On Monday, May 31st, Memorial Day, the Neponset American Legion Post #875 Memorial Day Program will be extra special. At 10 Am in Neponset Scott Park, the American Legion and Neponset Mayor Gary Mueller will dedicate The Pride of Neponset Memorial. Col. Gary Miller is the Post Commander for the Neponset American Legion Post 875 and he joined WKEI on Wake Up Tri-Counties on Friday to invite everyone to come and see the remarkable tribute to veterans and to talk about the importance of Memorial Day.

The fight against COVID-19 is not over but progress is being made. RaeAnn Tucker from the Henry and Stark County Health Department tells WKEI that more than 50% of eligible Henry County residents have received at least their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. 70% is the threshold for so-called herd immunity. Efforts now are being made to overcome vaccine hesitancy among those who have yet to be vaccinated. Meanwhile, the latest Recovery Rate Data reflects the progress being made a against COVID. The number of active cases of COVID-19 in Henry and Stark County declined by almost 30 cases from last week.

Sara Billiet from the Kewanee Public Library was our guest on Wake Up Tri-Counties on Thursday. Sara joined WKEI to remind everyone that you still have time to fill out the Library Survey and win a $50.00 Visa Giftcard. Visit the Kewanee Library on Facebook or at KewaneeLibrary.org and fill out the Kewanee Public Library Strategic Planning Survey. Not only will you be entered to win a giftcard you will also play a role in helping the Kewanee Library plan for the future. Sara also talked about the Summer Reading Program which gets underway next week, Tuesday, June 1st, for kids, teens and adults. And the Kewanee Public Library will be saying Happy Retirement to Ann Turnbull with a celebration on Wednesday June 8th from 11 Am to 3 Pm.

In May of 1983 Nedda Simon wasn't setting out to do something incredible. Nedda was trying to help a woman was being abused and desperately needed to get away from the home she shared with her abuser. With that in mind, Nedda took to the air on WZOE and announced she was looking for a place to rent. She found a place in Wyanet that was well priced and habitable and from that moment on, Freedom House would grow from that location into a series of places that would provide safe harbor to those escaping from abuse. She didn't set out to do something incredible but she achieved the incredible and since then the idea that started as a small building in Wyanet for rent, has helped change thousands of lives for the better. It's a remarkable legacy and one that Nedda selflessly shares with the people who have carried on the legacy of Freedom House from Wyanet, to Princeton, to Henry County, and dozens of cities and towns where those who are struggling under an abuser know that they can find shelter. It's a privilege to have had the chance to talk with Nedda Simon, the founder of Freedom House.

CGH About Your Health by Regional Media

Kewanee Park District Director Andrew Dwyer is beginning to lay plans for the future of Kewanee Parks. As Mr Dwyer tells WKEI in this interview from Wake Up Tri-Counties, Mr Dwyer is in the process of looking at ideas for long term planning for the parks. This includes seeking grants from the Rebuild Illinois program which could help bring some new amenities to Kewanee Parks. We spoke with Andrew Dwyer about the future plans as well as the latest Kewanee Parks Board Meeting, last Thursday, and the opening of the Pool at Northeast Park.

Big things happening in Galva and WKEI spoke with Mayor Rich Volkert about those great things. Following up on Monday's Galva City Council Meeting, Mayor Volkert talked about Broadband expansion into Galva and how having Broadband access will help many residents while creating more good reasons for people to live in Galva. The Mayor also took the opportunity to praise the return of the Levitt Amp Galva Concert Series set to start this Sunday evening at 6 Pm in Wiley Park. It's free and will be the first Levitt Amp Galva Concert on the new Stage at Wiley Park. Finally, the Mayor mentioned Galva's City-wide Clean Up which will take place June 21st to June 26th.

The Strawberry Strut returns to Carthage on Saturday, June 5th. Jennifer Garner with the Strawberry Strut recently spoke to MacombNewsNow.com about getting back to business with the Strawberry Strut, the wonderful community partners helping to make it possible for the 1 mile and 5 mile Strawberry Strut to take place, and the many things happening in Carthage surrounding the Strawberry Strut, including Hancock County Fights Cancer, immediately following the Strawberry Strut in June 5th.

Wake Up Sauk Valley with Rock Falls Tourism by Regional Media

The Mayor of Kewanee, Gary Moore, joined Wake Up Tri-Counties on WKEI to talk about Monday's Kewanee City Council Meeting. It was an emotional and contentious meeting as debate went on over the contract to operate the Kewanee Animal Control Pound. Mayor Moore told WKEI that it came down to cost and the $3000 on average per year that the bid from the Henry County Humane Society would save the City of Kewanee over the bid from the current operators, The Kewanee Friends of the Animals, was the final determining factor for his vote. The Mayor also discussed the expansion of Kewanee's TIF District and the likely to pass resolution coming soon regarding allowing UTV's and Golf Carts to be operated on City streets.