Bugle Newspapers 7-22-21

JU Ly 21, 20 2 1 VoL . 6 5 i ss U e 4 0

# bUgL e n e W s

buglenewspapers.com

news from plainfield Joliet shorewood Lockport crest hill bolingbrook romeoville downers grove Westmont Woodridge Lisle niles morton grove park ridge & more

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coVer story

East’s Louck tabbed as Player of the Year by marK gregory editorial director

@Hear_The_Beard mark@buglenewspapers.com For some high school sophomores, just making the varsity team is the highlight of the season.

For Plainfield East’s Brady Louck, he did more than just make the team, he made people take notice.

Louck pitched in two of the Bengals’ biggest games of the season — and dominated both of them — helping East turn a bad start to the season into an IHSA Class 4A state championship.

The lefty pitched East into the state finals with a commanding performance against Brother Rice for a 3-0 supersectional win. On the final day of the season, showed what he can do on the mound and at the plate.

In the semifinal tilt, Louck tossed six innings, allowing three earned runs on just four hits. He struck out 12 and walked none. At that plate in that same game, he was 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. In the championship game, he led off the game with his only triple of the season and scored the first run of what would be a 6-5 East win. He added a double to his day as well, going 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI and one run scored.

Because of his performance during the IHSA post season, as well as the entire year, Louck is the 2021 Enterprise Publications ‘Charlie Donovan Baseball Player of the Year.’

In the midst of another pandemic-altered season, the Enterprise staff elected not to select All-Area teams across the board, however, with the Baseball Player of Year award being in honor of the Charlie Donovan, the late Westmost superstar, it was an honor the staff felt needed to be awarded.

Donovan, a University of Michigan recruit, was a three-time Enterprise Player of the Year and died before his freshman season with the Wolverines.

In his senior season with the Sentinels, Donovan hit .484 with seven home runs, 33 RBI, 64 runs scored and 42 stolen bases. He earned the 2015 Gatorade Illinois Baseball Player of the Year Award.

The first recipient of the Enterprise Player of the Year award in 2016, after it was named for Donovan was his younger brother, Joe. Louck is the first sophomore to win the award since its namesake.

This season, the University of Notre Dame commit was 6-3 on the mound in 12 games pitched.

He tossed 55 innings on the season, allowing 51 hits and only 13 earned runs. He struck out 90 hitter and walked only 16 en route to a 1.65 Earned Run Average.

Louck was at his best when the stakes were the highest.

“In general, when I know I am playing a really good team, I feel like my stuff is there,” he said. “I feel like it is for sure going to be there because I like competing.

(In the supersectional) everything was on for me. I like the pressure and the amount of fans I think was really cool. There were a few thousand people were there to watch me and my team and I don’t get scared – we all think it is really cool.

“Pitching or hitting, whenever there is pressure, I feel like I am at my best.”

Unlike a lot of pitchers, Louck said he enjoys hitting in the games he pitches.

“If coach needs me, I can do it. I like hitting while I am pitching,” he said. “It takes my mind off pitching a little bit and lets me have some fun hitting. I just want to stay active.”

That attitude, coupled with his talent, resulted in Louck making his verbal commitment to the Fighting Irish before his sophomore season.

“Academically and playing in the ACC, I wanted to go before I visited,” he said. “Once I went there, it really made me want to go there.”

With that commitment, Louck took the pressure off of himself to perform well for college scouts, but he said he added a new kind of pressure.

“I feel like there is not as much pressure to get to a school, but you can also say there is a lot more pressure because now, I represent them, too,” he said.

Before he can play at Notre Dame, however, Louck has two more seasons at Plainfield East and will play next season as defending state champs.

“Everyone is going to want to beat us now so they can say they beat the state champions from last year.” He said. “High School it is a bunch of baseball players that all live by each other, not guys from all over. I feel like we are supposed to be together because we all grew up together.”

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WiLL coUnty

Joliet District 86 returning to school on Aug. 16 More than 10,000 Joliet Public Schools District 86 students return to school full time on August 18, 2021. Open Houses for students and families are scheduled for August 16 or August 17 depending on the school. Times and details are posted on www.joliet86.org.

In addition, a policy to implement a Remote Educational Program for District 86 students was approved by the District 86 Board of School Inspectors at its July 14th board meeting after Superintendent Dr. Theresa Rouse thoroughly outlined the concept.

