The Valley Times July 18

Poetry From The Forgotten Words Of Coahuiltecans

VOL. I, NO. 52

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Edinburg Seeks Funding For Downtown Bus Trolleys

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2018

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FEMA Opens Disaster Recover Centers In Weslaco, Mission, McAllen

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BROWNSVILLE ECHS AMONG TOP TEN IN STATE

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FDA APPROVES FIRST DRUG CONTAINING CANNABIDIOL

DO I NEED TO CHANGE MY TYPE 2 DIABETES MEDICATION?

See list of Top Ten Valley Elementary, Middle and High Schools, Pg 3

PG.7

Seniors at Brownsville Early College High School get ready for graduation ceremonies this past May. The school was recently listed as one of the Top Ten high schools in Texas.

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Wednesday, July 18, 2018

BY MARC A. THIESSEN WASHINGTON -- As President Trump put Germany and other allies on notice for the harm they are doing to NATO with their failure to spend adequately on our common defense, Democrats in Washington came to Germany’s defense. “President Trump’s brazen insults and denigration of one of America’s most steadfast allies, Germany, is an embarrassment,” Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said in a joint statement.

Sorry, Trump is right. The real embarrassment is that Germany, one of the wealthiest countries in Europe, spends just 1.24 percent of its gross domestic product on defense -- in the bottom half of NATO allies. (The U.S. spends 3.5 percent of GDP on its military.) A study by McKinsey & Co. notes that about 60 percent of Germany’s Eurofighter and Tornado fighter jets and about 80 percent of its Sea Lynx helicopters are unusable. According to Deutsche Welle, a German parliamentary investigation found that “at the end of 2017, no submarines and none of the air force’s 14 large transport planes were available for deployment due to repairs,” and “a Defense Ministry paper revealed German soldiers did not have enough protective vests, winter clothing or tents to adequately take part in a major NATO mission.”

Not enough tents?

To meet its promised NATO commitments, Germany needs to spend $28 billion more on defense annually. Apparently Germany can’t come up with the money, but it can send billions of

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Trump Isn’t Attacking NATO. He’s Strengthening It.

dollars to Russia -- the country NATO was created to protect against -- for natural gas and support a new pipeline that will make Germany and Eastern European allies even more vulnerable to Moscow.

Sadly, Germany is not alone. Belgium, where NATO is headquartered, spends just 0.9 percent of GDP on defense -- and fully one-third of its meager defense budget is spent on pensions. European NATO allies have about 1.8 million troops, but less than a third are deployable and just 6 percent for any sustained period.

When Trump says NATO is “obsolete,” he is correct -- literally.

This is not a new problem. I was in the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, and vividly recall how, when it came time to take military action in Afghanistan, only a handful of allies had any useful war-fighting capabilities they could contribute during the critical early stages of Operation Enduring Freedom. At NATO’s 2002 Prague summit, allies pledged to address these deficiencies by spending at least 2 percent of GDP on defense and investing that money in more usable capabilities. Instead, defense investments by European allies declined from 1.9 percent of GDP in 2000-2004 to 1.7 percent five years later, dropping further to 1.4 percent by 2015.

Little surprise that when NATO intervened in Libya a decade after 9/11, The Post reported, “Less than a month into the Libyan conflict, NATO is running short of precision bombs, highlighting the limitations of Britain, France and other European countries in sustaining even a relatively small military action over an extended period of time.” An alliance whose founding purpose is to deter Russian aggression could not sustain a limited bombing campaign against a far weaker adversary.

President Barack Obama called NATO allies “free riders,” and President George W. Bush urged allies to “increase their defense investments,” both to little effect. But when Trump

refused to immediately affirm that the United States would meet its Article 5 commitment to defend a NATO ally, NATO allies agreed to boost spending by $12 billion last year. That is a drop in the bucket: McKinsey calculated that allies need to spend $107 billion more each year to meet their commitments. Since polite pressure by his predecessors did not work, Trump is digging in on a harder line: On Thursday he suggested NATO members double their defense spending targets to 4 percent of GDP. This is not a gift to Russia, as his critics have alleged. The last thing Putin wants is for Trump to succeed in getting NATO to spend more on defense. And if allies are concerned about getting tough with Russia, there is an easy way to do so: invest in the capabilities NATO needs to deter and

defend against Russian aggression.

Trump’s hard line also does not signal that he considers NATO irrelevant.

If Trump thought NATO was useless, he would not waste his time on it. But if allies don’t invest in real, usable military capabilities, NATO will become irrelevant. An alliance that cannot effectively join the fight when one of its members comes under attack or runs out of munitions in the middle of a military intervention is, by definition, irrelevant.

