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McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Police Officer Anna Occhipinto had just arrived at a medical call at a home early Monday when a woman handed her a bloody towel. "My daughter had a miscarriage," the woman said. "Here's the baby." Weighing less than 3 pounds and encased in a thin membrane, the baby appeared to have been stillborn. Then the towel moved. A tiny foot pushed against Occhipinto's hand. Her eyes widened. "We need to remove that sac so the baby can breathe!" exclaimed her partner, Officer Steven Downing, who summoned firefighters just arriving at the house in Kansas City. Downing fumbled for his knife. "No," a firefighter said. "I've got something sterile." The firefighter retrieved a small pair of scissors and carefully cut the sac from around the baby's face. Fluid and blood oozed from the baby's nose as he struggled for air. They rushed the baby outside to an arriving ambulance. As they put the baby on the gurney, Downing asked the rescue workers to quickly suction...
The Orlando Sentinel (MCT) ORLANDO, Fla. — Tracey Scurrah of Apopka, Fla., wants to feed her 4-year-old son Nicholas healthy meals. But with her busy schedule, she occasionally gives in to the convenience of prepackaged Lunchables. "Sometimes it's easier just to throw it in the lunchbox," said Scurrah, 36, of Apopka. "I feel guilty. I'm totally aware they're not healthy. I'd prefer to make fresh lunches for him." Now, time-stressed moms such as Scurrah are getting other options. Starting July 29, Lakeland, Fla-based Publix will begin selling healthy, ready-to-eat kids' lunches at its delis, joining other supermarkets and stores already offering or planning to sell similar meals. Not sitting idly by as competitors move in, Lunchables has introduced a new line with less fat, salt and calories. Lunchables also ditched its Maxed Out products, two of which topped a list last year of the unhealthiest packaged children's lunches. Kids' nutrition has risen to the forefront in America because many...
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT) An expectant mother can now purchase a belly mold kit, make a casting of her tummy during pregnancy, and turn it into wall art for a special keepsake. Personally, if I wanted a reminder of what I looked like during pregnancy I'd hang a picture of a giant pear on the wall. "There it is kids. This is what your momma did for you." "Became a giant fruit?" "Exactly." Of course, the belly mold kit is nice for those with an arts and crafts bent. The belly mold kits states that your mold will one day become a treasured family heirloom. I have tried to picture our three kids sitting around the kitchen table arguing over a belly mold from my third trimester of pregnancy. The winners would be the ones who left the table empty handed. Most mothers already have heirloom keepsakes to remind them of their pregnant bellies. They're called stretch marks. The instructions in the belly mold kit say that the first step in the process is to have the expectant mother empty her... 
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (AP) — Kellogg Co. is voluntarily recalling about 28 million boxes of Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, Froot Loops and Honey Smacks cereals because an unusual smell and flavor from the packages' liners could make people ill, the company said Friday. Kellogg said about 20 people complained about the cereals, including five who reported nausea and vomiting. The company said the potential for serious health problems is low. Consumers reported the cereal smelled or tasted waxy or like metal or soap. Company spokeswoman J. Adaire Putnam said some described it as tasting stale. Kellogg is trying to identify the substance on the liners that's causing the problem and is offering consumers refunds in the meantime. The products were distributed throughout the U.S. and began arriving in stores in late March. Only products with the letters "KN" following the use-by date are included in the recall. Products in Canada are not affected. Kellogg's shares were almost unchanged Friday afternoon, trading at $52.69, 17 cents...
By Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune (MCT) Your teen is always multitasking. (Texting and watching TV. On the computer and her cell.) Is this cause for concern? Parent advice: Not at all. Our kids, whether we like it or not, are digital natives — people for whom digital technologies already existed when they were born. It's actually called media-meshing and not multitasking anymore. —Janet Oak Whenever I see my daughter on the floor writing or drawing in front of an episode of "iCarly" or "Hannah Montana," it drives me crazy! Yet it doesn't seem to have any adverse effect on her, so it's most likely harmless. She's probably just taking a page from her mother's playbook, since she sees me loading the dishwasher while talking on the phone or folding laundry while cooking and watching TV. That being said, it's good to encourage children to unplug completely from electronic media. So occasionally I force myself to put down that laundry, hang up the phone and go outside with her or sit together on the sofa and... 
