County capsules BLOOD DRIVE SCHEDULED AT UW-SP: A Blood Drive will be held in the Melvin Laird Room of the University Center at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UW-SP) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 9, and Tuesday, Dec. 10. The drive is sponsored by the Association for Community Tasks (ACT) at UW-SP. Blood donated goes to help patients at St. Michael's Hospital. The public is encouraged to donate at the drive, and all blood types are needed. Call ACT at 346-2260 for an appointment. * * * ROBBERS ARRESTED: The Portage County Sheriff's Department has taken three boys into custody in connection with the Oct. 19 armed robbery of The Store in Junction City. A 17-year-old Junction City boy and a 16-year-old Stevens Point boy are being held in the Portage County jail as adults. A 16-year-old Stevens Point boy is being held in the Portage County juvenile detention facility. * * * CRIME STOPPERS REVIEWS HOME BURGLARY: Crime Stoppers is again featuring a crime highlighted in October, a Tuesday, Sept. 17, burglary at a home at 3519 E. Maria Drive in the town of Hull. During an hour-and-15-minute period, when the homeowners were gone, someone entered their residence and stole a gray-and-black Sentry safe. Inside the safe was more than $1,400 in cash. Also inside were various years of proof coins sets and some 1884 Silver Eagle Silver Dollars. A few days before the burglary, the homeowners received a series of calls from someone who would not say anything, but would hang up when they heard an answer. A check of their caller ID indicated that these calls originated from the outside payphone at the Kwik Trip, which is just around the corner from the burglarized house. Apparently, whoever burglarized the residence was familiar with the home's layout and where the safe was kept. Anyone who may have a suspicion about someone's involvement in this crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-346-6600. Callers can remain anonymous and still be eligible for a cash reward. * * * TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION REDUCED: The Stevens Point Area Public School District plans to eliminate the seventh-grade technology education requirement. One class hour in seventh grade is now programmed for students to take 12 weeks of technology education, 12 weeks of teen living skills and 12 weeks of keyboarding. With the change, students will take nine weeks of teen living skills and nine weeks of keyboarding. The remaining 18 weeks could be spent in study halls. The curriculum change is part of the district's $3.4 million resource reallocation plan, that includes eliminating 12.5 full-time equivalent positions at the junior high level - 9.0 positions at P.J. Jacobs and 3.5 at Ben Franklin - to get the junior high student-to-staff ratio to 15:1. * * * PEARL HARBOR CEREMONY: A Pearl Harbor survivor from Portage County will be among the guest speakers at a Pearl Harbor ceremony at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Rapids Mall. The ceremony is hosted by the Fleet Reserve Association Branch 238 and Rapids Mall. The schedule of events includes Parade of Colors by the 120th Field Artillery Unit with guest speakers to include Wisconsin Rapids Mayor Jerry Bach and Pearl Harbor survivors Will Lehner of Whiting and Loren Bailey. * * * PLOVER BUILDING PERMITS: The village of Plover issued permits for seven new commercial structures or additions in November, one of them for a $110,000 commercial building for AT&T in the town of Hull. Three of the permits were for commercial storage buildings valued at $65,000 each at 1150, 1200 and 1250 Rogers Drive, two more were for commercial shop and warehouse for $65,000 at 3000 Walnut Drive and one was for a commercial warehouse addition valued at $50,000 at 900 Plover Road. Two permits were issued for duplexes, one at 1011-1013 Hearthstone Place valued at $200,000 and one at 3341-43 Bridlewood Drive valued at $171,000. One permit was issued for a single family residence at 1855 Flowing Brook Court valued at $175,000. * * * PORTAGE COUNTY BUILDING PERMITS: The Portage County Planning and Zoning Department issued 11 building permits for single-family residences valued at $2,262,000 in November. The permits were issued for four residences in the town of Dewey valued at $842,000, three houses in the town of Hull valued at $965,000, two houses in the town of Linwood valued at $180,000, one house in the town of Alban valued at $140,000 and one house in the town of Stockton valued at $135,000.