Public News Service

Ohio Helps Make College Dreams a Reality for Foster Youth COLUMBUS, Ohio - Liaisons at universities, community colleges and technical schools all over the state are helping former foster youth seeking higher education. As part of the Ohio Reach program, these liaisons are helping guide these young adults through their college years. State Attorney General Mike DeWine pointed out that getting through college can be a struggle for former foster youths, because they can't simply call mom or dad when they need help. ...(Read More)

Report: New Policies Needed as Millennials Lead AZ Driving Decline PHOENIX - Arizona's driving boom is over. A new report from the Arizona Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Education Fund says total vehicle travel miles peaked in 2007. According to PIRG public interest advocate Serena Unrein, driving is likely to decline further because of demographic changes involving the Millennial Generation, those born between 1983 and 2000. ...(Read More)

"Major Milestone" for Maryland Kids Eating School Breakfast ANNAPOLIS, Md. - More Maryland children are starting their day with a healthy breakfast, and they're eating it at school, according to a new report. Cathy Demeroto, director of Maryland Hunger Solutions, which published the report, said participation rates in the school breakfast program hit new highs last school year. ...(Read More)

Iowa Farmers Still Have a Chance to Affect Climate Change DES MOINES, Iowa - There isn't much time now for farmers to get a spring crop in, thanks to the cool wet weather lately, but a new report from the Center for Rural Affairs shows that even now farmers might be able to alter their practices that would affect climate change. According to Johnathan Hladik, energy policy advocate with the Center, rural communities and farmers can play a critical role in adjusting to climate change. "Whether it's adopting renewable-energy practices or it's just being smarter about how you farm, when it comes to adopting to climate change few areas are going to play a role as critical as our small towns," he declared. "...(Read More)

More Than 160,000 Coloradans Eligible For Health Coverage in 2014 DENVER - This week Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed a bill into law that will expand Medicaid to include more than 160,000 Coloradans who are currently living without health-care coverage. Elisabeth Arenales, the Health Program Coordinator for the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, pointed out that until now those living without coverage still were getting sick, a problem made worse by a lack of preventive coverage. "People still get sick whether or not they have health insurance, and they don't get the proper preventive care so they're not going to the doctor, they're not getting their screenings, they're showing up at the emergency room because they don't have a usual source of care," she declared. "...(Read More)

PA Transgender Student Battles District on Prom, Graduation Policies HARRISBURG, Pa. - A transgender high school senior in Pennsylvania is at odds with district officials over their policies about his gender identity. Issak Wolfe was born in a female body, but came out as transgender and began living as a boy almost two years ago. ...(Read More)

California Farmers Rely on Organic Boost SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California farmers are asking Congress for an organic "boost." Last year's national Farm Bill extension failed to include funding for a program that helps organic farmers offset the cost of getting certified. According to Tom Page, a farmer from Ramona who is vice president of the Pacific Southwest Chapter of California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), they need the certification to be able to sell to places like Whole Foods or local natural-food markets so, without the financial assistance cuts will have to be made. ...(Read More)

WI Bison Farmer: Keep The Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative BALDWIN, Wis. - Loren Smeester manages a herd of 200 bison on 400 acres of grazing land near Baldwin in St. Croix County. ...(Read More)

Petition Circulated for Medicaid Expansion HELENA, Mont. - Several groups in Montana are circulating an online petition, asking the Legislature to come back and take another vote on Medicaid expansion. The expansion died at the end of the session this year, and since lawmakers went home, several more states have accepted the deal, with Kentucky being the latest, last week. ...(Read More)

Teachers Face Challenges as School Year Winds Down PIERRE, S.D. - As the school year winds down, graduations and the excitement of summer vacation contrast with challenges that teachers face. According to Sandy Arseneault, president of the South Dakota Education Association, the ranks of experienced teachers will thin rapidly over the next few years. ...(Read More)

Is Mon Power Trying to Stick Customers With a White Elephant? CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Consumer advocates say Mon Power is trying to stick ratepayers with an overpriced white elephant, in a deal that would benefit another subsidiary of FirstEnergy. The utility has asked the Public Service Commission to let it buy 80 percent of the huge Harrison power plant from sister company Allegheny Energy Supply. ...(Read More)

Don't Get Scammed on Your Light Bill CHICAGO - With deregulation of electric-power providers comes a lot of confusion over utility bills, and consumer groups say con artists are coming out of the woodwork, offering people deals or threatening to turn off the lights unless an immediate payment is made. According to Scott Musser, associate state director for AARP Illinois, if someone knocks on your door and you're not sure about that person, it's best to call your utility and ask if they sent someone out. And be careful with your account number. ...(Read More)

Maryland Navy Veteran Calls for Presidential Action on Sexual Assaults ANNAPOLIS, Md. - President Obama is under new pressure to deal with military sexual assaults after a new report shows the number of incidents increased by more than a third in the last year. Navy veteran Brian Lewis, of Baltimore, who recently testified before a U.S. ...(Read More)

Brown Continues Push to End “Too Big to Fail” COLUMBUS, Ohio - Saying Wall Street banks still have too much influence over the economy, an Ohio U.S. senator is continuing his charge to end "too big to fail." Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and David Vitter, R-La., introduced legislation aimed at ending the advantage the six biggest U-S banks have over the small guys. ...(Read More)

Bed Sharing Safely: Not All Co-Sleeping is Created Equal NASHVILLE, Tenn. - When it comes to the potential risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome from a mother sharing her bed with her baby, there is a push to change the message from "just don't do it" to "here is how it's done most safely." The shift is needed because co-sleeping will never be eliminated and not all forms are equal, said Dr. James McKenna, director of the Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame. ...(Read More)

Striking Out at Stroke, Minnesota's Third Leading Killer ST. PAUL, Minn. - Every year there are nearly 12,000 hospital admissions in Minnesota due to stroke, and a new effort aims to help more survivors return to a normal life, instead of being permanently disabled. ...(Read More)

After Graduation Day Comes Paying Off College Debt DES MOINES, Iowa - The average college student will graduate this year owing almost $27,000 in student debt, a 40 percent jump since 2002. According to Iowa State University financial counselor Jonathan Fox, many students may look at how much debt they've racked up and think they will never pay it off. "In a longer-term financial planning prospective it's very doable, it can get done, but step number one is managing your expenses and your cash flow." Fox said those who graduate are typically far better off than those who dropped out and still have a mountain of student loans to pay off. "...(Read More)

May is Clean Air Month BROOKFIELD, Wis. - May is Clean Air Month, a reminder that poor air quality can harm the environment and affect us all. We have better air to breathe, said Jerry Medinger, manager of the American Lung Association in Wisconsin, because decades of effort have been paying off. ...(Read More)

Late Season Snow Welcome News for Rafting Companies BUENA VISTA, Colo. - Heavy dumps of spring snow throughout most of Colorado are just what rafting companies needed to ensure a good season. In Browns Canyon on the Arkansas River, almost 30 inches of precipitation has fallen since the April 1. ...(Read More)

Southeast Oregon Rafting Season Begins...Next Year? JORDAN VALLEY, Ore. - River-rafters are a disappointed bunch if they counted on floating the Owyhee River in southeast Oregon this month. For a second year, there isn't enough water in the river. ...(Read More)