Prom, 2018
– photos courtesy of Facebook
St. Johns Native wins Collaborative Design Excellence Award
Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University (KCAD) is proud to announce Laura Bishop of St. Johns, Michigan as the 2018 Excellence Award winner from the college’s Collaborative Design program.
Bishop, a graduate of St. Johns High School, is among the 17 graduating seniors who have been named Excellence Award winners for 2018. Each year, those graduating students who exhibit a rare level of mastery and accomplishment in their chosen field receive this honor, the epitome of KCAD undergraduate student achievement.
Bishop came to the Collaborative Design program as an established professional, having run her own freelance contract advertising and marketing firm, Locale Media Company, since 2009 and having taught art, design, and multimedia at Lansing Community College since 2001. Prior to starting her own business, she managed marketing, communications, and creative services for the Lansing State Journal for 15 years.
Always eager to continue learning and growing, Bishop immersed herself in cutting-edge processes, strategies, and methodologies through the Collaborative Design program’s emphasis on systems-level thinking and human-centered design. She also further honed her existing skills with a minor in Graphic Design.
“Laurie has modeled the epitome of a Collaborative Design student,” says Associate Professor and Collaborative Design Program Chair Gayle DeBruyn. “She embraces the diversity of a team and understanding that the best results are found in the differences and struggle of personalities who come with varied levels of confidence, skillsets, and expertise.”
Upon graduating, Bishop plans to pursue an MFA or a graduate degree in art therapy, and hopes to one day work full-time as a counselor or a teacher.
“As KCAD student, Laura has displayed a level of proficiency, professionalism, and commitment far beyond her years, and I’m confident she’ll carry the momentum she’s established here forward into a very successful career,” says Dean of Academic Affairs Charles Wright. “We’re proud to now count her among our alumni community, and we look forward to following her accomplishments.”
Bishop and the other 2018 Excellence Award winners will be recognized at an official ceremony on May 4, and their best work will be on display during KCAD’s annual Excellence Awards Exhibition (May 1-16), hosted in The Fed Galleries at KCAD inside the college’s Woodbridge N. Ferris Building (17 Pearl St. NW).
Prayer Walk held at St. Johns and Ovid-Elsie high schools
by Maralyn Fink
A Prayer Walk at SJHS held on Saturday. These are the organizers who headed the event.
Ron Simpson, Gilbert Martinez and Terry Kerby
SJPD welcomes young visitors
They love visitors at the St. Johns Police Department.
Although there may not always be an officer in the building available to give a tour, they don’t mind you stopping in to see them.
One morning after a visit to Central Dispatch – 911, this little guy and his mom decided to walk in town for a bit. They stopped in and were greeted by Lt. Eric Verlinde. Lt. Verlinde gave Nolan a tour of a police car and the fire hall.
A Look Back – Clinton Theater
by Barry Clark Bauer
Although this movie was released in 1945 it was shown in the Clinton Theater in 1946, according to the calendar. The smell of popcorn and the taste of “Good & Plenty” candy bring back a lot of memories.
The price of admission, 30 cents for adults and 12 cents for children. Tax was included, we can’t forget Uncle Sam, folks.
The Theater no longer exists, and the “Clinton” Marquee was sold to another concern west of here.
Bennie and Jessie’s Pet Info – Lyme Disease in Dogs
Lyme disease is one of the most common tick-transmitted diseases in the world but only causes symptoms in 5-10% of affected dogs. It is caused by a spirochete (bacteria) species of the Borrelia burgdorferi group. When infection leads to disease in dogs, the dominant clinical feature is recurrent lameness due to inflammation of the joints. There may also be a lack of appetite and depression. More serious complications include damage to the kidneys, and rarely, heart or nervous system disease.
Kidney disease appears to be more prevalent in Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, Shetland sheepdogs, and Bernese Mountain dogs. Experimentally, young dogs appear to be more susceptible to Lyme disease than older dogs. Transmission of the disease has been reported in dogs throughout the United States and Europe, but is most prevalent in the upper Midwestern states, the Atlantic seaboard, and the Pacific coastal states.
Symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs
Many dogs who develop Lyme disease have recurrent lameness due to inflammation of the joints. Sometimes the lameness lasts for only three to four days but recurs days to weeks later, either in the same leg or in other legs. This is known as “shifting-leg lameness.” One or more joints may be swollen, warm, and painful.
