 for the fall semester. Contact RLC’s Academic Advisement Center at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1266 to schedule an appointment for summer or fall registration.
RLC is a comprehensive community college located in Ina in Southern Illinois. Rend Lake College offers more than 100 associate degree and occupational certificate programs, preparing students for transfer to a four-year university or direct entry into the workforce. To learn more about RLC, visit www.rlc.edu/journey.
From State Senator Paul Schimpf (R-Waterloo)
Earlier in the week Sen. Schimpf was lucky to be in the company of Trico Senior High Schoolers Haleigh Turner, (left), Jade Kranawetter, and Juhle Prange in Springfield. The three seniors had a jam-packed day of learning on Tuesday, Feb. 27, as his Honorary Pages. (From State Senator Paul Schimpf)
Senator Paul Schimpf’s week in Springfield began with a meeting of the Higher Education Working Group. This bipartisan group of legislators from the Illinois House and Senate has been meeting since December to identify ways the Illinois legislature can support our state universities and community colleges.
After listening to universities discuss their strategies for recruitment and retention of applicants, the working group reached tentative agreement on reforms to increase the likelihood that Illinois students will stay in state for higher education.
The working group will turn next to the structure of higher education governance in Illinois.
This week Sen. Schimpf voted against the two pieces of gun control legislation that came before him in the Illinois Senate.
“In my opinion, these bills are more concerned with scoring political points than ensuring the safety of our students,” said Schimpf. “They both significantly limit our Second Amendment rights.”
Senator Schimpf voted against HB 772 which would set up a process where an individual’s immediate and extended family can petition a judge to order the confiscation of their firearms without notice to the individual in question. This is a problem because the process sets the lowest possible burden of proof for the judge to grant the request. In essence, the law would be setting up on-demand weapon confiscation with no legal safeguards for the firearm owner.
“This bill is unnecessary,” said Schimpf. “Illinois law already provides that a person who is subject to an existing order of protection may not lawfully possess weapons under the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act.”
Sen. Schimpf also voted against legislation to implement SB 1657. The bill would create a new gun dealer licensing bureaucracy within Illinois government.
“I have concerns that this proposal doesn’t treat big box stores, like Walmart, the same as the local ‘mom and pop’ stores in our communities,” said Schimpf. “This proposal will make doing business much more difficult for Southern Illinois gun stores. This is another example of politicians placing Chicago solutions on the rest of the state.”
Despite the Senator’s “No” vote – both bills passed, SB 1657 is awaiting further action by the Governor. HB 772 had to return to the House because the Senate amended the bill. The House has to concur on that amendment before it can receive final approval and be sent to the Governor.
Changes are coming to Illinois’ Hospital Assessment Program following the overwhelming passage of bipartisan legislation to authorize the continuation of the Hospital Assessment Program. The program will enhance Medicaid managed care transparency and oversight.
The program brings in $3.5 billion annually to support access to healthcare for over three million Illinoisans who are insured by Medicaid. The program is fully financed by hospitals and the federal government—there is no cost to the state. The goal of all lawmakers from the very beginning was to direct limited dollars to those individuals who need it, in the fairest possible way.
The final package will preserve access to healthcare for all Illinoisans, especially vulnerable populations in rural and urban communities, including those served by Safety Net and Critical Access Hospitals.
The Illinois Veterans’ Home at Quincy will likely make headlines again next week as the fourth Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing is slated for Monday, March 5, in Chicago. The outbreaks at the facility have turned into a wicked problem, confounding elected officials, medical professionals, and healthcare administrators, alike.
Despite efforts by the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA), the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to eliminate the bacteria through heating, chemical treatment, and filtration, four residents have recently tested positive for Legionnaires’ disease—the most recent being the week of Feb. 19.
“Since December 2017, I have visited the site and participated in several legislative hearings, conference calls, and meetings,” Schimpf said. “Despite this information gathering, I cannot fathom why the home still tests positive for Legionella. I will continue holding our Veterans’ Affairs and Public Health leaders accountable until we can identify why our veterans are at risk.”
On Friday, March 2, Sen. Schimpf spoke at a ceremony at the Pinckneyville Correctional Center where more than 60 cadets graduated from the training academy. The new correctional officers are bound for new roles at the Life Skills Re-Entry Center in Murphysboro.
