More Important News

West Carroll ‘Patriot’s Pen’ Winners

The Patriot’s Pen competition is conducted annually by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. This year’s theme was “Are You Proud of Your Country?” and was chosen by the VFW’s Commander-in-Chief. On January 6, 2012, Mr. Bill Scott and Mr. Bruce Mottin, members of the VFW, presented three awards to students at West Carroll Middle School.

Dylana Stine, 7th grade WCMS student, captured first place with a $100 check. Dylana is a student in Ms. Rein’s English class. Gloria Serrano-Moreno, 8th grade WCMS student, earned second place and received $75, and Allison Brunner, 8th grade WCMS student, won third place and received a check for $50 from the VFW.

Both Gloria and Allison are students in Mrs. Jones’s English class. WCMS is proud of all the students that entered the competition and thanks the VFW for the opportunity to educate students about those that have served our country.

At the Mount Carroll Rotary Club, Daniel Payette, outreach coordinator of Blackhawk Hills Resource Conservation and Development, discussed fiber optic cable access coming to Carroll County. Pictured (from left) Rotarians Ken Alexander, Mike Risko, Daniel Payette, Paul Tobin and Wayne Brooks. For more information about Rotary, call 1-. (Courtesy of Anna Gray)

Meet Mika

This pretty girl is named Mika. She has been at the shelter for a long time & is ready for a home of her own. She can be a little shy when first meeting her, but she enjoys petting and having attention. She is a young adult cat and likes to play but is quiet and sweet. If you would like to meet Mika and her friends at the shelter, call Heartland today for an appointment. or ;

Morrison Rotary

Morrison Rotary welcomed the January Students of the Month at their regular meeting held on Wednesday, January 4, 2012. Pictured are Carly Ligons and Jacob Tegeler.

NARFE News

Chapter 604 of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) Association will hold their monthly meeting at noon on Thursday, January 19th at the House of Events in Savanna. A luncheon buffet will be available for those who wish to eat. The business meeting and program will follow at 1 p.m.

Come and join us in ringing in the new year and get up to speed on NARFE activities. All active and retired federal employees, spouses and survivors are cordially invited.

Milledgeville Blood Drive

The Milledgeville High School Student Council is having a blood drive on Friday, January 13th. Their goal is to better last years number of sixty one donations in order to obtain a scholarship from the Red Cross.

The blood drive will be located at the large gym at Milledgeville High School and will run from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. For an appointment call Mrs. Jogerst at extension 236 or the office at extension 221. Walk-ins are welcome, so please come and donate blood.

Carroll County Farm Bureau Hosts Stroke Screening

What is your risk of having a stroke? One of your best defenses against a life threatening or life-changing event such as stroke is to know your risk through a fast and painless stroke screening. Many people are unaware how close they are to suffering a debilitating or life-ending stroke. And, unfortunately, most people don’t have symptoms or a sign before a stroke occurs. That’s why stroke is commonly referred to as the “silent killer,” ranking as the third leading cause of death in the United States.
New mobile technology is available today to help individuals determine their stroke risk in advance so they can take steps to improve their health. 
A stroke screening will help identify dangerous blood flow blockages. Stoke Detection Plus, a mobile vascular screening company, uses ultrasound technology to find blockages in the body’s blood vessels that could lead to a stroke.
“Ultrasound technology is something that’s been around for over 50 years. Medical professionals have used the visual, non-invasive technology in many applications. Pregnancy is probably the most well-known application of ultrasound,” says Scott McGlothlen, Stroke Detection Plus President.
Ultrasound can also help doctors see blocked blood vessels without performing an angiogram, an invasive procedure in which a tiny catheter tube is inserted into a blood vessel.
“Unlike an angiogram, the Stroke Detection Plus ultrasound screening is performed without needles or injections,” McGlothlen says. Patients remain fully clothed as the technician moves an ultrasound probe over specific areas of the body to detect potential blood vessel blockages. “In five minutes, we can tell people if they have blockage. And they get these results confidentially, so it doesn’t affect their health premiums,” he says.
During a Stroke Detection Plus screening, a certified ultrasound technician performs four tests. “If the ultrasound test discovers a potential health problem, an on-staff nurse for Stroke Detection Plus will follow up with a phone consultation to encourage patients to visit their doctor for diagnosis and treatment,” McGlothlen says.
People over the age of 40 are encouraged to get tested, especially those with one or more of the following risk factors: high blood pressure, diabetes, more than 20 pounds overweight, a smoker, high cholesterol, inactive lifestyle, or have a family medical history of heart disease or stroke.
Stroke Detection Plus will be screening at Carroll County Farm Bureau, 811 S. Clay St, in Mt. Carroll, from 9-4:30, on Friday January 20th.

