*** UPDATED x1 *** Get off Facebook!
Wednesday, Sep 8, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My southern Illinois brother reached out to me the other day to tell me the region’s rumor mill was blowing up about a school shutdown in the region. I checked it out for him and reported back that it was bunk. Some people, however, don’t bother to check out social media rumors before inserting both feet into their mouths…
In his weekly letter to parents Highland Superintendent Michael Sutton said it’s crystal clear that the most difficult challenges are still ahead, and went on to mention that he has heard a rumor that the Governor is talking about a shutdown and mandating vaccines for kids 12 and older.
“As soon as we were eligible for the vaccine, we all got it,” said Stehlik.
Governor JB Pritzker’s office vehemently denied those rumors. In a statement they said:
“There is absolutely no truth to this rumor, the Governor is not closing down schools. The Governor and the Illinois State Board of Education have worked closely with school districts to ensure the wellbeing of students, teachers and communities by requiring masks, establishing a vaccine mandate for teachers and staff, and ensuring students have access to remote learning if they are required to quarantine. School district leaders have a responsibility to lead with honesty and integrity while putting policies in place to ensure that students can learn and grow in a safe environment.”
…Adding… Gov. Pritzker’s chief of staff…
*** UPDATE *** Please, stop listening to evil crackpots and grifters…
- PublicServant - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 4:46 am:
With Sutton in charge of educating the children down there, I’m thinking, alternate facts are alive and well.
- The Dude - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 6:30 am:
My source told me he was looking into Immenant Danger Powers that he has through public health and labor law to shut schools down until they correct the issue.
Who knows if he plans on using it but from what I’ve heard he had looked into it.
I doubt he does anything unless hospitalizations kick way up.
- Bruce( no not him) - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 7:22 am:
Unfortunately, we all know folks whose major source of news is facebook.
- Gabi - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 7:39 am:
From what I am seeing in my work with the health department, schools need to be shut. Too many kids are on quarantine and Covid is being spread in school
- Mason born - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 7:48 am:
That should be a constant mantra for everyone. (Probably add Twitter to, honestly) Best to assume any rumor spread on Social Media is Bull Spit.
- Larry Bowa Jr. - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 8:02 am:
“Too many kids are on quarantine and Covid is being spread in school”
Are you downstate? I’m just curious. I’m in the burbs and we get multiple emails per week about positive cases and close contacts with those cases needing to quarantine, but no class-wide shutdowns yet. Masking works.
From what I’m seeing, the spread is coming from what people do outside of school, or it’s happening at lunch time when they go mask off and aspirate everywhere while they eat and talk. We had to lean on our district to allow them to eat lunch outside rather than pack 200 kids into a superspreader event every day at noon. Not sure what’s going to happen when weather takes that option away.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 8:46 am:
===My source told me he was looking into Immenant Danger Powers===
That better be a gag. lol
Because if it’s not, you’re gonna be banned for life for being so gullible and stupid.
- Cheryl44 - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 8:55 am:
===Immenant Danger Powers===
Austin’s kid?
- Dee Lay - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 9:06 am:
“In his weekly letter to parents Highland Superintendent Michael Sutton…. mention that he has heard a rumor that the….”
In any civilized society, rumor/fear mongering at that level would include suspension as the school board investigates a dereliction of duty. Yet, here we are.
- Skeptic - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 9:12 am:
“Michael Sutton…. mention that he has heard a rumor that the….” I wonder if he heard it from a little old lady at the grocery store?
- Cheap Seats - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 9:14 am:
Cheryl44 wins the day.
- JoanP - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 9:28 am:
Anyone using phrases such as “I heard . . .”, “My [anonymous] source . . .”, “Many people are saying . . .”, “Rumor has it . . .”, etc. should be banned from further participation in the conversation.
- OurMagician - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 9:35 am:
Highland would be better off with Supernintendo Chalmers in charge.
