Submitted by

Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor

United States - This isn't a local story, but hopefully you will be inspired by this amazing 17 year old girl who loves to run!  Cross-country running hardly gets the recognition that it deserves. It's a difficult sport, just ask any Bearcat Cross Country Team member here in Dexter. The story of this young athlete is truly remarkable.

Sami Stoner, a legally blind girl from Lexington, Ohio, has inspired thousands across the country with her story of positivity, dedication and overcoming personal obstacles.

The 17-year-old athlete has never let her inability to see keep her from her dreams of running cross-country.

As an eighth grader, Stoner was diagnosed with Stargardt Disease, a form of juvenile macular degeneration that quickly took away her central vision, sparing only some peripheral sight. Although the condition prevents her from driving, it hasn't kept her from running, a sport she took up before her vision deteriorated.

During her first two years at Lexington High, Stoner ran alongside a friend, Hannah Ticoras, who sacrificed her own times to escort Stoner safely from start to finish. But after Ticoras graduated in 2011, Stoner faced a dilemma.

Enter Chloe, an energetic golden retriever Stoner met last summer through Pilot Dogs Inc., a Columbus nonprofit that matches visually impaired individuals with guide dogs. The pair began running short stretches together during their month-long orientation in Columbus, eventually working up to the five-kilometer distance of Stoner's cross-country races.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association at first denied Stoner's request to compete in sanctioned races with Chloe, but the governing body ultimately relented, clearing the duo to debut at a Galion, Ohio, meet last September. Under safety measures agreed upon with the OHSAA, Stoner and Chloe start 20 to 30 seconds after other competitors and must finish outside narrow finish-line chutes, Harris said.

Although Stoner is ineligible to score -- only the fastest seven varsity times count at most meets, she said -- she finished in less than 30 minutes for the first time last fall. She credits trust in Chloe for bolstering her confidence and shaving seconds off her times. "She's always focused on what's ahead of us," Stoner said.

Approaching life with uncommon verve despite her disability, those close to her say, Stoner strives to be a positive role model for other visually impaired people, including a young girl she began mentoring recently.

But she's not stopping there. Now, Stoner has her sights set on the future. She hopes to compete at the collegiate level next year at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, her school of choice.

Stoner, who began losing her vision in eighth grade, has been overwhelmed by the support she's received in her community and beyond.

"I can't even wrap my head around how much support we have," she told USA Today. "It's been so incredible. We're lucky to have it."

And of course, she couldn't have done it without her dog, Chloe. The Golden Retriever runs with Sami for miles, often through the woods. Chloe is now considered another member of the cross-country team.

Sami's father, Keith, is hopeful about his daughter's career as a runner, saying, "I don't see a lot of limitations in her future."

Sami herself is no less optimistic about her future as a runner, and her attitude has been relentlessly positive.

"If you love something enough, you'll find a way to do it," she told ABC News, "Even if you have struggles."

Pretty impressive and we should all remember that nothing is impossible if we just set our sights on a goal and GO FOR IT!  Every person who reads this should be inspired by her positive attitude!

Dexter High School has a Cross Country Team and will be hosting a Meet this Saturday, October 26th at 10:00 a.m.  Please come out and support the Bearcats as they run and enjoy a sport they truly enjoy and love!  Go Bearcats!!!

Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Writer

Jefferson City, Missouri - October is Fire Prevention Month and according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a home structure fire was reported every 87 seconds in 2009.

Is your family prepared for a fire emergency? October is National Fire Prevention Month and it serves as an excellent time to examine your preparedness. Do you have a home fire escape plan? Have you changed smoke-alarm batteries within the last year? Do you know the main reasons for fires starting in the home? Get more information on Fire Prevention Month and Week at the NFPA’s website.

With Fire Prevention Week 2013 last week, State Fire Marshal Randy Cole is urging Missourians to learn about and take simple steps to prevent kitchen fires. More fires occur in the kitchen than in any other room of the house. Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and of home fire-related injuries.

