DC_Midweek_112322

RSV surge spreads to DeKalb County amid statewide pediatric ICU shortage

By MEGANN HORSTEAD mhorstead@shawmedia.com

DeKALB – The spread of respiratory syncytial virus is on the rise in DeKalb County.

So much so, it’s sparked worried parents and their children to report en masse to hospital emergency rooms and pediatric offices for care.

The surge highlights what local experts said is an area of vulnerability for the state’s pediatric intensive care units as a shortage in bed availability is complicated by staffing challenges.

Mayuri Morker, a pediatrician with Northwestern Medicine Regional Medical Group in Sycamore, said she’s had recent pediatric patients flown to out-of-state hos pitals as far away as Green Bay and Marsh field, Wisconsin, and to Iowa.

“We don’t see this improving anytime soon,” Morker said. “Our goal is to prevent kids from getting this bad as much as we can avoid because there’s going to be a shortage of pediatric beds for all of the win ter season.”

Jeremy Sliver, medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hos pital emergency department, said the num ber of pediatric patients with RSV about doubled over the past year.

“For the month of October, we probably transferred one patient a day, on average, for a respiratory illness,” Silver said. “Many of those would’ve been RSV positive.”

RSV is commonly seen as a respiratory virus causing mild, cold-like symptoms and is known to cause bronchitis and pneumo nia in children younger than age 1, accord ing to the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention. Typically, the virus lasts a week or two.

Morker said it is more detrimental to babies than older kids as they are more likely view it as a cold.

While there is no preventive measure for RSV in most cases, experts encourage pedi atric patients and their families to consider getting vaccinated against the flu and COVID-19.

Blair Wright, a pediatrician with North western Medicine Regional Medical Group in Sandwich, said she is noticing more and more pediatric patients with RSV.

“I think it’s a return to normal with peo ple not masking as often,” Wright said. “People are in the day care setting, the school setting with … fewer precautions. We’re just exposed to things like it used to be.”

Experts advise parents who suspect their child has come down with RSV to practice good hand hygiene, wipe down sur faces and avoid exposures.

Morker said RSV is spreading in the

community sooner than experts had found in the past with flu season.

“Normally, RSV is our winter virus,” Morker said. “This we’ve been seeing going on for the last two months now since almost August. Since school year has started, we have seen an upsurge in all viral processes and RSV is one of them.”

Morker attributes the early start to the flu season to the easing of pandemic-era restrictions that were imposed by the gov ernment.

“Kids were not in school for a while,” Morker said. “We had mask mandates and distancing. Last year, we had no cases of influenza and very, very little RSV. But this year, everything is back to normal. We’ve relaxed precautions. Kids were not used to fighting these viruses that are just circling in the community at a much faster pace.”

Wright said there are two types of infec tions to watch out for: upper respiratory and lower respiratory.

Upper respiratory infections may con sist of a fever, congestion or sniffles.

Wright said people are advised to use saline, blow their nose and take in fluid often should they need treatment in this case.

A lower respiratory infection may include exhibiting symptoms such as wheezing, coarse breathing sounds, work breathing or having tugging in between their ribs when they’re breathing.

Wright said these are the pediatric patients to keep a close eye on should they come down with RSV.

“Those kids are the ones that we’re hear ing about who are getting hospitalized,”

See RSV, page 12

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ON THE COVER

Stage Coach Players Outreach Committee members Deb Brubaker (left) Jan Kuntz and Angela Schiola sort donations and pack bags Tuesday, Nov. 15, while collecting donations at the theater in DeKalb for their Thanksgiving food drive. See story, page 6.

mbusch@shawmedia.com

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Photo by Mark Busch –

“We don’t see this improving anytime soon. Our goal is to prevent kids from getting this bad as much as we can avoid because there’s going to be a shortage of pediatric beds for all of the winter season.”

Mayuri Morker

pediatrician with Northwestern Medicine Regional Medical Group in Sycamore

The Commitment of Resource Bank

Chapter Seven Expecting More

“Please, sir, I want some more.”

Those are the words made famous by the main character in Charles Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist. The words were uttered because life in the Victorian workhouse where Oliver lived had become unsustainable and unbearable. Hunger drove Oliver to ask his master in the work house for a second helping of the watery gruel served for dinner, but he was met with derision and thrown out. The master’s response was meant to be a message: You will take your gruel, and you will like it. There will be no “more.”

