Emily F. Keller: Journalist

Advocates See Improvements With House Bill

    The U.S. House of Representatives passed a landmark bill Nov. 7 that promises more choices and greater access to services for people with disabilities.

    The Affordable Health Care for America Act, or H.R. 3962, is expected to expand health care coverage to an additional 5 percent of Americans - or 40 million people - and to improve existing coverage, for a cost of $891 billion. The House passed the bill with a vote of 220-215.

    Published in Able News. Click here to read the article.

Menu Labeling Will Take Effect Soon

    A new menu labeling law passed by the King County Board of Health has had minimal impact on some fast food restaurants in Sammamish since it took effect August 1. The law applies to chain restaurants with 15 or more locations nationwide that have gross annual revenues of $1 million or more, standardized menus and recipes and operating permits with Seattle and King County’s public health boards.

    The legislation requires chain restaurants to label the calories, sodium, saturated fat and carbohydrate content of items that are on the menu for more than 90 days. They must post the calorie information on the menu board next to the items, on signs next to the menu board or on a sign within eye level of the board.

    Published in the Sammamish Review. Read the story.

City Council Gives Itself Dental, Vision Benefits

    The Sammamish City Council voted unanimously to offer themselves vision and dental coverage at their July 1 meeting. The coverage could begin in August or September if enough council members elect to purchase it, said Director of Finance Lyman Howard.

    Council members will have the option of buying dental coverage from the Washington Dental Service at a cost of $57 per month as an individual, or $198.90 per month for an individual and two dependents. The vision plan costs $17.82 per month and covers the whole family.

    Published in the Sammamish Review. Read the story.

Sammamish Girl’s Art Gives Back to Children’s Hospital

    Nine-year-old Nicki Wehrs likes to paint rabbits and rainbows, play soccer and go swimming, like many children her age. But Nicki, who lives in Sahelee, has to endure more than most children to stay healthy enough to do those things.

    Since she was diagnosed with a chronic bleeding disorder in 2002 called idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, Nicki has become a patient at the Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle, where she travels for intravenous therapy treatments every 6-8 weeks.

    Although her family is well insured, Nicki and her father, Ray Wehrs, are working to raise money for uninsured children who also need the hospital’s services.

    Published in the Sammamish Review. Read the story.

Global Rice Shortage Felt in Sammamish

  

  "Global Rice Shortage Felt in Sammamish" is about the impact that higher rice costs in the summer of 2008 had on local restaurants.

    Published in the Sammamish Review. Please request attachment or check back soon for an updated posting.

New York Under Water

    New York Under Water is a series of self-published videos and audio slideshows about flooding impacts on New York City's transit system, harbor water, low-income residents and low-lying neighborhoods.

    The project includes videos about the August 8, 2007 storm that flooded the subways, sewage treatment in the South Bronx, chronic flooding in Jamaica, Queens, sewer overflow in Newtown Creek and the possibility of storm surge in the city.

    It contains audio slideshows about city government's sustainability efforts and residential water reuse in Battery Park City.

View the interactive series.

Merck Increases Earnings with Vaccines and Partnerships

    Strong sales of a vaccine that helps prevent cervical cancer, successful joint ventures and cost reductions from an ongoing global restructuring pushed third quarter net income for drug-maker Merck (MRK) to $1,525.5 million, compared with $940.6 million one year before.

    Earnings per share rose to .70 cents, or .75 cents excluding restructuring charges, the Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based pharmaceutical company announced Monday.  Merck also raised its 2007 earnings per share projections to $2.87 to $2.93, including restructuring.  Stocks reacted by rising 1.53 points, or 2.88% by the close of trading.

    Gardasil, the vaccine against the human papillomavirus that causes cervical cancer, accounted for $418 million of the company’s total revenue, which rose 12% for the quarter ending September 30 and was also driven by sales of the respiratory drug Singulair, the chicken pox vaccine Varivax and diabetes medication Januvia.

Local Woman Leads Charge Against Hepatitis C

    Betty Vega, a member of the Brooklyn Hepatitis C Task Force, is on a mission to educate New Yorkers about the Hepatitis C virus, which affects more than 300,000 people in New York City and five million people nationwide. 

    “What I’m doing is just trying to educate people and get people to participate in the march. It’s a major epidemic and nobody seems to be talking about it. What we’re doing is just trying to get it out there so people know there is a killer virus out there,” said Vega.

    The task force comprises representatives from a variety of health agencies, including syringe exchange programs, HIV prevention agencies, substance abuse treatment programs, pharmacies and academic institutions.

    Published in Courier-Life Publications. Read the story.

    Read more about Vega's fight against the Hepatitis C virus here.

Brooklyn Hospitals On Life Support?

    The New York City Council Hospital Closing Task Force, created to provide input to a state commission, is working to mitigate the negative effects of what has now become a visible and measurable trend: the closing, down-sizing and bankruptcy of hospitals across the state. Published in Courier-Life Publications. Read the story.

CB14 Welcomes OMRDD Residence On East 9th Street

    Brooklyn Community Board 14 approved a proposal to move a residential facility for people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities to their neighborhood. Published in Courier-Life Publications. Read the story.