Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Volume 118, Number 54 8 Pages $1.00 www.HerefordBRAND.com
Lady Herd ends losing skid;
Whitefaces go 1-3 in Midland tourney, Sports, pg. 7
Make Newspapers Great Again
Ah, to pave or not to pave? By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor It is the best of times, it is the worst of times… With all due respect to Mr. Dickens, drivers in Hereford have been living with that conundrum on a daily basis every time they traverse Main Street since late September. The reason is partial paving of the road – from Park Avenue to Seventh Street – that placed asphalt over the brick roadway of yesteryear. Cruising that part of the road is like skimming a glass-smooth lake.
When are we going to finish paving Main Street? I know I will be a villain for asking, but I have heard so many positive comments about it. Marcos Castro Place 6 Hereford City Commissioner Then comes the intersection with Seventh Street and the kidney-jarring, washboard, off-level brick road returns to First Street.
While not intending to fire a late salvo into the city’s political year, Place 6 Hereford City Commissioner Marcos Castro did just that during the work session of
Christmas rides
the board’s final meeting of 2016 on Dec. 19. Indeed, Castro was well aware he was crawling onto a tree limb carrying a running chain saw when he broached the subject. “When are we going to finish paving Main Street?” Castro said. “I know I will be a villain for asking, but I have heard so many positive comments about it.” Officials first began mulling the future of the city’s historic brick roads in the spring. The dilemma was history versus progPLEASE SEE PAVE | 3
Old infections prompt Feds to axe HRMC $$$ By Chris Aguilar BRAND Staff Writer
biotics may kill other intestinal bacteria that keep individuals healthy thus An infection problem causing an overgrowth in from as long as two years the C. Diff bacteria. ago has cost Hereford “We own this,” said Regional Medical Center HRMC CEO Jeff Barnhart, (HRMC) a chunk of federal who was not at the helm funding for 2017. when the incidents ocHRMC is one of 61 Tex- curred. “We own the two as hospitals whose fed- infections. The reality is, eral funding has been cut people come in with infecfor 2017 after Hospital- tions. Sometimes we know Acquired Condition Re- about it and sometimes duction Program (HACs) we don’t. released data that 769 “My greatest concern is hospitals nationwide fell they (HACs) call this pashort of perfect in the tient injury, which seems Centers for Medicare & like we are here dropping Medicaid Services people or doing (CMS) ranking systhings to purposetem. ly hurt them.” Government Though reports officials said pashowed HRMC was tients developed fined – fine totals infections or injuwere not released ries under those by federal sources hospitals’ care – for the two inwhich was the fections, Barnhart reason for the low wanted to assure BARNHART ratings. residents no injuReports reries have been released December 2015 ported showed that during the The majority of C. Diff period from Jan 1, 2014- cases occur in, or after Dec. 31, 2015, two HRMC exposure to, health-care patients developed clos- settings – including hostridium difficile (C. Diff) pitals, nursing homes while under HRMC’s care. and long-term care faC. Diff is a bacterium cilities – where germs that can cause symptoms spread easily, antibiranging from diarrhea to otic use is common and life-threatening inflamma- people are especially tion of the colon. vulnerable to infection. Illness from the infec- In hospitals and nursing tion most commonly af- homes, C. Diff spreads fects older adults in hos- mainly on hands from pitals or in long-term care person to person, but facilities. also on cart handles, beIt typically occurs after drails, bedside tables, toiextended use of antibi- lets, sinks, stethoscopes, otic medications or when thermometers, telephones multiple antibiotics are and remote controls. needed to fight an infecPLEASE SEE HRMC | 8 tion. The use of the anti-
Getting the feel of new wheels BRAND/Chris Aguilar
Renewing a long-standing Christmas tradition of breaking in those wheeled presents left by Santa, above, Nahyeli Gamez, 7, checks the handling of her new batterypowered SUV, while 1-year-old brother Nyxavien gets some dirt on the wheels of his new ride. Right, armed with scooters found under the tree on Christmas morn, Azriel Botello, 8, finishes first in a race of new two-wheeled vehicles ahead of 10-year-old Ebony Torres and Javen Torres, 7.
Relief coming for San Jose By Chris Aguilar BRAND Staff Writer Hereford is known for its unique and strong smell of manure that some might call the smell of money. However, this cannot be said for the residents of the San Jose community, also known as El Campo, as years of sewage overflow have added another distinct odor to the community. That odor – and residents – will get relief after the Deaf Smith County Commission-
ers Court accepted bids for an upgrade to the San Jose sewer lift station. Lift stations pump waste water from sewers to processing sites. Sewage is fed into and stored in an underground pit, commonly known as a wet well, equipped with electrical instrumentation to detect the level of sewage present. When the level rises to a predetermined point, a pump will be started to lift the sewage through a pressurized pipe system from where the
LAW
Enforcement
Appreciation
Day
JANUARY 9TH
sewage is discharged into a gravity manhole. If this is insufficient, or in the case of failure of the pumping station, a backup in the sewer system can occur, leading to an overflow of raw sewage into the environment. The San Jose lift station, constructed in 1979, has seen its better days and created numerous overflow problems that endanger the local environment – specifically the waters of Tierra PLEASE SEE RELIEF | 3
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