NATO needs some tough love, and Trump is delivering it. Thanks to him, the alliance will be stronger as a result.

Follow Marc A. Thiessen on Twitter, @marcthiessen. (c) 2018, The Washington Post Writers Group

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Two Valley Schools Ranked Among Top Ten In The State

Two Valley schools were ranked among the top ten in the state in a recent report. South Texas Preparatory Academy (South Texas ISD) was ranked eighth for Texas middle schools while Brownsville Early College High School (Brownsville ISD) was ranked tenth for Texas high schools According to a recent study by Children At Risk of all Texas elementary, middle school and high school campuses, Olmito Elem. (Los Fresnos CISD), South Texas Preparatory Academy (South Texas ISD) and Brownsville Early College High School (Brownsville ISD) took the top spots in South Texas in the elementary, middle school and high school categories, respectively.

For the past 12 years, Children At Risk has shared its annual school rankings with the public. The organization ranked all elementary and middle schools across three main areas and all high schools across 4 main areas.

In its annual publication, “Texas School Guide,” the organization ranked schools based on a Student Achievement Index, a Campus Performance Index, a Growth Index and a College Readiness Index. The College Readiness Index is only applied to high schools.

The Student Achievement Index

looks at student performance on STAAR Reading and Math tests. The Campus Performance Index looks at a school’s overall campus performance compared to other campuses statewide with similar levels of poverty.

This adjustment is made to eliminate bias toward campuses with low percentages of economically disadvantaged students. The Growth Index looks at student-level improvement over time on standardized test scores in Reading, English, and Math. The College Readiness Index looks at high school graduation rates, SAT/ACT participation rate and scores, and AP/ IB participation rate and scores for high schools only.

Children At Risk is a nonprofit organization that conducts research to understand trends, inequities, resources, and opportunities in public education. To address challenges and maximize opportunities, the organization uses that research to advocate for policy change at the local, state, and federal level.

Through its recent research efforts, the organization aims to help parents, educators, and community members understand how their schools are performing and spark dialogue on the quality of public education across Texas. To meet this goal, Children At Risk has ranked Texas public schools for the past 13 years.

Top Ten Valley Elementary, Middle and High Schools Grade State Rank A+ 25 A+ 60 A+ 64 A+ 66 A+ 73 A+ 80 A+ 93 A+ 99 A+ 102 A+ 107

Grade State Rank A+ 8 A+ 23 A+ 46 A+ 49 A+ 69 A 79 A- 171 B+ 236 B+ 239 B+ 301

Grade State Rank A+ 10 A+ 34 A+ 44 A+ 47 A+ 48 A+ 52 A 61 A 69 A 78 A- 114

Elementary Schools Olmito Elem. (Los Fresnos CISD) Florence J. Scott Elem. (Roma ISD) Valley View Elementary (Valley View ISD) Carmen Anaya Elementary (PSJA ISD) Harry Shimotsu Elementary (Sharyland ISD) Rancho Verde Elementary (Los Fresnos CISD) Emma Vera Elementary (Roma ISD) Ortiz Elementary (Brownsville ISD) Valley View Elementary II (Valley View ISD) Flores-Zapata Elementary (Edinburg CISD) Middle Schools South Texas Preparatory Academy (South Texas ISD) IDEA McAllen College Preparatory (IDEA Public Schools) B. L. Gray Junior High (Sharyland ISD) IDEA Edinburg College Preparatory (IDEA Public Schools) IDEA Quest College Preparatory (IDEA Public Schools) Sharyland North J. H. (Sharyland ISD) IDEA Weslaco Pike College Preparatory (IDEA Public Schools) Cathey Middle School (McAllen ISD) IDEA College Preparatory Mission (IDEA Public Schools) IDEA College Preparatory Alamo (IDEA Public Schools) High Schools Brownsville Early College High School (Brownsville ISD) Jimmy Carter Early College High School (La Joya ISD)

Thelma Rose Salinas STEM Early College High School (La Joya ISD)

IDEA Frontier College Prep (IDEA Public Schools) Achieve Early College High School (McAllen ISD) IDEA Quest College Prep (IDEA Public Schools) The Science Academy of South Texas (South Texas ISD) Vanguard Rembrandt (Vanguard Academy) Mercedes Early College Academy (Mercedes ISD) Mission Collegiate High School (Mission CISD)

Poetry From The Forgotten Words Of Coahuiltecans

Coahuiltecans were hunter-gatherers who roamed South Texas and northeastern Mexico, groups of native peoples whose language was all but lost were it not for the efforts of 18th century Franciscan missionaries to record elements of this unwritten language. But, now, you can discover these words during “Poetry from the Forgotten Words of Coahuiltecans” featuring Lisa Kay Adam, the author of “xuāi: mission, house, village, town,” on Sunday, July 22, at 2 p.m. at the Museum of South Texas History.

