• The Kansas Pharmacists Association has selected Marvin E. Bredehoft as the recipient of the 2012 Bowl of Hygeia Award for outstanding community service. Bredehoft was presented the award at the annual meeting awards luncheon Sept. 29. The award is sponsored by the American Pharmacists Association Foundation and the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations, with support from Boehringer Ingelheim.

Bredehoft has participated in philanthropic and service activities in Lawrence in civic and religious ways. He has served as an elder at the Immanuel Lutheran Church and has been involved with special projects such as Oompahfest, an annual celebration in which the church hosted a German festival at South Park for seven years. He coached baseball for the Douglas County Amateur Baseball Association. He is a member of the Lawrence Breakfast Optimist Club and was Optimist of the Year in 1988.

Bredehoft organized a Russian Pharmacists Tour and was an ambassador in 2003 when he invited Russian pharmacists to the United States to have the Russians find out the differences between pharmacy as we know it and pharmacy in their own country. He has also served for three years on the Penn House Advisory Board, which is an indigent care facility, and worked with The Shelter, which is a nonprofit organization that works with troubled youths. In 2001, Bredehoft received the inaugural Unsung Hero Award from The Shelter, presented to a community member who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to help staff provide services to children.

Established in 1958, the Bowl of Hygeia Award recognizes pharmacists who possess outstanding records of civic leadership in their communities and encourages pharmacists to take active roles in the affairs of their respective communities.

• Laird G. Noller announces the promotion of Gary Bennett to the position of president and CEO of the Laird Noller Automobile Dealerships in Topeka, Lawrence and Hutchinson. Bennett started his career with the Laird Noller Dealership in Topeka as a sales representative 34 years ago. He has also held positions as sales manager and general manager and most recently had been president of the Laird Noller Dealerships in Lawrence and Hutchinson.

Laird Noller also announces that Bill Egan has been named general manager of Laird Noller Automotive in Lawrence. Egan has been with the Laird Noller Dealerships for six years, previously serving as sales manager for Laird Noller Ford Inc. in Topeka and general manager of Noller Lincoln-Mazda-Hyundai in Topeka. Bill and his wife, Lisa, have two children and reside in Lawrence.

• Marinello Schools of Beauty has completed its acquisition of Brio Academy and B Street Design beauty schools in Connecticut, Kansas and Massachusetts. In Kansas, campuses are located in Lawrence, Manhattan, Overland Park, Topeka and Wichita.

Marinello Schools of Beauty, 1601 W. 23rd St., Suite 204, will have an open house this week for prospective students. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, anyone interested in attending the school can stop by for complimentary salon and spa services. They can also meet school director Jillian Nuessen, take a campus tour, chat with students about their experiences, and enter to win a drawing. To RSVP or for more information, call 832-2600 or email jillian.nuessen@marinello.com.

• North Lawrence, or NoLa, merchants are opening their doors for special shopping nights on the second Thursday of each month. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. this Thursday, businesses along Locust Street will offer “first look” previews of new merchandise in styles from charming to quaint to quirky. Visitors will be able to stroll from shop to shop to discover antiques, fine home decor, party planning and rentals, custom-designed clothing and much more.

Light refreshments will be offered at several locations, and a special prize drawing will be held for those who visit all the open locations that evening. Participating shops include Amy’s Attic, Antiques Plus, Bebe’s Cottage, Celebration Party Rentals, Eagle’s Rest, French Accent, My Father’s Daughter, Tooter and Tillaye’s Home Goods and Rocking W Designs.

The final NoLa Night for 2012 will be Nov. 8, also from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• The 2012 United Way Campaign’s Small Business Division, led by Peggy Johnson and Leslie Ahlert, is hosting a Wine Tasting event from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Carnegie Building, 200 W. Ninth St. Guests will sample interesting wines and enjoy delicious appetizers, and also learn more about the great programs funded by United Way that are addressing the community goals of education, health and self-sufficiency.

