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Join The UnCola tonight at 8PM est on 103.3 Asheville FM for our two-hour tribute to saxophonist David Sanborn. We’ll be focusing on the lesser known songs from his session and solo work during the 70s.
We sat down with three local activists to talk about the proposed Asheville Business Improvement District, a model of service provision using public funding to increase policing in downtown by an un-elected and unaccountable body of largely business and property owners. For the hour, Grace, Madison and Elliot talk about attempts to ram the BID through public process, some of the businesses and individuals behind it, how bids have panned out in other cities around the country and what space there is left to oppose this further privatization of public space in Asheville. We didn’t mention it here, but there have also been rumblings of the BID model, a version of which was fought and never funded in 2012, being applied to other parts of Asheville, for example West Asheville. You can find more information and ways to get involved with folks organizing against the Business Improvement District at AshevilleBID.com and on Instagram at @NoAVLBid. This is our show for the week of May 12th. A full version of this episode is available at our website.
As a quick note, there are a few acronyms frequently used in this conversation. One is RFP, which stands for Request for Proposals and is a process of contracting out an element of a project. Another acronym is ADA, in this case Asheville Downtown Association which is an independent pressure group made up of individuals, business and property owners. Not to be confused with the Asheville Downtown Commission, which was created by the City Council and contains appointed representatives from the ADA, city council, Buncombe County Board of Commissioners and few other community members including business owners.
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ROCKVILLE, MD – April 30, 2024 – The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has recently recommended lowering the age for breast cancer screening mammography from age 50 to 40, and continuing it every other year until age 74. The previous recommendation suggested that women make a decision with their health care provider whether to have breast cancer screening in their 40’s, based on their health history and breast cancer risk. Starting breast cancer screening earlier can reduce the risk of dying from the disease if the cancer is found promptly before it grows and spreads to other parts of the body. Concern over the rising rates of breast cancer in younger women have spurred recommending earlier screening.
The USPSTF is a national panel of experts that works to improve the health of Americans by making recommendations to prevent illness and prolong life based on peer-reviewed evidence.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths for US women. However, there has been a lower mortality rate over the past 20 years. Most of the cases occur in women ages 55 to 74. The highest incidence is between 70 to 74.
Black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than White women. However, White women have a higher incidence of breast cancer. Screening for breast cancer at an earlier age may find the cancer earlier in the disease process and reduce this disparity.
Not only is breast cancer screening important to reduce deaths, but so is appropriate follow-up and treatment.
Listen to the full report below:
Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]
HENDERSON COUNTY – April 26, 2024 – The Department of Public Health confirmed 27 cases of whooping cough in Henderson County on April 25th and increased to 51 cases one week later. The first case was reported on April 3rd. Most of the cases are in school-aged children. This is the largest outbreak for whooping cough in 7 years when there was a total of 95 cases.
Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly contagious respiratory disease that can cause serious problems, especially in babies. It is caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacteria. The infection affects the airways and the lungs. The bacteria can spread by being close to an infected person who sneezes or coughs. Whooping cough peaks in summer and fall.
After exposure to the pertussis bacteria, it may take 5 to 10 days to begin showing common cold-like symptoms, with a runny nose, low-grade fever, and mild cough (except in babies). 1-2 weeks after the symptoms begin, infected persons may develop violent coughing fits that usually last 1-6 weeks. The illness is commonly called whooping cough because of the high-pitched “whoop” sound at the end of the coughing fit, when a person is finally able to inhale. Once the coughing fit lessens, recovery may take 2-3 weeks.
The highest at-risk group are unvaccinated babies under a year old. Almost one-half of this group is hospitalized. Babies and young children may have difficulty breathing and can turn blue from lack of oxygen. Complications include pneumonia, breathing difficulties, brain infection, and convulsions.
Other high-risk groups include: adults with pulmonary problems like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems. The intense coughing spells can result in loss of bladder control, vomiting, headaches, light-headedness, weight loss, and rib fractures from intense coughing.
Once the diagnosis is made or exposure is confirmed, antibiotics should be started immediately. Starting antibiotics after 3 weeks of symptoms will not be effective, because the bacteria have already left the body.
The best way to protect against whooping cough is to get vaccinated. The CDC recommends vaccination for all at-risk groups. The whooping cough vaccine is combined with diphtheria and tetanus vaccines. Booster shots are encouraged for teens and adults every 8-10 years to boost immunity. People can still get sick if they are vaccinated, but not as severely ill as unvaccinated individuals.
The Henderson County Public Health Department is trying to contain the outbreak with extensive contact tracing and by providing guidance to schools and the community. The outbreak appears to be confined to Henderson County. As of April 29th, there has been only 1 confirmed case in Buncombe County, according to Health Director Ellis Matheson. Transylvania County has 2 confirmed cases. A whooping cough outbreak is defined as 3 related cases that are not in the same household.
Listen to the full report below:
Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]
ASHEVILLE, NC – May 8, 2024 – The CDC’s COVID Dashboard for the week ending on April 27th shows:
Wastewater monitoring can be used to provide early warning for COVID outbreaks. The Buncombe & Henderson counties wastewater data on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard for the week ending on April 24th shows:
Listen to the full report below:
Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]
April 2024 – Top 30 New Releases spun on 103.3 Asheville FM!