Space is limited and priority given to students who have a medical necessity that prevents them

from attending school in person or students who reside with an individual with serious medical conditions.

“We are pleased to offer our families this remote learning option for their children,” said Superintendent Dr. Theresa Rouse, “The program will help meet the individual learning needs of student who are not able to attend school in person.”

The curriculum will align to the Illinois Learning Standards and follow the District 86 school calendar. Students in the remote program will be required to complete all state mandated assessments in person. Remote

classrooms will be comprised of students throughout the district.

Remote learning is a year-long commitment. Once students are approved for the remote program, they must remain in the program for the entire 2021-2022 school year.

Due to space limitations, not all applicants will be approved.

Interested families, living within the Joliet District 86 boundaries, must complete and return the remote educational application

by August 1st to the J.F. Kennedy Administrative Center, 420 N. Raynor Avenue, to be considered for the program. More information, including the application, is available at https://www.joliet86.

org/students-parents/return-tolearn/ No late applications will be accepted.

Joliet Public Schools District 86, currently the fourth largest elementary school district in Illinois, serves approximately 10,500 students in grades PreKindergarten through eighth grade at 21 schools in the city of Joliet.

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BUSINESS & REAL ESTATE

COLUMN >> DAVE SAYS

Is it a smart idea to borrow from life insurance poilcy? dear dave,

dear dave,

that it is God’s calling on my life.

I have a question about self-banking with whole term life insurance.

The way I understand it, you can accrue a cash balance, borrow against it, and then pay interest to yourself.

Is this worth it, or should I stay away from it and continue using a bank?

When it comes to your career and profession, how can you tell if you’ve truly found your calling in life?

dear dave,

dear Kunal,

Kunal

Actually, it’s a whole life policy, not a term policy. And it’s an absolute scam.

Basically, with whole life you pay about 20 times more for the same amount of insurance that you would with a term policy. The extra money goes into a savings account, and you earn next to nothing on it, even after you finally start to build it up. One of the ways they’re pitching it now is the self-banking concept, where you can use your own money. It’s nothing magical or anything, because with a regular checking account you use your own money.

My advice is to stay away from the company that’s offering it and anything else they have. It’s a really bad product, and it’s a scummy way to sell whole life insurance—which is an awful product to begin with. No one, except for folks in that business, believes in it or talks positively about it anymore.

Being able to borrow your own money? Really? Why on earth would anyone want to borrow their own money? It’s ridiculous!

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 12TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COUNTY OF WILL JOLIET, ILLINOIS U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS TRUSTEE, AS SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO LASALLE BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE FOR THE HOLDERS OF THE ACCREDITED MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2005-3 ASSET BACKED NOTES; Plaintiff, vs.

GEORGINA OBENG AKA GEORGINA A. OBENG; JAMES OBENG AKA JAMES K. OBENG; UNKNOWN OWNERS GENERALLY AND NON RECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants,

dear tony,

dear dave,

dave

My wife and I are Christians, and we own a successful small business in our town. Should businesses tithe?

dear barker,

barker

This is a good question. Giving is never a bad idea unless you do it irresponsibly and to the point of putting your family in financial danger. To the best of my knowledge, the Bible only addresses the topic of tithing by individuals—not businesses.

Personally, I don’t give a tenth of my business gross or net until I receive my paycheck. When that happens— meaning it’s profit that I’m going to pay taxes on, or it’s salaried income out of my business—I tithe on the profits.

So, I can’t really tell you I’ve found Biblical instruction to give a tenth of your business. Hope this helps!

dave 19 CH 1193 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, at the hour of 12:00 noon, OUTSIDE Room 201, Will County Court Annex, 57 North Ottawa Street, Joliet, Illinois 60432, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate:

tony

I don’t think it’s common for most folks to feel like they’ve experienced some kind of grand revelation, and suddenly they know what they’re supposed to do with their lives. Personally, I believe this kind of thing usually starts out as an activity or idea connected to something they enjoy and want others to experience. Often, that can grow into a job, and then maybe into a career—or even a business.

I think it takes a lot of time, reflection, insight, and self-evaluation before anything can be termed a calling.

I know this is true in some cases, because that’s how it happened with me.

