North Carolina Now; North Carolina Now Episode from 11/02/1995

The International It's Thursday November 2nd. Tonight retirees from all over the country are finding a new home in North Carolina now. Hello everyone I'm around ima try a good Thursday evening to you most of the state got pelted with

rain today. I hope you manage to stay dry. You know North Carolina is the number one turkey producing state in the nation. There is a devastating disease that is attacking the turkeys and it's causing great concern among our farmers. Tonight I'll speak with two researchers who are trying to do something about the disease. And as a regular part of our Thursday night feature on North Carolina State Parks tonight will visit Jones like in Elizabethtown. But first let's head to the mountains which is a popular retirement destination. The number of elderly is increasing in North Carolina for two distinct reasons First people are living longer. Second North Carolina has become a magnet for retirees drawn here by the state's natural beauty friendly citizens and moderate foresees and climate. Tonight we focus on the mountains as we bring you part one of the series produced by Bill Hanna and narrated by John basin north Syria. If we look at western North Carolina. I think that North Carolina as a whole has a 65 plus population that is pretty close

to the national average which is about 13 percent. But many of our counties have very high percentages of people of 65 Buncombe County of 17 said Henderson County to our south is twenty two percent. Polk County going down toward South Carolina is 24 percent which is the highest in North Carolina. Now they have a very small population total. But it means that you have significant percentages of the population that are retirement age. The largest town in Polk County is triune on the South Carolina border. It's also the retirement center of the county. While it's been a retirement community for years and years really as far as I can remember we drew people from different parts of the country also because the westering and thence we had a founding father the blockhouse steeplechase which has been running for almost 50 years and a number of other organized equestrian activities. This also drew folks from different parts of the country and once they were

here and visited or visited friends they found that it was a nice place to retire. It's small they have a small town atmosphere and but they've also got the benefit of being close to a number of larger communities where they are and facilities airports and that sort of thing. Another reason for the large influx of retirement age citizens is the presence of facilities like Tryon and states. While China States as you know is a is a life care facility. We offer retirement living for the elderly who come here and at many levels of different service. As you know once people come here they're pretty much taken care of for the rest of their lives. We have three levels of medical facility care. We have a wellness center here on site for the residents and residential side and we also have a medical facility with skilled nursing and they also have a personal care unit for intermediate care when residents come you know they are enjoying all the amenities that are available we have on

site banking. We have our dining room which with all the meals we have 4 activities per cc or CS will be a large community. There's about a thousand of them in the country right now. And as the population that the population this age group grows they're certainly going to be in for this and a lot of people don't understand the concept but once they grasp the concept the woods here and what they have to offer as far as a long term care. They they're very attracted to. So we have two hundred twelve residents living in the first phase. Our second phase will come. There were 200 residents and we have already sold at this point before we begun construction we sold over 80 percent and was required to 70 percent so we're reselling we're selling faster than than what we expected to. It does take a fair amount of money to move into these facilities and the monthly expenses can be considered high. The arrival of wealthy retirees from Michigan Pennsylvania and New York has also caused some problems in this small rural county. It's hard for example for

government offices to get the grants they need to attract industry and to aid the local population. Most of you know well they don't require a lot of transportation. However it's hard to get industry here because we're now out of seven. Grants the variable for areas like you know the rule you know needs because we have the seventh largest repair Minster St. Luke's The area hospital also has problems with the older population besides the usual ones you would expect there's the additional problem of the patients being far from home with their families abroad or in other states. Well we have a person here and I call him a Sarah good chow. He is Case Management and he kind of takes over where a child would be if it since the children are not here many times. What service. I have one done thank