“Without question, this is a positive day for these people, our new cadets, the City of Murphysboro, and the State of Illinois,” said Schimpf. “I’m proud to be a part of it all, witnessing the changes we need to see in our region unfold. I commend Governor Bruce Rauner, Representative Terri Bryant, and the Department of Corrections for their hard work in reopening this facility.”
Earlier in the week Sen. Schimpf was lucky to be in the company of Trico Senior High Schoolers Haleigh Turner, (left), Jade Kranawetter, and Juhle Prange in Springfield. The three seniors had a jam-packed day of learning on Tuesday, Feb. 27, as his Honorary Pages.
The Goreville Blackcats became the Southern Illinois Blackcats last night as the cut down the nets in Oxford Gym last night in the win over Sesser-Valier. (Goreville Community Unit 1 photo)
ELIZABETHTOWN – The Sesser-Valier Red Devils fall short to the Goreville Blackcats, 48-44 in the sectional final game at Hardin County last night.
Preston Launius led the Devils with 17 points last night, Tyler Winchester added 13, and Lukas Gunter added seven.
Braden Webb led the way for the Blackcats with 13 points, Tanner Dunn added 11, and, Cole Tosh added nine.
Goreville is in uncharted territory for their program. They advance to the Elite Eight facing Mowequa Central A & M in the Class 1A Super Sectional at the SIU arena. They were 69-56 winners over Nokoms last night, on A & M’s home floor.
Two teams in the Sweet 16 (it will never be Super 16 in my book) shows the strength of the BDC West. Christopher and Chester playing in regional championship games, speaks volumes how tough this conference is night in and night out.
http://abaselineview.com/abvsvgoreville.html
Madison Case, SIU Salukis photo
By Tom Weber – siusalukis.com
ST LOUIS, Mo. — Southern Illinois held off a furious late-game rally by Missouri State to win, 67-63, in the quarterfinal round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Scottrade Center on Friday night.
The Salukis (20-12) appeared comfortably ahead, 63-49, after Sean Lloyd made a 3-pointer with 6:18 remaining in the game, before the Bears (18-15) reeled off 12 unanswered points to make it 63-61 with 1:30 to go.
“We were up 14, and somebody said, well, what happened?” said SIU head coach Barry Hinson. “What happened is they’re a good basketball team. Forrest Gump, stuff happens.”
Southern stopped the bleeding and ended a five-minute dry spell when Aaron Cook drove the lane and finished with his left hand to make it 65-61 with under a minute to play.
“I said, ‘I’m going to put you back in, and I’m going to put the ball in your hands,'” Hinson said of his sophomore point guard. “And I just said, ‘I just want you to make good decisions. That’s it. Do what you’ve done all year long.'”
The Bears countered with two free throws by Jarred Dixon to trim the deficit to 65-63 with 47 seconds. After Cook missed a jumper with 19 seconds remaining, Missouri State had a chance to tie or take the lead, but Ryan Kreklow was stripped of the ball in the left corner, which led to a breakaway layup for Lloyd to seal the victory.
“At the end you’ve got to get the ball to the rim and you’ve got a chance,” said Missouri State head coach Paul Lusk, whose team was out of timeouts and was unable to get the ball to one of its top scorers on the final possession. “Obviously, we coughed it up. That’s the way it goes, but give Southern a lot of credit.”
Both teams got off to slow starts offensively. With six minutes to go in the first half, the score was deadlocked at just 14-14. Southern got a huge lift off the bench from center Rudy Stradnieks, however. He scored all seven of his points in the final four minutes of the first half to give SIU a 29-28 halftime advantage. His final bucket was a 3-pointer from the top of the key, just his third trey of the season.
“We called the play for Rudy,” Hinson explained. “That’s why the bench was so excited because we asked Rudy — I said, ‘Rudy, we’re going to run this play for you.’ Rudy has not shot a three or made a three in the second half of the year, and he’s a good three-point shooter.”
SIU’s offense finally hit its stride midway through the second half. Leading, 48-47, the Salukis used a 15-2 run that featured a pair of post-up buckets by Kavion Pippen, back-to-back 3-pointers by Tyler Smithpetersand Cook, before Lloyd put the exclamation point on the burst with his second trey of the game.
Southern had a balanced attack with five players in double figures — Lloyd (13), Pippen (11) and Cook, Smithpeters and Armon Fletcher with 10 apiece.
