Last weekend we rolled into Centralia for the Grand Opening of the newest Buchheit Country Superstore.  I should tell you I got lost...when I did a mapquest search to find out how far Centralia was I searched St. Louis to Centralia.  Well I printed the directions and away I went...then I found out I never did put in a specific address so I had the route to Centralia as in the center of town.  Low and behold I see a fire truck roll up on me and they were kind enough to say "Hey you lost?" I said "I think I might be" They hollered that they were going to the same place as me.   So I want to thank the Centralia Fire Dept for my escort to Buchheit...whew...got lucky.  But then I met  my new favorite mascot...other than Fred Bird of course.  Meet Patches he's able to talk to kids on their level and show off his lights and siren and his personality and quiz them on fire safety too.   A special thank you to Captain Kracht and his crew for their escort and hospitality while in the town of Centralia.

I just read Reba is gonna star with Jennifer Aniston in a 2011 movie called Pumas.  Will it be about these categories or something entirely different.  Whew will I be embarassed if it's about tennis shoes or the actual animal the puma.

Argh...do you know the different categories?

Please help.

RROOFFF!!!

By the way there are different categories for dawgs too...ha!

March of Dimes Broadcasters for Babies started in St. Louis seven years ago.  It is the only event that all major St. Louis radio stations cooperate to support. 

·             This year’s Broadcasters for Babies is being held at St. Louis Hilton at the Ballpark in conjunction with March of Dimes annual Prematurity Medical Summit.  Leading doctors, nurses, government officials, business executives, educators, and families affected by preterm birth will help develop a Missouri action plan to combat preterm birth.

·             If you remember nothing else you hear today, please understand that premature birth is an epidemic … in the United States.  In Missouri.  In Illinois. March of Dimes was founded 70 years ago to combat the polio epidemic.  At its worst, polio afflicted 49,000 children a year.  In comparison, about 540,000 babies are born prematurely.  That is eleven times the number of polio victims.

·             Babies need their full nine months … and that means 40 weeks, not 36.

·             In only about half of the cases, do doctors know what caused a mom to go into labor early.  Of the known causes, the clearest way to have a healthy baby is for the mom and anyone around her to stop smoking.

·             In Missouri, about 10,000 babies are born too soon annually. That is one of every eight babies.   In 2007 (the latest figures available), Missouri’s prematurity rate was 12.5 percent.  That is actually down from 13.3 percent in 2005.  The national average is 12.7 percent.  In Illinois, the rate is 13.3 percent (23,000 babies).  In the city of St. Louis, 18 percent (1 in 5 babies) were born too soon.  In St. Louis County, 14.1 percent.  In St. Clair County, Illinois, the rate was 13.6 percent.

·             Preterm birth hits minorities harder. The rate of preterm birth in Missouri is highest for black infants (19.5%), followed by Native Americans (14.0%), Hispanics (12.5%), whites (12.0%) and Asians (11.8%).  The rate of preterm birth in Illinois is highest for black infants (19.1%), followed by Native Americans (15.1%), whites (11.8%), Hispanics (11.8%) and Asians (10.3%).

·             Three factors that contribute to the rate of preterm births are:

ü      The number of uninsured women – Access to health care before and during pregnancy can help identify and manage health conditions that contribute to premature birth.

ü      The number of women smoking – Smoking is the leading known, preventable cause of premature birth.

ü      The number of late preterm births (34-36 weeks) – About 90 percent of the increase in late preterm births nationally in recent years has been attributed to scheduled c‑sections and inductions.

·             Preterm birth is the leading cause of death in the first month of life in the United States. 

·             Babies who survive a premature birth face the risk of serious life-long health problems including learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing loss, and other chronic conditions including asthma. Even infants born just a few weeks too soon have a greater risk of breathing problems, feeding difficulties, hypothermia (temperature instability), jaundice and delayed brain development.

·             Premature birth brings a substantial financial burden to families, their employers, and insurers.  The nationwide cost of preterm birth is $26.2 billion, according to a study by the National Institute of Medicine.

·             March of Dimes invests about $4 million a year in Missouri for medical research, community service, education, and advocacy.

·             For more information, log on to marchofdimes.com/missouri.

A YouTube video from a TV special recorded by the OAK RIDGE BOYS a few years ago has now been viewed over 1.5 million times. The video is of the Oaks singing a song called G.I. Joe and Lillie, a song written about a real couple that served in the army during World War II. When the two met he was a war hero recovering from severe wounds and she was a WAC assigned to help transport him.    See the video

Last week I get an email from Charter Communications asking if I'd like to play in this fantasy football weekend...I said sure...never expecting to win...love football...grew up watching the Vikings in the cold of Minnesota...but had never done it before.  But I took a stab at it and the email that follows is what I received.

Thank you very much for lending your celebrity, and for making your football picks, in support of the Charter High-Speed® Internet Football Contest on Sunday, Nov. 8.

Thanks in large part to your support, the event was a tremendous success. Charter will donate $1,000 to the charity of WIL 92.3’s Bo Matthews’ choice, as he was the leading celebrity game picker.

Again thanks for the support!

Keesha Irving

Charter Communications 

So fittingly since it was Veteran's Day I knew exactly where that Grand was gonna go...to the Veterans Administration at Jefferson Barracks.  The work they do for our soldiers day in and day out with limited support of Uncle Sam is incredible.  Knowing that Maura Campbell and her staff will make this thousand dollars go extremely far.

God Bless America 

Thank you Veterans.

RROOFF!!!!