I can’t honestly tell you that when I first started on radio, or began formally teaching and writing I knew it was God’s plan for my life. I knew early on I was drawn to it, and felt there was a need for it, but it took a while for me to understand and accept that it was what I was really meant to do.

I hope this helps a little bit, Tony.

Just be honest with yourself, think about it, and pray about it a lot, too.

God wants what’s best for you, so make sure you include Him in everything. It worked for me. I’ve been doing what I do for nearly three decades now, and I still love it. I’m convinced P.I.N. 12-02-33-210-005-0000.

The improvement on the property consists of a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

LOT 13 IN BLOCK 14 IN HAMPTON PARK UNIT NO.2, A SUBDIVISION OF PART OF THE WEST HALF OF THE NORTHEAST QUARTER OF SECTION 33 AND TOWNSHIP 37 NORTH RANGE 10, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED SEPTEMBER 4,1958 AS DOCUMENT 856059, IN WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

For information call Mr. Matthew C. Abad at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Kluever Law Group, 225 West Washington Street, Chicago, Illinois 60606. (312) 236-0077. SPS000086-19FC2 IJSC

Commonly known as 501 Arlington Drive, Romeoville, IL 60446.

I3171927

INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com

Published 7/14, 7/21, 7/28

dave

I’m 19, and I’m about to finish up my first year of community college. I have enough money through scholarships and help from my family to get a bachelor’s degree. After that, I plan on going to law school and cash flowing that part of my education. I’ve already started a Roth IRA with money I’ve made working, but I’m wondering if I should continue contributing to retirement when I will have to pay for law school out-of-pocket.

Jonathan dear Jonathan, No, I wouldn’t recommend that.

You should stop saving for retirement for now and put all that money aside to pay for your education.

An education that’s usable in the marketplace to increase your income is more valuable to you right now than a mutual fund. A degree in left-handed puppetry or underwater bubble blowing definitely is not. Believe it or not, people spend years, and tens of thousands of dollars—sometimes hun-

dreds of thousands of dollars—getting degrees in silly things that have no real value whatsoever. But, if you’re going to get a law degree, and use that degree to create value to society and an incredible income for yourself, that is going to give you a better mathematical return on your investment at this point in your life.

You have plenty of time ahead to invest for retirement. I don’t want you to put it off forever, but a debt-free education is the right investment for you right now. Just keep piling up cash, and let’s pay for this law degree out of pocket. And hey, if you end up with a bunch of money left over when you’ve graduated and are ready to become a lawyer, that’s not the worst thing in the world, is it?

Good luck, Jonathan. Keep up the hard work!

dave * Dave Ramsey is CEO of Ramsey Solutions. He has authored seven best-selling books, including The Total Money Makeover. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 15 million listeners each week on 600 radio stations and multiple digital platforms.

Follow Dave on the web at daveramsey. com and on Twitter at @DaveRamsey.

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cooK coUnty > oaKton commUnity coLLege

entries for bad@ssery: Women creating a Just environment and World due by aug. 13 Professional artists who self-identify as women are invited to submit entries in all media to Oakton Community College for the virtual exhibition “Bad@ssery: Women Creating a Just Environment and World” by Friday, Aug. 13. Artists are encouraged to submit a single work that provides social commentary and inspiration on how women create courageous spaces, empower each other and change the world. Submissions may focus on women in the United States or globally, have a contemporary or historical context and focus on women in either the public or private sphere.

This year’s exhibition, sponsored by Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) at Oakton, will be available online publicly from Oct. 4 – Nov. 1.

“We are incredibly excited about this year’s women’s art show theme as it centers women’s experiences in a moment of immense cultural upheaval,” says Lindsey Hewitt, coordinator of the WGSS Program. “Women and girls have always faced tremendous obstacles, whether it be sexual harassment, violence, inequality, health disparities, or workplace discrimination. However, as we’ve seen over the past year, they have been instrumental in saving themselves, their families, communities and the world.”

Oakton’s annual women’s art show is one of the

region’s premier art events, attracting hundreds of participants and routinely drawing submissions locally, nationally and internationally. Themes focus on issues and ideas involving women, gender, and feminism. Topics include: women breaking barriers, women and social movements (Stop Asian Hate, Black Lives Matter, Standing Rock and Me Too), women organizing against deportation and fighting for prison abolition, antitransgender state laws and LGBTQIA+ activism, the effects of the pandemic on women’s lives and women fighting for environmental justice.

