Girl Scout troops schedule booth cookie sales

Girl Scout troops in the Goldenrod Council will be operating cookie booths at several locations in Grand Island throughout the next two weeks.

The revenue from cookie activities stays with the local Girl Scout council, including a portion that goes directly to the troop selling cookies. Councils use their cookie revenue to supply services to troops, groups and individual girls.

Booth sales will take place on the following days:

Saturday, March 8 From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bosselman Travel Center, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Sam's Club and from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Bosselman Travel Center.

Sunday, March 9 From 1 to 8 p.m. at the Bosselman Travel Center and from 2 to 4 p.m. at the south Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Tuesday, March 11 From 4:45 to 6 p.m. at the Bosselman Travel Center and from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Bosselman Travel Center.

Saturday, March 15 From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bosselman Travel Center.

Heartland Lutheran plans early registration day

Heartland Lutheran High School will be holding early registration for the 2008-2009 school year from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday.

Students registering on Tuesday will be given a 50 percent discount on their registration fee. Students will be able to sign up for classes for the fall and tuition assistance information will be available that day.

Heartland Lutheran serves students in grades nine to 12 from Grand Island and surrounding communities and is located at 3900 W. Husker Highway.

St. Francis plans volunteer orientation

St. Francis Medical Center will host an orientation session Tuesday for adults interested in volunteering at the hospital.

Volunteers are especially needed for the gift shop, refreshment cart deliveries and the information desk.

The session will meet from 9 a.m. to noon in Room SFMC-1.

For more information, call Christy Sullivan, volunteer coordinator, at 389-5564.

Nebraska Lied Main Street sets 2008 application workshop date

Nebraska communities interested in becoming designated members of the Nebraska Lied Main Street Program are invited to attend an application workshop from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce offices.

The workshop is free and is open to any Nebraska community regardless of size or location, including urban business districts in Lincoln and Omaha. The workshop in mandatory for communities that intend to submit an application to become a designated Main Street community in 2008.

For further information and to register for the workshop, please contact the Nebraska Lied Main Street Program at (402) 323-7337.

Local school raises money for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Howard Elementary School students and their parents recently raised almost $881 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Nebraska through a coin drive. The school's goal was to collect $500 in two weeks.

"The students were thrilled with our ending number, Principal Kris Burling said.

Howard Elementary School was one of 300 Nebraska schools that participated in the fund drive.

* HASTINGS

Hastings Family YMCA receives grant for family strengthening program

The Hastings Family YMCA has been awarded a $7,000 grant from Kimberly-Clark to support a YMCA Adventure Guides program for the Hastings community.

YMCA Adventure Guides in a parent-child program specifically developed to help parent-child pairs build strong, lasting relationships by spending quality time together doing enjoyable activities that promote communication. The program is designed for fathers or mothers (or other significant adults) and their children ages five to nine.

The Hastings Family YMCA is one of only 12 YMCAs nationwide to receive this grant.

Hastings Catholic Schools awarded grant

Hastings Catholic Schools were awarded $7,379 as part of a record distribution of grants to Catholic schools and organizations by the Catholic Diocese Foundation of Lincoln.

The distribution put total giving at $4.1 million dollars since the foundation began in 2000. Later this spring, the Catholic Foundation will award $33,332 in grants from its 2008 Grant Program for Religious Education.

Hastings College receives grant

Hastings College was awarded a one-year, $30,000 grant from the Chicago based James S. Kemper Foundation. The funds will be used to establish the Kemper Program in Social Entrepreneaurship and enhance the college's Center for Servant Leadership.

The Kemper Program in Social Entrepreneaurship will include "Envision Grants" to enable faculty and students to plan and carry out new service learning projects and will provide funds for a leadership development training program.

* ORD

Chipper to be awarded for cleanup project

The Loup Basin Resource Conservation and Development Council will give away a Troy-Bilt chipper/shredder/vacuum to a group as an award for its Great American Cleanup events.

The award is open to any community, church, school or other group in Blaine, Custer, Garfield, Greeley, Howard, Loup, Sherman, Valley or Wheeler counties.

To be eligible, groups must complete a cleanup, beautification or improvement project by May 31.

For more information, forms and supplies, call the Loup Basin RC&D office at (308) 728-3393.

* ST. PAUL

Howard County sheriff gets grant

The Howard County Sheriff's Department has been awarded a $1,000 grant from Region 3 Behavioral Health Services.

The grant will be used for the department's school program, DAVEY (Drugs, Alcohol, Violence Education for Youth), which runs this school year through April 1.

The grant is intended to go toward alcohol, tobacco or other drug prevention efforts. The funds will be put toward end-of-the-year school programs.