Page 19 - Steve Devane News Today

It’s probably no surprise that Person Street in Fayetteville was named for a person. But it wasn’t just any person. It was a person named Person who served as a brigadier general in the Revolutionary War and as a member of the state legislature for 30 years. He also was a member of the committee that named streets in Fayetteville. Four prominent streets in the city — Hay, Gillespie, Person and Ramsey — are named for the four members of that committee, according to the Fayetteville Obser...

Editors note: The Fayetteville Observer newsroom staff voted among dozens of stories for the top local stories of the year. Well be counting down our top 10 every day until New Years Eve, when well publish the No. 1 story of 2020. The GenX contamination of hundreds of private wells in Bladen and Cumberland counties continued to be a major issue in 2020. GenX is manufactured at the Chemours plant near the county line and also is a byproduct of processes there. Animal studies have linked the comp...

Residents who have been exposed to GenX and similar compounds should take extra precautions to protect themselves against COVID-19, scientists who study the chemicals say. The scientists encouraged those who have been exposed to the chemicals to get vaccinated for COVID-19, even though the exposure might limit the vaccine’s effectiveness. The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., hosted an online presentation Thursday about how per- and polyfluoroalkyl sub...

When that happens, what will it be like? Here’s what to expect. 1. Don’t expect to pay. The vaccines are free because the federal government is paying for them. “Cost is not an obstacle to getting vaccinated against COVID-19,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on its website. “Vaccine doses purchased with U.S. taxpayer dollars will be given to the American people at no cost. However, vaccination providers may be able to charge administration fees for giving the shot....

Now, she’s trying to keep people from getting the disease. Lomasney, chief of allergy and immunology at Fort Bragg’s Womack Army Medical Center, spent eight weeks in Texas working in the Intensive Care Unit of a hospital that was overrun by patients with the disease. “Most were very sick,” she said. Lomasney said she would not wish COVID-19 on anyone. “I’ve seen the destruction this disease can do on individuals, communities, families,” she said. “For every single person who g...

But one resident with a contaminated well isn’t optimistic. Biden, who will be inaugurated Jan. 20, has indicated that he will take a science-based approach to climate change and other environmental issues. He said on his website that he plans to designate the group of chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as a hazardous substance. The designation will allow the federal government to set enforcement limits for the chemicals in the Safe Drinking Water Act, which will s...

Workers at the State Veterans Home in Fayetteville are hoping local residents will help brighten the holiday spirits of veterans there. Pruitt Health, which runs the home, is asking the community to send holiday greetings, prayers, drawings and videos. The good wishes can be sent through the organization’s website at pruitthealth.com/caring-cards or by email to CaringCards@pruitthealth.com. Last year, residents in Fayetteville and the surrounding area sent dozens of cards to residents at the ...

That’s the stark warning from health officials. Jennifer Green, the Cumberland County health director, spoke to the county Board of Health about the COVID-19 crisis at its meeting Tuesday. Dr. Sam Fleishman, a board member and chief medical officer for Cape Fear Valley Health system, talked about the potential impact on Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville. Board members used computers to attend the virtual meeting, which was shown on the county’s social media sites. Health offic...

Cape Fear Valley Medical Center started administering the COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday to hospital workers who are caring for patients with the virus. Kimberly Roberson, a registered nurse who works in the hospital’s COVID unit, was the first to receive the vaccine. Other healthcare workers and hospital administrators clapped and cheered after Heather McLeod, a pharmacist at Cape Fear Valley, gave Roberson a shot in her upper right arm. Roberson said she is proud to be the first to get the vacci...

“Remote learning has its challenges,” said Todd Yardis, principal at Seventy-First Classical Middle School. Monica Carter, principal at Long Hill Elementary School, said teachers are working hard to reach all their students. “It’s been a daily struggle,” she said. Carter said she has been impressed with the support from students’ families. “The ongoing patience and communication between home and school holds all of us accountable for the success of our students,” she said. Jessi...