PEORIA - Do you find yourself counting steps? Checking your wrist several times a day? Comparing your steps to your friends? Then you know the fitness tracker craze is here.
But does it motivate?
"I didn't in the past wear a FitBit or any of the gadgets that are out there now, but I've worn a FitBit six months, and it kinda pushes you more," said Sue Wheeler.
Sue Wheeler is one of many sporting a FitBit on her wrist for an early morning workout.
You see them at work, at a grocery store and especially on the trails, but is it just for fashion or fad, or does it actually improve your fitness?
"Anything health and fitness is going to be a fad,” said personal trainer Justin Bolkema. “There is always going to be money to be made there. So the things that are good about them are that you have a competition with friends and you are measuring your steps and they look all nice and slim. If it makes your become more physically active, I'm happy about it. If it gets you out of the house, that is absolutely great. If you are actually trying to measure your fitness as far as a goal or something or become more physically fit, then you need to look at more variables and specifically the heart rate."
Some gyms like the Peoria Riverplex recently introduced a program to incorporate bands with heart rate monitoring.
"We're taking those chest straps and displaying each individual persons heart-rate zone up on a TV screen, so during the workout you are going to be able to know what calories am I burning, what intensity am I working out at and then also you will be able to see your heart rate max percentage displayed on a board so you can either just use that for yourself, or you can be in competition with others in the class," said Fitness Coordinator Amber Parkinson.
"I hope to learn how to stay in a fat burning zone, know if I'm working hard enough or if I'm just kinda coming and doing the motions?” said Angela Bland.
"I know what zone I need to be in and instead of my head telling me 'oh I'm tired and I wanna quit, I can look at my heart rate and say I am going to push myself a little bit more," said Audrey Lemasters.
“We always say 'why would you just guess when you come in to workout, when you could know where you are at?' So that’s why any kinda tracking device is going to help you be more specific in getting right into the workout you need to be, calories burned or intensity level. Use those different tools available so that you can be more accurate," said Parkinson.
Professionals say some of the more popular fitness bands and apps are…
"The FitBit is definitely the most common,” said Bolkema. “A lot of people use the iPhone health app as well. There's a ton of them out there that claim to have a little bit different of a thing, but if its only kinda measuring your steps and that’s just based on how many times your phone bounces in your pocket, probably not going to be the most accurate."
And in reality, it will be up to the user to get the most out of the tools available.
Mo. Astronaut Calls From Outer Space
COLUMBIA - KOMU 8 News made a long distance call to Outer Space.
Right now, NASA Astronaut Col. Mike Hopkins is orbiting earth performing innovative research for NASA. Hopkins desire to invent actually began on a family farm near Richland, Missouri.
KOMU 8 News arranged to talk to Hopkins alongside Koichi Wakata and Rick Mastracchio, two additional crew members on board the International Space Station.
"Welcome aboard Columbia," said Hopkins. "You are looking at three guinea pigs right now. A lot of the research that's going on up here involves us and what happens to the human body in weightlessness. For example, we are doing a research on the spinal cord and how it changes in the weightless environment."
Astronaut Mastacchino added, "Where it leads is who knows? That's why we do this research cause great things can come out of it."
People on earth can also see the view from above through the crew's social media. "It's kind of fun to try and pick out those unique events that are happening up here on the station or unique views that we get to see either of the earth or of the station itself and share that with people," said Hopkins.
More than 35 thousand people follow Hopkins on Twitter, but some of his true followers are still in Missouri. Hopkin's step mom, Paula Hertwig Hopkins is one of them.
"Being able to exchange the emails and the texts with him have been great," said Paula Hertwig Hopkins. "It's been wonderful that he is able to take out the time for me and be able to share that with me."
So how does Hopkins have Mid-Missouri ties?
"He grew up in rural Missouri," said Paula. "That is so cool in my mind and the fact that an individual to come out of rural Missouri with not a whole lot of money, but a whole lot of support from his mother and his father. Education was important and the drive and spirit can put somebody basically to the International Space Station."
"I would love to say hi to everybody in Missouri and thanks for all the support over the years," said Hopkins from Outer Space. "I certainty wouldn't have got here without all of that. Missouri is a wonderful place. I haven't lived there long term since I finished high school and went off to college, but I certainly miss it and enjoy the time when I get to come back home."
Hopkins smiled during the entire interview with KOMU 8 News. "He smiles all the time, Paula said. "I will lie claim to the fact that his smile comes from his father. His father had a wonderful smile and smiled all the time. I don't care what the adversity was, his father smiled all the time. Mike has his dads smile."
Thats not the only thing Hopkins inherited from his dad, Ogle Hopkins.
"Mike and Ogle liked to invent and so they had a couple projects they were working on in the garage when Mike would be home," Paula said. "When Hopkins went off to study and play football at the University of Illinois, Ogle would go, too. All those games that took place in Urbana, he would drive five or six hours that it took to get from the farm which was halfway between Richland and Osage Beach to go to all of those games."
