Here are a selection of brief news items from this week's paper edition, and possibly a few news briefs that didn't make it in the paper.

Blood drive update, schedule

A total of 51 unites of blood were collected Monday at West Salem Presbyterian Church during the Red Cross blood drive.

The final tally showed that 51 units were collected; 48 donors came, five doubled up and there was only one deferral, said blood drive coordinator Connie Blunck.

Receiving pins were: Myron Hicks, 4 gallons; Rollie Huebsch, 2 gallons; and Shirley Schwarze, 1 gallon.

Westview Inn furnished chicken noodle soup and sandwiches. Other donations came from Linda’s Bakery and Hansen’s IGA, and Joyce Ebert. The next Red Cross drive in West Salem is planned for Tuesday, Nov. 25, at the West Salem Presbyterian Church.

There are two blood drives coming up in Melrose and Bangor. Monday, Oct. 13, from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. is a blood drive at Melrose-Mindoro High School. For appointment call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.

The Bangor blood drive is Wednesday, Oct. 15 from 1:30 to 6 p.m. at Bangor High School. Call 486-5240 for an appointment.

Buddy Walk Saturday at Riverside Park

The sixth annual La Crosse Buddy Walk, presented by Children of the Heart, will be Saturday, Oct. 4 at Riverside Park.

The event is held to increase awareness as well as raise money for those affected by Down syndrome within the La Crosse area community. Children of the Heart, the local nonprofit organization which helps those with Down syndrome, will host the one-mile walk. Registration begins at 10 a.m. and the walk will start at 11.

More information on the Buddy Walk or Children of the Heart is at www.dscoth.org.

Duck identification brochure released

“Waterfowlers Know Your Ducks” is the title of a new brochure printed by the La Crosse County Conservation Alliance in partnership with other local conservation organizations and La Crosse Graphics.

The brochure shows the distinguishing characteristics of canvasback and scaup. The reason is because there is no canvasback hunting season this year and the scaup bag limit has been reduced.

The Alliance also converted a VHS video “King of Ducks,” a 16-minute duck identification video, to DVD format.

Both the DVD and brochure are available online at www.Briceprairieconservation.org

Also available at the website is an online version of “Ducks at a Distance,” a waterfowl identification field guide by Bob Hines USFWS.

Paper copies of the brochure also are available.

Fort McCoy gun permits available

Fort McCoy is making available a seven-day permit for the 2008 Gun-Deer Season. The permit will be valid from Monday, Nov. 24 n Sunday, Nov. 30.

This new permit option will allow additional hunting opportunities, as well as help manage the installation deer population. This permit is not valid during the opening weekend of the nine-day season, Saturday, Nov. 22 n Sunday, Nov. 23. Permits valid for the entire nine-day season, which runs from Nov. 22-30, already have been issued.

The application deadline is Friday, Oct. 24. Applications can be mailed or hand carried to the Permit Sales Office, building 2168 South 8th Ave. at Fort McCoy. Applications can be downloaded from the Fort McCoy Public Web site www.mccoy.army.mil, requested by email at mcco.dpw.permitsales@conus.army.mil, or picked up at the Permit Sales Office.

Contact the Permit Sales Office at (608) 388-3337 or the Wildlife Program at (608) 388-5374 for further information.

Crafters sought for Lakeview bazaar

Crafters are needed for a holiday craft show and bazaar planned for Nov. 15 at Lakeview Health Center in West Salem.

The show will be open to the public with free admission. Booths are still available at $10 each.

The Lakeview Auxiliary also will be having a bake and lunch sale. For more information, call Rebecca at 786-1400, ext. 133.

Halloween costume swap back again

Family Resources in La Crosse is planning its second annual Halloween costume swap.

People who bring a clean, gently used child’s costume with all props and accessories packaged, to Family Resources the week of Oct. 6 will get a voucher to choose another costume on the day of the swap, Oct. 11.

Advance registration is required and can be arranged by calling Fran Swift at 784-8125, ext. 229.

Dinner, golf event to aid Lung Association

The American Lung Association of Wisconsin’s fifth annual La Crosse Partners golf tournament dinner and silent auction will be held Monday, Oct. 6, at Fox Hollow Golf Course and Banquet Hall in Barre Mills. The affair will begin with a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start. There will be a silent auction at 5 p.m., with dinner and an awards ceremony to follow at 6 p.m.

Entry fee is $80 per person, including 18 holes with a cart, dinner, silent auction, door prizes and participation awards. Any golfer who gets a hole-in-one on No. 10 wins a 2008 Honda. A hole-in-one on No. 8 will be rewarded with $10,000.

For more information, call Todd Mahr at 775-2161.

Winona museum to present program by naturalist Stokes

WINONA, Minn. — David Stokes, an interpretative educator who’s been creating exciting learning programs since 1974, will give a free program from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum.

Through the use of live animals, artifacts, songs, stories and hands-on materials, Stokes will explore the wild side of life in the Upper Mississippi River Valley. For more information, call (507) 474-6626 or visit www.minnesotamarineart.org.

Senior advocate volunteers needed

The Wisconsin Board on Aging is seeking volunteers to train as advocates for older adults living in La Crosse County nursing homes. For more information, call Karen Price at 789-6366.

Retired teachers group to meet Oct. 6

The La Crosse Area Retired Educators will meet for breakfast at 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 6, at River Jack’s Restaurant in La crosse. Everyone who has retired from Wisconsin public schools is invited.

Breakfast will be followed by a short meetng and a program about reverse mortgages. Cost is $8. Call Karen Broadhead at 788-2485 for reservations.

Women’s Expo 2008 planned for Oct. 18

Gundersen Lutheran’s Women’s Expo 2008 will be held Saturday, Oct. 18, at the La Crosse Center.

One of the highlights of this year’s expo is a keynote speaker, Carol Grace Anderson, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m..

The exhibit hall at the La Crosse Center’s South Hall opens at 10 a.m. Area businesses and organizations will offer information on products and services. Admission to the Women’s Expo is free.

For more information, visit gundluth.org/WomensExpo or call 775-6861.

Emergency response team training planned

A free Community Emergency Response Team training course for community members to gain information and skills on how to respond in a large-scale emergency will be held at the La Crosse County Health & Human Services Building in downtown La Crosse.

The 20-hour course will meet over three sessions and include hands-on training in scene assessment, fire safety, emergency medical response and light search and rescue. The class also will provide information on local threats and hazards, county emergency management and incident command, and terrorism.

Course meeting dates are 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, and 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays Oct. 25 and Nov. 1. Attendance at all classes is required for completion certificate.

After a major disaster, first responders might not be able to immediately reach all of the community members requiring their services. The CERT program helps train people to be better prepared to respond to emergencies in their communities.

People who complete CERT training have a better understanding of the potential threats to their home, workplace and community, and can take the right steps to lesson the effects of these hazards on themselves, their homes or workplace.

For more information, or to register for this CERT course, call 789-4811 or log onto www.publichealthprepare.org for a registration form.