Many institutions serve a thin watery gruel that is calculated to get us by. If you have had the occasion to fly in the last few years, I think you can relate to this idea. At times, it seems we, as airline passengers, are treated more like cattle than paying customers. It is as if we are being told, “You will take what you are given and you will like it. There is no ‘more’.” These days, some of the companies we visit increasingly emulate this pattern.

At Resource Bank, I was pleased to find that a customer doesn’t need to ask for more; instead, they are asked what more can Resource do for them. The philosophy, services offered, and overall attitude that permeates the bank is, “How can we do more to enhance your life?”

Being there for customers and the community is truly what Resource Bank is all about. I am proud to be a part of a team that can honestly profess that it works, right here, to make life better for clients and our local community!

Jim

Dombek, Directer of

Trust and Investment Services & Counsel

2023 DeKalb County area races to watch

By MEGANN HORSTEAD mhorstead@shawmedia.com and CAMDEN LAZENBY clazenby@shawmedia.com

DeKALB – With one election down, another looms in months with seats up for grabs on the DeKalb and Sycamore city councils and on the boards for DeKalb School District 428, Sycamore School District 427 and Genoa-Kingston School District 424.

Those vying for elected office were able to obtain nominating petitions and begin circulating them Sept. 20.

But election authorities said the first day to file is Dec. 12 and will continue through Dec. 19.

Election Day will be held April 4, 2023.

DeKalb City Council

Four alderperson positions in the city of DeKalb are up for grabs in the April 4 consolidated election. Those alderpersons sit on the DeKalb City Council on the second and fourth Mon days of every month.

Recording Secretary Ruth Scott said no one has filed candidate petitions yet because the petition filing period has yet to begin. The four aldermen whose term expires in 2023 are First Ward Alderman Carolyn Morris, Third Ward Alderman Tracy Smith, Fifth Ward Alderman Scott McAdams and Seventh Ward Alderman Tony Faivre.

Morris, Smith and McAdams said they plan to seek reelection in the 2023 consolidated election.

Faivre, however, said he won’t seek reelection, adding his decision came

down to wanting to prioritize family first.

“Since I’ve been an alderman, I’ve had four grandchildren born to my kids,” Faivre said. “I’d like to spend some time with my grandkids and the family.”

DeKalb resident John Walker has announced his intention to run for 7th Ward seat and already held a meet-andgreet last month.

Faivre has been on the City Council the past seven years. He described his time with the city as a fantastic learning experience, as well as a humbling oppor tunity to serve people in the community.

“I’ve really enjoyed the time,” Faivre said. “I feel that being on the board I have really helped to shape the direction that DeKalb is now heading. Like in terms of professional development, I have learned a lot and have grown in my professional development from being on the council in terms of being able to col laborate or to work through and find compromises to some of the complex issues that are facing our community.”

Sycamore City Council

Four alderperson positions in the city of Sycamore are up for grabs in the April 4 consolidated election. Those alderpersons sit on the Sycamore City Council on the first and third Mondays of every month.

City Clerk Mary Kalk said no one has filed candidate petitions yet.

The four aldermen whose terms expire in 2023 are Third Ward Alder woman Nancy Copple, Fourth Ward

Mark Busch file photo – mbusch@shawmedia.com

A voter casts his ballot on Tuesday, Nov. 8, at the polling place in Westminster Presbyterian Church in DeKalb.

CURTAIN CALL FOR COLLECTING

Another season of holiday giving with Stage Coach Players, The Salvation Army comes

By CAMDEN LAZENBY clazenby@shawmedia.com

DeKALB – Volunteers with Stage Coach Players gathered the week leading up to Thanksgiving to col lect the final donations needed to help give in-need local families a holiday spread.

The annual collection drive was held by the local theater troupe in partnership with the Salvation Army in DeKalb.

Each Thanksgiving dinner box Stage Coach Play ers and The Salvation Army provide will include enough food to feed six to eight people and a $20 gift card for a turkey, as well as the following items: stuff ing, turkey gravy, whole kernel corn, green beans, dry pinto beans, white rice, canned diced pears, cranberry sauce, hot chocolate and brownie mix.

“I don’t think I’ve known one person that’s shown up today which means it’s our community that’s really giving back so, and we got quite a few checks,” said Jan Kuntz, a member of the Stage Coach Players community outreach committee.

