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Local: The Need for Accessibility Improvements to school playground and communication
Just a few weeks ago, the Special Education Advisory Committee of Harrisonburg was advocating for improvements in accessibility for disabled students. Ken Hill, the director of special education, represented this committee during a meeting with the school board and gave recommendations for altering the playground to allow students to access it more easily. The playground, located downhill in comparison to the school building, requires an alternate route for wheelchair access that is far out of the way. Hill also brought up the necessity for more training and support for school staff in regards to special education so all students have the ability to participate equally in activities. A last recommendation was to make all forms of school communication, such as surveys and announcements, more accessible. This might include translating in more languages and providing options for reading in braille. The board was also given a draft of the “Capital Improvement Plan”, which lists all the building projects that will likely be needed in the future.
National: what we know about hurricane helene’s destruction so far
Hurricane Helene, which has been labeled as a category 4 hurricane, has left over 115 people dead across the Southeastern parts of the United States. Western North Carolina is facing destruction historic disasters in wake of the storm. Cell phone service, power lines, and gas lines are either out of service or down completely, which leaves many people stranded and unable to contact emergency services. Flooding has shut down over 400 North Carolina roads, making it difficult for emergency services to reach those in need of rescue. Brevard resident Gretchen Hogan called the event a “mini-apocalypse”, referring to the major crisis spreading throughout the region. President Biden has directed FEMA to deploy rescuers, and over 1,270 rescuers have been deployed across the southeast region of the United States.
By: The NY Times
global: india confirms its first case of the mpox clade 1b virus
Last week, India confirmed its first case of the Mpox clade 1b virus. A 38-year-old man who had recently traveled to Dubai tested positive for the strain. Clade 1b of the Mpox virus produces more severe symptoms and is considered more dangerous than the other known clades. Dr. Shubhin C, who is a health official in Kerala, India, reports that the patient is recovering well while being being tested every 4 days in isolation. There have been no new lesions, and his existing lesions have started clearing up.
The Mpox virus is fairly contagious and can spread through close physical contact, as well as contaminated materials like bedsheets, clothing, or needles. Typical symptoms of Mpox include rash, fever, lesions, headache, muscle and back pain, fatigue, and enlarged lymph nodes. Since the beginning of this year, over 17,000 cases of Mpox were reported in 13 different countries in Africa, resulting in over 500 deaths. A few cases have appeared in countries outside of Africa, which has raised concern about potential outbreaks on a global level, especially with international travel being as prominent as it is. The 37 passengers that were on the same flight with the patient from Dubai to Kerala, India are being monitored. Airports are strengthening surveillance measures to watch for possible symptoms of Mpox and to prevent cases from traveling across borders. Isolation facilities are also being set up as well.
Just this past Tuesday the World Health Organization declared the Mpox outbreak in Africa a global health emergency, which is the highest level of alarm under international health law. As the committee chair of the World Health organization states, we still don’t have the full picture of what the burden of Mpox actually is. These events may require a coordinated response, and it is important for public health officials to keep an eye on these outbreaks.
By: WHO declares global health emergency, India confirms first case
ShoutOut! James Madison University 