TB case at Belvidere North

Above is from:  http://www.wrex.com/story/38217442/2018/05/17/confirmed-case-of-tuberculosis-found-at-belvidere-north-high-school

ata  Statistics

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the world’s deadliest diseases:

• One fourth of the world’s population is infected with TB.
• In 2016, 10.4 million people around the world became sick with TB disease. There were 1.7 million TB-related deaths worldwide.
• TB is a leading killer of people who are HIV infected.

A total of 9,272 TB cases (a rate of 2.9 cases per 100,000 persons) were reported in the United States in 2016. This is a decrease from the number of cases reported in 2015 and the lowest case count on record in the United States. The case rate of 2.9 per 100,000 persons is a 3.6% decrease from 2015. While the United States continues to make slow progress, current strategies are not enough to reach the goal of TB elimination in this century.

CDC estimates that about 14% of U.S. TB cases with genotype data are attributed to recent transmission. Distinguishing the numbers of cases attributed to recent transmission from those likely due to reactivation of longstanding, untreated latent TB infection is one of many tools state and local TB programs can use to design and prioritize effective public health interventions.

Above is from:  https://www.cdc.gov/tb/statistics/default.htm

Boone County Health Department

5 hrs · (approximately 3PM, May 18, 2018)

There has been a diagnosed case of Tuberculosis (TB) at Belvidere North High School. Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease that is transmitted from an ill person to others through the air. People who are in direct and prolonged contact with the ill person and share the same airspace for a prolonged period of time can become infected with the germ (bacteria) that causes TB.

You can only get infected by breathing in TB germs that a person coughs into the air. You cannot get TB from someone’s clothes, drinking glass, eating utensils,
handshake, toilet, or other surfaces where a TB patient has been.

Skin testing for every student attending Belvidere North High School is not necessary. Students and staff who have come in direct and prolonged contact in the classroom setting are considered school contacts that need to have a TB skin test. Those students and staff received a letter about their need for a skin test. We will be taking appointments for skin tests for the targeted students and staff on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Call 815-544-9730 for more information.

Actual Letter which went out to all Belvidere North students

Letter to Students with direct/prolong contact with the active TB patient

Recent Actions of Boone County Board (as reported on Facebook)

Cathy Ward

Yesterday at 6:17am ·

BOONE COUNTY NEWS - In a nutshell, the majority of the board last night gave preliminary approval to two solar projects (still a few more hurdles, but a positive feeling) and the majority gave raises to our county clerk position and our county treasure position. The clerk's salary is now $83,343 and the treasurer's salary is now $76,098. The raises would be 1%, 1%, 2%, 2% over the next four years, (6%) plus they get an extra $6,500 from the state each year, plus benefits. Those positions are now held by Julie Stapler and Curt Newport. Both are running for re-election. Sheriff Dave Ernest, who could also have been given a raise, had told our finance committee he would be happy to say at the same salary, about $117,000 per year. By a narrow vote, the majority of the board kept Sheriff Ernest's salary the same. Thanks to Dave. He understands the seriousness of our financial picture. Only board members Jeff Carlisle, Brad Stark and me consistently argued and voted against the raises. Before the referendum, some board members said we would be in dire straits if the referendum did not pass, suggesting we would need deep cuts. Since it failed, I believe that was a message from our taxpayers to hold the line. Not all board members agreed.Thoughts on both solar and raises?

And what about solar?

William Randall The Boone County Board proposed a text amendment to establish what some consider protections for the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens concerning potential solar farm developments. This text amendment was sent through planning and to the ZBA where I attended hearings as evidence was presented and then the case vanished from the agendas, without a vote. The County and City of Belvidere decided to lease the Rt 76 landfill for solar development, however, the project would be a no-go if the new text amendment rules on setbacks were adopted. The County Administrator all but scolded the board at a previous board meeting because they were compromising his "good faith" negotiations with the solar developer by pressing forward with the text amendment. Mr. Newhouse told him if the board approves the landfill development special use before they vote on the text amendment it is a moot point. I wonder when this text amendment will reappear? Perhaps the day after the special use permit for the landfill is filed thus grandfathering them under the old rules? What's good for the goose, is good for the gander, certainly does not apply in Boone County.