A complete wellness profile, all 4 screenings is $135, or you can select individual tests at just $45 each. Farm Bureau Members receive all 4 screenings for only $100.
A two minute virtual tour of the screenings being offered can be seen on the Stroke Detection Plus website, www.strokedetectionplus.com
Appointments are necessary. To set up an appointment, call toll-free 1-.

Lanark Man Arrested, Charged With Burglary at Rolling Hills Progress Center

Investigation and subsequent information tip result in arrest of suspect and recovery of stolen property

Lanark Police were notified of a burglary at the Rolling Hills Progress Center east facility on the morning of January 3rd, 2012. The burglary was discovered by plant employees after the holiday shutdown as they were readying the plant for operations. Items taken from an office area of the plant included a new company laptop computer, and an undisclosed amount of cash. The scene was processed by the Illinois State Police CSI Division, and the Lanark Police Department.

Later in the evening, information was received through a tip that resulted in Lanark Police officers obtaining a Search Warrant from Carroll County State’s Attorney Scott Brinkmeier for a residence in Lanark. The Search Warrant was executed by Lanark Police, assisted by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department and Mt. Carroll Police.

Officers were able to recover the stolen computer from the residence, and also arrested Robert W. Hoffman, 20, 107 Parker Ct. Hoffman was charged with Burglary, a Class 2 Felony, and further charges are pending according to State’s Attorney Brinkmeier.

Hoffman is currently being held at the Carroll County Jail on a $25,000 Bond, and will appear in court on January 13th.

(The public is reminded that these are merely charges and all persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.)

Carroll County 4-H Hosts Dance

By Leanne Rahn, Carroll County Program Coordinator, 4-H & Youth

The Carroll County 4-H will be hosting a multi-county “Viva Las Vegas” dance on Saturday, January 21, from 7:00-10:00 p.m. at Naaman Diehl Auditorium in Mt. Carroll.

All 4-H’ers and their guests are invited to attend. Dance admission is one or more of the following: bud vases, knitted or crocheted items (patterns available at the Extension Office), coffee mugs, new or like new Beanie Babies, small quilts, crayons, coloring books, magazines not more than 3 months old, yarn, sewing material, neck scarves. These items will be donated as part of Federation’s community service project to the FHN Hospital. Refreshments will be served.

Join us for lots of fun! For more information, contact Leanne Rahn at University of Illinois Extension Carroll County Office in Mt. Carroll at or .

Carroll County 4-H Shooting Sports Groups to Meet

By Leanne Rahn, Carroll County Program Coordinator, 4-H & Youth

The Carroll Co. 4-H Shooting Sports program is forming a Shooting Sports Advisory Committee. This committee would only meet as needed. We are looking for adults, older 4-H’ers and people from the communities to be on this committee.

We will be meeting on Tuesday, January 24, at 6:30 p.m. in the Extension Office meeting room in Mt. Carroll.

The group will talk about equipment, practice sessions, applying for grants, do needed paper work, basically anything we need to talk about and decide upon to have a top-notch Shooting Sports opportunity for the youth.

If you are interested in attending, please contact Leanne Rahn at the Carroll Co. Extension Office or .

Carroll County 4-H Steer Weigh-In & Tattooing

By Leanne Rahn, Carroll County Program Coordinator, 4-H & Youth

4-H Steer weighing and tattooing will he held Saturday, February 4, from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at Jim & Kayla Ruter farm near Shannon. Snow date will be February 11 at the same location.

Any 4-H’er that is remotely thinking of showing steers at the State Fair Show in August in the Jr. Department beef steer and beef premiere classes. State Fair animals must also be tagged with an electronic ID tag. Qualifying carcasses must grade at least low choice, have a yield grade lower than 4.0 and weigh 900 lbs. or less. Also, any 4-H’er wanting to participate in the Carroll Co. 4-H carcass class must weigh-in and tattoo on this day.

