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.

Jazz band plans concert in park

The West Salem Adult Jazz Band will perform a free concert Sunday, Aug. 23, in the gazebo at Village Park in West Salem.

The band will perform a wide variety of music, including jazz, pop and show tunes, with the concert starting at 4:30 p.m.

Zetus Deamos to open for Hinder

The members of Zetus Deamos, a hard rock quartet formed in West Salem, thought last weekend’s show at the Joint in La Crosse was the end of a summer full of shows all over the Midwest, including gigs in Minneapolis, Madison and Janesville. But early this week, the band got the news that their summer of rock had been extended slightly with an opening act spot at the La Crosse Center’s South Hall on Sunday, Aug. 23, with Hinder and Papa Roach.

The band includes bassist Jake Barbieur, drummer Zac Barbieur, lead singer/guitarist Erik Williams and lead guitarist/vocalist Mike Ganrude.

The show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $32.50 in advance or $37.50 at the door. Call 1-800-745-3000 for advance tickets.

After Sunday’s show, Zetus Deamos members plan to lie low for a month and work on some new material, but do plan to book some shows in fall and winter.

WSMS cross country begins Aug. 24

The first day of practice for those boys and girls interested in running cross country for West Salem Middle School this fall will be Monday, Aug. 24.

Interested runners should meet at 3:30 p.m. at the middle school entrance. All necessary paperwork should have been completed and turned in or should be available for turn-in at the meeting.

Runners are reminded that they should come dressed to run and should bring a single timer stopwatch if possible. Any runner or parent of a runner with questions may contact coach Leroy Krall at lkrall@wsalem.k12.wi.us or 786-1220, ext. 2353, or 786-2288.

Time to sign up for rummage sale

The annual all-village rummage sale held in conjunction with Garland Days is fast approaching, and interested parties should call Errol Kindschy (786-1675) to make sure their homes are included on the rummage sale map.

The sale this year is on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 11-12. People can do both days or either day and there is no limitation as to the hours.

Deadline for inclusion on the map is Friday, Sept. 4.

4-H offers trap shoot program for area youths

La Crosse County 4-H is offering a trap shooting program for youths 12 and older starting Sept. 14. Certified 4-H leaders and experienced trap shooters will serve as instructors in this program, which will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Mondays through Oct. 12 at the Gunslick Gun Club on Briggs Road near Holmen.

The youth trap shooting program is open to any youths who have completed a hunter’s safety course. Participants need not be 4-H members.

Cost is $20 (4-H members get a discount) for five sessions including a safety session, insurance, use of shotguns if needed, ear protection, all ammunition, clay pigeons and the facility.

Shotguns will be available for use so families can have their children try trap shooting without having to purchase a gun. Participants will also be eligible for additional tournaments in the summer.

Youths will learn marksmanship, the safe and responsible use of firearms and much more.

For more information or to register, call the La Crosse County Extension Office at 785-9593 or get a registration form online at www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/lacrosse /4h/index.html Registrations are due Sept. 4 and will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis.

UW-L track now open for public use

The track at the newly constructed Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex at UW-La Crosse is now open to the public again. Gates to the track are open from approximately 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays except when events are scheduled. Weekend hours will eventually be added.

Runners and walkers should enter the southwest gate of the facility, just off the small parking lot directly south of the grandstand. This is the only gate that will be open to access the area.

Chris Schwarz, facility manager of the complex, called the $16.6 million complex “one of the premier Division III facilities in the country.”

The complex will be officially dedicated Sept. 12 prior to UW-L’s football game against Azusa Pacific University.

The complex can also be rented for a variety of other indoor and outdoor events. A Web site on the facility will be launched soon. Inquiries can be referred to the facility office at 785-6540.

Fort McCoy plans soldier retiree day

FORT McCOY — Retirees from all branches of the armed forces and their family members are invited to attend a Retiree Appreciation Day at Fort McCoy on Friday, Sept. 11.

Sign in starts at 7 a.m. in building 905. The event will run from 7:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch is available for a reasonable price on the installation.

Retiree Appreciation Day is an opportunity for all armed forces retirees, spouses, widows and/or guests to receive updated information about retiree entitlement programs.

Photo identification is required by all personnel entering Fort McCoy.

Mail registration no later than Sept. 1 to: Retirement Service Office, 2187 S. J St., Fort McCoy, WI 54656. For more information, call the Fort McCoy Retirement Services Office at (608) 388-3716 or (800) 452-0923 or visit the Honors Newsletter at www.mccoy.army.mil/Retirees/documents/Midwest_2009.pdf.

