Category Archives: Ascension

2.5M / $3.4M investment round led by the Ascension Life Fund, with participation from Trifork, Hambro Perks, and R42 Group to fund ExSeeds expansion.

Seed-stage funding completed at the 5M / $6.8M mark.

With >95% accuracy versus certified laboratory equipment, ExSeeds CE-certified home sperm testing kit offers accurate diagnostics equivalent to traditional fertility clinics.

Users receive a fertility score directly on their smartphone within minutes alongside a live video of their sperm sample.

The test eliminates the need for men to attend a doctors surgery, clinic, or hospital facility, which is particularly useful while access to some medical services is restricted during the on-going Covid-19 pandemic.

ExSeed sells both directly to consumers and collaborates with leading clinics to help treat patients at home.

+4x revenue growth since December 2020

More than 10,000 tests carried out on ExSeeds platform as of December 2021

February 2022, London, UK: ExSeed Health, the pioneering male fertility startup, today announces that it has closed a 2.5M / $3.4M seed extension round, led by Ascension and with participation from Trifork, Hambro Perks, and R42 Group. The investment will drive further European expansion and is a step forward in ExSeeds mission to tackle rising male infertility.

This is the latest investment from the Ascension Life Fund, a specialist health tech fund and brings the total Seed-stage investment in ExSeed to more than 5/$6.8 million. The investment comes after ExSeed has maintained average month-on-month sales growth rates of more than 20% in 2021 and quadrupled their sales since December 2020 thanks to equal growth in DTC and BTB. They also have an undisclosed partnership with a large fertility industry player.

British Standards Institute (BSI) approved ExSeeds state-of-the-art, smartphone-based sperm testing kit last year, clinically validating it as an in vitro diagnostic medical device. Successful CE certification of ExSeeds device highlighted huge steps being made in the at-home health tech sector, validating it for use across the European Economic Area and guaranteeing patients over 95% accuracy, bringing it in line with accuracy offered by traditional fertility clinics. The at-home test doesnt require users to attend a doctors surgery, clinic, or hospital facility and it comes with a lifestyle intervention program that has shown highly promising health improvement rates.

Story continues

Morten G. Ulsted, Co-founder and CEO of ExSeed, comments: This funding round is critically important for us and our mission to improve the treatment paradigm for male infertility and tackle the social stigma often attached. By allowing men to test, and potentially improve their fertility, in the comfort of their own home, ExSeed is helping to break taboos and raise awareness around male infertility. Moving forward, we see plenty of opportunities to work with relevant healthcare partners throughout Europe and beyond, like the NHS and private fertility clinics, with an ExSeed test being the first step on a patients wider fertility journey.

zgr Tuncer, Partner Ascension Life Fund, says: ExSeed has an exciting technology that addresses a real need in the fertility market and they have established strong partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies in the fertility space. They have a strong team and science which has been proven and we are really excited for them to be part of the Ascension Life Fund."

Dominic Perks, Co-Founder and CEO at Hambro Perks, says: Our investment in ExSeed demonstrates our ongoing confidence in the future of health tech. Male infertility is a growing problem that affects millions of men around the world, but remains largely taboo. We hope that ExSeeds vision and mission to tackle this problem will improve the lives of millions of couples who struggle to conceive every year. We look forward to helping ExSeed continue to expand and working with the team to build this truly innovative health-tech platform.

Declining fertility rates are amongst the most pressing health concerns for men across the world and according to the NHS, infertility affects 3.5 million people in the UK alone. In addition, sperm counts are almost half the level they were 40 years ago.

Some of the largest contributing factors to these declining fertility rates include the modern western diet, typified by a high intake of calories, processed meat and dairy, added fat, and sugary snacks; alongside other modern vices including smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, a sedentary lifestyle, and pollution.

ExSeeds testing kit marries the powerful camera capabilities of modern smartphones with sophisticated, cloud-based analysis, providing patients with a live view of their sperm sample directly on their screen and highly accurate quantitative analysis of their sperm concentration and motility in just 3-5 minutes. The results are paired with additional behavioural and diet data to generate a bespoke lifestyle program that helps would-be dads improve their sperm quality over a 90-day period.

