From the Prince William Humane Society press release on the Paws-N-Pints fundraiser:

Paws-N-Pints is Coming!

The Prince William Humane Society’s 6th Annual Paws-N-Pints fund-raising event and silent auction will take place on Sunday, October 7^th, 2018, from 12 – 5 p.m. at 2 Silos Brewing Company on the 8-acre Farm Brew LIVE at Innovation campus in Manassas, VA.  This year our fund-raising efforts will go to support Prince William Humane Society programs including our new Fur-Ever Together Pet Retention Program that is intended to preserve the loving bond between pet owners and pets, reduce shelter intake, and prevent pet homelessness. 

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From the Virginia State Police press release:

TRAFFIC FATALITIES ON VIRGINIA HIGHWAYS MORE THAN DOUBLE DURING LABOR DAY WEEKEND COMPARED TO 2017

Every hour approximately 11 motorists cited for seat belt violations

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The Virginia Tourism Corporation has released the 2017 state and local economic impact data.  It is another record year for Virginia with expenditures reaching $25 billion supporting 230,000 jobs, $5.9 billion in salaries & wages and $1.7 billion in state & local taxes. 

All Virginia localities saw an increase in travel expenditures in 2017 compared to previous year.  The travel industry in the Commonwealth has continued to grow eight years in a row.  Travel expenditures increased at a compound annual growth rate of 3.9% since 2010.  

In Manassas tourism-related expenditures rose 4.5% to $71,114,795.  Annual payroll rose 4.7% to $12,124,407.  Employment rose 1.5% to 589 and local tax receipts rose 2.7% to $1,851,267.

Tourism is an important part of the local economy in many communities and especially in the City of Manassas.  Few localities in the nation experienced such seminal events as Manassas did during the Civil War.  The First and Second Battles of Manassas helped define our City’s place in history and historical-based tourism is a key market for the City.  The Manassas National Battlefield Park, Liberia Plantation and Manassas Museum serve as key attractions for visitors.

However, the City’s appeal to visitors now also includes the charm of its Historic Downtown (a Virginia Main Street community), its specialty shopping and dining, and special events.  Special events and activities alone account for 300,000 annual visitors to Downtown.  In addition to the jobs it creates and the revenue it generates, visitors may be prospective business owners or residents who become attracted to a community because of its tourism vibrancy.  Tourism is economic development. 

As students around Prince William County head back to class, we chat with Sentara Nurse Practitioner Stephanie Schutter RN, MSN, CFNP on some tips you & your family might want to consider for the new school year.

SB: How long have you been with Sentara?

SS: I’ve been with Sentara for 7 years.

SB: What does a typical day entail?

SS: My typical day consists of many different types of visits: sick visits, well-child visits, physicals and office visits for management of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, asthma, allergies, thyroid disease, etc.

SB: What’s your favorite part of your job?

SS: My favorite part is taking care of families. I tried specialty medicine, but this is my true love, family practice. Knowing whole families of the infants, to teens, to parents and grandparents. There is nothing more rewarding, watching my kids grow and my adults move through different phases of their lives. I get to be there going through it with them, they are all like family to me.

SB: As parents get their children ready for back to school, what would you like them to know?

SS: As kids prepare for back to school stay positive for them, there is so much negativity and fear out there your kids need your positive support, the stressors they deal with are more than we had growing up. It is a different time, know your kids’ friends, know their families, always know where they are, be vigilant- trust your gut, you know your children better than anyone. Keep them involved, keep them busy, but allow time for fun too. Too many clubs, too many sports sometimes can be a challenge, find the balance so that they are getting just as much time to spend with their friends and have fun. Monitor their phones, their computer usage, and the apps they are using, stay informed!

SB: What are some of the biggest things you see that get forgotten as kids head back to class?

SS: Make sure prior to school that immunizations are up to date, make sure if your child plays sports they have an up to date sports physical and concussion training as the schools now require this prior to tryouts. Try to get back to sleep routine, the first weeks back are hard enough, sleep is so important for our kids. Reestablish routines to get them into their good organization and study habits, have a place in the house that is theirs to get work done. Parents have childcare back up plans in case of emergency or illness, working parents always need a backup. After school routines- keep them reading always, keep attitudes positive- if you stay positive, their year will be the best one, and they will go in with a positive attitude!

SB: In recent years, we’ve heard a lot about ADHD, bullying and other issues in the classroom. What advice do you give parents who are concerned about something that is affecting their child?

