When Mother Nature sends scorching hot summers to Alabama, farmers use a variety of tools and resources to protect crops and livestock from the relentless heat. But before heading out for the day’s work, it’s important for farmers - and everyone - to first protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays.

On May 25, the Friday before Memorial Day, the Alabama Farmers Federation reminds everyone to be aware of sun safety on “Don’t Fry Day.”

Proclaimed by the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention, “Don’t Fry Day” encourages people to protect their skin while outdoors to help prevent the development of skin cancer.

Few know the dangers of skin cancer like Alabama Farmers Federation President Jerry Newby. He was in his late 20s the first time he had nonmelanoma cancerous skin cells removed. Newby admits before that time he often wore short sleeves and went without a hat while working in his family’s cotton fields.

The Alabama Department of Public Health has awarded grants totaling $55,000 to establish a system to help purchase necessary equipment and training to extend improved stroke care expertise to hospitals in the Montgomery, Prattville and Andalusia areas.

In the pilot project, specialists will use videoconferencing technology to remotely examine the patient, confirm the diagnosis, interpret the brain images, and provide recommendations to the hospital’s physicians. The project follows a “hub-and-spoke” model which will be created through a partnership with Baptist Medical Center South as the “hub” and Prattville Baptist Hospital and Andalusia Regional Hospital as the “spokes.”

Dr. Steve Suggs, medical director of the Stroke Center at Baptist South, says the telemedicine service will save lives and reduce disability.

Get your walking shoes ready, and make your plans to take part in the Alabama Employee Health and Fitness Day Walk which will be held at noon Friday, May 18, at the State Capitol. The noncompetitive and free event is designed to encourage walking during the work day as part of a health and fitness routine.

Participants may set their own pace, and all walkers completing a one-mile walk will be eligible to win a door prize. The walk begins at noon on the south lawn of the Capitol at 600 Dexter Ave.