Bill Skidmore and his guide dog, Rooster Cogburn, are inseparable buddies.

The Atchison, Kan., man and his yellow Labrador attend Head Start classes daily and accompany each other wherever Mr. Skidmore — who is blind — needs to travel.

For instance, he spends part of his day as a foster grandparent for the Head Start class.

KSDS Inc., a Kansas non-profit corporation, brought the pair together. The organization provides specially trained animals to visually and physically impaired residents in Northeast Kansas and dozens of other states, according to chief executive officer Judy Sifers.

The training regimen for guide, service and social dogs was displayed last week before members of the U.S. Highway 36 Association. The group held its annual meeting in Washington, Kan. — in the northern part of the state — which happens to serve as headquarters for KSDS.

“He’s been training ever since he was a pup,” Mr. Skidmore said of Rooster Cogburn. “He helps me to go across the street. He tells me whenever there’s a curb. He helps me whenever we go to church. He lays down under the pew.”

Mr. Skidmore and Rooster Cogburn have been together since 2003. Other residents in Northeast Kansas either own or have had past experience with dogs supplied by KSDS.

Highway 36 talks

Officials from the U.S. Highway 36 Association spent time in Washington County discussing expansion plans for the highway through Kansas.

The association heard reports from the Federal Highway Administration and the Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois transportation departments. Kansas lawmakers also joined in the discussion.

The association’s vision is the transformation of Highway 36 into a four-lane freeway or expressway from Indianapolis — where the route begins — to Belleville, Kan. Members also want to see the highway become a wider, high-standard two-lane highway west through Kansas to Denver; and a freeway or expressway to Boulder and Estes Park, Colo.

Two lanes are being added to Highway 36 in Northeast Missouri that will complete a four-lane link from St. Joseph to Hannibal in the near future.

Summer reading

in Clinton County

The Clinton County Library Board is hosting a summer reading program geared for preschoolers through sixth-grade students.

Preschoolers through second-grade students are reading a story, making crafts, and checking out books from the library.

Third- through sixth-graders are reading and discussing the “Apple is my sign” book by Mary Riskind for the first four weeks and will then learn sign language the remainder of the session.

Ray Scherer can be reached

at rscherer@npgco.com.