Some dogs may also develop kidney problems. Lyme disease sometimes leads to glomerulonephritis – inflammation and accompanying dysfunction of the kidney’s glomeruli (essentially, a blood filter). Eventually, kidney failure may set in as the dog begins to exhibit such signs as vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite, weight loss, increased urination and thirst, and abnormal fluid buildups.
Other symptoms associated with Lyme disease in dogs include:
– Stiff walk with an arched back
– Sensitivity to touch
– Difficulty breathing
– Fever, lack of appetite, and depression
– Superficial lymph nodes close to the site of the infecting tick bite may be swollen
– Heart abnormalities are reported, but rare
– Nervous system complications (rare)
Causes of Lyme Disease in Dogs
Borrelia burgdorferi, which is the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease in dogs, is transmitted by slow-feeding, hard-shelled deer ticks (Ixodes spp.). Infection typically occurs after the Borrelia-carrying tick has been attached to the dog for at 2-3 days.
Diagnosing Lyme Disease in Dogs
You will need to give a thorough history of your dog’s health, including a background of symptoms and possible incidents that might have precipitated them. The history you provide may give your veterinarian clues as to which organs are being affected. Your veterinarian may run some combination of blood chemistry tests, a complete blood cell count, a urinalysis, fecal examinations, X-rays, and tests specific to diagnosing Lyme disease (e.g., serology). Fluid from the affected joints may also be drawn for analysis.
There are many causes for arthritis, and your veterinarian will focus on differentiating arthritis initiated by Lyme disease from other inflammatory arthritic disorders, such as trauma, degenerative joint disease, or osteochondrosis dissecans (a condition found in large, fast growing breeds of puppies). Immune-mediated diseases will also be considered as a possible cause of the symptoms. An X-ray of the painful joints will allow your doctor to examine the bones for abnormalities.
Treating Dog Lyme Disease
If the diagnosis is Lyme disease, your dog will be treated as an outpatient unless their condition is unstable (e.g., severe kidney disease). Doxycycline is the most common antibiotic that is prescribed for Lyme disease, but others are also available and effective. The recommended treatment length is usually four weeks, but longer courses may be necessary in some cases. Your veterinarian may also prescribe an anti-inflammatory (pain reliever) if your dog is especially uncomfortable.
Unfortunately, antibiotic treatment does not always completely eliminate infection with Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. Symptoms may resolve but then return at a later date, and the development of kidney disease in the future is always a worry.
Living and Management
Improvement in sudden (acute) inflammation of the joints caused by Borrelia should be seen within three to five days of antibiotic treatment. If there is no improvement within three to five days, your veterinarian will want to reevaluate your dog.
Preventing Lyme Disease in Dogs
If possible, avoid allowing your dog to roam in tick-infested environments where Lyme disease is common. Check your dog’s coat and skin daily and remove ticks by hand. Your veterinarian can also recommend a variety of sprays, collars, and spot-on topical products that kill and repel ticks. Such products should be used under a veterinarian’s supervision and according to the label’s directions. Lyme vaccines are available, but their use is somewhat controversial. Talk to your veterinarian to see if Lyme vaccination is right for your dog.
Letters – Thank supporters
A huge thank you to those who stopped into Swanys and supported the Relay for Life fundraiser. It was another long day but for a great cause. A huge thanks to Dana Swanson and all the staff at Swanys for their hospitality, to Samantha Dick for working all day, to Alicia Weber, Sydney Lynne Weber and Sandy Winn for spending their day helping with whatever needed to be done, to Bobbie Jo Winn Marr and Damian Martinez for running the euchre party, to Fred and nd Darylene Dick for the cards and giveaways and to everyone who played euchre. And a special thanks to Pam Gove for making her fabulous brownies that many enjoyed as well as for helping do whatever was needed before and during the euchre party.
Another great event that helped in the fight for more birthdays.
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The Voice for Clinton County’s Children extends our gratitude and appreciation to our entire community for the generous support of our 5th Annual Superhero 5K Run, Walk, or Fly! A Special thank you to all of our event participants, volunteers, in kind donors, and financial sponsors who are all Superheroes for Clinton County’s Children! 254 Superheroes registered for our Kids’ Super Dash and full 5K; together we raised over $16,000 in support of our services for Clinton County’s abused and neglected children.
For all event information, please visit our website VoiceForClintonCountyChildren.org.
We are grateful to be a part of such a supportive community – April 27, 2019 will your cape be ready?!