Published by Lamar University Literary Press, Adam’s book is a series of poems using Coahuiltecan words and phrases, offering a window into the experiences of indigenous peoples during the Spanish colonial era. The book includes illus-

trations from a rare historical ography and anthropology at map of the region during that Louisiana State University. Her era. Along with the reading writing has been published in of select poems, Adam will the Nature Conservancy Maginvite the audience to join azine and The Christian Sciher in speaking some of these ence Monitor. Currently, she words not heard for hundreds works at the Museum of South of years. Copies of the book Texas History. will be available for purchase Sunday Speaker Series is and signing by the author in included in the fee for regular the Museum Store following museum admission. FRIENDS the presentation. of the MOSTHistory are adLisa Adam Adam grew up in Bishop, mitted free as a benefit of Texas, and obtained an undergradu- FRIENDship. ate degree in anthropology and English This program is made possible with from The University of Texas at Austin. generous support from the Carmen C. She worked at the Louisiana Art and Sci- Guerra Endowment. Mrs. Guerra was ence Museum in Baton Rouge, where she deeply committed to supporting educaearned a doctoral degree in historical ge- tional opportunities in the Rio Grande

Valley. This named endowment was created at the museum by her family to honor her memory and to continue her commitment to providing opportunities for education to the community.

The Museum of South Texas History is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It is located in downtown Edinburg at 200 North Closner Boulevard on the Hidalgo County Courthouse square. Hours of operation are from 1 p.m.–5 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Tuesday–Saturday. For more information about MOSTHistory, including becoming a FRIEND, visit MOSTHistory.org, like us on Facebook, follow on Twitter, find on Google+ or call (956) 383-6911.

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What Taxpayers Can Do If An IRS Letter Arrives

Now that the filing deadline has passed, some taxpayers will receive a letter from the IRS this summer. Taxpayers should not panic and remember that they have fundamental rights when interacting with the agency.

Remember, the IRS always sends you a letter whenever an issue arises. A phone call, text or email will not be their first method of contact. Such contacts will almost certainly be scam.

These rights are in the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Among other things, these rights dictate that letters from the IRS must include: • Details about what the taxpayer owes, such as tax, interest and penalties.

• An explanation about why the taxpayer owes the taxes.

• Specific reasons about why the IRS may have denied a refund claim.

Taxpayers who receive a letter from the IRS can do some simple things when it arrives. Taxpayers should remember to: Read the entire letter carefully. Most letters deal with a specific issue and provide specific instructions on what to do.

Compare it with the tax return. If a letter indicates a changed or corrected tax return, taxpayer should review the information and compare it with their original return.

Respond. Taxpayers should: • Respond to a letter with which they

A plan by the Edinburg City Council to establish a downtown bus trolley system, which would serve thousands of people who work, live, shop and own businesses in that key region, remains on the right road, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced.

On Tuesday, June 19, 2018, the Edinburg Mayor and City Council City Council approved committing $126,000 as a local match for an innovative federal program that through Valley Metro – if approved by the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) – would provide an additional $719,000 to establish the first-ever downtown bus routes in the local community.

The $126,000 local match, which was part of a city resolution, is officially known as a letter of commitment required by the federal government, and would come from the FTA’s Low or No Emission (Low-No) Bus Program. The Low-No program supports projects sponsored by transit agencies to bring advanced, American-made bus technologies such as battery electric power and hydrogen fuel cells into service nationwide.

A decision on the city’s request for the $719,000 federal funding is expected to be announced later this summer or early fall.

If fully-funded by the FTA, and combined with the city’s $126,000 local match, the bus trolley service would represent a total investment of $845,000.

The proposal calls for Edinburg acquiring access to two Villager (or similar) electric bus trolleys, valued at $740,000 (FTA award of $629,000, Edinburg match of $111,000), with an additional $105,000 (FTA award of $90,000), Edinburg match of $15,000) for support equipment and training

Valley Metro, which is part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council (LRGVDC), provides public bus transportation in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Zapata counties, linking the major cities, as well as The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley campuses throughout the Valley.

Sonia Marroquín, Edinburg Assistant City Manager, has been helping spearhead the mayor’s and city councilmembers’ strategies to continue improving transportation and business in Edinburg.