Individuals who didn’t want to donate food were also able to contribute with checks – $35 equaled a fully stocked food box for a family in need. The food drive may have been seasonal, but the giving initiative has been at Stage Coach Players for years – at least since the COVID-19 pandemic set in.

“When they closed us down, we came in and imme diately wiped down the whole building with Lysol and then we tried to think of ways we could help the com munity,” Gloria Dennison, a self described “longtime Stage Coacher” who’s directed, performed on stage, designed sets and ran the box office for 22 years.

Kuntz said Stage Coach Players decided to hold food drives but in the middle of 2020 – the height of the pandemic, when professional grade masks were scarce and left for essential workers – homemade masks were commonly used and worn. So the commu nity theater group put on food drives but also gave away masks to those seeking.

Fifteen different food pantries had some type of partnership with Stage Coach Players’ food drives during the pandemic, Kuntz said.

“We were here every week during the pandemic, throughout the whole thing,” Kuntz said.

When putting on a play to a significantly sized audi ence wasn’t allowed, Stage Coach Players focused on its charitable efforts.

“It was something we could do to give back to the community that supported us for 75 years,” Dennison said. “But it’s also kept us able to do something

because we’re very busy when we get involved with our rehearsals and our shows and then all of the sud den we had we nothing, and so this gave us something to do, too.”

That effort eventually created the Stage Coach Players community outreach committee, something both Kuntz and Dennison are a part of. Two years later, Kuntz said the community theater group also recently held a big food drive at Northern Illinois Uni versity.

“We’ve got a nice working relationship with the people at NIU,” Kuntz said.

With Thanksgiving donations ready to go, Stage

Coach Players already are looking toward its next hol iday community outreach initiative. This week starts the beginning of the theater’s giving tree.

“We will have tags for Salvation Army, we’ll have tags for the senior citizens in our community and then we will have a box for our new toys for Toys For Tots,” Kunt said. “So for the next three weeks then we’ll be collecting Christmas items for those different groups.”

Kuntz said the giving tree is akin to The Salvation Army’s giving tree, meant to help provide children and older adults with the opportunity to get some thing on their wish list.

Donations are due by Dec. 6, Kuntz said.

to a close

Mark Busch – mbusch@shawmedia.com

Stage Coach Players Outreach Committee member Jan Kuntz wheels a cart full of donated food items into the theater in DeKalb Tuesday, Nov. 15, for their Thanksgiving food drive. The group is working with the Salvation Army to put together Thanksgiving meals for local families in need.

Kish College foundation announces Distinguished Alumni Award recipients

Shaw Local News Network

MALTA – The Kishwaukee College Foundation announced the recipients of the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award.

John and Jenny Hall received the award at the Kishwaukee College Foun dation Annual Gala on Nov. 5, according to a news release

The award honors established alumni who have demonstrated service or outstanding contributions within the Kishwaukee community.

John Hall graduated from DeKalb High School in 1999 and attended Kish waukee College for the next chapter in his education. Jenny Hall began her higher education at a private college, then transferred to Kishwaukee College a year later. The couple met while attending Kishwaukee College.

After graduating, John joined Area Erectors and works for the company in sales and project management. He later

served as the assistant coach for the Kishwaukee College men’s soccer team from 2011 to 2013.

Following his time as a coach, John became involved with regional soccer programs, where he witnessed numer ous athletes being recruited to play on semi-pro teams located outside of the area. Seeing an opportunity to build a club in their community, John sought input from Jenny.

In 2016, the couple worked with area partners to create a semi-pro team to bring the local community together through the game of soccer and launched DeKalb County United in 2017.

In 2022, the two leading youth soccer clubs in the area joined DKCU to create the DKCU Academy. The academy offers a comprehensive player develop ment pathway ranging from youth soc cer ages under eight to college, semi-pro, and beyond. For information, visit kish. edu/foundation.

Photo provided by the Kishwaukee College Foundation

(From left) Executive Director of the Kishwaukee College Foundation Dr. Kayte Hamel, Distinguished Alumni Award recipients John and Jenny Hall and Kishwaukee College Foundation Board Immediate Past President Nicole Williams pose for a picture at the Kishwaukee College Foundation’s annual gala.