Panda Express plans CMN day

People who eat at Panda Express in the Valley View Mall on Aug. 21 and present a special Children’s Miracle Network coupon will have 20 percent of their bill given to CMN. The coupons can be printed from the CMN Web site at gundluth.org/cmn.

Free car seat check set for Aug. 22

Gundersen Lutheran, Coulee Region Safe Kids, La Crosse Fire Department and La Crosse Health Department have partnered to offer a free child car seat safety check.

Parents are encouraged to stop by the La Crosse fire station at the intersection of Green Bay Street and Losey Boulevard (across from Central High School) from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22.

Child passenger safety technicians will inspect car seats and installation. Children must be present to properly fit them into their car seats. No pre-registration is required.

In addition to having car seats inspected, parents can learn more about when to transition their child to a booster seat, how booster seats are used to make seat belts fit properly and why the back seat is the safest place for children to ride.

Fort McCoy Retiree Day is Sept. 11

FORT McCOY — Retirees from all branches of the armed forces and their family members are invited to attend a Retiree Appreciation Day at Fort McCoy on Friday, Sept. 11.

Sign in starts at 7 a.m. in building 905. The event will run from 7:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch is available for a reasonable price on the installation.

Retiree Appreciation Day is an opportunity for all armed forces retirees, spouses, widows and/or guests to receive updated information about retiree entitlement programs.

Mail registration no later than Sept. 1 to: Retirement Service Office, 2187 S. J St., Fort McCoy, WI 54656. For more information, call the Fort McCoy Retirement Services Office at (608) 388-3716 or (800) 452-0923 or visit the Honors Newsletter at www.mccoy.army.mil/Retirees/documents/Midwest_2009.pdf.

Military academy applications sought

People interested in attending one of the nation’s service academies can send their applications to U.S. Rep. Ron Kind or U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, but they must submit applications by Friday, Oct. 16.

A congressional nomination is required for students wishing to enter U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York; U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md.; U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colo.; or Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York.

The application process is open to any United States citizen who will be a high school graduate and between the ages of 17 and 22 by July 1, 2010, and is unmarried with no dependents. Generally, high school students entering their senior year apply for admittance the following year.

Interested applicants can obtain the necessary forms and information by contacting Mark Aumann at (715) 831-9214 or Michelle Murray at (608) 828-1200. Applications are available online at www.house.gov/kind or www.feingold.senate.gov.

Old bowling balls sought for program

Got a spare bowling ball? The Neshonoc Center work therapy program at Lakeview Health Center in West Salem wants it.

Participants in the work therapy program have been recycling discarded bowling balls, painting them to create ladybug and bumblebee garden ornaments, which are sold for $10.

Balls can be dropped off at Lakeview Health Center, or pickup can be arranged by calling Rebecca or Carol at 786-1400. Orders for the bowling ball ornaments also can be placed by calling Lakeview.

Business collecting school supplies

Check Advance is seeking donations of school supplies at its office at 9360 Hwy. 16, with items collected to be given to the Onalaska School District for distribution. Drop-off hours through Aug. 30 are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays (closed 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.) and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.

Area agents seek donations for overseas troops

Two Onalaska State Farm agents are offering their offices as drop-off sites for donations to troops through Operation Homefront. The agents, Kerri Bandell at 1288 Rudy St. and Mike Noelke at 1434 Main St. will collect items through Sept. 4.

Snacks, baby wipes (non-greasy), ChapStick (SPF-15), sunscreen, resealable bags, cards and letters of encouragement and support are some of the items being sought to send to troops deployed overseas.

People also can contribute funds to help offset the cost of shipping the collected items to the troops. Checks should be made payable to Operation Homefront-Wisconsin.

Roller derby team seeks members

The La Crosse Skating Sirens, the area’s newest roller derby team, are seeking adult women to join the team or serve as referees.

No experience is required and all skating levels are welcome.

The Sirens are looking to expand their roster and are having open practices on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 to 10 p.m. in the old rubber mill building on St. Andrew Street.

The Sirens, a nonprofit organization, are an all-woman, skater-owned, flat-track roller derby league founded in April 2009 by Melissa Larivee and Leslie Malekovic. The Sirens follow the guidelines and standards set forth by Women’s Flat Track Derby Association.

For more information, log onto www.SkatingSirens.com.

Registration open for Memory Walk

Registration is now open for the Greater Wisconsin Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2009 Memory Walk. More than 31 walks will be held in the chapter area during September and October to raise funds for care, services and programs of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Registrations for team captains, walkers and walk sponsors are available online at www.alz.org/gwwi (click on Memory Walk). Materials are free and easily downloaded from the Web site. Interested walkers may also call their local Alzheimer’s office or the Greater Wisconsin Chapter office at 920-469-2110.