about getting older and we don't want to think about that and think about that. One day we may have a stroke our way may all of a sudden not be able to make those decisions. People in the community as in general are getting more educated about living wills and bans directives. Many times that's left up to the hospital to get that information out to the public. Any disadvantages caused by the elderly is need for increased services is more than offset by the advantages they bring to a community. We'll explore this side of trial in North Carolina tomorrow in our next segment. Well coming up a visit to Jones State Park but first let's turn to Mitchell Lewis at the North Carolina now news desk where he has a summary of today's statewide news. Good evening Meg. Thanks Zoraida. Good evening everyone. A new study shows North Carolina may be losing some of its best young teachers according to the report almost a third of the state's top students are recruited into teaching. Known as teaching fellows say they plan to leave the

profession another 36 percent of teaching fellows say they are undecided about making teaching a career while 42 percent say they would not become teachers if they had to start over. Study organizers say most teaching fellows are unhappy with their training and working conditions. The study is part of a program started back in 1987. Participants agreed to teach in public schools for at least four years in return for free college tuition from the state. A special state Senate committee wants Governor Hunt to provide one and a quarter million dollars to deal with the pollution in the NUS river basin near Newburgh. The money would be used to increase water quality monitoring and find ways to ease polluted conditions in the river. Several fish kills this summer left millions of fish dead in the river. The committee also recommended educating the public about who river pollution. North Carolina Central University is the top law school in the country for women. The National jurist a law magazine ranked the school first among one hundred sixty eight law schools. The rankings were based on percentage of

women faculty their leadership roles and the Equality and treatment of women. Fifty four percent of NC centrals law students are women and 58 percent of the faculty is female. State Democratic chairman Wayne McDevitt may be stepping down. McDevitt was elected to a two year term in February but he says he's considering stepping down so he can spend more time with his family. For the moment the Madison County Democrat says he is keeping his options open. According to the news an observer McDevitt would like to hire an executive director and a political director to help him travel across the state on behalf of the Democratic Party. Some party members say that's unlikely. If you drive through the bow catch or tunnel in Asheville anytime soon don't blow your horn. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has posted signs at both ends of the tunnel advising motorists not to sound their horns. Deal T officials say they posted the signs following complaints from motorists. Troopers say anyone caught blowing their horn in the tunnel will now be cited and will have to appear in court.

And now for a look at tomorrow's weather highs will range from the mid to upper 60s in the mountains 70s in the Piedmont and lower 80s on the coast. Most of the state will be blanketed with clouds tomorrow and scattered showers are likely especially in western North Carolina. In business news R.J. Reynolds is facing more criticism tonight. The Wall Street Journal reports that a 1990 memo shows company officials developed a marketing plan focused on getting young adults aged 18 to 20 to switch to Camel cigarettes. The business plan runs counter to the company's statements that camel is targeting mainly 21 to 30 year olds. However RJR officials say all the smokers in question are of legal smoking age. They also say the campaign was not intended to recruit new smokers but to get existing smokers to switch brands. The state Supreme Court could announce tomorrow whether it will hear a case that has major implications for North Carolina's economy. The high court is deciding whether to hear a direct appeal of a Forsyth County ruling that declared incentives to lure businesses to an

area unconstitutional. A decision to hear the case would mean it could skip having to go through a state court of appeals. Many communities a put incentive plans on hold waiting for an outcome. The stock market rallied today with the Dow Jones Industrial Average setting a record high. The Dow gained almost 42 points to close at forty eight point fifty nine. Three hundred ninety three million shares traded hands the Standard Poor's 500 gained five and a half points and the Nasdaq composite index increased by fourteen and a half points. And now for some stocks of North Carolina interest me. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and soon you'll be thinking of buying your holiday turkey How big of a turkey

will you get and how will you prepare it. But farmers who grow turkeys have much bigger concerns these days a disease called spiking mortality. It is of especial concern here in North Carolina which is the nation's largest turkey producing state. Our guests this evening are two researchers who were on the trail of this devastating disease. They are doctors James guy and Dr. John Barnes both of NC State's College of that new medicine and good evening gentlemen thank you for coming tonight. Dr. Barnes could you first start off by explaining what is spiking mortality. OK this is an infectious disease it's one that can spread from one turkey to another. It affects very young turkeys less than a month of age and it causes a severe sudden diarrhea in these birds because they're small at that particular time. They dehydrate quickly and the mortality can be extremely high in those little birds. How serious is the disease Dr. Gary. Well in addition to the very high mortality birds that survive the disease do not grow normally

