From ReAnne Palmer, Rend Lake College Public Information 

INA, IL  – Three outstanding Rend Lake College students are being rewarded for their hard work and dedication to the local area with scholarships this spring through the Illinois Rural Health Association (IRHA).

Sarah Davis of Broughton, Brittney Pettit of Benton, and Jera Sloat of Bonnie were each awarded scholarships to help them complete RLC’s Health Information Technology (HIT) or Medical Coding programs, which are two of the fastest growing occupations across the country, according to the U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Because of this growing demand, and an on-going shortage of health professionals in rural areas, the IRHA awarded $12,000 this spring to deserving students enrolled in these programs who also expressed an interest and intent to work in a rural setting.

Sarah Davis

Davis, an HIT student, said the rural setting is exactly the place for her future. After continuing her education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in Health Care Management, she plans to find full-time employment at a local hospital.

“Growing up in a rural area, I see the need for improved health care in rural hospitals. Quality health care needs improved in rural areas because many of those who live in rural areas struggle economically and cannot afford to travel to larger hospitals,” said Davis. “Hospitals in larger areas have more services because they have more money which pays for services.”

She continued, “That being said, smaller hospitals have to be more creative in finding ways to offer better treatment and more specialty-driven services. I would like to be part of improving rural health care by creating needed programs to bring to our rural hospitals and recruiting personnel to help do so.”

Brittney Pettit

Pettit echoed her words, saying she didn’t see herself working anywhere other than in small, local hospitals. The medical coding student currently works as a radiologic technician and plans to graduate in May of 2019.

“Things are easier in bigger hospitals. I’m a radiology technician now, so I know how things work in the smaller hospitals. I deal with people a lot in my area, and it feels nice to help them out. I don’t have plans to leave the area,” said Pettit.

In the future, Pettit said the idea of working from home as a medical coder seems like something she’d be interested in, but until then, she wants to stay in the smaller hospitals.

Though she agreed with her classmates, Sloat said she has slightly more complicated plans for the future. The HIT student is also taking courses in medical coding and has plans to take her credential examination for coding this May. With graduation set for 2019, she plans to work part-time as a medical coder to finish school and get experience as a health information technician.

Jera Sloat

“My plan is to stay around this area, but my plans are a little different than most. My long-term goal is to set up a non-profit in a rural area to help with health information,” said Sloat.

She explained that, having a son with a disability, health care information was extremely difficult to find in the local area. In fact, she had to look over 1,000 miles away to find answers for her family.

“I had to research for a long time before I finally found a hospital in Boston who had information we needed. There were a lot of things we missed along the way, but it’s all I had,” Sloat explained. “My ultimate goal is to get more information out there in rural communities, so other parents don’t have the same troubles I had.”

Davis, Pettit and Sloat are three of 12 students in Illinois to receive IRHA scholarships this spring. The IRHA is a collaborative association whose mission is to strengthen health systems for rural residents and communities through advocacy, education, networking, and leadership. To learn more about the IRHA, visit www.ilruralhealth.org.

From Gay Bowlin, Franklin County Farm Bureau Manager 

BENTON – We have been busy at the office so far this month. With a meeting on Truck Regulations last Friday that was attended by over 30 people from several counties to this past Tuesday when Dale Durchholz from Agri Visor gave the 21 people in attendance all of the information on the outlook of the grain markets.  Our goal at Farm Bureau to to keep everyone well informed about farming issues and I feel we do a good job of that.

Also last week several counties held their annual FFA Acquaintance Day at SIU. We had 435 FFA students in attendance. This is an annual event and each year the breakout sessions lean toward a different topic. I am very proud that three of the four Franklin County Schools attended this event.

Plans have been in progress for the 2018 Farm City Days on June 9.  If you would like more information on the event or how to be a part of it please visit our website at farmcitydaysil.com. Go to the event page and also visit the registration page if you would like to be a vendor or a volunteer.

It is time to start thinking about college scholarships and we have applications available at our office or call 435-3616 for more informations.  The student must be going into an agriculture related field of study and must be a Franklin County Farm Bureau member or their parents must be.  Applications are due the first week of April so don’t wait.

The Young Leaders are currently taking orders for their smoked pork loin again this year.  The pork loins will be available to pick up March 28 & 29 just in time for Easter Dinner.  I know it sounds like a long way off but we are limited to the number that we are able to cook so if you are interested please call the office or see a FranklinCounty Young Leader to get your order in.

Melissa Lamczyk is always busy teaching our youth about agriculture but if you would like to have her come to your classroom you can call the office and set up a date that would work.  Melissa is excited about teaching the kids and we have found that the kids are just as excited to see her.  Call today 435-3616.

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers have finalized a rule that makes the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule applicable in two years.  The decision prevents the rule from taking effect as the federal agencies reconsider and rewrite it.

Remember we are farmers working together. If we can help let us know.

MARION – Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois celebrated its Inaugural Flight on April 25, 2017, honoring 55 veterans with a trip to Washington DC. With a goal of flying once per year, Veterans Honor Flight immediately began preparations for a second flight. Due to overwhelming support from the Southern Illinois community, Flight 2 was funded early and flew on October 17, 2017, using a larger aircraft, 68 veterans were flown. The Board of Directors began planning for a third flight before Flight 2 even took off.

From Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois

After months of planning, the Board of Directors of Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois is proud to announce Flight 3 has been set for April 24, 2018. Once again, area veterans will depart from Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois in Marion, on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Washington DC. The flight will return that evening after veterans have visited the National WWII Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, as well as other monuments and memorials in Washington.

“You know, we expected to fly once per year, and with a 50-seat aircraft,” Bryan Questelle, Chairman of the Board said. “Now we’re flying twice per year, with a 150 seat aircraft. The challenges are huge, but our board and volunteers get it done.”

The flight, provided free of charge to all veterans, is completely funded by donations to Veterans Honor Flight. For Flight 3, aircraft charter cost increased 15%. Already the single most expensive item on the trip, the chartered airliner cost increase significantly raised the overall trip cost by over $15,000.

Each veteran is accompanied on the flight by a guardian. Guardians ensure the safety of traveling veterans, provide mobility assistance, and emotional support during this unique day. Guardians may be friends or relatives of traveling veterans, or may be assigned from Veterans Honor Flight’s database. Each guardian receives training prior to flying, and is responsible for paying the guardian fee of $600. While this fee does not cover the entire cost of the seat, it helps ensure donations to Veterans Honor Flight are used for our veterans as much as possible.

Veterans Honor Flight strives to maintain the lowest level of overhead possible. At the end of the Inaugural Flight, treasurer Randall Youngblood announced the organization had maintained overhead costs of just 3.5%, meaning 96.5 cents of every dollar donated went directly towards a veteran on the flight.

Veterans wishing to apply for Flight 3 must have a completed veteran application submitted to Veterans Honor Flight no later than February 16, 2018. Guardians not associated with a veteran, who wish to be considered for Flight 3 must have a guardian application on file no later than February 16, 2018. Guardian training for Flight 3 will occur on March 24, 2018 at Veterans Airport, more information will be released later. All guardians must have completed training prior to flying. Veteran and guardian applications are available at www.veteranshonorflight.org.

Veterans Honor Flight would like to thank all individuals, corporations, and organizations who have donated to help make Flight 3 possible. Donations are still needed to ensure a successful flight and future flights. Donations may be made online at www.veteranshonorflight.org, by mailing a donation to Veterans Honor Flight, or at any Peoples National Bank location. Additionally, individual donations are available for wheelchair banners and veteran certificates. Those interested should contact Veterans Honor Flight at www.veteranshonorflight.org/contact.

Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois is a member of the Honor Flight Network, a national network dedicated to honoring our nation’s veterans by providing free trips to Washington DC to visit memorials built in their honor. Since 2005, the Honor Flight Network has transported over 200,000 veterans to their memorials. Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois was founded in 2016 and serves Southern Illinois south of US Route 50.

Considerable uncertainty exists in the forecast of a winter storm system to impact the region Tuesday night.

This could be one of these systems that we could see nothing, or we could be dealing with a mess on Wednesday morning.  Here in Franklin County we are right on the edge of the rain and snow line.   Using a Jim Rasor term, we could see a mixed bag of precipitation.  Below are a few graphics at this time, how much we are going to possibly get.

There is another round of wintry weather in the forecast from Friday night into Saturday night.

I will update this again this evening. -sd

Weather Prediction Center images

The Graphic above shows the chances of seeing between 1/100 to 1/10 of an inch of ice.  The 40% line to 50% line cuts through the heart of Franklin County.  All of the totals are from noon on Wednesday when the system should be clear of the area.

This graphic shows the percentage of receiving a tenth to a quarter of inch of freezing rain.  Franklin County is right in the 30% range.  The area shaded just south and east of us is in the 40% range.

This graphic displays total snow fall for the storm being in the 1″ to 2″ .  Franklin County is in the 30% range on this one as well.  When you adjust the graphic to 2″ to 4″. the chances are nearly non existent for that much snow.

Special Weather Statement

…Wintry Precipitation May Cause Travel Impacts Tuesday night into Early Wednesday Morning… Precipitation is expected to spread northeast across the region late Tuesday afternoon into the evening hours.

The heaviest precipitation is expected near a frontal boundary over northern Tennessee, but it is uncertain how far north across our region the precipitation will spread. At this time, it appears that the zone from Cape Girardeau Missouri to Evansville Indiana is the most likely region to receive significant precipitation with temperatures below freezing. Areas farther to the north will not see much precipitation, while areas farther south will likely remain above freezing for most of the event.

Some snow is likely as the precipitation develops Tuesday evening, but it will transition to freezing rain before coming to an end in the pre-dawn hours Wednesday. At this time, the potential exists for up to 2 inches of snow and or 2 tenths of an inch of icing in the area north and west of a Hickman to Calhoun Kentucky line. Please stay abreast of the latest forecasts for this developing weather event and be prepared to alter plans where possible.

Hazardous Weather Outlook

.DAY ONE…Today and Tonight A small chance of light snow is forecast this evening to the north of Highway 13 in southern Illinois and across southwest Indiana. A light dusting will be possible mainly along and north of Interstate 64.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Tuesday through Sunday A wintry mix of precipitation is expected Tuesday night over much of the region. Please refer to the Special Weather Statement for details. A wintry mix of precipitation is possible Friday night and Saturday morning, and again Saturday night. It is too early to speculate on precipitation type and amounts.

Seven Day Forecast