Serving the communities in Stephenson County 2016 Summer Registration Dates Lena American Legion: Saturday, April 23 from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Wednesday, April 27 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Saturday, April 30 from 9:00 am - 11:00 am Questions please call the Park District Office 815-369-5351 Shopper’s Guide 240677 VOL. 78 • NO. 16 YOUR FREE HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016 Honk if you love Jesus. Drive while distracted if you want to meet him Information compiled wheel after drinking or while by Tony Carton using a cell phone and save a Editor life, then it was all worth it.” STATELINE — Drawing In addition, health officials the attention of teens to the are increasingly reaching out negative relationship between to parents with tips for con- drinking and/or texting and versations to have with their driving is the purpose of mock teens about safe driving, not accidents staged last week in drinking and driving and advance of spring break and not getting in a vehicle with prom in both Stephenson and someone who has been drink- Jo Daviess Counties. ing. The scenario is simple, but “The intent is to give young shocking. After celebrating people choices if they find prom, some high school stu- themselves in different situ- dents have a bad traffic acci- ations by themselves or with dent. One student is pinned the person they came with,” in a vehicle and dies. Sev- said pediatric trauma preven- eral are badly injured and tion coordinator Cary Cain. require an airlift to immediate ““We’re presenting the haz- medical attention while oth- ards of drunk and distracted ers, less seriously injured are driving.” taken by ambulance. Mean- He said each of the injuries while, a teen driver is arrested is completely preventable. and faces charges of Driving “Students can witness the Under the Influence and Man- hazards and discuss future slaughter. plans,” Cain said. “They have “The students see firsthand so much life and hope for the the results of people’s choic- future. They need to under- es,” said Louise Lameyer, stand the consequences, so a paramedic with Leamon they can make safe choices.” Ambulance Service. She par- Research shows that driv- ticipated in the mock acci- ing while using a cell phone dent staged Wednesday in the can pose a serious cognitive parking lot behind the Lena- distraction and degrade driver Winslow junior high school. performance. The use of a cell She said the intent is to have phone while driving increases students plan ahead and not your chance of getting into a make spur-of-the-moment crash by 400%. Texting while decisions that could have driving makes you 23 times deadly results. more likely to crash. “This is not just about According to the Illinois alcohol,” Lameyer said. “It’s State Police records, driv- also about distracted driving, er inattention is a factor in more than 1 million crashes drinking, drugs, and all of the Tracy Siegner photo various activities that side- in North America annually, The driver of one of the vehicles involved in the Lena-Winslow mock accident had been track a driver’s attention.” resulting in serious injuries, drinking and was arrested and charged with manslaughter and Driving Under the Influence. Lameyer said a few of the deaths, and an economic kids get the message. impact that some experts say “The kids do pay attention reaches $40 billion per year. Spring Is Here. and some do get it,” she said. Every single time someone Serviced “If we can reach that one kid Hail Storms that does not get behind the See ACCIDENT, Page 2 by Could Be Too! Rain & Hail Don’t Let Hail Ruin Your Crop Income. This institution is Nick Raab & Jim Raders 815-369-4225 an equal opportunity www.radersinsuranceagency.com PUBLISHINGLLC ROCK VALLEY ROCK provider and employer PAID US POSTAGE US Postal Customer **ecrwss **ecrwss Customer Postal PR SRT STD SRT PR 240 W. Main St., Suite A, Lena, IL 61048 200387 Page 2 - April 20, 2016 - Shopper’s Guide • ACCIDENT Continued from page 1 takes their eyes or their focus split second, its consequences off the road - even for just a can be devastating. few seconds - they put their “What’s your plan? What lives and the lives of others in are ways to get home safely? danger. Distracted driving is If you wait till you’re in a unsafe, irresponsible and in a situation, it’s usually too late. Tracy Siegner photos Law enforcement and other first responders staged a mock accident in the parking lot behind the Lena-Winslow junior high school Wednesday morning. Two “victims” of the Wednesday afternoon mock accident at the Lena-Winslow school parking lot wait for