Written by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
United States – “On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese, I lost my poor meatball, when somebody sneezed. It rolled off the table, and on to the floor, and then my poor meatball, rolled out of the door.” Many of us remember this little rhyme and when we were kids we would "sing at the table" when Mom served the family spaghetti dinner.
Today, January 4th is National Spaghetti Day! And what goes with spaghetti – meatballs and garlic bread and a large glass of sweat tea!
The National Pasta Association has a wonderful website for great recipes and information about healthy pasta meals. There’s even a Kids Corner.
Pasta is the perfect foundation for a healthy, delicious and satisfying meal. Go to I Love Pasta.org for more information or click HERE.
Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
Dexter, Missouri - With the upcoming drop in temperatures it safe to say that our fluffy friends can not handle this type of extremely cold weather. Here is a list of helpful tips from the Human Society of Missouri that will help protect your pet during frigid conditions and keep them safe.
Bring Your Pet Inside: If your dog or cat normally stays outside please bring them in even if it’s in the garage. Thermometers show one temperature, but wind chills can make it feel much colder. Limit time outdoors and be mindful of frostbite on ears, tail and paws. Dogs and cats who stay indoors can’t handle these extreme temperature changes for long periods of time.
Acclimate Your Pets to Cold Weather: If your pets spend a lot of time outdoors, but typically live inside; make sure to introduce them gradually to dropping temperatures, rather than exposing them to the extreme cold all at once.
Provide Adequate Shelter: If your dog lives outdoors, you must provide a well-insulated and draft-free doghouse. The opening should face south with a sturdy, flexible covering to prevent icy winds from entering. Line the floors of the shelter with straw, not hay or towels/blankets. They can become damp or freeze making the space even colder.
Beware of Antifreeze and Rock Salt: Antifreeze often collects on driveways and roadways. Although it smells and tastes sweet to your pet, it is lethal. Deicing products like rock slat can irritate footpads. Be sure to rinse and dry your pet’s feet after being outside.
Dray Off Wet Pets: A wet pet is a cold pet. Towel dry your pet if he gets we from rain or snow. Also, it is important to clean and dry paws to prevent tiny cuts and cracked pads.
Provide Plenty of Food and Water: It takes more energy in the winter to properly regulate body temperatures, so your pet needs additional calories if he spends a lot of time playing or working outdoors. Your pet is just as likely to get dehydrated in the winter as in the summer; so be sure to provide plenty of fresh water. Refill outside owls often to prevent freezing.
Shown in the photo is Maddie Loflin, grand-pup to Dee Loflin. This was Maddie's first snow!
Article Submitted to
news@showmetimes.com
Dexter, Missouri - The Christmas season is here! It is the season of giving.
But maybe not everyone has someone to give to them. So SoutheastHEALTH Center of Stoddard County is stepping in for some senior citizens.
“Our Angel Tree has been going on for over 15 years," said Janette Powell, registered nurse at the hospital. “The Angel Tree is such a blessing and is anticipated every year.
The way the Angel Tree works is that we contact the nursing homes and residential care centers and ask them who they have that doesn't have any family around."
Powell said the facilities provided the names along with things the named individuals needed, like clothes in specified sizes; and wanted, like books, candy or -- in the case of women – or makeup or perfume. "We ask for about 10 per facility," she said.
Powell said such individuals might lack a family because the family members had all moved off, or even all passed away. But whatever the reason, she said; she and co-worker Sonja Mays compiled the names, identified them by number and put the numbers on a paper cutout angel on a Christmas at the ICU/CCU nurses' station.
"This year we had a total of 88," Powell said. The names come from senior care or living facilities in Malden, Essex, Dexter, Bloomfield and Puxico.
The angels remain on the tree until someone from the hospital chooses an angel and commits to procure the desired items on the back of the angel for the individual matching the number. "It's totally anonymous," Powell said, "And it's not just the hospital staff that adopts.
"We've had people from the community come in, also."It's apparently been working well. "We only have three of them left," Powell said.
She said after the donors deliver the gift items to the hospital, she and Mays take the items to the various facilities. "She takes one half of the county and I take the other half," Powell said.
The aim is to have all the gifts delivered before the given facility holds its Christmas party. "That way they will be able to get something at the party," Powell said.
In addition, she continued, the facility holds a gift or two back for presentation on Christmas Day. "That way they get to have a Christmas even though they may not have a family to get it for them," Powell said.
"And they deserve it," added Mays. "These are the neediest in our community.
"And since they served us, when we were young, it's time for us to serve them."
If you are interested in adopting an angel from the Angel Tree at the hospital, contact Amy Ellinghouse at 573-614-1970.
Shown in the photo is Sonja Mays. Photo provided by Amy Ellinghouse.
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
Students from several fields of study will participate in the training, including graduating nursing students, EMT and Paramedic students, fire science students, and members of the Missouri Sherriff’s Association Training Academy. The training will also receive support from Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, local ambulance services, law enforcement agencies, and fire departments.
In addition to being the largest mass casualty event the college has performed, the training will have extensive participation from local first responders, according to Staci Campbell, Department Chair of Nursing and Allied Health at Three Rivers. The Poplar Bluff Police Department, the Butler County Fire Protection District, the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, and Air Evac Lifeteam will be among the local participants. It is also the first time that a mass casualty event has been held on the Poplar Bluff campus.
In keeping with the training’s focus on realism, the students themselves will coordinate much of the event, with students serving in leadership and command/control positions. The college is also keeping the type of “disaster” under wraps, so that students have no chance to prepare beforehand.
Local news outlets are invited to attend, but will be treated according to crisis procedures while the training is active, and are encouraged to stage at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Questions will not be answered by participating students and staff until the training is over, and reporters are asked not to disrupt the training while it is in progress. Reporters wishing to cover the event should contact Three Rivers Media Services at 573-840-9739 or emailjatwood@trcc.edu beforehand.
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor
Dexter, Missouri - Adam Bracks, CEO of SoutheastHEALTH Center of Stoddard County is pleased to present to the community that they are officially SoutheastHEALTH.
The outside signage is already in place and many signs and logos are making their way along the halls of the building. To honor this occasion, the hospital held a Regional Celebration luncheon for the staff and employees.
Bracks wanted to offer appreciation for all of their hard work and dedication to the hospital and to our community. Employees were treated to a wonderful picnic style lunch and new t-shirts with the new logo.
Shown in the photo are Brandy Barnes, RN, Lori Powell and Trinity Pullam, RN, are shown displaying their new t-shirts.
http://www.sehealth.org.
