Today's Feature

Board Discusses New High School Site.

The Carthage R-9 Board of Education met Monday evening in a public forum to discuss a bond issue for the potential construction of a new high school facility. The facility is to be located in the 200,000 square foot lot that is bordered by River Street, Airport Drive and Fir Road across from the southernmost watertower. The timeline for the project lists the bond issue vote for this new construction in the April 4, 2006 election.

In the meeting Assistant Superintendent for Business Mark Baker outlined the demographics of the school system. Baker cited 2.3% growth in the system since 1999 and a 5.1 percent growth in the last year. Since 1996 Carthage schools have added 52 new teaching positions including 14 new positions in the K-6 program.

R-9 President Tony Diggs announced the potential new site of the school. Diggs spoke about previous plans to construct a new facility at the corner of Chapel Road and HH Highway saying that the idea was met with concerns due to speed limits on the highway and its proximity to an elementary school. Diggs said that the school board has secured an option to buy the prospective property which is closer to the geographic center of the district.

Gary Jackson of Hight-Jackson Associates gave an overview of the proposal which would re-configure the division of grades. If the bond issue is approved grades 9-12 would occupy the new building and grades 7 and 8 would occupy the present High School building. The 7th and 8th grades would require a closed campus for lunch. This would necessitate the expansion of the current high school lunch room, according to Jackson. The re-configuration would see the 5th and 6th grades occupying the current Junior high building and K-4 in present elementary buildings.

January 2009 would be the earliest date of occupancy for the proposed building if the bond is passed in the April 2006 election .

Stench Report:
Monday,
1/7/06

No Stench Detected

One the other night I noticed was for a life alterin’ mattress. Underneath the shot of a couple comfortable sleepin’ the night away were the words "Actual Portrayal". This rates right up there with "artificial margarine".

What other kind of portrayal is there? Could it have been an "Artificial portrayal" of the good night’s sleep? Then the actors would only be playin’ like they were actin’ like they were asleep. Or if they were actually asleep they wouldn’t be actin’ so it wouldn’t be a portrayal at all. Just a scene of people sleepin’. Who writes this stuff?

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Outlook for Lupus Has Greatly Improved

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I would greatly appreciate it if you would write an article on lupus. Thank you in advance for any information and help on this matter. -- R.L.

ANSWER: Lupus is an example of an illness caused by an immune system that turns against its own body. It is, therefore, an autoimmune disease.

Usually it comes on between the ages of 20 and 45, and the preponderance of patients are women.

Lupus attacks many body organs and tissues. The skin can break out in a variety of rashes, but a common one is a redness of the cheeks and bridge of the nose. The skin is quite sensitive to sunlight, and exposure to it can often cause a worsening of symptoms.

Joints frequently become swollen and painful. The heart and the heart covering can be involved. Heart valves can become deformed, and inflammation of the pericardium (the heart covering) gives rise to chest pain. Lupus can attack nerves. The kidneys are often involved, with a resulting increase in blood pressure and a loss of protein in the urine.

Today’s medicines can control lupus for most patients. More than 90 percent of lupus patients are still living 10 years after diagnosis, and 70 percent are living longer than 20 years. Such success in treating lupus was unheard of even a few short decades ago.