Below is From:  http://www.rrstar.com/news/20180518/boone-county-board-approves-two-solar-items

Boone County considering increase in pay for elected officials

Above is from:  http://www.rrstar.com/news/20180515/boone-county-board-to-consider-pay-hikes-for-elected-officials

Narcan Training in Boone County

News

Boone County Health Department combats overdoses with free Narcan training classes

By:

• James Leonardi

Updated: May 15, 2018 06:17 PM CDT

BOONE COUNTY - Heroin overdoses in Boone County are at an all-time high and the County's health department is making sure residents stay prepared to help anyone battling addiction by holding classes to teach how to use the life-saving drug Narcan.

First responders see no signs of the opioid epidemic slowing down. "It could happen anywhere," said Narcan instructor, Brandice Howell. "It could happen on the street, it could happen to your friend, your family member. It could happen to you."
Police and Fire volunteers and employees at the Boone County Health Department are among those receiving a crash course on how to use Narcan, a drug that is used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

The course not only teaches how to administer the drug - as a nasal spray - but also educates the public on how the opioid crisis is affecting everyone, even children.

"We have addicts and they have children, so a kid could get into their cabinet and find a pill on the floor," Howell said. "Anyone can overdose."

Leon Krause volunteers for the Belvidere Police Department. One man's story inspired him to attend the training.

"I was talking to my daughter about this and the guy sitting next to me says do it -- he says it saved [his] life and he went through his life experience with what he had and he just blew me away," Krause said.

For some, learning about different drugs such as prescription painkillers and illegal drugs like heroin, which can each cause an overdose, is the first step to understanding the epidemic.

Rodney Kampfrenz, a Boone County Emergency Management Volunteer, said, "I learned a lot about the opioids and all the other drugs, and the fentanyl, and the effects of it."

The Boone County Health Department is a resource for addicts to seek help and train on Narcan.

Boone County's Health Administrator said, "We have an organized community effort now that we need to put forward and address this issue, no matter what the circumstances of the individual, who is addicted, is dealing with."

There are several more free classes for those who wish to receive the training, including one Wednesday at 5 p.m. at the Boone County Health Department.

Above is from:  http://www.mystateline.com/news/boone-county-health-department-combats-overdoses-with-free-narcan-training-classes/1181283129

Trump tells Commerce Department to help Chinese company

Trump tells Commerce Department to help Chinese company

10 hrs ago

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Sunday he has instructed his Commerce Department to help get a Chinese telecommunications company "back into business" after the U.S. government cut off access to its American suppliers.

At issue is that department's move last month to block the ZTE Corp., a major supplier of telecoms networks and smartphones based in southern China, from importing American components for seven years. The U.S. accused ZTE of misleading American regulators after it settled charges of violating sanctions against North Korea and Iran.

ZTE, which has more than 70,000 employees and has supplied networks or equipment to some of the world's biggest telecoms companies, said in early May that it had halted its main operations as a result of the department's "denial order."

Trump, who has taken a hard line on trade and technology issues with Beijing, tweeted on Sunday that he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping "are working together to give massive Chinese phone company, ZTE, a way to get back into business, fast. Too many jobs in China lost. Commerce Department has been instructed to get it done!"

ZTE has asked the department to suspend the seven-year ban on doing business with U.S. technology exporters. By cutting off access to U.S. suppliers of essential components such as microchips, the ban threatens ZTE's existence, the company has said.

During recent trade meetings in Beijing, Chinese officials said they raised their objections to ZTE's punishment with the American delegation, which they said agreed to report them to Trump.

The U.S. imposed the penalty after discovering that Shenzhen-based ZTE, which had paid a $1.2 billion fine in the case, had failed to discipline employees involved and paid them bonuses instead.

Above is from: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/trump-tells-commerce-department-to-help-chinese-company/ar-AAxcRgl?ocid=spartandhp