The Salukis also held Missouri State’s best player — Alize Johnson — to just six points on 3-of-6 shooting.
“At halftime, we challenged Sean defensively because we switched, we put Armon on (Jarrid) Rhodes for his length, and we put Sean Lloyd on Alize,” Hinson said. “And then we challenged Kavion to go score, that we were going to get him the basketball. And we did. And he produced.”
The Salukis beat MSU for the eighth-straight time. They have won 20 games for the second time in the last three seasons and advanced to the semis for the third time in the last five years.
Box Score
| Total | 3-point | Rebounds | ||||||||||||
| ## | Player | p | fgm-fga | fgm-fga | ftm-fta | off-def | tot | pf | tp | a | to | blk | stl | min |
| 05 | Obediah Church | f | 3-4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-2 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 33 |
| 15 | Jarrid Rhodes | f | 6-13 | 3-7 | 6-6 | 1-2 | 3 | 1 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 38 |
| 24 | Alize Johnson | f | 3-6 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 2-9 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 37 |
| 01 | Mustafa Lawrence | g | 1-4 | 0-1 | 1-3 | 0-1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
| 11 | Jarred Dixon | g | 6-12 | 2-5 | 2-2 | 1-1 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 |
| 14 | Ronnie Rousseau III | – | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 20 | Ryan Kreklow | – | 3-7 | 2-5 | 1-2 | 0-4 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 26 |
| 23 | J.T. Miller | – | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 34 | Tanveer Bhullar | – | 1-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| TM | TEAM | – | – | – | – | 1-0 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Totals………….. | – | 23-51 | 7-22 | 10-13 | 9-21 | 30 | 9 | 63 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 200 | |
| 45.1% | 31.8% | 76.9% | ||||||||||||
| Team summary: | FG | 3FG | FT | |||||||||||
| 1st Half: | 10-26 | 4-11 | 4-7 | |||||||||||
| 38.5% | 36.4% | 57.1% | ||||||||||||
| 2nd Half: | 13-25 | 3-11 | 6-6 | |||||||||||
| 52.0% | 27.3% | 100 % | ||||||||||||
| Total | 3-point | Rebounds | ||||||||||||
| ## | Player | p | fgm-fga | fgm-fga | ftm-fta | off-def | tot | pf | tp | a | to | blk | stl | min |
| 33 | Pippen,Kavion | c | 5-11 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 2-4 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 30 |
| 03 | Bartley,Marcus | g | 2-8 | 0-4 | 0-0 | 0-3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| 10 | Cook,Aaron | g | 4-9 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 33 |
| 13 | Lloyd,Sean | g | 5-10 | 2-4 | 1-2 | 2-3 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 36 |
| 22 | Fletcher,Armon | g | 4-7 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 21 |
| 00 | Wiley,Jonathan | – | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| 11 | Smithpeters,Tyler | – | 4-9 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 2-3 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 29 |
| 24 | Stradnieks,Rudy | – | 3-4 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| TM | TEAM | – | – | – | – | 1-1 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Totals………….. | – | 28-60 | 9-21 | 2-3 | 11-20 | 31 | 11 | 67 | 18 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 200 | |
| 46.7% | 42.9% | 66.7% | ||||||||||||
| Team summary: | FG | 3FG | FT | |||||||||||
| 1st Half: | 12-31 | 5-14 | 0-0 | |||||||||||
| 38.7% | 35.7% | 0.0% | ||||||||||||
| 2nd Half: | 16-29 | 4-7 | 2-3 | |||||||||||
| 55.2% | 57.1% | 66.7% | ||||||||||||
| Score by Periods | 1st | 2nd | Total | |
| Missouri State | 28 | 35 | 63 | Record: (18-15; 7-11 MVC) |
| Southern Illinois | 29 | 38 | 67 | Record: (20-12; 11-7 MVC) |
| Points in the paint-MSU 24,SIU 34. Points off turnovers-MSU 10,SIU 15. |
| 2nd chance points-MSU 13,SIU 6. Fast break points-MSU 8,SIU 6. |
| Bench points-MSU 11,SIU 19. Score tied-6 times. Lead changed-5 times. |
| Last FG-MSU 2nd-01:30, SIU 2nd-00:06. |
| Largest lead-MSU by 6 1st-14:27, SIU by 14 2nd-06:18. |
| MSU led for 12:35. SIU led for 22:14. Game was tied for 04:24. |
| Officials: John Higgins, Ed Crenshaw, Brad Ferrie Technical fouls: Missouri State-None. Southern Illinois-Fletcher,Armon. Attendance: |
From Tom Weber siusalukis.com
ST. LOUIS, MO. — Southern Illinois men’s basketball legend Darren Brooks was formally inducted into the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame on Friday morning during a ceremony at the Peabody Opera House.
