Originally created 04/23/04

News you can use

By From Staff and Wire Reports

BACK IN TIME

APRIL 23, 1963

Two Republicans were elected to seats on North Augusta's city council in Monday's general election, with incumbent Democratic Councilman Ted A. Pressley re-elected.

F. Irvin Schueler and Lloyd Stahl, both making their initial political races under the GOP banner, defeated incumbent Democrats E.E. Graybill and J.A. Baynham.

Republican William J. Mottel was unsuccessful in his bid for election. A record 2,112 votes were cast in the election.

AROUND TOWN

TODAY

GIVE BURNS THE BOOT: Hephzibah Fire and Rescue will participate in the annual Give Burns the Boot drive today and Saturday in Hephzibah. The money raised will help educate the public about burn awareness and prevention, support medical facilities in burn care and assist burn survivors in their recovery. For more information, call 592-4511.

ASTHMA AWARENESS: The Pulmonary Rehabilitation Department at University Hospital will hold an Asthma Awareness Day from 3 to 6 p.m. at the hospital, 1350 Walton Way. Department officials will offer lung screenings and tests for children and adults, drawings for Augusta GreenJackets tickets and asthma-related prizes such as educational videos and peak-flow meters. The event is free. For more information, call 774-5864.

ORAL CANCER SCREENINGS: The Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at Medical College of Georgia Health System will offer free oral cancer screenings from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the fourth floor of the MCG Ambulatory Care Center, 1123 15th St. For more information, call 721-5493.

SATURDAY

PHINIZY SWAMP STOMP 5K: Phinizy Swamp Nature Park will hold its third annual Swamp Stomp 5K Run/Walk at 8 a.m. at the swamp, located off Doug Barnard Parkway. The cross-country course runs through the scenic park woods and wetlands. After the race, there will be Earth Day tours, exhibitions, animal demonstrations, educational workshops, refreshments and speeches by community leaders. There also will be the semi-final drawing of The Augusta Chronicle's Make Kids Count $10,000 scholarship. The race costs $18 with a T-shirt and $9 without. Earth Day activities are free. For more information, call 828-2109.

POWERFEST 2004: Radio station WPRW (107.7FM) will host its fourth annual PowerFest at 1 p.m. at Augusta Lock and Dam, 1853 Lock and Dam Road. The event features national recording artists J-Kwon, Bone Crusher, Goody Mob, Jagged Edge, Juvenile and others. There will be carnival rides for children, a car show, soul lounge and vendors. Admission costs $4 at the gate; children age 13 and younger get in free.

GROVETOWN HERITAGE FESTIVAL: The second annual Grovetown Heritage Festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. near City Hall. There will be a disc jockey, karaoke, music and dance performances, clowns, arts and crafts and a car show. The festival is free. For more information, call 863-1867.

CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL: Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History will hold its first annual Children's Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Phillips Street, between Lucy C. Laney High School and the museum. There will be games, arts and crafts, entertainment, food and more.

SIGNS OF TROUBLE

Eye professionals recommend regular eye exams for children because many vision problems can begin with no or few obvious symptoms. Doctors cite some signs of possible eye trouble:

Crossed, red-rimmed, inflamed or watery eyes, or recurring eye infections.

Avoiding coloring or other detailed activities or, for older children, avoiding reading or frustration when reading or doing homework.

Closing or covering one eye, or blinking more than usual.

Rubbing eyes excessively.

Squinting or moving very close to the TV or computer.

Holding books closer than the typical 14 inches from the face.

Complaints that eyes itch, burn or are blurry.

Complaints of dizziness, headache or nausea after performing work close to the eyes.

ANT CONTROL

If you're noticing more ants than usual crawling around your home, here are some ways you can control them:

OUTSIDE: Keep bushes and limbs from touching the roofline. Ants tend to colonize below trees - any direct contact a tree or shrub has with the house is an access point to inside. Clean gutters regularly of pine straw, leaves and moisture, which makes a great area for ants to set up camp.

INSIDE: Make sure plumbing is tightly sealed so there aren't any openings between the wall and pipe. Keep scrap food cleaned up. Dishes in the sink, sugar around the coffee maker and cookie crumbs can act as large meals for an ant. Also, think twice before using ant sprays. Ants leave a chemical trail wherever they travel, and sprays destroy that trail, leaving ants to spread out in other areas. Baits may be a better option, but you might have to try several kinds, as different baits work on different ants.

- Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

PROTECTING BLOOD

There might be some misconceptions and fears about giving blood, but the American Red Cross offers these answers to common questions:

Donating blood is a safe and sterile process - the bags, tubing and needles are used only once and then destroyed.

It is impossible to get AIDS from giving blood.

Donating blood rarely hurts. You will briefly feel a sting on the inside of your arm near your elbow.

Although some people are scared they'll get sick or faint, reactions when donating rarely occur and are usually minor.

If you feel fatigued after donating, it will pass in a few hours.

Your blood cells replace themselves. It is safe to donate blood every 56 days.

To ensure the safety of the blood supply, the Red Cross performs eight tests for infectious diseases on each blood donation, regardless of how many times a person has donated blood:

HIV-1/HIV-2 Antibody Test.

HIV-1 Antigen Test

Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Test

Hepatitis B Core Antibody Test

Hepatitis C Antibody Test (Version 3.0)

ALT Test (liver enzyme)

HLTV-I/II Antibody Test (rare T-cell leukemia virus)

Syphilis Test

Source: The American Red Cross

THE EYES HAVE IT

A new study shows that antioxidant supplements, along with high levels of zinc, reduce the risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness.

The study, conducted by the National Eye Institute, was reported in the Archives of Ophthalmology.

EXECUTIVE OVERTIME

More employees are working longer and harder, including managers, a survey finds.

In fact, says Robert Half International Inc., a staffing service that specializes in accounting, financing and information technology, more managers than ever believe there just isn't enough time in the work day to get everything done.

A recent survey of 150 managers and executives found that more than a third said their time on the job has gone up from five years ago. The average time spent working during the week is now 54 hours, according to the people polled.

Because of that, warned Max Messmer, the chairman and CEO at Robert Half, more executives need to step back and reassess their own needs and the demands of their jobs, lest they start suffering from burnout.