Free kidney disease screenings being offered Wednesday

Your kidneys are important, that’s why you shouldn’t wait until you’re experiencing kidney failure to be screened for kidney disease. Free kidney disease screenings are being offered Wednesday at the Peru Mall. The screenings and visit by the KidneyMobile are sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois and Illinois Valley Community Hospital.

During the screening, you’ll have your blood pressure and blood sugar checked, you will be weighed and you’ll give a urine sample. A nurse will tell you if you have signs of kidney disease. Fernandez says the testing takes about an hour. You’ll also be able to tour the Kidney Mobile and learn more about what it does for the body.

The screenings are from 10am until 2pm in the IVCH Room near Jo-Ann Fabrics in the mall. It’s recommended that you schedule an appointment.

Long I-80 construction project begins

If Interstate 80 east of Ottawa is part of your daily drive, get ready to slow down. Roadwork was scheduled to begin overnight Sunday on I-80 from the Fox River Bridge near Ottawa to the Marseilles exit.

A crew with D Construction is milling and resurfacing nearly four miles of road. One lane will be closed in both directions so when traffic is heavy, there could be delays.

Herb Jung with IDOT says it’s going to be a long project. Work will continue until Thanksgiving and then resume next spring. He says it should be completed sometime next July. Jung says he expects there to be a lot of night work.

Sunday is Grandparents Day

When parents cannot raise their children, it’s usually the grandparents who “go another round.” John Holton is director of the State’s Department on Aging. He estimates more than 100-thousand grandparents in Illinois are raising 220-thousand grandchildren while the parents are side-lined by drug abuse, health issues, divorce or incarceration.

These primary caregivers can get help through the “Grandparents Raising Grandchildren” program which locates, assists and promotes awareness of their status and challenges.  Sunday is “Grandparents Day” in Illinois.

Governor pushes river clean-up

Before Winter, volunteers are needed to clean up the Illinois River shoreline at Ottawa. “Illinois River Sweep” is an effort to collect litter along the river September 21. Governor Pat Quinn is encouraging able-bodied people to bring gloves that day.

Besides pushing river cleanups, Quinn’s proclaimed this week “Illinois Sister Rivers and Lakes Week”. The proclaimation symbolically links Illinois world-wide with 8 rivers and lakes in Mexico, Japan, Poland, Israel, South Korea, Ireland, China and Brazil.

Curious squirrel finds and causes trouble

    A curious squirrel entered an Oglesby electrical sub-station yesterday afternoon causing problems. An Oglesby police dispatcher said the squirrel got into the station at 400 South Columbia just before 1pm yesterday. The dispatcher said power flickered on and off in most of Oglesby.

   “Classic Hits 103-9 WLPO” was told “Loves” was without power for a period of time. Stop signs had to be put up at 2 west side stop lights. The dispatcher said everything was back to normal by 5:45pm.

President delays executive action

      President Barack Obama says his decision to delay taking executive action on immigration until after November’s congressional elections is not political. In an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” which airs Sunday, Obama says the delay will allow him to explain to the public why executive action is right for the country. Obama earlier pledged to take action by the end of the summer.