and it takes many more days to get them ready to market. So not only does it kill off certain turkeys it harms others who have the disease that actually live through it. There's a very high mortality rate associated with the disease. Farmers can lose up to 50 percent of their flock. And those birds that don't die then do not gain weight as they normally should and they're also much more susceptible to the infectious diseases that Turkeys normally are exposed to. How big of a problem is this How prevalent is it in North Carolina. Initially the disease started in Union County and infected just a few flocks on a few farms and then over the next couple of years it spread in that local area to affect other farms and flocks. Now since last summer the diseases spread throughout North Carolina and during the summer time has been extremely common in many of our turkey producing areas of North Carolina. There is not one company that grows turkeys produces turkeys in North Carolina. That's totally

free of this disease and is not having problems with it now. Do you know why it started in Union County. No I can tell you of the prevailing theory or at least one that makes for interest sake. Some people think it came with Hugo and that this is actually an African disease. Lute player crossed the Atlantic and came in with Hugo because some of the initial flocks that were infected with the disease were ones where that storm had caused considerable damage on the farms. But there's no real evidence to support that folkloric. I was going to say you had a bit of a smile on your face when you were giving that answer so you don't fully believe that. We really don't know where the disease came from and we don't know whether it's a new disease or a disease that's been with us for a long time but just not recognized. What exactly is the disease in a term that that someone like myself could understand it. Well it's an infectious disease and we believe very strongly there's a viral component a virus that works in the disease. We don't believe that there is

just one agent that causes this disease we think it's a complex in which one or more infectious agents come together. And because of that interaction between those two viruses they cause the disease. The birds that are infected with just one agent would not have the disease would not experience the mortality and the stunting in the increased susceptibility of infectious other infectious agents in the in the experiments that we've done we've shown that there's a viral component in that with with fecal material from these birds that is filtered to remove other infectious agents. Other than the viruses that they had aging along with other agents such is a protozoa that we've worked with called cryptosporidium can't produce the disease but they're protozoa and the viral filtrate the viral material that is the filter will not by themselves do not produce the disease. So there are a

number of factors that have to be in exist there are multiple thinkers that influence this disease and we think there are one or more infectious agents that are responsible. Is this a disease that just affects turkeys or other poultry involved. To the best of our knowledge merited it just affects turkeys there's no evidence of any other types of animals are infected. In fact in some of our work and parallel work that's being done at the University of Georgia. We've purposely tried to transfer this disease to chickens there'd be a number of IT and ages and being able to do that and we've been completely unsuccessful in doing it. So even an animal host really related to the turkeys such as the chicken is not susceptible to the disease. Well it sounds like this disease can cause farmers to lose a lot of money. How close are we to finding a cure to what can something be done. Do you want to feel that we felt half the phenomenon that we were very very close to solving this problem.

We've seen the light at the end of the tunnel. Many many times only to find out that that light was an oncoming train. But we think. At this time we think we're much closer than we've ever been and we we think the identification of the causes or causes of the disease is going to be fourth in the amount of time that we have left here laughing over here every day. Respected by my family doctor guy I'm not so sure that we're that far along in trying to unravel this. The serious disease right now things do look very promising but we've been at this point a number of times in the past. And quite honestly there's no indication of a significant breakthrough that's likely in the near term future typical scientist's checks and balances. Yeah and you know that way. Well then let's ask this question What can farmers do in the meantime until something is a cure is found. The best thing that farmers can do right now is try and protect their birds from having the

disease introduced. Now that's extremely difficult because we don't know what causes the disease and we're not sure where the disease comes from but we do know one thing for certain about this disease that it is transmissible it is spread from a sick turkey to a healthy Turkey. And so those measures that are customarily taken by growers to protect their flocks from being exposed to infections need to be thoroughly in place. And followed carefully at this particular time this is a precarious time in the turkey industry and in response to your earlier question about the magnitude and seriousness of the disease. We have farmers right now that are on the verge of losing their farms because of this disease. They've battled it now for four years now and in the Union County area and they're financially on the ropes. They need some assistance they need some help with this problem. Well Dr. Barnes Dr. Guy Unfortunately we're out of time but I want to thank you both very much for being here this evening. Thank you. Well thank you very much.

