Towels

HAGERSTOWN -- REACH, which provides shelter for the homeless during the cold-weather months, needs supplies for its summer program. The summer shower and laundry program for the homeless is in desperate need of supplies, according to Jodie Stock, executive director of REACH. REACH, which stands for Religious Effort to Assist and Care for the Homeless, is open Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for those services, Stock said. No appointments are necessary, although participants must be homeless, she said.

As July comes to a close, it's time to start thinking about back-to-school shopping. Shopping for your first year of college is a much bigger endeavor than regular back-to-school shopping. When I left for college last summer, I took a whole lot more with me than a backpack full of fresh school supplies. Here are some tips to help you pack for your freshman year. The basics You will need to bring your own bedding, towels, toiletries and other personal items. Most dorms have extra-long twin beds, but if you aren't sure, check with your school.

Grab a big bunch of basil, crumble it between your fingers and take a deep breath of summer. Wouldn't it be wonderful to experience that again when the bitter winds are howling in January? Herbs, which boost flavor and make the simplest dishes special, are easy to preserve. Common culinary types include basil, oregano, chives, dill, tarragon, thyme, mint, rosemary, fennel and parsley. The best time to harvest herbs is in the morning, just after the dew has dried, says Robin Siktberg, horticulturist at The Herb Society of America, based in Kirtland, Ohio.

Dear Lynne: Is my sister imagining things when she says stainless steel gets rid of the smell of garlic and onions on her hands? She says she rubs her hands on a stainless bowl and the smell is gone. -- Deannie in Lincoln Dear Deannie: Try it yourself. It works. Stainless steel can remove the odors of garlic and onions. One chemistry source speculates it's because the sulfur in garlic and onions (which gives them the strong aromas) is attracted to and binds with one or more of the metals in stainless steel, diminishing odors.

When you travel, do you expect to feel right at home? Or do you want to be pampered, spoiled and indulged? (Perhaps that's how you feel at home ....) I don't mind a little comfort, but over-the-top treatment makes me feel a little uncomfortable. At hotels, I still want to make my bed, hang up my towels and keep things somewhat tidy. The hotel employees have enough to do without having to pick up after my family and me. That's why the trend in the hotel industry to reduce housekeeping services, conserve water and become "green" doesn't bother me. Hey, if times are hard and hotels are cutting costs to make ends meet, I understand.

WILLIAMSPORT - The air temperature might have been a little milder than expected for the first day of January, but when 98.6 degrees (people) hit 40 degrees (water), it was quite a shock. Nonetheless, dozens of men, women, children, comic book characters and superheroes participated Monday in the Williamsport Polar Bear Potomac River Plunge 2007. The event began at noon, and was over about 20 seconds later. Started more than 15 years ago by Todd Bowman and some of his friends, the polar bear event has, for the past four years, also been a fundraiser for the Humane Society of Washington County.

Innocent plea entered in Pa. baby case CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - A Chambersburg woman charged with concealing the death of her stillborn infant daughter earlier this year entered a not guilty plea Wednesday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. Autumn N. Flythe, 21, of 144 Hamilton Road, is scheduled to have her case heard during the November trial term, according to the Franklin County District Attorney's Office. The body of the near full-term baby girl was found May 10 in a trash bin behind the Keystone Car Wash, according to Chambersburg police records.

The following food service establishment was inspected by the Washington County Health Department in October and found to have a critical violation that needed to be corrected immediately: Valley Coffee Company, 17301 Valley Mall Road, Hagerstown - creamer was in ice bin with no ice (corrected; ice was added to lower temperature from 51 degrees to 45 or below as required); blender container is cracked and chipped near lid. The following food service establishments were inspected by the Washington County Health Department in October and found to have sanitation violations that must be corrected within 30 days: Fountaindale Elementary School, 901 Northern Ave., Hagerstown - ice buildup in freezer must be removed; floor under shelves in dry storage area must be cleaned.

By DON AINES Staff Writer, Martinsburg MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - The vast majority of calls a 911 dispatcher fields during a shift usually involve bad news and sometimes tragic endings. That wasn't the case Wednesday when Paula Wilson talked a woman through the birth of a healthy baby girl. A Berkeley County dispatcher for more than six years, Wilson was nearing the end of her shift when a woman called in at about 3:25 p.m., telling her a woman she was with was in labor. "She was really nervous, but she did a good job. She followed all the directions," Wilson said.

Jefferson schools get improved bill of health A recent inspection of Jefferson County Schools shows evidence of substantial efforts by maintenance employees, principals, faculty, parents and students to correct environmental deficiencies found during Jefferson County Health Department inspections in the last two years, a county health official said. "It is apparent that a detailed and comprehensive plan of correction was devised, which addressed these deficiencies on a prioritized schedule," James Hecker, chairman of the Jefferson County Board of Health, said in a news release.