Paula said after college, Hopkins wanted so badly to be in space and applied multiple times. Then one day, Hopkins got the call and made a call to Paula. "I pulled over on the side of the road and Mike let me know he got it," said Paula. "He got in, and I said 'oh my gosh, I cannot believe it,' and then I wished his dad would have known too."
Some bittersweet news after Hopkin's dad, Ogle passed away after battling Cancer and couldn't see his son travel upward on the Soyuz to Outer Space. Afterall, Hopkins listened to his dad's advice. "Give it another lick," said Paula. "It was his dad's saying. And he gave it another lick, that lick was the winner."
Now Hopkins strives to help others through the space program.
"The human research we are doing is not only going to help us go further out to the universe and the solar system, but is also helping us right there on earth," said Hopkins.
While Hopkins looks down on Earth, Paula thinks someone may be looking down on him. "Maybe the Lord opened up a little window and let his father peek down," said Paula.
Hopkin's full story will air Saturday at 6 p.m. on KOMU 8 News.
Community Reacts to Charges Against Sheriff Dixon
OSAGE COUNTY - Osage County Sheriff Michael R. Dixon was charged with several counts involving sexual misconduct Wednesday.
On Thursday, KOMU reporters requested the probable cause statement in support of the felony and misdemeanor complaints against Osage County Sheriff Dixon.
Reporters spoke to people who support Dixon and others who believe the the Sheriff should be punished.
"I think anybody would be suspended from their job if they have these accusations against them," said Rodney Hughes. "I think Dixon should be suspended at least until they find out if he's guilty of his charges because in position of Sheriff, he hold too much power if he potentially really did these things he is accused of."
The court documents indicate while responding to a call about a fight at a tire shop in Belle on June 24th, Dixon used a flashlight to touch the victim, a Belle police officer, between her legs and up her back.
The victim responded by swinging at the Sheriff's flashlight and cussing at him. Court documents say Dixon then said, "My bad. I'm sorry. I suppose that's inappropriate."
Two days later, the Missouri State Highway Patrol released a statement saying Dixon tried repeatedly to find the victim at her house and by phone and took her fiance's four-wheeler without permission. Documents say the victim tried to hide from Dixon.
A Belle resident, who has known Dixon for a couple years, found this hard to believe.
"Every encounter I've had with Mike is always been positive," said Belle resident Edward Peppers. "I've heard nothing but good from the local community members that I associate myself with and I think that now he is the Sheriff of Osage county, he's brought a lot of class to the office."
Peppers also thinks politics may play a role.
"I think this is all politically motivated by political enemies he had with the primary and I just can't believe there is any substance or foundation to any of those charges," said Peppers.
The misdemeanor charges include sexual misconduct in the first degree, assault in the third degree, harassment and stalking. The felony charge is for operating a four-wheeler belonging to Nathan Abel without Abel's permission.
On Wednesday, Special Prosecuting Attorney John Berger said no date has been set for Dixon to appear in court.
Inside Look at Clydesdale Selection Process
COOPER COUNTY - They're known around the world, but many of them get their start in Mid-Missouri. Warm Springs Ranch near Boonville is the Budweiser Clydesdale breeding farm. It was established in 2008, to breed future Clydesdale horses.
The selection process for putting together the Clydesdale team is vigorous, and starts when the horses are young.
"It's so much easier to get them to pick up their feet when they are 200 pounds than when they are two thousand pounds," said farm manager John Soto.
Behind the wrought-iron gate, you will find what Soto calls "one hundred big puppy dogs."
"And they are our kids," said Soto. "I mean, that's what we do and we try to figure out the right crosses and the sire to the mother to create that perfect Budweiser Clydesdale."
Soto grew up surrounded by horses and started working with the Clydesdales when he turned 21.
For Warm Springs Ranch, the perfect Clydesdale is "a horse just like Duke, where he is bay in color," said Soto. "The four white legs, the blaze face and the dark mane and tail. When they come out if they have a dark leg or white on them, you know as soon as they come out if you are going to be able to use them or not."
"It's a very involved, very select process is exactly right," said visitor Al Kennett. "They have to do a lot of breeding and raise a lot of different ones to get a hitch."
Soto said every horse has a different personality, but if they don't have the proper markings they won't make the cut to be part of the Budweiser Clydesdale hitch. All the babies start out in the same pasture, but take different paths.
"They get turned out where they get to grow up and play and be kids for a while," said Soto. "When they are three they go to Merrimac, New Hampshire where they get broke to drive and come out on our team."
Horses that don't have the particular markings may be traded with other Clydesdale breeders. These horses are sometimes used in carnivals or parades, instead of being part of the travelling tour.
"At the end of the day, my goal would be and I would love to see that every single horse on our hitches were from our home-bred stock," said Soto.
You can make reservations for the Clydesdale tours. Tours are offered Monday through Sunday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. until the end of October.
