Crime Busts - Urgent Mosquito News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A Hermitage Precinct Crime Suppression Unit investigation in conjunction with the U.S. Postal Inspector led to the arrest of a man and his girlfriend Wednesday afternoon after they both accepted a package containing 24 pounds of marijuana.
Virginio Gaspar, 30, and his girlfriend Maria Rivera, 35, both reside at 550 McCrory Creek Road . CSU detectives and U.S. Postal employees first delivered the package to Gaspar at home where he signed for it.
Rivera accepted the same mailer a short time later while she was at work at the Shell station at 4050 Lebanon Pike.
Both Gaspar and Rivera are charged with possession of marijuana for resale. She is free on $10,000 bond. Gaspar is being held in lieu of $10,000 bond.
Rivera was charged in April with selling alcohol to a minor.

*Photos of Rivera, Gaspar, and the seized marijuana accompany this release on the Internet.

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August 14, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Alert witnesses and quick police action resulted in this afternoon’s arrest of two persons involved in today’s robbery of a man outside Ascend Federal Credit Union’s 2600 Elm Hill Pike branch.
The 19-year-old victim was walking toward the front door of the Credit Union when he was suddenly grabbed, thrown to the ground, and robbed of $400 by Brandon White, 23. Friends of the victim attempted to intervene, but could not stop White from jumping behind the wheel of a 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier occupied by a female friend, Margaret Flowers, 40. Flowers screamed, “Go!,” and both sped away.
Witnesses took down the license plate number of the car, which is registered to Flowers at her 2531 Glenrose Avenue apartment. South Precinct Officer Larry Carter quickly responded to the apartment complex and found Flowers still at the vehicle. Backup officers arrived and knocked on the apartment door. White came out without incident. Both subsequently made incriminating statements during questioning by Hermitage Precinct Detective Jason Rosalia.
White, who has two cocaine possession convictions, and Flowers, who has no prior Nashville arrests, are charged with robbery and are being held in lieu of $74,000 each.

*Photographs of White and Flowers are being withheld at present while detectives work to determine whether they are involved in any other criminal activity.
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DRAFT COPY ONLY

CONTACT: Brian Todd, Metro Public Health Dept. 340-2153

Human Case of WNV
Reported in Davidson County
NASHVILLE, Tenn., August 15, 2008 -- Metro Public Health Department officials announced today that a Hermitage woman tested positive for West Nile virus. Her illness started in early August and she is now recovering.
“She traveled to other parts of the United States in the two weeks before her illness started, so we can’t determine if she was infected within Davidson County,” said Bill Paul, M.D., Director of Health for the Metro Public Health Department. “However, the virus has been found in mosquitoes here, and the Health Department will increase mosquito surveillance efforts in the Hermitage area, where she lives”
This is the fifth human case in Nashville since 2002. One death occurred in 2002.
The Health Department began trapping and sending mosquitoes to the Tennessee Department of Health’s lab the first week in May. Trapped mosquitoes are tested for West Nile virus. Four mosquito batches sent to the lab this year have tested positive for West Nile virus. To date, none of the positive mosquitoes have been found in traps set near this person’s neighborhood.
West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne virus that can occasionally cause an infection of the brain in humans. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds and can then transmit West Nile virus to people and horses through mosquito bites.
Many human infections are mild, and symptoms include fever, headache, and body aches. In more severe infections such as meningitis or encephalitis, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, convulsions, or paralysis may be present. The virus cannot spread from person to person.
The Metro Public Health Department recommends taking the following precautions to protect against mosquito bites:
• Limit outdoor activities between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
• Wear protective clothing such as long pants, long-sleeved shirts and socks.
Use a mosquito repellant that contains DEET (the chemical N-N-diethyl-meta-toluamide), DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) Picaridin (KBR 3023), or Oil of lemon eucalyptus, and follow the directions on the label.
• Keep windows and doors closed and make sure window screens are in good repair to prevent mosquitoes from entering the house.

For Immediate Release


Third Batch of Mosquitoes Tests Positive for WNV in Antioch
Test Results show Sustained Transmission of Disease
Health Department Steps Up Effort Against WNV by Spraying Section of Antioch

MEDIA CONTACT: Brian Todd, Metro Public Health Department, 340-2153

NASHVILLE, Tenn., August 15, 2008 – Mosquitoes tested positive for a third time in the past month near the intersection of Murfreesboro Road and Bell Road in Antioch. Test results confirm sustained West Nile virus infection among mosquitoes.
“Having repeated positive mosquitoes over a period of time in one residential area is very rare in Davidson County” said Bill Paul, M.D., Director of Health. “We need to take additional, targeted action because these conditions represent a significant public health threat.”
Spraying will take place on Monday, August 18th and again Thursday, August 21st. Spraying will occur in selected areas within the following boundaries:
South of Nashboro Boulevard/Smith Springs Road
West of Owendale Drive/Butler Road
North of Anderson Road/Bell Road
East of Murfreesboro Road

