Jake Linder sits down with Mt. Vernon Fire Chief & EMA Coordinator Kevin Sargent this week to discuss severe weather season safety and preparation, summer tips, and of course his retirement. Thank you to Kevin for being a great friend and asset to the radio stations over the years. Sargent has always been accessible during severe storm coverage, water crisis, safety tips, and with any information any time he was called upon by those at Withers Broadcasting Companies. We can't thank him enough for his service and wish him rest as well as relaxation in his retirement.

Cris Hayes and Brittany Koenegstein join Jake Linder and the Southern Illinois Insider to discuss home hospice care as well as the stigma surrounding it. Cris and Brittany walk us through many viable reasons for choosing hospice outside of just end-of-life circumstances. It's an eye-opening conversation and if you don't know all the things hospice can do for people, this would be a great listen for you.

Giving the Gift of Flowers and Herbs series is ideal for those individuals who want to learn about incorporating growing cut flowers and herbs in their own backyard or garden bed. This four-part series costs $25 and is for flower enthusiasts, gardeners, or families wanting to extend their knowledge to learn tips and techniques for producing more blooms and the importance of giving back to their community.

Christina Lueking

Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Educator 

Specialty in Horticulture 

Illinois Extension

College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

3452 Broadway, Mt. Vernon, IL 62864

Phone: (618) 242.0780 |lueking@illinois.edu

extension.illinois.edu | aces.illinois.edu

https://extension.illinois.edu/bcjmw

https://extension.illinois.edu/events/2025-04-17-giving-gift-cut-flowers