Sterling Mayor Skip Lee by Regional Media

Dr Robert Ayers is the Occupational Health Physician at OSF Healthcare. He is in charge of the vaccine rollout for OSF and Dr Ayers tells WKEI that OSF Healthcare is not currently in Tier 1B. The vaccinations for people 65 and older are not ready yet but plans are in the works and those most vulnerable will be reached out to first in order to receive the vaccine. Check with your family doctor and make sure you have up to date contact information with OSF Healthcare when the day arrives, soon, for you to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Today is Dr Martin Luther King Jr Day and while we focus on his messages of hope, we can't ignore the way he was treated in his own time. The powerful new documentary MLK/FBI directed by Sam Pollard brings that story fully into the light with enlightening interviews and innovative use of classic footage of Dr King, the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover and more, It's a remarkable and comprehensive piece of work, touching Red Scare paranoia, how President's Kennedy and Johnson interacted with Dr King and the underhanded tactics the FBI used to undermine Dr. King. MLK/FBI is available now on your favorite streaming rental service.

Actress Mena Suvari joined Wake Up Princeton on WZOE recently. Best known for roles in American Beauty and American Pie, Mena stars in the new film “Don’t Tell a Soul”. In the psychological thriller, she plays the terminally-ill mother of a pair of teenage boys. Things go wrong when her sons attempt a theft to get money for her medical procedure. The film also stars Rainn Wilson from “The Office” as a security guard who finds himself in a dilemma with the teens. The film is available in select theaters and digital on-demand.

Mena told host Paul Bomleny that she has no favorite role but believes many of her characters have provided her insight into herself. The Rhode Island native made the move to Los Angeles before she was 15 and had her first movie role at age 16 in the 1997 cult classic “Nowhere”.

At age 41, she is expecting her first child with husband Michael Hope. Mena says she is as happy as can be as they await the birth of their baby boy in the spring.

The Netflix documentary Rising Phoenix takes you inside the world of the incredible athletes and history of the Para-Olympics. These remarkable athletes compete every four years, just like the Olympics and yet they face even greater odds, and not merely any supposed disability. The Para-Olympics aren't just inspiring, they are remarkably competitive and fast paced and the directors of Rising Phoenix, Peter Ettedgui and Ian Bonhote joined WKEI in the Noon Hour to talk about the history and the athletes of the parallel Olympics.

YWCA of The Sauk Valley News by Regional Media

Sinnissippi Centers Making Resolutions Count by Regional Media

Wethersfield Schools Superintendent Shane Kazubowski joined WKEI on Friday's edition of People to People to wrap up Thursday night's school board meeting. At that meeting, it was announced that staff at Wethersfield Schools would start to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, January 21st. 75 Wethersfield teachers and staff members opted to take the vaccine and will be vaccinated on the 21st. Also as part of Thursday's meeting we learned that Wethersfield School Board hopes to see at least one write in candidate for School Board in April. The Board needs a 4th candidate to fill the full compliment of Board members and avoid having to restructure the board completely.

The Henry and Stark County Health Department released the latest Recovery Rate Data for COVID-19 in Henry and Stark County on Wednesday. On Thursday, RaeAnn Tucker from the Henry and Stark County Health Department joined WKEI to discuss the data and what it tells us about the current state of COVID-19 in our area. There are positive signs with the infection rate going down consistently in both counties of late. Meanwhile, questions abound regarding COVID-19 vaccinations. Tier 1B is now receiving the vaccine and while this tier does include people with co-morbidities and people over the age of 65, it will likely be at least one month before public clinics are scheduled due to the limited amount of COVID-19 vaccine currently available.

The Kewanee Public Library has returned from holiday break and is planning big things for the rest of 2021. Among the early highlights are a pair of Zoom meetings for the general public to get information on how to combat consumer fraud and another to combat identity theft. In partnership with the office of the Illinois Attorney, Kwame Raoul, the library will feature Zoom chats on February for consumer fraud and February 18th for combating identity theft. Both Zoom Meetings will be led by Marsha Griffin from the Attorney General's office. Sara Billiet from the Kewanee Public Library joined WKEI with more on library programs for early 2021.