Click Here for details.
Save Save Save Save
Hillary and Jay Dickerson pose with their daughters (left to right) Ruby, 14, Lilly, 17 and Maya, 15. Hillary is the editor of Galena Gazette and Jay is the weekly newspaper's sales manager.
By CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN For Illinois Press Association
GALENA – In April, Hillary Dickerson, the editor of the Galena Gazette, wrote a column titled “Finding Silver Linings.” She shared her family’s heartbreak with the weekly newspaper’s readers. Most notably, her oldest daughter’s graduation ceremony and performance in “Mamma Mia” had been suddenly scrapped.
But Dickerson quickly shifted to a place of gratitude for the chance for her, her husband, and their three daughters to spend more time together.
“In the past several weeks, our time together as a family has been the greatest blessing in my life. … I’m sorry to say that it had been far too long since we had time to make dinner together every night and then sit around the table to share that meal,” the Page 4 column in the April 8 edition reads. “There’s no rushing off to the next meeting or activity. We’re present in one another’s lives. We even clear the table together and do the dishes with barely a complaint. We’ve ended the evening with some great board game battles, hours spent huddled working on a puzzle or cuddled up together in the living room watching a movie.”
Her moment of reckoning was just beginning.
In early October, six members of the small-but-mighty newspaper’s staff tested positive for COVID-19, including Hillary and her husband, Jay, who’s also the paper’s sales manager.
“Luckily, the timing worked out that [the office was] able to remain open the entire time,” Hillary said.
She and Jay immediately isolated at home. She was able to connect to the server and lay out pages the following Monday.
“Luckily our symptoms were quite mild, so we were able to push through,” Hillary said.
She and Jay both suffered mild sinus symptoms and extreme fatigue, Hillary said. One of their daughters suffered those same symptoms, as well as a headache. Another daughter, who was diagnosed a week after those three had tested positive, “only” lost her taste and smell, Hillary said.
“It was so strange, all those different symptoms in one house,” she said. “We’re all pretty much back to 100 percent now.”
That is apart from their youngest, 15-year-old Ruby, whose sense of taste is still a bit off.
“She says almond milk is salty, bananas are sweeter ...” Hillary said.
Brace for the real tragedy in all of this.
“... and Goldfish crackers have a weird aftertaste,” she continued.
Hillary and one reporter make up the editorial staff that covers Galena, a popular tourist destination in the state’s northwest corner. Over the years, the Gazette has regularly won the Illinois Press Association’s editorial sweepstakes, and finished runner-up to The Hinsdalean in 2019.
“Having lived and worked near Galena for many years, I’ve always admired the work The Galena Gazette staff has done,” said Jeff Rogers, director of the IPA’s foundation. “It’s consistently one of the best nondaily newspapers in the state. It’s a paper that is really plugged into the communities it covers, and it shows in the journalism practiced by Hillary and her team.”
Since Gov. JB Pritzker issued his stay-at-home order March 20, apart from three staff – two ad reps and a graphic designer – the Gazette’s team has worked in the office, often beyond its reduced schedule of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“As I’m sure you understand, people are often at the office outside those times,” Hillary said. “We have a large enough space that we’re all 10-plus feet apart. We wear masks and require those of customers.”
The week after Hillary’s diagnosis, her reporter started working from home as a precautionary measure.
Whereas many daily newspapers have made their offices completely off-limits, it’s a different game for weekly publications and their small staffs.
The Carroll County Review, in Thomson directly south of Jo Daviess County, has an editorial staff of one – 76-year-old owner and publisher Jon Whitney.
“The office is really an extension of our house and we spend more time here than at home. At least it seems like it,” Whitney said. “We only have a part-time person that missed about six weeks, but is back now. Other than that, it's my wife [Nancy] and I.”
Hillary Dickerson said her family’s experience has given her new perspective, while Jo Daviess County’s positivity rate has eclipsed 10 percent and restaurants throughout the state are bucking orders to close their dining rooms.
“We’ve been very open about our positive test results in the community, and I hope that sharing our experience helps others understand the seriousness of what is happening,” she said. “Our positivity rate in this region is climbing daily and I see all sorts of people not taking the pandemic seriously on a daily basis. It’s frustrating.”
Hillary misses pounding the pavement, covering events, and doing in-person interviews. She said staff will occasionally mask up to cover in-person meetings, while keeping their distance.
“As convenient as it is to attend a meeting virtually, I’ve certainly noticed that the discussion among board members isn’t the same,” she said.
