On the Street

Tax Savings

The Missouri Department of Transportation saved more than $25 million of taxpayers' money in 2002 with improved efficiency in operations, department officials announced in February. The savings were accomplished by cuts in personnel, equipment, travel and other products and services. Those cuts and other efficiencies will mean additional projected savings of $28 million in 2003 and $21 million 2004. Travel on state airplanes is one item under review for additional savings. Until a review of MoDOT's policies and procedures for state airplane travel is completed, state employees will not take any flights on state-owned planes unless a critical need such as emergency bridge inspections arises.

Sound the Alert

To increase diabetes awareness, CoxHealth's Diabetes Center is presenting Sound the Alert Day March 25. The Diabetes Center is located at Cox North, 1423 N. Jefferson Ave. Free diabetes screenings will be available by appointment every 10 minutes between 7 a.m.-10 a.m. for individuals who score higher than 10 on the at-risk assessment, which is available online at www.coxhealth.com via the Risk Test link. Screening results will be available immediately, as well as counseling for individuals who have high glucose levels. Diabetes Center personnel also will notify the primary physicians of individuals who have high glucose levels. Additional information is available by calling 417-269-3900.

Hispanic camps

Drury University received a $5,000 grant from the Coleman Foundation in Chicago to develop a series of summer entrepreneurship camps primarily for the region's Hispanic junior and senior high school students. The program, "Hispanic Initiative for Growing Healthy Entrepreneurial Resources," is open to other minorities as well. The grant will pay for competitively selected students from Missouri and Arkansas to come to the Drury campus for a weeklong camp in July. During the camp, students will work with faculty from the Breech School of Business, student mentors and local entrepreneurs to develop business plans, which will be presented in a competition in which the winning team will receive start-up plans to get the business off the ground.

Slice of Nice

Save A Life-Give A Phone, an organization that provides cellular phones for battered women, the elderly and the disabled, is having an emergency phone drive for the Family Violence Center and the Ozarks Area Community Action Corporation. New, used and broken cell phones can be donated. Donations can be dropped off at the Family Violence Center's administrative office at 519 E. Cherry St.; OACAC's office at 215 S. Barnes in Springfield or 115 Corporate Place in Branson; the American Red Cross offices at 1835 E. Chestnut or 313 E. Battlefield, Ste. B; or the Salvation Army at 1114 Stanley in Branson.