Stories from Thursday, April 29, 2010

Mercy Health Center is embarking upon a new mission. The mission: a healthier workforce. Twenty-three coworkers are participating in a wellness initiative pilot group to find out which methods work best to improve the short-term and long-term health of the Mercy team. The initiative will last for three months, and the participants are monitored through blood tests, weight loss, and well-being surveys...

Last year, due to the late program announcements, the deadline for enrollment in the Director and Counter-cyclical Program (DCP) and the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) option was late summer -- August 1 as I recall. This permitted a more leisurely approach during 2009 to the completion of enrollment for both farm producers as well as FSA staff...

Rabies affects the central nervous system, causing encephalopathy and, ultimately, death. The majority of rabies cases in the United States occur in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes. Although domestic animals account for less than 10 percent of reported cases annually, most human exposures occur as a result of exposure to domesticated animals...

Regional assignments for each Tribune Area school in each sport and the schools assigned to those regionals with them (first-round baseball and softball games may be held at home field of higher-seeded team). FORT SCOTT, Class 4A...

A Texas Hold 'Em poker tournament will be held Saturday at Holmtown Pub, 206 N. National, as a fundraiser for the project to install an all-weather artificial surface field on the Fort Scott Community College football practice field. Sign-up begins at 5:30 p.m. with play to begin at 6. The field will be limited to the first 65 players to sign up. Players must be 21 years of age or older. A suggested donation is $20...

Paige Colburn, an Overland Park sophomore, has signed to play softball next year with coach Lauren Sigwing at Eastern New Mexico University. Colburn is batting .405, with a team-high 8 home runs and 23 RBIs. "Paige will be able to produce and fit right into Coach Sigwing's program," FSCC head coach Malinda Berglund said...

American Family Insurance of Fort Scott is sponsoring a Youth Clinic to be held Wednesday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Lions Field. Coaches and players from the Fort Scott Community College Baseball team will be instructors at the camp. Fundamentals of hitting, throwing, infield, outfield, and baserunning will all be covered during the camp...

Fort Scott Community College's baseball team swept Allen County in the completion of a previously-suspended doubleheader at Iola Wednesday and finds itself in position to finish as high as fifth in the Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division. Wednesday's scores were 10-4 in the completion of the first game and 8-6 in the second. ...

KDHE urges Kansans to protect selves from sun's harmful rays

Beginning in the fall of 2010, Pittsburg State University's Gorilla Bookstore by Barnes & Noble will give students a new money-saving option by offering a new textbook rental program. This textbook rental program will allow students to rent many textbooks for less than 50 percent of the cost of purchasing a new printed textbook, according to Barnes and Noble. As an added convenience, students will be able to rent books either in the store or from the store's website, www.pittstate. bkstore.com...

Preliminary draft indicates not all members in agreement

Caryn Tyson has announced her campaign for Kansas State Representative District 4. The 47-year-old systems analyst and computer programmer grew up in Kansas and currently lives just south of Parker. She, along with her husband Tim, own and operate Tyson Ranch...