Whitney seconded that, saying one village board has canceled most of its meetings after two of them held in a large space to accommodate social distancing didn’t go well.
“That did not work well because of acoustic problems,” he said. “Most of the board members are elderly and don't hear well; two do not have computers or internet service.”
He said the other village board the Review covers was once virtual but has resumed meeting in person, but will likely return to the virtual format now that cases are again surging.
In lieu of high school sports seasons, the Galena Gazette is producing a special section with feature stories about how the school has adjusted to the pandemic and highlighting some of the unique things that are happening in and out of the classrooms.
“We actually believe this section could have wider appeal than just a typical sports program, so it will be interesting to see the response,” Hillary Dickerson said. “It’s also a great way to document what’s happening now for future generations.”
While newsrooms’ overwhelming consensus lament of 2020 might be “It’s not the same,” the Dickersons, with their newfound perspective, willingly accept it.
“I’m willing to change things up if it means keeping people safe, and we’re still definitely committed to covering the communities we serve,” she said..
View all Illinois public notices 24 hours a day - publicnoticeillinois.com
Member Log-In + Contact Us + Events + PressLines + Job Bank + Advertising Toolbox + Upload Pages
Subscribe to RSS headline updates from: Powered by FeedBurner
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 26, 2026 Media Contact Information: Cartwheel Emily Paisner (888) 500-2067 emily.paisner@cartwheelcare.org
$1 million grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois will help Cartwheel scale access to care in rural and underserved communities through 2028
CHICAGO — August 26, 2026 — Cartwheel Care, a telehealth mental health provider for K-12 schools, today announced plans to expand access to care for up to 100,000 students across Illinois, supported by a $1 million grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL). The additional funding builds on an existing partnership between Cartwheel and BCBSIL, following a year of strong engagement and clinical outcomes. Cartwheel currently serves 40 Illinois school districts, and the grant will help expand services further into rural and underserved communities across the state through 2028. Mental health needs among Illinois students remain high. According to data from Lurie Children’s Hospital, approximately 50% of Illinois youth (ages 2–17) have experienced worsening mental health symptoms in recent years. At the same time, access to care has not kept pace: more than 80 of Illinois’ 102 counties have no practicing child psychiatrist, and the shortage is most acute in rural areas, where families often wait months for an appointment or travel significant distances for care. Cartwheel’s telehealth model is designed to remove the access barriers rural families face, like long waitlists and the need to travel to see a provider. By partnering with schools, Cartwheel provides licensed, Illinois-based clinicians with no waitlist, accepts all major insurance plans including Medicaid, and reaches kids and families where they already are, without requiring them to find or travel to an outside provider. “Every student experiences mental health challenges differently, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to supporting them,” said Dr. Juliana Chen, chief medical officer at Cartwheel. “Our goal is to meet students and families where they are, with practical support that helps them build skills, strengthen relationships, and feel more confident navigating challenges at school and at home. BCBSIL’s support is what allows us to bring that care to more Illinois communities.” “Supporting the health and well-being of Illinois youth is critical to building stronger communities,” said Brian Snell, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. “The results we’ve seen through our partnership with Cartwheel demonstrate the impact that timely, accessible mental health services can have for students and families. This investment will help bring those services to even more communities across our state.” To date, four Illinois districts have received Cartwheel’s services through this grant: Steger SD 194 in Cook County and Will County, Troy CCSD 30-C in Will County, Mattoon CUSD 2 in Coles County, and Wolf Branch SD #113 in St. Clair County. In the first year of the program, more than 200 students were referred for care and completed more than 1,000 telehealth sessions. Appointments were scheduled in the same week with no waitlist. Sixty-eight percent of students served were covered by Medicaid or uninsured. Overall, 73% of students showed meaningful improvement in anxiety and depression symptoms on standard clinical screeners (GAD-7/PHQ-9). Additional districts where Cartwheel services are launching this fall include Litchfield CUSD #12, Panhandle CUSD #2, Leyden High School District #212, and Regional Office of Education #40. With the support of this grant, Cartwheel expects to expand into another 30 to 50 school districts, bringing access to care to a total of 100,000 students across Illinois. “Before this partnership, getting a student connected to care could take months,” said Jeffrey Peterson, director of student services & records at Troy CCSD 30-C. “Now our counselors can refer a student, know they’ll be seen within days, and are seeing real improvements as a result.” Through the grant, Cartwheel provides individual and family therapy, parent guidance, psychiatric evaluation and medication management, and specialized care programs for challenges like school avoidance, social media use, and intense emotions and behavior