You can meet the Berenstain Bears at Kyova Mall

CANNONSBURG, Ky. — Kids can meet the siblings in the Berenstain Bear family at Boyd County Public Library on Saturday, Nov. 17.

Brother and Sister Bear will have a special story time with their young friends at the Kyova Branch, starting at 2 p.m. The first 50 children will receive a copy of a Berenstain Bears’ Thanksgiving book.

The Berenstain Bears is a series of children’s books created by Stan and Jan Berenstain. It debuted in 1962 and now includes more than 300 titles.

For more information on other library programs or services, visit the online branch, www.thebookplace.org.

 

Horse Day Camp set for Nov. 30

FRANKLIN FURNACE — Ohio University Southern is conducting an Horse Day Camp at the Ohio Horse Park in Franklin Furnace on Nov. 30 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. for children ages 6 to 12.

Children who attend will participate in various equine-related activities such as grooming, riding, and crafts. This is an excellent opportunity for children to learn more about horses in a fun and friendly atmosphere. The cost is $50 per child with all activities included.

To register for the day camp, contact Molly Hutchinson by Nov. 26 at (740) 354-9347.

 

Group seeking info for local deployed servicemen and women

IRONTON — The local chapter of The Marine Corps Family Support Community is again sponsoring OPERATION SANTA, which sends Christmas packages to local service men and women who are currently deployed.

Anyone who knows local servicemen or women, who are deployed, should call (740) 532-5741 or (606) 615-0684 or email the information to mcfsc_tristate@yahoo.com in order to include them in this project.

To make a financial donation to Operation Santa, mail checks to MCFSC Tri-State Chapter, c/o Mary Jo Vermilyea, 1540 Florence Ave., Ironton, Ohio 45638.

 

SSU celebrates Native American Heritage Month

PORTSMOUTH — To honor Native American Indians, Shawnee State University has scheduled a two-day event, the Tri-State Native American Artifacts Exhibit, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 9 and Saturday, Nov. 10 in the James A. Rhodes Athletic Center.

Steven McGinnis and several collectors will exhibit displays of artifacts, primitive weapons’ demonstrations, flint knapping demonstrations and Native American dancers and drummers will perform.

A 16-ft. long canoe dating back to the 1700s that was dug out of a creek in Southern Ohio will be on display.

The exhibit is free of charge and the public is invited. The event is sponsored by Student Activities and Cross Cultural Inclusion. For more information, contact Carla Daniels, coordinator of Student Activities and Cross Cultural Inclusion at (740) 351-3553 or e-mail cdaniels@shawnee.edu.

 

Free healthy heart screening is Nov. 20

ASHLAND, Ky. — King’s Daughters Medical Center is offering a free healthy heart and EKG screening beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20 on the KDMC Mobile Health Unit at Ashland Town Center Mall, 500 Winchester Ave.

A Kentucky Heart Institute specialist will review screening results.

The screening, which includes an EKG, total cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and blood oxygen levels, is sponsored by King’s Daughters in cooperation with the Kentucky Heart Foundation. Appointments are required and may be made by calling 1-888-377-KDMC (5362). Fasting is not required.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., accounting for more than 34 percent of all deaths annually.

Every 38 seconds, an American dies of cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association.

An EKG is a test that checks for problems with the electrical activity of yourheart. It also is used to check the health of the heart, especially when conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes are present.

To be eligible, participants must be at least 50 years of age and not have participated in a KDMC heart/vascular screening in the past 12 months. Additional screening criteria may apply, which allow us to see those at greatest risk for heart disease.

This program is sponsored, in part, by grant funding from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky’s Healthy Futures Initiative and the Social Innovation Fund of the Corporation for National and Community Service.

 

Ohio Social Security offices to close to early

IRONTON — Effective Nov. 19 Ohio Social Security offices will be open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – a reduction of 30 minutes each weekday.

In addition, beginning Jan. 2, 2013, offices will close to the public at noon every Wednesday.

While agency employees will continue to work their regular hours, this shorter public window will allow them to complete face-to-face interviews and process claims work without incurring the cost of overtime.

The significantly reduced funding provided by Congress under the continuing resolution for the first six months of the fiscal year makes it impossible for the agency to provide the overtime needed to handle service to the public as it has done in the past.

In addition, on Nov. 23, the day after Thanksgiving, all Social Security field offices will be closed to the public. Employees working that day will focus on reducing backlogged workloads.

Most Social Security services do not require a visit to a local office. Many services, including applying for retirement, disability or Medicare benefits, signing up for direct deposit, replacing a Medicare card, obtaining a proof of income letter or informing us of a change of address or telephone number are conveniently available at www.socialsecurity.gov or by dialing our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213.

People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778. Many of our online services also are available in Spanish at www.segurosocial.gov.