Thursday, July 17, 2008

STD Cases Increasing In Number In Walker County
 

Walker County is seeing a sharp increase in the number of cases of gonorrhea, chlamydia and several other sexually transmitted diseases.

The Alabama Department of Public Health’s Center for Health Statistics, Walker County saw 90 new cases of gonorrhea in 2006 and 205 new cases of chlamydia. This is up from 79 new cases of gonorrhea in 2005 and 144 new cases of chlamydia.

According to Dr. Judson Smith, an OB/GYN with Family Health Associates in Jasper, the majority of STD cases he sees in his practice are gonorrhea and chlamydia followed by herpes and genital warts, mostly caused by human papilloma virus (HPV).

Smith says chlamydia and gonorrhea can also be contracted without immediate signs or symptoms of the infection. He goes on to say that herpes can be dormant with no external physical findings or symptoms on the physical exam. Smith says the reason we don’t see as many positives for herpes is because the herpes virus can be there and be dormant for years and then flare up out of the blue.

Health experts agree that the best way to avoid contracting any of these diseases is abstinence or restricting sexual activity to monogamous relationships, but if a person is sexually active with multiple partners he or she should use protection during sexual contact. Those that are sexually active should also be tested for STDs at least once a year.

To be tested for STDs or to receive the HPV vaccine, call the Walker County Health Department at 221-9775.

Wright And Rice Win In Runoff

With only statewide races to decide, only 285 Republicans turned out to vote Tuesday in Walker County. The 9 percent runoff turnout resulted in a win for Dan Wright in the race for the District 2 Democratic nomination for Walker County Commission on on Tuesday. Sheila Rice also won her bid for the Democratic nomination for county treasurer by 41 votes.

In the Nov. 4 general election, Wright will face Republican Sandy Grace Pennington of Nauvoo. in the treasurer’s race, Rice will be up against Republican Keith Duncan of Jasper.

To date, courthouse races have almost exclusively favored Democrats in Walker County. The wild card in November is that voters will be deciding local races on the day of the presidential general election between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain.

This year Republicans are fielding candidates in all the major local positions with the exception of county commission Districts 4 and 5. Except for constable races, all Republicans automatically secured nominations for the fall campaign without a primary race.

NTSB Issues Report On Plane Crash That Killed 4

National Transportation Safety Board investigators in Washington, D.C., have released a preliminary report concerning the June 29 plane crash that killed four people in Walker County.

NTSB investigator-in-charge, Brian Rayner, stated in the report that the plane, belonging to 56 year old Bobby Crump of Jasper, was reportedly destroyed following a loss of control in flight after takeoff from the Walker County Airport in Jasper.

Crump and his three passengers all died in the crash. In the plane with Crump was his wife, Jan Carmichael Crump, 52, their son, Matthew Ray Carmichael Crump, 21, all of Jasper, and his son’s girlfriend, Lauren Brue, 21, of West Des Moines, Iowa.

The report also indicates that Crump’s plane was over the manufacturer’s maximum allowable gross weight of 5,100 pounds with an estimated weight of 5,303 pounds. Preliminary information from the Federal Aviation Administration also revealed that there were no records that Crump requested weather information or filed a flight plan prior to departure.

Rayner says the information contained within the report is preliminary at best and is subject to change. The report may also contain errors which will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

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