Blaine Manor restricts visitors
The Blaine Manor care facility in Hailey is not allowing any visitors younger than 18.
According to a Blaine Manor news release, the policy is to protect the manor's elderly residents from the seasonal and H1N1 flu. Anyone showing one or more of the following symptoms—fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, fatigue, diarrhea or vomiting—should not visit the manor for any reason.
St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center in Ketchum has also imposed the same restriction on those younger than 18 for its patient care areas.
Flu shots available to public
St. Luke's Family Medicine is offering flu shots in Hailey and Ketchum from 9 a.m. to noon and from 2-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Flu shots will also be available Saturday, Oct. 3, and Oct. 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Shots cost $25. Insurance submission is the responsibility of the patient.
For details, call 788-3434.
Idaho's poverty rate remains stable
New Census Bureau estimates show Idaho's poverty rate remained stable between 2006 and 2008.
The state's poverty rate of 12.6 percent, or nearly 188,000 people among its non-institutionalized population, ranked 25th in the nation.
Nationally, the poverty rate was estimated at 13.2 percent, down fractionally from 2006.
The number of Idaho children living in poverty in 2008 was up slightly but not significantly from 2006. The Census Bureau estimated that 15.8 percent, or 64,500, of the state's children under age 18 live in poverty, placing Idaho's rate at 28th among the states and below the national rate of 18.2 percent.
Idaho's median household income from 2007 to 2008 rose by 2.9 percent.
Of the 130,000 working-age Idahoans living in poverty in 2008, the Census Bureau estimated that over 55,000 were employed, 9,500 had college or advanced degrees and over 27,000 more had associate degrees or some college education.
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Free program for people with MS
The Wood River YMCA in Ketchum will host on Saturday, Oct. 10, a free, one-day program to help people with multiple sclerosis live with the disease.
The Heuga Center for Multiple Sclerosis developed the program for people with the illness and their support partners.
Featured presentations and workshops include "How to Talk to Your Provider," "Exercise Can Be Fun," "Managing Symptoms: Pain, Fatigue, Sleep" and a workshop for support partners.
The program is limited to 50 participants.
Call or e-mail Ron Wheeler at The Heuga Center to register today at no charge at (800) 367-3101, ext. 1277, or rwheeler@heuga.org.
The Heuga Center, based in Edwards, Colo., was founded by 1964 Olympic slalom bronze medalist Jimmy Heuga, who was diagnosed with the disease in 1970 at the age of 26.
Intermountain Gas to drop prices
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has approved a request by Intermountain Gas Co. to reduce the variable portion of its gas rates by about 22.2 percent for residential customers and 21.6 percent for commercial customers.
According to Intermountain Gas, residential rates for customers who use natural gas for both space and water heating will decline from $1.02 to 77.5 cents per therm from December through March and from $1.05 to 80.9 cents from April to November. For a customer who uses natural gas for both space and water heating, the average monthly reduction is about $16.23 per month.
For residential customers who use natural gas for space heating only, the reduction will be about $11.27 a month. For commercial customers, the average monthly reduction is $69.21.
This is the third reduction in four years of the company's annual purchased gas cost adjustment. Every year on Oct. 1, that portion of Intermountain Gas rates is adjusted up or down depending largely on the price of natural gas on the wholesale market.
Intermountain Gas serves about 305,000 customers across southern Idaho.
St. Luke's to offer puberty classes
St. Luke's Center for Community Health will present a class for girls, "What's Happening to Me?" in a three-part series Tuesdays, Oct. 6, through Oct. 20, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in St. Luke's River Run Conference Rooms. The cost is $20 and $5 for each additional sibling. Registration deadline is today.
A class for boys, "Oh, Boy!," will take place on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 12:30-4 p.m. in St. Luke's River Run Conference Rooms. The cost is $10 and $5 for each additional sibling. Registration deadline is Wednesday, Oct. 21.
For details, call 727-8733.