A native of St. Louis, Brooks is the only player in Valley history to win both the Larry Bird Trophy, awarded to the league’s top men’s basketball student-athlete, and the league’s Defensive Player of the Year honor two times, sweeping the awards in 2004 and 2005.
“My parents dropped me off at SIU when I was 17 years old,” he recalled. “I was a little nervous, I didn’t know what the future would hold for me, but the fans and the Carbondale community really embraced me and showed me a lot of love, and I really appreciate that.”
While he was at Southern Illinois (2001-05), the Salukis won four-straight regular-season Conference titles, made four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances and won three NCAA Tournament games, including a Sweet 16 run in 2002 (defeating Texas Tech and Georgia as an 11 seed).
“I remember after we played Georgia in the NCAA Tournament, we got to the airport in Marion and we see all these people,” Brooks remembered. “We go inside and see almost the whole town of Carbondale there at 1 in the morning, celebrating with us, high-fiving, taking pictures, that newspaper print ‘Sweet 16.’ It was incredible. The fans were always there for us and for me.”
Brooks finished his career ranked fifth in all-time scoring at SIU with 1,761 points; he remains the school’s career steals leader with 258, and he ranks fourth in career assists with 410, eighth in career 3-pointers made with 156 and 12th in career rebounds with 673.
He was a two-time AP Honorable Mention All-American (2004, 2005), a three-time member of MVC All-Defense team (2003-05) and a two-time member of MVC All-Tournament team (2004, 2005).
Brooks is a member of both the SIU All-Century Team, announced in 2013, and the Missouri Valley Conference All-Centennial Team, announced in 2007. He is a member, too, of the Saluki Hall of Fame.
He currently is an athletics director and K-12 teacher in the Dallas area where he lives with his wife Danielle and daughters Darionne, Nevaeh, Niah and Nadiah. In addition to his duties as athletics director, Brooks coaches the boys and girls basketball teams, and he also operates the Brooks Basketball Academy.
SPRINGFIELD, IL – Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Raymond Poe has appointed Luke Sailer the new Division Manager of Fair and Promotional Services. The Division of Fairs & Promotional Services oversees the bureaus of Illinois State Fair, Du Quoin State Fair, Business Services and County Fairs & Horse Racing.
“Luke’s management experience combined with his southern Illinois agricultural background makes for a winning combination when it comes to the management of state and county agricultural fairs. His familiarity with non-fair events and the need to utilize these facilities throughout the year will also serve him well in this position,” said Ag Director Raymond Poe. “His enthusiasm and leadership experience make him a great fit and we look forward to working with him to create successful fairs and events in the future.”
Sailer, a Carmi native, has been with the Department of Agriculture for three years. In that time, he has served as the Bureau Chief of Business Services and the Assistant Illinois State Fair Manager under previous Division Manager Kevin Gordon.
“I’m very honored and excited for this opportunity. I have a passion for our state and county fairs and want them to continue to grow and be successful,” said Sailer. “These fairs showcase our state’s number one industry. These events are great economic drivers for the State of Illinois and local communities. I want to continue to build on the successes of the past while continuing to modernize our events going forward.”
Mark your calendars for the 2018 Illinois State Fair, August 9th – 19th, in Springfield, IL and the 2018 Du Quoin State Fair, August 24th – September 3rd in Du Quoin, IL.
From Southern Illinois University News Service
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Your brain is essential to everything you do, and Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Cognitive Sciences Graduate Organization wants you to take better care of it. To help, the registered student organization has events lined up throughout March designed highlight the many facets of brain health.
“The brain really is the powerhouse of everything you do,” said Jennica Young, a doctoral candidate in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Program, who is helping organize the event. “We want more people thinking about ways to protect your brain, and keep it safer. Because it helps you with all your function.”
