School-age children and their parents are invited to sign up for Lake Regional Health System’s Trim Kids program, a practical approach to weight loss and healthy living led by trained health care professionals.

This free, 12-week program will include nutrition, exercise and behavior modification components, such as self-esteem building, emotional pitfalls and stress management. Participants will receive handouts, and incentives will be offered for homework and program completion.

Because parental involvement is necessary for achieving program goals, at least one parent or legal guardian is required to attend each session with their child. Parents also are expected to implement the principles presented, including shopping for and cooking healthier foods, participating in their child’s exercise program and helping their child meet established goals.

An informational meeting is scheduled 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, for registrants and their parents. The program will be held each Thursday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. beginning March 4 and ending May 20. Sessions will be held in Lake Regional Hospital’s third floor conference rooms.

Visit lakeregional.com and click “Classes/Events” to register. Space is limited. Registrations must be received by Thursday, Feb. 18. Call 573-348-8222 for more information.

Lake Regional offers a variety of educational programming topics during the year, such as diabetes, heart disease and childhood obesity. Several health fairs and screenings also are held annually throughout the lake area. For information on upcoming events, visit lakeregional.com.

Their long-anticipated product launch is finally here, and the iPad has been announced starting at $499, available in two months time. The notebook sized half-inch-thick device has a 9.6" screen, and accommodates all iPhone apps right out of the box. They're also bundling iWork with it, and a new all-you-can-eat data plan from AT&T for just $30 monthly. This is the "bridge" device that I think will change the way we use and work with computers casually. How big a change remains to be seen. But, the notebook and e-reader markets will be shaken up by this, to be sure. Look for e-book reader and laptop prices to shift downward-- netbooks may even drop a bit.
$499 for 16GB of iPad. 32GB is $599, 64GB is $799. 3G models cost an extra $130. $629, $729, and $829 with 3G.

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This year promises to be an exciting year for Symphony of the Lake in making great music come to life by the end of 2010.

Immediate Step: Recruit those wonderful musicians, perhaps hiding in places yet to be explored, who have played with an orchestra in the past, have skills they wish to pursue in an environment of music and training, and work under an accomplished conductor. We want to hear from those with a potential interest in playing or have questions about playing.

The Symphony is evaluating a 3-day, weekend-long rehearsal schedule, followed by a concert on the final evening. Musicians will come prepared to deliver great music, and the rehearsals will be about blending with the other instruments into a concert symphony. This would contrast to the more traditional weekly rehearsals and enable musicians from a larger area to travel to the Lake for such a weekend of work and play, enable local school instructors and top musical students to participate, and provide on-going skills enhancement through these 2-3 weekends throughout the year.

The less-frequent schedule of concerts should fit in well with the Lake’s overall performing arts schedules of concerts.

We want to hear your reactions and questions about this alternative.

Our community surveys confirmed that the Lake is very interested in having us produce great Symphony music, having Symphony concerts be gala affairs, incorporating outreach to youth, and continuously upgrading talent skills. This new format addresses all aspects of our “mission/vision/ expectations” much more quickly than would otherwise be possible, and we need your confirmation that we are on the right track.

Please contact Nancee Byington @ 573-365-1605, or info-creative@designvues.com so we can include your wishes and hopes for our new Symphony of the Lake. If you are interested in helping with these efforts, we invite you to join our planning board. Next meeting Thursday, February 18, 5:00-6:30 PM.

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According to new figures released by the Missouri Department of Transportation, 86 percent of the state’s busiest roads are now in good condition.

Road conditions in the Show Me State have been steadily improving since 2004 when only 47 percent of highways were in good condition. That year Missouri voters approved Amendment 3, which redirected some revenue back to roads and bridges.

“People tell me they know when they drive into Missouri because the roads get better. They used to tell me it was because the roads got worse,” MoDOT Director Pete Rahn said.

MoDOT used the additional funding to make 2,200 miles of the state’s most heavily traveled roads smoother and safer, accelerate 55 construction projects that are now complete and tackle 97 new projects that were years down the road.

“We have used the additional money from Amendment 3 to deliver smoother, safer roads on time and within budget,” Rahn said.

Another factor contributing to the improved road conditions is MoDOT’s Better Roads, Brighter Future program. Under this initiative, hundreds of miles of heavily traveled roads are getting smoother surfaces, wider stripes, brighter signs and paved shoulders.

However, Rahn said it will be difficult to keep state highways in good condition as funding for transportation decreases dramatically in the years ahead.

Fish and Wildlife Service Reopens Public Comment Period for the Proposed Rule
To Provide Endangered Species Act Protections for the Shovelnose Sturgeon

Comment Period Extended Until February 4, 2010
Public Hearing Scheduled for January 28 in Cape Girardeau, MO

The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service will reopen on January 13, 2010, the public
comment period for the proposal to treat the shovelnose sturgeon as a threatened
species under the Endangered Species Act (Act) due to its similarity of
appearance to the endangered pallid sturgeon. The Service is also reopening the
comment period regarding the proposed special rule that will prohibit the
harvest of any shovelnose sturgeon or shovelnose–pallid sturgeon hybrids, and
their roe associated with or related to a commercial fishing activity. A public
hearing will be held in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to provide an opportunity for
the public to comment on the proposals.

The public hearing will take place at 6:30 p.m. on January 28, 2010 at Southeast
Missouri State University (3rd floor of the University Center). The public
hearing will be preceded by an informational meeting from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The University is located at One University Plaza, Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
Formal public testimonies will be taken at the hearing as well as written
comments.

Public comments will be accepted until February 4, 2010, and can be submitted
electronically via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at:
http://www.regulations.gov, or can be mailed or hand delivered to Public
Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R6-ES-2009-0027; Division of Policy and
Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive,
Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203.

The Service is proposing to treat the shovelnose sturgeon as a threatened
species under the “Similarity of Appearances” (SOA) provisions of the Endangered
Species Act. The shovelnose sturgeon and the endangered pallid sturgeon are
difficult to differentiate and inhabit overlapping portions of the Missouri and
Mississippi River basins. Protection of the shovelnose sturgeon will help
conserve and protect the endangered pallid sturgeon.

The proposed special rule would apply only to activities that relate to the
harvest of shovelnose sturgeon and shovelnose-pallid sturgeon hybrids for
commercial fishing purposes and is not expected to impact commercial fishing
targeting non-sturgeon species, recreational or other non-commercial fishing
activities. The special rule would not prohibit the legal commercial harvest of
shovelnose sturgeon outside the range where the shovelnose and pallid sturgeons
commonly overlap.

For more information about the proposal and proposed rule, please visit the
Service’s web site at
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/f ... lnose.html and
http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/mis ... urgeon.htm

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to
conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the
continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted
partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence,
stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and
commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people
who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.