LOOKING BACK

1922 – 100 YEARS AGO

From a notice received today from County Clerk Hen derson, it appears that two elderly women, some 12 years ago, left a box with him, and for some time they made fre quent calls to the box, but have not been seen for five years. Upon inquiry, Mr. Henderson states he has been unable to locate either of the women. The box is marked, “Property of Mrs. W. W. Smith, North Fourth Street, DeKalb. Left for safe keeping while away from home. Sis ter will call for.” As Mr. Henderson will give up his posi tion in the courthouse to Charles Talbot within the next few days, he is anxious to find the owner of the box.

By an arrangement brought about this week by S. E. and C. E. Bradt, the government has leased 100 square feet of land opposite the house on the Bradt farm on South First Street, which in the past, has been used by flying machines. This ground will be used by the govern ment as a night air mail landing station. The matter has been under negotiation for some time, and last week engineers were in the city giving this and other property an inspection. Monday of this week, the engineers returned and yesterday completed all arrangements whereby the field becomes an aviation field.

Sycamore people were again thrown into confusion by the report of one more case of smallpox in the city. It would seem that the germ is still in this locality, in spite of all that is being done to prevent its spreading. Doctors have been trying to stop the plague, but just when their work looks successful, another case breaks out again somewhere.

Cross Street in Sycamore is now open to all traffic, the road work being completed on that street. Hard crushed rock was laid over the entire surface while smaller rock was used as a filler. Over this a thin surface of fine stone was placed to even and give a surface to the bed. Travia was sprayed over the street, which is being absorbed into the rock, so that at the present time, the road is as smooth as cement.

1947 – 75 YEARS AGO

Political campaigns have changed complexion in the last half century or so. Ample evidence of this is con tained in a yellow “newspaper” dated August 23, 1890, which now is owned by Mrs. V. C. Goodyear. This “news paper” called The Busy Bee was published in DeKalb by Jackson & Blackman Pubs. It was a tiny little thing of four pages and when unfolded and spread out flat was exactly the same size as a modern sheet of typewriter paper, 8 x 11 inches. And apparently the only reason for “The Busy Bee” to be in existence was a hot local political campaign for county superintendent of schools.

Members of the Stage Coach Players will be the guests of the DeKalb Kiwanis club at the regular meeting Monday evening at the Rice Hotel. Under the direction of Mrs. Charles Bradt, a one-act play will be presented by a small cast, the name of the play being,”Second Honey moon.” During the past summer months the Stage Coach Players have made quite a name for themselves in and around the DeKalb community.

The sign on the soon-to-be-open K-mart

Although home and apartment seekers firmly believe that there must be fewer homes in DeKalb than ever, statistics show that many dwelling units have been added in this city within the past couple of years. In addition to the new homes, a number of remodeling projects have been completed, which have added hous ing units. The rapid growth of the city in the past few years has brought about a housing shortage, which has caused a critical problem.

Bus Line for Waterman is Considered – Representa tives of towns and cities from Rochelle to Chicago are in Chicago today for a hearing in regard to obtaining a fran chise for a bus line between the two cities. Surely there is a great need for such transportation which no doubt will be of great benefit for all. The representatives from Waterman are: Otto Babcock, president of the village board; Vernon Baker, Carl Larsen and Robert Buhse, man ager of Bellevue Place Sanitarium.

1972 – 50 YEARS AGO

Refrigerators are built to cool things down, but their use by individuals in private rooming houses is rapidly becoming a heated issue in DeKalb. The city currently has an ordinance restricting light housekeeping in room ing houses and a section of that regulation forbids the use of refrigerators in rooms not designed as kitchens. Until last summer the city allowed all refrigerators, but the City Council then amended its rooming house ordi nance and their use has since been forbidden.

A recent study of place of residence of NIU students shows little change in percentage of students who com mute or live in university residence halls but an increase in the number giving DeKalb as their permanent address. This year, 2,145 students representing 10.2 percent of the total head count enrollment, give DeKalb as their perma

nent residence. That was an increase of 345 over last year’s figure of 1,800 which was 7.9 percent of the total.

Less than a month after the DeKalb County Special Education Association purchased a permanent facility for its youngsters, eight of the 10 school boards in the asso ciation approved the purchase of another permanent facility. Monday night, the DeKalb and Shabbona boards approved the purchase agreement for Notre Dame High School and 10 acres of land surrounding the facility, while the Kirkland board by a 4-3 vote, vetoed the plan. At least eight of the 10 boards in the DCSEA must approve such an agreement before a purchase can be made.

