City hall closed for walking event; IHCC receives grant; more

City hall closing for walking event

Fairfield City Hall will be closed from noon to 1 p.m. Friday so city employees may participate in the Start Somewhere Walk.

Start Somewhere Walks are planned in communities throughout the state to kick off Gov. Terry Branstad?s initiative to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation within five years.

According to Ginny Hughes, who is helping to organize events in Fairfield, walks are planned at Howard Park, Jefferson County Health Center, Jefferson County Park, Maharishi University of Management, plus Hawthorne Direct and Cambridge Investment Research Inc. are considering having walks at their locations, too.

Schools in the Fairfield and Pekin districts are planning to participate.

More information about the walk can be found online at www.StartSomewhereWalk.com.

Indian Hills receives TRIO grant funds

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded $47,676,723 million in TRIO Educational Opportunity Centers program grants to 128 grantees in 44 states, as well as Puerto Rico ? including Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa ? to provide counseling and information on college admissions to qualified individuals who want to enter, or continue a program of postsecondary education.

Indian Hills received $230,000 for 1,000 participants.

The goal of the EOC program is to increase the number of participants who enroll in postsecondary education institutions. The program also provides services to improve financial and economic literacy, as well as assist participants in pursuing financial aid options.

?A college degree or postsecondary certificate has never been more necessary for success in the global economy, and TRIO programs will help increase the number of people who pursue postsecondary education, by helping them learn about the admissions process and how to find financial aid,? Secretary Arne Duncan said. ?TRIO and other programs are making an essential contribution to meeting the President?s goal of having the highest percentage of college graduates by the end of the decade.?

In addition, the president?s fiscal year 2012 budget request includes $920.1 million for the Federal TRIO Programs, which includes funds to award continuation grants to EOC projects that were successful under the competition.

More information is available at www2.ed.gov/programs/trioeoc/index.html.

Iowa reports first illness from tainted melon

DES MOINES (AP) ? State health officials say a northwest Iowa woman is the state?s first reported case of someone becoming ill after eating a cantaloupe tainted with listeria.

The Iowa Department of Public Health says in a news release Wednesday the woman was pregnant at the time she became ill and suffered a miscarriage. State health officials say the woman has recovered.

The woman had eaten a cantaloupe purchased at an Iowa store.

It?s the state?s first case linked to the multi-state outbreak of listeria linked to a Colorado farm.

Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, the state?s medical director, says while all affected cantaloupe should be off store shelves, more illnesses may be reported because it can take two months for symptoms to develop.Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea.