Today's Feature

Council Meeting.

The Carthage City Council will meet this evening at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall. The first readings of several ordinances are scheduled including one that would approve a settlement agreement with US Cellular and assign a percentage of the settlement proceeds to the Missouri Municipal League.

The Council is also scheduled to hear the first reading of an ordinance that would vacate the east 17 feet of Buena Vista Right-of-Way between Fairview Avenue and Highland Avenue. This item is brought by the Public Works Committee where it was discussed last week. The committee voted to support the ordinance, which would allow for the construction of a privacy fence between houses in the Rollins Creek development and Buena Vista street.

Council will also hear the first reading of an ordinance that will allow a comprehensive tree inventory inventory would for help the City all trees in City parks to be conducted by Skip Kincaid and Associates. The determine the condition of trees in the City parks, and would help the City Tree Board to know what areas will require future planting.

It’s a wonder that more folks don’t wear little traction type things on their shoes. I figure someone has invented such a thing. Looks like it’d be simple enough. Some sort of elastic or velcro type set up with little studs on the bottom. Easy to put on, easy off. Keep ya from bustin’ your... but that would prob’ly be to simple an answer. It’s always more excitin’ ta watch folks slip and slide.

‘Sides, it’d just be another thing I’d have to organize. I suppose I could keep a pair in the same place my tire chains are, at my cousin’s house in Nebraska.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

To Your Good Health
By Paul G. Donohue, M.D.

Forget Stomach Flu, Blame Norvovirus

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Have you any information on the Norwalk flu? My grandkids were all sick with it last week -- vomiting and diarrhea. One had to be taken to the hospital because of a high fever. -- M.C.

ANSWER: The Norwalk virus -- so named because it was first isolated in Norwalk, Ohio -- is now called Norvovirus. It’s one of the most common causes of infectious diarrhea, and the infection is not limited to children. It’s the virus responsible for ruining many people’s vacations when it races through cruise ships.

After a relatively short incubation period (the time from the virus’s entry into the body until the appearance of symptoms) of one to two days, infected people begin to have diarrhea, sometimes accompanied by stomach cramps and vomiting. Body temperature rises, and headaches are another feature. The illness lasts, on average, two to three days, but some are ill for as long as one month.

There is no special medicine for the infection. Lowering body temperature, when indicated, and making the person comfortable are two treatment goals. The most important aspect is to keep the infected person -- adult and especially child -- hydrated, since so much fluid is lost in the diarrhea stools.

Care if I make a picky point? This isn’t the flu. Flu is a respiratory illness with cough, muscle pain and fever. People use the term "intestinal flu," but that’s a misnomer. I make the point only because many people who receive the flu vaccine and then later develop diarrhea blame it on the flu. They say the vaccine didn’t work. They’re wrong. They’re talking about a different illness.