1997 – 25 YEARS AGO

While the Sycamore Police Department has closed the 40-year-old kidnapping and murder case of Maria Rid ulph, a handful of other unsolved homicides have per plexed area police for years, sometimes decades after the fact.

DEKALB Genetics Corp’s plan to sell Roundup Ready corn next spring took a step forward last week. The seed company received approval from the U. S. Department of Agriculture to sell genetically altered corn that should thrive when treated with the nation’s top-selling herbi cide. The agency’s Animal and Plant Health Inspections Service determined the crop will not pose a risk of becoming a pest itself.

St. Mary’s School in DeKalb recently won a national essay contest netting the school thousands of dollars in computer equipment and software. And all the credit for the new computer equipment goes to third grade teacher Cassy Van der Bleek. She wrote the essay that won the Jostens Learning Corporation and Dell Computer contest.

–CompiledbySueBreese

Photo provided by DeKalb County History Center

on Sycamore Road, now the Hy-Vee building, was installed by workers on Aug. 1, 1977.

DeKALB – The DeKalb County Commu nity Gardens will host

distribu tions to neighbors in DeKalb County for its annual Giving Tuesday, Nov. 29.

The food distributions are free and open to all who come while supplies last. Food is distributed drive-thru style.

DCCG will host three special food distri bution sites sharing fresh foods and non-perishable food items:

• 4 to 6 p.m., at St. Paul the Apostle Par ish, 340 W. Arnold St., Sandwich

• 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., at Genoa Area Com munity Food Hub, 415 W. Main St., Genoa

• 6 to 7 p.m., at DCCG Warehouse, 2280 Bethany Road, DeKalb

Volunteers will be on hand to share food options, pick each car’s selections and load them into cars.

DCCG will join several local producers to purchase and share more costly grocery items such as 2% milk (HyVee-Sycamore), apples (Jonamac Orchard, Malta), ground beef (Family Farm Meats, Hinckley) and fresh seasonal produce (Klein’s Farm and Garden Market, Burlington).

To donate to DCCG on Giving Tuesday, text GIVEDCCG to 44321 or visit dekalb gardens.org and click the donate button.

Giving Tuesday is DeKalb County Com munity Gardens is a nonprofit that strives to end food insecurity, provide community health and nutrition education and build community across DeKalb County.

For information, call 815-981-1744 or email jdinatale@dekalbgardens.org.

Postcards subject of next Ellwood House lecture series

DeKALB – The Picture Postcards: The Happy Invention virtual presentation is the subject of the next Brown Bag/Local Lore program hosted by the Ellwood House Museum.

The program will begin at noon Thurs day, Dec. 1, at the Ellwood House Museum Visitor’s Center, 420 Linden Place, DeKalb, according to a news release. The program is free and open to the public.

During the presentation, the founding curator of the Teich Archives, Katherine Hamilton Smith, will present an illustrated look at the documentary power and signifi cance of picture postcards.

The first picture postcards were pub lished for the 1889 Paris Exposition, cele brating the completion of the Eiffel Tower. In America, the first picture postcards were printed for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The world’s largest

public collection of postcards and related materials, the Curt Teich Postcard Archives, were given to the Newberry Library by the Lake County Forest Preserve District in 2016.

The Picture Postcards: The Happy Invention virtual presentation is part of “Brown Bag Lunch/Local Lore,” a free lec ture series offered in collaboration by the Ellwood House Museum and DeKalb County History Center. To register, visit the DeKalb County History Center’s website, dekalbcountyhistory.org, and scroll down to “Upcoming Events.”

Brown Bag Lunch/Local Lore is funded in part by the Mary E. Stevens Concert and Lecture Fund.

For information, call 815-895-5762 or email info@dekalbcountyhistory.org.

Medicare workshops to be held Nov. 26 and 28 at the library

DeKALB – The DeKalb Public Library, 309 Oak St., will host Medicare workshops at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 26, in the library’s lower level Zimmerman Meeting Room and at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28, via Zoom.

The workshops are intended for adults.

Carol Cherry, a licensed sales represen tative, will speak at the workshops about various Medicare plans with varying cover

age, Medicare insurance options and costs that can benefit your needs. Attendees at the in-person workshops are required to wear masks. Registration is required to attend the virtual workshop. Because of limited space, the Zoom workshop is lim ited to the first 10 people. To register, visit dkpl.org.