medical care. Every day, 28 people in the United States die in motor vehi- cle crashes that involve alcohol-impaired drivers. The most seriously injured in Wednesday’s mock accident at the Lena-Winslow junior high school were quickly prepped and moved to the evac copter. Close to a dozen emergency agencies swung into action in the Lena-Winslow junior high parking lot on Wednesday in response to calls reporting a mock automobile accident. First responders removed this “victim” from one of the autos Distracted driving continues to be a serious traffic safety and public health issue and police and moved her to a waiting OSF helicopter for transport. are cracking down on offenders. Shopper’s Guide - April 20, 2016 - Page 3 LENA COMMUNITY DISTRICT LIBRARY NEWS By Dixie Althoff as later! the end of next week we will see very nice job. Books read this Heather Graham, Miller’s Valley Director Lots of things going on with who our winners are. Good luck week were: by Anna Quindlin, and No Safe LENA — Another month is the kids programming! Last to all who participated! What Makes a Rainbow by Secret by Fern Michaels. almost half over. How fast this week the after Last week the preschool group Betty Ann Schwartz and Where A patron donated a very nice year is going. The dreaded tax School group had a game day. also made rain boots and umbrel- is the Green Sheep by Mem Fox. set of Christian fiction: Heroines day is swiftly approaching. I They all enjoyed playing the las. There were some very nice Circle time was all about spring Behind the Lines Civil thought I heard where they were game Head Banz. umbrellas in that group too. Leaf and of course, I wish I was a War. There are four books giving everyone until April 18 Everyone had a very good buds were placed on the tree in little hunk of mud was a favorite to the series: Wedded to War, this year. Hope that couple of time. This week they all made the room by each child and rain again! Widow of Gettysburg, Yankee in days helps you if you have not rain boots with umbrellas to be drops were placed on the wall. Remember we will be having Atlanta, and Spy of Richmond filed your income tax yet! Me, I judged in a contest. There are The theme last week was April a computer class on April 20th. by Jocelyn Green. We have like to get mine done early-may some very creative umbrellas-it showers bring May flowers. The class is for iPhone and iPad. some very generous patrons and as well get the bad news earlier will be hard to judge I’m sure. At Books read last week were: Eric Korte will be teaching the we would like to thank them Let it class and class time is 6-8 p.m. for all of the great donations we Rain by Maryann Cocca-Lef- There will be another class on receive. ISP announce Distracted fler and Kitten’s Spring by Eug- May 4th: Android phone. Make New DVDS: The Hateful enie Fernandes. sure to take advantage of these Eight, Star Wars: The Force Driving Enforcement Campaign Circle time was filled with free classes. Awakens, Concussion, Daddy’s STATELINE — April marks break our state’s texting law spring songs and finger plays. I New spring reads: As Time Home, Exposed, and The Hun- the National Distracted Driv- will be stopped and fined.Tex - wish I was a little hunk of mud Goes By by Mary Higgins Clark, ger Games: Mockingjay Part 2. ing Awareness Month. The ting and driving is a safety issue, was a big hit for everyone. This Atonement by Beverly Lewis, Remember book discussion on U.S Department of Transporta- and we’re trying to work toward week they did a tracing letter Brush of Wings by Karen Kings- April 27, at 9:30 a.m. Plan to join tion and the National Highway a resolution by identifying vio- sheet for the letter “R”. What is bury, Darkness by Karen us for a good time. Enjoy the Traffic Safety Administration lators. If you drive and text, you R for? Can you guess? R is for Robards, Family Jewels nice weather we are supposed to (NHTSA) are sponsoring the will pay,” Williams said. Rainbow! by Stuart Woods, Flawless by be getting in the next few days! 2016 National Distracted Driv- Violating the Illinois texting The theme this week just ing Enforcement Campaign. law, which became effective on happened to be: What Makes a Call us for your FREE The Illinois State Police (ISP) January 1, 2014, can be costly. Rainbow? estimate today! The tracing sheets had a rain- will be joining those efforts to A first violation for this offense • 35 years experience bow on them and the children crackdown on motorist who fail is $120 and can increase with • Loaner cars available to abide by the texting while multiple violations or if a viola- colored them with all the colors of the rainbow.