1 • Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021 - Shopper’s Guide
Serving the communities in Stephenson County
Shopper’s Guide
VOL. 83 • NO. 6
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Library offers crafts, new books, curbside service The staff at Lena Community District Library is reminding community members that the library is open with COVID-19 precautions in place. Library hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Masks are required in the library for patrons 2 and older and seating is limited to encourage social distanc-
ing. Curbside services also are available. To request materials for curbside pickup, call 815-369-3180 or send an email to lenalibrary@le-win. net. Valentine’s take-and-make family craft packs are available for pick up in the library or curbside. A new book drop will be installed soon. After the installation, the library’s new south entrance will be
Indoor dining restrictions ease, but COVID continues to eat away at restaurant business
open. Several new books are available: “Before She Disappeared” by Lisa Gardner, “The Russian” by James Patterson, “Active Defense” by Lynette Eason, “All the Colors of the Night” by Jayne Ann Krentz, “The Lost Boys” by Faye Kellerman, “Neighbors” by Danielle Steel, “Shakeup” by Stuart Woods (large print) and “The Book of Two Ways” by Jodi Picoult (large print).
Governor, legislators spar over vaccine rollout By Jerry Nowicki CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
PHOTO COURTESY MONROE CLINIC Shopper’s Guide
COVID-19 vaccinations continue across the state, even as debate over vaccine supply and administration continue.
available to beef up staff, training and rental space at the state’s 97 local health departments through which it is coordinating the vaccination plan. “In fact, as we have helped local health departments overcome their challenges, the state of Illinois is administering more doses a week than it is receiving from the federal government,” Pritzker wrote in his response letter. Pritzker said the New York Times
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The state on Jan. 29 reported 58,357 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered over the previous 24 hours, setting a one-day high mark for the third straight day. Still, only 26.4 percent of the 496,100 doses distributed to the federal Pharmacy Partnership program have been administered to residents of long-term care facilities through nationwide pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens. Gov. JB Pritzker has faced criticism for the slow rollout of the vaccine to long-term care residents. Pritzker said Jan. 28 that he had spoken to leaders from Walgreens and CVS, and said the companies plan to have the first round of vaccinations at assisted living and long-term care facilities complete by Feb. 15. Last week Senate Republicans sent a letter to the governor requesting a “clear explanation” as to why Illinois ranked near the bottom of states — as of Jan. 29 it was 47th of 50 — in percentage of population that has received at least one dose of the vaccine. That was according to the New York Times, which showed only 5.1 percent of Illinoisans had received one dose of the vaccine as of Jan. 29. Pritzker responded to the lawmakers in a letter, noting his administration made $25 million in grants
showed Illinois was seventh in the nation for total number of doses distributed, which was right beside California, Texas, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania — states cited in the GOP letter. “All but one of those states has received more vaccine on a per capita basis than Illinois has at the CDC’s last count — and yet, we have kept up with them despite having less to work with,” he said. While the Republican lawmakers criticized Pritzker for “blaming the previous president, the federal government and CVS/Walgreens,” Pritzker said “having a partner” in the Biden administration will ensure a quicker rollout. He pointed to a Jan. 28 announcement that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide Illinois with an additional $43 million to “expand our mobile vaccination operations and offer more easy-access locations for our residents as the national vaccine supply increases.” He also cited President Joe Biden’s
See VACCINE, Page 15
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 3, 2021
By Margaret Plevak
Hallstrom said local customers have been generous in their support A rollback of restrictions in of the restaurant. the state’s COVID-19 mitigation He thinks federal loans like plan for several regions of Illinois the Paycheck Protection Program earlier this month has freed up a can aid struggling businesses, little more dining space for area but he’s hearing more stories of establishments, but many restaurant communities helping each other, owners say business is still a like businesses in Rockford — struggle. where Hallstrom calls home — On Jan. 25, the Illinois who have donated a percentage Department of Public Health of their sales to the Winnebago announced that Region 1, which County Restaurant Relief Fund. includes Stephenson County, has “Honestly, I feel other restaurants moved to Phase 4 of the Restore are helping each other more now Illinois Plan. This means restaurants than what the state is actually can now open indoor dining and doing,” he said. drinking for parties of up to 10 Ryan Buss, who heads the people, and tables must allow for 6 Lena Business & Professional feet between parties. Association, said in talking with “As of now, I can open up my some of the restaurant owners in dining room again. I have a lot of the Lena area, he found most are customers happy about that,” said optimistic and welcomed the lifting Joe Hallstrom, owner of Saporito’s of at least some restrictions. Pizzeria in Lena. “All are very grateful of the To meet the capacity support they have received during requirements, two tables in the these times we are in. Without the restaurant’s dining room were support of the to-go orders, things removed, leaving seating for 15 would have been much different,” patrons. Buss said in an email. Earlier this month, the restaurant Still, a frequent comment he began a 30-day tryout of an online heard from owners was being in a ordering service for customers. “survival mode.” Hallstrom, who has owned “I believe that sums it up for a Saporito’s for 10 years, but said lot of small businesses these days,” he’s been in restaurant work his he said. whole life, finds, for the most part, According to a National business has been good. Restaurant Association report, the “I’m different because the state lost 31,000 dining-related majority of my business is pickup jobs in November alone, easily and delivery. This hasn’t affected the highest among 36 states that me as much,” he said. “If my dining registered such employment room was my main source of declines, which included Michigan, income, though, 25 percent capacity with a loss of 9,900 jobs, is nowhere near enough to support See RESTRICTIONS, Page 10 a restaurant.” CORRESPONDENT
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