Thank you,
Kelly Schafer, Executive Director
The Voice for Clinton County’s Children
Maralyn’s Pet Corner – Blood in the Urine in Cats
Blood in the urine, a condition known as hematuria, may indicate a serious underlying disease process. Familial hematuria (a condition in which blood in the urine runs in certain families of animals) is usually implicated in young cats, while cancer is the usual cause in older cats. Females are at greater risk for urinary tract infections that lead to blood in the urine than are males.
Symptoms
Symptoms of hematuria include blood in the urine, a sign in itself. Red-tinged urine, with or without abnormal frequent passage of urine will be evident. In patients with cancer, a mass may be palpated during physical examination. Abdominal pain will be evident in some patients.
Patients with a blood-clotting disorder may present with subdermal skin hemorrhages, conditions known as petechiae and ecchymoses, which appear as bruises. These discolored spots will be indicated by round, purplish, non-raised patches on the skin.
Causes
Systemic causes are generally due to coagulopathy (clotting)
Low number of platelets or thrombocytes in the blood (a condition known as thrombocytopenia)
Diseases of the upper urinary tract are caused by inflammation of the blood vessels (known as vasculitis)
Upper urinary tract – the kidneys and ureters:
Structural or anatomic disease, such as cystic kidney disease and familial kidney disease
Metabolic diseases, such as kidney stones
Neoplasia
Infectious diseases
Nephritis
Idiopathic causes
Trauma
In the lower urinary tract:
Infectious disease
Inflammatory disease in the kidney
Unknown cause
Trauma
Lower Urinary Tract ? bladder and urethra:
Structural or anatomic issues such as bladder malformations are implicated in bringing on hematuria
Metabolic causes, such as stones, are possible
Neoplasia
Infectious disease (such as bacterial, fungal, and viral disease):
Idiopathic causes
Trauma
Chemotherapy can elicit hematuria
Unknown cause
Trauma
Issues involving the genitalia include metabolic conditions:
Heat cycle, or estrus
Neoplasia
Cancer or tumors
Iinfectious disease such as from bacteria and fungus
Inflammatory disease
Trauma
Diagnosis
You will need to give a thorough history of your cat’s health, including a background history of symptoms, and possible incidents that might have precipitated this condition. The history you provide may give your veterinarian clues as to which organs are causing secondary symptoms. Your veterinarian will perform a thorough physical exam on your cat, with a complete blood profile, including a chemical blood profile, a complete blood count, and a urinalysis. In male cats, examination of an ejaculate sample will help to identify prostatic disease.
Differential diagnoses for blood-tinged urine will include other causes for discolored urine. The common urine reagent strip tests for blood are designed to detect red blood cells, hemoglobin, or protein. Diet will also be considered. If you are supplementing your cat’s diet with vitamins or anything different from a regular kibble diet, you will need to share this with your veterinarian, since substantial doses of vitamin C (ascorbic aid) may cause false-negative reagent test strip results.
Ultrasonography, radiography, and contrast radiography may be useful in obtaining a diagnosis. If any mass lesions are indicated, a biopsy may be necessary for a definitive diagnosis. A vaginoscopy in female cats, or a cystoscopy in male cats will rule out neoplasia and lower urinary tract issues.
Treatment
Treatment of the hematuria will be dependent on the primary or associated diseases that are the underlying cause for the condition. Urinary tract infection may be associated with another disease involving the urinary tract, such as cancer, or urinary tract stones (urolithiasis). Or, hematuria may be caused by a condition that involves the body in general, such as with an excessive production of steroids by the adrenal glands, or diabetes. A systemic generalized condition will need to be treated before the hematuria can be resolved.
Surgery may be indicated for cases with urinary tract stones, neoplasia, and traumatic injuries to the urinary tract. Blood transfusions may be necessary if your cat has a severely low red blood cell count. Fluids will be used to treat dehydration, and antibiotics can be used to treat urinary tract infection and generalized diseases due to bacteria in the blood (bacteremia). Urolithiasis and kidney failure may require diet modification top prevent relapse.
If your cat is suffering from a clotting disorder, the blood thinner Heparin may be used to bring it under control.
Living and Management
Because hematuria may indicate a serious underlying disease process, ongoing treatment for your cat will be dependent on the primary or associated diseases that are related to it.
Now and Then – Spring came and went
by Jean Martin
We were fortunate to visit Marquette on just the right day. Spring was nice in Marquette this year. It came on a Tuesday. The temperature was 82 degrees, and everyone in town was out walking the dog or riding a bike.
On Wednesday we all returned to ordinary time, and the temperature was 34 degrees. But spring was really nice this year.
Swimming on the left; poor ice skating on the right.
