Rate Increases.

Cox Communications is increasing the rates on some services to customers effective with February’s billing statement. According to Cox Communications System Department the rate increase comes from updated inflation, franchise costs and programming fees.

The increase effects the following services, limited basic cable $14.04 will be $14.80 with a 5.4% increase, expanded basic cable $22.10 to $23.29 up 5.38%, digital converter box $3.35 to $4.15 up 23.9% and Cox Interact (lower speed of high speed internet) $29.95 to $34.95 up 16.7%. All other services are remaining at their current rate.

Customers will be provided advanced notice of the rate increase by the media, billing statement insert and the cable system.

Carthage Water and Electric Plant also provides phone internet access and wireless internet services. The current rate for phone internet service is $15.95 per month and wireless is at $39.95 per month.

CW&EP Advertising and Technical Department Supervisor Chuck Bryant reported to the Mornin’ Mail that they had no plans for a rate increase anytime soon.

Letter to the Editor

Opinions expressed reflect those of the writer and not necessarily those of the Mornin' Mail.

I have been reading on the internet that now David Mouton has ruled that Carthage does have a requirement that councilmen live in the ward they are elected from. My recollection is that last April, someone ruled that was not the case, and that the election of Mike Harris was valid. If you have to live in the ward, then his election was not valid, therefore his election should be delcared invalid, and his seat vacant.

How does that affect all the votes taken in the past year when he voted? If he was not legally elected, then his votes should be nulified, and appropriate changes made to any ordinances adopted where he voted in the affirmative, if the total votes in favor was only 6. This would mean the legal votes in favor were only 5, and therefore not enough for passage. I hope this is not the case, but someone should look into it.

— Bill Putnam

Had a friend who wanted to invest in a business. His idea was to create the perfect system where there weren’t any decisions to be made and therefore all that was necessary was "warm bodies" to carry out the routine tasks.

Now such a system may be possible, but my friend soon discovered in the venture he got involved in could not be made that simple.

Any project needs check points to gauge progress, but feelin’ the necessity to plan every minute detail can spell doom to whatever good might come.

Sometimes even movin’ in the wrong direction is better than sittin’ still.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

McCune- Brooks Hospital

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH

By Paul G. Donohue, M.D.

Cold Sores Caused by Herpes-2 Virus

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am plagued with cold sores, especially after being exposed to the sun. Why? Is there anything I can do to prevent this? I understand that cold sores are the byproduct of the herpes virus, and a person carries the virus for life. I use a product called l-lysine, and it dries them. I am leery of it because it might not be a regulated medicine. How does it work? — M.L.

ANSWER: By the age of 25, 50 percent of the population, both here and throughout the world, is infected with herpes-1 virus. By age 70, 90 percent is infected.

Once infected, a person stays infected for life. The virus takes up permanent residence in nerve cells, and it is impossible to evict it. It hibernates. Occasionally, it wakes from sleep, lumbers down the nerve roots to the skin and bursts forth as a cold sore ("fever blister" is another name).

Ultraviolet light definitely wakens the virus. Don’t go out in the sun without protecting your lips and face with sunscreen that has an SPF of 15 or higher. I don’t know what it is about sunlight that activates the virus. Lack of sleep, both mental and physical stress and even some food allergies can also rouse the virus.

Denavir and Abreva creams are two products that hasten healing. Famvir, Zovirax and Valtrex are oral medicines that shorten the duration of a cold sore.