Spraying will begin at dusk (8 p.m.) and nighttime hours when female Culex mosquitoes are most active.
If it rains, or winds are greater than 10 miles per hour, then the Health Department will reschedule spraying.
The Health Department will utilize ultra low volume (ULV) application of sumithrin/piperonyl butoxide (Anvil 2+2) by licensed technicians on trucks to control adult mosquitoes. Anvil 2+2 is registered by the Environmental Protection Agency for use in residential and recreational areas.
The first batch of mosquitoes tested positive for West Nile virus in Antioch July 17th. The Health Department increased trapping and testing efforts in the area to determine if there was sustained transmission of infection or if this was an isolated occurrence, and also stepped up efforts to remove standing water, apply larvicides, and notify residents to avoid mosquito bites. Despite these actions, a second batch of mosquitoes tested positive July 31, and a third batch collected last week tested positive, documenting sustained transmission of the virus in this area.
This is the first time since 2006 that the Health Department will spray to reduce the threat of WNV in the mosquito population.
Health Department officials continue to monitor standing water areas and apply larvicide when mosquito larvae are present. Mosquito traps are monitored twice weekly in all areas within Davidson County.
The Health Department will use several modes of communication to notify community members of when and where spraying will occur.
Spray Notification:
• Distribution of news releases and map of specific boundaries to Nashville news media.
• Spray notification announcement with maps placed on the Health Department’s website. (www.health.nashville.gov)
• Spray notification details placed on Health Department telephone hotline (340-5668).
• Signs placed 48 hours in advance at spray boundary entries notifying residents of spraying in English and Spanish.
• Use of Reverse 911 technology to send spray notification details to all households within the planned spray area with a telephone.
• Inform those who have submitted cell phone numbers to the Health Department.
• Spray notification maps and details placed on Metro 3 (Cable channel 3).
• E-mail spray notification specifics with maps to Mayor’s office and Mayor’s Office of Neighborhoods.
• E-mail spray notification specifics and maps to Metro Council Members.
• E-mail spray notification specifics to Health Department “Health E-Mail” Subscribers.
• Health Department staff drive through each neighborhood within the boundaries two hours leading up to spraying to inform those outside that spraying will occur.
• Each spray team is made up of a two vehicles:
o The lead vehicle is in place to provide any last minute notification to drivers or anyone outside that the spray truck is in operation. (When necessary, the person in the lead vehicle will radio to alert the person in the spray vehicle to turn off the spray unit before exposure occurs.)
o The second vehicle in the caravan is the truck with the spray unit. Each spray truck is equipped with yellow flashing lights. It is important to know the spray unit sounds similar to a chainsaw and that the compressor continues to operate even when the spray has been turned off.

The pesticide, Anvil 2+2 has been used for many years for mosquito control in residential areas. It will be applied in accordance with the EPA label and state regulations. The ultra-low-volume (ULV) spray applies approximately 3 ounces of compound per acre of land. Individuals who wish to reduce their exposure may take the following steps:
• Remain indoors during and 30 minutes after spraying occurs.
• Close windows and doors in your home during the spraying process.
• Do not allow children or pets to follow the Mosquito Control truck while spray unit is engaged.
• Make yourself as visible as possible if you are outside when the trucks are in your area.
• Make sure pets are indoors or out of the front yard during the spraying process.

West Nile virus is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes carrying the virus. Human cases of the virus have been rare in Davidson County, with five cases and one death. The Health Department recommends that everyone take steps to protect from mosquito bites:
• Limit time outdoors at dusk and nighttime hours when mosquitoes are most active.
• If you must be outdoors then wear a CDC recommended mosquito repellent that contains either Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, or N-N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET).
• Wear shoes, socks, long sleeve shirts and pants when outdoors during dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most prevalent. Clothing should be light colored and made of tightly woven materials to keep mosquitoes away from the skin. Pant legs should be tucked into shoes or socks, and collars should be buttoned. Light colored clothes are less attractive to mosquitoes.
• Make sure all your windows and doors have screens and are in good repair.

Spraying and larviciding will not fully eliminate the presence of mosquitoes. The health department stresses taking the necessary measures to reduce mosquitoes in your neighborhood:
• Reduce or eliminate all standing water in your yard – especially in children’s toys, bird baths, clogged gutters, tires, flowerpots, trashcans, and wheelbarrows.
• Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with Gambusia fish.
• Apply mosquito dunks in standing water areas on your property.
• Cut back overgrown vegetation (mosquito hiding areas).
The Metro Public Health Department has a mosquito control information hotline with a recorded message about mosquito control efforts in Davidson County – 340-5668.
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MNPS Hosts NCLB Choice Forum for Parents

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Aug. 15, 2008) – Tuesday, Aug. 19, from 6:30 – 8 p.m., Metro Nashville Public Schools Federal Programs Office will hold an informational meeting for parents regarding No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Choice. The meeting will be held in the Board Room at the Central Administration Building, located at 2601 Bransford Ave.
Through NCLB, students zoned for schools listed as High Priority are given the option of attending another school in the district. The law also requires these schools offer Supplemental Educational Services (SES), such as tutoring programs, for all students.
At the forum, parents will learn what Choice is, the stipulations and regulations surrounding Choice, where students attending High Priority schools are eligible to transfer, and transportation options surrounding Choice. Parents will also learn how schools become targeted as High Priority. Parents will be given a tutoring request packet and helpful information on how to choose the best tutoring service for their child. All state approved tutoring services have also been invited to attend the meeting so parents can begin searching for possible tutoring programs that best fit their child’s needs.
Parents unable to attend this meeting can contact the SES Coordinator at their child’s school after Monday morning, Aug. 18 for more information.

Metro Nashville Public Schools provide a range of educational opportunities to more than 75,000 students in Nashville and Davidson County. The governing body for MNPS is the Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County Board of Public Education, a nine-member group elected by residents of Metropolitan Nashville. For more information, please visit www.mnps.org.