This Week

Dr. John Howard, Clarendon Family Medical Center

The flu season is upon us, and we can expect cases to start appearing in the Panhandle shortly.  I hope everyone has had an opportunity to get a flu shot.  If you haven’t, it is still not too late.                         

The Texas Department of Health recommends the vaccine for persons in whom influenza can be particularly devastating, specifically: persons age 65 and older, those of any age with chronic medical conditions including heart, lung, and metabolic problems (like diabetes), children on long term aspirin therapy, and women who will be in the second or third trimester of pregnancy during the flu season.  Contrary to popular belief, the flu shot does not make you sick (the virus in the vaccine has been inactivated). Some people will get a local reaction at the site of injection, some will even get fever or muscle aches, but you will not get the flu. You should not get the vaccine if you are allergic to eggs.

Influenza is caused by a virus.  The virus changes every year causing epidemics.  About 20,000 die each year in the U.S. due to flu.  In some years many more will succumb because of major changes in the virus.  In 1918 the “Spanish Flu” killed 500,000 in the U.S. and 20 million worldwide.  Last year was about average, but you may recall reports of the hospitals in Amarillo being full because of flu patients.

Influenza virus is spread by coughing and sneezing which contaminates air, hands, and environmental surfaces.  Incubation of the virus takes 1-4 days.  The attack rate (the number of people exposed who will get the disease) is 15-40%.  Infected individuals will shed the virus for about a week.

Flu usually starts with an abrupt onset of fever.  The fever lasts 3-5 days and is usually higher in the evening.  Children may run higher fevers, up to 104.  Cough is an early symptom.  Usually dry and hacking, it progresses by the third day to produce a thick, wet sputum, worsening over the next 4-7 days and lasting up to two weeks.  Headaches, muscle aches, sore throat and congestion round out the typical constellation of flu symptoms.

Because influenza is caused by a virus, antibiotics will not help.  Antibiotics are useful, however, for complications such as bacterial infections which may occur in some people.  Treatment with specific antiviral medication can help if started within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms.

This year we will be testing for influenza in the clinic.  The test involves a throat swab, and it takes about 20 minutes to run.  Because we are testing for flu, we will be participating in the National Flu Surveillance Network.  This will help us to track influenza outbreaks and enable us to target our treatments. 

If you think you may have contracted the flu and want to try antiviral treatment, you must begin early, within 48 hours for best results.  If you have chronic medical problems and did not get the vaccine, you should see your doctor early. 

If you want to treat your symptoms yourself, there are some excellent over the counter products which your pharmacist will be glad to tell you about.  Avoid aspirin products, especially in children. Get rest and be sure to drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. Watch out for complications: fever more than 4-5 days, fever which returns after being gone for 1-2 days, yellow-green or bloody mucus, confusion, seizures, wheezing, difficulty breathing, prolonged headache, or anything your instincts tell you to be concerned about. 

I hope we will have a mild flu season this year and that all will have a safe and happy holiday season with a prosperous and healthy new year.

Leon J. Church, County Agent

The Donley County Ag Producers Roundtable session will be held again this year. 

The  first of these sessions will be held on Wednesday, January 3.  Dr. Brent Bean, Agronomist with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service in Amarillo, will speak on Alternative Crops. This is a very timely topic, where we will discuss such crops and their potential as soybeans, sunflowers, sorghum, and others. The breakfast roundtable will begin at 6:30 a.m. at Mary’s Country Kitchen.  This is a no host breakfast meeting.

Other roundtable sessions will be held on January 18 with Dr. Randy Boman speaking on Cotton Production and the final session on February 20 with Leon New, TAEX Irrigation Specialist, speaking on Irrigation Management.

All area producers are welcome to attend these sessions.  Following each session the presenters will be available to discuss any interests or concerns the producers may have.

For further information contact the Extension Office at 874-2141.

The Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) Exit level tests will be offered this spring at Clarendon High School.

Any qualified individuals who are no longer enrolled in a Texas public school and who wish to register to retake the TAAS (or TEAMS) tests may pick up a registration packet from the Counselor’s office located in the Clarendon Junior High at 822 W. Fifth.

The testing schedule will be as follows: TAAS Writing – February 20, 2001; TAAS Math – February 21, 2001; TAAS Reading – February 22, 2001; TEAMS Math – February 21, 2001; and TEAMS English – February 22, 2001.

Since completed registration forms must be received by the testing center in Austin by January 19, 2001, any qualified individual wanting to take the tests must pick up a registration form as soon as possible. For more information, contact the CCISD Counselor’s office at 874-3241.

The 2000/2001 CHS Sophomores will take the Exit Level TAAS tests for the first time in February. They do not have to register. Since Clarendon High School had a 100% passing rate on all three tests last year, there are currently no juniors or seniors who will have to retest.

