A Wesson student at the University Iowa (UI) won a cash prize in the college's IdeaStorm competition. Katherine Westbrook was one of 24 students who received cash prizes after successfully sharing their ideas in two minute or less in four uniquely-focused competitions last at various locations on the UI campus. Westbrook, who studies English and Creative Writing at UI, received the third place $300 award for her presentation in the Consumer Solutions IdeaStorms competition on a virtual reality basic weld training simulator that teaches the trade without the safety hazards and cost. Other students received awards in Health Initiatives, Creative Concepts and Common Good Idea Storm categories IdeaStorms are entry level pitch competitions coordinated by the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center across the University of Iowa's campus that encourage students to share their innovative ideas with others, all while familiarizing themselves with the pitching process. They encourage UI students to share their new, never heard before ideas without the requirements of a business plan or proposal, and provide a collaborative environment where students can get feedback and resources on how to make their ideas into a reality. Ninety-one students representing a varied of subject majors and areas of study shared their business ideas in two minutes or less with a panel of judges and an audience. In addition to cash award winner selected by judges, students who attended IdeaStorms sessions chose People's Choice award winners. The University of Iowa is one of the nation's premier public research universities, and is known worldwide for leadership in the arts, sciences, and humanities. It is the home of the first and best creative writing program in the world, a world-class academic medical center -- one of America's top teaching hospitals and a can-do culture that fosters a campus-wide dedication to student success.

By Guest Columnist Dr. Stephanie Duguid "Eat Right: Bite by Bite." The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' (AND) has adopted that as its theme during National Nutrition Month. "There is no one food, drink, pill, or machine that is the key to achieving optimal health,” AND says. In your overall daily routine, consume fewer calories, make informed food choices and exercise daily. Make life-long commitments, not a limited changes. Start by: Drinking water as much as possible. The optimal intake should be half your body weight in ounces. If you weigh 200 pounds, your daily water intake goal should be 100 ounces. That may sound like a lot, but the key is to start somewhere. If you do not consume any water, begin with one bottle this week, and work your way up to two next week. Getting a full range of nutrients. Eat fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors throughout the week. Fruits and vegetables contain essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other natural substances that boost your health. When you plan a meal, try to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, plenty of dark green, orange, and red vegetables. Microwave them in a small amount of water, steam them or stir-fry them to retain the most nutrients. Avoid boiling or frying. Making sensible snacks part of your healthy eating plan. Eating properly between meals can be your biggest challenge. Snacks can be fun and are essential to a healthy eating plan, but they can add unneeded calories, sugar, sodium, and fat if you are not careful. If you plan ahead, however, sensible shacks can prevent overeating at meal times and throughout the day. They are a way to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, and low-fat dairy. In fact, they can supplement meals. When children are active and are still growing, they need to eat more often to get the calories they need. For adults, healthy snacks can provide an energy boost and satisfy your mid-day hunger, and for some, help bring blood sugar levels to the appropriate level for optimal energy. Here are some “Eat Right: Bite by Bite” tips: Plan to make fresh fruit, air-popped popcorn, whole-wheat crackers, dried fruit and nut mixes, or fat-free yogurt as snacks Find nutrient-rich snacks that make snack calories count. Go easy on high calorie snacks. like chips, candy and soft drinks. Snack when you are hungry, not because you are bored, stressed, or frustrated. Snack on sensible portions-focus on single serve containers Quench your thirst first before reaching for a snack. You often feel hungry when your body is dehydrated and thirsty. For more information and suggestions about eating healthy, visit http://www.eatright.org. EDITOR'S NOTE: Stephanie Duguid is Dean of Academic Instruction at Co-Lin. She is also an athletic trainer and nutrition specialist and has been teaching courses related to those two areas as well as practicing what she preaches for more than twenty years.

Wesson wagon train wins top parade awards. Among wagon trains in the Dixie National Rodeo Parade in Jackson, which famously march at the end of the procession, Wesson Ride won the first place award. Wesson Ride also received the Parade Commissioner's Award presented to the best overall participating parade group. Judges chosen by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce determine the best participating groups for marching, motorized, floats and riding as well as wagon trains. “The Dixie National Rodeo Parade is a fun-filled family event that the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce looks forward to bringing to the public each year,” said Commissioner Gipson. “This would not be possible without the participation of groups from all over the state. I want to thank all those that made it a success and congratulate all of our winners.” Flu activity climbs. The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), although monitoring for possible COVID-19 cases in the state, remains relatively unconcerned about an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by the new strain of the coronavirus. On the other hand, it is seeing high flu activity in the state with widespread transmission, and recommends flu vaccination for anyone ages 6 months and older. Pediatric flu shots are available at all MSDH county clinics. Flu and COVID-19 symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, muscle and body aches, and fatigue. While vaccination is the best flu protection , basic infection control measures are largely the same for both the flu and coronavirus: covering your mouth when coughing and sneezing, staying at home when you or your children are sick and washing your hands frequently. Visit the MSDH website at www.HealthyMS.com/flu for information. App keeps you safe. MS Ready, a Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH)’s emergency preparedness mobile app, provides public health and safety information throughout Mississippi during emergencies and a full library of disaster preparedness tips based on Hurricane Katrina experiences fifteen years ago. It features breaking news and alerts on emergencies, agency closures, severe weather warnings, precautions to take in a disaster, disease outbreak, or other emergency; step-by-step preparations for floods, severe weather, natural disasters (hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes), nuclear incidents and chemical and biological threats; MSDH phone numbers, including an emergency hotline, a checklist of items to have on hand in emergencies and an informational section on disease outbreaks. To find the app, search your app store for MS Ready or visit www.HealthyMS.com/apps. Business scam. The Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office (MSOS) and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office is warning the business community of deceptive letters requesting a $90.50 fee to order certain business documents from the Secretary of State’s Office. Misleading solicitations may require a fee, cite specific Mississippi statutes, contain a due date for a response, appear similar to a government form, contain a "Customer ID Number" that does not match the state or federal numbers that have been given to a company or the actual ID number and company's date of formation and a warning to make sure that the form's instructions on completing it are followed exactly. Businesses can order a certificate of good standing in the state of Mississippi online at www.sos.ms.gov for $25. Call the Secretary of State’s Business Services Division at 601-359-1633 or 800-256-3494 for information, or go to the Business Services tab -- sos.ms.gov -- on the MSOS web site. Parchman unit closed. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves says prisoners are being transferred out of Parchman Unit 29, fulfilling his State of the State promise to close the troubled unit. Some 375 inmates were moved out during an earlier surge of violence, and the remaining prisoners are being transferred and temporarily housed at the nearby Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility. They are being transferred through reclassification and exchanges for lower-security inmates. MSU/Co-Lin agreement. Mississippi State University (MSU) and Co-Lin have signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize partnership programs for students enrolled in technical education programs. The agreement details classroom and/or online courses that must be completed at each institution to fulfill degree requirements MSU’s Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) program, which was launched last summer. For more information on the Bachelor of Applied Science program, visit https://www.msstate.edu/students/bachelor-of-applied-science.