- SandyC - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 9:58 am:
Facebook is the drama and fake news of all social media. I’ve wanted to bust off it for a while now but I have two business pages and they suck you in to keep your personal page. 🤷♀️ I’m still trying to figure out how to get around it. 😂
- SandyC - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 10:01 am:
== Wow. Harsh. It must be tough being your brother.==
Read it again. His brother reached out to him. The superintendent is the one saying the “rumor” and didn’t reach out.
- Keyrock - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 10:37 am:
“Imminent Danger Powers” would be a great name for a band.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 10:41 am:
===“Imminent Danger Powers” would be a great name for a band. ===
Correction: Immenant Danger Powers
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 10:47 am:
The true misspelling is the hook of the band name, for sure.
The use of Facebook news to continue rumors is arguably one of the biggest corrections needing to be addressed.
That, abd this idea that there are two sets of facts “alternative facts” that allow folks to argue ridiculous thoughts as… facts.
- cermak_rd - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 10:54 am:
And the fallacy that one can become an epidemiologist, constitutional scholar, virologist, or really any specialty profession by just googling and reading social media is bizarre.
Not only do these folks study for years in school for these professions, but then they work as associates with people who have done that work for years.
And don’t underestimate those years of being an underling to other experts. I would imagine that like many of us more practical lessons are learned from that work than the material learned in schools.
- H-W - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 11:02 am:
@SandyC
Ah. (PS- I was just trying to rib Rich a little).
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 11:28 am:
-Immenant Danger Powers-
Dr. Evil: Riiiiiiiiiiiight.
- Bruce( no not him) - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 11:34 am:
I have a friend on facebook who one day, posts anti-vax memes. The next “get vaxxed” memes. The same with masks or anti-masks.
I can’t tell whether she is just giving equal time or her beliefs rattle around like that.
- Highland, IL - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 12:31 pm:
Yes, our Superintendent Michael Sutton is a real profile in courage. He talks out of both sides of his mouth thinking he’ll keep everyone happy.
- West Side the Best Side - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 12:43 pm:
JoanP - How about the old 26th and Cal favorite: “The word on the street is …”
- SAP - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 3:23 pm:
Condolences to the Maxwell family.
- Merica - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 4:08 pm:
You know you are in a bad place when both parties are in agreement against the best possible policy decision.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 4:12 pm:
My sincere condolences to Mark Maxwell and his family.
- Devin Miller - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 4:22 pm:
I admin a private So. Illinois Facebook group for COVID-19 information that has 5700 members. Membership is curated as is the content. These are Southern Illinoisans who pro-vax and pro-Science. They are pro-mask mandate and generally love JB’s pandemic performance. I don’t have to tell this crowd how little he is liked in southern Illinois.
I’ve ran the group for 18 months and counting - frankly it is not something I actually enjoy doing. It has cost me business, who knows how much time, called every name you can imagine for basically allow science based information to be posted without deniers clogging up the threads. But we have been successful in getting hundreds of people vaxxed if their answers in our polls are correct. We’ve changed some minds.
We have doctors, nurses, school admin, PhDs, health department employees, teachers, Grandmothers, parents, etc. in the group. It’s the one place people feel like they can talk about the pandemic regionally without being pounced on by Q’Anon types.
Rich says to ‘get off of Facebook’ but like it or not it is the way people over 40 communicate with each other, especially in rural communities.
I reached out to Rich because we had people in that group saying ‘they heard’ this was going to happen - I shut them down. There is a small minority of folks who are pro-Science but also don’t want anyone to leave their homes ala the Australian method of containing COVID (which didn’t work).
I wanted confirmation which the Governor’s office ultimately gave me as well. Thanks, btw!
- Mama - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 4:43 pm:
This crazy rumor appears to be 100% politically motivated.
- Jason Bourne - Wednesday, Sep 8, 21 @ 5:50 pm:
So the Superintendent who called the state legislature cowards after his district was forced to backtrack their mask optional policy is spreading rumors about shut downs and general fear mongering? Say it isn’t so. Is he neighbors with Devore or something? Is there something in the water? A lot of crazy in that area.