“Edinburg is committed to introducing electric trolleys in the downtown area, since this invitation supports Edinburg’s City Council’s vision for an Inner-City trolley bus service designed to increase prosperity for downtown restaurants and other businesses,” Marroquín stated in her correspondence to Ron Garza, the LRGVDC’s Executive Director. “Please accept this letter as demonstration of commitment from the City of Edinburg in allocating budget funds in the amount of $126,000 for the 2018-2020 fiscal years. The funds will be utilized as local match towards the Federal Transportation (FTA) grant for the Low to No (Low-No) Program.”

The Edinburg Low Emission Bus Program would also ease congestion and encourage other modes of transportation, she added.

“The main purpose of the Low-No Program is to support the transition of the nation’s transit fleet to the lowest pollution and most energy efficient transit vehicles,” Marroquín explained. “The Low-No Program provides funding to State and local governmental authorities for the purchase or lease of zero-emission and low-emission transit buses, including acquisition, construction, and leasing or required support-

do not agree.

• Mail a letter explaining why they disagree.

• Mail their response to the address listed at the bottom of the letter.

• Include information and documents for the IRS to consider.

• Allow at least 30 days for a response.

Reply timely if necessary. If a taxpayer agrees with the information, there’s no need to contact the IRS. However, when a specific response date is in the letter, there are two main reasons a taxpayer should respond by that date: • To minimize additional interest and penalty charges.

• To preserve appeal rights if the tax-

payer doesn’t agree.

Pay. Taxpayers should pay as much as they can, even if they can’t pay the full amount they owe. They can pay online or apply for an Online Payment Agreement or Offer in Compromise.

Contact the IRS if necessary. For most letters, there’s no need to call the IRS or make an appointment at a taxpayer assistance center. If a call seems necessary, the taxpayer can call the phone number in the upper right-hand corner of the letter. They should have a copy of the tax return and letter on hand when calling.

Keep the letter. A taxpayer should keep copies of any IRS letters or notices received with their tax records.

Edinburg Seeks Funding For Downtown Bus Trolleys

The City of Edinburg is requesting $719,000 in federal funding, through Valley Metro, for two electric (battery-powered) bus trolleys – similar in design to this vehicle operated by Laguna Beach Transit in California – that would serve Edinburg’s downtown area and increase business and commerce for dozens of retail shops, restaurants, and offices around and near the Hidalgo County Courthouse.

ing facilities.”

Late last February, Edinburg Council member Gilbert Enríquez raised the possibility of the downtown trolley bus service, which would provide the large number of persons who gather daily at the Hidalgo County Courthouse, with a fixed route that would conveniently and affordably transport them back and forth to dozens of nearby businesses, which serve as the heart of the city’s downtown economy.

“There are a lot of people who work in the courthouse who don’t want to go to the parking lot, get their cars, then try to find parking where the restaurants are located, where they probably won’t find parking, and they can’t do all that within their lunch hour,” Enríquez illustrated. “One of the things I think would be beneficial would be to have some type of bus trolley system

just for the downtown area. Since we are soon going to open the Edinburg Transit Terminal nearby, could Valley Metro help our downtown residents and businesses?”

The Edinburg Transit Terminal’s location at 617 W. University Drive between 6th and 7th streets strategically places it near institutions, facilities, and businesses which draw thousands of visitors daily during the workweek from throughout deep South Texas.

The Edinburg Transit Terminal is tentatively scheduled to open later this summer or early this fall. The 15,000-square-foot, two-story Edinburg Transit Terminal, which is being built on a 1.2 acre site donated by the Edinburg EDC, is located between The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and Edinburg City Hall. It will serve as a home for Valley Metro.

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FEMA Opens Disaster Recover Centers In Weslaco, Mission, McAllen Corner

Advocates Say VA, DoD Moving Too Slowly On Burn Pit Problems A bill sponsored by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D – Minnesota) to help veterans exposed to toxic fumes from burn pits passed the U.S Senate last week of June. The bill now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.

Klobuchar, who has been working on the passage of the bill for several years, says she is optimistic that the U.S. House will pass the bill and that President Donald Trump will sign the measure. “We believe the president is on board,” Klobuchar said. “And the house should pass it. We think they have every reason to want to pass that bill.”

U.S. military membersß were exposed to fumes from toxic burn pits during tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. Those pits were used to burn chemicals, paint, aluminum cans, and other substances.

Klobuchar’s bill would create a center of excellence within the VA to better understand the health effects of exposure to burn pits.

However, advocates for veterans exposed to toxic smoke from burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan say federal response to the problem is too slow, too incomplete and sadly too late for thousands of troops succumbing to fatal diseases.

That’s despite more than a decade of research into the health effects and lawsuits over troops’ exposure to burning contaminants.

