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Sweltering temps come early; officials warn of
heat danger
By Angela Delp
Summer
temperatures arrived early.
Although the
season doesn’t officially begin until June 21, Chatham residents
have been weathering high temperatures and humidity for the last
several days.
Phyllis Reid
of the Chatham County Council on Aging said senior citizens should
exercise caution in times of high heat.
"Seniors are
at a higher risk for strokes when the weather is hot, especially if
they are on oxygen," she said.
Reid said the
Council on Aging advises seniors to stay out of the heat but if they
must go outdoors, to drink plenty of fluids.
"The main
thing is to stay hydrated," she said. "The best times to go outside
are in early morning or in the evening, so you can avoid the hottest
times of day."
Chatham
County emergency operations manager Tony Tucker said Friday he had
not received any heat-related emergency calls.
"I don’t
typically get a lot of those, since people in Chatham generally know
how to care for themselves when the temperatures get high," he said.
"From time to time we’ll get calls but people are pretty good about
staying safe in the summer."
Marissa Jelks,
a social research associate with the Chatham County Public Health
Department, offered the following tips for staying healthy on
high-temperature days in a press release Friday.
People should
drink more fluids, regardless of your activity level. Don’t wait
until you’re thirsty to drink.
Jelks
recommended avoiding liquids that contain alcohol or large amounts
of sugar should be avoided, since they cause you to lose more body
fluid. Also, avoid very cold drinks, because they can cause stomach
cramps.
"Stay indoors
and, if at all possible, stay in an air-conditioned place," she
advised. "If your home does not have air conditioning, go to the
shopping mall or public library."
Jelks said
while electric fans may provide comfort, fans will not prevent
heat-related illness when the temperature is in the high 90s.
She advised
taking a cool shower or bath and wearing lightweight, light-colored,
loose-fitting clothing.
She added
drivers should never leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle.
"During the
summer months, the temperature inside a parked car can reach more
than 120 degrees in as little as 10 minutes," she said. "Direct
sunlight and a dark-colored car further speed the process."
Jelks said although any one
at any time can suffer from heat-related illness, some people are at
greater risk than others.
more- See Thursday,
June 12,
2008 paper:
Vol 88, No.27
County cuts
tax rate hike
By
Randall Rigsbee
Chatham
County commissioners emerged from two days of budget work last week
with a tax rate higher than the current one but less than the
5.5-cent tax increase originally proposed for fiscal year 2008/09.
While no
further budget work sessions are planned, county officials caution,
however, that the budget won’t be finalized until approved by the
Board of Commissioners, which is expected to take action on the
spending plan when they meet Monday, June 16.
Commissioners
convened last Monday and Tuesday for day-long sessions work sessions
to review county manager Charlie Horne’s proposed budget in detail.
Going into
the sessions, board chairman George Lucier assured that the budget
would undergo changes and that the 5.5-cent tax increase proposed in
the manager’s recommended budget would be reduced.
By the end of the sessions,
commissioners had reduced the proposed tax increase by 1.9 cents for
a total proposed increase of 3.6 cents in the tax rate.
more- See Thursday, June 12,
2008 paper:
Vol 88, No.27
Sentimental
journey finds classic cars on road at Silk Hope
By Milburn Gibbs
A blast from
the past took over the Silk Hope Fairgrounds on Wednesday, June 4.
No less than
112 classic cars from several states strutted their stuff at a
one-day "Sentimental Tour" at the fairgrounds, sponsored by the
Alamance Region Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) of
Burlington, and the N.C. Region AACA Club.
"This is a
year-specific tour, with cars allowed within the years of
1928-1958," Burlington AACA webmaster David Devine of Mebane said.
"An antique auto has to be at least 25 years old to qualify for that
title."
This tour was
a five-day one, and had made previous stops at Bennett Place, as
well as Duke Homestead and West Point on the Eno in Durham. The cars
were headed for Cedar Rock next.
"These cars
are from 19 states," David continued. "Our purpose is to get out
with the old cars and have fun.
"I have three
1963 Chevy IIs, of which two of them are Novas. We all just enjoy
old cars."
.more- See Thursday,
June 12
2008 paper:
Vol 88, No.27
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Jeff Davis photo
School’s
Out . . .
Chatham County students (and teachers) were
whooping it up Tuesday as the last day of the ‘07-08 school year
came to a conclusion. Above, Ryan Coltrane, a student at Chatham
Middle says goodbye to the school for the last time. Ryan will be a
freshman at Jordan-Matthews next year.
Students begin summer
Summer
vacation started this week for students in Chatham County’s public
schools.
Buses rolled
with students on board for the last time this school year on
Tuesday.
But that
doesn’t mean all school-related business is over for the year.
Just ask the
county’s graduating seniors. Their big moment is coming up later
this week.
Chatham
County’s three public high schools will all conduct graduation
services this week.
Chatham
Central High School’s 105 graduates will received their diplomas
Thursday night. The service, which requires a ticket for admission,
will be held at the school’s Polly O. Yow Auditorium at 7 p.m.
Jordan-Matthews’ 187 seniors will receive their diplomas during a
graduation service Friday morning at the Phil Senter Stadium. The
event is open to the public and begins at 10 a.m.
Northwood High School’s 220
graduating seniors will sport their caps and gowns during a 7 p.m.
evetn Friday at the Smith Center on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus. The
service is open to the public.
more- See Thursday,
June 12,
2008 paper:
Vol 88, No.27
Fire claims
home of local family
By
Angela Delp
Firefighters
battled a house fire this weekend that completely destroyed the home
of a Siler City family.
Emergency
officials received reports of a structure fire at the home of David
Brinkley, 1305 South Chatham Avenue, Siler City, at approximately 6
p.m. Saturday, Siler City assistant fire chief Scott Murphy said
Monday.
"At this
time, we are ruling the fire ‘accidental’," he said.
Murphy said
the fire started when members of the household were cooking on a gas
grill.
"The grill
ignited and the fire extended to the residence," he said. "The house
is a total loss, because the roof, second floor and garage are
completely destroyed."
He added,
although the homeowners were present when the fire started, there
were no injuries.
Murphy said,
although it took 25 to 30 minutes to extinguish the flames,
firefighters were on the scene until 9 p.m. Saturday "looking for
hot spots."
The Siler
City Fire Department was assisted by departments from Bonlee,
Staley, Silk Hope and Pittsboro.
"We needed
more firefighters on scene than usual because of the heat and high
temperatures outside," he said. "This way, we were able to switch
our crews out more often."
Murphy said Brinkley told him
he attempted to reach 911 twice on his cell phone before the call
went through.
.more- See Thursday,
June 12
2008 paper:
Vol 88, No.27
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