Dr. Rainey discusses cancer treatment, screenings

August 9, 2011

Story courtesy Jamie Anfenson-Comeau, Eunice News

Dr. John M. Rainey of the Cancer Center of Acadiana told Eunice Rotarians last week that advances in cancer screenings and treatments are increasing at a phenomenal rate.

“Our knowledge base is doubling almost every two years,” Rainey said, adding, “We’re curing almost half the cancers we treat nowadays. If people would quit smoking, it would take 30 years, but the cancer rate would drop in half.”

“Almost half of all cancers are caused by cigarettes. But more and more we’re finding these newer therapies, looking at these molecular X-rays, we can put people in remission for longer periods of time, with minimal side effects. It’s just amazing how much stuff we can do now,” Rainey said.

Advances in cancer screenings are leading to more cancers being detected at an earlier, and thus more treatable state, Rainey said.

“We’re finding cancers earlier at a more treatable stage,” Rainey said.

Rainey said the cancer center had been separate from Savoy Medical Center, but in January, the cancer center merged with the medical center to get better pricing on expensive chemotherapy drugs.

Rainey said the cancer center can treat most cancers here in Acadiana.

“For the bread-and-butter things; lung cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, those sort of cancers that make up 90 percent of the business, we can do everything here locally that can be done anywhere else,” Rainey said.

More information on the Cancer Center of Acadiana can be found at www.notanormalcancercenter.com

Nichols State biology professor helps students to become “stewards of the land”

July 8, 2011

Nichols State University biology professor Dr. Gary LaFleur, Jr. told Eunice Rotarians earlier this month that bigger isn’t always better in higher education.

LaFleur, a Eunice native who began his college career at Louisiana State University Eunice, said that small colleges like LSUE and Nichols are “important for creating stewards of Louisiana’s environment.”

“You can learn small ideas from big universities, but I think there is a need for small universities, such as Nichols and LSUE, colleges with small class sizes, to get students in touch with Louisiana’s environment,” LaFleur said.

LaFleur said people such as LSUE Professor Malcolm Vidrine and former professor Charles Allen were a huge influence on his career.

LaFleur, a reproductive physiologist, said that his research into gar reproduction led him to research on Louisiana’s coastal wetlands and ecosystem loss.

Gar are the only fish whose eggs contain a neurotoxin, LaFleur said.

LaFleur has performed research into the toxicity of gar eggs and larvae, to determine how toxicity levels increase and decrease during development of young.

Much of his gar sampling has come from the Atchafalaya Basin, which led to LaFleur’s research into coastal erosion.

LaFleur’s research into estuary health has involved using frogs as monitor species.

“You can track frog health and in that way, track the health of the estuary year by year,” LaFleur said.

LaFleur said one acre of coastal land is lost every 30 minutes, and it is important to get students involved, through research such as his, and the “Coastal Landscape Photography” class taught at LSUE, to encourage more students to become stewards of the land.

Youth mission group coming to Eunice to help elderly disabled or poor in need of home repair work

June 9, 2011

They may not be the crew of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”, but a team of 60 high school-age volunteers and their chaperones will be coming to Eunice next month to do work on the homes of the needy.

David Reed, church council chairman for First United Methodist Church of Eunice, told Eunice Rotarians and Kiwanians last week that the Central Texas Conference Youth in Mission will send volunteers to 25 communities in Louisiana, including Eunice.

Approximately eight teams will do work on houses of families and individuals in need throughout the Eunice area during the week of June 12.

They will be bringing their own tools and trailers, buying local building materials, and staying in the Methodist Church’s conference hall, Reed said.

Reed noted that these are high-school aged kids, and will be doing minor jobs, not plumbing or electrical work.

What they will do is construct wheelchair ramps, painting (interior and exterior), yard work, building or repairing handrails, fencing, flooring, roofing, build decks or patios, and sheetrock and insulation work.

What they are looking for, Reed said, are the names of elderly, handicapped or low-income individuals and families, preferably owning the home they live in, who are in need of such services.

Reed noted that these are youths from the First United Methodist Church of Killeen, Texas, and Brock United Methodist Church of Brock, Texas, who are paying $250 each to come here and help the less fortunate, rather than vacationing during their summer break.

“It’s all about the relationships built, and giving these kids something deeper to be concerned about,” Reed said.

Reed said the group is soliciting references of individuals and families in need; the deadline in June 11.

Reed said applications are available at Reed Gas offices on La. 13 south of Eunice, or by contacting him at 305-3013 ro 457-4261 or emailing david@reedgaspropane.com.

St Landry Recycling extends life of landfill while providing cash in hand or for schools

June 7, 2011

Recycling can help preserve the St. Landry Parish landfill, protect the environment and add a little money to your pocket, employee Mike Guidry told Eunice Rotarians last week.

Guidry, who has worked at the St. Landry Parish Recycling Plant in Opelousasfor 20 years, said that 3.5 to 4 million pounds of recycling is processed each year in his plant and the one located in Eunice.

The St. Landry Parish Solid Waste Commission, which is funded through 8/10ths of a 1 percent sales tax, has operated recycling plants in the parish since 1981.

Guidry said the recycling plants take all sorts of items – beverage cans, most plastics, cardboard, paper, newspaper and magazines, and steel cans, such as canned vegetables come in.

The recycling centers also accept old computers, phones, cameras and other electronics.

Guidry said the recycling plants pay for recyclables brought in; sellers have a choice of taking cash for their recyclables or donating it to the parish school of their choice.

The recycling centers are open 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Recyclables are baled up, processed, and resold for use in a variety of products.

Guidry said that 350 tons of trash arrive daily at the parish landfill, located in Washington.

The landfill is expected to remain operational for another 20 years before it fills up, Guidry said, but by recycling, it may be extended.

Many communities throughout the country have weekly curbside pick-up of recyclables. Asked if that was likely to happen here, Guidry said he did not think it likely unless mandated by the state legislature and paid for by additional taxes, although he thought it was a good idea and would like to see it happen here.

“The more educated we become on the subject of recycling, the more people’s minds will be broadened and the more we can do,” Guidry said.

More information: www.slpsolidwaste.org or (337) 826-5211.