Briefly: New Year's Eve cab rides, heart-healthy diet - Galesburg Register-Mail

‘Alert Cab’ provides free rides home NYE

GALESBURG — As adults head out to celebrate New Year’s Eve, they can “do the ride thing” by taking advantage of a free program that can help keep Galesburg streets safe. G&M Distributors, Dennis Twitty State Farm Insurance, Checker Cab, WGIL, FM95, 92.7 The LASER, and 105.3 KFM are sponsoring “Alert Cab,” a community-based initiative that helps prevent drunk driving by providing safe cab rides home to adults who may have had too much to drink.

On Tuesday, from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m., area bartenders and servers at participating bars and restaurants have a phone number they may use to request a free cab ride (within Galesburg city limits) for adults who want to get home safely at the end of the evening. By offering complimentary rides home, “Alert Cab” keeps potential drunk drivers off the road.

Extension classes on heart-healthy diet

GALESBURG — Planning, shopping and cooking for someone with heart disease can be a real challenge. To help meet this challenge, University of Illinois Extension will offer a program called Meals for a Healthy Heart.

Meals for a Healthy Heart is a series of two 1½ hour sessions designed for anyone interested in preventing or managing heart disease. In each session participants receive recipes, watch cooking demonstrations, taste foods to meet their dietary needs, and learn about proper diet and exercise to better care for their health.

Meals for a Healthy Heart aim to improve your overall wellbeing. The program is meant to compliment the recommendations of your health care provider and to help you and/or your loved one manage heart disease.

Meals for a Healthy Heart will meet on Jan. 7 and 14, 2014, from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Knox County office, 180 Soangetaha Road. A fee of $10 per person or $15 per couple will cover both sessions. The fee is for the purchase of food and supplies. No specific products will be sold at the classes.

Register by Jan. 3, 2014, by calling the Knox County Extension office at 342-5108 or online at web.extension.illinois.edu/hkmw/. Space is limited, so enroll now.