Getting the word out to Blacks and Hispanics in Will County about the safety and efficacy of COVID vaccines has been a priority, according to county health department officials. A campaign involving reaching out to various community groups about the vaccine has been ongoing almost since the vaccines first became available. In March, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 144,149 had received the COVID vaccine in Will County. Black people in Will County accounted for 9,685 (6.72 percent of the total population) vaccines and 3,180 (or 6.87 percent of the total population of Blacks) received both doses of the vaccine. Hispanics in Will County accounted for 15,009 (10.4 percent) and 4,488 (9.69 percent) of Hispanics received both doses of the vaccine, according to the IDPH.
African American COVID vaccine increases in Will County
CA “Momnibus” Bill Aims to Lower Deaths Among Black Mothers
SAN DIEGO VOICE AND VIEWPOINT — The need for the Momnibus Act was magnified after a 2021 study released by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) showed stark racial disparities between maternal deaths amongst white Californians and Black Californians. The report was done by the California Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System and looked at the death rate amongst pregnant people and infants between 2008 through 2016. What it revealed was that in California, Black women died during live births at six times the rate of white women. From 2014 to 2016, 56 Black women died per 100,000 live births, compared to 13 Asians, 11 Latinas, and fewer than 10 whites.
Local woman and her journey help bring awareness to breast cancer
October, which is breast cancer awareness month, is always a time marked by reflection for Kendra Coleman, who was diagnosed a decade ago in the same month. But as she looks back on her diagnosis this year, she also is looking toward the future and ways to inspire others with her story. “I work every day to try to be an inspiration to someone else, to let my story help them or at least be encouragement to help with prevention,” said Coleman, a lifelong Joliet resident. After funding a lump in her breast in 2011, she had surgery to remove the cancer and has taken a medication called tamoxifen to treat the disease. Since her diagnosis, she’s been a staunch advocate of breast cancer awareness, hoping individuals can take valuable lessons from what she’s been through, she said. “It is preventable, there are possibilities for early detection, so it doesn’t spread, so I’ve taken my diagnosis as an opportunity to spread the word and educate people,” she said of the disease, which kills more than 1,600 people per day in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). To reduce the risk of the disease, individuals should lead a physically active lifestyle and maintain a healthy weight.
Gov. JB Pritzker announces the $1.2 billion plan to overhaul Interstate 80 in 2019, surrounded by local state officials
State officials visited Will County on Monday to recommit to a six-year plan aimed at a complete overhaul of the Interstate 80 corridor. Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Transportation joined by local officials introduced the six-year plan to rebuild Interstate 80 in Will County. Made possible by the Governor’s, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program, the $1.2 billion project will replace more than 50-year-old infrastructure on a condensed timeframe and create thousands of construction and permanent jobs while positioning the region for long-term economic opportunity. “We were excited to see Governor Pritzker, Lt. Governor Stratton, and IDOT Secretary Osman visit Will County to emphasize the critical need for completion of the I-80 project. Getting to the finish line on a project of this scale requires consistent leadership from state and local officials, and we are fortunate to have that support,” said Doug Pryor, vice president of economic development for the Will County Center for Economic Development.
Lewis program explores Civil Rights in ‘Our Backyard’
The Lewis University History Department and the College of Humanities, Fine Arts, and Communications invite the public to “Unvarnished: Civil Rights in Our Backyards.” The Fall 2021 James and Mary Clare Sczepaniak Endowed Lecture at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 26 in Lewis University’s Saint Charles Borromeo Convocation Hall.
Statewide campaign underway to increase booster shots
With 1.5 million Illinoisans currently eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination booster shot and millions more set to become eligible in the coming weeks, Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike on Tuesday announced a statewide effort to increase uptake rates.
Partnership for a Healthier America’s Healthy Hunger Relief Initiative gets boost
Northern Illinois Food Bank has joined the Partnership for a Healthier America’s (PHA) Healthy Hunger Relief initiative to further uplift the health and well-being of those in Northern Illinois. The Food Bank will work with PHA – the national nonprofit organization fighting for food equity formed in conjunction with former First Lady Michelle Obama – to address hunger, malnutrition and chronic disease by increasing the supply of healthier options and decreasing the supply of unhealthy options.
Federal Student Debt Forgiveness Program Receives Massive Makeover
ATLANTA DAILY WORLD — The newly revamped Public Service Loan Forgiveness program will eliminate federal loans for all applicants after borrowers make 10 years of payments. An estimated 22,000 borrowers are eligible to get their loans canceled and an additional 27,000 borrowers could be deemed eligible if they get their past payments certified. Overall, a total of 550,000 borrowers are expected to be positively impacted by these changes.
Federation files motion on behalf of Black Farmers, to intervene in Texas lawsuit, which blocks $4 billion debt relief in Section 1005 of the American Rescue Plan
GREENE COUNTY DEMOCRAT — “The USDA has a documented history of discriminating against Black people and communities of color. The federal government’s attempt to rectify this injustice should be applauded, not stopped,” said Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “If this critical assistance is not provided soon, Black farmers and other farmers of color who have struggled to overcome decades of discrimination and the economic impacts of the global pandemic will face the threat of losing their land and their livelihoods.”
Ribbon cutting ceremony for the new veterans’ service office in Lockport
Lockport The Lockport Township Government will be hosting a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Reception on November 9, at 10:00 am, for the new Veteran’s Service Office (VSO) located at 1463 S Farrell Rd in the Lockport Township Government Office Building.
