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EVERGREEN PARK - March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month. For years, colon cancer was believed by many to be an “old person’s disease.” A recent study , however, revealed that young patients ages 20 to 29 have seen the highest spike in rates of diagnosed colon cancer cases. According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 18,000 people under the age of 50 will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year in the United States. Many of these cases are being diagnosed at late stages, which is believed to be happening in large part because many young people brush off symptoms as being nothing out of the norm. “I think there is a misconception that when you are young, your risk of colon cancer is smaller. What ends up happening is a lot of people just discredit it as something they ate, or needing to be on a better diet or other issues that have been going on. But when you talk to these people who have had colon cancer who are younger, they typically have been having

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 10,462 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including an increase of 272 deaths since February 25, 2022. Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 3,037,199 cases, including 32,926 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Since February 25, 2022, laboratories have reported 750,521 specimens for a total of 55,089,500. As of last night, 843 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 153 patients were in the ICU and 77 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from February 25 - March 3, 2022 is 1.4%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from February 25 - March 3, 2022 is 1.6%. A total of 21,157,960 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as o

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GRANITE CITY - Mayor Michael C. Parkinson and his new administration are busy these days trying to obtain as much funding and new programming as they can for the City of Granite City. One of the very first things Mayor Parkinson did was to hire a grant writer to help him grow Granite City and support the local economy and community. According to city hall administration, the city had not had a grant writer for at least 20 years, and Parkinson knew he could not do it alone. “I wanted someone on the team who knows the community and how to find a needle in a haystack, in terms of funding, I wanted a person who is as passionate about revitalizing Granite City as I am,” the mayor stated. Enter Paula Hubbard, lifelong resident of GC and a retired educator. As a former neighbor growing up, and someone who changed his diapers (Yes, you are reading this right), Mayor Parkinson knew she could fill the bill. While working in his campaign, Paula had been talking with mayoral candidate

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URBANA - We talk a lot about relationships in February. Romance is front and center around Valentine’s Day, with hearts and flowers everywhere you look. Friendship, however, doesn’t get nearly the same recognition. And yet, few things have a greater impact on our mental and physical health than our friends. Research shows that people with strong social connections have greater longevity, have lower risk of cardiovascular disease, and faster recovery from illness. They also have an increased life-satisfaction and sense of belonging. In fact, a 2018 journal article called The Anatomy of Friendship states, “Friendship is the single most important factor influencing our health, well-being, and happiness.” So how can we increase our social connections and get the most out of our friendships? Or, perhaps more importantly, how can we be good friends to others? Take (a little) Time – It doesn’t have to be a lot! Just a few minutes can make a big difference

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The Conversation — Behind some of the most fascinating scientific discoveries and innovations are women whose names might not be familiar but whose stories are worth knowing. Of course, there are far too many to all fit on one list. But here are five profiles from The Conversation’s archive that highlight the brilliance, grit and unique perspectives of five women who worked in geosciences, math, ornithology, pharmacology and physics during the 20th century. Marie Tharp with an undersea map at her desk. Rolled sonar profiles of the ocean floor are on the shelf behind her. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and the estate of Marie Tharp 1. Revealing and mapping the ocean floor As late as the 1950s, wrote Wesleyan University geoscientist Suzanne OConnell , “many scientists assumed the seabed was featureless.” An illustration of Marie Tharp’s mapping process. (a) Shows the position of two ship tracks (A, B) moving across the surface. (b)

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ST. LOUIS REGION – For the third consecutive year, World Wide Technology Raceway’s Jr. Dragster Thunder and Jr. Dragster Lightning championships were won by a brother-sister duo. The siblings from Pevely, Missouri, kept the streak alive when Kennedy Hale won the Duell Enterprises Jr. Dragster Lightning title and brother Cohen earned the Jr. Dragster Thunder crown. Sam and Sarah Stewart of Washington, Missouri, won both Jr. Dragster classes in 2019 and again in 2020. The Hale Family trophy shelf is full this year. Kennedy has two points race wins, in addition to an ADRL victory and a pair of Mid-West Series visits to victory lane. Cohen, not to be outdone, scored four points races and capped the season with a victory at the NHRA Division 3 Race of Champions at Indianapolis. Cohen is 13 and started racing one year before Kennedy, who is 15. He entered the Jr. Dragster arena in 2016 and won the championship in 2018. For Kennedy, the 2021 season was her first championship.