The 2000/2001 year will be the next to the last year that the Exit Level TAAS will be administered to high school sophomores in Clarendon and across the state. Beginning in 2003, the state will implement a new assessment program, TAAS 2, which will cause major changes at the Exit Level in 2004. Students will test their junior year instead of their sophomore year and will have to pass four tests instead of three.

The English Language Arts test includes essential knowledge and skills in English 3 and will include both reading and writing. The new TAAS 2 math test will assess knowledge and skills in both Algebra 1 and geometry. The social studies test includes but is not limited to early American and U.S. History. The science test includes biology and integrated chemistry and physics.

These upcoming changes were discussed with parents of Clarendon Junior High students in a meeting on November 30.

Parents who have questions about the new assessment program can contact John Taylor at the CCISD Counselor’s office.

Clarendon College instructor and longtime Donley County 4-H program supporter, Jerry Hawkins received the Texas Agricultural Extension Service Panhandle District’s ‘Friend of Extension’ award.

Hawkins’ was recognized during ceremonies held recently at the Texas A&M Research and Extension Center in Amarillo.  He was cited for his contributions and leadership as a 4-H volunteer and resource for youth throughout the region.

A career educator and mentor to area public school and college students — Hawkins began teaching at Clarendon College in 1968.  He developed the ranch management curriculum for CC’s current ranch and feedlot operations program in 1973.

Hawkins’ tenure as coach of the CC livestock judging teams began in 1974. He started and now supervises the school’s horse and meat judging teams.  His teams consistently win at state and national competitions.

“He is an ever-present mentor and resource person for area youth involved in 4-H, FFA and college level organizations,” said Dr. Bob Robinson, Extension’s district director for agricultural programs. 

According to Extension county agricultural agent Leon Church, Hawkins received the Donley County Friend of 4H award in 1993 for his involvement at the local, district, and state levels.

“He also sponsors leadership conferences for FFA members and officers each year.  Jerry has worked closely with our county 4-H livestock judging teams, coaching and then accompanying them to district and state contests,” said Church.

Jerry and Glenda Hawkins, a teacher in Clarendon Public Schools, are the parents of two grown sons.  Dean is a researcher and instructor in animal science at New Mexico State University, and Doug is a beef cattle specialist with Purina.  Hawkins and his sons are also Gold Star 4-H award recipients.

“This family has played a significant role in youth education and development in the Panhandle,” said Donna Brauchi, Extension’s district director for family and consumer sciences.

AUSTIN – Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Rylander last week sent local governments their final sales tax rebates for 2000, including $191.5 million to Texas cities and $15.7 million to counties.

Local rebates were down for Donley County communities. Clarendon’s rebate was down nearly 32 percent from this time last year for a total of $15,391.43. Hedley was down more than 32 percent to $197.24, and Howardwick dropped 37.70 to $722.83.

December’s rebates bring total sales tax allocated to local taxing entities in 2000 to $3.8 billion, a new one-year record for local sales tax revenue and an increase of eight percent compared to $3.5 billion in sales tax allocations in 1999.

Though 2000 sales tax rebates are up eight percent overall, rebates to local taxing entities for the month of December are down compared to December 1999, when local governments received extraordinarily large sales tax rebates, as the comptroller streamlined the process and made a year-end push to return every available local sales tax dollar to communities throughout the state.

This year, because of the steps Comptroller Rylander took to speed the monthly processing of sales tax revenue, local governments received more of their share of sales tax dollars sooner.

For the year, Clarendon’s rebate is up slightly by 0.83 percent. Hedley and Howardwick are both down for the year by 15.58 and 18.11 percent respectively.

The comptroller’s next sales tax allocation is scheduled for Friday, January 12, 2001.

For more information, visit  the comptroller’s website.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – US Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) voted last week for legislation that will provide rural hospitals, nursing homes, home health care agencies, and other key providers with more than $35 billion in relief.

Thornberry said that the relief money is in response to the way the 1997 Balanced Budget Act was implemented.  It contained broad guidelines that agencies filled in with specific regulations. 

According to a press release, the regulations squeezed far more money out of payments to hospitals, home health care agencies, and other providers than was ever expected or intended. 

Efforts for relief were included earlier this year in legislation passed by the House of Representatives on October 26, but the Senate failed to act on the measure.

“I’m glad to see this bill pass,” Thornberry said.  “It got caught up earlier in election-year politics, but I’m glad we were able to put all that behind us and get this package approved. 

“While it’s not everything everybody wanted, it will be a boost for rural communities and something that should help a lot of hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care providers as we head into next year.”

