• Lawrence businesses are offering free back-to-school backpack safety checks this month.

Cindy Johnson, a Lawrence physical therapist, said students often are not fitted properly. They tend to carry their backpacks too high or low or carry too much weight. They also tend to distribute the weight of the backpack incorrectly.

“Too often we see kids with complaints of back, shoulder and/or hip pain specifically brought on by their return to school and carrying their backpack,” said Johnson, owner of TherapyWorks. “Long-term effects can manifest as bad posture and altered gait, which can be avoided with proper fitting.”

On Aug. 25, TherapyWorks is hosting an event from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 1311 Wakarusa Drive. Trainers will check the fit and safety of backpacks. Sunflower Outdoor employees will be demonstrating the different types of backpacks available, and Hy-Vee dietitian Kylene Etzel will provide information on affordable lunches to pack.

Through Sept. 1, Risley Chiropractic is offering free backpack fittings. No appointment is necessary. Students just need to stop by the clinic between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The clinic is at 4920 Bob Billings Parkway, Suite B.

• The Jayhawk Chapter of Society for Human Resource Management and the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority are sponsoring “Clothes for Work” from noon to 3 p.m. Friday at Barbara Huppe Community Building, 1600 Haskell Ave., Unit 149-150. Item drop-off will be from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. New or gently used work-related clothes for men and women are needed, including business casual slacks and blouses, khakis, jeans, polo shirts, business blouses, white/light-colored dress shirts, medical scrubs, work shoes, steel-toe work boots, etc. This event is focused on offering members of the community assistance by providing free clothing for interviewing and re-entering the work force. All remaining items will be donated to the Suitable for Work Closet at Penn House. Items may be dropped off in advance at Express Employment Professionals, 1000 Iowa, Attn: Kate Turner, 749-7550.

• The Douglas County Conservation District is accepting applications for Cost Share Assistance for a limited amount of Non Point Source Pollution Control Program funding from Aug. 10 until all funding has been committed to projects. Interested parties may make application at the Conservation District Office in the USDA Service Center, 1217 Biltmore Drive, Suite 100. For more information, contact program coordinator Jim Weaver at 843-4260 ext. 1128.

• David Dunfield announces his new architectural design firm, Dunfield Design. Dunfield has been practicing architecture since 1983 and was among the first local architects to achieve LEED accreditation. Previous projects have ranged from room additions to major public buildings, including Lawrence Free State High School, the Lawrence Arts Center and the recent Lawrence Carnegie addition and renovation.

• Mike Everett with Life Success & Legacy, Baldwin City, attended “A Night of Clarity” seminar July 22-23 in Nashville, Tenn. Discussions centered on how families and businesses can use concepts taught in “Becoming Your Own Banker” (Nelson Nash) through “Privatized Banking” (Carlos Lara and Robert Murphy). Everett and Life Success & Legacy will host an event featuring Nash in October.

• The Lawrence Technology Association August luncheon will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at Maceli’s, 1031 N.H. Cost is $12 for members and $14 for nonmembers. Speaker will be Deputy Secretary Steve Kelly of the Kansas Department of Commerce. To register, contact Kerri Johnson at 832-2824 or events@lawrencetech.org.

• Pattie Johnston, senior outreach services coordinator for the Lawrence Public Library, attended the national American Library Association annual conference June 23-28 in New Orleans. Johnston was a member of a panel discussion, “Outreach Services: Value to All Libraries.”

• Rep. Ann Mah has been named as the 2011 state recipient of the Policymaker of the Year award from the Kansas Association for Career and Technical Education. The awards ceremony was held during the Summer Conference of the K-ACTE on Aug. 1 in Overland Park. Mah is a speaker, educator and community leader. In 2004, Mah was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in the 53rd District.

• Saints Pub and Patio bar and restaurant, formerly Old Chicago, near 23rd and Iowa streets, plans a grand opening Sept. 1. By day and evening, it will be a traditional sports bar. Around 10 p.m., the location will transform into a dance club. Renovations include building a four-season patio area, along with adding more true outdoor dining space. This is the fourth Saints for general manager Mike Reiner. In addition to the original location on Quivira Road in Lenexa, he has restaurants in west Des Moines and Beaverdale, Iowa.

• Douglas County Emergency Management announces at the 2011 Region VII Emergency Planning and Response Conference, ICL Performance Products LP and Chemtrade Phosphorus Specialties LLC received the regional award for an industry that is a major contributor to their Local Emergency Planning Committee. In 1996, ICL and Chemtrade established the Community Advisory Panel in the interest of creating an open and honest forum for communication between the site and the community. The CAP includes immediate neighbors of the plants, other North Lawrence residents, a representative from the North Lawrence Improvement Association, Woodlawn School representatives, Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical and other emergency personnel, KU Environmental Studies staff, environmental advocacy groups and ICL /Chemtrade staff. A recognition ceremony for ICL and Chemtrade will be held at 6 p.m. Aug. 24 at Bismarck Lake Cabin.

• The 30th Annual Penny Jones Golf Tournament, benefiting Lawrence Memorial Hospital Endowment Association, will be Sept. 9 at Alvamar Golf and Country Club, 1809 Crossgate Drive. Event times are 8 a.m. or 1:15 p.m. Register online at lmhendowment.org or contact Melissa.Hess@lmh.org or call (785) 505-3317.

• The Mirth Cafe at 745 N.H. has new owners. Former Mirth general manager Ron Zahorik and two partners, Lena Howlett and Alan Brownlow, have bought the restaurant/coffee shop from the former ownership group led by Rob Wilson. Zahorik said he’s not planning any major changes to the restaurant currently. He said a renovation is under way in the east dining room to add some booths and improve the look. The menu will remain largely unchanged, with a heavy emphasis on breakfast and specials that feature locally grown produce. The restaurant stays open until 10 p.m. but stops serving food at 8 p.m.