On Saturday, September 11th, all of Brown County is invited to take part in the Brown County Emergency Preparedness Fair. The Fair will begin around 9:00 am and will last until 4:00 pm in and around the Adams Street Community Center.

The Brown County Emergency Preparedness Fair will feature information booths, emergency vehicle displays, and live demonstrations from local emergency response agencies. The Fair is open to anyone and everyone who would like to learn more about the area’s local emergency response capabilities or how residents can better prepare and protect their own families in the event of a disaster or serious emergency

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, on Thursday, awarded a grant to Brownwood-based Family Services Center, Inc. that will help Texas parents – specifically those who lack custody – stay involved in their children’s lives. The nonprofit Family Services Center will use the federally-funded grant to promote joint parenting skills and encourage both parents to positively impact their children.

Family Services Center has been approved to receive $30,344 this year, which is about $8000 more than the previous year’s grant according to officials at the center.  Each year since 1997, the center has received a grant from the Attorney General’s office which is a part of the Welfare Reform Act.  These grants are intended to provide early intervention, co-parenting education, alternative dispute resolution, visitation compliance and other skills that may help parents resolve personal differences for the good of their children.

Dr. Gene Howard, known around the world as a John Wayne Impersonator and Entertainer will speak at the senior adult conference, Saturday, September 25.  This conference is for all adults, age 55+ and will be held at the Heart of Texas Baptist Camp at Lake Brownwood .

Guest musicians will be Randy Ethridge family.  The conference is scheduled for 9 am to 2 PM and includes lunch and special interest sessions, such as Dutch oven cooking, quilting, making homemade tamales and bird watching.  The cost is only $10.

Breakfast in the student center will be a new perk for Brownwood High School students in just a few weeks.  Thanks to a grant from General Mills and the America’s Dairy Farmers, a mobile food cart will greet students as they gather prior to class, and hopefully, encourage them to start their day off right.

A mobile breakfast station is the brainchild of BISD School Nutrition Director, Steve Locke.  Only about 100 out of 900 high school students eat breakfast in the cafeteria; which is a very poor percentage according to school officials.

“There’s a mountain of research that shows the positive benefits of eating breakfast,” said Locke.  Among them are higher test scores, more energy, and overall better health.

The Howard Payne University Social Work Advisory Board recently presented the Spirit of Social Work Award to Miriam Rendon-McClendon, of San Antonio.

Rendon-McClendon spent the majority of her career working for the Texas Youth Commission. She is a 1969 graduate of HPU and earned her master’s degree from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio.

“Mrs. Rendon-McClendon was selected based upon her outstanding career and great contributions to the field of social work,” said, Dan Humeniuk, chair of HPU’s social work department and associate professor of social work.

The HPU Social Work Advisory Board is comprised of 11 local individuals who have an interest in the social work profession and HPU.

Colonel Russell O. Fudge, a Pacific War Veteran and the first director of the Douglas MacArthur of Freedom at Howard Payne University, was awarded the Commemorative VJ Day Medal by the VFW Post 3278. The ceremony was held on Thursday, September 2, at the Songbird Lodge in Brownwood.  VJ Day marks the 65th anniversary of the victory over Japan and the end of World War II.

For over 5 years now, the Brownwood area Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leadership Board has been raising the funds and prayerfully preparing the way for the vision of one day calling a full time FCA staff member to serve as an Area Representative to the twenty different schools in Brown, Comanche, Coleman, McCulloch, and Mason counties.

The local FCA Leadership Board has grown to fourteen strong. The influential members of our communities include Kirk and Darlene Wall, Dr. Rick Evans, Kevin Gabaree, Ricky Cavitt, Dr. Carol Boren, Bill and Ann Slaymaker, Stephen Haynes, and Dr. Brad Johnson all of Brownwood, Tracey Carrier and Joe Baucom of Early, Robert Damron of Blanket, and Tony Daniel of Comanche. This past January, the Board began to accept resumes, interview the applicants, and take the next step in bringing a full time FCA employee to the Brownwood area. After an intense hiring process, the Board narrowed down the finalists in April and is pleased to announce their decision in calling Corbin Young to be Brownwood’s first ever FCA Area Representative.

The excitement of the first week of school was heightened at Brownwood Middle School, as 8th graders were issued a new piece of equipment, a Macbook laptop.   249 laptops were checked out to an enthusiastic group of students.

“I already see positive changes,” said Principal, Bryan Allen.

“There is a great sense of pride that the students display for having them.  It's too soon to tell for sure, but I think we're going to have more responsible students, because they want to do everything they can to not lose privileges with the laptops.”

Dr. Mark Denison, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Conroe, Texas, gave the convocation address at Howard Payne University’s Fall Academic Convocation on September 1, 2010. Academic Convocation marks the first chapel service of the 2010-11 school year. Faculty and various administrators donned academic regalia for the service held in Mims Auditorium.

The Brownwood Art Association is getting geared up to have a busy September with events such as the Photography Contest at the Brownwood Reunion, Drawing Classes, and a demonstration by artist Charlotte Taylor.

Tuesday evenings in September drawing classes will be taught by Jeremy Serna.  Classes will be held from 6:00pm-8:00pm at the Art Center at 215 Fisk in downtown Brownwood.  Classes are limited to ten people, so contact Melanie Naylor to register by calling 325-647-8543 or by emailing.   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Bring a sketch pad and pencil.

The Brownwood Art Association will be holding their monthly meeting with demonstrating artist Charlotte Taylor Saturday, September 11 from 1:30pm – 3:30pm.  The meeting will be held at the Art Center 215 Fisk in downtown Brownwood and is free and open to the public!