Eds: Good afternoon. Here are the Capital News Service stories tentatively scheduled to move Friday, Sept. 7. If you have questions, please call Steve Crane in the Annapolis bureau at 410-626-1008 or Adrianne Flynn in the Washington bureau at 202-628-1677, or you may e-mail us at scrane@jmail.umd.edu or aflynn@jmail.umd.edu. Thank you.

WASHINGTON - Congress passed legislation Friday to increase grant money for college students and lower interest rates on student loans, which supporters say will create better access to higher education for students in Maryland. "This legislation offers good news for students who want access to an education and the freedom to achieve the American dream," said U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md., in a statement. Slug: CNS-Access Granted. About 500 words.

By Rob Tricchinelli.

ANNAPOLIS - County school and PTA officials react to Gov. Martin O'Malley's suggestion that county executives and the governor should have the power to choose county and state school superintendents. Slug: CNS-School Brawl. DEVELOPING.

By Rick Docksai.

WASHINGTON - Maryland's uninsured population may have found an ally against colon cancer. A bill supported by Rep. Albert Wynn, D-Mitchellville, would create a national program for colon cancer screening, treatment and outreach to the uninsured. According to data from the American Cancer Society, only 26.1 percent of uninsured Marylanders were screened for cancer in 2004, the last year the data was collected. SLUG: CNS-Uninsured Relief. About 550 words.

By Michael F. Walsh.

ANNAPOLIS - Along with the rapid growth of wineries in the state comes a rapid growth in the demand for grapes. But so far, state farms have not been able to keep up with the demand, leading the state to try to find ways to encourage local vines to feed local wines. Slug: CNS-Grape Boom. About 650 words. PHOTOS AVAILABLE.

By Kenneth R. Fletcher.

ANNAPOLIS - Maryland recorded its first-ever rabid bear last month and the rabid dog, foaming at the mouth and baring its teeth, figures prominently in the popular imagination. But state officials said a more immediate rabies threat may be as close as the nearest warm windowsill. "Cats are certainly even more of a risk or a threat to be aware of, even if they don't get as much attention," said Kim Mitchell, an epidemiologist with the Maryland Center for Veterinary Public Health. Slug: CNS-Rabid Cats. About 500 words.

By Andy Zieminski.

ANNAPOLIS - Maryland officials called a recent federal Medicaid plan to stop reimbursing states for the cost of transporting disabled students to and from school is another example of a "mean-spirited" months-long trend to "dump additional costs onto the states." The proposed change would hit Baltimore City and Prince George's County the hardest, but state officials said many school systems declined Medicaid funds in the first place because the paperwork was so burdensome. Slug: CNS-Disabled Busing. About 600 words.

By Andy Zieminski.

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