According to Johnson, vending machines can serve carbonated beverages, but only an hour after the lunch period, and the vending machine cannot contain more than 50 percent carbonated beverages. The revision brings the high school into the “advanced” state guideline, Johnson said.

Next year, the district will adopt the “exemplary” level, and there will be no carbonated drinks in any vending machines that are accessed by students, Johnson said.

The changes come after a recent report by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ranked Kansas as the 16th most obese state in the nation. The 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey also found that 12.4 percent of Kansas high school students were obese, another 13.1 percent were overweight and only 27.8 percent were physically active at least 60 minutes a day.

The group, which was developed by Garden City, Finney County, Holcomb and Garden City Community College, has requested a $631,000 increase in combined funding; from $214,000 to a requested $845,000 for 2011.

According to Depperschmidt, in the past four years the organization has helped create 429 jobs, helped 517 local businesses expand and helped bring in $108 million in capital investment dollars to the area.

Voters have voted twice against proposed sales tax increases to more permanently fund economic development for the area.

Below are links to related Telegram stories as well as two Telegram editorials and a column written by Depperschmidt regarding the budget request.

Related stories:

• FCEDC request more than quadruples
• FCEDC ups city funding request
• Telegram: FCEDC Surge
• Satler: Fuel support with details
• Depperschmidt: Community must move forward

Mesa is the city’s longest tenured commissioner, having served since 1999, and has been appointed mayor three times.

He discusses what steps the commission goes through during the budgeting process, how the commission deals with cultural issues in such a diverse community and how citizens can become more involved in their local government through everything from sitting on an advisory board to helping to determine the budget through the Capital Improvement Plan.

In part two, we talk with strings instructor Doug Beyer, who is one of five faculty members whose contracts will not be renewed next school year.

Beyer shares his thoughts on the cuts from a faculty member’s perspective and also discusses the importance of the arts in a community.

In part one, we talk with GCCC President Carol Ballantyne and trustee Della Brandenburger about what areas are being cut.

President Ballantyne lays out two budget scenarios and the proposed cuts for each outcome. She also discusses what non-personnel cuts have been made in past years, and what the process was for deciding what programs would be cut for next year’s budget.

Over the last three years, the WKCAC has seen a 158 percent increase in the number of requests for services that the center offers. Robbins attributes this to both the economic downturn, which also sees rises in the rates of domestic violence, and an increase in the coverage area that they serve, with the establishment of mobile units in February 2007.

Robbins also shares warning signs that may occur if a child has been abused, and tips for what steps to take if you think a child abuse has occured.

The central plains region requires 500 donors each day to supply 100+ area hospitals. Across the United States, 38,000 units are needed each day. One unit of blood is equal to a pint, and can be separated into several components to help save the lives of several people.

For more information, visit www.gardencityredcross.org or call (800) 448-3543.