All submissions must be submitted electronically at: https://forms.gle/h6R4iGpjfShd2CJt7 (a Google account is needed to fill out the submission form).

Images should be a JPEG of at least 300 dpi (at least one MB). Label all work with the artist’s name, address, best contact information, work title, date and medium. Artist’s statement and biography should be a Microsoft Word document only (no PDFs or JPEGs) and should not exceed 150 words (no résumés). Text will be edited for spelling, grammar and space. All digital media will be considered.

For more information, contact Nathan Harpaz, curator of the Koehnline Museum of Art, at nharpaz@oakton.edu, or Lindsey Hewitt, coordinator of the WGSS Program, at lhewitt@oakton.edu.

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real estate IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 12TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COUNTY OF WILL JOLIET, ILLINOIS U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS TRUSTEE, AS SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO LASALLE BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE FOR THE HOLDERS OF THE ACCREDITED MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2005-3 ASSET BACKED NOTES; Plaintiff, vs.

GEORGINA OBENG AKA GEORGINA A. OBENG; JAMES OBENG AKA JAMES K. OBENG; UNKNOWN OWNERS GENERALLY AND NON RECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 19 CH 1193 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, at the hour of 12:00 noon, OUTSIDE Room 201, Will County Court Annex, 57 North Ottawa Street, Joliet, Illinois 60432, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: Commonly known as 501 Arlington Drive, Romeoville, IL 60446.

P.I.N. 12-02-33-210-005-0000.

The improvement on the property consists of a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

For information call Mr. Matthew C. Abad at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Kluever Law Group, 225 West Washington Street, Chicago, Illinois 60606. (312) 236-0077. SPS000086-19FC2 IJSC INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3171927 Published 7/14, 7/21, 7/28

pag e 10 | Wednesday, JULY 21, 20 21 | bugl e n e w s pa p e r s .c om 19-092692 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 12TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT WILL COUNTY, JOLIET, ILLINOIS WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. PLAINTIFF, -vsUnknown Heirs and/or Legatees of Peggy L. Reichenberger, Deceased; Frank Reichenberger a/k/a Frank H. Reichenberger; Richard R. Reichenberger, Jr.; Joseph M. Reichenberger; Joseph M. Cernugel, as Special Representative for Peggy L. Reichenberger, Deceased; First Midwest Bank; State of Illinois; Midwest Mortgage Services, Inc.; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS; UNKNOWN OCCUPANTS DEFENDANTS NO. 20 CH 45 PUBLICATION NOTICE The requisite affidavit for publication having been filed, notice is hereby given you Unknown Heirs and/or Legatees of Peggy L. Reichenberger, Deceased; Unknown Owners and Non-Record Claimants; Unknown Occupants.

Defendants in the above entitled suit, that the said suit has been commenced in the Circuit Court of Will County, by the said Plaintiff against you and other defendants, praying for the foreclosure of a certain Mortgage conveying the premises described as follows, to wit: LOT 14 IN BLOCK 3 IN HAMPTON PARK SUBDIVISION NO. 3, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED APRIL 3, 1959, AS DOCUMENT NO. 872683, IN WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS. Commonly known as 411 Montclaire Court, Romeoville, IL 60446 Permanent Index No.: 12-02-33-402-014-0000 and which said Mortgage was made by Richard R. Reichenberger and Peggy L. Reichenberger Mortgagors, to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Nominee for First Midwest Bank as Mortgagee, and recorded in the office of the Recorder of Deeds of Will County, Illinois, Document No. R2004189148.

And for other relief; that summons was duly issued out of the said Court against you as provided by law, and that the suit is now pending.

Now therefore, unless you, the said above named defendants, e-file your answer to the Complaint in the said suit or otherwise make your appearance therein, on or before the 30th day after the first publication of this notice which is August 23, 2021. Default may be entered against you at any time after that day and a judgment entered in accordance with the prayer of said Complaint.

E-filing is now mandatory for documents in civil cases with limited exemptions. To efile, you must first create an account with an e-filing service provider. Visit https://efile. illinoiscourts.gov/service-providers.htm to learn more and to select a service provider.

If you need additional help or have trouble e-filing, visit http://www.illinoiscourts.gov/ FAQ/gethelp.asp, or talk with your local circuit clerk’s office.

