Pasco County student elections go online

countywide

Students will cast their votes via the Internet

Pasco students will get to cast their ballots for student government, homecoming court and other contests this year using a new Internet-based voting program. By using the software through DoubleClick Democracy to run student elections, Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley expects to save several thousand dollars a year. In the past, his office spent time developing ballots, transporting voting equipment to the schools, monitoring the voting and tallying the results. The process helped get students educated and involved as future voters, but Corley believes the same goal can be accomplished through an Internet-based program that saves his staff time. Kids Voting Tampa Bay, which suggested the DoubleClick Democracy program, "has come up with a solution that I believe will achieve the same results remotely without compromising the student experience," Corley said. "It's a win-win situation. We are using technology to help us work smarter and more cost-effectively." For information on holding school elections, call Corley's office toll-free at 1-800-851-8754 or visit pascovotes.com.

Swiftmud offers $5,000 grants

As teachers go back to school, the Southwest Florida Water Management District wants to remind them about another important date to add to their calendars: The deadline to apply for a Splash! mini-grant is Sept. 11. The goal of the mini-grant program is to promote hands-on water resources education that teaches students about their local watersheds and the freshwater resources within them. Splash! mini-grants provide up to $5,000 per school on a reimbursement basis only and are available to public, private and homeschool teachers. Projects must be completed between Oct. 16 and April 30. Application forms are available online at WaterMatters.org/mini-grants. For information, call Mary Margaret Hull, lead communications coordinator, toll-free at 1-800-423-1476, ext. 4774.

Port Richey

Volunteers help during disaster

The Salvation Army of West Pasco will hold a volunteer orientation session from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Center of Hope, 8040 Washington St. The session is for volunteers for the disaster emergency response team, which provides food, water and other necessities to people in the wake of a disaster. For information or to volunteer, call Jeanne Rae Coulter at (727) 847-6321, ext. 223.

Land O'Lakes

Healthy Start board to meet

The next board of directors meeting of the Healthy Start Coalition of Pasco is scheduled for 9 to 11 a.m. Thursday at the Gulf Coast North AHEC, 17819 State Road 52. For information, call (727) 841-7888.

Pasco deaths

Detailed obituaries are published in Section B.