Summertime can sometimes be a bit slower for the Clinton YMCA, as members often take a pause for vacations and opt for exercising outside. 

Rennie Cluver, Executive Director of the Y, says the one program that keeps the facility active is Camp Osage Summer Camp. However, he is noticing the traffic this summer hasn’t just been children.  

Cluver is grateful to all YMCA members and community members who speak highly of the organization and its staff. He indicates that it helps greatly in the effort of growing their membership. 

The Clinton YMCA recently announced a new facility project to be located just off the Clinton Square on the Safe Passage green space. Learn more by visiting clintoncommymca.org or by finding them on Facebook.

The Scovill Zoo is celebrating fathers day with free admission for dads all weekend long. 

On top of free admission, Executive Director Heather Purdeu says they will be hosting Donuts with Dads on Saturday with morning refreshments and special presentations for families to enjoy. 

Again, dads get in free to the Scovill Zoo all weekend long. Learn more by visiting decatur-parks.org/scovill-zoo or by finding them on Facebook. 
 

Wednesday's severe weather forced a local nutrition educator to reschedule one of her classes. 

Caitlin Mellendorf, Nutrition Educator with the University of Illinois Extension in DeWitt, Macon, and Piatt Counties, explains that they had to reschedule the Sourdough Class at the Warner Library due to severe storms, and it will be moved to July 8th at 5:30 PM. 

We'll have more with Mellendorf next weekend in a class geared towards building bonds in the kitchen. In the meantime, learn more about the Extension's events by visiting extension.illinois.edu/dmp. 
 

An agreement to supplement funds related to highway engineer projects was discussed at DeWitt County's June Board Meeting. 

At Thursday night's meeting, Road and Bridge Committee Chair Jamie Prestegaard told his fellow board members that this motion would be an $85,000 addition to an agreement made with WHKS for engineering services. He pointed out that the agreement is already good for up to $85,000 and has no end date, bringing the total to $170,000. 

Prestegaard noted that since last July, they have used around $57,000 of the original $85,000 that was agreed upon. With the upcoming Barnett Township Overlay project, he feels that more funds need to be agreed on. 

Board Chair Joe Witte and Finance Chair Melonie Tilley brought up concerns over the timing of the agreement, stating that it should align more closely with the County's budget season in December. 

State's Attorney Dan Markwell clarified that with the extra roughly $27,000 that is left, on top of the additional $15,000 that was budgeted by the County, they could make it through with a supplemental agreement to get them to December.

The Board asked County Engineer Mark Mathon to come back with a rough estimate of the funds needed to get through the rest of the fiscal year, and tabled the discussion until next month. 

Also, during the Road and Bridge portion of the meeting, the Board approved a motion to increase the local share of the total cost of the Revere Road Project. Mathon noted this was due to the original number being based on an estimate that was too low. 
 

After some nasty weather left several central Illinois communities without power on Wednesday evening, a University of Illinois Extension Nutrition Educator is highlighting preserving food through a loss of power.

On the WHOW Morning Show Wednesday, Caitlin Mellendorf, a Nutrition Educator with the University of Illinois Extension, told the Hart Media Group when power goes out, the primary objective is to maintain thermal boundaries by keeping refrigerator and freezer doors completely closed.

According to Mellendorf, a refrigerator will hold a safe storage temperature for roughly four hours if left unopened. A fully stocked freezer can preserve food for approximately two days, while a half-full freezer drops that safety window to a single day.

If internal temperatures rise to 45 or 50 degrees or warmer, the risk of foodborne illness increases significantly. Mellendorf notes perishable items like raw or uncooked meats, prepared leftovers, milk, cream cheese, feta cheese, soft cheeses, and active baking batters or cookie dough—must be discarded to ensure safety.

Strategies like utilizing block ice or commercial dry ice within freezers to mimic historical "ice box" designs can help to extend the safe storage life of frozen products until the grid is restored.

If you're without power for an extended period to the point you need to restock your entire refrigerator and freezer, Mellendorf encourages checking with either your electric provider or homeowners' insurance to seek financial reimbursement for those groceries. 

Mellendorf had a sourdough course at the Warner Library from Wednesday get postponed to July. We'll have more on that course series over the weekend at the Hart Media Group. 

Severe storms and threats of tornadoes rolled through DeWitt County on Wednesday. 

DeWitt County Emergency Management Agency Coordinator Will Paveleck told the Hart Media Group that an earlier round of severe storms in the area paved the way for a second, stronger system to come through. 

According to Paveleck, the systems consisted of discrete super cells that had the potential to cause EF3 tornadoes and winds of 90 mph or more. He says the County was not impacted as badly as it could have been, and faced only a handful of downed trees and power lines. 

Paveleck emphasizes that downed trees, and especially downed power lines, can be extremely dangerous and should be reported to the authorities immediately. He notes that these storms are often times of high volume for calls, and hazards will be addressed as quickly as possible by the appropriate entity. 

Staying alert and informed is one of the most important things when facing severe weather, and Paveleck encourages having two methods to do so. He says having a plan in the event of severe weather is also critically important. 

Learn more about the DeWitt County Emergency Management Agency and find severe weather and emergency updates on their Facebook page. 
 

A local financial advisor says scammers are putting new spins on old tricks to get you to hand over your money. 

Connie Miller with the DeWitt Savings Bank indicates that she has recently been hearing about scams related to computers, and supposed tech support representatives telling you that there are viruses on your PC, that are not really there.

This scam relies on people moving money from one account into another that the scammer created for you. Miller says this should be an immediate red flag, as creating a bank account for another person is illegal. 

Miller says if you willingly hand over your money to a fraudster, there is little that can be done from the bank's perspective to get it back. The willing nature of the transaction means it is not covered by insurance. 

If you suspect you have been the victim of a scam, report it to your bank and the authorities immediately. Learn more about the DeWitt Savings Bank by going to dewittsavingsbank.com or by finding their Facebook page.