By Kristin Samuelson and Becky Yerak Chicago Tribune (MCT) Expecting children? Expect to cough up some big bucks. The grand total for middle-income parents raising one child from birth to age 17 is $222,360, which doesn't include college tuition, according to the recently released U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2009 Expenditures on Children by Families report. That's 22 percent higher than the 1960 inflation-adjusted cost of $182,857. "Annual child-rearing expense estimates ranged between $11,650 and $13,530 for a child in a two-child, married-couple family in the middle-income group," the report's abstract says. "We currently spend more than that on day care alone," said Carlo Hontiveros, an associate director for SNL Financial in Charlottesville, Va. Eight months ago, he and his wife, a physical therapist, welcomed their first child, Mia. "Mia currently attends what we feel is the best day care facility in the region." Indeed, the report called child care and education expense "the most striking change...
Over 18,000 Idaho children live in households headed by grandparents or other relatives. This arrangement is known as KinCare. KinCare is defined as, children in the care of a relative or other meaningful adult. In 2006, Idaho had nearly 10,000 households in which grandparents were raising their grandchildren, an increase of 20.7% since 2000. This compares to an increase of 1.2% for the nation over the same time period. The two most common reasons for relatives to assume care giving responsibilities are substance abuse and incarceration. Other reasons for biological parents’ inability to care for their children include, but are not limited to: ü Teen pregnancy ü Physical or mental illness ü Abuse or neglect ü Death ü Deployment Idaho KinCare providers need support and assistance from their communities. Many live on fixed incomes and struggle... 
JUSTIN PRITCHARD,Associated Press Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cadmium has been discovered in the painted design on "Shrek"-themed drinking glasses being sold nationwide at McDonald's, forcing the burger giant to recall 12 million of the cheap U.S.-made collectibles while dramatically expanding contamination concerns about the toxic metal beyond imported children's jewelry. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which announced the voluntary recall early Friday, warned consumers to immediately stop using the glasses; McDonald's said it would post instructions on its website next week regarding refunds. The 16-ounce glasses, being sold for about $2 each as part of a promotional campaign for the movie "Shrek Forever After," were available in four designs depicting the characters Shrek, Princess Fiona, Puss in Boots and Donkey. In the animated comedy, which debuted May 21 as the latest installment of the successful DreamWorks Animation franchise, the voice of Shrek is performed by Mike Myers of "Austin...
Rigby, Idaho, will be the babywearing capital of the world June 9 through 12. The free conference will include afternoon lectures featuring health and family professionals. A representative of the Denver, Colo., Mother's Milk Bank is coming and will be working with our area hospitals to set up a possible milk bank depot for breastfeeding mothers to donate extra breast milk to benefit babies who need it. “The entire international conference was put together by stay-at-home mothers who love babywearing enough to take 18 months of their lives and plan this conference. We want to help parents around the world, and this is how we are doing it,” organizer Kimber Tower said. The conference will be happening during Rigby's Stampede Days, which means there will be a parade and park fair June 12. One hundred babywearers will be walking the parade route.
For more information, contact Tower at 2010ibcidaho@gmail.com.
By John Rosemond McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) More than 40 years of behavior modification propaganda has the typical American parent convinced that the discipline of a child is accomplished by effectively manipulating reward and punishment. Consequences do indeed have their place, but whereas dogs and other lower life forms respond reliably to reward and punishment, humans do not. As many parents will affirm, rewards given for good behavior may result in an increase in bad behavior. Likewise, punishment may do nothing but steel a child's resolve to prove that no one can tell him what to do. Discipline is the process by which one transforms the terrible toddler into a prosocial human being who will look up to his parents (and other adults whom they identify as legitimate authority figures), follow their lead, and subscribe to their values. In other words, the child will respect, obey, and be loyal. That is not accomplished by manipulating reward and punishment. It is accomplished by providing two essential... 
By Shanna McCord Santa Cruz Sentinel (MCT) SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — Like any American teen, Hannah Golden pays close attention to what she wears. It's not so much the labels that matter, rather the Harbor High School sophomore is more interested in where the clothes were made and how the workers were treated. Golden, 15, started caring about the back story of her wardrobe after watching a documentary in her advanced European history class soon after January's devastating earthquake in Haiti. The film "Mickey Mouse Goes to Haiti," created by the National Labor Committee to highlight exploitation of low-paid factory workers, showed "Lion King" T-shirts and other Hanes apparel being manufactured by Haitians under conditions she described as "intense stuff." What Golden saw in the documentary motivated her to start a Fair Trade Club at Harbor High and begin a movement to convert to fair trade all of the apparel — T-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts and socks — sold in the Santa Cruz City Schools District. "If I'm spending $11 on... 
