Moving past the brick-and-mortar projects and to infrastructure projects is the focus of Warner Hospital officials.

That's according to CEO Paul Skowron who on the WHOW Morning Show Wednesday told Regional Radio the emergency room renovation and the west side entrance will continue this year. In fact, he points out the west side entrance has experienced a setback in its timeline of completion.

For Skowron and his administration, this year is about moving past the things visible and onto their electronic medical records update.

Among those visible projects they hope to have completed very soon is the new storage unit going up on the east side of town between Wallace Fields and Love It Once More Thrift Store.

The grant is from the State of Illinois and Skowron points out it will become a storage space for emergency supplies.

As the physical projects conclude, the next big project is the electronic medical records project. Skowron points out this is necessary on several fronts. The current system the hospital has is outdated but it will also bring them in line with the larger hospital systems.

According to Skowron, the new electronic medical records software will also allow patients to make appointments and even get access to their own records.

Skowron indicates that effort will get started very soon and will take time to have in place.

He notes they have financially been preparing for this for a couple of years knowing this was going to eventually be necessary. 

DeWitt County has a new EMA Director.

Board Chair Dan Matthews indicates the Board approved the hiring of a new EMA Director after Micah Gallardo resigned for a new opportunity. Will Pavelek takes over the position starting May 20. 

While the County awaits the new director to take over, Matthews indicates Gallardo is still stepping in where he can. Matthews wishes Gallardo well in his new professional opportunity.

Matthews points out Gallardo started in DeWitt County right out of school. He feels it is a nice pipeline they have created to establish relationships with local universities to give young people looking for a jumpstart to their careers the opportunity to work in DeWitt County. 

If you enjoy getting the RV or camper out to Illinois campgrounds, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is sending out camping reminders.

DNR Conservation Police Captain John Williamson says the camping season is already underway with some warmer days and nights already here and the thick of the camping season is about to kick into high gear.

According to Capt. Williamson, the Department runs into an instance or two about every year because of someone who takes the camper out for the first time.

Capt. Williamson gives campers credit noting they are generally very clean guests to the State's parks, leaving their spaces the way they found them.

Visit dnr.illinois.gov for the latest in camping regulations at your local park or a park you may be planning to visit this year. 

Illinois dealing with an active spring weather pattern. There has been some tornadic activity, but hail has been the stat leader thus far says State Climatologist Trent Ford.

There is a threat for some severe weather along with heavy rain in parts of Illinois this weekend.

Mylar balloons have grown in popularity over the years and while there is nothing wrong with that, when they aren't disposed of properly they can be trouble for power lines. Mylar balloons have a metallic coating that conducts electricity. Thus when one of these balloons comes into contact with a live power line, it can take out the power for the surrounding area and create a hazard for those called in to repair the outage. Brian Bretsch from Ameren Illinois lays out the stats on Mylar Balloon outages.

Proper disposal means deflating them after use, Some Mylar Balloons can actually be deflated and reinflated for reuse, but if you have no need to keep them, you should make sure they are deflated or popped and not allowed to simply float away.

Severe storms are in the forecast for the weekend.

On the WHOW Morning Show Tuesday, Ed Shimon at the National Weather Service in Lincoln told Regional Radio storms are going to dominate the lower midwest into the weekend when storms become likely in Illinois.

As severe weather rolls in, Shimon reminds to be aware of the terminology when notices and warnings are issued. 

This week is trending to end up a little cooler. Shimon notes though, April is still a degree above normal for its average temperature.

Looking to May, temperatures and precipitation are looking to be above normal. We'll hear more from Shimon on that in the days ahead on Regional Radio. 

DeWitt County Sheriff Mike Walker and his department are turning to digital communication and it will limit how much the public can consume on the scanner.

Sheriff Walker explains going digital allows them to establish a secure channel to communicate. He explains it is a safety measure for responding officers to scenes.

According to Sheriff Walker, the phenomenon of the public listening to scanners has taken on a different level of challenge in 2024. He explains people will listen to the scanners and not only draw conclusions about a situation with incomplete information but then share that on social media - creating a bigger issue.

Sheriff Walker says the social media component of speculation during incidents is particularly detrimental to law enforcement and its efforts. He indicates what is happening on the police communication lines is often only part of what is being shared among first responders.

The Sheriff's office is currently in the midst of an upgrade of its communication equipment. Sheriff Walker says they have a few hurdles to clear but believes it will be an overall positive for communications among DeWitt County first responders.