The legislation, which was included as part of the FY 2001 Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, passed the House by a vote of 292 to 60. Thornberry noted that the bill is the culmination of what he and other members of the Rural Health Care Coalition have been working on for the past 12 months.  Thornberry is on the Steering Committee of the Rural Health Care Coalition.  He stated that today’s bill is intended to put more money back into the Medicare system for rural providers, hospitals, and nursing homes.

Among other things, the bill would:

• Strengthen Rural Hospitals – Provides equitable treatment for rural disproportionate share hospitals (DSHs) caring for a disproportionate share of poor Medicare patients; makes wage index improvements for rural areas; updates target amounts for all sole community hospitals; and increases rural patients’ access to emergency and ambulance services and rural health clinics.  All hospitals will receive the full market basket update.

• Enhance Home Health Hospital Provisions – Protects funding for home health services by delaying a scheduled 15% cut in payments in addition to other payment increases.  Provides for full medical inflation update for home health.  Hospice provisions also improve funding for end-of-life care. The plan also enhances the use of telehealth medicine in delivery of home health care services.

• Increase Access to Care for Nursing Home Patients – Maintains access to therapy services, and reduces regulatory burdens by eliminating some parts of consolidated billing.  In addition, the plan increases the Federal per diem rate for SNF “market baskets.”

The bill will now be sent to the Senate for a vote and is expected to be signed into law by the president.

By Valerie Avery

BIG SPRING – Social obligations, activities, and daily chores can sap the strength many people need to make the marathon stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The compulsion to fill those four-plus weeks with events that we believe will recreate a Christmas of our past creates unnecessary stress.  Stress steals necessary resources we need to replenish our soul during this month-long journey and can trigger depression – a more serious illness.

But following a few guidelines, according to Gail Zilai, a licensed therapist and Big Spring State Hospital Director of the Activities Therapy Department, can alleviate the deafening emotions which accompany the holidays.

• Busy schedules don’t allow for adequate downtime. Remember to get the rest necessary to maintain the energy needed for shopping, cooking, traveling, and entertaining.

• Don’t sabotage your diet of healthy and nutritious foods. Rich, sugary food add pounds and play havoc with your digestive system.  In addition, the guilt of overeating fuels depression.  If you plan on attending a party, think ahead of time how you will handle the buffet line.

• Be aware that holidays trigger memories of enjoyable or traumatic times in your life.  These memories may make you feel lonely.  If you have no way of counteracting these memories; be aware that they are natural feelings, so if and when they occur, you won’t be caught off guard.

• Don’t overextend finances to fulfill everyone’s Christmas wish list.  Set a budget, and stick to it.  Involve your family in making homemade gifts and decorations this year.

• Avoid hosting a large get-together.  The party can be a heavy burden in addition to an already loaded schedule.  If a celebration can’t be avoided, enlist some help or plan a potluck supper.  Don’t be a martyr and carry the burden yourself.

• Accommodating visiting relatives or friends can be a real back-breaker when you’re already stressed.  Be up-front with houseguests about what you need to help your household run efficiently.

• Planning long-distance trips to visit friends or relatives may be difficult, especially for parents of young children.  Take along books, puzzles, and games to keep them entertained.  Try to be organized, and remember that it is better to get somewhere late than not to get there at all.

• When times become tense, play a CD or tape to lighten the mood. Sing out loud, sway to the music, and release some of that pent-up tension. 

The holiday will arrive and depart; how you handle this special time will make a difference in whether you enjoy yourself or make you and your loved ones miserable.

State Rep. Warren Chisum will be in Clarendon Friday, January 5, 2001, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the CHS Auditorium.

The state legislator has planned 24 town hall meetings in early January to hear from the voters and to provide an overview of what to expect from the Texas Legislature.

“State government works best when the public participates,” Chisum said. “I intend to spend more time listening than talking.”

Chisum typically files several bills based on concerns brought to his attention at town hall meetings.

“These informal get-togethers are probably the best time I can spend,” he said. “The best way to find out about a local issue is to hear about the issue from the people who have to deal with it. I hope everyone gets a chance to come and say what’s on their minds.”

The Texas Legislature, which is required by the Texas Constitution to meet for 140 days every odd-numbered year, will begin the 77th Legislative Session on Tuesday, January 9, 2001.

“Austin is pretty far from the Panhandle,” Chisum said. “I want to make sure people have the opportunity to tell their government what they expect right here at home.”

Chisum was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1988 and will report to Austin for his seventh term in 2001. He represents the 88th House District, which includes Carson, Childress, Collingsworth, Dallam, Donley, Gray, Hall, Hansford, Hartley, Hemphill, Hutchinson, Lipscomb, Ochiltree, Roberts, Sherman, and Wheeler counties.