Pension Committee Holds Position.

Carthage City Council will be meeting in a special session this evening at 7:00 P.M. The Carthage Police and Firemen’s Pension Committee will be giving a presentation on their proposed changes to the pension plan.

The Pension Committee met yesterday afternoon to discuss their plan for the meeting this evening and decided to hold with the same presentation used in the Council Budget Committee meeting. The Pension Committee will seek Council approval to have a one fourth cent sales tax put on a city-wide ballot to fund pension benefit increases.

McCune-Brooks Hospital News.

News Release

The Missouri Health Facilities Review Committee today approved the Certificate of Need application for McCune-Brooks Hospital to replace its current 54-bed acute care hospital facility with a 62-bed acute care hospital facility. Hospital officials were successful in completing a detailed application that described the project, including documentation of a community need and demonstration of the financial feasibility.

The staff of the Missouri Health Facilities Review Committee provided a complete analysis of the project to committee members and hospital and elected officials provided a review of the project and answered questions by the committee. Members of the hospital team that made presentations included: Bob Copeland, CEO; Don LaFerla, Board of Trustees President; State Senator Gary Nodler; State Representative Steve Hunter; Ken Johnson, Mayor of Carthage; Heath Dillard, M.D., local physician; and Tom Flanigan, Hospital Foundation President of Board of Directors.

McCune-Brooks Hospital intends to build a replacement facility on land acquired last year from Precious Moments. The new hospital will feature all private inpatient rooms, expanded women’s health services with a new birthing center, increased access and parking, enhanced emergency services, expanded inpatient and outpatient surgery, and meeting space for health education and community use.

The McCune Brooks Healthcare Foundation is beginning their fundraising efforts with special dinners planned during the late summer and fall. The architectural design process is underway with construction to tentatively begin in the first quarter of 2005.

The City of Carthage announced recently Missouri Southern State University will occupy the entire current hospital building upon the hospital’s departure to the new building.

The Entire Letter of Resignation

July 13, 2004

Mayor Kenneth E. Johnson

Carthage City Hall

320 Grant

Carthage, MO 64846

Mayor Johnson:

In light of the city attorney’s and your observations regarding my involvement in Council Bill No. 04-34, An Ordinance authorizing the Mayor to execute Amendment Number Two to the City of Carthage Policemen’s and Firemen’s Pension Plan, I feel it is in the best interests of the City of Carthage that I resign my elected position as councilperson from the Fourth Ward, effective immediately.

On two previous occasions on council bills relating to the Police and Fire Pension Fund, I abstained from voting, abstentions that were of my own doing and initiative. I never wanted there to be a question of impropriety, even though the votes would not have directly affected my participation in the pension fund, which was the result of my serving eight years as a police officer for the city.

I never would have tried to enter into discussion on Council Bill No. 04-34, had I though there would be even a whiff of impropriety, but apparently there was, or is. I was told by another councilperson after the meeting that he had received an anonymous phone call from someone who was inquiring whether or not I was going to vote on the bill in question. Having read over this bill two or three times, I did not see any conflict in my voting, but others must have.

Taking this police department/councilperson relationship issue a step further, I am presently serving on the Public Safety committee as vice chair, and at one time served as chair of the committee. This committee addresses issues relating to the police and fire departments. In the purest of senses, my being a former police officer could be seen as a conflict of interest, with a pro or anti bias on any given issue. My votes or motions previously made while on this committee could be judged as improper, illegal, or simply in conflict, again as the result of my employment as a police officer.

With the full council coming into anticipated intense discussions regarding the amendment of the Police and Fire Pension Fund, the citizens of the Fourth Ward would be served less than adequately should I remain on the council. If I took part in the discussions, but did not vote, it would be percieved as biased. If I did not take part in any aspect of the discussion or votes, then the people who voted for me as their councilperson would be not represented fairly. The employees of the police and fire departments deserve full representation on the pending issue of amending the plan from ten council members, not nine.

In reviewing the totality of this issue, expecially of tonight’s actions, I concur with you and the city attorney 100%. While I was not real excited about the way that I was dismissed from discussion, I respect your right as mayor to conduct the meeting as you see fit.

Coincidentally, the motion I wanted to offer was strictly a grammatical correction in regard to the gender reference of the of the terms he and his, used eight times in paragraph (a). It had nothing to do with the benefit of the bill. My amendment would have been to make gender references such as he/she or his/her, within the context of the paragraph. While we only have one police officer of the female gender at present time, there might come a day when more females are hired for both police and fire positions. They deserve proper recognition of their gender.

Thank you for appointing me to the council in August of 2002. I appreciate your support and that of the voters of the Fourth Ward who elected me in April of this year.

Respectfully submitted,

Ron Ferguson

‘Course the best part of the proposed new hospital is that there is not any talk of new taxes to finance the project. At this point it is bein’ supposed that the revenue from the new facility will be able to support the expansion and result in continued service to the community. The support of several trusts and private funds will no doubt assist in makin’ that a reality.

At this point it appears that the project is buildin’ momentum and could meet the time line proposed in initial presentations.

Hospital Foundation president Tom Flanigan has said that this new hospital is the biggest thing to come to Carthage since the railroad. He and others have high expectations and see a renewed pride in the quality of life in Carthage.

All aboard?

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

McCune- Brooks Hospital

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH

By Paul G. Donohue, M.D.

Asthma Can Start at Any Age

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: At 33, I have been told I have asthma. I thought it began in childhood. My symptoms were coughing spells that left me breathless. I take two different medicines, both by inhalers. Why two? What’s the cause? — W.D.

ANSWER: Most asthma starts before age 25, but it can strike at any age. You aren’t the oddity you might have thought you were.

People with asthma have overly sensitive airways (bronchi) that react to things that leave the general population unfazed. An airborne allergen, such as pollen, dust or mold spores, can bring on an asthma attack. The touchy airways constrict and fill with mucus. That makes it difficult to draw air into the lungs and even more difficult to expel it from them. Wheezing is a typical asthma symptom. Coughing is another. All asthmatics feel like they are being choked during an attack as they frantically try to draw air into their lungs. It’s not a pleasant experience.

Allergens are not the sole causes of airway spasms. Airborne pollutants can trigger attacks. When asthmatics get a viral respiratory tract infection, such as a common cold, they almost always expect to have an asthma attack. In winter, leaving a warm house and having to breathe cold air can lead to airway constriction, as can entering an air-conditioned store or theater on a hot summer day. Exercise provokes attacks for some.