For information, email samanthah@ dkpl.org or call 815-756-9568, ext. 1701.

FVCS receives grant from Plano Walmart

SANDWICH – Fox Valley Community Services recently received a $500 grant from the Plano Walmart’s Community Grant program during their Health and Wellness Day of Giving.

The Community Grants program donates grants to help organizations work together to spark change by helping people live better in one community at a time.

FVCS receives donations from multiple organizations to help hundreds of seniors maintain vital and independent lives.

FVCS serves seniors in DeKalb, Kane, Kendall and LaSalle counties in active adult activities at the Senior Center, adult day service and home services.

For information, call 815-786-9404. –ShawLocalNewsNetwork

BRIEFS

DeKalb Citizens’ Environmental

Commission accepting PRIDE award nominations

DeKALB – The DeKalb Citizens’ Envi ronmental Commission is accepting nominations for the 2022 People Responsible for Improving DeKalb’s Envi ronment Awards.

The deadline to submit nominations is 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, according to a news release.

The PRIDE Awards recognize local residents, organizations or businesses that have significantly improved the quality of life in DeKalb through projects, activities or programs emphasizing resource conservation, energy effi ciency, beautification, waste reduction or similar environmental improvements. Those conducting projects or programs aimed at increasing public awareness and knowledge of specific environmental issues also are eligible for a PRIDE Award.

To nominate an organization, busi ness, or individual for a PRIDE award, visit the city website at cityofdekalb. com/1439/PRIDE-Awards and complete the nomination form.

Completed nominations may be mailed, emailed, faxed or hand delivered to: Scott Zak, Management Analyst, DeKalb City Hall, 164 E. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, IL 60115; email: scott.zak@city ofdekalb.com; fax: 815-748-2091.

DCCG announces December Grow Mobile food pantry dates

DeKALB – The DeKalb County Com munity Gardens released a list of Decem ber locations for the Grow Mobile, a mobile food pantry that offers free food and household items to all who visit, no

requirements necessary.

The DCCG is working to ensure the well-being of residents, staff and volun teers. It asks that people practice good hand hygiene and stay home if sick.

To receive Grow Mobile alerts, text @a34cg4 to 81010.

Grow Mobile dates in December will be:

• 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, at Uni versity Village Apartments, 722 N. Annie Glidden Road, DeKalb

• 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, at the Hinckley Area Food Pantry, 182 W. Woodlawn Ave., Hinckley

• 3:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, at the Malta Historical Society, 127 N. Third St., Malta

• 11 a.m. to noon Thursday, Dec. 8, at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 830 N. Annie Glidden Road, DeKalb

• 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13, at the Cortland Lions Club Shelter, 70 S. Llanos St., Cortland

• 3:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13, at Family Service Agency, 1325 Sycamore Road, DeKalb

• 3:30 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15, at Malta Township Public Library, 203 Adams St., Malta

• 8:30 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, at Kingston Friendship Center, 120 Main St., Kingston

• 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20, at Uni versity Village Apartments, 722 N. Annie Glidden Road, DeKalb

11 a.m. to noon Thursday, Dec. 22, at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 830 N. Annie Glidden Road, DeKalb

• 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27, at St. Paul the Apostle Parish, 340 W. Arnold Road, Sandwich

–ShawLocalNewsNetwork

available to take care of the population.

Continued from page 2

Wright said. “That can get a little more dangerous. Sometimes we need to treat that with oxygen.”

Silver acknowledged that concerns about a tripledemic are on the rise locally as they are nationally.

A tripledemic is defined by experts as a public health emergency born out of the collision between flu, COVID-19 and RSV and how it may put a strain on the health care system.

Silver said the concern is simply the amount of health care workers that are

“As you can imagine we have patients becoming sick with COVID, becoming sick with flu, becoming sick with RSV, those people then require resources that would otherwise be available for people with heart attacks, stroke and other severe medical illness,” he said.

When asked how people can protect themselves from the threat posed by a tripledemic, Silver said the answer is easer to pinpoint than some may realize.

“We can certainly mitigate that as a society by getting vaccinated, wearing masks, washing our hands and abso lutely come to the emergency room if you feel you need to be seen,” he said.