Image from bebrainfit.com
Events cover many aspects of brain health
Brain Awareness Month, an extension of a week-long event held over Spring Break in previous years, will include events focused on different aspects of brain health. All the events are free and open to the public.
Other sponsors for the events include Sigma Xi, Health and Wellness, the SIU Psychology Program and the Graduate and Professional Student Council.
“Brain awareness encompasses a lot of things,” Young said, including mental health, injury, conditions such as epilepsy and diseases such as Alzheimer’s. SIU’s events will focus on substance abuse, traumatic brain injury and mental health.
Resilience and Coping with Stress Workshop, March 6
The first event will be a workshop designed to help students better manage stress and difficult events. Attendees will learn coping methods such as meditation, relaxation exercises and mindfulness techniques.
Workshop leaders will also provide guidance for breaking cycles of negative thinking and developing a more positive outlook. Young said people should walk away with research-based tools for managing and coping with both every day stressors and more intense situations.
“They should also know that it’s not just them,” Young said. “I’m really hoping they just take away a good message about how to better themselves and move forward.”
The workshop will be at 2:30 p.m., March 6 in Morris Library rooms 752 and 754.
Mental health and substance abuse lecture, March 23
Dr. Jonathan Hammersley, an assistant professor at Western Illinois University, will discuss his research on the correlations between mental health and substance abuse in college students at 3 p.m., March 23 in the Life Sciences III Auditorium.
Hammersley has investigated how domestic abuse and sexual assault relate to suicidal thoughts in college students; how nicotine and smoking affect cognition and mental health; and how students’ estimates of their friends’ drug use affected mental health.
“It’s kind of an open secret,” Young said. “We know students are using, but we don’t talk about it or address it.”
‘Crash Reel’ viewing and panel discussion, March 29
“Crash Reel” follows Kevin Pearce, a U.S. champion snowboarder who suffered a brain injury while training for the 2010 Olympics. The film shows Pearce’s recovery and the lasting impacts of traumatic brain injury.
The film will play at 1 p.m., March 29 at the Guyon Auditorium, followed by a panel discussion about traumatic brain injury, treatments, and recovery.
Traumatic brain injury takes a personal toll
Young said she is especially passionate about the effects of traumatic brain injury after watching her sister recover from an accident 12 years ago, when she fell into a metal pole and has since struggled with cognitive impairments, vision problems, seizures and other effects.
“She progressed through high school, but it took a lot of work,” Young said, adding that her sister’s teachers would come to their house to provide extra help with her school work. Her sister has gone on to graduate college, but still has seizures and often has to change prescriptions for eye glasses.
“Your neurons start to slowly regenerate,” Young said. “It’s not like a cut, where it heals in a couple of weeks. It’s a really slow process.”
Wear a helmet and take your vitamins
That is one reason Young said she thinks it is so important to educate people about brain health. The effects of traumatic brain injury can be mitigated with a healthy lifestyle and taking simple steps to reduce risk.
“I see a lot of students on campus riding bikes without helmets,” Young said. “Unfortunately, they also ride in the road. That’s not a good combination.”
She added that students who do wear helmets, whether to ride bicycles or play in a sport, do not often understand how to care for the equipment.
“Once a helmet gets hit, you have to get a new helmet,” she said. “Because it’s not as effective the second time it gets hit.”
Young said in addition to taking protective measures like wearing a helmet and walking cautiously on icy days, lifestyle choices can have a big impact on brain health.
Regular exercise has been shown to protect memory and cognition as people age, as has an improved diet which includes more fruits and vegetables. Continued education, like taking an occasional college class, also helps prevent dementia and mental decline.
“Take your vitamins,” Young said, quoting research showing that traumatic brain injury depletes a number of nutrients, including B-vitamins and magnesium. She said a daily multivitamin can help keep those stores high in case something should happen.
Other events and fundraisers
Young said event organizers are planning several other events throughout March to help raise awareness and money.
The Cognitive Sciences Student Organization is selling T-shirts featuring the Alzheimer’s Association’s “10 Ways to Love Your Brain” logo throughout the month, and Pagliai’s Pizza will donate a portion of its proceeds on March 29 to the Alzheimer’s Association.
In addition, Brain and Cognitive Science students are planning outreach at the Prairie Living at Chautauqua assisted living community on March 15.