North Callaway School District Collects Donations for Moore, Oklahoma
KINGDOM CITY - One local group held a fundraiser for the families impacted by the deadly tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma on May 20, 2013.
"Its like looking at pictures of Joplin all over again, except a little bit worse," said North Callaway High School student Samuel Slaughter.
Almost exactly two years later, it happened again.
"When this happened in Oklahoma, we jumped into action and said let's do something to raise money, raise clothes, raise water, whatever we can get to send to Oklahoma," said volunteer Debbie Slaughter.
Parents and students at North Callaway High School started taking donations early Saturday morning. Donations ranged from money to clothes to canned goods for families in need.
"Gift cards, especially for McDonald's because a lot of kids are homeless and just getting a happy meal would make them smile," said Debbie.
But the helping didn't stop there.
"We have also discussed putting some of these kids in a van and going down over a weekend and helping volunteer to clean-up," said Debbie.
"It would be nice to go down there, give out the donations by hand," said Samuel.
At the root of the giving tree, lie boxes to either deliver by hand or send to the people in Moore.
"That's when the need the help...two months, three months down the road. And the more help people can give in that time period the better off it will be," said Debbie.
The group will continue to take donations even after Saturday.
Camdenton Boy Shares Story of Living with Brittle Bone Disease
CAMDENTON - Noah Leiferman grins from ear to ear as he sits on his NASCAR-themed bedspread.
"He is very five and very much a boy."
That's how Randi Phillips describes her son. Little Noah acts like any 5-year-old. He loves NASCAR, golfing and showing off his new pet lizard, Zig-Zag.
"Zig-Zag is a fast little guy," said Noah.
But then it was time to be serious.
"My legs slammed on the ground but I didn't break it," said Noah. "So then I slipped on forward and my arm bent in and just broke."
Noah was born with brittle bone disease, but says he is just used to it.
"At the clinic we call it O.I. and it is a connective tissue disorder that is a genetic mutation that can be passed down by a parent or it can occur spontaneously and it's characterized by brittle bones or fragile bones," said nurse practitioner, Kelly Scott.
Brittle bone disease, or Osteogenesis imperfecta, is inherited from parents in about 50 percent of the cases. Noah is the 5th generation in his family to be born with the condition. He has broken more than 10 bones, not counting toes and fingers and Noah has had more than one hundred x-rays.
"The crying went on for a few minutes and then we decided to take him to the hospital and it was a spiral fracture,"said father Derek Leiferman. "The doctors thought that it was child abuse. That we had taken his leg and broke it somehow."
Scott said this often happens.
"That can be a common occurrence when you do have a child with multiple fractures and then wonder what is going on, but also keep that differential of O.I. in your mind," said Scott.
The optimistic attitude runs in the family.
"It hurts you when you can't fix them and I want him to experience everything that there is to offer, but I just want him to be super safe," said mother Randi Phillips.
The family is hosting a 5K fundraiser to find a cure for O.I. at the First Baptist Church in Camdenton at 6:30 Friday night. If severe weather hits, the 5K will move to the gymnasium.
Columbia Woman Shares Empowering Breast Cancer Story
COLUMBIA - The average American woman spends $50,000 on hair in a lifetime, but one local woman realized its not always money well spent.
In 2009, Penny Braun walked into a hair salon to get her head shaved. She had been diagnosed with a very small, yet aggressive form of breast cancer. For some women, the treatments and hair loss are also aggressive.
"When I began to see that I was getting an awful lot of hair in the drain of the shower, I called my beauty shop person and he shaved my head for me so that I wouldn't have to mess with it," said breast cancer patient Penny Braun.
"A woman gets used to her hair obviously," said "The Studio" hair salon owner Terry Robb. "It's her crowning glory and its tough to do that. Its tough to shave a head when you know somebody and have known them that long."
The first glance in the mirror can be a very moving experience. Women can try on wigs at the American Cancer Society to help cope with the process.
"Because more often than not, when a woman comes here she just wants to find something that matches what she has," said American Cancer Society community specialist Ed Johnson. "She doesn't want anybody knowing something is going on with her. Its a very private tumultuous fight."
Penny didn't want to match her old style; she wanted to try something different.
"It was short and kinda spiky and just kinda an energetic looking thing," said Braun.
Penny also found comfort in her support group.
"I think I had an advantage because two other friends of mine were also doing it and at one point all three of us were siting around in our new wigs having lunch together," said Braun.
But, lunch with the girls, all in their new wigs, is not the end of the story.
"Once you have had it, they make sure that you get your mammograms and you are very interested in getting your mammograms, so the second time they said the other breast was involved I thought 'wait a minute you're kidding' and they weren't," said Braun.
She had surgery and will soon begin radiation and chemotherapy with a new drug.
"It works very well for that and its not that toxic, and if it happens to not make all their hair fall out, well that's just an added bonus," said Missouri Cancer Associates Oncologist Mary Muscato, M.D.
Penny says losing her hair again would be annoying, but since it grows back, the loss isn't a tragedy.