Sickle cell program encourages blood donation to fight disease

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Published: December 21, 2008

MISSOURI

SICKLE CELL PROGRAM ENCOURAGES BLOOD DONATION TO FIGHT DISEASE

ST. LOUIS — Sickle cell researchers in St. Louis say they’ve significantly increased blood donations to fight the disease with appeals targeted at predominantly black church congregations in the city. Michael DeBaun, a sickle-cell disease specialist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, launched Sickle Cell Sabbath and blood donation drives five years ago at 13 predominantly black churches in St. Louis. Of the nearly 700 donors who participated in blood drives, 422, or 60 percent, were first-time donors.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City’s Union Station is getting a new director to help the struggling facility. The station’s board of directors on Thursday appointed former American Royal CEO George Guastello to replace station director Andi Udris. Board Chairman Mike Haverty and Vice Chairman Bob Regnier said the station has accomplished much since Udris took over in 2005. But they said the historic 1914 depot continues having trouble generating revenue and needs to go in a different direction to keep its doors open.

WORK TO BEGIN TO RECOVER BARGE

ST. LOUIS — Operations were expected to begin Friday to recover a small barge that sank near Alton, Ill., north of St. Louis. The barge was a support vessel for Dredge Dubuque. It sank Wednesday on the Mississippi River near the Melvin Price Locks and Dam. Dredge Dubuque is from the Army Corps of Engineers’ St. Paul district. No one was aboard the barge when it sank. The vessel arrived at the site on Monday, where it was to remain for the winter.

KANSAS

UNIVERSITY SUES CLOTHING STORE

LAWRENCE, Kan. — The University of Kansas has renewed its trademark fight with a Lawrence clothing store it says is illegally selling Jayhawk-themed T-shirts. A federal jury in July determined Joe-College.com owner Larry Sinks and screen printer Clark Orth "willfully infringed” the university’s trademarks on such T-shirts. Jurors ordered the defendants to pay $127,000 to the school and said around 50 designs were infringing. An attorney for Sinks said there has been confusion over which designs are now off-limits. But university officials said Sinks is clearly violating the jury’s decision.

From Wire Services