28 MAR 08: A BIG STICK

The Columbus Fire Chief came under new scrutiny Thursday. Jeff Meyer faced a revealing test, and I'm told he did NOT pass. And here's the most stunning part - the name Zachary Allen apparently never came up.

The test Jeff Meyer took was a health test. He received a five-minute exam at Fire Station #4 on North Oakley Drive, to introduce a new diabetes screening program. This was a bit different from a usual day for the Fire Chief - when he has phone call screening.

The Fire Chief received a "blood sugar screening," to determine his risk of diabetes. I'm told a number below 100 is good, but Jeff Meyer's score was around 112. And if your blood sugar number matches your credit score, you're probably in real trouble -- one way or another.

Columbus Councilor Jerry "Pops" Barnes says from now on, free diabetes screenings will be available seven days a week at all fire stations. EMT's will administer the blood sugar tests from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. every day - but it's probably not a good idea to be tested right after eating Sugar Frosted Flakes for breakfast.

Pops Barnes is a registered nurse, so he's made health education a big issue since he joined Columbus Council -- especially diabetes. You may recall he marked World Diabetes Day last November, by giving a medical test to Mayor Wetherington. Apparently the mayor was ruled in good enough health to endure criticism of his one-percent sales tax proposal.

Pops Barnes says more than 150,000 Georgia residents have diabetes, but don't realize it. That may sound bad, but consider this. I think an even higher number of Georgians don't realize they have State Senators.

Pops Barnes noted people are at higher risk of diabetes if they have what's called "metabolic syndrome." Yet for some reason, more people have been scared in recent years of The China Syndrome - and the scenario of that movie hasn't harmed nearly as many people.

Diabetes is a serious health problem, because it can lead to difficulties ranging from blindness to comas. You can tell it's bad simply by looking at the word. There's not much difference between diabetes and diabolical....

More celebrities have diabetes than you might expect. Did you know longtime Columbus TV newsman Dick McMichael is diabetic? When someone bought a nice cake to mark a milestone in his career, I think people were stunned to see him settle for peanuts from the vending machine.

The Georgia Legislature also made health news Thursday. It gave final approval to a bill requiring all high schools to have defibrillators. If only something similar was developed for grade school teachers to use on sneaky students - the "de-fib till later."

There's even a proposal in the U.S. House, requiring schools from coast to coast to have defibrillators to revive stopped hearts. This goes beyond "No Child Left Behind" -- to no child left in an emergency room.

But there's a big question here, which I don't hear any lawmakers answering. Where will schools get the money for these mandatory defibrillators? Will the devices first be used on teachers - when the teachers learn their jobs have been cut to buy one?

There were a few other things we found funny, on a Thursday when the big news in Columbus certainly was not....

+ It was "C.S.U. Day," with signs planted around the mark the city to honor donors to Columbus State University. It may have been the easiest day of the year to be a door-to-door salesperson.

+ Russell County School Superintendent Yvette Richardson admitted to WRBL enrollment is down, so she wants to cut 11 teaching positions next term. I never knew that many students commuted every morning from Seale to Smiths Station.

+ The annual United Negro College Fund banquet was held at the Columbus Trade Center. The event is a salute to higher education - but apparently no one in Columbus is a computer science major, because the UNCF web site's events calendar didn't mention it.

(Did you know the United Negro College Fund has obtained a registered trademark for its slogan? The slogan is, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste" - a slogan I doubt you'll see on any Hollywood gossip web sites.)

+ Instant Message to everyone promoting a special energy-saving "Earth Hour" Saturday night: You already have an Earth Day in late April. Isn't that enough time for you?

SCHEDULED THIS WEEKEND: The mud flies early, in one local political campaign....

To offer a story tip, make a PayPal donation, advertise to our readers or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: 702 (+ 11, 1.6%)

TRUDGE REPORT, DAY 26: 0.3 miles walked. Total: 85.45 miles run, 12.7 walked

The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author -- not necessarily those of anyone else in Columbus living or dead, and perhaps not even you.

© 2003-08 Richard Burkard, all rights reserved.