WINNEMUCCA — Promoters of exercise, nutrition, safety and wellness check-ups gathered at the Convention Center on Saturday for the Winnemucca Host Lions Club Health & Safety Fair. The event was made possible through community participation and the sponsorships of the American Red Cross, Newmont, and Renown Medical Center. Mayzin, age 6, shown left, stopped in at the National Weather Service booth where he had a fine time with the tornado demonstration.  NWS representatives were on hand to remind residents spring storms can bring flash flooding, which motorists should avoid driving through.  Interesting fact: the NWS does not issue  warnings for lightning storms. The sound of thunder is the warning it's time to take shelter.

Trooper Sue Rivas, of the Nevada Highway Patrol, spoke to visitors about safe driving habits and the dangers of distracted driving.  While everyone knows the dangers of drinking and driving, some drivers haven't gotten the message that texting and driving are a dangerous combination.  Fatigued drivers are also a danger -- to themselves and their families.  People who would never drink alcohol then strap their kids in for a drive need to understand that driving while tired can be just as dangerous.  Rivas advised motorists to get plenty of sleep before a road trip and to plan their trips carefully to include time for a break about every two hours.  She also advised those on road trips to avoid food high in carbs or sugary drinks, which can cause motorists to be sleepy once the sugar-high wears off.   

Betty Spencer, shown left, and Coleen Toland, shown right, look on while Jessica Toland shows off her T-shirt with the Curves motto:  Friends don't let friends skip Curves.  Locals who have been meaning to stop in and join should know now's the time as Curves is sponsoring their 12th Annual Food Drive and potential new members who stop in with a bag of groceries for the food drive are eligible for a discount. All the food collected goes to the local food bank.  Good for you and good for the community is win-win.  The food drive is open to all who would like to drop off ready-to-eat meals.

Junk-food addicts beware! The information at the HGH Wellness Booth could make  it harder to consume the cheeseburger, fries and soda you might usually have for lunch.  Addressing the issue of nutrition was Wellness Coordinator Melissa House, shown above promoting fitness and diet with Nicole Maher.  Helping Melissa out was Adam House, shown below, demonstrating just how much sugar could be in a big bottle of soda.  Melissa advised visitors to the Wellness booth to keep an eye on that serving size -- or get more sugar than you bargained for. 

When it comes to DIY projects,  the Winnemucca Community Garden wants you to know the food you grow yourself is better tasting and better for you -- especially if you go organic.  Katherine, shown right, held up a little potato and asked just how many pounds of potatoes can you grow from this little potato?  Each potato eye can produce a plant, so that little potato can produce the bag that Louisa, shown left, is holding. Organically-grown food just taste better, too, as Gary Wilson, below, learned when he took the WCG's taste test. 

Bureau of Land Management Rangers Randy Reader, shown right, and John Maurer, shown left, were part of a team of BLM personnel on hand with multiple off-road vehicles they use for patrol and rescue.  The off-road enforcement vehicles included the buggy, shown immediately behind the rangers, which is a combination patrol and rescue buggy. They also brought along the jeep, a pick-up truck and two 4-wheelers available for enforcement on the public lands.  Just behind the off-road vehicles is the trailer that carries the buggy, but it can also be used as incident command at desert events, such as Burning Man.  Reader said he thought it was important the public know what kind of capabilities the BLM hat their disposal.