Bipolar support group to meet Wednesday

The Douglas County chapter of the National Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance will meet from 4 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Wednesday in the first floor conference room of the Community Health Facility, 200 Maine.

The first half of the meeting will be informational in nature and is open to those dealing with a mental illness as well as interested family members, friends, and others. The second half is a support session for consumers only, though family members and friends may conduct separate support sessions.

ESU academy promotes teaching as profession

Emporia — Teenagers in Kansas are getting a glimpse of the teaching profession at a state-supported academy.

The Kansas Future Teacher Academy runs from Sunday to July 10 at Emporia State University.

“The goal of the academy is to expose high school students in Kansas to the rewards of the teaching profession,” said Scott Waters, director of the ESU academy.

The program has been offered at ESU for 14 years. In June, an academy session was conducted at Dodge City Community College, which has played host to the even for three years.

Students are accepted based upon academic standing, involvement in school and community activities, and interest in exploring a career in teaching.

Partial funding for the program this year came from the Kansas Legislature.

KU Formula race car to be on display at track

Kansas City, Kan. — Kansas University’s Formula SAE race car will be on display this weekend at the Kansas Speedway.

The car will be on display at the Fan Walk area during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Indy Racing League events Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Team members will be available to talk to fans about their project from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

A team of engineering students completes the project each year. The car recently placed 17th out of a field of 140 teams at the Formula SAE competition in Detroit.

KU sets final exams

Kansas University has scheduled the following final examinations:

Wensheng He, chemical and petroleum engineering, “Two-Phase Flow and Electrode Flooding in PEM Fuel Cell Electrodes,” 9 a.m. July 9, 4007 Learned Hall.

Jeremy T. Mitchell-Koch, chemistry, “Template Copolymerization to Control Site Structure around Metal Ions: Applications Towards Sensing and Gas Storage and Release,” 10 a.m. July 28, 3005 Malott Hall.

Teen, toddler caught in K.C. crossfire

Kansas City, Mo. — A teenager returning home from summer school and a toddler were shot Monday when the occupants of two cars began exchanging gunfire, police said.

A 2-year-old girl was shot in the head and was in critical condition Monday night after undergoing surgery. The 15-year-old girl was shot in the leg and her injuries weren’t considered life threatening, said Capt. Rich Lockhart, a Kansas City Police spokesman.

The shooting started around 1 p.m. Monday.

Prairie reserve extends hours, offers programs

Cottonwood Falls — Living history programs are being added and visitor hours will be extended at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.

Starting today, the preserve will extend hours from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends through the end of October, historically costumed staff will demonstrate 19th-century activities ranging from carpentry and rock-fence building to butter churning, soap-making, Dutch oven cooking and sewing.

The preserve offers daily prairie bus tours at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. through the last Sunday in October. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youths 5 to 18 years old.

The preserve is two miles north of Strong City on Kansas Highway 177.