Each kit arrives with at least two tests, meaning users can track and improve their results over a number of testing cycles, while the ExSeed app, available on iOS and Android, presents the opportunity to discuss the results and ongoing concerns with professional fertility doctors with exportable reports. A local clinic recommendation is then issued, should it be needed or requested.

With teams in both London and Copenhagen, ExSeed has a research-led approach and works alongside leading bodies within the medical community, including partnering with several leading institutions, such as the European Sperm Bank, the University of Copenhagen, and a range of clinics.

The ExSeed app is available to download now for both iOS and Android users and the at-home testing kit can be ordered directly via the website: http://www.exseedhealth.com.

ENDS

About ExSeed

Formed in 2017, ExSeed is a pioneer in the male fertility space, which has developed a state-of-the-art device, enabling men to test, analyse, and improve their sperm quality from the comfort of their own home. ExSeed has developed advanced technologies which, in conjunction with doctors and clinics, will have a hugely positive impact on the treatment of male infertility worldwide.

The innovative ExSeed device is compatible with most smartphones and enables men to see their sperm in real-time. ExSeed users are also offered easy, online access to fertility specialists and a personalised and scientifically researched lifestyle intervention program, helping them to understand their health and fertility status, as well as how to improve both.

The company was founded by Emil Andersen, Morten G. Ulsted, and Daniel Daugaard-Jensen, all of whom bring a wealth of health and biopharmaceuticals experience, as well as a passion for improving male fertility.

About Ascension Life Fund The Ascension Life Fund is a specialist early-stage EIS fund focusing on the UK HealthTech and Life Science sectors. The fund combines the domain expertise of the investment team and advisors with Ascensions reputation, operational experience, and track record. Since launching in January, the fund has made five investments, including Novai (a retinal biomarker for the early detection of eye disease), Stablepharma (vaccine stabilisation technology), Pangaea Data (AI/ML to extract intelligence from health data), MedAll (training and certification for healthcare professionals), and ExSeed Health.

Media Contacts:

For ExSeed Ben KellyHead of Marketing+44 7786 036361bk@exseedhealth.com

Ascension Life Fund:Caspar BarrieMarketing Lead, Ascensioncaspar@ascension.vc+44 7837478861

For Hambro Perks:Catherine ArmstrongDirector of CommunicationsCatherine.Armstrong@HambroPerks.com+44 7398 003302

Attachment

Read the original post:

Male fertility startup ExSeed Health secures further seed funding led by the Ascension Life Fund - Yahoo Finance

It was at a modest house in the Toronto suburb of Don Mills where Jay Woodcroft first dreamed of a future in the NHL, and ideally with the Oilers.

He was often the goaltender in mini-stick games, armed with a catchers mitt to defend couch cushions splayed out over a coffee table that acted as a makeshift net. Older brother Todd usually served as the shooter in the indoor battles.

They envisioned they were players from the dynastic Oilers of the 1980s. It was a fantasy land in every sense, including charts and spreadsheets as they tabulated all the stats for each Oilers player they were pretending to be.

We would keep track of it, Todd said. We were really, really involved in this.

Woodcrofts grand illusions when he faced off against his brother were to one day star on the ice, of course. However, it was the work he did with a pencil and paper after the sticks were down that provided a truer glimpse into the future.

Woodcroft organized, detailed and a copious notetaker then as he is now became the Oilers latest coach last Thursday when he replaced Dave Tippett.

The new bench boss is tasked with turning around a team with two of the NHLs signature superstars that was in first place two and a half months ago but has been sinking like an anchor basically ever since.

Its a tall task for someone whos never run an NHL bench. His boss feels hes well equipped to handle the challenge.

Link:

Jay Woodcroft's ascension to Oilers head coach is more than a dream come true: 'Winning is a skill' - The Athletic

It started with an idea and some seeds.

Dan Czaplewski, the pastor at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, asked his neighbors about what change they wanted to see in the community. Those who lived near the church, located in Sherman Park at 2862 N. 53rd St., said they were concerned about crime, jobs and kids having something to do.