Clerk LOGS Legal Group LLP Attorney for Plaintiff 2121 Waukegan Road, Suite 301 Bannockburn, IL 60015 (847) 291-1717 ILNOTICES@logs.com THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT IF YOUR PERSONAL LIABILITY FOR THIS DEBT HAS BEEN EXTINGUISHED BY A DISCHARGE IN BANKRUPTCY OR BY AN ORDER GRANTING IN REM RELIEF FROM STAY, THIS NOTICE IS PROVIDED SOLELY TO FORECLOSE THE MORTGAGE REMAINING ON YOUR PROPERTY AND IS NOT AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT THE DISCHARGED PERSONAL OBLIGATION. 8146-916499 Published 7/21, 7/28, 8/4

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obitUary

coUntryman TSgt. Arthur W. Countryman, age 37, a lifelong resident of Plainfield, IL. Arthur was a World War II U.S. Army veteran who was killed in action on November 20, 1944. His body was not recovered. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced on Saturday, June 17, 2021, that Army Tech. Sgt. Arthur W. Countryman was accounted for. He was born September 19, 1907, in Plainfield.

Beloved husband of the late Loretta G. Countryman (nee Hamilton), who passed away on March 17, 2000. Loving father of the late Eleanor (the late Bernard) Yedinak, Mary (the late Edward) Papesh of Joliet, IL, the late Arthur Earl (the late Minnie) Countryman, and Georgia (the late Richard) Donisch of Plainfield. Grandfather of Daniel (Sandy) Pehlke, Dale (Lenette) Pehlke and Douglass (Lee) Pehlke; David (Amy) Papesh, the late Michael (Molly) Papesh and Brian (Debbie) Papesh; Art (Joanne) Countryman, Gary (Robin) Countryman and Terry (Debbie) Countryman, Pamela Larkey and Charles (Dawn) Donisch; great-grandfather and great-great

grandfather of many. Devoted son of the late Charles Lee and Emma (nee Donovan) Countryman, brother of six deceased siblings: Leona “Onie” (the late Victor) Fraenckel, Clara (the late Robert) Siddon, Gertrude (the late Ralph) Jungles, Rhoda (the late John) Weber, Charles “Chuck” (the late Ellen) Countryman and Lester (the late Gina) Countryman, uncle, great-uncle, great-great uncle and friend to many.

Arthur grew up in Plainfield and was a member of Sharon Evangelical Church (now Sharon United Methodist Church). He enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 14 and after his honorable discharge, married Loretta Hamilton. He later served in the Army National Guard from 1938-1941 and returned to activeduty status on February 2, 1942, during World War II. In 1944, Arthur was sent to Europe for combat duty and was assigned to Company F, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. His unit was engaged in battle with German forces near Hürtgen, Germany, in the Hürtgen Forest, when he was reported killed in action on November 20, 1944. Arthur was the recipient of the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

Visitation will be held Friday, August 6, 2021, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM at Overman-Jones Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 15219 S. Joliet Rd., Plainfield, IL.

A celebration of Arthur’s life will follow Friday, 1:00 PM in the funeral home with Pastor Teri Lafferty officiating .

Interment: Plainfield Township Cemetery, Plainfield.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Arthur’s memory may be made to: Plainfield American Legion Marne Post 13, 24741 Renwick Rd., Plainfield, IL 60544, (815) 436-9231, http://plainfieldlegion.com/ For more information please call (815) 436-9221 or visit www.overman-jones.com

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state

pritzker has no plans for added mitigations ‘Local control’ is focus of new school guidelines; Districts ‘should’ require masks for unvaccinated students, encourage distancing

by Jerry noWicKi

Capitol News Illinois

The wide availability of COVID-19 vaccines has changed the state’s approach for mitigating the virus’ spread statewide and in schools.

For school districts, that means suggested rather than required guidance, with an emphasis on local control in imposing mitigations.

For the governor’s office, that means there are “no plans” to reinstate some of the mitigation measures and economic shutdowns that were commonplace earlier in the pandemic.

“Restore Illinois mitigations that were enacted during the height of the pandemic allowed for safe and proven infection prevention measures since no vaccine was available,” a spokesperson for the governor’s office said in an email Friday. “Currently there is no plan to implement any additional mitigations now that there is an abundance of vaccine available and accessible across Illinois. We encourage all Illinoisans ages 12+ to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”

Previously, if a region had a positivity rate of 8 percent or higher for three days, the governor’s office and Illinois Department of Public Health had a menu of mitigations they could put in place, such as closure of indoor dinning and capacity restrictions at businesses.

