Today's Feature

Injured Animal Policies.

The City Council Public Safety committee met Monday evening in a regular session.

Carthage Humane Society Board President Kaylene Cole and Board Member Connie Shull were present to speak to the committee about revisions to the City contract with the Humane Society. The changes would affect the procedure for when the City Animal Control officer picks up an injured animal, and in the revised contract, the City would pay up to $75 for veterinarian fees incurred by those animals with a $250 cap for the first month. The payment structure is to be tried for a 6 month period.

It was also the first Safety committee meeting for Council member Bill Fortune, who replaces Cynthia Curry as a committee member. Fortune is additionally the Council liaison to the Carthage Humane Society board.

Cole said she had read the draft for the contract changes and that she had several questions prior to presenting it to the full Society board. These questions included how the City funds were to be accessed for the payment of the veterinarian fees. Committee chair Mike Harris said that it was his understanding that the Society should receive the bill directly from the veterinarian, and turn it in to the City to have the $75 portion paid.

Another question asked by Cole was whether there would be a change to the party responsible for transporting the injured animals to the veterinarian. Currently the City Animal Control officer is instructed to pick up the animals and take them directly to the Humane Society regardless of themedical condition of the animals. Cole expressed the opinion that it would be better for injured animals to be taken to the vet first, instead of the Humane Society.

Fortune said that the City felt it would be proper to have the Society deliver the injured animals to the vet, adding that the Humane Society employees would be in a better position to determine whether or not medical attention would be needed for any injured animals.

Cole said that this arrangement would require having a Society employee on-call 24 hours a day, which would not be feasible.

Fortune said that the director could be called if an injured animal was delivered to the shelter.

The committee was in agreement that Cole and Shull should present the contract in its current form and let the Society board decide whether or not to accept the changes or request further revisions.

When school was startin’, Mom would always take a survey of the winter coats ta figure who needed one the worst. There we’d be, in cut off jeans and tee shirts, tryin’ on our parkas ta see who could wear what hand-me-down and who’d get the new coat. I didn’t mind the hand-me-downs much. My older brother grew real fast so they weren’t worn too bad. My little sister was always squawkin’ ‘bout wearin’ my shoes, though.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Here's A Tip
By JoAnn Derson

• "I like a half a grapefruit every morning, and to keep the second half fresh until the following day, I place it cut side down on a coffee lid and keep it in the refrigerator. I don’t even need to wrap it. It stays nice and juicy." -- T.I. in Kansas

• If you are using a power drill when working in a small, dark space -- like a cabinet -- it’s easy to shed a little light on your project. Use a heavy-duty rubber band to strap a small flashlight directly to your drill, with the bulb end pointing toward the drill bit. Switch it on and you will be able to see exactly what you are doing -- and you'll have one hand free!

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• What to do about chewing gum stuck in the carpet? First, pick off as much as will come up easily. Lay ice cubes on whatever is left to freeze it. Chip the remaining pieces off and repeat the icing if necessary. After you have gotten most of it off, trim the carpet of any sticky bits.