JCA Announces 2026 Hall of Champions: Business & Industry Class
JCA President/Principal Dr. Jeffrey Budz is pleased to announce the 2026 Hall of Champions Business & Industry: Dinah J. (Lennon ’70) Archambeault, Michael W. Hansen ’69, Raymond E. Jones ’61, Kristine (Kiefer ’74) Mackey, and Dr. Mary Therese (Lauric ’75) Petrella.
The Hall of Champions has become a staple in the JCA community, honoring past Angels and Hilltoppers for their accomplishments in business, industry, service, and athletics.
The mission of the Hall of Champions: Business & Industry is to honor SFA, JCHS, and JCA graduates for their accomplishments throughout their professional careers ranging from medicine, law, education, entertainment, business, technology, and more.
With over 28,000 alumni and counting, the lessons instilled by both the Carmelites and Franciscans over JCA’s 156-year history of Catholic education in the Joliet community has consistently cultivated leaders that have produced a world-wide impact.
Dr. Jeffrey Budz said, “We are very proud to be honoring another set of great leaders that have come from the halls of Joliet Catholic, St. Francis Academy, and JCA.
Our honorees have not only contributed greatly to their respected industry, they have generously given to the JCA community and have led by example for all current Angels and Hilltoppers. Congratulations to the Business and Industry Class of 2026! We are grateful and proud to consider you a key member of the JCA Family!”
• Board-certified in Family Medicine
• Specializes in preventive care, integrative medicine & women’s health
• Family-focused to build strong, trusted relationships with patients of all ages
• Multilingual care: English, Spanish, Dutch, Papiamentu
• Convenient location and accepts most insurance plans
Call now to schedule an appointment and experience care that puts your family first! 815-254-2403
UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Medical Group Primary Care 23836 135th St., Suite 103 Plainfield, IL 60544
UChicagoMedicineAdventHealth.org
For more information on our inductees, please visit: https://www.jolietcatholicacademy.org/alumni2/hall-of-champions/business-industry
Joliet Catholic Academy cordially invites you to the Hall of Champions: Business & Industry event, honoring our 2026 Champions class on Thursday, February 26, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. at the Jacob Henry Mansion, 20 S. Eastern Ave., Joliet.
Tickets to the Hall of Champions event are $50 per person. Please contact Chris Voss, Director of Special Events at 815741-0500 ext. 283 or by email at cvoss@ jca-online.org for more information.
For tickets, please visit: https://www.givecentral.org/2026-Hallof-Champions-Business-and-IndustryWeb
7-Unit Shopping Center Proposed in Romeoville
A concept plan that went before the Romeoville Village Board tonight details a 11,254 square foot retail building that would be constructed on the northwest corner of Weber Road and Renwick Road. There would be space for seven tenants with access to the building coming from the road that already connects McDonalds, Romeoville Toyota, and the Springs at Weber Road.
Additional details on this concept plan include 83 parking spots and a unit with a drive-thru and outdoor patio.
“This corner is one of the entrances to Romeoville and we’re eager to get it built up with the next wave of businesses that serve our community,” said Mayor Noak.
Following the board’s approval and input, revisions will be made and be re-presented as a final concept. Assuming a standard timeline and smooth process, construction could begin in summer of this year.
A concept plan that went before the Romeoville Village Board tonight details a 11,254 square foot retail building that would be constructed on the northwest corner of Weber Road and Renwick Road.
Vitamin D and its link to cancer prevention
Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, is crucial for maintaining health. Vitamin D is essential for bone health and immune function.
For the last 20 years, researchers have studied vitamin D to determine if it can help to prevent certain cancers.
The theory that it may is built upon the role vitamin D plays in regulating cell growth, proliferation and cell death (apoptosis).
Data published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2019 that was based on the largest randomized clinical trials on the topic, the VITAL (Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial), reveals the link between vitamin D and cancer prevention is nuanced.
The primary finding was that vitamin D supplementation did not significantly lower the overall incidence rate of invasive cancer in the general population, when compared to the placebo.
However, when researchers looked into specific cancer types, the VITAL study showed a statistically significant 38 percent reduction in total cancer mortality (death from cancer) among participants
who took vitamin D for at least two years.
Among the more than 25,000 men and women who participated, those who took 2,000 international units of vitamin D each day for an average of 5.3 years were nearly 20 percent less likely than those who took the placebo to have an advanced cancer, which is defined as one that metastasized or proved fatal.
The risk reduction also correlated to participants being at a normal weight. Researchers didn’t see a benefit in people who were overweight or obese.
There has been a compelling trend regarding colorectal cancer and vitamin D supplementation.
Data published in JAMA Network Open showed that those who consistently supplemented with vitamin D had a roughly 17 to 25 percent lower risk of developing advanced colorectal adenomas or cancer, suggesting a potential benefit for protecting against gastrointestinal malignancies.
While vitamin D is vital for overall health, it cannot conclusively and universally be recommended as a cancer prevention measure for the general pub-
lic, based on scientific consensus supported by the National Cancer Institute and other medical organizations.
However, given the link between vitamin D and
cancer mortality, supplementing with vitamin D is a low-risk measure individuals can adopt. It’s always best to consult with a doctor for more guidance about appropriate supplementation doses and health strategies.
Tips to protect your eyes in the workplace
Individuals go to work each day to provide for themselves and their families. Working provides many benefits, but it also exposes people to some risks. For some, those risks include eye injuries.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health says about 2,000 workers sustain job-related eye injuries that require medical treatment each year in the United States.
According to the Canadian Association of Optometrists, more than 700 eye injuries are reported in Canada every day, and over 200 of those injuries occur in the workplace. Employment-related injuries can be traced to hazards like chemicals, radiation, dust, and flying debris.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that almost 70 percent of the accidents studied on the job resulted from flying or falling objects or sparks striking the eye.
However, digital eye strain from working on a computer on a daily basis also affects professionals’ eyes.
Preventing eye injuries often comes down to recognition of hazards and what can be done to avoid
common injuries. These tips can help.
• Employees should be educated and trained on all dangers specific to the workplace.
• Employers should install barrier and shields in areas prone to flying debris and dust.
• Employees working in hazardous environments should have access to and be wearing eye safety equipment at all times.
• The proper use of eye safety equipment means using the right kind of protection for the job. Forms of eye protection include goggles, safety glasses, face shields, or full face respirators.
• Employees should take breaks when working on the computer. To help alleviate digital eye strain, experts recommend the 20-20-20 rule. This means taking a 20-second break to view something 20 feet away every 20 minutes.
• Special filters can protect the eyes from optimal radiation exposure. Filters can be used when welding or working with lasers.
• Employees should recognize that contact lenses can’t provide protection from eye hazards in the workplace. However, contact lenses can provide improved vision in the workplace.
According to the American Optometric Association, workers should be allowed to wear contact lenses in most eye-hazardous environments, pro-
vided they wear eye protection over the contact lenses.
Prevent Blindness America says 90 percent of all workplace eye injuries can be avoided by wearing proper safety eyewear and following the safety guidelines recommended for each particular industry.
