Collin Hasley, Elaine Hansen and Matt Reterath hold a check for $367.50 to be given to the Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. Photo provided

Austin High School students and staff contributed $367.50 to the Red Cross for relief efforts following Hurricane Sandy.

The Red Cross has served 6 million meals, and has 300 global feeding units and 6,000 volunteers. It provides shelters, meals and clean-up kits.

Austin native receives awards in Twin Cities photo competition

Austin native Nick Adams was recognized by the Twin Cities Professional Photographers Association for excellence in professional photography. Adams entered four prints in the annual competition in which three of the four were awarded blue-ribbon merits. One of Adams’ prints was also honored with the Judges Choice Award in which two judges competed.

A panel of five renowned jurors from across the Midwest selected the top photographs from photographers from the Twin Cities and parts of Iowa and Wisconsin during TCPPA’s annual print competition in Eden Prairie, Minn. Prints were judged against a standard of excellence based on impact, technical excellence, presentation, lighting, creativity, style, composition, color balance, center of interest, technique and storytelling.

Adams will enter again at the district level in February to compete against photographers from all over the upper Midwest.

Screening will celebrate inclusive schools

In celebration of Inclusive Schools Week, the Austin Public Schools Special Education Advisory Council, ARC Mower County and Community Against Bullying have joined to present the film “A World for Inclusion” on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 6:30 p.m. in the Austin Public Library Community Room. All are welcome.

This film is about the 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in particular article 24 on education. Using footage from schools in Kenya, Finland and Turkey, it addresses the situation of children with disabilities worldwide and the importance of getting them into school. It also contains interviews and commentary from stakeholders and experts and some 50 educational resources such as toolkits and policy guidelines.

Inclusive Schools Week, celebrated annually the first week in December, highlights and celebrates the progress schools have made in implementing inclusive practices to ensure a quality education for an increasingly diverse student population.

Spainhower completes Navy’s basic training

Navy Seaman Apprentice Mitchell E. Spainhower, son of Lynn M. Spainhower of Austin, recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill.

During the eight-week program, Spainhower completed training that included classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival, and shipboard and aircraft safety. An emphasis was also placed on physical fitness.

The capstone event of boot camp, “Battle Stations,” gave recruits the skills and confidence they need to succeed in the fleet, and galvanized the basic warrior attributes of sacrifice, dedication, teamwork and endurance in each through the basic Navy skills and the core values of honor, courage and commitment. Its distinctly “Navy” flavor was designed to take into account what it means to be a sailor.

Spainhower is a 2012 graduate of Austin High School.

Learmont finishes Army’s basic training

Army Pvt. Robert W. Learmont has graduated from Basic Combat Training at Fort Sill in Lawton, Okla.

During the nine weeks of training, Learmont studied the Army mission and received instruction and training exercises in drill and ceremonies, Army history, core values and traditions, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid, rifle marksmanship, weapons use, map reading and land navigation, foot marches, armed and unarmed combat, and field maneuvers and tactics.

Learmont is the son of Bill and Bette Schmitz of Adams. He is a 2006 graduate of Southland High School in Adams.