“When I went to the doctor and complained about chest pains, she told me ‘Well, you’re too young to have any type of chest complications,’” said Carlos Fuentes, director of VFW’s National Legislative Service and a Marine Corps veteran who served in Afghanistan’s Helmand province in 2009.

“We can’t wait decades like our Vietnam vets waited when it comes to Agent Orange conditions. Congress and VA and DOD must improve research.”

More than 141,000 veterans and current service members have enrolled in VA’s Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, which allows individuals to document their experiences and illnesses.

But federal officials believe the number of troops exposed over the years tops 2 million. And only about 9,000 veterans have applied for disability benefits based on toxic exposures from the waste pits, leading supporters to question whether the departments are doing enough outreach to understand the problem.

“Year after year, we have seen an upward trend in the number of our members reporting symptoms associated with burn pit exposure,” said Tom Porter, legislative director for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and a Naval reservist who also deployed to Afghanistan.

His group has lobbied in recent weeks for legislation that would require more in-depth monitoring of service members’ health for signs of illnesses connected to toxic exposure in combat zones.

Similarly, California Democrat Raul Ruiz has introduced legislation requiring federal officials to allow family members to record their loved ones’ medical issues in the VA burn pit registry, in an effort to broaden the amount of information collected on the issue.

But he also wants to see VA officials do a better job reacting to problems they’re already seeing among the veterans population instead of continuing years-long studies into the problem.

“We need to do more,” he said. “We don’t have the time right now to wait for more studies. We have veterans dying from rare cancers. It’s time to put veterans above bureaucracy.”

At a House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing on the issue, VA’s chief consultant for post-deployment health, Ralph Erickson, said that officials are focused on the problem but also acknowledged definitive research on the issue is still years away.

The four-year-old burn pit registry “can give us ideas of what we should be looking at, and what we need to prioritize.” Pressed by lawmakers, he also said that he wished the listing had more names and participation.

Defense Department officials opted not to attend the hearing. Their absence drew additional questions from irked lawmakers about their commitment to identifying the longterm health problems with the pits, which have largely been scaled out of use overseas in recent years.

Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., said the past use of burn pits amounts to “essentially deploying chemical and biological weapons against our own troops,” making the department’s decision to skip the hearing all the more upsetting.

Ruiz and several other lawmakers say they’ll discuss additional legislative actions in coming weeks, in an effort to keep momentum and attention on the issue.

Following last month’s severe flooding event, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is opening three Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) in the hardest hit areas of Hidalgo County.

The DRC’s will be open seven days a week from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. at the following locations: DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER #1 City of Weslaco Economic Development Center 275 South Kansas Ave, Weslaco DISASTER RECOVER CENTER #2 City of Mission Social Event Center 115 South Mayberry Road, Missipm DISASTER RECOVER CENTER #3 McAllen Chamber of Commerce: Old Church Winery 700 North Main Street, McAllen Representatives from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), volunteer groups and other agencies will be at the centers ready to answer questions about disaster assistance and low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses.

Residents have 60 days from July 6, when the disaster declaration was issued, to apply for FEMA assistance.

September 6 is the last day to apply for disaster assistance.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

There are three ways for residents and business owners who sustained losses to apply for assistance: -In person at the Disaster Recovery Center in Weslaco, Mission or McAllen.

-Registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-6213362 or TTY 800-462-7585. If you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362. Operators are multilingual and calls are answered seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. CDT. -Or, by downloading the FEMA app,

available at the Apple and Google Play stores.

FEMA officials encourage all residents no matter their legal status to apply for assistance. Undocumented immigrants who have one child who is a U.S. citizen are eligible to apply.

Officials also suggest residents contact their homeowner’s insurance company first to determine if they are covered for damage. If they are not, they can apply for assistance through FEMA or the Small Business Administration, which provides low-interest, fixed-rate federal disaster loans.

You can apply for SBA loans at the DRC, online or you can mail a paper application. Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, and business owners are eligible for up to $2 million. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 from FEMA to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.

When registering for FEMA, applicants will be asked for the following: -Social Security number.

-Address of the damaged primary residence.

-Description of the damage.

-Information about insurance coverage.

-A current contact telephone number.

-An address where they can receive mail.

-Annual gross household income.

-A bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit of funds.

-Identification and proof of occupancy, such as a lease, rent receipt, or utility bill.

-Homeowners will be asked for proof of ownership, such as a property deed or title, mortgage payment book, property insurance policy, or tax receipts.

Important documents destroyed in the disaster may be duplicated with help from outside sources, such as the County Clerk’s office.

Once you have applied, a FEMA inspector will visit your home within three to five days to conduct an inspection. Once the inspection is complete and a determination on assistance is made, available funds will be deposited in five to 10 business days.

