The Wayne County Health Department reported no new cases of the coronavirus Friday or Saturday. The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 1675 new cases Saturday and 23 additional deaths, bringing the total numbers for the state to 1,207,847 cases and 20,924 deaths in all 102 Illinois counties. The latest numbers from the Egyptian Health Department indicated White County has a total of 1727 lab-confirmed positive cases and 26 deaths, while 1590 have recovered. Saline County has 2522 positive cases and 49 deaths, while 2300 have recovered. Gallatin County has 486 positive cases and three deaths, while 455 have recovered.
Fairfield Memorial Hospital’s Skilled Care Unit has been named among the “America’s Best Nursing Homes” to the 2020-2021 US News and World Report Best Nursing Homes list with an overall 5 star rating, according to a Facebook post on the hospital’s Facebook page. Mariah Minor, RN and Skilled Care Unit Director, was quoted as saying “the
SENECA – A Seneca poet has taken top honors in the 16th Annual Illinois Emerging Writers Competition. Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White announced this year’s first place winner of the Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Award was Phyllis Natenek of Seneca. She was honored for her poem “Gray Legions.” The competition is named for the late Pulitzer Prize-winning Illinois Poet Laureate Gwendolyn Brooks and is part of the Illinois Center for The Book program at the State Library.
“I created the Illinois Emerging Writers Competition to promote creative writing and provide an opportunity to recognize new literary talent throughout the state,” White said. “Illinois has a long and rich literary heritage, and these poets are adding to the tradition established by legendary poet Gwendolyn Brooks. Great poems have the ability to enrich and enhance our lives, and I am pleased to celebrate this year’s talented winners.”