But, because of the vaccine’s availability, those options aren’t currently on the table, even as positivity rates rise in some areas and a more contagious variant of the virus spreads.

The state’s guidance currently “recommends” face coverings in public indoor places for those who are unvaccinated, while masks are required on public transportation and in medical facilities.

The “recommended” masking guidance will be the same for schools after the state fully adopted U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance last week. Schools are also encouraged to maintain three feet of distance between each student.

“Pursuant to CDC guidance, Illinois school districts have lo-

cal control over how they should work with local public health officials to determine the prevention strategies needed in their area by monitoring levels of community transmission and local vaccine coverage, and using screening testing to detect cases in K-12 schools,” an Illinois State Board of Education spokesperson said in an email Thursday.

In accordance with other CDC guidelines, masks will still be required for all passengers on school buses, regardless of the school’s mask policies.

Otherwise, districts are encouraged to take a “layered” mitigation approach, accompanying masking and distancing with “screening testing, cohorting, improved ventilation, handwashing and covering coughs and sneezes, staying home when sick with symptoms of infectious illness including COVID-19, and regular cleaning,” according to the CDC. The guidance also recommends that if school administrators remove any prevention strategies based on local conditions, they should do so “one at a time and monitor closely (with adequate testing through the school and/or community) for any increases in COVID-19 cases.”

Free testing programs are available to Illinois schools through IDPH, while districts can also use federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding for screening testing as well, according to ISBE. Operationally, ISBE has regulatory authority to reduce the recognition status of any school district exhibiting “deficiencies that present a health hazard or a danger to students or staff,” pursuant to state law, according to the spokesperson. But the state board is not invoking that authority.

“ISBE is not currently taking any recognition action against any school districts. We will continue to support school districts in aligning with the new CDC guidance,” the spokesperson said.

State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen Ayala issued a declaration requiring resumption of in-person learning this school year, provided remote instruction

CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS FILE PHOTO BY JERRY NOWICKI

gov. Jb pritzker speaks at a news conference at the state s illinois emergency management agency offices in springfield last year. his office said Friday it has no plans for added mitigations amid rising virus positivity rates. is made available for students under quarantine.

“All our students deserve to return safely in-person to schools this fall,” Ayala said in a news release. “With vaccination rates continually rising and unprecedented federal funding to support safe in-person learning, and mitigations such as contact tracing and increased ventilation in place in schools, we are fully confident in the safety of in-person learning this fall.”

Districts should also promote vaccination, which is “currently the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to the guidance.

Currently, only one of three vaccines being administered in the U.S. is approved for use in children – the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech

vaccine which has been approved for those 12 and older.

According to IDPH, approximately 55 percent of Illinoisans 12 and older had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Friday, while 71 percent have received at least one dose.

The vaccination pace in Illinois has slowed, however, as the state averaged 21,217 doses per day over the previous seven days as of Friday, down from an April peak of more than 130,000 on average.

About half of the state’s population was fully vaccinated as of Friday, but positivity rates were on the rise as well The seven-day average case positivity rate was 1.9 percent Friday, tripling its 0.6 percent rate seen as recently as June 26. The Metro East area near the St. Louis border,

however, had a seven-day average test positivity rate of 7.6 percent as of the latest data reported Friday, while Region 3’s rate in west central Illinois was 5.3 percent and Region 5’s in southern Illinois was 6.1 percent. The other regions were at about 2 percent or lower.

IDPH maintains a website that tracks county-level metrics through which schools can monitor community spread based on test positivity rates, new cases per 100,000, youth case increases and other metrics. It measures risks based on scale of minimal to moderate to substantial.

The metrics are updated weekly based on the previous week’s transmission rates, and 13 counties had triggered a warning level as of July 10, up from seven the previous week.

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14 Wednesday,JULY 21, 2021 | buglenewspapers.com

Phone: 815.4246.24241 >> Mon. - Fri. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. FAX: 815.4249.2415 email: classifieds@enterprisepublications.com IN PERSON: Enterprise Publications >> 2241556 Andrew Rd. >> Plainfield, IL

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