The Red River Valley Fair announces Wednesday, July 10 will be noted as Senior Day. Scheduled events include Bingo, Tasting Bee, coffee and cookies, Lefse Demonstration and a Polka Contest. Performances on the Stop-N-Go Stage include FM Golden notes, the Jerry Frasier Comedy Show, and the Kringen Accordion Club.
There is free gate admission from 11 am – 1 pm. Coffee and cookies will be available in the Morton Building starting at 11 am until gone. The cookies are donated by Hornbacher’s. The Tasting Bee begins at 12:30 pm at Harvest Hall.
Bingo is presented by the West Fargo VFW. Bingo is from 11 am – 1 pm in the Morton Building. It is 25 cents per card; prizes have been donated by local restaurants and Red River Valley Fair vendors.
For more information, check out our website at www.redrivervalleyfair.com or call the office at 701.282.2200.
Water and Sewage Clean-up Information
FARGO, N.D. (June 26, 2013) – With the recent heavy rains that have caused basement flooding of homes and businesses, Fargo Cass Public Health would like to remind residents of the information available to help clean-up and prevent long term problems.
Myron Berglund, environmental health director at Fargo Cass Public Health, says that fast removal of water will prevent long term damage, “If the water is removed within the first 24 to 48 hours, it will help to eliminate potential for mold problems.”
For sewage damage, all porous materials exposed to the sewage must be discarded. They cannot be adequately cleaned. This includes carpet and carpet padding.
For clean-up questions and information residents can call 701-476-6729, go to the NDSU Extension website at www.ag.ndsu.edu/flood/home/cleaning-sewage-backup.
North Dakota Department of Health Reminds Parents That Now is the Time to Think About Back-to-School Immunizations
BISMARCK, N.D. – The North Dakota Department of Health is encouraging parents to get their children vaccinated now to avoid the back-to-school rush later this summer.
Children entering school should have five doses of DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis), four doses of IPV (polio), three doses of HBV (hepatitis B), two doses of MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), and two doses of varicella (chickenpox) vaccine. There also are vaccines that are required for adolescents when entering middle school. Middle school requirements include an immunization against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) and meningococcal disease (MCV4). The vaccine that protects against meningococcal disease is also required for newly admitted North Dakota college students residing in on-campus housing. Other vaccines may be recommended by children’s health-care providers.
“By requiring vaccines, we hope to minimize the spread of preventable illnesses in schools and provide North Dakota’s children with a healthier environment to learn,” said Amy Schwartz, Immunization Surveillance coordinator for the North Dakota Department of Health. “Children should get vaccinated as soon as possible to ensure they are protected before the first day of school.”
The school requirements reflect immunization recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Approximately one-third of middle school students were not up to date with Tdap and meningococcal vaccine during the 2012-2013 school year.
“There are many new residents to the state of North Dakota and it is important that parents bring their child’s immunization record from out of state to the clinic when they present for immunizations. This way the North Dakota provider will know which immunizations are needed,” said Amy Schwartz. “New North Dakota residents may contact the state health department in the state they previously lived in or their previous health-care provider to find their child’s immunization record.”
Children can be vaccinated at local public health units or private health-care providers. For more information on school immunization requirements, contact Amy Schwartz, North Dakota Department of Health, at 1.800.472.2180, or visit our website at www.ndhealth.gov/immunize.
HERO SAVES ANOTHER 20,000 POUNDS FROM AREA LANDFILLS
FARGO, ND- JUNE 28, 2013‐ Every three to four months, HERO’s warehouse becomes so full of healthcare supplies and medical equipment they can barely fit any more. It’s a wonderful problem to have. Instead of halting donations coming in, HERO partners with other similar organizations to provide supplies overseas and continue to take donations and help those in need. On June 28th there was a truck at HERO to stock 20,000 pounds of healthcare supplies that were not needed locally and brought it to a partnering MSRO aka “Medical Surplus Recovery Organization”; it allows more room in the HERO warehouse for additional donations.
There’s a small glitch in our healthcare system that led to thousands of pounds of usable supplies being thrown away each year, just in our community. It’s no longer the case. Instead, supplies like gauze, sutures, surgical drapes, walkers, crutches, wheelchairs, and more are donated to HERO each day. What makes HERO unique from all other MSRO’s is it’s the only one that provides supplies to their local community along with redistributing globally.
HERO collects and redistributes donated healthcare supplies to benefit those in need. Last year, HERO provided a volume of 3,119 individuals and agencies with over 21,000 items. They gave nearly $175,000 worth of healthcare supplies and equipment to those in need. Learn more about what you can donate or receive at www.HEROFargo.org or by call 701-212-1921.
Heavy rains lead to more mosquitoes this summer in Minnesota
ST. PAUL, Minn. (June 27, 2013)–Mosquitoes are especially abundant this summer because of heavy rainfall and increased moisture in the environment.
University of Minnesota Extension entomologist Jeff Hahn explains mosquito larvae live in small pools of water. Increases in rainfall lead to more mosquito breeding grounds. Although rain cannot be controlled, there are many steps Minnesotans can take to combat mosquitoes.
Mosquitoe avoid direct sunlight They are more common during early morning and evening as well as cloudy days. Try to avoid these times when possible.
Draining small child pools, clogged gutters and other small pools of water prevents your yard from turning into a mosquito breeding ground. “If you have something that collects water, dump it or drain it,” Hahn says.
Put a thin layer of vegetable oil on water that cannot be drained (like rain buckets and bird baths) to suffocate the larvae and stop mosquito breeding. Also, keep weeds and grasses from getting tall.
It is important to protect your skin when you are outside.
“Repellent is a good first line of defense,” says Hahn, who recommends using sprays, such as DEET or picaridin on your body and clothes. Also, covering your skin with long sleeves and long pants is an effective method of preventing bites.
Alternative and homemade methods of mosquito prevention are minimally effective, if at all, Hahn says. Citronella candles, ultrasound repellents, or insect zappers will not reduce the amount of bites you get outside, even if you catch a few mosquitoes. In the case of bug zappers you may even end up attracting more insects than the amount you’re exterminating.
Besides irritating bites, mosquitoes can carry diseases like West Nile virus, which increased nationally and in Minnesota last year. Last year, there were 70 cases of the virus here, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
“Humans are most likely to get infected with West Nile at the end of the summer so even though mosquito numbers go down, people still need to protect themselves,” Hahn says.
For more information on mosquitoes and other insects in Minnesota, visit www.extension.umn.edu/insects.
Police K9 Nitro Retires After 10 Years of Service
FARGO, N.D. (June 28, 2013) – The Fargo Police Department is announcing the retirement of its longest serving police service dog, K9 Nitro. On Saturday, June 29, 2013, Nitro began his last shift serving the City of Fargo. Nitro will retire after ten years of courageous and loyal service to the City of Fargo. He has assisted the Fargo Police Department in countless criminal arrests by tracking criminal suspects or finding illegal narcotics within their possession. K9 Nitro has also participated in countless public demonstrations throughout the community including in schools. His committed service will be missed by the department and the K9 unit.
His handler, Officer Richard Nechiporenko, will care for Nitro during his retirement. Officer Nechiporenko has been a K9 handler for approximately 23 of his 30 years as a Fargo Police Officer. K9 Nitro‘s retirement marks Officer Nechiporenko’s departure from the K9 unit. His service in the K9 unit for the past two decades has been second to none. His knowledge and expertise about police service K9s will be missed.
The Fargo Police Department will continue to operate with three police service canines which have benefited greatly from K9 Nitro and Officer Nechiporenko. The other police K9s are Earl, Falco, and Bali.