For more information or to register by February 1 to attend the weigh-in and tattooing, contact Leanne Rahn at the Carroll County University of Illinois Extension Office at 244-9444 or e-mail at .

Carroll County 4-H Jr. Ambassador Group To Meet

By Leanne Rahn, Carroll County Program Coordinator, 4-H & Youth

The Carroll County Junior Ambassador group is recruiting 6-8th grade 4-H’ers and non-4-H’ers for the 2011-2012 4-H year.

At their monthly meetings last year, they planned a community service learning project, how to access needs in their communities and learned to work as a team.

The first meeting of the new-year for the Jr. Ambassadors will be Tuesday, January 24, at 6:30 p.m. in the Extension Office Meeting room in Mt. Carroll. Contact Leanne Rahn at the Carroll County University of Illinois Extension Office for more information on how to join the Jr. Ambassador team. Please call or e-mail . Bring a friend.

Carroll County 4-H Leaders Meeting Planned

By Leanne Rahn, Carroll County Program Coordinator, 4-H & Youth

The next Carroll County 4-H Leader’s Meeting will be held Monday, February 6, at 7:00 p.m. at the Carroll County Farm Bureau Board room. We have many agenda items to discuss – upcoming winter programs and activities, judging contests, ideas for 4-H Fair, etc. All organizational, project and Junior Leaders are encouraged to attend.

4-H Teaches Vital Skills To Future Leaders

By Leanne Rahn, Carroll County Program Coordinator, 4-H & Youth

The success or failure of an organization doesn’t rely on program content alone. The leadership abilities of the individuals responsible for that program also affect its success. The same is true for 4-H.

Club officers are an important part of the leadership team in the local 4-H club. Members develop leadership skills as they perform the duties required by their elected office.

4-H members have a chance to learn about democracy first hand through elections, which are held as part of their 4-H club. Youth learn not only about the election process, but also about the right that everyone has to be heard.

Elected 4-H officers learn to be responsible to their group as well as learn leadership skills and parliamentary procedure. 4-H members develop a greater feeling of ownership in their club meetings.

Studies have shown that it isn’t always a good idea to have the same people in the lead all the time. This is why in 4-H and in other organizations, we periodically select new leaders. This rotation also allows more members to benefit from the experience of leading the club.

Leadership needs to change as the situation and followers change. The best leaders are those who have good “people skills”. They sense what needs to be done and decide how to bring others along with them in working toward a goal. They recognize when they should and shouldn’t function as directive leaders.

Many of the skills that are used in leading a group, are the same skills that we use to direct our own lives. These skills can be learned by youth as well as by adults.

Leadership is a helping process, whether it involves just one other person or a group. Leadership opportunities can be divided among individuals so they can select roles best fitting their abilities and interests.

Leadership also includes the relationships that people have with each other. It is important that a leader know the people they are leading, including what skills they possess, and what goals they have for the group.

For more information on how you child can develop his or her leadership skills through 4-H, contact Leanne at Carroll County University of Illinois Extension office at 244-9444 or .

Participants Needed For Extension & 4-H Expansion & Review Meeting

By Leanne Rahn, Carroll County Program Coordinator, 4-H & Youth

We are looking for a variety of people to represent the varied needs and interests of the young people in our county. Because of your concern for youth in your community, your involvement in youth programs, or your knowledge of issues facing youth, you would be an asset to this committee. You do not need to be currently involved in the 4-H Program to participate.

The Extension & 4-H Expansion and Review Committee plays a role in evaluating program offerings, reviewing enrollment trends, and developing plans for reaching underserved youth. The Committee needs input from youth and adults; those who have participated in 4-H Programs as well as those who have not. Please note that committee meetings are limited to three per year. We are looking for adults and youth ages Jr. High age on up.

The committee will meet Monday, February 27, at 6:30 p.m., in the Extension Office meeting room in Mt. Carroll. We will conclude by 7:30/8:00 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. Please RSVP to the Extension Office by February 22 to help us with plans.

If you have questions about the Expansion and Review Committee, contact Leanne Rahn at University of Illinois Extension Office at or .