Heritage Woods Sterling by Regional Media

Entrepreneur Ardre Orie is working to use her platforms as a business owner and budding mogul to lift black voices. The owner of 13th and Joan Publishing is cultivating a cultural space where Black voices can be fostered and helped to tell their own stories in ways that everyone can relate to, learn from and empathize with. It's a noble goal and one that Ardre's entrepreneurial spirit is driving to success. Get more at IAmArdreOrie.com and hear about how Ardre is lifting up black voices in our Noon Hour Podcast interview.

Jolene Barnes from Country Financial was our guest on Friday on Tuned In on WKEI. We talked to Jolene about Kewanee Kiwanis club, a group of Kewanee citizens who work hard to make the world a better place for our local youth. The Kiwanis Pancake Day drive thru is taking place on Saturday morning from 7 Am to 11 Am at First United Methodist Church in the parking lot. Driver thru and redeem your ticket if you bought one back in March or pay $6.00, a donation that gets you delicious pancakes and the chance to help youth thrive with the help of Kiwanis.

Wethersfield Schools Superintendent Shane Kazubowski joined WKEI to follow up on Thursday night's Wethersfield School Board Meeting. The interview begins by talking about the unique school year thus far and the measures taken by Wethersfield Schools to keep the hybrid schedule in place and keep kids and teachers safe from COVID-19. Then the conversation turned to the yearly school audit which is available on the Wethersfield Schools website now. Concussion protocols for Wethersfield athletes and the resignation of Wethersfield's baseball Coach rounded out today's People to People conversation with Shane Kazubowski.

YWCA Program Introduction by Regional Media

Women's Health in Whiteside County by Regional Media

Princeton Chamber Ambassadors Joanne Sheldon, Lydia Kreitwald and Pam Marsh visited Wake Up Princeton with host Paul Bomleny on WZOE to talk about a fun event starting this weekend in Princeton.

The Princeton Chamber Ambassadors are hosting a week-long community awareness scavenger hunt.  The family-friendly hunt kicks off on Saturday, September 12 at 9 a.m. and ends at noon next Saturday, September 19.  Teams of no more than eight people will navigate through 35 clues directing them to local businesses.

To solve clues, team members must decipher each clue, drive to the business they believe it’s leading them to and look for a sign displayed in the business window or on the door that has the chamber logo along with a picture or phrase.  Describing what’s on the sign is the answer to the clue.

The finished clue answer sheet is then mailed to the chamber office or can be dropped off at the chamber office lobby drop box by noon on September 19.

Area businesses have donated items for prizes, including gift baskets and gift cards for this event.  Everyone who takes part in the event will receive a prize just for joining in the fun.

If your team correctly answers all the clues, you’ll be entered into a drawing for first prize of $200 cash; second prize a $100 chamber gift certificate and third prize $50 in gift cards.  Winners will be announced Monday, September 21.

There will also be a costume contest prize up for grabs, worth $50 in gift cards.  Teams must come up with a team name and if that team dresses up, sends in a photo to the chamber, it will go into the costume contest prize drawing.  Pictures can be emailed to Deb Cools, [email protected].  Costumes are encouraged, but not required.

Sign up at the Prouty Building is between 9 a.m. and noon on Saturday at which time you’ll receive your clue kit.

The cost to take part is $25 per team with proceeds benefiting the chamber’s Building Improvement Grant program.  You can download a registration form at princetonchamber-il.com or pick one up at the chamber office.  For more information, call Joanne at 815-719-2188.

Michelle Moe, Physical Therapist at OSF Saint Luke Medical Center, joined WKEI on the Noon Hour to talk about Dry Needling. What is Dry Needling? It's a way of treating acute and chronic pain the lessens the need for the use of opiods to treat pain. Dry Needling can help alleviate pain through the use of thin, small needles that are pressed into the muscles in order to induce the muscle to relax thus alleviating the pain of a muscle in spasm. We talked at length with Michelle about the benefits of Dry Needling and how the pain of dry needling is not nearly what you might think, especially if you are someone who is already in pain and in need of relief.

RaeAnn Tucker from the Henry and Stark County Health Department joined WKEI on People to People with the latest Recovery Rate Data. On Wednesday, the Health Department released the latest data including 579 total cases since the start of the pandemic between the two counties. The numbers indicate more than 70 active cases of COVID-19 currently in the combined numbers from Henry and Stark County. 5 people have died after being confirmed to have COVID-19. Meanwhile, the statewide positivity rate declined to 3.7 % which is great news but, Henry County is currently at 9% and Stark County is at 13%.

The Kewanee Public Library Adult Book Clubs are starting up once again beginning next week. The Science Book Club and the regular adult book club will return to the library with masks and social distancing starting next week. Barbara Love from the Kewanee Public Library talked about the return of the book clubs to the library and the precautions in place so that the clubs can operate safely. Barbara also took time to remind everyone to make sure they have filled out the census. You can fill out the census, if you haven't already, at the Library at a computer terminal specifically set up for the census. Finally. the Library is hiring for a part time position. Find out more in our Tuned In podcast with Library Executive Director Barbara Love.