Highland Around Town — Nov. 10 edition

Noon Wednesday, Nov. 10, is the deadline to appear in next week’s “Around Town” listing. We must receive your event in writing with a contact phone number for questions. Due to the number of submissions, events may run only one time in print, will be edited and appear in the week before the event date.

Email: lifestyle@bnd.com. Mail to: Highland News Leader Around Town, Belleville News-Democrat, P.O. Box 427, Belleville, IL 62222-0427. Questions, call Jennifer Green at 618-239-2643.

Thursday, Nov. 11

▪ National Alliance on Mental Illness Southwestern Illinois (NAMI SWI) — 7-8:30 p.m. Online via Zoom. Virtual support meetings for family members and other caregivers of individuals with mental illness. Meetings are peer-led and rely on the knowledge and experiences of the group to help one another. Registration is required in order to receive the link to these meetings. For more information or to register, contact Pat Rudloff at silverlining6@charter.net.

Friday, Nov. 12

▪ Highland Fish Fry — 4-7 p.m. VFW Post 5694, 1900 VFW Road, Highland. Fish, chicken, shrimp, sides. Carryout and limited indoor dining. Masks required for customers going through the serving line. No call-in orders. facebook.com/vfwpost5694

▪ Aviston Legion Fish Fry — 4:30-7 p.m. American Legion Post 1239, 601 S. Clinton, Aviston. Cod (baked or fried), catfish, shrimp, chicken strips, fries, baked potato, slaw, applesauce. Dine-in and carryout. 618-228-7311 or avistonlegion.com.

Saturday, Nov. 13

▪ Highland Arts Council Youth Arts Expo — 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Highland Masonic Lodge 583, 721 9th St., Highland. Visual artists, musicians, vocalists, actors and writers in grades 6-12 will showcase their emerging talents with the public. Free admission.

▪ Old Salt Union — 7:30 p.m. Hettenhausen Center for the Arts, 400 N. Alton St., Lebanon. The progressive “newgrass” Americana string band that brings a fresh approach to bluegrass in a high-energy show. Through relentless touring, the band from Belleville has honed and developed its sound and cultivated a steadfast fan base drawn to its electric live performance vibe, which seems to pull more from vaudeville than the front porch. For tickets and information: thehett.com.

Saturday, Nov. 13, & Sunday, Nov. 14

▪ St. Louis Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony — 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14. Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis. Peeling back layers, fresh stories emerge. Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto is illuminated by the searching imagination of star pianist Víkingur Ólafsson. Stéphane Denève and the SLSO play Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony as the composer intended, intensifying the music’s resolve. And Carlos Simon’s “Fate Now Conquers” borrows Beethoven’s music, exploring hope amid struggle. For tickets and information, visit slso.org.

Sunday, Nov. 14

▪ Central Illinois Numismatic Association 31st annual Autumn Coin Show — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Northfield Center I, 3280 Northfield Drive, Springfield. U.S. and foreign coins, ancient and modern coins, gold and silver bullion, state quarters, paper money. Admission is $1 per person. Members and children under 16 enter free. Early bird admission, 7-9 a.m., is $20. Free youth auction for ages 6-16 from 1-3 p.m. 217-899-9996.

Monday, Nov. 15

▪ Red Cross Blood Drive — 1-7 p.m. VFW Hall, 1900 VFW Lane, Highland. Appointments are recommended but not required. To make an appointment for the upcoming blood drive visit redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767.

Tuesday, Nov. 16

▪ Apprenticeship Roundtable Event — 9 a.m. to noon. Gateway Convention Center, 1 Gateway Drive, Collinsville. Madison County Employment & Training and St. Clair County Intergovernmental Grants Department - Workforce Development Group will be bringing together educators, businesses, workforce development entities, elected officials and the general public to discuss the use of apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships in the region. There will be panel presentations from education and business partners in our region on setting up and using apprenticeships as a talent supply tool. Current apprentices will talk about their experience as an apprentice. RSVP to lee.reese@co.st-clair.il.us.Event also available via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87425301899?pwd=anNFNjBtL21DMVVCUEFxR1lxTVYzdz09

▪ Parents of Addicted Loved Ones — 7-8:30 p.m. Online via Zoom. The PAL group provides education, support and hope to family members and loved ones of someone who has an addiction of substance use disorder. If you would like to join the teleconference, please call/text 618-567-6095 or email craigloddeke@yahoo.com. palgroup.org

Thursday, Nov. 18

▪ Highland Garden Club — 7 p.m. Korte Rec Center, 1 Nagel Drive, Highland. Final meeting for 2021. Master Gardener Nancy Hediger will present “Bulbs: Basics, Myths and Truths.” Guests always welcome.

