In Brief
Thomson family fundraiser
The VFW is having a spaghetti dinner May 15 to raise funds for the benefit of the family of recently deceased veteran Charles Thomson. The by donation only dinner will be in the VFW community room, from 4:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.
Combined bands concert May 19
The final band concert of the year has been scheduled for May 19 at the Libby Memorial Events Center. All of the bands will play, including the sixth, seventh, eighth, high school and both jazz bands. Refreshments will be served at a reception after the concert.
Astronomy club meeting May 20
The Kootenai Stargazers Astronomy Club will be meeting at 6 p.m. May 20, at 324 White Avenue in Libby.
The meeting will begin with the usual chow and chatter before a presentation about the club’s website and the resources it contains.
All interested are welcome, with no membership, expertise or contributions required. For more information call 293-2552.
Program seeks host families for exchange students
ASSE International Student Exchange Programs (ASSE), in cooperation with your community high school, is looking for local families to host boys and girls between the ages of 15 to 18 from a variety of countries: Norway, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Japan, to name a few.
ASSE students are enthusiastic and excited to experience American culture while they practice their English. They also love to share their own culture and language with their host families. Host families welcome these students into their family, not as a guest, but as a family member, giving everyone involved a rich cultural experience.
The exchange students have pocket money for personal expenses and full health, accident and liability insurance. ASSE students are selected based on academics and personality, and host families can choose their student from a wide variety of backgrounds, countries and personal interests.
To become an ASSE Host Family or to find out how to become involved with ASSE in your community, please call the ASSE Western Regional Office at 1-800-733-2773 or go to www.host.asse.com to begin your host family application.
Cabinet Peaks revamps swing bed program
Cabinet Peaks Medical Center has revamped its Swing Bed program to provide top notch care in a very comfortable environment. A swing bed program offers inpatient care to those needing extra time to heal or strengthen before returning home. The term swing bed comes from the idea that the patient will “swing”, or transition, from inpatient acute care to prepare to return home. Swing Bed allows physicians to swing the level of care from “acute” to “skilled rehabilitation.”
“Often people just need a little more time after an illness or injury - a point of their recovery where they are not acutely ill; however, they may not be quite ready to return to their prior living situation,” stated Kala Linville, RN, BSN, Acute Care Manager at Cabinet Peaks Medical Center.
Cabinet Peaks Medical Center has offered Swing Bed services to the community for many years; however, a revamp of the program began early this year. The Swing Bed Program now offers Registered Nurses, Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Respiratory Therapists, a Swing Bed Coordinator, and a Swing Bed Case Manager all ready to assist in the shift to a state of health that leads to a successful transition back to home. Other additions to the program include additional staff training, new quilts for the Swing Bed rooms, and a laptop dedicated to Swing Bed patient use.
Gas prices increase slightly
Average retail gasoline prices in Montana have risen 2.3 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.11 per gallon yesterday, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 615 gas outlets in Montana. This compares with the national average that has fallen 0.8 cent per gallon in the last week to $2.21 per gallon, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com.