By Denisa R. Superville The Record (Hackensack N.J.) (MCT) HACKENSACK, N.J. — Josh Walker has access to a laptop 24-7 as part of the Pascack Valley Regional High School district's one-to-one laptop program. "The pluses are that you get to have all your notes in one place — on your computer — where you can access them," the 16-year-old said. "You can Google basically anything — and that's also one of the disadvantages. It could distract you from doing your homework." For the generation born after 1980 — the so-called Millennial Generation — being wired and connected is second nature. A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation released in January found that daily media use among young people had risen to seven hours, 38 minutes a day. According to the researchers, that number is more like 10 hours and 45 minutes when the time spent multi-tasking — using more than one medium at the same time, such as texting while listening to an iPod — is included. "That's more than a full-time job — and that's seven days... 
Why or why not?
Knowledge is power – and we’re sharing it for free. 78,000 new cases of gynecologic cancer are diagnosed in the US each year, and nearly 28,000 women die annually of ovarian, cervical, uterine and other forms of reproductive cancer. Dr. Karen Zempolich is a Gynecologic Cancer Specialist with EIRMC and will speak about the symptoms, risk factors, and treatment options for women. The event is free, and we’ll be serving what every woman loves: dessert. Event: Free Gynecological Cancer Seminar with Dr. Karen Zempolich Date: Thursday, May 20 Time: 7 – 9 p.m. Location: EIRMC Cancer Center, 3245 Channing Way in Idaho Falls Pre-registration is recommended. Call 227-2778. 
Policy Effective May 29, 2010 The City of Pocatello’s Parks & Recreation Department has implemented a policy change effective May 29, 2010 that will affect both public swimming pools – the Ross Park Aquatic Complex and the Community Recreation Center. The department’s policy will now require plastic waterproof pants AND swim diapers for toddlers three years of age and under or for those children who are not yet toilet trained. The change in policy is an effort to reduce pool closures resulting from contaminants. Both City facilities will sell plastic waterproof pants at cost for individuals who are unaware of the policy or who may have forgotten to bring a pair for their child. The estimated price from the City is around $2.00. The plastic pants can be washed and reused. For more information about the policy change or about the City’s public swimming pools, please contact the Parks & Recreation Department at 232-3901. 
Was it the only option? Will the education of local children suffer because of the cuts? 
JUSTIN PRITCHARD,Associated Press Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Federal regulators announced another recall of children's jewelry with high levels of the toxic metal cadmium Monday, also saying they've expanded their investigation in an effort to keep dangerous items off store shelves in the first place. A spokesman for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission told The Associated Press its inspectors at 10 of the nation's largest ports are now screening children's jewelry — typically imported from China — for cadmium. "Our surveillance and detection program has now been expanded" through the use of special guns that shoot X-rays into jewelry to estimate how much cadmium each item might contain, spokesman Scott Wolfson said. Word of increased scrutiny came as the agency announced the voluntary recall of about 19,000 "Best Friends" charm bracelet sets made in China and sold exclusively at the jewelry and accessories store Claire's, which has more than 3,000 stores in North America and Europe. Agency scientists confirmed... 
NATASHA T. METZLER,Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Government safety officials are looking into a handful of reports of severe rashes caused by new types of Pampers diapers. The Consumer Product Safety Commission started an investigation this week following complaints of babies and toddlers suffering severe and persistent diaper rashes and blisters that resemble chemical burns. In March, Procter & Gamble launched new versions of its Swaddlers and Cruisers diapers in the U.S. The thinner diapers use the company's Dry Max technology to replace the paper pulp previously used. Parents' groups blame the change for skin problems. The company responded in a statement that these claims are "completely false," and that it has received less than two complaints about diaper rash for every one million Pampers diapers sold. "There is no evidence from the people that have called us — or from the research that we have done — that a single baby has experienced a skin safety issue as a result of our Pampers with...