SS: For my parents concerned about things affecting your children, it’s best to discuss it with them, help them to come up with solutions on their own and with you to deal with stressful situations at school, especially if there is no imminent danger. Learning how to deal with bullies or conflicts will be something they need to learn in the future. If this isn’t possible, and you are worried for safety or concerned about the severity of an issue, as parents you have to step in, communicate with the teacher see if there is anything they can do in the classroom to assist the situation and if this still isn’t working, go higher and make sure your kids are safe, that’s most important. As for concerns with ADHD and learning disabilities- bring it up with your provider. If testing is needed, they’ll get you to the right places or to the correct specialists.

SB: What do you want to stress to parents going into this new school year?

SS: The most important message to my parents is: TALK to your children, and take time to LISTEN. We only get them for physicals once a year if they are healthy and we try to cover everything and educate, but they need to hear it from you, too. Talk to them about drugs, depression, anxiety, smoking, alcohol, a plan for safety if they are in a situation they are not comfortable in, etc. They need to hear the truth from their providers, their parents, and their teachers. If we aren’t talking about it with them, someone else is, and you want to make sure the information they’re receiving is accurate. My kids love to pretend they are ignoring me, but I know even if they only hear one thing each time they will get a little of all of it in the end!

If you’re looking for a primary care provider, call 1-800-Sentara or visit Sentara.com.

From the Prince William police report:

Attempted Armed Robbery – On September 3 at 5:16PM, officers responded to the WAWA located at 2051 Daniel Stuart Square in Woodbridge (22191) to investigate a robbery. The victim, a 29-year-old man, reported to police that he was approached by an unknown male asking for money while he was standing outside of the business. When the victim refused, the suspect displayed some knives and threatened the victim. The victim went inside and notified an employee who contacted police. When the victim went back outside to confront the suspect again, a fight ensued before the suspect fled in a grey sedan. No property was reported missing. Minor injuries were reported. The investigation continues.

                Suspect Descriptions:

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In a previous article, we discussed the importance of recognizing symptoms of Lyme disease in seniors. We said Lyme disease can be difficult to diagnose, especially in seniors, as it can mirror dementia, as well as chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis and more. Because it is common for seniors to report joint pain, muscle aches, fatigue and dizziness, doctors often feel that the symptoms may not be that out of the ordinary and miss a diagnosis. Knowing all this and advocating for testing is the first step. Next comes treatment.

Treat Lyme disease

If you see a tick on the skin of a senior in your care, document it. Be sure to note the date of the bite. Set up an auto-reminder to check the bite site each day for any irritation or other symptoms. (Lesions typically develop 7-10 days after a tick bite.) Having this information to share with your doctor can greatly help with diagnosis, even if you are able to bring the senior you care for to the doctor right away.

If you find a tick, follow these Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for removal:

• Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
• Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
• After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.
• Dispose of a live tick by submersing it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet. Never crush a tick with your fingers.

Avoid folklore remedies such as “painting” the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly, or using heat to make the tick detach from the skin. Your goal is to remove the tick as quickly as possible–not waiting for it to detach.

According to the CDC, “People treated with appropriate antibiotics in the early stages of Lyme disease usually recover rapidly and completely. Antibiotics commonly used for oral treatment include doxycycline, amoxicillin, or cefuroxime axetil. People with certain neurological or cardiac forms of illness may require intravenous treatment with antibiotics such as ceftriaxone or penicillin.”

The CDC also says, “These regimens are guidelines only and may need to be adjusted depending on a person’s age, medical history, underlying health conditions, pregnancy status, or allergies.”

It’s important to note that the immune system deteriorates as we get older. Therefore, seniors usually respond slower to treatment, which increases risk of the disease becoming worse, especially if diagnosis and timely treatment were delayed. Lyme disease not cured by antibiotics becomes increasingly difficult for doctors to counter and can become fatal. Prevention is the best defense against Lyme disease.

Prevent Lyme disease

Lyme disease cases are concentrated in the Northeast and upper Midwest, with 14 states accounting for over 96% of cases reported to CDC.

The CDC reports that more than 329,000 people are likely to contract Lyme disease every year in the U.S. alone. This estimated number of annual infections is 1.5 times the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer, and six times the number of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS each year in the US. Lyme disease accounts for more than 90% of all reported cases of diseases carried by animals (vector-borne illness). But only one in ten cases of Lyme are reported, since many clinicians are not looking for Lyme disease specifically.

As ticks continue to migrate to more and more areas, we can expect cases to continue to rise. This makes prevention all the more difficult and important, especially for seniors who are more vulnerable to symptoms.

