Today's Feature
Larry Ross Appointed.

The Carthage City Council approved the Mayor Kenneth Johnson’s nomination of Larry Ross to the position of first ward Council member at the meeting Tuesday evening. Ross was not in attendance of the meeting.

Jasper County Sheriff Archie Dunn spoke to the Council concerning the proposed one quarter percent Jasper County Law Enforcement Sales Tax at the Council meeting Tuesday. Dunn presented the council members with a tentative first year budget for the $3.6 million that would be generated annually by the tax, gave a brief synopsis of the budget and answered questions from Council members.

City Attorney David Mouton addressed issues of excessive odors from Renewable Environmental Resources. Mouton said he had found the recent odors to be frequent and intense. Mayor Johnson suggested to Mouton that he make contact with the Attorney General’s office to set another deadline for RES. Police Chief Dennis Veach suggested that the City ask RES to cease operations for the Halloween Treats on the Square which will be held October 31 on the Carthage Square from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Stench Report:
Wednesday,
10/26/05

No Stench Reported

On the other hand, there seems to be a ground swell of those who favor the tax. It seems to be mainly originatin’ from the smaller communities and rural areas that are naturally concerned with lack of police protection. Whether there are enough numbers of voters to pass the proposal may be the main reason the aginners are so confident.

If, as has happened in the past, only ten or fifteen percent of registered voters turn out, I would say the proposal could have a good chance of passin.’

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Dear Tom and Ray:

Why do I keep hearing that you should never allow two vehicles to touch while jump-starting one of the vehicles? I recently e-mailed a local radio-show host here in my area who does an auto-repair show on Tuesday evenings, but even he admitted that he had heard this but had never checked it out and, therefore, couldn’t answer my question. Do you know? - Brian

TOM: I would assume that’s from the days when cars had exposed metal bumpers.

RAY: Cars still have metal bumpers, but they’re now encased in rubber or plastic. But if you had two cars with exposed metal bumpers, AND the cars were touching, AND you hooked up a jumper cable incorrectly, attaching the positive of one car to the negative of the other, then you could possibly cause an explosion. You’d be, in effect, shorting out the battery in the car that was attached to the positive terminal, and it could blow up on you.

TOM: But it’s largely irrelevant today, Brian. Unless you happen to have one of those few pickup trucks or SUVs that are still sold with chrome bumpers, and you’re being jumped by another one, it’s just not an issue.

RAY: Right. Nowadays, all modern cars can have their bumpers touching. They can hold hands, kiss, do whatever they want. As far as we’re concerned, what they do while jump-starting in the privacy of their own driveway is none of anyone else’s business.

RACING
by Greg Zyla
Sponsored by Curry Automotive

Are NASCAR Drivers Really Athletes?

The recent broadcast of "Dr. Sanjay Gupta Prime Time Specials" on CNN finally solved the question: "Are racing drivers truly athletes?" The one-hour report titled "NASCAR: Driven to Extremes" by CNN’s senior medical correspondent gave an unequivocal "yes" to the much debated question.

Dr. Gupta, a practicing neurosurgeon and an assistant professor of neurosurgery, explained that auto racing is indeed a sport that requires high degrees of physical and mental fitness.

"In terms of a driver’s heart rate, blood pressure and ability to tolerate dehydration, racing is similar to some very strenuous sports, like basketball and Olympic swimming. But in racing, these drivers have to perform for up to four hours at a time," Gupta said. "The incredible strain on the human body from the heat, g-forces and the mental focus is like nothing I’ve seen before.

Gupta said that modern-day race drivers are finding that adding a physical training schedule to their daily routine results in a longer career. Gupta’s interviews with several sports medicine doctors gave additional credence to his findings that drivers are true athletes. The conclusions about racing being a sport will intrigue even the most ardent fans, and no doubt surprise the diehard "stick and ball" sports follower.