Soon, that turned their mantra into reality: growing people by growing vegetables.

Czaplewski, who goes by Pastor Dan, started recruiting young people from the community to serve as interns for urban farming. The goal was to give kids an outlet for a brighter future.

We really want our interns to have some agency, Czaplewksi said. I ask the kids, Whats your passion? What do you want to see better in your community?

Starting out modestly, the biggest challenge was finding space.

Then, in 2018, it all began to come together. Looking for community partners, Pastor Dan found a plot of land at 4900 W. Burleigh St., just in the shadow of Ascension St. Joseph hospital. He was able to lease the space for $10 a month.

Ascension would later become a partner for the program, lending space at Ascension All Saints Family Center, 2400 W. Villard Ave. The field is nicknamed St. Mikes Farm, as it stands where St. Michaels Hospital used to.

Ascension also provided funding for some projects, including a greenhouse at the health center finished in April, paid for by a $100,000 grant from the Ascension All Saints Foundation.

Its been a great partnership, Czaplewski said. You cant farm without land.

The farms provided 1,700 pounds of fresh produce in 2021, roughly double the amount from the previous year, as part of a program called Farm to Hospital and Community. Going to farmers markets, food pantries and local businesses, such as the Upstart Kitchen, the food produced by the farms is intentionally meant to provide fresh produce in areas affected by food insecurity.

In past years, it also provided food directly to the cafeteria at St. Joseph hospital.

Direct access

Patients at the health center are also given direct access to the fresh foods.

The health center had a patient who came in with no food whatsoever in the house with a family, kids, Czaplewski said. They came out and said Hey, can we pick some stuff? We said, Of course, thats what its there for. We fixed her up with a box of vegetables to take home to her family. Right place, right time.

Jenny Ovide, community medicine clinical coordinator at Ascension All Saints Family Health Center, said the health center serves as a hub for the community. Improvements to it in recent years have included a running track, a test kitchen and a classroom. The kitchen and classroom function as places for patients to exercise, learn how to prepare meals and to get educated.

In the summer, kids will be out riding their bikes and Ill be in the garden, Ovide said. Theyll come over and Ill say you want to taste one of our tomatoes? That is a gift truly for the community.

Ovide, who also goes by Nurse Jenny, said those participating in the health centers medical residency program, which provides experience for new doctors, also take part in the program. In some cases, they go out and tend the fields themselves. In others, they sit down with a family in the centers test kitchen at the end of a series of cooking classes.

There is really nothing more spiritual than sharing a meal, Ovide said. It puts the doctors and nurses on the same level with the people. It takes them away from being the doctor in the coat to the community.

Ben Juech, board secretary for the Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church Community Development Corporation, said kids get to see something grow from start to finish.

These kids walk into a fallow field, so to speak, and see something grow over the summer and cultivate it its really something special, Juech said.

For Czaplewski, the farm work goes beyond just a few life lessons.

There is dignity to the work. There is empowerment to a paycheck, but there is also something psychological, emotional and even spiritual about working the land, Czaplewski said.

In case you missed it: A harvest of riches: Meet some of Milwaukees finest urban farmers

Read more here:

A partnership between a church and Ascension Wisconsin is feeding residents on Milwaukee's North Side - Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

The Y on Patrick Grahams Yale letterman jacket always begged the questions. Why would he try coaching? And once he finally did give it a shot, others would ask why he wasnt on Wall Street.

Charlie Weis often indelicately put that question to Graham, the Raiders new defensive coordinator, when he hired him as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame in 2007.

He got the tough treatment, the same that I got when I first got my shot, Weis, Notre Dames head coach from 2005 to 2009, said in a phone interview. I wanted to find out whether or not he could do it. It only took a few months to figure out he was going to be one of the good guys. He went to Yale, and he had not only smarts but football smarts. And if your first impression was that he was reserved and professorial, he was a grinder and he was never intimidated.

And he could really get on the players on the practice field. He looked like he was losing his mind at times, but the players all respected him.

