AUSTIN, TX— On the recommendation of Dr. David Lakey, Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, and in consultation with Texas Education Agency Commissioner Robert Scott, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) is altering its schedule of events due to the outbreak of the swine flu in Texas. Effective immediately, all UIL interscholastic competition is suspended until May 11.

“The health and safety of our student activity participants is of the utmost importance,” said UIL Executive Director Dr. Charles Breithaupt. “Taking every possible precaution to prevent the further spreading of this disease is an important contribution to the welfare of our great state, and altering the schedule of our events is a way to keep our participants safe.”

As this is a fluid situation, the UIL tentatively releases the following schedule for UIL regional and state events affected by this situation.

Academic State Meet
The UIL Academic State Meet, originally scheduled for May 7-9, will be rescheduled at a later date. The Conference 4A and 5A One-Act Play competition will continue as previously scheduled on May 15-16. All other conferences competing in One-Act Play will be rescheduled. A schedule of the Academic State Meet, including One-Act Play, will be posted on the UIL web site once finalized.

Texas State Wind Ensemble Festival
The Texas State Wind Ensemble Festival, originally scheduled for May 9, has been cancelled. The UIL staff will consult with the 16 participating schools to determine whether or not to reschedule the event at a later date.

Regional Track Meets
- All UIL regional track meets originally scheduled for this weekend, May
1-2, have been cancelled. The state track and field meet will be extended to a three-day format to include semifinal heats. The meet is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 14-16.
- Semifinal qualifiers will be based on the district track meet results.
Each region will be represented at the state meet by the top four performances in each event for all conferences. Hand-held times will be converted to fully automatic times as defined by the National Federation of State High School Association rules. A revised track and field state meet schedule will be posted on the UIL web site no later than Friday, May 1. 
- Qualifiers to the UIL state track and field meet will be posted on the UIL
web site on Wednesday, May 6.

Golf State Tournament:
The UIL golf state tournament will take place at the previously scheduled times, beginning May 11.

Tennis State Tournament:
The UIL tennis state tournament will take place at the previously scheduled times, beginning May 11.

Softball and Baseball:
No interschool games will take place until May 11 for either softball or baseball. Below is an altered playoff schedule for both sports.
                                                       
Softball:                                
District Certification - April 28
Bi District Deadline - May 16 (1 game or 2 out of 3) Area Deadline - May 19 (1 game only) Regional Quarterfinal Deadline - May 23 (1 game or 2 out of 3) Regional Semifinal Deadline - May 26 (1 game only) Regional Final Deadline - May 30 (1 game or 2 out of 3) State Tournament - June 4-6

Baseball:  
District Certification - May 19
Bi District Deadline - May 23 (1 game or 2 out of 3) Area Deadline - May 26 (1 game only) Regional Quarterfinal Deadline - May 30 (1 game or 2 out of 3) Regional Semifinal Deadline - June 2 (1 game only) Regional Final Deadline - June 6 (1 game or 2 out of 3) State Tournament - June 10-13 

4-28-09 (McKINNEY, Texas) – Health authorities here have documented no confirmed cases of Swine Influenza A virus reported in Collin County as of late this morning. Epidemiologic investigations being conducted by Collin County Health Care Services (CCHCS) are ongoing, as reports of overall influenza activity are clearly beginning to increase in the community. 

The World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert level to Phase 4 yesterday, April 27, signifying sustained human-to-human transmission of a virus capable of sustaining community-wide outbreaks, and the increased likelihood of a pandemic. 

None of the six illnesses reported in Texas so far have been severe, but Mexico has now reported 149 deaths associated with swine influenza. 

For more information on swine flue, logon to:
www.cdc.gov/flu/swine/index.htm, and
www.dshs.state.tx.us/news/releases/tx_flu-like_guide.shtm. 

Collin County health advisories and daily updates will be available at www.co.collin.tx.us/.

(McKINNEY, Texas) – No confirmed cases of swine flu have been reported in Collin County, but health authorities here are advising residents to take a few preventative measures to protect themselves against the respiratory disease.

Collin County Health Care Services (CCHCS) is working closely with the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to provide guidance for the public and health providers in light of the recent concern surrounding Swine Influenza. 

Swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that trigger regular outbreaks in pigs.  Humans do not normally get swine flu but human infections can and do happen.  Persons infected with swine influenza A (H1N1) may experience symptoms similar to regular human flu such as, fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.

