By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
A health forum, featuring free screening and health information, will be held Saturday, June 22, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the East Arkansas Enterprise Community office, 1000 Airport Road.
According to Delores Woods, health coordinator for EAEC, one purpose of the event is preventive care, but it also goes beyond that.
"We want to let the public know just how important preventive health care is," she said. "There are also programs that can help low income, and uninsured people."
She continued, "Some people have to decide whether they are going to eat, buy their medicine, pay the light bill or what. They just don't know there is help out there. Some people qualify for free treatment and don't know about it."
Woods said those are some of the problems in this area.
"Since I've been working in this area, I have found some people haven't been to the doctor in years, and they need to go to the doctor. But they didn't have enough money," she said. "And a lot of working people can't afford health insurance."
There will also be activities for children, "so nobody can say, 'I don't have a baby sitter.' So they can bring their children."
She also said people will be able to bring the necessary items and be registered for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program.
"We're trying to let no one have an excuse not to come," said Woods.
Among the activities for children will be snacks and drinks, face painting and balloons, and fingerprinting.
Some of the free screenings will include mammograms, hypertension and diabetes. Other screenings will include prostate cancer, dental, hearing, body fat, HIV, cholesterol, glaucoma and health risk appraisals.
There will also be free material and information on smoking, alcohol and substance abuse, breast and prostate cancer, AIDS, nutrition and healthy meal planning, medication assistance, child safety, poison control, immunizations, contraceptive education and counseling, hygiene and other wellness services.
This event is being sponsored by the EACC, the White River Rural Health Centers, Inc. and the Lee County Cooperative Clinic.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Members of the Colt City Council tabled several issues Thursday night due to a lack of legal counsel for their regular monthly meeting. The city's attorney, Steve Routon, did not attend the meeting.
Last month, the council heard first reading on a pair of ordinances.
One ordinance would make a temporary $3 charge on water bills permanent. The money generated by the charge would be placed in the well fund.
The second ordinance would assess building permit fees for new structures in the city. Council members tabled both ordinances, which are scheduled for second reading, until the July meeting.
In other business, council members also tabled a decision on forcing a camper to be removed from private property until they can consult with the city's attorney.
In May, aldermen agreed to send a letter to a Colt resident who was in violation of a city ordinance prohibiting the use of two trailers on one lot. The city had threatened to disconnect the resident's water service if the camper, which had utilities and underpinning, was not disconnected.
The new 37-cent First Class postage stamp went sale today, according to a post office press release.
"Don't wait until the last minute to buy your stamps," the release stated.
Postage will officially increase to 37 cents effective June 30.
Thirty-four-cent stamps remain on sale, and there are also three-cent Star "makeup" stamps which will be available to use with any 34-cent stamps a postal patron may have after June 30.
The Star stamp features a star highlighted in red, white and blue.
According to the press release, First Class Mail rates will increase an average of 7.9 percent.
The single-piece one-ounce First Class rate will increase from 34 cents to 37 cents; the single piece card rate will increase from 21 cents to 23 cents. The price for an additional ounce on a single piece of First Class Mail will remain unchanged at 23 cents.
Also, a new stamp will go on sale today with proceeds going to help families of emergency service personnel killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11.
Called the Heroes of 2001 stamp, it is available beginning today. The price of this First Class stamp is 45 cents.
The difference between the price of the stamp and the First Class Mail postage rate (minus Postal Service costs) will be transferred to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Postal Service will print 205 million of these stamps. The stamp will be valid for single-piece First Class mail, both before and after the June 30 rate increase.
St. Francis County government had sales tax receipts of $130,112.38 for April.
Also during April, local towns received the following amounts from county sales tax: Hughes, $25,787.66; Forrest City, $204,063.72; Wheatley, $5,138.20; Palestine, $10,234.96; Madison, $13,632.80; Caldwell, 6,422.74; Colt, $5,082.94; Widener, $4,627.14.
Also, towns with their own sales taxes received the following during April: Forrest City, $147,324.61; Hughes, $8,210.13; Madison, $2,874.82; Palestine, $4,539.33; Wheatley, $5,470.75.