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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2005-05-18, Page 1IN P S Y T Clinical Systems DR. ROBERT SHEPHERD Practice in Psychology 148 Goderich St. W, Seaforth Phone 519.527.2669 Toll Free 800.352.3963 Fax 519.527.2588 Visit www.inpsyt.com for more information. Wednesday, May 18, 2005 ALBERT STREET DENTURE CLINIC Denture Specialist Dean it. McTaggart D.D. Complete and Partial Dentures Denture Repairs Relines & Additions 482-1195 50 Albeit St., Clinton $1.25 includes GST westiaremBirramigNialswimseashw MIMMMI Iii brier Larger and larger farm equipment damaging local roads, says mayor As farm equipment gets larger and larger, Huron East's mayor wants to know if there's some way to limit the damage machinery does to municipal roads. "It's time to let farmers know that if they don't want to pay the taxes, they don't want to break the roads," he said. Seili said he attended a farm show in London, Ont. recently and was shocked at the size of manure trucks. "I looked at one and it had four tires on each side with a 10,000 gallon tank. I could just see the roads crumbling underneath it. Our roads aren't built for it," he said. Public Works Coordinator John Forrest said the municipality had to- close Manley Road recently because of damage done by manure trucks. "The trucks get,bigger and bigger every year and the weight they get is tremendous," he said. "And, sometimes they're pulling more than one tank behind." "I'm not anti -farming but when you have one resident on a mile and a quarter, it's getting tough to swallow," added Seili. By Susan Hundertrnark Stolen van found at Seaforth dealership A van stolen from a Kitchener -area business was found over the weekend on a car dealership lot in Seaforth, reports the Huron OPP. The dealership called police on May 14 at 1:15 p.m. after finding the vehicle on its parking lot. The white 2002 Chevrolet one -ton cube van was stolen the day before from a business in Petersburg, near Kitchener. Huron OPP are investigating two men over the theft. Anyone with related information is asked to call the Huron OPP or Crime Stoppers. Dublin bowler qualifies for national tOUrnament ...page 14 Jennifer Hubbard photo Paramedics Cassie Renner and Don Dolmage strap St. Anne's student Laura Elligsen, of Walton, to a stretcher after she was rescued from a car during the mock crash scene at the school on Monday. Mock crash illustrates drinking/driving result By Jennifer Hubbard Clinton News -Record Staff Crushed against a light pole, half its roof collapsed, the car came to rest. A driver and passenger inside were covered in blood and screaming, but a third slumped motionless within the wreckage. Among the metal scraps and shattered glass sat an overturned cooler and six empty beer bottles. The dangers of drinking and driving hit home for St. Anne's students earlier this week as they observed a mock crash scene involving three of their peers. "What you are about to see is a reenactment of a real life situation. Unlike reality TV you cannot change the channel or turn the television off," Central Huron Fire Department deputy chief Dave Renner told more than 300 students as they huddled around the devastating crash scene in the school's hack parking lot. "In reality drinking and driving changes lives. Not only the driver's life, but also the passengers in the vehicle, other motorists and their passengers, the family and friends of those involved, the emergency response teams; in fact a whole community is forever changed by a had decision." As a kick-off to Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving (OSAID) week at St. Anne's (May 16-20), the mock crash was just one of many activities planned to remind students of the dangers of impaired driving as the Victoria Day long - See ST. ANNE'S, Page 2 Health Unit keeping watch for any local rubella cases By .lason Middleton • Expositor Staff While the Huron County Health Unit docs not expect any cases of nihella, also known as German measles, to appear in the county, they arc keeping a watchful cyc on the situation. After 184 confirmed cases of rubella in three counties, the health unit is warning family and emergency room physicians to be on heightened alert with patients who have rashes said Christina Taylor public health nurse with the Huron County Health Unit. Also, the health unit is fielding calls from the public in regards to the Oxford county outbreak of rubella (or German measles). Taylor explained that they arc tracking every call so that they have a clear idea of the things callers wanted to know. "The main one (question) is what's my immunization status," Taylor said. adding that the health unit keeps a record of every child in the school system. Questions that the health unit has fielded include what does the rash look like and what kind of symptoms go along with nihclla. Taylor said rubella is spread through coughing and sneezing. The rash is light pink in colour and can hc, but usually is not, itchy. Rubella. Taylor said, is usually accompanied with red eyes, swollen lymph nodes and stiff and sore joints. "It's actually a very mild illness." Taylor said. "The issue is not in the younger children that get it or even yourself or myself. The issue is in pregnant females or in females that arc going to be pregnant." According to Taylor, research has proven that rubella is significantly linked with severe birth defects which include deafness and blindness. Taylor said in Oxford County there is a larger amount of nonimmunized residents. "Rubella will go where people.are not immunized," Taylor said. So far, there have been 184 confirmed cases of rubella in three counties — Oxford, Haldimand-Norfolk and Brant — with the majority of the cases in Oxford. According to statistics from the health unit, See HURON, Page 7 Nursing course could be offered in Huron By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor Registered practical nurses (RPNs) could be trained in Huron and Perth Counties if enough students sign up for a September start, says organizer Cathie Schalk. "Nursing is the highest demand occupation in Huron County over the past few years," says Schalk, who is also administrator of the Seaforth Manor Nursing and Retirement Home. "Everyone is always recruiting for nurses." The course is an idea that came out of research on nursing done in 2000 by the Grey -Bruce -Huron -Perth District Health Council. With a major finding that most local nurses are in their late 40s and early 50s and coming close to retirement age, a nursing strategies task team was formed to determine ways to recruit nurses for Huron and Perth. Paul Nichol, of the Huron Business Centre, says nursing is high on the list of job openings tracked every month by the centre. "There really is a local demand and the big question is who's going to fill in as nurses retire. It's a hard job but there's no doubt that there's a demand for it," he says. A local nursing course was "recognized as a major recruitment vehicle in Huron and Perth," says Schalk. "For rural areas, it's very difficult to send people away to be trained and expect them to come back," she says. The nursing strategies task team took up the challenge and negotiated over the past two years with Georgian College in Owen Sound to offer nearby training. "It's such a fabulous opportunity and it's so good for our Local community to have it running here," says Schalk. The course, if offered, will be a part-time four-year course with two evening classes a week. It could have classroom space offered in Seaforth, Clinton, Wingham and Mitchell and clinical work offered at every hospital and nursing home in the two counties. The course was designed to meet the needs of mature students who might be looking at nursing as a second career. So far, most of the interested students are in their late 20s and early 30s, although some have signed up who are in their late 40s and early 50s. And, even though an RPN course is usually offered full- time over two years, Schalk says she's also receiving some interest from recent high school graduates. Last week, 15 students wrote an entrance exam at Mitchell District High School and further opportunities to write the entrance exam will be offered during the summer. Prerequisites include Grade 12 math and English and See REGISTERED, Page 2 Jason Middleton photo Lisa Carnell, of Goderich, writes the entrance exam for a registered practical nursing course that could be offered by Georgian College in Huron County if enough students are found to take the course this September.