A dead blue jay found in Hughes last month is Arkansas' first confirmed case of the West Nile Virus for 2002.
According to a press release from the Arkansas Department of Health, the blue jay which was found June 22, was taken to the Lee County Health Unit and then transferred to the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission. According to the report, the bird tested positive for the West Nile Virus and was then sent to the National Wildlife Laboratory in Madison, Wisc., for confirmation. The bird was the first confirmed positive testing for West Nile Virus in 2002. Last year, four birds, including two blue jays were found positive in El Dorado, Benton and Fort Smith. There have been no human cases of the virus reported in Arkansas.
West Nile Virus is transmitted directly to humans, horses, and other animals after mosquitoes feed on diseased birds, which host the virus. When the insects feed on a bird or mammal they may pick up the virus along with the blood meal. The virus is then transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito.
According to the release, not all mosquitoes carry the virus and most people that are bitten by an infected mosquito don't get sick or show only very mild or no symptoms. Human West Nile Virus infections typically begin within 14 days following the insect bite and consist of fever, headache, rash, muscle and joint aches, listlessness and possibly encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain, which is the most dangerous symptom.
People with compromised immune systems and the elderly are the most at risk for contracting the virus and there is no specific treatment of WNV. According to the report the best means of avoiding the virus is through avoiding mosquitoes. The ADH suggests eliminating breeding grounds for mosquitoes through several preventative measures. Arkansans should:
* Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots or similar water-holding containers.
* Remove all discarded tires on your property.
* Drill holes in the bottoms of recycling containers that are kept outdoors. Make sure roof gutters drain properly and clean clogged gutters in the spring and fall.
* Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use. Change the water in bird baths.
* Clean vegetation and debris from the edges of ponds.
* Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, outdoor saunas and hot tubs.
* Drain water from pool covers.
* Use landscaping to eliminate stagnant water that collects on your property.
When it is necessary to be outdoors, wear protective clothing and use mosquito repellent containing up to 30 percent DEET.
The ADH is requesting that citizens contact their local health departments if they find dead crows, blue jays or hawks. According to the report, horses that show signs of encephalitis are also being tested. Birds can be placed in plastic bags and should be picked up with rubber or plastic gloves or by taking the bag and turning it inside out to pick up the bird.
To contact the St. Francis County Health Department call 633-1340.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Work has begun on Ark. Highway 1 in Marianna, part of an overall project to widen Ark. Highway 1 to four lanes from Wynne to Helena.
"The whole project is about three and a half miles long," said Ray Woodruff, district engineer for the state Highway and Transportation Department.
"It starts at the south end of Marianna, where Highway 1 and 1-B intersect, then goes north of the junction with Highway 79, and continues north. It ends at the junction with Highway 243, close to Lee Academy."
Bids on this project were opened this spring. The contract went to APAC-Tennessee for $6.37 million.
Woodruff said the route to be widened was once known as the Marianna bypass.
The overall widening project also will eventually include passing lanes from Wynne to Jonesboro.
Motorists will also be encountering other work, in both St. Francis and Lee counties, between July 15 and August 1. Weather permitting, the Highway and Transportation Department will be sealing highways in both counties.
One project will be on Highway 78 in St. Francis and Lee counties, from Highway 70 to Highway 79, a distance of 13.5 miles.
In Lee County, Highway 261 will be sealed from Highway 259 to the St. Francis County line, a distance of 9.4 miles.
There will also be other sealing projects in this general area. In Phillips County, Highway 44 south of Elaine will be sealed for 14.3 miles. In Monroe County, 10.8 miles of Highway 302 will be sealed from Clarendon to Highway 17.
The sealing work will be done with liquid asphalt and pea gravel. Motorists in the area are reminded to use caution, because vehicles traveling too fast can kick up the gravel, which in turn can cause glass breakage. It usually takes four to eight days from the time the pea gravel is placed until the loose material is swept off the roadway. The speed through these work areas is restricted to 25 miles per hour.
The man police say is responsible for causing a head-on collision which seriously injured one driver has been arrested.
The Forrest City Police Department reported Travis Kimble, 25, 1947 Williams St., Forrest City, was arrested in Crow Creek Saturday without incident.
Kimble is charged in connection with the June 30 motor vehicle accident on West Broadway in front of the Broadway Twin Cinema.
The accident occurred just after 3 p.m. when Carol Kimble, 25, lost control of her vehicle while traveling west around the curve. She crossed the center line and hit another vehicle which was occupied by an adult and two small children.
As a result of the accident, Carol Kimble was airlifted to the Regional Medical Center in Memphis where she underwent surgery for her injuries. The occupants of the second vehicle were transported by ambulance to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City where they were treated and released.
According to witnesses at the accident scene, Travis Kimble was operating a black Cadillac and trying to run his former wife, Carol Kimble, off the road. She was attempting to make it to the police department when she lost control of her vehicle, according to police.
A few hours prior to the accident, Travis Kimble was arrested for third-degree domestic battery after he allegedly held Carol Kimble captive in her home at 403 Lombardy St., and assaulted her. She signed affidavits for his arrest after being treated at BMH-FC. Travis Kimble was released by police later that morning and given a court date.
Travis Kimble is charged with first-degree domestic battery and three counts of first-degree battery. He is being held in the St. Francis County Jail without bond.
A five-year-old boy was injured when he rode his scooter into the path of a truck in the Forrest Hills Subdivision Saturday afternoon.
Sherrill Hall, 2143 Indian Trails, was riding a foot scooter in the driveway at 856 Sherwood Dr., about 2 p.m. when he traveled into the street and in front of a 1999 Chevrolet pickup driven by Lawrence Colvin, 78, 869 Sherwood Dr., Forrest City.
Colvin was traveling east on Sherwood when he saw the child travel in front of his truck, according to the report at the Forrest City Police Department. The driver told police he was able to stop just as he hit the child.
Hall's parents took the child to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City where he was treated and released.
A Forrest City woman was treated at a local hospital over the weekend after her husband allegedly hit her in the mouth with a two-by-four board.
The St. Francis County Sheriff's Department reported Bruce Murry, 28, 708 Hickey St., Forrest City, was arrested at Colt Friday night after the alleged attack on his wife.
Murry is charged with second-degree domestic battery.