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Rabbi Kogan Named Director, UTRGV School Of Medicine Institute For Bioethics And Social Justice

BY JENNIFER L. BERGHOM Rabbi Claudio Kogan, M.D., M.B.E., M.Ed., has been named director of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine’s new Institute for Bioethics and Social Justice.

Beginning in July, Kogan will spearhead the School of Medicine’s efforts in critically focusing on ethical and social issues that affect the Valley and the nation. He will lead a team of clinicians, educators and researchers in developing new degree programs, and will work with various programs and departments throughout the university to incorporate bioethics and social justice into the curriculum and educational experiences for students.

The institute also will work to educate the medical community, policymakers and the public on health equity issues, biomedical research and technological advancement.

Dr. John H. Krouse, executive vice president for Health Affairs at UTRGV and dean of the School of Medicine, said Kogan’s unique position as a physician, rabbi and bioethicist, along with his clear

Dr. Claudio Kogan

dedication to the Latino community and the community as a whole, make him the perfect fit for this position.

“Dr. Kogan has a unique background,” Krouse said. “He brings a comprehensive view to how medicine and faith can work toward improving quality of life, which

Hidalgo Precinct 1 Urges Residents To Leave Debris Removed During Flood Clean-up On Curbside Precinct 1 Commissioner David L. Fuentes is urging residents to clear out all debris and damage from their homes for curbside pick-up. Crews are currently driving through neighborhoods collecting all debris for safe and proper disposal.

Phase one of the debris removal process is coming to an end and crews have noticed a lack of debris being left curbside. Due to health concerns, it is vital that homeowners remove all water-logged and damaged items to prevent disease, infection and mold.

The items that may be left curbside include: electronics, large appliances, hazardous waste, vegetative debris, construction debris, and household garbage. Debris should be placed within 10 feet of the curb, anything left further back will not be picked up.

Please note: crews are only allowed to collect debris caused by flood damage; any additional items or debris left curbside will not be picked-up. As a reminder, crews are not allowed to go on private property, so it is very important that debris be left curbside.

Before removing debris from your home, the precinct encourages residents to take

photos of their damaged home and any damaged items for future documentation with FEMA, SBA and other assistance organizations.

At this time, the precinct is focusing its debris removal efforts in the 36 subdivisions that were impacted during the June 19-21 flood event. These homes were identified by calls that were received to the County Hotline.

The subdivisions are as follows: Indian Hills, La Mesa, Weslaco Manor, Chapa #5, Wesmer, Vaquero Estates, VA Black, Hacienda Laozsada, Encinal, Tierra Rica, Summerview Dr, San Jacinto Estates, Aurora Estates, Mid Valley Estates, Pastor Estates, Olivares #3, La Estancia Estates, Sunrise Hill, Mirasoles, Puesta De Sol, Las Delicias , Los Robles, Frontera Heights 1-3, Comanche Estates, Lucero Del Norte, Cielo Azul, Los Alamos, La Paloma Unit ½, La Palma, Tesoro Estates 1-3, Rosedale Heights, Midway Village, La Pinata, Balli Estates, Siete Hermanos and Citrus Hills.

If your subdivision is not on the list and you have debris that needs to be disposed of, please call the Precinct 1 office at (956) 968-8733. Please have your name and address ready.

is at the core of bioethics and social justice.”

Kogan is an ordained rabbi and a medical doctor. He earned his medical degree from the University of Buenos Aires-School of Medicine, and a Master of Bioethics from the University of Pennsylvania. He previously was a member of the Institutional Review Board at the Yale University School of Medicine.

Kogan has been serving as a clinical assistant professor at the School of Medicine. Previously, he served as rabbi for Temple Emanuel in McAllen and continues to serve as a chaplain for various law enforcement agencies and hospital systems throughout the area. He previously served as a rabbi in synagogues in New Jersey, Connecticut, Texas and Latin America.

Kogan recently traveled to Washington, D.C., where he participated on several Congressional panels. On one panel, regarding immigration, Kogan discussed ethics in medicine in relation to providing healthcare to immigrants.

He has led invocations for the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., and for the Texas Senate and House

of Representatives in Austin in 2015.

Kogan twice was invited to the international interfaith conference at the Domus Galilaeae in Israel, in 2015 and 2017.

Kogan said he sees his new role as that of a bridge builder between the medical and faith communities.

“Bioethics connects medicine and the ethical issues that most profoundly affect our humanity, especially the issues that arise among the lives of the most vulnerable among us,” he said. “This institute will bring that kind of awareness of the ethics we have as professionals and, especially, in the work we’re doing today.”