Notre Dame was Grahams third stop, after a reluctant entry into the profession following his playing career at Yale. By then, Graham had fallen in love with being around a team and making players better. Now, he is in Las Vegas, where he has inherited an improved defense on a 10-7 team, and hes not wasting any time.

Graham knew what Maxx Crosby had been hearing, so he called his new defensive end right after taking the job as his coordinator last Friday.

The first thing he said was: Stop hearing all this noise about 3-4, 4-3 (alignments).

See original here:

Belief and trust: The ascension of new Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham - The Athletic

New research from the University of Texas Dell Medical School could help change the way strokes are treated.

Dr. Steven Warach, a Dell Medical School neurology professor and director of the stroke program at Ascension Seton hospitals, analyzed the treatment of 9,000 people from 25 stroke networks, including at Ascension Seton hospitals in Austin, as well as hospitals in Los Angeles, North Carolina, New Zealand and Australia.

Warach and his teamlooked at data to see if giving the clot-busting medicationtenecteplase after a stoke instead of the standard medication alteplase ledto any adverse side effects. His team found that people treated with tenecteplase had about 50% fewer hemorrhages as a side effect than people treated with alteplase.

"It's not just as good as, but it's even safer," Warach said.

Waranch is presenting the findings at this week's American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference in New Orleans.

Life after stroke: Marine brings combat, stroke recovery lessons into role as Lakeway hospital chaplain

The two medications are very similar and even made by the same manufacturer, Genentech, but the newer tenecteplase is a genetically engineered variant of alteplase that can be given more efficiently. Tenecteplase is a five-second injection instead of a one-hour intravenous infusion that alteplase requires.

"It reduced the time it takes to get the medicine into the patient once they arrive at the hospital," Warach said.

With a stroke, there is a 4-hour window from the start of symptoms to get these medications into a patient to minimize the stroke's long-term effects. Classic symptoms for stroke spell out the word FAST: Face drooping or numbness, Arm weakness or inability to equally raise both arms, Speech difficulty (slurring speech, can't speak or difficult to understand), and Time to call 911. Other symptoms include severe headache, numbness or weakness in the leg, confusion, trouble seeing or blurred vision, trouble walking or loss of balance or dizziness.

Heart health: Put down the coconut oil, red wine in new heart health dietary guidelines

Tenecteplaseis also an easier medication to give at surrounding hospitals before a patient can be transferred to a major stroke center for care.

Alteplase has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use with an ischemic stroke, which is the most common type and is caused by a blood clot in the artery blocking blood flow to the brain. Tenecteplase has only been approved for use in breaking up clots after a heart attack.

Warach's researchcan't be used to bring to the FDA for consideration because it's real-world data instead of a clinical trial. Three larger clinical trials are being done now to address efficacy and safetyand are expected to have results in a year or two, Warach said. "I expect they are going to confirm what we have seen in practice," he said.

Warach also has done a cost analysis on the two medications, and he said giving tenecteplase saves about $2,500 from alteplase mainly because of the difference in the cost of the medications. Even though tenecteplase is not FDA authorized for this use, Warach said he has not had any trouble with insurance providers covering it.

Warach said he wanted to do this research of bringing real-world data together so that doctors who have been waiting for more data about the safety of tenecteplase versus alteplase would have it.

Winter weather: Is your heart ready for winter? Tips for protecting yourself during cold weather

Warach's current study looked at stroke data from July 2018 to June 2021. Ascension Setonhospitals in Austin began using tenecteplase for strokesin September 2019 after looking at data from five smaller studies that found it to be as effective as alteplase at preventing long-term disabilitiesthree months after the stroke.

One study found that when tenecteplase was given in preparation for surgery to remove a blood clot that was causing a stroke, the medication would dissolve the clot on its own. This helped persuade Ascension Seton hospitals to give tenecteplase as an off-label medication for strokes instead of the FDA-approved-for-strokealteplase.

Warach previously put together data from five smallerclinical trials about tenecteplase's use in strokes and presented that research at last year's stroke conference.