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ST. LOUIS - Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT), Metro Transit, St. Clair County Transit District, Bureau of Transit Police, Metro Transit Public Safety, Chestnut Health Systems ™ , University of Missouri–St. Louis and AARP in St. Louis are teaming up to host FREE, pop-up health fairs at the Emerson Park and North Hanley Transit Centers – on Friday, March 11, 2022 . These events are part of a joint effort encouraging transit riders, and the community at large, to “Step into a Healthier You in 2022 with Transit” by providing access to an array of health and wellness resources and reinforcing how the region’s interconnected public transit system gets residents where they need to go – including doctors’ offices, hospitals, pharmacies, dentists, workout facilities, grocery stores and other establishments that promote health and wellness. The pop-up health fair at the Emerson Park Transit Center (929 15 th Street, East St. Louis, I

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URBANA – Exceeded only by floods, lightning is the second largest killer associated with storms. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , over 25 million cloud-to-ground lightning flashes occur each year. Duane Friend, University of Illinois Extension natural resources educator, says the number of lightning deaths has been steadily declining over the last 10 to 15 years. "Lightning kills by stopping the heart and damaging the nervous system," Friend says. "In non-fatal cases, people suffer permanent disabilities, such as short-term memory loss, distractibility, irritability, and personality change." There are several considerations for avoiding being hit by lightning. As a storm approaches, move indoor before the rain begins. "If you can hear thunder, lightning is close enough that it could strike your location at any moment," Friend says. "Lightning originating near the top of a storm can reach as far as 10 to 15 miles away." Do not stand under

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PEORIA - Cardiologists hope that by raising awareness of heart disease, risk factors and prevention methods, the public can charge into the year ahead armed with new heart health knowledge. Heart disease is a leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 659,000 Americans die from heart disease each year – that is one in every four deaths. According to Dr. Tinoy Kizhakekuttu, an OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute cardiologist, thousands of these deaths can be prevented. “Heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S.,” he says. “Most people die from heart disease, but it doesn't have to be that way. It's a preventable death in my opinion. Follow the ‘simple seven’ of life. What I always say is stop smoking, number one, exercise every day, eat healthy, lose weight, control your cholesterol, control your blood pressure, and control your blood sugar.

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St. Louis aldermen gave first-round approval to a bill requiring restaurants in the city to include only milk, water and fruit juices on single-price children’s menus.

The A.T. Still University-Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health is giving veterans free comprehensive dental screenings Saturday morning, at the St. Louis Dental Center. To make this event free to veterans, funding is provided through private donations. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m. and runs until 11 a.m., but walk-ins are welcome. This is their fifth [...]

GODFREY - It has been three years today, March 5, that Godfrey Fire Capt. Jake Ringering died while battling a blaze on Culp Lane in Bethalto. Jake was 37 at the time when a wall collapsed on March 5, 2019, killing him and injuring three other firefighters. Firefighter Luke Warner was the other most seriously injured suffering two broken legs but did return to duty after a long recovery. Chris Stratton has a fund-raising plan for today that involves a 40-mile, 40-pound ruck, with Jake being 40 years old this year. For those who don't know, Rucking is just walking with a weighted rucksack (aka backpack). This is what Stratton had to say about his fund-raising plan for Backstoppers Inc. and FOB Rasor: “This year, in honor of my brother Jake Ringering some folks and I will be completing a 40-mile, 40-pounds ruck. Jake would of been 40 years old this year. Every penny that's donated will be given to BackStoppers Inc and FOB Rasor. I will be pledging $10/ Mile tha

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A private report shows the loopholes Amazon uses to lessen its climate impact.

They all were either friends or acquaintances of Emma Beauvais Thomas.  We may never know which.  Here are their images and many others from: The Emma Beauvais Thomas Grumley Collection – Part Seven. Regular followers of this space will already know that many of my most recent posts have featured vintage images that were once […]

After a one-year COVID-related hiatus, the Annual Mardi Gras Parade in St. Louis, the second-largest Mardi Gras celebration in the country, triumphantly returned to once again fill the streets of Soulard.

"We're taking a look and saying what makes the most sense for our audiences and everyone who comes to Powell Hall," a St. Louis Symphony Orchestra spokeswoman said.