SHERIFF's REPORT Court Cases Resolved

Stone County December 23, 2020 Vol. 69 No. 44 © 2020 Stone County Publishing Co. Published each Wednesday in Mountain View, Arkansas 75¢ Christmas LocalBean medical Fest personnel Schedule receive memories fi rst COVID-19 vaccine doses Local health care ing COVID-19 as a rou- providers began receiv- tine vaccination. With the holiday season upon us, Leader ing Covid-19 vaccines There are no defi nite reporter Steve Watkins spent time last last week, with Stone dates for the timing of week visiting with some Stone County res- County Medical Center each phase, as the tran- idents about their Christmas memories, handling vaccinations sition depends on vac- traditions, and hopes for the new year. for hospital staff and cine supply and whether clinic providers. those in the current What is a Christmas memory or Residents of the phase have been suf- tradition you remember or practice county will be offered fi ciently vaccinated. with your family? vaccinations in a phased Transitions will be com- approach through retail municated with health- Roger Gardner, mayor, Mountain View pharmacies and medi- care providers and All of our family would come in and I had a cal providers, according groups with as much step brother that would come in during that to information from the anticipation as possible, Vietnam era, you never really knew who you Arkansas Department of the news release stated. were going to see. And that was always what Health posted Dec. 15. Phase 1 is divided Melissa Reny, RN, infection prevention/employee was special getting everyone together, because Limited doses are into three high prior- health for Stone County Medical Center, admin- our whole family played music and so those available in Phase 1, ity areas. Phase 1-A isters the vaccine to SCMC Director of Nursing gatherings were a big deal. We’d usually have with the focus on vac- currently underway Heather McClanahan on Friday. a good ham, or a turkey, or an old hen, and cinating high priority involves health care one time we had a coon. We had a coon that groups. workers, long-term care year because my uncle had killed it and mom In Phase 2, a large residents and workers wanted to cook it. She made it with pineapples number of doses will be and fi rst responders. truck drivers, and essen- ditions, adults aged 65 and other fruits and it turned out pretty good. available allowing the Phase 1-B will include tial government and years and older, persons ••• general population to be essential workers such infrastructure workers, who reside in congregate Buffy Campbell, president, vaccinated. as daycare workers, etc. settings. Mountain View Chamber of Commerce In Phase 3, enough workers in K-12 and Phase 1-C includes Phases 1-B and 1-C doses will be available higher education, food persons at increased are subject to change Our family watches Christmas Vacation. for all persons needing industry (meat packing risk for severe disease depending on further That’s our favorite thing, and we’ve been doing vaccination and there and grocery), correc- such as adults of any age ACIP recommendations it since my boys were old enough to watch it. will be a shift to provid- tional workers, utilities, with chronic health con- and vaccine supply. ••• Brent Howard, superintendent, Mountain View School District This was true before I ever got married, and it continued, but on Christmas day my family Spann among fi rst to be vaccinated always got together for a big lunch and that’s something I remember from the time I was a By Steve Watkins cinations to the general kid until now. We’re putting that off this year public to around Febru- for obvious reasons. It’s the fi rst time I know of A local physician who ary 1. Priorities will be in 51 years that’s not happening for me. spent much of this year directed to those in long- ••• waging a personal cam- term health facilities, hi- paign to educate local Heather McClanahan, director of nurs- risk elderly and 10-year residents about the age brackets around 75, ing, Stone County Medical Center COVID virus is now 65, 55, and downward. All the years of my childhood and my moth- doubling those efforts “So in January we’re er’s family, her two brothers, and sometimes to present facts and going to have more local her sister when she was in state, we’d always dispel rumors about the evidence where this go together with all of the cousins and we’d vaccine many medical becomes a trusted word- play ridiculous games all night. Of course there experts say is key to con- of-mouth kind of thing.” was heated competition and the Hubberds trolling it. From March 15 to were always a bunch of cheaters. Every year on Baxter Regional mid-May, Arkansas Christmas night we would do that, and it was Health Care physician could begin seeing always my favorite part of the year. Dr. Eric Spann, whose the fi rst signs of “herd ••• podcast “What’s Up immunity” from a popu- Lori Freeze, Doc,” has now published lation that has been vac- news editor, Stone County Leader a series of three social cinated, and received Dr. Eric Spann receives his fi rst COVID-19 vac- media videos specifi cally antibodies through the I have so many fond memories and specifi c cine dose early last Thursday morning. gifts that I loved, but just the overall excite- to help viewers make COVID infection. Some ment of Christmas morning is what came informed decisions 10 percent of the state immediately to mind today. When I was little about the new vaccine. “We’re trying to pro- Spann said he decided population has already there were fi ve of us at home. On Christmas The videos, published vide the most practical, to re-engage his infor- been infected, he said. eve, Mom would fi ll our stockings (each one a on Spann’s “What’s Up scientifi c data we can mation campaign after “Right now, I just want unique handmade creation of felt) with nuts, Doc” YouTube channel distribute for thinking realizing a vaccine resis- to do everything possible fruit, candy and small gifts, and we could get address vaccine devel- people who want good tance, or reluctance rate, to dispel the rumors,” into those as soon as we entered the room — opment, safety precau- information,” Spann that was as high as 80 Spann said. “The mili- however, we were not allowed out of our bed- tions, and what Spann said. “There is a toxic percent among local tary, or the government, rooms until 6:30 a.m. I recall many mornings calls “conspiracy theo- environment of fear and health care staff, par- or any of these private huddling and shivering or waiting under the ries” regarding the vac- doubt out there, and I ticularly in the nursing entities with stockhold- covers until the clock advanced oh-so-slowly to cine. wanted to do something community. ers has any reason to be the designated time. It was delightful torture. Spann was among the to focus on the science “There is a lot of bad involved in the develop- Dad would have a roaring fi re built in the wood fi rst to receive an immu- and the process, not the information out there on ment of a vaccine that stove, but once in the living room we would nization during public emotion. When people social media, and that’s would harm its own have been oblivious to the cold, I’m sure. distribution in the make a decision about what this is about.” people. And if it’s good ••• health care community this, they need to make a From divisive politi- enough for the soldiers last week. truly informed decision.” cal theories, to a concern of this country, it’s good Stacey Avey, county judge, Stone County about vaccine develop- enough for me.” Lots of family getting together with parents ment in “warp speed and grandparents and all the kids getting out time,” to other concerns and playing on the farm. Lots of times we’d go about genetic issues, hunting during Christmas break. Most of my Henley participates fertility, lactation, and family lived here in the area, so we hardly ever pregnancy, Spann said COVID-19 went out of town. Everybody else came to us. he sees a particular vac- in new vaccine trial cine reluctance in an UPDATE What’s a special Christmas gift “under-40” demographic. STONE COUNTY you remember? By Steve Watkins said produced zero side “What it’s going to effects in him and others take is people seeing Positives 665 Gardner: We’d heard people play harmoni- Blake Henley has with whom he partici- other people get the vac- Active Cases 96 cas. Dad told me and my brother, who was done as much as anyone pated. cine - those people they Recoveries 543 about three years older than me, that he’d get studying the effects of Henley received know in the community Deaths 26 a vaccine designed to immunizations in both - to realize the real facts us a harmonica and he did. And generally that’s ARKANSAS what people did. When they bought something immunize people from August and September, about side effects. So I Positives 201,650 for one kid, they bought the same thing for COVID. and applied for the trial was more than willing to another. That was a special gift. One year we Henley, the six-year in consultation with Dr.

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