Cardiac care: COVID-19 and heart problems: Cardiologist talks prevention, lasting effects for cardiac patients

See the article here:

Dell Medical School at the University of Texas researches stroke medication tenecteplase - Austin American-Statesman

Ascension Parish Registrar of Voters Shanie Bourg expects to be asking parish government officials for more money to finish renovations and expansions of her offices in Gonzales and Donaldsonville to better accommodate in-person early voting.

Bourg also told parish officials in a recent presentation that promised programs to expand voter registration to nursing homes and assisted living centers were put on hold last year.

COVID-19 concerns with vulnerable residents, as well as a state audit and other matters, led to the program delays, but at least some of them will be restarted this year, she said.

Bourg is a former Louisiana Secretary of State elections administrator who is in her first year as Ascension registrar. She took over from Robert Poche', the longtime registrar who retired in early 2021.

Bourg also said she plans to hire a new chief deputy who has experience with handling paper ballots and another civil service employee.

She suggested that having experience with paper ballots will come in handy when the state buys new voting machines.

Bourg said state law requires they incorporate paper ballots.State officials are current discussing their options for new machines.

Bourg, an Ascension native, has been adding paint and floors to her Gonzales office at the old courthouse annex on Irma Boulevard and trying to expand or reorganize both offices for early voting, she says.

Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today.

But the cost of furniture and building materials have gone up since last year. Bourg informed the Parish Council on Thursday, Feb. 3, that the $60,000 that she had set aside this year for her Gonzales office renovation won't be enough.

While Bourg told the council in a virtual meeting she is still working on the numbers, her presentation materials estimated the cost of expanding areas at the Gonzales office for early voting could run $15,000 to $20,000.

In Donaldsonville, Bourg is trying to repurpose a room in the next-door assessor's office and use it for early voting.

Unlike the Gonzales renovation, the work at this historic courthouse in Donaldsonville won't involve paint or new floors just new furniture to reorganize the entire office.

The room in the assessor's office is connected to the registrar's office by a door that had been blocked with furniture and cabinets, according to a slide presentation Bourg delivered to the council.

"I dont think it's going cost a whole lot just to put some new furniture in here to make it accessible for voters to access that room," she said.

For early voting currently, machines are tucked into one corner of registrar's small Donaldsonville office.

Bourg said she expected to make a formal presentation of her budget request to the council in a coming Finance Committee meeting.

Go here to see the original:

Ascension registrar: Office renovations, expansions for early voting costing more than expected - The Advocate

What:My Ascension Tour with Emma Benoit in person

(the event will include an introduction by Emma, showing of the "My Ascension" film, and a panel discussion with Emma, local mental health advocates, counselors, and medical professionals.

When: Sunday, Feb. 6 from 2 to 5 pm

Where: Willmar Education and Arts Center

A suicide attempt left 16-year-old varsity cheerleader, Emma Benoit, paralyzed, but propelled her on a mission to use her painful experience to help others find hope, and shine more light on the fact that 20 young people die every day by suicide in the United States.

My Ascension is a feature length documentary that chronicles Emma's inspiring journey and quest to walk again, as she works to bring Hope Squad, a school-based suicide prevention program, to Louisiana. The film also highlights the stories of two remarkable young people who tragically did not survive their attempts, and we learn first-hand from their families, friends, school officials and suicide prevention experts about the devastating effects of suicide and what can be done to prevent it.

A collaborative effort between Wings of Hope (Willmar), Smiles for Jake (Brainerd), and The Heart and Mind Connection (Anoka), is bringing My Ascension and Emma to Minnesota February 5-10, 2022. All three nonprofits share a common vision: to bring hope, mental health awareness, and suicide prevention efforts to our communities.

The tour is intended to provide inspiration and information to our school-age kids and their families as well as community members. Acknowledging that were all affected by mental health is the first step to affecting change. And the fact that our youth are being directly affected by mental health issues and recent suicides is cause for alarm. The intent is to start discussions, open the door for support, and bring hope to families who care and love those who are struggling.

Read more:

My Ascension Tour with Emma Benoit in Person - KWLM (Willmar Radio)

MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) The omicron surge continues to put local hospitals in a tailspin. Now, doctors are seeing a rise in blood clots in patients suffering with COVID-19.

