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Show T r Unemployment filings decrease across state Ending Dec. 14, the four-wee-k average of unemployment insurance initial claims filed at locations across Utah registered at 2,449, representing an 18 percent decrease from last year. The number of all initial unemployment claims for the week totaled 2,411. Weeks claimed numbered 2(t006, dropping by 12 percent from 2001, pointed out the latest Trendlines report compiled by the Utah Department of Workforce Services. Utah lawmakers have shifted $1 million from the state industrial assistance fund to a new job training initiative in anticipation of a major economic dewlop-meannouncement by Gw. Mike Leavitt, pointed out the Trendlines publication. Leavitts stafflobbied lawmakers to find the money while trying to keep details of the deal quiet. The governor requested Sli million in state funding for the initiant Winter storms create winter wonderland, but snow levels remain below average Snow blankets the valley for the first holiday season in several years. While there have not been many big storms, the higher areas have received signifi- - cant amounts, but not enough to still bring the area up to average. According to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the total in test areas registers at 84 percent Seeley Creek is at 92 percent Buckhom Flat is at 94 percent tive. Leavitt refused to offer specific details regarding the deal, rally indicating that the matter represented a cooperative venture between medical infomatics businesses and the state. at 78 percent Canyon is at 86 percent and White River is at 71 percent Water levels are high, with 90 percent of average precipitation at measured stations. While the totals reflect near to Red Pine is Mammoth-Cottonwo- average snowfall, significant precipitation in the next few months will be needed to break the drought that has had a stranglehold for the lastfouryears. Utah legislators recently finsesished the fifth budget-cuttin- g sion of the year. The lawmakers scraped to find $1 17 million to cover additional shortfalls. State revenue shortfalls have totaled more than $500 million since the Legislature passed the original 2002 budget last February, noted the Trendlines report. With the exception of education and programs for the poor, lawmakers basically distributed the budget cuts across state government. I At the national level, the United States Labor Department e noted that the number of jobless claims filed during the week ending Dec. 14 totaled 433,000. While the number was down 11,000 from the prior week, it remained above the 400,000 I f I first-tim- I I i level that economists indicate sig- i nals stalled job prospects. The U.S. economy posted a solid growth rate of 4 percent last summer. But concerns persist about how the economy is weakening in the final months of the year. The increase in the gross domestic product, the nations total (Continued on page 5) Tower completed, ready for fire fighting training By KAREN BASSO Staff writer -- In an effort to assist local fire agencies as well as lower insurance costs, Caibpn County officials along with county commissioners explored ways to make the local area a safer place to live. The team came up with the plan to build a tower which will allow fire fighters from Carbon and Emery counties totrainaswellasgain valuable hands-o- n experience. The project has been several years in the making, but once giant money was established, the tower was built quite quickly. Since the money became available, it was just a matter of months for the tower to be built and ready to operate. Now all that we are waiting on is training, which will teach us how to use the tower successfully without damaging the structure, explained Price Fire Chief Kent Boyack. The tower is fhe stories taU and enables fire fighters to create realistic training scenarios including smoke and flames. On the main floor, a bum room has been constructed which will allow the fire fighters to create an actual fire up to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit without damaging the structure. Inade the bum room are large square panels which protect the actual building structure from fire damage. Also included are several temperature gauges which keep dose track of the extent of he at which is produced at any given time in the room. These temperature gauges help us to keep an eye on how hot things get inside the room. If we start to exceed the maximum temperature, we know to ex- tinguish the flames before damage is done to the pan- - 4 - Cartion County Fairgrounds will be an excellent training for the regions fire fighters and emergency personnel, It is one of the few metal towers in the area, with many ofthe others being concrete. Area fire departments will begin ing it in the new year. els inside the room, explained Boyack. Because the panels cost a significant amount of money toreplace, local fire departments have agreed to refrain from using either of the two bum rooms in the tower until they have received training on how to control bums without damaging the material. The new fire tower that was constructed this t NAMI Staff reporter physical illnesses others get are often not thkir fault, even when they have led lifestyles that obviously contribute to the diseases. But many people still attach a stigma to individuals who have men tal illness. There seems to be something, particularly in the American psyche, that the mentally ill should be able to overcome or get over it without assistance. But mental illness is a disease as real asacold, the flu, heart failure or cancer. And like other diseases, mental illness does not al-- ways have obvious symptoms, but canbe insidious. : A recent study commissioned by the World Health Organization and foe Global Bank entitled the Global Burden of Disease Determined that mental disorders represent four out of the 10 leading causes of