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VOL. I, NO. 28

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FDA Approves First Drug Containing Cannabidiol U.S. health regulators approved the first prescription drug made from marijuana, a milestone that could spur more research into a drug that remains illegal under federal law, despite growing legalization for recreational and medical use.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the medication, called Epidiolex, to treat two rare forms of epilepsy that begin in childhood. But it’s not quite medical marijuana.

The strawberry-flavored syrup is a purified form of a chemical ingredient found in the cannabis plant — but not the one that gets users high. It’s not yet clear why the ingredient, called cannabidiol, or CBD, reduces seizures in some people with epilepsy.

British drugmaker GW Pharmaceuticals studied the drug in more than 500 children and adults with hard-to-treat seizures, overcoming numerous legal hurdles that have long stymied research into cannabis.

FDA officials said the drug reduced seizures when combined with older epilepsy

drugs.

The FDA has previously approved synthetic versions of another cannabis ingredient for medical use, including severe weight loss in patients with HIV. Epidiolex is essentially a pharmaceutical-grade version CBD oil, which some parents already use to treat children with epilepsy. CBD is one of more than 100 chemicals found in marijuana. But it doesn’t contain THC, the ingredient that gives marijuana its mind-altering effect. Side effects with the drug include diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue and sleep problems.

The FDA approval for Epidiolex is technically limited to patients with Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes, two rare forms of epilepsy for which there are few treatments. But doctors will have the option to prescribe it for other uses.

Before sales of Epidiolex can begin, the Drug Enforcement Administration must formally reclassify CBD into a different category of drugs that have federal medical approval.

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Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Do I Need to Change My Type 2 Diabetes Medication?

Type 2 diabetes medications offer many options to manage your blood sugar (also known as bloodglucose).

But if your current treatment isn’t getting the job done or doesn’t feel right for you, talk to your doctor. She may tell you it’s time to change your treatment plan.

High Blood Sugar It’s important to keep your blood sugar within a healthy range. This lowers your chances of diabetes complications. If your readings are too high on your current medication, your doctor might want to change the dose or try another.

This can happen even if your medication worked very well at first.

Sometimes it just doesn’t do the trick by itself anymore.

If one drug doesn’t manage your blood sugar well enough, your doctor might add a second. If two don’t work, she could add a third.

Low Blood Sugar Some diabetes medications can make your blood glucose go too low.

Your doctor will call this hypoglycemia. It can be dangerous. You might see it with: • Sulfonylureas like glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (Diabeta, Glynase), glipizide (Glucotrol, Glucotrol XL) • Meglitinides like nateglinide (Starlix) and repaglinide (Prandin) Your blood sugar might also go too low if you take combination treatments that have these drugs in them: • Glimepiride/pioglitazone (Duetact) • Glyburide/metformin • Metformin/repaglinide (Prandimet) Talk to your doctor if you have low readings. You might need a lower dose or different medication.

Manage Side Effects Some are temporary and should go away within a few weeks after you start the drug. Upset stomach, gas, or diarrhea can happen with: • DPP-4 inhibitors like alogliptin (Nesina), linagliptin (Tradjenta), saxagliptin (Onglyza), and sitagliptin (Januvia) • Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors like acarbose (Precose) and miglitol(Glyset) • GLP-1 agonists like albiglutide (Tanzeum), dulaglutide (Trulicity),

exenatide (Byetta), exenatide extended release (Bydureon), liraglutide (Saxenda, Victoza), lixisenatide (Adlyxin), and semaglutide (Ozempic) • Metformin (Fortamet, Glucophage, Glumetza, Riomet) You might have the same problem with treatments that combine these drugs. Talk to your doctor if your side effects are severe or don’t go away in a few weeks.

Drugs called SGLT2-inhibitors -- canagliflozin (Invokana), dapagliflozin (Farxiga), and empagliflozin (Jardiance) -- have a different set of side effects: • Have to pee a lot • Yeast infections in women • Low blood pressure Some side effects are more serious.

If you take pioglitazone(Actos) or a combination drug with pioglitazone in it (Actoplus Met, Duetact), call your doctor if you have: • Nausea • Vomiting • Fatigue • Loss of appetite • Shortness of breath • Severe swelling • Dark pee It’s rare, but metformin can cause a serious condition called lactic acidosis. It can come on suddenly. Get medical help right away if you are on the drug or a combination that contains it, and if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Loss of appetite •Abdominal discomfort or diarrhea • Muscle cramping • Fast, shallow breathing • Weakness or unusual tiredness Lifestyle Changes If you’ve made lifestyle changes like weight loss and regular exercise, you might need a lower dose. Your doctor will review your treatment plan and make any needed changes.