Where you land during an emergency could make the difference between life and death as one Macomb County woman found out when her life was on the line.

At the end of 2021 Christina Peak, a nurse, was not working. Three months pregnant, she found herself short of breath and feeling like she was running on a treadmill when she was only sitting.

I said my heart should not be beating that fast, Peak said.

Without health insurance and afraid of a big bill, she stayed home hoping she would feel better but instead, she fainted.

I said, you got to call 911. I said, something is not right, Peak said.

After passing out two more times, paramedics arrived. Her oxygen level and heart rate were low. She had pulmonary embolisms in both lungs and at risk of death.

I remember my niece hitting me and saying, Tee Tee, wake up, wake up. It's going to be OK, waking up, Peak said.

They raced her to Ascension Macomb-Oakland where Dr. Theodore Schreiber says they have pioneered brand innovative technology to deal with blood clots on the lungs.

How major of a case was hers?" WXYZs Carolyn Clifford asked Dr. Schreiber.

It was a very major case. Anytime someone has had a pulmonary embolism, has episodes where they faint and lost consciousness, pass out, that meant the heart is incapable of pumping enough blood to the vital organs, Schreiber said.

Ascension Macomb has a PERT team, which stands for Pulmonary Embolism Response Team. Even with an overload of COVID-19 patients, their emergency rooms know what to do when a patient has a clot.

Without a PERT team and had she not arrived to you, would she have died? Clifford asked.

Had she landed at another hospital without a PERT team and without the knowledge and experience we have at Ascension Macomb, she would have died, Schreiber said.

Knowing she was pregnant, doctors told her they had to save her first and time was critical.

If you go, then you and your baby will go as well, Schreiber said.

They first did the least invasive procedure to break up the clots by going up her groin.

It felt as if an elephant was on my chest, I mean I could not breathe, it was horrible, Peak said.

They quickly realized it did not work and she had to be rushed back to the operating room.

So, I'm trying to breath oxygen, 15 liters. And I still couldn't breathe at the point, it was like panicking, Peak said.

An entire team of doctors surrounded her.

I just remember throwing my hand in the air and saying, 'I quit. God, this is my time.' They were just so supportive, Peak said. I could actually feel that last blood clot pulled out. Oh my God, I can breathe.

Shreiber says before clot retriever technology, a patient like Peak would have needed open -heart surgery to remove her pulmonary embolisms.

It's the only easily available technology that's easily useable and safe to remove most if not all of the lung clots, Schreiber said.

Shreiber says since the pandemic began, the number of lung clots in patients doubled, tripled and quadrupled.

Risk factors include weight, exercise, heart disease, diabetes and if you are elderly. And a major risk factor now is the presence of COVID-19.

Did you realize how lucky you were going to a hospital with a PERT team? Clifford asked Peak.

To me, or it could be based on my intuition that was nothing but God, Peak said.

Shreiber says if you have any symptoms of pulmonary embolism including leg clots, which cause swelling, pain in your calves or new discoloration, seek medical attention immediately.

Read more:

Ascension Macomb has new technology to help patients with blood clots from COVID-19 - WXYZ

Ascension ICON singing contest auditions set

Young singers are invited to audition for the 2022 Ascension ICON Singing Competition, a fundraiser for the Ascension Fund.

Auditions are from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. March 4 at the DeFrances Academy of Dance Studio in Prairieville.

This 10th annual singing competition is open to students in an Ascension Parish school, public or private, between the sixth and 12th grades. Applications for auditions can be downloaded from the website at http://www.ascensionicon.com and submitted by March 1 to The Ascension Fund, P.O. Box 1420, Gonzales, LA 70707 or by email to info@ascensionfund.com.

Ascension ICON is an annual fundraiser benefitting the Ascension Fund, which provided its first teacher grants in 1992 and has since given more than 1,400 grants representing over $1.6 million in awards to area public schools and teachers.

For information, contact Jennifer deFrances at (225) 290-3322.

Registration for Team of Dreams Ascension is open. The all-abilities baseball league serves the youth and young adults of Ascension parish and surrounding areas. This league is for people who use wheelchairs or have physical or intellectual disabilities.

