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March Events Will Provide Valuable Support To Farmers And Their Families

2 years 6 months ago
SPRINGFIELD - SIU School of Medicine’s Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development Farm Family Resource Initiative (FFRI) will host a webinar series for women in agriculture and a community forum on succession planning in March. Rural mental health specialist Monica Kramer McConkey, LPC will present a series of webinars focused on improving wellness for women who work in agriculture. The webinars will be held virtually each Thursday in March via Zoom. Topics will include the following: March 9: Learning to Love Ourselves March 23: Building and Maintaining Healthy Relationships in Times of Stress March 30: Bend Don’t Break: Becoming Resilient The FFRI is also presenting a series of community forums on succession planning in March, “Planning for the Farm’s Future and Yours.” Wesley Tucker from the University of Missouri Extension will talk about the five steps to transition farm ownership and management, strategies to navigate family and

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Illinois Earns Credit Upgrade From S&P

2 years 6 months ago
SPRINGFIELD - Governor JB Pritzker today celebrated S&P Global Ratings’ upgrade of Illinois bonds. This latest action means that Illinois has received a total of seven upgrades in less than two years under Governor Pritzker. This fiscal progress was achieved due to strong fiscal leadership by Gov. Pritzker and Democrats in the General Assembly. S&P Global Ratings announced a ratings upgrade to A- for Illinois’ General Obligation bonds, its third upgrade of Illinois’ bonds since July 2021. The last time Illinois had an A- rating from S&P was before May of 2016. Fitch Ratings upgraded Illinois’ bonds by two notches last spring, the first Fitch upgrade for Illinois’ General Obligation bonds since June 2000. Illinois received two upgrades from Moody’s Investor Service in two separate actions in April 2022 and June 2021. “I am thrilled to see our hard work at righting the past fiscal wrongs of our state reflected in today’s action by S&P

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Attorney General Raoul Joins Bipartisan Coalition Seeking To Protect Public Funds From Fraud

2 years 6 months ago
CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to protect publicly-funded programs from fraud by adopting a robust and fair reading of the False Claims Act (FCA). Raoul joined a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general in filing a brief in two Supreme Court cases that consider when a contractor can be held liable under the FCA for overbilling Medicaid. The FCA is an important law enforcement tool that states and the federal government use when a contractor knowingly provides false billing information for some publicly-funded programs, including Medicaid. “Illinois’ Medicaid program serves some of our state’s most vulnerable residents, who rely on it for their health care,” Raoul said. “I am asking the U.S. Supreme Court to preserve the False Claims Act, which is an important tool for my office to hold those who defraud this critical program accountable.” A federal appellate court held that two retail chain pharmacies

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SIHF Healthcare Brings Awareness To Heart Health

2 years 6 months ago
As February is American Heart Month, SIHF Healthcare wants to remind the public about the importance of their heart health and what steps they can take to help prevent heart disease. About 655,000 Americans die of heart disease each year - that’s an average of 1 in every 4 deaths. It is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. While the statistics on heart disease can be devastating, the good news is that it’s preventable in most cases with healthy choices, which include maintaining a healthy weight, choosing a healthy eating plan, being physically active, managing stress, not smoking, getting quality sleep and regular checkups. “No matter what your age, everyone can benefit from incorporating healthy choices into their lifestyle, says Malissa Weber, FNP-C at SIHF Healthcare in Millstadt.” Maintain a healthy weight . Being overweight puts more strain on your heart and its job to pump blood throughout your body. Achieving eve

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Anderson Hospital Foundation Back To "In-Person" Gala - Raises $129,474

2 years 6 months ago
ST. LOUIS - The 2023 Anderson Hospital Foundation Gala was held on February 4th at The Four Seasons Hotel in St. Louis. The event marked the return of an “in-person” event after two years of a “virtual gala”. It included a cocktail hour, with passed hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, a gourmet dinner, a LIVE auction, an audience appeal fundraiser for the new Dialysis Center, and was followed by dancing to the sounds of the Well Hungarian Band. Over 300 guests attended and enjoyed the festivities. “We have such a great following for this event and we thank our sponsors who always support us. We were also happy to be back “in-person,” said Lori St. John, Director of Development. The event raised a total of $129,474.00. The Foundation allocates funds for capital projects and programs for Anderson Hospital. The 2024 Gala will be held at the Four Seasons Hotel on February 3, 2024. Please contact Lori St. John at 618-391-6426 for more information.

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Illinois Hunters Harvest More Than 158,000 Deer During 2022-2023 Seasons

2 years 6 months ago
SPRINGFIELD – Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 158,010 deer during all 2022-2023 archery and firearm seasons that concluded Jan. 15. The total preliminary deer harvest for all seasons compares with a total harvest of 146,438 deer for all seasons in 2021-2022. During the 2022-2023 deer seasons, hunters took 45.04% females and 54.96% males. Totals from specific seasons: Archery deer hunters took a preliminary total of 69,557 deer during the season that began Oct. 1 and concluded Jan. 15. The total archery harvest during the 2021-2022 season was 66,630 deer. Youth deer hunters harvested a preliminary total of 3,339 deer during the three-day Illinois youth deer season Oct. 8-10, compared to 1,847 in 2021. Traditional firearm season hunters took a preliminary total of 76,854 deer during the firearm season Nov. 18-20 and Dec. 1-4. This compares to a harvest of 70,456 deer taken during the 2021 firearm season. Muzzleloader hunters harvested a preliminary

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Orchid Show

2 years 6 months ago

Experience a beloved tradition in a brand-new space as the annual Orchid Show returns in its new home in the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center’s Emerson Conservatory.   For most

The post Orchid Show appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

Mark

Illinois police warn people to be vigilant on 'National Day of Hate'

2 years 6 months ago
CHICAGO — Police in Illinois are warning people to be vigilant Saturday after state police said they have seen an increase in "domestic violent extremist messaging" announcing the day as "National Day of Hate." In a statement released Thursday, Illinois State Police said they are encouraging people to be vigilant and there is no information [...]
Andrew Smith

Market innovation a path to economic equity in farming, USDA chief tells ag conference

2 years 6 months ago

WASHINGTON – U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urged the private sector and government officials to address inequity and promote innovation in what he called a “pivotal moment” in the nation’s history at an industry conference Thursday. In the opening session of the 99th USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum, Vilsack said new income streams and markets will be […]

The post Market innovation a path to economic equity in farming, USDA chief tells ag conference appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Adam Goldstein