Today's Feature

Adjournment of Old Council.

Following the April 4 Municipal Election, the change of seats for City Council is scheduled to take place at the Council meeting Tuesday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall.

The agenda for the meeting consists of 8 items of old business, the last two of which are election results, and adjournment of the old council. Following this, James Woestman will be sworn in as the new Mayor, a new 5th Ward council member will be appointed to take the position previously held by Woestman, and the elected council members will be sworn in. Then the new Council will attend to items of new business.

Woestman will take the place of current Mayor Kenneth Johnson who has held the mayoral position for 8 years.

Mumps Outbreak In The Midwest.

News release.

In the past week, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has received information about a number of reports of cases of mumps in Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. In particular, Iowa is currently experiencing a large outbreak of mumps, with 364 probable, confirmed, and suspect cases reported from January 1 to April 5, 2006. While most of these reports are from eastern Iowa, cases are now appearing in the western part of the state. Most of the affected patients are college-aged, and approximately 60 percent have had two doses of measles/mumps/rubella () vaccine.

While there have, to date, been no confirmed cases of mumps in Missouri this year, there is now an increased risk for the disease in the state. There are currently two suspect cases in northeast Missouri, for which the laboratory results are not yet available. In addition, a person from Iowa recently diagnosed with mumps was on an airplane flight that stopped in St. Louis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and DHSS are investigating contacts.

Mumps diagnosis and testing; Patients presenting with glandular swelling without other apparent cause should be tested for mumps if the disease is suspected. Contact the Missouri State Public Health Laboratory at 573-751-0633 to obtain guidance on testing, and on specimen collection and submission. Mumps should not be ruled out in someone who is vaccinated if they have symptoms clinically consistent with mumps.

Mumps is a viral illness with an incubation period that ranges from 12-25 days, and is usually 16-18 days.

The classic symptom is parotitis, most commonly bilateral. Nonspecific symptoms associated with mumps include myalgia, anorexia, malaise, headache, and low-grade fever, which may precede parotitis by several days. Orchitis and aseptic meningitis may occur. Fever may persist for 3-4 days and parotitis, when present, usually lasts 7-10 days. Persons with mumps are usually considered infectious from 3 days before until 4 days after onset of parotitis. As many as 20 percent of cases are asymptomatic, and 40-50 percent may have only nonspecific or primarily respiratory symptoms.

Stench Report:
Friday,
4/7/06

Stench reported late last week North of Town

I’ve never understood why they put an eraser on a red pencil. In the first place, those wieldin’ such an instrument is supposed ta be lookin’ for mistakes, not makin’ ‘em. But even more to the point, as a youngster I saw more than one attempt to erase a red check mark on a less than perfect paper. I never saw anyone ever successfully erase a red mark.

Typically, after a futile attempt, there would be some effort to hide the mark with a doodle or two, or a random line meant to cover the obvious.

‘Course these observations were at the relatively young age of under 10. Those attemptin’ to fool their parents or other classmates hadn’t yet grasp the real art form of hidin’ mistakes. One lesson was ta never use a red pencil.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Spring De-Bugging

Q: I was checking the masonry foundation for cracks and I noticed thin lines of dirt trailing along the bottom of the outside wall. What causes these? -- Joyce S., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

A: Those "dirt lines," unfortunately, are most likely caused by termites. Get a closer look at the foundation and outside walls. In addition to the lines, do you see small holes surrounded by what looks like dirt? These are caused by termites, as well. The "dirt" is actually digested wood -- termites literally eat through wood as they burrow into the framework of your home. The damage they cause can be quite expensive; in addition to exterminating these pests, there is the cost of replacing the affected wood.

The trouble that termites cause isn't limited to just making holes in the wood; those small holes make the material very porous and susceptible to moisture damage. In Florida, where humidity is already an issue, an additional danger inside a termite-infested home is a secondary invasion of carpenter ants. These ants take advantage of the work termites do, moving into the newly gnawed areas and enlarging them to create a comfortable nest. Damage in this case can be extreme.

So, take action right away to eradicate these termites. Schedule an inspection of your home by an exterminator and get a written estimate of the treatment needed.While you're waiting, do an inspection of your own. Use a flashlight to look inside cracks in the masonry for insects or more of that "dirt," and check crawl spaces and all areas near the ground and note all potential trouble spots. If any of the visible woodwork appears decayed, poke the area with a small knife -- if the knife goes in easily for more than half an inch, the damage may have been done by termites. Note all areas of concern and have the exterminator check them.

How do you prevent an infestation from occurring? Ideally, this starts while the house is being built, by laying a secure foundation and using pressure-treated lumber (which resists both weather and termites). After you move in, preventative measures include regular inspection and extermination (the frequency of this is determined by the type of treatment and the area in which you live).

Always use a licensed, bonded pest-control service and insist on a written estimate of the costs before treatment begins. If the damage is extensive and repairs will be costly, get estimates from several companies before approving any work.