Talk to your doctor before you change or stop any medication. Do not quit taking any mediation without her OK. New Conditions or Medications If you need to start treatment for something besides diabetes, your doctor might want you to change your medications. Things that can affect your diabetes treatment plan include: • Kidney disease or dialysis • Liver disease • Heart failure • Heavy drinking • Age Diabetes medications can affect the way medications for other conditions work. You might need to change your treatment plan if the doctor tells you that you need: • HIV/AIDS medications • Pills to help you get rid of extra water (diuretics) • Angina pills (nitrates) • Drugs for high blood pressure in your lungs like bosentan (Tracleer)

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Eight Surprising Sources of

GLUTEN Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and products made from these grains. Many foods that contain gluten provide unpleasant or severe digestive issues that may lead to nutrient malabsorption and other health problems.

Soy Sauce

Soy sauce is made with soybeans that are steamed, fermented and aged, often with the addition of wheat for aroma and a bit of sweetness. Glutenfree variations are available.

Pickles

Some pickles are made in malt vinegar which is made directly from ale, which contains wheat.

Corn Flakes like they should be a safe option, often contain malt extract or contain gluten.

Soup

A number of soups contain barley which is a grain that contains gluten, and in a number of cream based soups, wheat is used as a thickener.

French Fries

Many of the foods cooked in a fryer are coated in a batter that contains wheat contaminated with gluten by getting fried in the same oil.

Ice Cream

Although many brands are gluten-free, some may contain wheat ingredients like wheat

Peanut Butter

Many brands of peanut butter contain additives like malt sugars, which contain traces of gluten.

Ricotta Cheese

Many types of ricotta cheese contain a grain-based vinegar which is a source of gluten. -

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Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease is Common

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease, or HFMD, is a contagious illness caused by different viruses. It is common in infants and children younger than 5 years old, because they do not yet have immunity (protection) to the viruses that cause HFMD. However, older children and adults can also get HFMD. In the United States it is more common for people to get HFMD during spring, summer, and fall.

HFMD is usually not serious, and nearly all people recover in 7 to 10 days without medical treatment. Rarely, an infected person can develop viral meningitis and may need to be hospitalized for a few days. Other even more rare complications can include polio-like paralysis, or encephalitis (brain inflammation) which can be fatal.

Symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease often include: • Fever • Reduced appetite • Sore throat • Feeling unwell • Painful mouth sores that usually begin as flat red spots • Rash of flat red spots that may blister on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and sometimes the knees, elbows, buttocks, and/or genital area These symptoms usually appear in stages, not all at once. Not everyone will have all of these symptoms. Some people may show no symptoms at all, but they can still pass the virus to others.

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease Mainly Affects Young Children HFMD mostly affects infants and children younger than 5 years old. Although older children and adults can get it too.

When someone gets HFMD, they develop immunity (protection) to the specific virus that caused their infection. But people can get the disease again because HFMD is caused by several different viruses.

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease is Contagious People with HFMD are most contagious during the first week of their illness. However, they may sometimes remain contagious for weeks after symptoms go away. Some people, especially adults, may not develop any symptoms, but they can still spread the viruses to others. The viruses that cause HFMD can be found in an infected person’s: • Nose and throat secretions (such as saliva, sputum, or nasal mucus)

• Blister fluid • Poop (feces) HFMD spreads from an infected person to others from: • Close contact, such as kissing, hugging, or sharing cups and eating utensils • Coughing and sneezing • Contact with poop, for example when changing a diaper • Contact with blister fluid • Touching objects or surfaces that have the virus on them This is why you should always try to maintain good hygiene, like washing hands often with soap and water, to reduce your chance of getting and spreading HFMD. You Can Only Treat Symptoms of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease There is no specific treatment for HFMD. Fever and pain can be managed with over-the-counter fever reducers and pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. It is important for people with HFMD to drink enough fluids to prevent loss of body fluids or dehydration.

Wash your hands and help children wash their hands to help keep from getting sick.

Take Steps to Lessen Your Chances of Getting Sick You can reduce the risk of getting infected with the viruses that cause HFMD by following a few simple steps: • Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially after changing diapers, and help young children do the same.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

• Avoid close contact such as kissing, hugging, and sharing cups and eating utensils with people who have HFMD. • Avoid close contact such as kissing, hugging, and sharing cups and eating utensils with people who have HFMD. • Disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects, such as toys and doorknobs, especially if someone is sick.

There is no vaccine to protect against HFMD. Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease is not the same as Foot-and-Mouth Disease HFMD is often confused with footand-mouth disease (also called hoofand-mouth disease), which affects cattle, sheep, and swine. Humans do not get the animal disease, and animals do not get the human disease.