Local contestants gave new meaning to the phrase “dancing the night away” when they did their part to try and “dance cancer away.”

Local Relay for Life fundraiser Dancing With Our Stars, the sixth annual benefit sponsored by Lourdes hospital with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society, hosted 19 dancers at Harrah’s Casino on Saturday night.

The event raised more than $167,000, exceeding the $150,000 goal. The dance competition, organized in similar fashion to the popular ABC reality TV show “Dancing With The Stars,” raised $132,087 last year.

“Everyone seems to love the event,” organizer Rita Bailey said. “It’s glitzy, people can get dressed up, and the food is great. The dancing tops everything off. It’s a lot of fun and we have turned it into a tradition.”

Risk of spring flooding very low

It may have been a rainy winter, but the risk of spring flooding across western Kentucky is low, according to the National Weather Service.

The main difference this year from last year is that the winter was warm across most of the country, meaning no snow left to melt and flow downstream.

“We’re starting out in a good place,” said Mary Lamm, a serve hydrologist for the weather service’s Paducah forecast office. “Any flooding we get is going to be rain driven at this point.”

Saggy pants bill advancing in Tennessee

If you like to sag your pants or show a lot of skin when you come to school, you may soon be breaking the law. While no bill is tabled in Kentucky, lawmakers in Tennessee, Arkansas and Florida are working to pass bills aimed at making it illegal for students to attend a public school wearing “risque” clothing. That would mean no underwear showing when pants sag without a belt and no excessive showing of other body parts.

Teen of the Week

Shannon Newberry is the Mid-Continent University Teen of the Week. Newberry, a senior at Heath High School, has excelled in sports, academics and clubs. She hopes to use her passion for art and drawing to propel her toward a degree in architecture at either the University of Kentucky or the University of Louisville.

In May, a Teen of the Year will be chosen from the weekly winners, who will receive a four-year scholarship to Mid-Continent or a $2,500 scholarship if the winner chooses another school.