Seven members of the Bi-Okoto Drum & Dance Theatre are heading to Europe to entertain the troops while offering lessons about traditional African culture.

The group will travel in the United Kingdom, Norway, The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany Jan. 28-March 1, performing for U.S. military forces. This is the second year the group will make the tour.

On the tour will be Jeaunita Olowe, manager of the company, and her husband, Adebola Olowe; Mario De Juan; Marvin Hawkins; Tim Stegmaier, and husband and wife members, Cheryl and Kwame Pongo.

"We sing, dance and explain to the servicemen about the culture,'' said Jeaunita Olowe. Our mission is to preserve traditional African drum and dance heritage and promote cultural understanding by educating audiences of all ages about West and South African countries.''

There are 12 members in the group.

Jeaunita Olowe said the theatre presents a repertoire of more than 90 authentic traditional dances, music dance dramas, operas and new contemporary works from Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Mali Guinea, Senegal, Kenya and South Africa.

Open house at St. Agnes

New students and their parents who want to get ahead in registering at St. Agnes School , 1322 Sleepy Hollow Road, Fort Wright, Ky., should attend an open house at the school Sunday.

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., families will be given tours of the school and a chance to register students for the 2004-2005 school year, said Principal Linda Groh.

"We do this every year in order to give the parents a chance to see the school, all its facilities and exactly what is offered here,'' Groh said.

Sunday also starts National Catholic Schools Week.

Activities at St. Agnes include a performance by Wulfe Brothers Monday; a spelling bee among fifth- and eighth-graders Tuesday; a special liturgy in the cathedralWednesday; student appreciation day - no homework and no uniforms - on Thursday; and Friday they celebrate teachers' appreciation day with a volleyball contest between eighth-graders and the teachers.

Fire department gets grant

NORWOOD - This city's fire department recently received a $229,050 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to upgrade the communication and radio system to what is currently used by the majority of the departments in Hamilton County.

The new equipment will allow Norwood firefighters to communicate with neighboring fire departments and provide seamless radio communication at large-scale emergencies, officials said.

"In this nation, far too many individuals lose their lives or are injured by fire," said R. David Paulison, U.S. fire administrator. "The nation's firefighters and American homes are safer today through this important grant program."

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is administered by the U.S. Fire Administration, a division of FEMA, and assists fire departments across the country.

Send police and fire items to behindthebadge@fuse.net

Basic training completed

These privates have graduated from Army basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.:

Michael Andriola, an Oak Hills High School graduate and son of Judith and Michael Andriola of Bridgetown; Matthew Heinrich, Hamilton High School graduate; Bridgette Munafo, a McAuley High School and University of Cincinnati graduate and daughter of Tina Munafo of White Oak; Shontrell Smith, Aiken High School graduate and daughter of Diane and Gary Smith of College Hill, and Aaron Yost, Winton Woods High School graduate and son of Donald Yost of Greenhills.