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Thursday, April 17, 2014
New Hospital Board creates a new committee LAURA CAMPER
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The Cleburne County Hospital Board, which is charged with overseeing the Cleburne County Nursing Home and Emergency Medical Service, created a new committee at its meeting Tuesday to evaluate employee benefits. Board secretary Pam Richardson said after the board approved expanding vacation days for long-term employees for EMS, she thought the members should be sure they are also recognizing long-term nursing home employees as well. She suggested the committee which she
will also be a member, Richardson said. “Many of us didn’t know we had an employee who worked at the nursing home for 40 years,” Richardson said. The committee will compare benefits between EMS and the nursing home and make sure it’s fair, she said. Dan Hopkins, who will also serve on the committee, said he looked at it more as an “in-house” comparison, making sure all nursing home staff are treated equally and all EMS workers are treated equally. “Because they’re two different agencies,” Hopkins said, it’s difficult to compare the two. It’s also about recognizing long term employees as well as rewarding job per-
formance, he said. The nursing home has 25 employees that have been working there 10 years or more, said Eura Harrell, administrator. The longest-term employee at the nursing home is Lena Smith a restorative Certified Nursing Assistant, who has worked there for 41 years, Harrell said. EMS has three employees who are considered long-term said Tracy Lambert, director. Missy Price is the longest term employee with 17 years, he said. The committee will work with board attorney John Casey and will report its findings back to the board, Richardson said. In other business the board: -Elected new officers. Sandy Weston
Water restored to Heflin residents
Why we Relay
LAURA CAMPER
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“I just thank God every day,” Williamson said. LAURA CAMPER
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She found the lump during a regular breast exam and called her doctor, said Zadie Williamson, 71. Less than two weeks later she had surgery to remove her breast and lymph nodes, Williamson, a Heflin resident, said. Even though it all happened quickly, it was still terrifying, she said. She found out the lump was malignant over the phone while she was at home with her family, she said. “It was like you just wanted to hit something,” Williamson said about when she found out. But there was no way to strike back at the cancer except through treatment, which she did successfully, and 16 years later, she’s a cancer survivor. “I just thank God every day,” Williamson said. Although she didn’t receive financial assistance from the American Cancer Society, Williamson is an avid supporter of Relay for Life, the society’s annual fundraiser. She attends Relay every year, Williamson said. Relay’s sponsorship chairman this year is Tracy Williamson. Involved in
Misty Pointer
Lynwood and Zadie Williamson are both cancer survivors
the Cleburne County Relay since 1995, he started because he wanted to help, but after his mother was diagnosed, the task became personal. “Everybody’s been touched by cancer in their lives,” he said. Relay for Life is a months-long fundraiser, the money going toward the society’s research and support programs. In Cleburne County, preparations began in October. It’s now nearing its end with the annual survivor dinner today at the Heflin Civic Center at 6 p.m. On Saturday, also at the Civic Center, the annual Miss and Master Relay for Life Beauty and Talent Pageant will begin at 10:30 a.m. The culmination will be
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the overnight walk at L. E. Bell Field at Cleburne County High School on April 25. So far, the fundraising events have raised $38,000, more than half the $72,000 goal, said Sandy Sanders, survivor chair for Relay. Last year, Cleburne County did not reach its goal, Sanders said. “Last year was probably the worst we ever had,” she said. “We did not have as much participation.” She believes that happened because of the tight economy and n See Relay page 8
will serve as chairwoman, Coker Cleveland as vice chair and Richardson as secretary. The election for treasurer was tabled until the next meeting. -Heard that EMS cut its losses by $95,000 in 2013. Tracy Lambert director of EMS said the service should cut its losses even further in fiscal year 2014. -Named Kay Allen, Landon Brown and Patrick Nolen to the board’s EMS Committee and Coker Cleveland, Clarence Duckworth and Beverly Owen to the Nursing Home Committee. The next hospital board meeting will be May 20, at 5:30 p.m. Staff writer Laura Camper 256-4632872. On Twitter @LCamper_Star.
Heflin residents without water since Friday because of possible contamination have all had their water restored, but officials were still trying to identify the source of the problem Wednesday. Cleburne County Engineer Shannon Robbins said a substance that was discovered in a creek flowing near the county equipment shop almost three weeks ago still has not been identified and the source has not been located. Friday afternoon, after test results on the water of a home bordering the creek came back showing possible contamination, the Heflin Water Department turned off the water line heading into the home. That line also supplied five other homes, Robbins said. Friday evening, an Alabama Department of Environmental Management field office took over the site, he said. Under its direction, a contractor dug several trenches, installed absorption booms and tested the water. Tuesday, the field office relinquished control of the site and the Water Department staff moved in and installed a replacement water line, said David Norton, chairman of the Heflin Water Works and Sewer Board. “That will be left as a temporary line until the remediation is complete,” Norton said. It will be replaced with a steel-encased line when work is finished at the site, he said. While the water was off, the county put families who requested it in hotels in Oxford, said Steve Swafford, county administrator. Five families chose that option. Lisa Pruitt, one of the five, stayed in a hotel Friday and Monday nights. Pruitt was concerned when she heard n See Water page 8
INDEX: Opinion/Editorial . . . . . . 3 Church Sponsor . . . . . . . 6 Sports . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 4
Heflin Highlights. . . . . . 2 Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
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