Local food guide now available

Get Sustainable of Trempealeau County has released the 2009 edition of its local food brochure for Trempealeau County and outlying regions.

Get Sustainable, which was founded in 2007, is a diverse group of concerned western Wisconsin citizens who meet to discuss what to do in their communities to highlight the need for sustainable living. This food guide is one project which came out of this collaboration.

Eating local means seeking out food grown and raised as close as possible to where one lives. Buying local food also means eating foods that are seasonally available and unique to the region.

The Get Sustainable booklet contains tips on eating wisely, Web sites to explore, and includes Wisconsin and Minnesota community-supported agriculture sites, area farms, orchards and farmers’ markets.

For more information about the food guide or Get Sustainable, contact Mary Graziano at (608) 582-2975 or getsustainablewi @gmail.com.

State officials warn of scam

MADISON — The Wisconsin Department of Justice is urging people to be on guard against a phishing scam that has recently appeared in Wisconsin.

The department has received reports of people calling homes and cell phones in an attempt to gain personal information. Wisconsin residents have been contacted by a man identifying himself as “Officer Smith with the United Law Enforcement and Investigation Department.” The caller provided a phone number (814) 273-1518 and attempted to gain the persons’ Social Security number and other information.

“The Wisconsin Department of Justice wants to take this opportunity to remind folks that identity theft is a serious problem,” said Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. “Never give your personal identifying information out without fully confirming the source of the call and circumstances.”

Legitimate businesses will not ask for personal information on the phone or through an unsecured e-mail. “If you should receive a call trying to solicit this information or any type of personal identifying data, do not give it out,” Van Hollen said.

Phishing scams are attempts made by individuals to fraudulently gain access to protected or personal information that could compromise a person’s identity. Typically these attempts are made over the Internet or through e-mails and will have the appearance of an “official” correspondence seeking a reply.

Leadership program takes on new look

MADISON n After 25 years, the Wisconsin Rural Leadership Program has launched a new name and look, branding itself as Leadership Wisconsin.

The change is designed to more effectively communicate the program’s goals by reflecting participants who have both urban and rural backgrounds. As the only statewide leadership program, Leadership Wisconsin remains committed to its key mission: developing leaders to strengthen communities.

“The goal of our new look is to increase the understanding, benefits and outreach of our work with all of Wisconsin,” said Sarah Halstead, board president. “Our mission remains the same. Our new brand reveals immediately what we have been and what we remain committed to: strengthening communities through the development of vibrant leaders.”

Halstead noted that as Wisconsin and the nation pass through a period of social and economic transition, quality leadership is even more critical.

“Leadership Wisconsin is a proven method of leadership development that continues to produce top-notch leaders for cities, towns, villages, rural regions, in public, business, and nonprofit endeavors. Our work has been nationally recognized as one of the exemplary leadership development programs in the nation and we are proud to build on that recognition,” said JoAnn Stormer, executive director.

Applications are being accepted for the next group of Leadership Wisconsin fellows. People interested in applying may contact Stormer at (608) 263-0817 or visit www.LeadershipWisconsin.org. Sign up for more information by clicking on the “Request Information” tab or download an application packet at the “How to Apply” tab.

Onalaska DMV construction under way

A construction project is under way at the Onalaska Department of Motor Vehicles customer service center and is expected to continue through Sept. 7. During construction, parking is limited and access to both the parking lot and service center is restricted.

The DMV has posted signs to help direct customers, and customers might wish to consider alternative service options, such as renewing vehicle registrations online at www.wisconsindmv.gov or by mail. Customers may also obtain vehicle registrations and/or titles at one of the many third-party vehicle registration/title agents statewide, which are listed online at www.dot.wisconsin.gov/drivers/vehicles/plates/walkin.htm.

The number of skill test appointments available at this location during this timeframe will be limited. Customers wanting appointments sooner should consider scheduling them at other sites: Tomah, Whitehall, Mauston or Black River Falls.

Area groups hatch plan to fight obesity

The Coulee Region Childhood Obesity Coalition, Gundersen Lutheran’s 500 Club, Viterbo University and Festival Foods launched the Footsteps to Health Program July 2 at all area Festival Food stores.

Fruit and vegetable kiosks will be staffed at each store to offer shoppers the opportunity to taste different fruits and vegetables, learn how to choose them, and sample quick, tasty healthy ways to prepare them. A different fruit and vegetable is featured each month.

For more information, go to www.childhoodobesitycoalition.org.

To submit your information for a public service announcement, e-mail it to wsm.news@lee.net