Lifesteps was awarded a $3,000 grant from the Armstrong County Community Foundation in support of Lifesteps' developmental Child Check screening program.Lifesteps has been offering free developmental Child Check screenings in Armstrong County for more than 20 years. Available for all children from birth to age 5, Lifesteps' developmental screeners evaluate children in the areas of playing, talking, seeing, hearing, moving and thinking. Lifesteps' Child Check team also utilizes a screening tool specific to autism that is available for children birth to age 3.To schedule a Child Check appointment or for more information about these programs, call Lifesteps at 800-225-1010 or log on to www.lifesteps.net.———

Jessica Spafford of Chicora, a 2007 graduate of Karns City High School, will perform in scenes from "The Marriage of Figaro," "The Medium," "The Ballad of Baby Doe," "Riders to the Sea" and other classic operas when students take to the stage for performances Nov. 7 through 9 at Ohio Wesleyan University.Spafford is a sophomore at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, where she is majoring in voice performance. In high school, she played Belle in "Beauty and the Beast" and Fantine in "Les Miserables." At Ohio Wesleyan, she has been an active member of the Opera Theatre Workshop and Choral Arts Society.She also is involved in the Newman (Catholic) Community and honors programs on campus.———

Alex Manalo of Valencia was named as a 2008-09 Pittsburgh CLO Mini Star. Mini Stars have appeared in numerous productions for Pittsburgh CLO, the Pittsburgh Opera, the Pittsburgh Playhouse, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater and the Pittsburgh Public Theater.The CLO Mini Stars perform full-scale revues of Broadway shows for private and public events throughout the region. In addition, the Mini Stars have been featured performers at Gov. Ed Rendell's Inauguration, Walt Disney World's Epcot Center and in numerous CLO productions.———In observance of National Fire Safety Month, the

Portersville-Prospect Rotary Club distributed through the Portersville Food Pantry two smoke alarms each to 75 families.There is a 50 percent reduction in fire fatalities with smoke alarms in the home. However, most people do not know the life expectancy of a smoke alarm is 10 years, even when changing the batteries every six months as recommended.Smoke alarms were present in 58 percent of fatal residential structure fires, but only operational in 37 percent of those fatal fires.There will be a major campaign by Rotary clubs in the area in March to coincide with Rotary's theme, "Make Dreams Real."The club will participate by supplying more smoke alarms as needed, as well as replacement batteries.———A grant award was presented to

The Greater Cranberry Barbershop Chorus, represented by David Sheehy, Oct. 21 at the Barrow Civic Theater in Franklin. The award was given by Ronnie Beith, executive director of the Venango Center for Creative Development, a program of the Pennsylvania Council On The Arts.For more information about the chorus, call Jim Sams at 724-321-2970.———Winners at the Butler Duplicate Bridge Club Oct. 23 were:Tied for first:

Clem Rosenberger and

Don Toy,

Ray Kramer and

Alex BeallesThird:

Lorraine Worsley and

Bob Freemon.