1 Front Volume 148 No. 18
Friday, April 8, 2016
Single Copy Cost 50¢
Cameras in the courtroom LaSalle County will not participate in program
By Dave Cook
news@tonicanews.com
OTTAWA — A pilot project launched in 2012 allowing the use of media cameras in certain courtrooms on an experimental basis has concluded. Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Rita B. Garman has announced the court has adopted a permanent policy for extended media coverage (EMC) in the circuit courts of Illinois.
Since the pilot program, 15 judicial circuits have been approved to implement EMC, and more than 450 media requests have been made under the policy. Based on the program’s success and the court’s goal of promoting greater transparency, the justices have ended the program’s status as a pilot project and will now allow each circuit court to decide if it wants to implement the use of EMC.
According to the press release, Chief Justice Garman said, “At every level of the judicial system, we do the people’s work, and the people have an interest in observing how the judicial process functions. We are pleased with the success of the pilot project and with the great cooperation we have received from the media. It is time to make EMC more widely available.” The Supreme Court has
amended the policy to include a standard application form to be submitted by the chief judge of a judicial circuit interested in allowing news cameras in its courtrooms. The new form will ensure consistency and efficiency by requiring information about the logistics of allowing cameras in the applicant circuit, implementation dates, technological capabilities, the
Fire Department Page 3
TB Page 2
With dedication and community support ... Tonica Volunteer Fire Department continues to evolve
TONICA — The residents of the Tonica area have a dedicated group of individuals ready to assist them during emergencies. The fire department may be staffed by volunteers, but they tirelessly work to provide professional and cutting edge care to their community. They also deliver this care without
Vol. 148 No. 18 One Section - 8 Pages
© The Tonica News
taxation and are one of the few area departments who rely on donations. According to information officer and 40-year veteran Rick Turri, the first fire department in Tonica was established in 1901 and ceased in 1911 due to lack of funds. “In between there were volunteers, bucket brigades or whatever. We were, as we are now, established in 1938, and
we’ve always been volunteer,” Turri said. The only paid people on the staff are two EMTs who rotate their schedules to ensure the office is staffed Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and they assist with administrative work and dispatching duties. Turri spoke of how the process to find volunteers has changed throughout the years.
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By Dave Cook
news@tonicanews.com
“There used to be a waiting list, you’d have to apply and then wait; now it doesn’t exist. We do have a few openings, but we still have to be selective, and they need to make it through the process we go through. We currently have 34 members. Some just do the radio, so if there’s a call they come in and function as a
Cameras Page 3
Tonica News photo/Dave Cook
By Dave Cook
One case in LaSalle County in 2015
OTTAWA — Although the trend throughout the past decade has shown a decline in tuberculosis (TB) cases, there were 344 reported cases within Illinois and one case of extensively drug resistant TB (XDR TB) in 2015, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). TB is a contagious, possibly fatal, disease transmitted through the air when active TB germs are spread through coughs or sneezes. People with TB are most likely to infect those who they spend the most amount of time with, such as family members, classmates and co-workers. Leslie Dougherty, health educator with the LaSalle County Health Department, said, “In 2015, we had one active case of TB. Currently, we have no new cases for 2016. On average, we typically see one active case per year in LaSalle County.” According to a press release from the Illinois Department of Public Health, TB typically affects the lungs but can also infect the spine, brain, kidneys or any other part of the body. Usual symptoms may involve fatigue, weight loss, fever and night sweats. When TB infects the lungs, symptoms can include chest pain and persistent coughing that may produce blood. People should be evaluated for TB if they are exposed to someone with active TB, if they are from a county with a high prevalence of TB, or if they have signs and symptoms of TB. According to the IDPH, TB can be treated by taking several drugs for six to 12 months, and it is important for those infected to take them exactly as prescribed and to finish the cycle of medication. Many patients comply with the strict drug regimen at first, but may stop taking it after they begin to feel better. Failure to follow the therapy for the full duration may allow the TB to return. In some cases the re-established infection can’t be treated with the usual antibiotics because the bacteria have become extensively drug resistant. TB resistant to drugs is more difficult and expensive to treat. IDHP Director Nirav D. Shah said, “The identification of a person with XDR TB is concerning. It means that most antibiotics used to treat one of the world’s deadliest diseases do not work. IDHP wants to raise awareness about TB, so that people recognize it and know the importance of completing treatment in order to prevent additional extensively drug resistant cases.”
Tonica firefighter Alec McCleary (from left), fire chief Al Stremlau and information officer Rick Turri are just a few of the dedicated volunteers helping to watch over their community and the surrounding area.
news@tonicanews.com
Illinois TB cases on the rise
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