Pumpkin - Libby’s 29oz .........$399

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Pre-made Pie Crust - Wick 9" ea ......... $449 ea Pillsbury Pie Crusts - 2 crusts ....................$499 Jumbo Yams ....................................... 99¢ lb Brown N’ Serve Rolls - 12 Rolls $319 Brussel Sprouts 16 oz ............................... $319

Fresh Oysters - Selects or Standards .. $2199 lb Pickled Herring - Creamed Herring ...$549 lb

Lutefisk

$849 lb Salted Herring Fillets .........................$599 lb Duck ...................................................$599 lb Rabbit ................................................$799 lb

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Woodbridge Wines/Pinot Grigio/Cab/Noir 750ml .......$599 St. James Wines Velvet Red/Blueberry/Peach 750ml ......$1099 Casillero del Diablo Malbec/Merlot/Cab 750ml $1099

Liver Cheese .......................................$699 lb Head Cheese - Malones Hot or Mild .. $1399 lb

Apothic Red/Cab/ Winemakers/Soft Red 750ml ...................$999 Barefoot Moscato/ Grigio/Riesling 750ml

$699 Martha’s Chard 750ml $999

Ellwood House Museum holiday events begin Nov. 16

DeKALB – The Ellwood House Museum will host tours to begin their holiday sea son to show off rooms decorated by com munity organizations, local businesses and volunteers.

The tours will be held from Wednesday, Nov. 16 ,through Sunday, Dec. 18, accord ing to a news release.

Admission is $12 for adults and $6 for youth ages six through 17. Children under the age of six and museum members can get in for free.

Guided tours of the mansion will be held at 1 and 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays from Wednesday, Nov. 16, through Thursday, Dec. 1. Ellwood House is closed Thanksgiving Day. The guided tours will resume from Wednesday, Dec. 7, through Monday, Dec. 18.

Self-guided tours are available during the museum’s annual three-day Holiday Event Weekend Tour guides will be sta tioned on each level to share the history of the house. Holiday Event Weekend hours are 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, and Sunday, Dec. 4.

Tickets can be bought at online at ell woodhouse.org or at the Ellwood House

Visitor Center. Museum memberships also can be bought online or at the visitor cen ter. For tour options or to discuss ticket prices, email peterman@ellwoodhouse.org

For information, visit ellwoodhouse.org or 815-756-4609.

DeKalb Chamber welcoming back Glidden Homestead with ribbon-cutting Nov. 30

DeKALB – The DeKalb Chamber of Com merce will hold a ribbon-cutting to wel come the Joseph F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center and congratulate Jessi Haish LaRue on her new role as the homestead’s executive director.

The ribbon cutting will be held at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, at the Joseph F. Glidden Homestead and Histori cal Center, 921 W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, according to a news release.

The ribbon-cutting is free and open to the public ribbon-cutting.

Following the ribbon-cutting, the museum will host an open house. Partici pants can enjoy light refreshments, learn more about the homesteads events and opportunities and learn more about the homestead.

The Joseph F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center is a nonprofit organization

DeKalb Corn Fest board donates $3.5K to Kishwaukee Family YMCA

DeKALB – The Kishwaukee Family YMCA recently was presented with a monetary donation of $3,500 by the DeKalb Corn Fest board.

Board members presented Brian Bickner, development director of the Kishwaukee Family YMCA, with the check, according to a news release.

The YMCA was chosen as the nonprofit recipient for the 2022 festival because of all the community outreach and support it gave to DeKalb and the surrounding area.

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founded in 1995 that works to preserve the home and barn while providing educational opportunities to the public. Both the home

and the barn are listed on the National Reg ister of Historic Places.

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Photo provided by DeKalb Corn Fest

The DeKalb Corn Fest Board recently presented the Kishwaukee Family YMCA with $3,500 as its 2022 nonprofit recipient following the summer music festival in DeKalb. Dave Rapp (left), Lisa Angel, Brian Bickner, Jennifer Yochem and Christi Coulter are pictured.

Kinzinger to GOP: ‘Speak out now’ against Trump bid

Congressman urges Republicans to reject Trump’s 2024 run

By KELSEY RETTKE krettke@shawmedia.com

Outgoing U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, called on his fellow Republicans Tuesday, Nov. 15, to “stand up and speak out now” against former GOP President Donald Trump, who announced he will mount another bid for the White House in 2024.