Pocatello – This is a sad, sad day for our District. Today we notified staff members whose jobs were impacted by a reorganization and reduction in force to reduce the budget by $900,000. Impacts ranged from elimination of positions to reductions in hours worked. The District reduced and reorganized, first, through natural attrition. Some positions vacated because of retirements or resignations will not be filled and remaining staff will take on additional work. A total of 45 positions have been affected by the reduction. Twenty two positions were eliminated, either through attrition or lay-offs, and another 23 positions were affected by reduced work hours. Sixteen of our fellow workers were told their jobs would end later this month. These reductions will impact everyone. It is devastating to those who will lose their jobs, it will hurt those who will lose earnings because of reduced hours or days, it will place a heavier burden on those who must absorb additional work and it will reduce the level of service to everyone.... 
STEPHEN OHLEMACHER,Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Mom and Dad may be looking to popular vampire books and the first family for baby names: Cullen is on the rise for boys and Malia for girls. But Miley and Jonas are down, proving that acclaim can be fleeting. Isabella is now the top baby name for girls, Jacob for boys, the Social Security Administration said Friday. Isabella's climb to the top in 2009 ends Emma's one-year reign. Jacob is on an 11-year run at the top. "Anything can influence baby names, from pop culture to literature to music and celebrities," said Jennifer Moss, author of "The One-in-a-Million Baby Name Book" and founder of Babynames.com. Barack still didn't crack the top 1,000 for boys, but a version of the president's daughter's name, Malia, was the fastest riser for girls. Maliyah moved up 342 spots, to No. 296, while Malia, which is how Obama's daughter spells it, came in at No. 192, rising 153 spots. Many of the top names — and the fastest risers — match the popular "Twilight"...
Pocatello’s Marshall Public Library, 113 South Garfield Avenue, launched its new website at www.marshallpl.org. The dramatically redesigned site, created by the Library’s Technology Committee, offers visitors an updated graphics theme carried throughout the site with a clean look and an uncluttered design. The site was built using the latest technology and software, and employs greatly improved navigation which will allow users to easily: Renew a book Check Library events See what books local Librarians have recommended Find out how to get a Library card Access databases to read magazine articles or fix a car Read the latest Library newsletter And many more options. “We are thrilled to introduce this modern new site to the community,” says Sheri Waite, Library Technology Committee Chair. “We hope the public will explore the site to discover all the information that’s available there.” Thousands of users connect to the Library’s website each month. Comments about the website and...
I am a mom of 2 beautiful girls. I have a problem though and I am just wondering how many other parents have the same problem. I send my girls to school everyday thinking they will be safe. But what happens when they are sexually assulted at school by an upper classmate? Your child has little or no way to defend themselves without getting into trouble with the school! This has happened in our family. The assultor admitted that he had done it but he recieved a small slap on the hand both from the school district and the law. He has assulted girls before however they are to scared to report it. Now my daughter must attend school seeing her attacker everyday. This has outraged us as parents. How can this happen? What are we as parents to do to keep our kids safe?
From one parent to another, talk to your kids before this happens to them! 
By Carol Reiter, McClatchy Newspapers, (MCT) MERCED, Calif. — Mango sat on the examining table at Dr. Christine McFadden's veterinary clinic and just purred away. The little calico cat was friendly to everyone — and that's amazing, considering what she went through last week. Last week, on Tuesday, someone set Mango on fire. Someone took lighter fluid, poured it on the cat, then set the cat on fire. That day, Karen Kiil's daughter and grandson were moving into Kiil's home when Mango, the daughter's cat, escaped through an open door. Mango was an inside cat, a cat that loved everyone. But someone didn't love Mango. When the cat got out, that unknown someone poured lighter fluid over the cat and set her alight. "There were three little boys playing across the street when Mango went racing into the street, screaming in pain, with flames all over her," said Kiil. "The boys caught her and put out the flames. Thank goodness for those little boys." Kiil's daughter immediately called her mother, and Mango was... 
By Sam McDonald Daily Press (Newport News, Va.), (MCT) NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — For ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson, parenthood really did change everything. "When you last heard from me, I was still a bachelor," said Iverson, who leads Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's traveling circus. "It was really all about me. How can I advance myself? How can I promote myself? "What can I do for me? Me, me, me, me, me, me, me." That narcissistic parade soon came to a halt. Not long after March 2001 — the last time Iverson talked to the Daily Press — he met the woman who would become his wife and the mother of his children. Nine years and two kids later, Iverson said he feels like a different person. "A funny thing happens when you endeavor into husband-hood and fatherhood," he said. "There are more things that matter. Those things that matter, obviously, make you want to do for others. That's spilled over into my performing life, my professional life." Last week, Iverson worked his three-ring magic at Hampton Coliseum.... |
