Jefferson Elementary School Principal J.D. Orwig recently visited Wake Up Princeton on WZOE 1490-AM to discuss being chosen as the next Princeton Elementary School Superintendent. Orwig will take over for the retiring Tim Smith in July 2021. He says he'll work closely with Smith over the next year to prepare for his new role. He calls Smith a "great mentor" and a "great leader for our community". He cites Tim Smith and retired Logan Junior High Principal Bob Jesse as mentors and credits his fifth grade teacher Brent Kopp as his main inspiration for getting into the education field in the first place. He also credits his parents Les and Becky for instilling him with good work ethic while growing up on their family farm. He says the community has been "overwhelmingly supportive" of the school district as it copes with "unprecedented times" during the COVID-19 situation. When asked what advice he'd give to someone just starting their career in education, Orwig says they need to be a "people person". His favorite part of his job is the students. He says the kids keep him young. Orwig and his wife Shelly met while they were both working at Logan Junior High. They have three children and will be celebrating their 21st anniversary this summer.

Maddie Wilson played Volleyball and Softball during her four years at Stark County High School but Softball is her passion. On top of playing High School Softball, Maddie played travel softball and has dedicated herself to playing the game in college as well. Maddie is set to play college Softball at Monmouth College next year. Maddie tells LocalSportsNow.com that by attending Monmouth College and playing Softball, she is continuing a Stark County legacy at the college which has been a haven for Stark County athletes of the past.

Whiteside County Update with Cory Law by Regional Media

Kathy Dinger, Superintendent of the Bushnell School District, called WLMD's Mid-Morning in Macomb to discuss the upcoming Drive-In Graduation at Bushnell High School, set for May 31.

The Chairman of the Henry County Board wants businesses to know that they are supported. The Henry County Board has sent a letter to Governor J.B Pritzker as well as members of the legislature calling for the easing of restrictions on local businesses. That said, the Henry County Board will not go against the current phased re-opening plan and will follow the legal guidelines set forth by the Governor for as long as those guidelines are in place. Mr Jones also clarified a rumor regarding a City in Henry County that was rumored to be opening in defiance of the Governor's orders. This is not the case. The City of Geneseo will comply with the current orders regarding the phased re-opening but they are making sure that businesses in Geneseo will have resources and guidance in place that will allow local businesses to take full advantage of all available resources for re-opening. Also during Thursday night's meeting it was made official that a member of the Henry County Board has resigned and will be replaced in the next 60 days.

Princeton Mayor Joel Quiram recently visited Wake Up Princeton on WZOE 1490-AM to discuss, among other items, Governor Pritzker's change to Phase 3 of the state's reopening plan
He said restaurants will be able to serve outdoors, but away from sidewalks, basically becoming outdoor cafes. He calls it a "good step forward". He also said that many Princeton businesses have been creative in utilizing curbside service.
Mayor Quiram this week wrote a letter to the governor, saying smaller rural communities, especially south of Interstate 80, are not experiencing COVID-19 at anywhere near the rate of larger areas like Chicago. He said he believes our area restaurants could open for indoor dining, initially at fifty percent capacity and build from there. Quiram called the re-opening with restrictions of hair salons and health clubs at the end of the month "exciting news". He closed by saying "we are making progress" and he's very hopeful to get the remainder of the street concerts in.

RaeAnn Tucker from the Henry and Stark County Health Department joined WKEI to discuss the latest recovery data from the Health Department. Of the 69 cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Henry County how many have had their symptoms resolved? How many are symptomatic and sheltered at home and how many are hospitalized? Those numbers were announced by the Health Department on Wednesday for both Henry and Stark County where only 2 cases have been confirmed thus far.

The Kewanee Girl Scout Troop is staying busy amid the shelter at home and concerns about COVID-19. With large gatherings continuing to be a danger, the Girl Scouts have begun planning a virtual Girl Scout camp. Jacque Komnick with the Girl Scouts joined WKEI to talk about what a virtual Girl Scout Camp might look like. It involves a lot of Zoom Meetings and special guests sharing their passionate expertise in various areas of the world and teaching the Girl Scouts about their areas of expertise.

Dr Jon Baugh is an emergency Room Physician and a Fox News contributor. Dr Baugh joined WKEI to talk about COVID-19 and a new study in Scientific American that indicates that the virus lingers in the air anywhere from 8 to 14 minutes in an enclosed space. This study demonstrates the importance of wearing a mask. As has been known for some time, the virus can be spread when an infected person speaks and droplets from their mouth go into the air and on to other people. Masks keep those droplets from being spread.

The Mayor of Galva, Rich Volkert was our guest on People to People on Wednesday. The Galva City Council met this week via the Zoom App and we talked about what was on the agenda including help for small businesses in Galva. We also talked about the state of the Governor's plan to re-open the state. Mayor Volkert stated that he hopes people can follow guidelines for wearing masks and keep social distancing for the time being. He's looking forward to the end of the Governor's Stay at Home order but he's a little pessimistic about how soon the state will return to normal even as the phases of the Governor's plan creep closer.