disability for people older than five years of age. The stuefy indicated that, in Velopedi major depression is die leading mental disability. Manic-depressi- ve illnesses, schizophrenia and obsessive-cotpulsiyc disorders are also high on the lists in the developed countries, including the Uni ted States. n- . While mental illnesses cause to patients and families, the diseases are also a leading cause of death due to suicide. In Utah, mental disorders are responsible for one of the largest segments of preventable death in the state. In many ways, mental disorders are more destructive to individuals, families and society than chronic physical diseases. The i strike early in life and affect relationships and work productivity. The suffering that accompanies mental disorders is frequently immeasurable. Almost all mental disease is treatable with therapy, pharmaceuticals or a combination of the two. But many people remain untreated, even when they or their loved ones realize that is a problem. Hiat is largely because ofthe misery People accept the fact that k fall near the I've heard of fire departments that jumped right in and used their bum rooms without knowing what they were doing. The first time out they wound up with damaged panels and had to start from scratch. This is what we want to avoid. If we can leam how to operate the equipment correctly, we can continue to use the facility for several years without having to worry about replacing panels, stated Boyack. The bum room will allow fire crews to create virtually any type of situation they desire. The large room has several entrances including the obvious, a door and several windows which will allow fire fighters to enter through many different directions. The fires which the crews will build inside the room will be created in various ways. Boyack along with Wellington Fire Chief Scott Rowley explained that the agencies will likely find material such as stoves and furnaces at the dump. They will bring the objects to the tower where they can ignite a fire and create a real life situation for the crews to battle. Aside from the large bum room, the local fire tower also hosts a smaller room which will only allow crews to bum objects at a maximum of 600 degrees Fahrenheit The room will operate the same as the larger room however, the location of the small bum area is located on the second floor of the building. The smaller room is situated to simulate basement fire conditions. Combined with the larger bum room, the facility will offer local fire fighters the chance to train under most conditions which are present in the Carbon County area. Aside from flames, the tower is also capable of and no fire producing real smoke which is non-tox- ic is needed to produce such a scenario. (Continued on petge 2) . t assists mentally ill people, family members By RICHARD SHAW ' - vflR COPY notes die US, Surgeon General Many people do not undeistand the terms professionals use to describe a disorder. Rental illnesses indude: Depression involves trum of affective disorders, specrang- ing from passing sad moods to crippling disease requiring medical treatment Major depression is a whole body disorder, impacting the patients emotions se-rio- 0 or loss of pleasure in once enjoyed activities), thinking (persistent thoughts of death or suicide; difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions), behav-io-r (changes in sleep patterns, ap petite or weight) and even physig cal (persistent symp-toms like headaches or digestive disorders that do not respond to treatment). well-bein- Sometimes referred to as manic depression, bipolar disorder is a serious affective illness, typically beginning in adolei or early adulthood. Individuals with the disorder experience dramatic wings between manic highs and depressed lows which alternate with periods of their normal mood. Aperson with bipolar disorder may feel extremely excited with seemingly boundless energy, then suddenly feel bitterly sad and Obsessive-compulsi- ve ill- nesses are potentially disabling anxiety disorders in which individuals become entrapped in re-petitive patterns of thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compul- ing and extremely difficult to overcome. Schizophrenia is a complex and severe mental disorder. The disease is thought to be caused by imbalances in brain chemistry, which results in rmalthink- - ing and behavior, including hallucinations, delusions, social withdrawal, distorted thought pro cesses and inappropriate or blunted emotional expression. The stigma attached to mental illness prevents many people from admitting they or family member! are afflicted. But barriers arc breaking down, in no small pan due to the efforts of the Nationa Alliance for the Mentally I1L The Utah chapter of NAMI h no less active than the nationa organization. The Utah chaptei offers a multitude of services foi the people who need help. The grassroots organization was started by families with member who had a mental Alness. NAM offers education, support and ad vocacy for individuals afflicted with mental illness as well as the loved ones of the individuals. Probably some of the most important services die alliance offers are the education programs. The programs- - includ BRIDGES (Building Recovei of Individual Dreams and Goa through Education and Support Hope for Tbmorrow and NAM Fhmfy to Family Education. BRIDGES isforindividua with a mental illness. It is a 1 week course taught by people wti understand mer finest the bet (Continued on page ', Groups, clubs spread holiday cheer Melissa Swenson wraps presents at the Kiwanis Sub for Santa program last Saturday. Kiwanis members and families shopped and wrapped gifts for i 1 needy families in the county. Each year, the club works with several underprivileged families and purchases gifts to bring smiles on Christmas morning. The gifts were delhrered by Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. I l |