KU students take honors in national music competition

A Kansas University piano student on Monday won first prize in a national music competition.

Amir Khosrowpour, Irvine, Calif., junior, will bring home a $35,000 Steinway piano for winning top honors at the Music Teachers National Assn. finals in Cincinnati.

Trumpeter Christopher Nierman, a KU senior from Lincoln, Neb., won second place in the brass division competition.

Khosrowpour and Nierman advanced from the state competition in November to compete at regionals in January. There, they both won first place in their divisions against musicians from eight other states.

LMH offers program to break smoking habit

Lawrence Memorial Hospital will offer free help to kick the smoking habit.

The three-session smoking cessation program will be from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays from March 26 through April 9.

The classes are based on the American Cancer Society’s Fresh Start program and will focus on ways to break the smoking habit, how to prevent weight gain after quitting and ways to control stress during the process.

Though the class is free, advanced enrollment is requested.

For more information or to enroll, call ConnectCare at 749-5800.

Program earns grant promoting HealthWave

Health Care Access has been awarded a $10,000 grant to promote HealthWave, the state-run health insurance program for children whose parents are working but do not have health insurance.

“We went after the contract because we think that what HealthWave does for kids and what Health Care Access can do for their parents will make a good marriage,” said Nikki Rhea, the clinic’s executive director.

Plans call for Health Care Access to coordinate its efforts with school counselors, volunteers and area employers. The efforts will be restricted to Douglas County.

To apply for HealthWave, parents will need proof-of-income statements, day-care receipts from the past three months, and proof of insurance from any family member from the past six months. State employees are not eligible, and applicants must be legal residents.

Housing discrimination focus of OHS presentation

Ottawa April is Fair Housing Month, and the Kansas Human Rights Commission plans to educate Ottawa High School students about housing discrimination.

The Kansas Department of Commerce and Housing’s Fair Housing Project Team on April 4 will give a fair housing presentation to Ottawa High School seniors.

The Ottawa City Commission will attend the presentation and proclaim April as Fair Housing Month.

Subsequent programs are scheduled at other Kansas high schools.

Race for Heart raising funds for organ transplant group

Topeka The seventh annual Run for the Heart will be April 6.

The road race will feature a 10-mile run or relay, a two-mile run/walk and a family fun run. The race benefits the Topeka Organ Transplant Organization.

The run will start at 8:30 a.m. on the Washburn University campus, and it costs $15 for registrations before Friday and $18 for late registration. Teams of two to five may participate in the 10-mile relay.

Special guest Kimberlee Grice, Miss Kansas 2001, will attend packet pick-up and late registration from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. April 5 in Whiting Fieldhouse at Washburn.

For more information, check the race Web site, www.runforthe- heart.org, or call race directors Dave Halferty, (785) 273-5492, or Tony Estes, (785) 478-0905.