Today's Feature

Light agenda for Council.

The City Council will meet in regular session tonight in City Hall at 7:30.

The agenda includes a presentation by Andy Marmouget, CPA concerning the annual audit of City books. City Clerk Lynn Campbell is confident that the presentation will show the City accounting is in order.

The Council is scheduled to vote in second reading of a bill that would establish a fee for disposing of computer monitors at the recycling center. The company that accepts the monitors from the City originally was not charging the City for disposing of the monitors. After the scrap price fell late last year, a charge was imposed. The ordinance establishes a fee of $7 to recover the expense to the City.

The agenda also includes the first reading of an ordinance authorizing the Mayor to enter into an agreement with Blevins Asphalt for the paving involved in the Ruby Jack Trail Phase I project. The City is coordinating the project funds provided by MoDot and Joplin Trails Coalition. No City funds are being used or committed to the endeavor.

Mornin'

Some learnin’ just never goes away.

I reached to reset the trip meter on the dash of the car the other day, felt a tinge of fear. I realized that I had my arm stuck through the steering wheel.

Now with the new fangled power steerin’ on vehicles of today, there is little risk. But when I was learnin’ to maneuver a tractor ‘cross a plowed field, the one thing that was stressed to me was ta never reach through the wheel. Hit a furrow just right and the steering wheel on that old John Deere spins like a pinwheel.

I’m wonderin’ how many things we do without really bein’ aware of ‘xactly why we do ‘em. Just cause we were taught. I don’t suppose there’s much to fear ‘bout gettin’ a broken arm while drivin’ down the interstate, but I ain’t gonna chance it.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin.’

To Your Good Health

By Paul G. Donohue, M.D.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have heard a lot about MRSA. Can you give me some more information about it? What can we do to prevent getting it? I am a student at San Jacinto High School in California. -- J.R.

ANSWER: "MRSA" is short for "methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus," a common bacterium found all over and a common inhabitant of the skin. "MRSA" is pronounced "mersa".

In the early days of penicillin, it could kill many germs, including the staph germ. That germ is a wily creature. It soon learned how to dodge the killing power of penicillin. Clever scientists came up with a new model of penicillin called methicillin. It was effective against those resistant staph germs. This happy situation came to an end when staph learned to evade methicillin. These are the MRSA bacteria.

MRSA can cause all kinds of infections, the most common are skin and soft-tissue infections. Soft tissues are the tissues just below the skin. Outbreaks of MRSA infections are common in high-school football players and wrestlers because of the skin-to-skin contact that occurs in those sports. Anyone, athlete or not, can come down with this infection.

Hand-washing is the best defense. All skin wounds should be covered with a bandage of sterile, dry gauze and inspected daily for signs of infection. Athletes should launder their playing clothes after each use and do not store dirty clothes in lockers. Shower immediately after a practice and do not share towels, brushes or combs.