As with seasonal flu, those who may be ill should contact their health care provider for diagnosis and treatment.  Ill persons should limit their contact with others to avoid spreading the infection.  This is especially important for households with small children and those with weakened immune systems.  

To protect against becoming sick, take the following steps:

• Cover your cough: Make sure to cough or sneeze into a tissue or sleeve to prevent the spread of germs
• Wash your hands: Thorough hand washing with soap and water is the best way to get rid of germs; Alcohol based hand sanitizers are also recommended when soap and water are not available
• Keep hands off: Germs are easily spread from person to person or person to surfaces when you touch your eyes nose or mouth first
• Sick? Stay home: Staying home from school or work when you are ill helps prevent the spread of illness 

Epidemiology, Health Department, and Homeland Security staff members will continues to provide updates and guidelines for health care providers, and school administrators. 

For more information, please see the following resources:

• The Centers for Disease Control offers general information on swine flu, ‘Things You Can Do’, and Human Swine Flu Investigation updates at www.cdc.gov/swineflu; and,
• The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) posts swine flu news releases and information for professionals at www.dshs.state.tx.us/swineflu.

By Kimble McSweeney

Vegetable Variations for Ovations

There is no doubt that each family has a trove of cherished recipes they dust off and bring to life for special occasions each year! What would the holidays be without them? We at the Manor House have been enjoying favorite holiday dishes for many years and will doubtless continue to do so for many more! I would like to share of few of these very simple ideas, and perhaps you will take one or two on as a new traditional way of preparing your side dishes or they may offer you some alternative ideas to try.

Potatoes
One of the most basic items served at any holiday meal is the potato! And why not?  The potato has been a staple item on banquet tables for centuries and with good reason.  The variations are virtually limitless. Most families enjoy the basic mashed potatoes, where the potatoes are boiled until tender and then either mashed by hand or whipped with an electric mixer, adding the traditional butter and cream to make them fluffy! 

A small variation on this could be to add anywhere from 10 to 15 peeled garlic cloves to the potatoes as they boil. Drain as normal, and then mash or whip the potatoes as usual including the garlic cloves. I add about 15 cloves of garlic to every 5 pounds of potatoes I cook.  Simply adjust accordingly to the amount you plan to prepare. I think you will find this simple addition will bring a new dimension to your mashed potatoes!

For additional taste tips, click on "full story."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2008

(McKINNEY, Texas) -- Collin County Health Care Services (CCHCS) is investigating local reports of cryptosporidiosis in recreational water facilities. To date, CCHCS has seen an increase in the number of confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis when compared to the same timeframe last year. Since the recent increase in the number of cryptosporidiosis cases in the North Texas region, there have been 15 laboratory-confirmed cryptosporidiosis cases in Collin County.  Epidemiology staff are conducting investigations of reported cases and working closely with local jurisdictions to ensure proper disease prevention measures, such as hyperchlorination, are being taken to protect the public’s health.

Cryptosporidiosis or “Crypto” is a diarrheal illness caused by a microscopic parasite, Cryptosporidium. A person may become ill after swallowing water or food that has become contaminated with the parasite. Symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever, and stomach cramps which may last 1-2 weeks. People with vulnerable or weakened immune systems, pregnant women, and young children may become more seriously ill or be ill for a longer period of time.

In order to prevent the spread of cryptosporidiosis, CCHCS is recommending the following measures:

Do’s and Don’ts for the general pubic:
•  DO seek medical attention upon onset of a diarrheal illness
•  DON’T swim if you have diarrhea
•  DON’T swim for 14 days after the diarrhea has ended
•  DO shower before and after swimming
•  DO wash your hands with soap and water before preparing or eating food and after using the toilet or changing diapers
•  DON’T swallow water from pools and lakes

For operators of aquatic facilities:
•   Persons should not enter the water if experiencing symptoms until two weeks after diarrhea illness has ended
•   Visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website at www.healthyswimming.org for guidance and instruction on hyperchlorination to kill cryptosporidium
•   For questions or concerns about hyperchlorination in an incorporated city within the county, please contact your city’s environmental health department
•   For questions or concerns about hyperchlorination in the unincorporated areas of the county, please contact Collin County Developmental Services at 972-548-5585
•   For additional information please visit www.dshs.state.tx.us