“Kitchen fires, especially those involving grease, can spread quickly and be very difficult to put out,” State Fire Marshal Cole said. “There are other fire risks in the kitchen, too, including toasters, toaster ovens and overloaded outlets and extension cords. That is why it is essential to know how fires can start in the kitchen, understand the ways they can be prevented and have an action plan for what to do if a fire starts.”

Among the safety tips that firefighters and safety advocates will be emphasizing are:

•  Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, broiling, or boiling food.

•   If you must leave the room, even for a short period of time, turn off the stove.

•   When you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, stay in the home, and use a timer to remind you.

•   If you have young children, use the stove’s back burners whenever possible. Keep children and pets at least three feet away from the stove.

•    When you cook, wear clothing with tight-fitting sleeves.

•    Keep potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper and plastic bags, towels, and anything else that can burn, away from the stovetop.

•   Clean up food and grease from burners and stovetops.

•    Keep a fire extinguisher near the kitchen exit. Make sure you know how to operate the extinguisher. Fire extinguishers are never a substitute for calling the fire department, even if a fire is small.

Fire Marshal Cole suggests creating a family fire safety plan that includes learning about kitchen fire hazards and how to avoid them, as well as developing a home fire escape plan. Families should regularly practice these plans and explain them to children, revising the plan as the children grow up.

Cole adds that having a working smoke detector is essential to ensuring your family is alerted in case of a fire and suggests replacing smoke detector batteries at least once a year to help ensure they will work when needed.

The end of Daylight Saving Time, 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013, when clocks are adjusted to “fall back” an hour, can serve as an easy reminder.  

Fire Prevention Week is recognized annually by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and fire departments and safety agencies across the country. According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and related injuries. In 2011, there were 370,000 home structure fires resulting in 2,520 civilian deaths across the nation. 

For more than 85 years, fire departments have observed Fire Prevention Week, making it the longest running public health and safety observance on record. For more information on “Prevent Kitchen Fires,” visit www.firepreventionweek.org.

Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor

United States - Each year on October 16, employees across the United States show appreciation and thankfulness to their boss’s for being kind and fair throughout the year by celebrating National Boss’s Day.  (If the 16th of October falls on a weekend, then this day is celebrated on the closest working day.)

National Boss’s Day, also known as National Boss Day or Bosses Day is a secular holiday that began in 1958.  Patricia Bays Haroski was working as a secretary for State Farm Insurance Company in Deerfield, Illinois when she registered “National Boss’ Day” with the United States Chamber of Commerce.    October 16 was chosen as it was her father’s birthday.   Patricia was working for her father at that time, therefore making her father, her boss.

It was four years later, in 1962, that Illinois Governor, Otto Kerner, backed Haroski’s registration and officially proclaimed Boss’ day.

In 1979, Hallmark Cards introduced Boss’ Day cards to their inventory.

Happy Boss’s Day to all of the bosses out there !

Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Writer

United States - If you are a grouch or if you know someone who is a grouch then today is your special day, it is National Grouch Day, a day that is celebrated annually on October 15.  

According to Sesame Street Magazine, National Grouch Day was created for all grouches to celebrate their way of life.

As per Merriam-Webster dictionary, a grouch is described as a person who complains frequently or constantly or a habitually irritable or complaining person.

It seems that a grouch may be happy (although they would never admit it) only when others are unhappy and grouchy also.  It is then that they feel most comfortable by having others share in their world with them.

National Grouch Day would be a good time to send a “grouch” e-card to someone you know and then ask a friend, whether they be a grouch or not, to come on over, sit back, share some popcorn, relax and watch the movie, “Grumpy Old Men” !

Today, if you are not normally a grouch, it is okay to be a little bit grouchy as you have an excuse.  If you are a grouch; Happy National Grouch Day and…… We hope your future days are much brighter!

NATIONAL GROUCH DAY HISTORY  The creator of this day was the Sesame Street Magazine, in honor of the famous Sesame Street grump – Oscar the Grouch.