Mrs. James' class at Verda Elementary participated in the Smart Bodies program during the 2006-2007 school year.

Grant Parish is a rural parish located in central Louisiana.

Many times we don't consider how important it is to pack our ice-chest safely to ensure that we reduce the risk of food borne illness.

Keeping food safe at picnics or while eating outdoors poses special problems. The major food safety concern is cross-contamination, which occurs when harmful microorganisms from raw meat and poultry are transferred and other ready-to-eat foods from improperly cleaned hands, utensils and cutting boards.

This article contains useful information on preparation and storage of figs. It also contains a fig preserve recipe and the often requested Strawberry-flavored Fig Jam.

Children in day-care centers and schools are taught the importance of hand washing to prevent the spread of germs.