Perry Memorial Hospital is closing its medical supply store

There will be one less place to get medical equipment in the Princeton area soon.  Perry Home Medical Supply Store, part of Perry Memorial Hospital in Princeton, announced Thursday they’re closing.

The hospital says the billing processes for Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurance companies have become so complex they don’t have the resources to keep up. 

The hospital also says the store hasn’t been profitable in four years and can’t compete with larger stores.  The store has a June 1 closing date.

Photos and memorabilia wanted for People’s Hospital anniversary

Get hurt or go into labor in the La Salle and Peru area and there’s a good chance you’ll end up at Illinois Valley Community Hospital.  Your grandparents would have gone to the same hospital but only with a different name.

May marks the 100^th anniversary of People’s Hospital, the precursor to IVCH.  You would never know by looking that the building has been there that long.  IVCH Public Relations Director Gene Vogelgesang says hospitals are always adding on.

The anniversary is being celebrated with an open house Sunday, May 4.  They want it to include photos and memorabilia from People’s and St. Mary’s Hospitals.  If you have something to contribute, contact Vogelgesang.

An interview with Vogelgesang is available at the WLPO AM and FM news page.

Winter Storm Warning Issued For Heavy Snow

The rough January weather will roll into February.

Another winter storm is expected to hit the Illinois Valley this weekend.  A Winter Storm Warning is in effect from 9 Friday night and through Saturday afternoon.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Eric Lenning out of Romeoville says the Illinois Valley is in the bulls eye for the highest snow amounts with 6 to 9 inches by Saturday night.

There is also a chance for a half inch to an inch of snow Friday before the heavy stuff starts overnight.  Snow could fall up to an inch per hour in some spots.

There’s another chance of a snowstorm Tuesday into Wednesday.

Crash Snarls Traffic Near St. Bede

A crash in front of St. Bede Academy sent one driver to the hospital.

Mark Irvin of Peru was taken to St. Margaret’s Hospital after he was hit by Shawn Dockins of Hennepin.  Dockins was ticketed for failing to yield when making a turn from Route 6 onto the Dalzell Blacktop.

The crash happened just after 6 Wednesday night.

Poverty In Illinois Not Any Better Or Worse Than It Was 50 Years Ago

CHICAGO (AP) – A new study finds Illinois’ overall poverty rate is about the same as it was a half century ago.

The report by the Chicago-based Social IMPACT Research Center says almost 15 percent of Illinoisans lived below the federal poverty line in 2012, about the same percentage as in 1960.
That’s despite scores of state and federal aid programs and a dramatic drop in the number of older people in poverty.

Poverty has increased among working-age men and women, and 1 in 5 children are in poverty. It’s highest among blacks and Latinos.