To register or volunteer, contact Lance Kohan at (225) 354-6243 or email lance@gonzalesla.com or visit go.teamsnap.com/forms/299847.

Veterans of Foreign Wars 3693 chili cook-off is Saturday at its hall on Churchpoint Road.

The cooking begins at 8 a.m. with teams vying for trophies in three categories: Judges Division, People's Choice and Best Decorated. The chili will be served starting at 11 a.m., with a $10 fee.

Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today.

Dialogue on Race, an educational process for the elimination of racism, is set for 6 p.m. Tuesdays Feb. 8 to March 22 at Ascension Parish Library in Gonzales. During these interactive conversations, explore various aspects of racism from its origin to its operation and its impact on society. Participants should prepare for each two-hour weekly discussion by reading scholarly articles before each session. Each of the six sessions will be led by a mixed-ethnic team of trained facilitators.

Dialogue on Race offers a safe environment for open and honest discussion to help people understand what needs to be done and what they can do to eliminate racism. Registration required. Space is limited. Call (225) 647-3955 to register.

Alma Woodsey Thomas, born in 1891, developed her signature abstract painting style in her late 70s, after spending more than three decades teaching art in Washington, D.C. She became an important role model for women, African Americans and older artists. Thomas is recognized as a major American painter of the 20th century and was the first Black woman to have a solo exhibition at New York's Whitney Museum of American Art. Her paintings have been exhibited at the White House three times and are a part of many major museum collections today.

Celebrate the life of Alma Thomas by creating a brightly colored mosaic masterpiece. Beginning Monday, Feb. 7, visit any Ascension Parish Library location to pick up an art packet containing a canvas, paint and other supplies. Then create your own vibrant mosaic painting inspired by the famous works of art by Alma Thomas. Be sure to snap a photo of your finished work of art and share it with us on Facebook or Instagram by tagging @myAPLibrary. Available while supplies last. For information, call your library location. To view all of the arts and crafts Ascension Parish Library has to offer, visit myapl.org/events, click on the Event Type filter, and select Arts & Crafts.

Whether it is warm or cold outside, its always cool to make your own polar bear. Ascension Parish Library is providing the supplies for this painting craft. Paint a polar bear using a plastic fork as your paintbrush at 10 a.m. Saturday in Galvez; 10 a.m. Feb. 12 in Dutchtown; 2 p.m. and Feb. 19 in Gonzales. Designed for kids ages 3-5, but the whole family is welcome to attend. For information, visit myapl.org.

Play with shapes, test your shape knowledge, and learn something new at Ascension Parish Library at 10 a.m. on Saturday in Dutchtown; at 10 a.m. Feb. 12 in Gonzales; and 6 p.m. Feb. 24 in Galvez. Designed for children ages 3-5.

Originally posted here:

Around Ascension for Feb. 2, 2022 | Ascension | theadvocate.com - The Advocate

...The Flood Warning continues for the following river in Kentucky...Illinois...Indiana...Ohio River at Newburgh Dam, Mount Vernon, and Shawneetown..Recent precipitation has caused the Ohio River to rise. The riveris forecast to reach flood stage at multiple locations early thisweek, and will remain above flood stage for the rest of the week.For the Ohio River...including Newburgh Dam, Mount Vernon,Shawneetown...Minor flooding is forecast.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drivecars through flooded areas.Caution is urged when walking near riverbanks.Additional information is available at http://www.weather.gov.The next statement will be issued Monday evening at 1145 PM CST.&&...FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY MORNING THROUGHFRIDAY EVENING...* WHAT...Minor flooding is forecast.* WHERE...Ohio River at Newburgh Dam.* WHEN...From Monday morning to late Friday evening.* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...- At 9:00 PM CST Sunday the stage was 36.4 feet.- Forecast...The river is expected to rise above flood stagetomorrow morning to a crest of 42.0 feet Wednesday evening.It will then fall below flood stage Friday afternoon.- Flood stage is 38.0 feet.- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood&&

Excerpt from:

Ascension St. Vincent Doctor Talks Winter Weather Safety - wevv.com