Here are some ideas to keep ticks away:

• Avoid wooded areas with high grass or brush.
• Keep grass cut in and around the yard.
• Wear long sleeves and long pants, and tuck pant legs into socks when in tick territory.
• Use bug repellent on exposed skin and clothing. Ask a medical professional for an option that is safe for the senior in your care.
• Carefully inspect yourself and the senior in your care for ticks after being out in a natural setting.
• Treat pets that can bring ticks inside. Ask a vet for safe options.

The CDC and the Lyme Disease Association offer a wealth of information about symptoms and prevention, as well as patient support resources. Learn as much as possible, and if you suspect the senior in your care has been exposed to environments that harbor ticks, consult a medical professional right away.

This post is sponsored by Home Instead Senior Care serving Prince William and Fauquier counties.

Labor Day this past Monday was a fitting reminder for us to work harder to not only honor working people in the United States and Virginia but to strengthen our economy and supports for employees.  Virginia has a long way to go. 

Last week Oxfam America released a study that found that Virginia ranked #51 out of 51 as the best state to be an employee – yes, dead last.  This included rankings of #48 in worker protections, #49 in the right to organize, and #51 in wage policies.   This is troubling news.

Virginia has done nothing to raise the minimum wage since 2009, when Congress increased it to $7.25 per hour or about $15,000 per year without time off.  In Northern Virginia, anyone earning $7.25 per hour has to be either supported by someone else or on government assistance. 

Only 13 states, including Virginia, still adhere to the paltry $7.25/hr federal minimum wage. This means 37 states have increased their minimum wage beyond the federal and Virginia rate.

Numerous studies have shown that raising the minimum wage does not adversely affect jobs.  In fact, I have spoken to many constituents who actually commute to Washington, D.C., to earn $14.20 per hour.  If minimum wage in Virginia was higher, they would probably take jobs closer to home.

Some Virginia’s leaders tout our state’s “Best State to Do Business” rankings by CNBC, which rose to back to #4 in 2018 after declining during the McDonnell Administration.  This year, we were beaten by Washington State, ranked #2 with a minimum wage at $11.50, slated to rise to $13.20 by 2020. 

We barely squeaked by Minnesota and Colorado with minimum wages at $10.20 and $9.65.  A higher minimum wage seems to be a very minor part of being a “best state to do business” in the eyes of CNBC. 

Virginia’s hostility to unions is also not good for working people.  A recent Stanford University study found that children whose non-college educated fathers were union members earn 28 percent more over their lifetimes than children of non-union member fathers. 

Additionally, every 10 percent increase in union density correlates with a 4.5 percent increase in children’s income and other studies have found that strong union membership in communities raises wages for all workers – even non-union workers. In other words, unions increase economic mobility and opportunity for everyone. 

A recent Harvard University study found that between 1973 and 2007 the decline of labor unions explains up to one-third of the decline in male wage inequality in America.  As we debate the economic dislocation and labor disruption around the U.S., including areas like, such as Southside and Southwest Virginia, we should explore whether Virginia’s ongoing imbalance in bargaining power plays a role. 

Virginia’s last-place ranking as a state to be an employee was a function of over a dozen factors.  Virginians have no right to accommodations for pregnant workers, no protections for workplace breastfeeding, no provisions for paid family or sick leave, no prohibitions on pay secrecy practices, no collective bargaining for teachers, police officers, firefighters and other public employees, and no provisions for project labor agreements to ensure fair wages on public contracts. 

As a practicing attorney who receives many requests from people who feel they were wrongly fired, I rarely have good news for them.  There is minimal recourse.  Virginia’s workers have few rights – especially compared to other states.

While having a competitive business environment is important for job growth, we also must have an economy that is fair.  Today’s Virginia economy is clearly out of balance with the U.S. if we come in at the bottom, number 51 out of 51.

If we want a Virginia that produces fair wages, good jobs and economic opportunity for everyone, we have a long way to go.  A rising tide lifts all boats and providing basic protections and higher wages for all Virginians will help everyone, especially the working families of our state.

It is an honor to serves as your state senator.  Please email me at [email protected] if you have any feedback. 

From the Under Her press release:

A new grassroots organization targeting local communities, Under Her, will launch efforts to support women in need by collecting personal items, in particular, bras and feminine products, at the inaugural “Packing Her Bag, Pushing Her Thru” social to be held Saturday, September 8, 2018 at the Dumfries Community Center from 2 to 5 p.m. Donations can be dropped off anytime during the social.

Under Her will be accompanied by local nonprofit Real Women Moving Forward, LLC of Dumfries and feature guest speaker Cydny Neville of Neville Empowerment Network, Inc. The event will also include live music by local R&B performer Jay Durr.

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