Memorial poker run brings awareness to teen killed, bi-polarism

Monday, September 26th, 2011, 10:25am

The family and friends of a Heartland teen killed last summer came together Saturday to honor her life and bring awareness to a health condition.

It's the 2^nd year for the Sidnee Stephens Poker Run and Silent Auction hosted by her family.

Sidnee's mother says it's important to keep her daughters bi-polar disorder at the forefront of people's minds. That way, she says those who need the help can get it.

"And the states doing so many cuts in the mental health field that there wasn't a whole lot then to begin with, now there's even less, said Tracy Stephens."So this is something we can do to help those kids and parents who are stuck in the middle."

Family members plan to donate 100-percent of the proceeds from this year's poker run to charity.

It will be divided between the Carbondale SIRS Agency and a scholarship fund at the Pinckneyville High School in Sidnee's honor.

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Car seat safety check points set up across Illinois

Submitted by KFVS Web Staff

Sunday, September 25th, 2011, 1:23pm

When it comes to keeping kids safe in their car seats sometimes all it takes is a little instruction and guidance.

That's exactly what law enforcement, health care agencies and the Illinois Department of Transportation offered Saturday.

The program called "Don't Leap Too Soon" set up car seat safety check points in more than 80 locations in the state.

"The reason it's so important is because 80-percent of the car seats that come through our checks are incorrectly installed," said ISP Trooper David Sneed. "So when you look at the big picture that's a lot of kids running around the nation not secured properly in their car seat."

Illinois wasn't the only place in the nation taking part in the "Don't Leap Too Soon" program. Car seat safety check points were set up all across the Heartland Saturday, and around the nation.

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State cutbacks force DuQuoin health clinic closure

Submitted by KFVS Web Staff

Saturday, September 24th, 2011, 6:37pm

From state jobs on the chopping block, to regional superintendents' salaries being cut, Illinois state budgets remain tight. That's now costing one southern Illinois community its public health clinic.

The Perry County Health Department shut down its health clinic on south division street in Du Quoin on Friday.

The administrator for the health department calls it a tough decision that the county board had to make due to state cutbacks.

"It would have definitely been nice to keep a constant location you know a clinic in Du Quoin and expand that if funding was available," said Jodi Schoen "We had plenty of staff and resources. But that's not the situation right now."

The employees at the health clinic in Du Quoin will be transferred to the Perry County Health Department in Pinckneyville.

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Volleyball tournament for Lady Indians

Submitted by Amber Ruch, KFVS12 County News Web Producer

Saturday, September 24th, 2011, 10:00am

DUQUOIN, IL (KFVS) - The Lady Indian volleyball players will play on Saturday, Sepetember 24.

The team will play in the Pinckneyville Tournament all day at the Duster Thomas Gymnasium.

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21-year-old man killed in construction accident

Submitted by Christy Hendricks

Friday, September 23rd, 2011, 2:50pm

PINCKNEYVILLE, IL (KFVS) - A 21-year-old man was killed in a construction accident earlier this week.

Perry County Coroner Paul Searby says Keven Cibrowski was helping put in a grain bin south of Pinckneyville.

Searby says Cibrowski was crushed by a piece of the tower that fell.

Cibrowski was from Trenton, Illinois.

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Applications accepted for EMS subcommittee

Submitted by Christy Hendricks

Friday, September 23rd, 2011, 11:56am

(KFVS) - Lt. Governor Sheila Simon is accepting applications for the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) subcommittee of the Governor’s Rural Affairs Council (GRAC).

The subcommittee will work to improve EMS services throughout rural Illinois. It's charged with identifying barriers to providing adequate EMS service in rural Illinois. Among those challenges are long ambulance response times that put patients at risk and recruiting and retaining the qualified emergency medical service personnel necessary to provide life-saving care to citizens in need, according to Lt. Gov.

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Ill. Gov's request for Agricultural disaster declaration approved

Submitted by KFVS Web Staff

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011, 8:28pm

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn announced federal disaster assistance is available to help the state's farmers who suffered crop losses due to 2011 flooding.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted the Governor's request to designate 46 Illinois counties as natural disaster areas, said the governor's office.

The designation qualifies farmers in those counties and 27 contiguous counties for assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), including low-interest emergency loans.

"Grain prices will help offset production losses for farmers who were fortunate enough to get a crop in the ground, but thousands of acres across Illinois were totally destroyed," Governor Quinn said. "These loans will help farmers who weren't able to plant this year's crop by refinancing debt and covering production costs and essential family living expenses."

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