Exchange student hosts sought

Hosts are being south by a not-for-profit high school exchange organization, CIEE, which brings high school students from around the world to the United States to spend one or two semesters with a host family.

Host families are single people, empty nesters and couples with or without children. CIEE students speak English and arrive in August with the appropriate visa, medical insurance and spending money. Information is available calling 573-979-0379 or emailing burnsliz517@gmail.com or visitingciee.org/highschool/host to begin host application. Hosts are sought in the Cape Public Schools; Poplar Bluff, Perryville and St. Genevieve, Mo.; the Kelly schools; and Notre Dame Regional High School and Saxony Lutheran High School.

Blood donation locations set

Blood-donation opportunities in Southeast Missouri have been announced by the American Red Cross, as follows:

Madison County

* April 15 from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Marquand Zion High School.

* April 15 from 2 to 7 p.m. at Knights of Columbus.

* April 17 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fredericktown High School.

Perry County

* April 18 from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church Perryville, 416 N. Main St. in Perryville.

* April 28 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at St. Vincent High School, 210 S. Waters St. in Perryville.

Scott County

* Monday from 1 to 6 p.m. at Scott City Elementary School.

* Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Sikeston Factory Outlet Stores.

* April 14 from 1 to 6 p.m. at Oran High School.

* April 26 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sikeston Factory Outlet Stores.

Stoddard County

* Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Puxico High School.

Cape Girardeau County

* April 21 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Southeast Health, 1701 Lacey St. in Cape Girardeau.

* April 21 from noon 4 p.m. at Southeast Health, 1701 Lacey St. in Cape Girardeau.

* April 21 from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Cape Girardeau County Administrative Offices, 1 Barton Square in Jackson.

* April 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Southeast Missouri State University Alpha Epsilon Delta, One University Plaza in Cape Girardeau.

* April 25 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Notre Dame Regional High School, 265 Notre Dame Drive in Cape Girardeau.

* April 29 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Southeast Missouri State University Dempster Hall, 814 N. Henderson St. in Cape Girardeau.

* April 29 from noon to 5 p.m. at Southeast Missouri State University Towers Residence Hall, 1000 Towers Circle in Cape Girardeau.

More information and appointment scheduling are available at redcrossblood.org or 1-800-Red Cross (733-2767).

Circus coming to Jackson

The Kelly Miller Circus will take over City Park in Jackson on Wednesday with performances at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. The free "big top" tent-raising -- featuring the circus elephants -- will take place at approximately 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Discount tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for children, and may be purchased online at kellymillercircus.com and from 9 a.m. until noon the day of the performances. Tickets purchased at the gate are $15 for adults and $7 for children. The circus features performances by elephants, zebras, tigers and llamas and acts by aerial ballerinas, contortionists, jugglers, trapeze and high-wire artists, clowns and more.

Church presents 'Barabbas'

Christ Church of the Heartland will present an Easter production, "Barabbas," at the church, 720 Bertling St. in Cape Girardeau. It is a mixed-media production that blends live stage and film. Admission is free. Performances are at 7 p.m. April 18 and 19 and at 10 a.m. Easter Sunday, April 20.

Oral cancer screenings offered

Because April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month, Ruopp & Ruopp DDS PC, 181 Broadway in Cape Girardeau, will be offering free oral cancer screenings by appointment. The screenings are open to the general public as well as existing patients of the office.

This advanced screening, a $37 value, and is a step up from the manual and visual oral cancer screenings Ruopp & Ruopp provides to all patients at preventive and comprehensive evaluations. Oral cancer is not a rare disease. Approximately 43,250 people in the United States will be diagnosed with oral cancer every year. More information is available at oralcancer.org. Appointments may be made by calling AT 573.334.8884

Tourney set for Wounded Soldier foundation

Openings for teams and sponsorships remain for the sixth annual U.S. Wounded Soldier Golf Tournament will be May 23 at the Cape Girardeau Country Club. The event is sponsored by Premier Rehab Physical Therapy in Cape Girardeau.

The first 32 teams will be accepted, and sponsorships range from $25 to $1,500. The cost for a team of four players is $500. The foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 organization, has as its mission to provide for the needs of U.S. combat veterans who were deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan; donations are tax deductible.

More information about the tournament is available by contacting Summer Riney, 573-382-4051 or riney6@gmail.com. Information about the foundation is available at uswoundedsoldiers.com.

Public Health Week activities

In recognition of National Public Health Week, the Cape Girardeau County Public Heath Center is hosting a health fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. It will take place in Conference Room B of the center, 1121 Linden St. and will include giveaways and a drawing for attendance prizes.

Free blood-pressure checks will be offered

In addition, there will be information on strokes and heart attacks; poison prevention; immunization for babies, children, adolescents and adults; chronic pain management; communicable diseases; emergency preparedness; and more. Southeast HEALTH will provide information on diabetes, and Rural Health Clinics with information on primary health care services for children.