challenges. As reported in Illinois Policy, in 2025 about 25% of Illinois students missed at least 10% of the school year and this was more severe among low-income students, with 35.1% in that group chronically absent. Cartwheel’s school avoidance program delivers evidence-based care designed specifically for students struggling with school avoidance. In partnership with Cartwheel, Peoria Public Schools saw a 62% reduction in absences per student, along with decreases in suspensions and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Illinois school districts that want to learn more about this opportunity for the upcoming school year should visit: www.cartwheel.org/illinois. About Cartwheel Cartwheel is the nation’s largest and most trusted telehealth provider for K-12 schools, students, and families. Cartwheel partners with 350 school districts across 15 states to deliver comprehensive mental health services to students, families, and school staff. Founded in 2022 by educators and clinicians, Cartwheel combines evidence-based clinical care with technology to ensure every child has access to high-quality mental health support. Cartwheel accepts all major insurance plans including Medicaid and provides care at no cost to uninsured families. For more information visit: www.cartwheel.org. About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is the largest health insurer in Illinois, serving nine million members and operating in all 102 Illinois counties. BCBSIL is a division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Learn more at bcbsil.com and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 24, 2026 Media Contact Information: Mather Institute Cindy Droog, president, Sabo PR (616) 717-8654 cindy@sabo-pr.com
Free online tool by Mather Institute supports local planning, partnership and investments
EVANSTON, Illinois – Chicago has a new tool to help understand where neighborhood conditions support social wellness among older adults – and where thoughtful investment and partnership may expand opportunities. Mather Institute launched a first-of-its-kind free Social Wellness Map, which scores the 77 community areas in Chicago on social wellness – a measure of feeling connected with others and with a community – for adults 55 and better. Previous research shows strong social ties are one of the most important predictors of a happy and long life, and that neighborhoods and communities shape how people interact, support one another and build shared identity. Mather Institute developed the map in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago. Designed as a planning and advocacy resource, the interactive map can help policymakers, community organizations, funders, planners and service providers explore local patterns, identify assets and consider where new investments may have the greatest benefit for older adults. “Social wellness is a crucial, yet often overlooked, part of healthy aging,” said Cate O’Brien, MPH, Ph.D., chief transformation officer at Mather Institute. “Because every community contains diverse histories, people and experiences, the map is intended to inform – not replace – local knowledge. The most useful next step is conversation. When organizations bring this data together with resident voices, they can better understand what is already working and what could be most beneficial to older adults and their communities.” The map is based on a new survey of more than 4,000 Chicago residents age 55 and better, combined with public data on community conditions, including walkability, economic factors and access to gathering places such as libraries, churches and community centers. Factors such as crime, lack of local businesses and poverty can hinder social wellness, but don’t tell the whole story. Users can view a side-by-side comparison of communities to explore how social wellness relates to health, happiness, income and other factors. Key findings include:
“Community leaders often have deep local knowledge, but need data to support the case for programs, funding and partnerships,” said Jennifer L. Smith, Ph.D., vice president of Mather Institute. “The Social Wellness Map offers another lens for understanding older adults’ experiences and for turning local insight into action.” High social wellness scores were not confined to one part of Chicago or to its wealthiest areas, suggesting that other factors such as neighborhood identity, belonging and longstanding social ties are also important to connection. Chatham emerged as a notable example, with a social wellness score of 8.14 out of 10, illustrating social wellness reflects aspects of community life beyond economic and safety indicators alone. Beverly received the highest community connectability score: 100 out of 100. Beverly is notable for its low crime rates, a strong family culture and several longstanding community gathering places. Jefferson Park stood out for having community conditions that support connection such as accessible transit, retail activity and established cultural gathering places. The map is free to use and does not require user registration. It can be explored at: https://www.matherinstitute.com/social-wellness-map/
About Mather and Mather Institute
Based in Evanston, Illinois, Mather is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1941 that is dedicated to a vision of changing the way society views aging. Mather creates Ways to Age Well℠ through programs, places and residences for today’s older adults. These include developing and operating communities that support older adults in pursuing wellness and fulfillment; sparking creativity and connections for older adults in Chicagoland and beyond; and through Mather Institute, conducting research and incubating innovation to help all live and age well.
# # #
Click Image to Find the IPA Disaster Checklist!