The Southwestern Pennsylvania Sheep and Goat Winter Workshop will be held Feb. 20 at the Washington County Fairgrounds. It is being co-sponsored by Penn State Cooperative Extension and the Washington County Sheep and Wool Growers Association. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. and the program will begin at 9:30 a.m. The day's educational program will conclude at 2:30 p.m.

Featured speakers will be from the USDA Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center, in Beaver, W.Va.

Topics to be discussed will include:

n Finishing lambs and kids on pasture by Dr. Ken Turner.

n Silvopasture, Dr. Jim Neel.

n Opportunities to control barber pole worms, Dr. Joyce Foster.

n And, non-traditional forages for the Central Appalachian Region, Dr. Kim Cassida.

The afternoon will begin with a presentation by Walt Bumgarner, PSU Extension livestock educator, on livestock mortality composting and will conclude with a brainstorming session with participants to discuss future educational efforts for the Washington County Sheep and Wool Growers Association.

Participants must register in advance. Lunch and refreshments are included in the program fee. The registration deadline is Feb. 15. For registration material and information, call the Penn State Extension office in Washington County at 724-228-6881 or call Walt Bumgarner at 724-438-0111.

Uniontown

Sears is collecting gently used blankets for distribution to homeless military veterans.

Customers may donate to "Operation Blanket," at select stores through Feb. 18. In exchange for their donation, Sears will provide each customer with a coupon for 20 percent off any one home fashion or home decor item, or a coupon for 10 percent off any one housewares, luggage or furniture item (mattresses are excluded). Customers will receive a coupon for each blanket they donate.

AMVETS will distribute all collected blankets to veterans through its thrift shops and local veteran posts in select cities across the country. Sears will also make a $5,000 donation directly to AMVETS to further support their military veteran programs.

Sears also oversees the Heroes at Home program, which includes a joint effort of Sears Holdings Corp. and the non-profit, Rebuilding Together, which works to preserve home ownership for military veterans. Through the Heroes at Home program, Sears Holdings Corporation has sought to improve the lives of military families in need across America by making necessary repairs, improvements or modifications to their homes. To date, Sears has raised more than $11 million for military families.

For more information, go online to www.sears.com or www.amvets.org.

Uniontown

The seventh annual Fayette CareerLink Jobs Expo will be held March 25 at the Holiday Inn, Uniontown.

The event will open at 9 a.m. with a brunch and program, ending at 11 a.m. The expo will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

People seeking work can meet with employers at the expo and employers can meet candidates for jobs they may have open. Employers interested in participating can register by going online to www.fcje.net or by calling 724-434-JOBS.

Canonsburg

Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania Inc. is contributing $25,000 to the second annual Warmathon, a 31-hour telethon that aims to raise money for the Dollar Energy Fund. Funds raised during the Warmathon will be dedicated to Dollar Energy's Hardship Program, which helps low-income families stay warm in their home during the cold winter months. The live broadcast, which can be heard on NewsRadio 1020 KDKA, will be held at the PPG Wintergarden, Pittsburgh, on Thursday and Friday.

To donate, call in during the event, mail a check to P.O. Box WARM, Pittsburgh, PA 15230 or go online to www.warmathon.com

. A $10 donation may also be made through a cell phone by texting "WARM" to 20222. Dollar Energy Fund's partnering utility companies will match donations dollar for dollar.

Customers seeking information on heating assistance programs or help with heating bills may call Columbia Gas at 1-800-537-7431.