Other area happenings

▪ Polar Express Train Ride — Wednesday, Nov. 17, through Thursday, Dec. 30. St. Louis Union Station, 201 S. 18th St., St. Louis. Tickets are now on sale for the Polar Express Train Ride holiday attraction at St. Louis’ Union Station. Tickets start at $35. Prices will vary by day and time. stlthepolarexpressride.com

▪ Smiles & Salutes —By appointment Thursday, Dec. 9. The Smile Shoppe, 1117 Washington St., Highland. Free dentistry to veterans. 618-654-9866.

HSHS Medical Group Welcomes Britt

HSHS Medical Group welcomes Amy Britt, APRN, to the medical team in Highland. Specializing in family medicine, Britt is now scheduling patients at HSHS Medical Group Family & Internal Medicine - Highland, 12860 Troxler Ave., Suite 320, Highland.

As a primary care provider, Britt cares for patients of all ages and offers a variety of services, including minor procedures, general wellness care, well-child exams, women’s health care and acute and chronic illness management. As an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), Britt is a highly trained health care professional capable of diagnosing and treating acute and chronic conditions, as well as medication management.

Britt received her bachelor of science in nursing from California University of Pennsylvania in California, Pennsylvania. She earned her master of science in nursing, family nurse practitioner from Carlow University in Pittsburgh.

To schedule an appointment with Britt, please call 618-654-6665. If a new HSHS Medical Group patient, call Kim Schneider, patient advocate, at 833-973-0343 to help set up the first appointment.

Poettker Construction breaks ground on new elementary school

Litchfield Community Unit School District #12 announces the groundbreaking of the new Litchfield State Street Elementary School to that took place Oct. 26. This is one of two new elementary schools the district will be building over the next few years.

“Over the past year, Litchfield CUSD #12 has partnered with Poettker Construction and FGM Architects to analyze the existing elementary schools in the district and develop the best long-term growth solution for our community,” said Dr. Gregg Fuerstenaum, the district’s superintendent. “Through a thorough facility review process, the district and its partners determined that building two new elementary schools is the best, most cost-effective plan and will save the district on long-term operating costs.”

New construction of the Litchfield State Street Elementary School will take place at 120 W. St. John Street. This multi-story, 42,000-square-foot elementary school will house grades second-fifth.

The school will include classrooms, administrative offices, gymnasium/storm shelter, multi-purpose commons areas, and support facilities. In addition to increasing facility efficiency and improving student safety, the consolidated, centralized facility will streamline bus transportation and meal delivery from the district’s central kitchen.

“We are beyond thrilled to kick-off this great new project for our growing district,” added Fuerstenau. “Our mission is to prepare students to be productive citizens, and we can’t wait to reward them and our community with this brand new, state-of-the-art facility.”

Highland Lions Club donates to HSHS St. Joseph’s Foundation

The Highland Lions Club recently made a donation of $513 to the HSHS St. Joseph’s Foundation to support HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Highland’s diabetes education program.

The donation will be used to support the purchase of new educational supplies and foot models that focus on proper foot health, which will be used for inpatients, outpatients and for community outreach events. Lions Club members around the world fight for better diabetes relief through initiatives and programs to improve the lives of those living with diabetes and helping others from developing type 2 diabetes.

Lisa Ketchem, RN, diabetes patient educator at St. Joseph’s Hospital, shared her appreciation for the donation.

“We are so grateful to the Highland Lions Club for this donation which will assist us in providing education for our community members living with diabetes. Knowing how to manage your diabetes is crucial to living an active life with it,” she said. “As November is Diabetes Awareness Month, it is an important time of year to focus attention on this health issue which affects more than 34 million people in the U.S..”

Emily Wilson, HSHS St. Joseph’s Foundation major gifts officer, shared, “On behalf of St. Joseph’s Foundation, we truly appreciate the Highland Lions Club support of our Foundation so we can continue to support important hospital services, like our diabetes program.”

Licensed dietitians on St. Joseph’s Hospital’s clinical nutrition and diabetes services team are available to help those with diabetes with special diets and weight management. The hospital also offers a Diabetes Self-Management Program recognized by the American Diabetes Association. For more information about the services offered by the clinical nutrition and diabetes services team, visit the hospital’s website at stjosephshighland.org.

Diabetes education is also provided through an online support group, offering helpful resources and engagement with others going through the same journey. To join the group, search Facebook for: Diabetes Support Group: Bond, Madison and Clinton counties, and request to join.

If anyone is interested in learning more about becoming active in a local Lions Club International club, visit www.lionsclubs.org.

This story was originally published November 5, 2021 at 6:45 PM.