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Remembering the sacrifice of the fallen
Luxury cinema to premiere next year
North Stafford track girls run for title VOL. 28 | NUM. 12
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JUNE 3, 2016 | NORTHERN VIRGINIA MEDIA SERVICES
School board appoints new member
Zika offensive takes flight Asian tiger
aedes albopictus
544 cases in the U.S. 15 in Virginia.
Yellow Fever aedes aegypti
Ayres succeeds Fallon following resignation TRACY BELL
tbell@insidenova.com
Transmitted by Asian tiger (daytime biting) and Yellow Fever mosquitoes, both prevalent in Va.
Illness is usually mild but linked to microcephaly and other birth defects and, rarely, Guillain-Barre syndrome
ZIKA VIRUS
elissa Ayres will take over as the Griffis-Widewater District representative on the Stafford County School Board, according to a May 31 board decision. Ayres was among nine people who applied for the position and of those, four were interviewed Tuesday. She will serve as a school board member until a Nov. 8 special election is held. “The board is so pleased to have Ms. Ayres join us as the representative of the Griffis-Widewater District,” said school board Chair Holly Hazard, Hartwood District. “The board was impressed with the credentials and commitment to the school community of each of the applicants. Ms. Ayres’ deliberative approach to decisionmaking and her military and business backgrounds will serve her well as she transitions into this important community position.” In a letter of interest to the school board for the position, Ayres stated: “It is very important for Stafford to continue to have a strong school system to help its constituents and leaders address many of our social and economic issues. As a parent and a professional, I SCHOOL am eager to address PAGE 13 this broad range of
No treatment or vaccine is available
About 1 in 5 people infected will become ill
Symptoms normally last 2-7 days
Symptoms: fever, rash, joint pain, conjuctivitis (red eyes)
Area is at “moderate risk” for a Zika outbreak this summer, local health officials warn JILL PALERMO
jpalermo@insidenova.com
ummertime means the onset of mosquito season. The difference this year? We’re bracing for Zika. Virginia has already had 18 confirmed cases of the mosquitoborne Zika virus, including nine in what the state health department calls the “northern region.” The area includes Stafford and Prince William counties, but health officials won’t say specifically where cases were confirmed. So far, all are linked to travel
in Zika-affected areas outside the U.S., meaning there’s been no sign yet that local mosquitoes are transmitting the disease. Still, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has deemed both Richmond and Washington at “moderate risk” for a Zika outbreak this summer, according to estimates produced by the National Center for Atmospheric Research. That’s why education efforts have already begun. Local movie theaters will soon air public-service announcements about the virus, and the health department already is distributing information about
Zika through public schools and day care centers. The message is primarily one of prevention: Wear bug repellent and long, light-colored, permethrin-treated clothing, if possible, to avoid mosquito bites. Also keep yards and outside areas free of standing water, which is where the most problematic mosquitoes are known to breed. Mosquito season officially began May 1. Messages about how to avoid mosquito bites and thwart mosquito breeding areas will be spread through social media, Stafford’s cable TV channel and through displays posted at Stafford parks, Shannon Howell, Stafford RISK County spokeswoman, PAGE 3 said in an email.
STAFFORD COUNTY SUN
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