Tickets are available at the door for $15 per person. All proceeds benefit the United Way of Douglas County. For more information, call the United Way at 785-843-6626.

• In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Moxie Hair Studio, 1540 Wakarusa Drive, will be selling pink hair extensions throughout October, with 100 percent of the proceeds to go to Mario’s Closet at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. The money will be used to purchase wigs and bras, or to help pay for prosthetics for those who cannot afford them. The extensions will be sold for $10 each, the salon also has a pink piggy bank for anyone who wants to just come in and make a donation.

• Capt. Dan Ward of the Lawrence Police Department attended the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va., from July 15 through Sept. 21. He was part of the 250th graduating class, consisting of 264 officers from 49 states and 24 countries.

The course of study runs for 10 weeks and covers subjects including law, behavioral science, forensic science, understanding terrorism/terrorist mindsets, leadership development, communication, and health/fitness.

Ward has been with the Lawrence Police Department since 1986, spending many years as a detective specializing in crime scene forensics. He currently serves as the Information Services Captain overseeing Information Technology, Records, Animal and Parking Control, Evidence and the Office of Professional Accountability.

• Miosha Wagoner joined the staff of Housing and Credit Counseling Inc. as a counselor in September. She previously was the academic coordinator for Haskell Indian Nations University Upward Bound Program, where she was responsible for tutoring students, monitoring and documenting academic progress, and coordinating the work of Upward Bound personnel participating in five federal grant programs.

At HCCI, Wagoner will provide rental crisis counseling for both renters and landlords in Douglas County. There is no charge for this service.

Wagoner is a graduate of Baker University with a Master of Arts in conflict management and dispute resolution. She received her bachelor’s degree from Haskell Indian Nations University.

• Lisa Pennington-Jewsome joined the staff of Housing and Credit Counseling as a counselor in September. She previously was employed as a housing manager with the Kansas Department of Commerce and Housing. She was responsible for administering five separate housing programs in six Kansas communities. She has experience providing oversight of emergency shelter grant programs in 25 communities.

Pennington-Jewsome was also the director of Section 8 rental housing for the Lawrence Housing Authority for nine years. She also has work experience in the area of maintaining medical records and outcomes and providing direct patient care.

At HCCI, she will provide rental crisis counseling for both renters and landlords in Douglas and surrounding counties. There is no charge for this service.

Pennington-Jewsome attended Kansas University. She lives in Lawrence with her husband, Jeffery, and their four children.

• Kizer Cummings Jewelers was the recipient of three awards at the annual Kansas Jewelers Association Design Competition. The winning piece is a custom-designed pendant sold by Erin Berg and designed by Blaine Allmond-Carver using state-of-the-art jewelry modeling software. The pendant was cast in 14 karat yellow gold with matte and polished surfaces, and set with a vibrant blue zircon and trimmed with diamonds. The pendant was awarded Best in Show, first place in CAD-CAM Design and The People’s Choice award. The competition included entries from jewelers from across the state. Kizer Cummings has been a member of the Kansas Jewelers Association for 30 years. The pendant will now be entered in the National Design competition in New York in January.

• Lawrence-based Kansas Advocates for Better Care has received a $6,000 grant from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services to provide free training opportunities in nursing homes for staff, residents and family members. The trainings focus on the topics of “Ensuring Dignity and Creating Home” and “Building Teams with Effective Communications.” KABC executive director Mitzi McFatrich will be the presenter.

A training session will be presented at 3 p.m. Oct. 30 at Medicalodges in Eudora. Anyone interested in attending can contact the facility to register.

Kansas Advocates for Better Care, 913 Tenn., Suite 2, is a nonprofit agency that maintains and distributes consumer information about licensed adult care homes in Kansas, and is a one-stop source of extensive information about Kansas nursing homes, assisted living, home plus, residential health care facilities and other licensed adult care homes. For more information visit its website at kabc.org.