ST. CHARLES—Spring is here, and with it comes kittens. Homes for Endangered and Lost Pets (H.E.L.P.) is seeking volunteers to care for orphaned kittens in their homes.

KANE COUNTY—Beginning this fall, for school year 2012-13, the state of Illinois is requiring that all students entering sixth and ninth grades provide proof of a dose of the whooping cough (Tdap) vaccination in addition to the school physicals required at these grades.

SPRINGFIELD—The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) will join with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for the first National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, April 22-28.

Kane County—Plots in the Kane County Health Department’s community gardens are now available, just in time for the start of the growing season.

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.—At their regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors were briefed on Monday’s first meeting of the association’s Ad-Hoc Committee studying participation opportunities for student-athletes with disabilities.

SPRINGFIELD—With temperatures in Illinois already in the 70s and 80s this year, bats are becoming active, which means the possibility of exposure to rabies is increasing.

Learn how to protect your children, attend drug prevention event
Kane County—The problem of heroin use and addiction in the Chicago area has gotten national attention with a record multi-million dollar seizure of heroin occurring just one year ago in Elgin.

SPRINGFIELD—The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) joins communities nationwide recognizing National Public Health Week, April 2-8.

SPRINGFIELD—The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), along with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), last week presented fluoridation awards to 432 community water systems—including Elburn and Sugar Grove—for maintaining state mandated fluoride levels every month in 2011.

SPRINGFIELD—Local and state emergency management officials this week launched a statewide contest aimed at increasing awareness and use of weather alert radios.

AURORA—Evidence-based research suggests that appropriate visual art can have a healing effect on patients by reducing anxiety and potentially leading to less medication and shorter hospital stays.

MONTGOMERY—In continuing to keep pace with community growth and the accompanying demand for more athletic fields, the Fox Valley Park District will begin expansion of Stuart Sports Complex this spring.

FOX VALLEY—Fox Valley Volunteer Hospice (FVVH), a community-based, nonprofit organization dedicated to serving those with life-threatening illnesses and the bereaved, is in need of volunteers to serve clients in the Fox Valley area.

ILLINOIS—The National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC) announced that the Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium has been recognized in a national competition honoring excellence in public health communication.

GENEVA—The LivingWell Cancer Resource Center announces the new lecture series, “Back On Track,” designed for those who have recently completed cancer treatment.

Agency continues to monitor plant conditions through remote monitoring system