Joint vacation Bible school; UMW meeting; Blood pressure checks

3 Fairfield churches offering joint vacation Bible school

Three area churches ? First Lutheran, First United Methodist and First Presbyterian ? are offering a free joint vacation Bible school July 18-22.

The theme is ?Deep Sea Discovery: God is With Me Wherever I Go!?

?Deep Sea Discovery? allows children ages 4 through upcoming sixth-graders to dive deeper into learning Bible stories by making crafts, enjoying wonderful music, playing fun games and digging into the science of how things work.

Vacation Bible school will run from 9-11:30 a.m. each day at First United Methodist Church.

For more information or to register, contact the Rev. Jeremy Blauvelt, First Presbyterian youth director, at 472-4315 or tesmlion@yahoo.com or Elly Stremsterfer, First United Methodist youth director, at 472-4303.

UMW meeting Tuesday

LIBERTYVILLE ? The United Methodist Women of Faith United Methodist Church will meet at 1:30 p.m. at the church.

The group will be discussing the scholarship program.

Blood pressure checks set

St. Mary Roman Catholic Church in Fairfield will offer a blood pressure clinic before and after the 9 a.m. Mass Sunday.

According to the American Heart Association, blood pressure checks are one of the key screening tests recommended for optimal cardiovascular health because high blood pressure usually has no symptoms and can?t be detected without being measured.

High blood pressure greatly increases a risk of heart disease and stroke.

If a person?s blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg, he or she should be sure to get it checked at least once every two years, starting at age 20, according to the American Heart Association. If a person?s blood pressure is higher, a doctor might want to check it more often.

High blood pressure can be controlled through lifestyle changes or medication.

After age 65, women have a higher risk of high blood pressure than men, and African-American adults of all ages have a higher-than-average risk, according to the American Heart Association.