“To my fellow Republican leaders, listen, if you want to ever look in the mirror without shame, stand up and

BRIEFS

Kirkland man named Mediacom’s ‘2022 National Customer Hero’

KIRKLAND – Mediacom Communica tions recently presented Kirkland employee and resident Robert Kesler with its “National Customer Hero for 2022” award.

The National Cus tomer Hero is one of Medicacom’s high est employee awards. Mediacom recognizes its employees with the award annually for outstanding cus tomer service.

Kesler was presented the award for his day-to-day service excellence as a broad band specialist and donating an organ to someone who wasn’t a Mediacom cus tomer. He saw the organ donor request posted in the Spring Grove Village newslet ter while serving local broadband custom ers in McHenry County. The events

speak out now,” Kinzinger said.

Kinzinger has been one of a handful in his party early on to speak out against Trump fol lowing the Jan. 6, 2021, protest and ensuing riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Kinzinger

Kinzinger, who is one of two Repub licans on the House Jan. 6 committee, posted his remarks on his personal Twitter account at 8:10 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, in a recorded video statement less than two minutes long.

Kinzinger, who did not seek another term in last week’s election, echoed his previous sharp rebukes of the former

president, whose newest White House bid comes amid criminal investiga tions related to his role in the events of Jan. 6 and a recent FBI raid over classi fied documents at his Mar-a-Lago resi dence in Florida.

Trump has spent his time since his 2020 loss against President Joe Biden, a Democrat, lambasting local, state and national election integrity and feeding illegitimacy conspiracies about an election that wasn’t stolen.

Part of the nine-member U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, Kinzinger and his fellow panel ists subpoenaed Trump in October. The subpoena demanded Trump tes tify under oath about his involvement and hand over documents related to his communications with members of

Congress and extremist groups. Trump later sued the committee and refused to testify.

Kinzinger said Trump’s Tuesday announcement was a cry for attention from the former one-term president, and ridiculed what he called Trump’s propensity to sow division.

“When [Trump] says he cares about his people and then he drains them of their money using fear, lies, he’s an abuser, and he’s a con man,” Kinzinger said. “Donald Trump is a stain on our nation and unfortunately we’re going to have to keep hearing from him again and again and more people will give and give and be abused.”

•TheAssociatedPresscontributed tothisstory.

resulted in Kesler being a match and donat ing one of his kidneys.

Kesler joined Mediacom in 2021 and is part of a team that serves Mediacom cus tomers in Boone, McHenry, DeKalb, and Kane counties.

Mediacom Communications Corpora tion is one of the largest cable operators in the U.S. Mediacom provides high-speed data, video and phone services to 1.5 mil lion households and businesses across 22 states.

For information, visit mediacomcable. com.

NIU ‘Stories From My Childhood’ art exhibit opening Nov. 29

DeKALB – The Northern Illinois Univer sity Art Museum will host a public recep tion for its new art exhibit, “Stories from My Childhood.”

The reception is being held from 4:30 to 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 1, at the NIU Art Museum, according to a news release.

school board race concerning DeKalb School District 428.

Sycamore School District 427

Three board member positions are up for grabs in the April 4 consolidated election.

The exhibit explores both dark child hood experiences and somewhat humor ous and quirky observations of life from a child’s perspective. Artists were asked to depict a transformative event that occurred during their childhoods through visual media and text. The exhibit contains mature content and may not be suited for

all audiences.

The exhibit will run from Tuesday, Nov. 29, through Saturday, Dec. 17, and Tues day, Jan. 10, through Friday, Feb. 17 of 2023.

For information, visit go.niu.edu/artmu seumevents.

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“We have one term expiring in each of the four wards,” Kalk said.

DeKalb School District 428

Four board member positions are up for grabs in the April 4 consolidated election. Those members sit on the school board on the first and third Tues days of every month.

Jessica Rugerio of the DeKalb County Clerk and Recorder’s Office said no one has filed candidate petitions in the

Rugerio said no one has filed candi date petitions in the school board race concerning Sycamore School District 427.

Genoa-Kingston School District 424

Four board member positions are up for grabs in the April 4 consolidated election. Rugerio said no one has filed candidate petitions in the school board race concerning Genoa-Kingston School District 424.

Alderman David Stouffer, Second Ward

Chuck Stowe and First Ward Alderman Josh Huseman.

Adam

Robert Kesler