Commission for Women Changes August Meeting Date
The Commission for Women will not meet on August 11 at 5:30 p.m. in Room 14 as previously scheduled.
In lieu of its regular August meeting, the Commission's next scheduled meeting will be Saturday, August 9, 2014 at 9:30 a.m. at the Lexington Park Library, Meeting Room A. The library is located at 21677 FDR Boulevard, Lexington Park, Maryland 20653.
The August meeting will include a brief regular business meeting and conclude with a planning retreat for the upcoming fiscal year will be held.
MACo Summer Conference Presents Opportunity to Discuss Ideas and Innovations in Government
The 2014 MACo Summer Conference will be held August 13-16 at the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland. The theme of this year's conference is "Ideas & Innovations," focusing on new ways to serve Maryland residents, including ground-breaking methods to provide necessary services, creative ways to fund existing and upcoming projects, and constructive partnerships between different levels of government and the public and private sectors.
U.S. Senator Ben Cardin and former Governor Parris Glendening are confirmed to speak in two separate sessions. Gubernatorial candidates Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown (D) and Mr. Larry Hogan (R) will both participate in a Gubernatorial Forum.
Senator Cardin will address MACo's conference attendees on federal issues facing Maryland. Following his address, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions in a Town Hall format.
Governor Glendening will be a guest on a televised interview session led by Phil Tilghman, host of the public access TV show, "One on One." Governor Glendening will reflect on his years in state and local service, and share his perspective on current policy issues. Lt. Governor Brown and Mr. Hogan will participate in a Gubernatorial Forum as the closing event of MACo's Summer Conference.
MACo's Summer Conference is an annual event where county elected officials and staff, legislators, State and Federal officials, and business representatives convene to study best practices in local government and explore partnerships through which to better serve the people of Maryland. Participants have access to over 25 educational sessions focusing on local government issues such as budgeting and finance, environmental policy, planning and land use, education, and other local government areas of interest.
Commissioner President Jack Russell, who serves on MACo's Board of Directors and is also the organization's Treasurer and a Legislative Committee member will attend the conference. Commissioner Cindy Jones will also attend the meeting. County Staff members also attending include County Administrator Dr. Rebecca Bridgett and Public Information Officer Tony Jones.
St. Mary's County Division of Tourism will have a display inside the convention hall touting the County's comprehensive program to attract visitors to Maryland's mother county. Clover Hill Dairy will also represent the county at the Taste of Maryland reception with Amish-made cheese varieties. The dairy is exclusively owned and operated by the Amish Community.
Department of Emergency Services & Technology to Utilize CodeRed Emergency Notification System
The St Mary's County Department of Emergency Services & Technology will utilize the CodeRed Emergency Notification System on Saturday, August 9, 2014 at approximately 11:00 a.m. to call the entire community. The calls will begin at 11:00 a.m. and continue until the entire database has been attempted.
The Department of Emergency Services & Technology recommends that everyone opt in to the CodeRed Weather Warning system and that all individuals and businesses take the time to visit the website and add contact information to include cellular phones, update any phone number recently changed and those who use a cellular phone exclusively or have Voice over IP phones as their primary numbers.
Citizens should log onto the St Mary's County website at www.stmarysmd.com (click on How Do I…? and then Sign up for CODE RED). Required information includes a street address (physical address only, no P.O. boxes) for location purposes and a primary phone number. Additional phone numbers, email and text addresses may also be entered. Those without Internet access may call 301-475-4200 and select option 6 and then option 3.
Additional information about the CodeRed Warning system can be found on the website. For more information please call 301-475-4200 option 6 and then option 3.
St. Mary's County Public Schools' Ethics Panel to Meet
The St. Mary's County Public Schools' Ethics Panel will be holding a meeting on Thursday, August 7, 2014, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., in the Assistant Superintendent's Conference Room, 23160 Moakley Street, Leonardtown, Maryland 20650.
For more information, call 301-475-5511, ext. 32108.
Potential Risk of Vibrio Infection from Natural Waters
Vibriosis (vibrio) is a rare but potentially dangerous infection associated with swimming in natural waters, particularly warm bodies of salt or brackish water such as the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Maryland averages approximately 25 cases of vibrio infection each year, according to state officials.
The vibrio vulnificus bacterium can cause an infection of the skin when open wounds are exposed to warm seawater. These infections may lead to skin breakdown and ulceration. In people with weakened immune systems, particularly those with chronic liver disease, vibrio can infect the blood stream, causing a severe and life-threatening illness characterized by fever and chills, decreased blood pressure, and blistering skin lesions. While healthy people also can get sick, people with compromised immune systems may be at higher risk for invasion of the organism into the bloodstream and potentially fatal complications.
There are steps that can be taken to avoid this bacterial infection:
-- Wait at least 48 hours after a significant rain event before swimming, and then swim in open waters. Rain events often create high bacteria counts in natural waters due to storm water runoff.
-- Use caution and avoid swimming when the natural water temperatures rise past 80 degrees.
-- Don’t swim in natural waters if your immune system is compromised, if you have an infection, or if you have existing cuts or sores.
-- If you are injured while swimming (e.g., cut a finger while crabbing, get scraped by a shell or sharp object), thoroughly wash the wound when you get out of the water.
-- Shower thoroughly after swimming and before eating anything.
-- Wear gloves when handling raw shellfish or crabs and their drippings.
-- Keep open cuts and sores away from raw shellfish or crabs, their drippings, and coastal waters.
-- Do not eat raw or undercooked shellfish or crabs. Cook these items completely and throw away shellfish that do not open during cooking. Vibrio vulnificus bacteria are not a result of pollution so, although oysters should always be obtained from a reputable source, eating oysters from “clean” waters or in restaurants with high turnover does not provide protection. Only heat can destroy the bacteria.
Symptoms of vibrio can start from 12 to 72 hours after exposure. If you notice any symptoms of fever, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach pain after eating shellfish or crabs, or if there is increased swelling, redness, pain, or blistering at the site of a cut or sore, call your health care provider immediately.
For more information about vibrio vulnificus, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website at http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/HealthEducators/ucm085365.htm .