Although fall is the best time to get an influenza shot, it’s not too late to protect yourself and your children from what remains of a particularly severe flu season this year.

To learn more about the 2012-2013 flu season and why it’s still a good idea to be immunized, read the Consumer Update

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm334805.htm.

Nutrition Facts Label: 20 and Evolving

Twenty years ago, the Nutrition Facts Label became a revolutionary addition to food packaging, giving consumers important information about the nutritional content of a food at the point of purchase.

Its impact has been felt around the world because it has been adapted by other countries. The label has influenced companies to make their foods more healthful. And more consumers than ever are referring to the Nutrition Facts Label as they make their food choices.

Learn more about FDA’s online resources to assist consumers in using the label at:

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm334749.htm

Prairie Daughters: Untold stories of Early Women Artists of the Red River Valley

Decades before there was an art scene in the Red River Valley, women of this region used art to express their creativity, document their lives, and share their passion. Known only within their community, these artists’ works have not been seen by the general public for generations. Prairie Daughters: the Art and Lives of Annie Stein and Orabel Throtvedt, an exhibit by the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, tells the untold story of early women artists of Clay County as illustrated by these two women. The exhibit opens January 22 with a reception from 4-6 pm at the Hjemkomst Center. The reception is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served. The ribbon cutting and remarks from the curators of the exhibit and by Executive Director Maureen Kelly Jonason will be at 4 pm.

Although a generation apart, Annie Stein and Orabel Throtvedt shared a common path in life. Both of these women were daughters of homesteaders who felt compelled to document the histories of their families and communities through art and writing. Both never married and chose various media for self-expression. Annie was a self-taught painter who lived in the late 1800’s. She not only painted but composed music and worked with photography. Orabel, on the other hand, grew up in the roaring 1920’s, in a time when women had more freedom with the right to vote. She went off to art school but returned home to forge an art career along the Buffalo River. They were both renaissance women of their time.

Annie and Orabel dispel the myth that there were no artists on the prairie prior to 1960, but their story could have been lost to the history books if not for the preservation efforts of family and local history enthusiasts who treasured their works and memorabilia. Often the works of women artists and indeed the efforts of many women in history have been lost; over-looked due to the assumption that the stories of everyday people were insignificant or not interesting. This exhibit honors the art of the region, the women who made it, and the lives of these women born of the prairie.

Fargo Police Remind

Citizens of Snowmobile Ordinance

FARGO, N.D. (January 14, 2013) – The Fargo Police Department has received multiple complaints regarding snowmobilers riding inside city limits. The Fargo Police Department reminds citizens that City Ordinance 08-1320 provides regulations regarding the use and operation of snowmobiles in the City of Fargo.

The ordinance states snowmobiles may not be operated anywhere in the City of Fargo except on property owned or leased by the operator. The ordinance also places additional restrictions on the operation of snowmobiles in the city limits:

· All operators must be over the age of 16.

· It is unlawful to operate or to permit the operation of a snowmobile anywhere in the City of Fargo prior to 7 a.m. or after 10 p.m. of any day.

· No snowmobile shall be operated with more than one operator and one passenger aboard.

· No snowmobile shall be used to pull any sled, toboggan, flying saucer or any other similar device.

. No snowmobile shall be operated in the City of Fargo without liability insurance.

North Dakota Department of Health Employees Donate to Great Plains Food Bank

Bismarck, N.D. – North Dakota Department of Health employees recently contributed almost 800 pounds of food and more than $400 in cash donations to support the efforts of the Great Plains Food Bank.

At the department’s annual employee meeting held in December, employees brought food items, cleaning supplies, toiletries and cash donations to be donated to the Great Plains Food Bank. According to the Great Plains Food Bank, every $50 donation provides 250 meals to those who need it. The Department of Health collected $445, which will be enough to provide more than 2,200 meals to those in need. That was in addition to the 797 pounds of food and other items collected.

“I am so proud of the generosity shown by North Dakota Department of Health employees,” said State Health Officer Dr. Terry Dwelle. “Department of Health employees work every day to enhance the lives of North Dakotans. This is just one more way to do that and a great way to show our spirit of giving.”

The Great Plains Food Bank’s mission is to end hunger through community partnerships. They are the largest hunger-relief organization in North Dakota and serve as the state’s only food bank. Great Plains Food Bank works with community partners including hundreds of food industry donors and charitable feeding programs, and thousands of volunteers and financial supporters.

For more information, contact Stacy Eberl, Public Information Officer, North Dakota Department of Health, at 701.328.4619 or sleberl@nd.gov.