When Anna Stacy was pregnant with her second child, she never dreamed of the obstacles her baby boy would face.
   It was in November 2001 that she'd undergone the devastation of a miscarriage and made a follow-up visit with her doctor two months later on January 1, 2002.
   Expecting to hear how she was doing, Stacy says she was surprised when her doctor told her she was pregnant again.
   "This was a complete shock, but we were so happy," she says.
   After three months of a healthy pregnancy, Stacy says she began bleeding and cramping heavily.
   Stacy's story is much like those of countless women, who have delivered their babies prematurely.
   "Prematurity is the number one cause of infant death in the United States. It's becoming a national crisis," says Nikki Hicks, Community Director for the March of Dimes Greater Blue Ridge Division.
   The March of Dimes reports one in eight babies in the U.S. are born premature.
    In the past two decades, premature births have increased at an alarming rate. Between 1981 and 2003, the rate of prematurity has risen from 9.4 to 12.3 percent, an increase of almost 31 percent.
    Every year, nearly 500,000 infants are born prematurely.
    Specifically in Buchanan County from 1999 to 2002, 12.2 percent of births were premature – that's over than the statewide average of 11.8 percent and the national average of 11.9 percent.
    The infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) in Buchanan County is also higher than the state and national averages with 7.5 percent. Virginia's state average is 7.3 percent and the U.S. average is 7.0 percent.
   For this reason, University of Appalachia School of Pharmacy student Jacqueline Hackney says the school decided to get involved, sponsoring Buchanan County's only March of Dimes WalkAmerica event on Saturday, October 28 in honor of former Buchanan County Supervisor Joe Keene. The event will begin at the Grundy Plaza with registration at 10 a.m. Walkers will raise funds for the March of Dimes as they walk to the former Advance Auto location.
   Stacy, who is serving as the event's Embassador Mom for the event, was under the care of her obstetrician when her problems arose.
   She was told everything was fine. But after some time, she still felt something wasn't right and visited the emergency room.
   Again, Stacy was told that she and her baby were healthy.
    This didn't calm her nerves, says Stacy, who had undergone similar problems with her daughter Lilly's birth. At 26 weeks, doctors began treating her with Brethine, a drug used to calm contractions. It worked and Lilly was born just a week prior to her due date.
    These memories flooded Stacy's mind, she says. And when she began having contractions June 4, 2002, she says she called her doctor.
   "They said to lie down, get lots of fluids and time the contractions. If they didn't go away with rest and fluids, I was to come into the office or go to the emergency room," she says.

by Cathy St. Clair
News Editor
   Members of the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors agreed last Thursday to seek requests for proposals to build a gymnasium in the Knox District on the former D.A. Justus Elementary School property.
   Knox Supervisor Pat Justus made the motion which was seconded by North Grundy Supervisor Carroll Branham and agreed to unanimously by the supervisors present for the vote. Garden Supervisor Buddy Fuller and Prater Supervisor Eddie Lindsay were present earlier in the day, but were not present at the time the gym vote was taken.
   The resolution agreed to noted that Todd Van Meter, who works in the county mapping office, has drafted proposed plans for a gymnasium with anticipated costs of construction not to exceed $1 million.
   "Based on past experience, use of competitive sealed bids is not practicable nor fiscally advantageous to the public; to-wit, that when the county recently used competitive sealed bids in connection with the gymnasium project at Poplar Gap Park, only one bid was received," the resolution notes.
   It directs Assistant County Attorney Lee Moise to prepare an RFP to engage in competitive negotiations for the construction of the gym based on Van Meter's drafts and plans. The resolution also gives the county administrator the authority to advertise the RFP when it is completed.
   County Administrator W.J. Caudill noted that Van Meter had visited the D.A. Justus site after the gym project was discussed earlier this month and it was determined the gym plans he designed would work on the D.A. Justus site.
   "We certainly want to do it as economically as we can," said South Grundy Chairman Roger Rife.
   He pointed out however, that building costs continue to escalate making it more costly to build.
   "Whatever we do will be pretty expensive," he said.
    He added that the thinking by some that the county gets by cheaper when it uses its own employees as laborers is false because one has to consider when they are used on special projects, they are taken away from their everyday jobs and either way, the county pays for their work.
   "It's not really 'free' time," Rife said.
    No timeframe for the awarding of a bid and actual construction of the gym was discussed at last week's meeting.

For more of the story, see the print edition of the Mountaineer, on sale at newsstands now. For more information on how to subscribe to the Mountaineer, call 276-935-2123 today!
   

by Scotty Wampler
Staff Reporter 
  In a settlement reached last month regarding the location of Big Sandy Soil and Water Conservation District's home office in Hurley, the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors has agreed to continue allowing the organization to use a section of the D.A. Justus Elementary School property and will convey property the county owns at Big Butt in the Knox District to the soil and water conservation group.
   Specifically, Big Sandy has agreed to acquire the "voting precinct" property from the county, near its current location, per the terms of the settlement. The office must be relocated to that section of the property by November 15.
   In addition, the county has agreed to maintain the water and sewage systems there for the benefit of the voting precinct property from the boundary of the precinct. However, the county will not be obligated to maintain any water or sewage lines in, on or under the property.
  The dispute between Buchanan County and Big Sandy went before a mediation specialist this past summer. The county had previously asked the court to enforce a notice of eviction from the property against Big Sandy, and Big Sandy in turn asked the court to require the county to honor prior resolutions adopted by the board giving Big Sandy a portion of the property on which to house its office.
   The county contended the building is now in the way of future development plans.
   Big Sandy's expenses for moving its office trailer to the new location will also be paid by the county in the settlement, up to the amount of $7,500.
   Additionally, the county agreed to convey the Big Butt property it owns by November 15, 2006, reserving only a right of first refusal giving the county a six-month period to elect to purchase the property on the same terms and conditions offered to any third party in the event Big Sandy sells it; reserving for the county as much of the Big Butt property as will be necessary for the construction and operation of what has been referred to as the Coalfields Expressway and as much of the property has may be needed for the maintenance or improvement of any existing or future state or county road.
  The board of supervisors unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the mediation settlement agreement last Thursday. Knox District Supervisor Pat Justus made the motion, with Garden District Supervisor Buddy Fuller seconding the measure.

For more of the story, see the print edition of the Mountaineer, on sale at newsstands now. For more information on how to subscribe to the Mountaineer, call 276-935-2123 today!