Ovarian cancer touches all women. It does not discriminate based on age, race or ethnicity. More than 22,000 mothers, daughters, wives and sisters will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year. That includes more than 920 in Illinois. September is designated as National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and is a time to come together to […]
Roberta Codemo
Posted inSpecial Issues
Sword play
Many are attracted to the sport of fencing by the love of sword play. Once you pick up a foil, your life will never be the same. Joanne Liu, who has been fencing for more than 20 years, took up the sport in high school and discovered she had a natural talent for it. “It’s […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Dental care for low-income children
PHOTO metrocreativeconnection.com In children, tooth decay is the biggest problem that dentists see. “Twenty percent of kids have 80 percent of the cavities,” said Dr. Mary-Margaret Looker, dental director at Central Counties Health Centers, Inc., in Springfield, which provides preventative dental services to low-income patients. “Oral health is important to overall health,” she said. “The […]
Posted inArts & Culture
What keeps you going?
People are great at making New Year’s resolutions but only eight percent succeed when it comes to following through on them, according to a recent University of Scranton study. “Motivation is a deep desire within oneself to make changes,” said Molly Suhadolnik, co-owner of CrossFit Instinct Central. A Springfield native, she’s been involved in the […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Helping families stay together
Carolyn and Monte McMannigell of Taylorville, a host family. PHOTO COURTESY MCMANNIGELL FAMILY Monte McMannigell always wanted to help kids but he had never before taken the initiative to act. But following a presentation by Ryan Mobley, central Illinois regional director for Safe Families for Children, at Grace Baptist Church in Taylorville, he and his […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Paying for long-term care
PHOTO FROM METROCREATIVECONNECTION.COM Transitioning from your home to a long-term care facility is a decision no one wants to face. Recent data released by the National Center for Health Statistics, however, estimates more than two-thirds of Americans age 65 and older will need long-term care services during their lifetime. “It’s not a fun thing to […]
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What’s for lunch at school?
PHOTO FROM METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION Cordelia Marlow, an eighth-grader at Franklin Middle School, describes her school lunches as poor. “The food quality went down after 2010,” she said, referring to changes in the federally funded National School Lunch program. “The taste and texture are bad. The meat is soggy and tastes kind of weird.” The […]
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Telemedicine connects patients with care
Dr. Oscar Noriega uses telemedicine to examine a patient’s eardrum. PHOTO BY CHRIST CHAVEZ/DALLAS MORNING NEWS/TNS More and more central Illinois residents are seeing their health care providers through a TV screen. “Patients love it,” said Nina Antoniotti, the executive director of telehealth and clinical outreach at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. Patients rate […]
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Vachel Lindsay’s creepier poems
A Net to Snare the Moonlight and Other Poems for Children is the latest book of Vachel Lindsay’s poetry to be released by the Vachel Lindsay Association. This 17-poem collection, illustrated by Springfield artist Felicia Olin, contains some of Lindsay’s creepier children’s poems. The publisher of record is the Vachel Lindsay Association and the book […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Stars bring families together
Selene Lockerbie, left, holds her daughter Evelyn, 3, while she looks through a telescope at the transit of Venus between Earth and the sun. PHOTO BY JAY L. CLENDENIN/TNS When Anne Gregurich of Springfield was 13 years old, she decided to build her own telescope after watching a Nova documentary. “I made it out of […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Story time in Springfield
“There’s nothing for young children to do in Springfield,” is a common lament from parents. The next time you’re looking for a fun activity to share with your child, look no further than one of these local reading programs. Barnes & Noble 3111 S. Veterans Pkwy., 217-546-9440 Barnes & Noble has story times on Wednesday […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Women, lifting weights is all good
Women have a lot of misconceptions about strength training. While more are lifting weights, many are reluctant to set foot in the weight room. One of the biggest fears is that they will bulk up and turn into the Incredible Hulk. “One-third of all women have this preconceived notion that weights will make you big,” […]
