The Homewood Star
Volume 6 | Issue 11 | February 2017
neighborly news & entertainment for Homewood
HEELING TO HEAL With hopes of opening Homewood nonprofit, researcher trains dogs in ‘nosework’ to detect cancer By SYDNEY CROMWELL
W
hen Penny the dachshund puts her nose to work, she has the potential to save lives. Penny is the pet of Homewood resident Laurie Malone, who is working on bringing an unconventional cancer detection tool to Birmingham. With a sense of smell many times more powerful than a human nose, dogs have put their sniffers to use for centuries in hunting, tracking work or uncovering where their owner hid treats around the house. More recently, however, some researchers have claimed that dogs can detect the distinct smell of cancerous cells, even before traditional medical screenings can pick up other signs.
See NOSEWORK | page A21 Laurie Malone works with Sprout on a scent drill. While cancer detection has obvious potential benefits for humans, Malone said the dogs also reap rewards. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
Foundation brings elite schools in reach of low-income students
Pre-Sort Standard U.S. Postage PAID Tupelo, MS Permit #54
The College Choice Foundation board includes, from left: Cassandra Joseph, Mark Bateman, Nancy Hale and Josephine Lowery. Photo courtesy of the College Choice Foundation.
By SYDNEY CROMWELL When he sits down to interview a student, Mark Bateman always asks, “How big do you want your world to be?” Whatever their answer is, he and the College Choice Foundation strive to make it bigger. For students from low-income families, their world of college choices can be incredibly narrow. The
INSIDE
Sponsors .............. A4 City ........................ A6
Business ............... A8 Community .........A18
Opinion ...............A20 Events ................... B4
initial sticker price of top-level and private schools means most families will rule those out in favor of a public university close to home. In some cases, getting a college education is simply out of reach. “For some of these families … if there’s a hidden fee, she’s coming home because there is
School House ...... B6 Sports ................... B8
See FOUNDATION | page A22 Real Estate.......... B13 Calendar .............. B14 facebook.com/thehomewoodstar
Keep Fighting
Picking Pucks
Homewood resident Jamie Milanowski brings mental and physical strength as she pursues MMA fighting career.
A group of Homewood children choose hockey over football and develop their love for the icy sport.
See page A15
See page B1