Thursday April 13, 2017 Vol. 5, No. 7
The Weekly Post
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No ‘Wierzba Gymnasium’ in Farmington
COMMUNITY DAY
Elmwood students say ‘Thank You’
By BILL KNIGHT
FARMINGTON – Farmington won’t name “any school facility owned by the school district after any individual or group” under a revised policy approved by the Board of Education 5-2 on Monday. Board members Wendy Clark and Chad Johnson opposed the change after Board member Ron Zessin had Superintendent John Asplund clarify that Inside the Board can change its pol• See Section icy any time, and Board Two for sports, member Kelly Threw noted obituaries, that some communities have comics and notable figures but haven’t more. Page 13 named school buildings for them, such as Canton and the late astronaut Steve Nagel. Threw added that some residents may like something named for someone, but that all taxpayers own the facilities. There has been recent discussion in Farmington of naming the high school gymnasium for former basketball coach Tom Wierzba, though that was not part of the discussion for this vote. The Board was unanimous in most of its other For The Weekly Post
By BILL KNIGHT
ELMWOOD – A brainstorming session at Elmwood High School has led to cleaner yards, less garbage in town and some freshly painted signs. On Tuesday, Elmwood students and teachers switched from classroom learning to community appreciation in the school’s first Community Day. Groups of students worked throughout town in a variety of projects from 12:30 to 3 p.m. “We were trying to decide what we could do for the community to show thanks since they’ve been so supportive as far as fund raising and donations and other things,” said Brad Crisco, a teacher who also heads up the Community and Culture Committee. “We wanted to find some way to pay them back. This first year, we came up with working in the parks,
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Elmwood art teacher Karen Mottaz and her students repainted the entry sign at Sweetwater Park Tuesday as part of the school’s first Community Day. Photos by Jeff Lampe.
picking up garbage, helping people with their yards and some other things.” Crisco said if the event becomes a regular one, the goal would be to start earlier so the timing would be better to help homeowners before mowing Continued on Page 9
Grade school students painted rocks with inspirational messages to hand out in Elmwood.
Continued on Page 2
Area counties rank in bottom half of state’s healthy places By BILL KNIGHT
Residents of Fulton, Knox and Peoria Counties all are far less healthy than most Illinois residents, according to the latest County Health Rankings, recently released by the University of Wisconsin, Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Compared to the rest of the state’s counties, Peoria ranked 76th in both Health Outcomes and Health Factors out of Illinois’ 102 counties. Knox For The Weekly Post
ranked 78th in Health “The Rankings report County Health Rankings Outcomes and 65th in is a tool for communiHere are important health ranking numbers for local ties to see what is afHealth Factors; Fulton counties out of Illinois’ 102 counties. fecting the health of ranked 86th in Health Fulton Knox Peoria their residents – specifOutcomes and 47th in Quality of life 54th 81st 88th Health Factors, the ically the influences Critical care 89th 19th 5th study shows. that behavior, social Social/behavioral factors 76th 80th 84th and economic factors The report, which Physical environment 49th 76th 81st have on an individual’s ranks the overall health SOURCE: University of Wisconsin, Population Health Institute health,” said Monica and health factors of and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Hendrickson, epidemicounties in all 50 to assess the overall health out- ologist at the Peoria states, provides a snapshot of City/County Health Departthe current health status and in- comes including health behavment. fluence on public health. Reiors, social and economic Fulton wasn’t as bad in oversearchers use weighted factors, clinical care, and the all Health factors, but was even standard measures and factors physical environment.
better under Length of Life. There, a key factor is in the Premature Death portion of the research, which measures the leading causes of death under age 75, people. Based on data from the U.S, Centers for Disease Control, more than 70 residents per 100,000 people in all three counties die prematurely from cancer and heart disease. Respiratory ailments, accidents, diabetes and strokes round out the top causes of premature death here. Continued on Page 12