It's time for our regular Thursday night feature showcasing North Carolina State Parks tonight. Bailey takes us to one of the oldest state parks. Jones like here and blade and county Jones Lake State Park including nearby Salters lake was established in 1939 making it one of the oldest

parts in the state. And like many other state parks it has a rich cultural history. It looks like some of the parks in the state. Boating and other recreational facilities. But unlike other parks Jones lake park contains one of the state's great mysteries for the most generally accepted definition is the Carolina Bay is an Olympic depression. This directionally aligned with a north west south east axis. They look like bigger eggs on the landscape if you look at an aerial photograph with the entire shape of the egg in the bay bog Bogg forest in this lake being sort of the yolk usually on the southeastern end of the bay. So we've solved part of the mystery. The bays look like big eggs. Some are small and seasonally filled with shallow water swamp vegetation and breeding populations of amphibians. Others like Jones Lake contain hundreds of acres and are filled with water year round. But how were they formed.

Well no one knows for sure. There have been a lot of theories about information over time as many is 18 to 20 theories of a formation. The classic theory is that there are meteorite scars from the second one would be the Carolina bays were created by some sort of wind forces. Also one kind of far fetched one that may or may not be depending on your outlook is the well wallow theory mystery will always surround Karolina bends and so will the tremendous diversity of plants and animals that are protected within this park a lot of people think the bay comes from a body of water here like Chesapeake Bay or what have you. But it comes from the different type of vegetation we have here the bay trees we have sweet bay which is a magnolia family loblolly Bay and Red Bay. There's Feder Bush in these areas a lot of the Alex families the Albury think berries in this area and that's mainly in this bay farce this bog Bay Forest which is compassed around the lake. When you get down on to a say in rain which is usually on the southern and southeastern end in these areas that's when you get into upland dry desert like environment.

You have the sands you have long live wire grass growing along there. You see fox squirrels animals are also in abundance around the bay. You can find a variety of snakes. Geese herons and secrets abound along with a variety of song birds. The park is in the middle of State game lands so black bear and white tailed deer come to the park to avoid hunters in a time when organizations work to conserve large tracts of land in order to protect the diversity the diversity in Carolina bays is relatively compact yet. Conservation of bays is still a challenge.

The vegetation of Carolina beige is incredibly diverse. They are probably the most diverse ones systems in the southeast United States and probably among the most diverse systems in the world. Although most of the recreational facilities are open only in the summer. Jones lake is open year round. While you're there take a canoe paddle or nearby Salters lake to see a Carolina Bay Lake in its pristine state. Jones like state park is located four miles north of Elizabeth Town on NC 242 in Bladen County. For information on the activities at the park you can contact the park ranger at Jones Lake State Park Route 2 box 9 4 5 Elizabeth Town North Carolina 2 8 3 3 7. Or you can call 9 1 9 5 8 8 4 5 5 0. We also have this brochure that we've put together about North Carolina State parks if you would like one you can just send a self-addressed stamped envelope to North Carolina now P.O. Box was

49 hundred RTP NC 2 7 7 0 9 indicate somewhere on the envelope that you're interested in the state park information. Well a quick note about tonight's interview doctor guy and Doctor Barnes who wanted me to let you know that the turkeys that make their way to the supermarkets are perfectly safe to eat. There is no reason for concern in regards to eating the turkeys The only effect this disease may have on consumers is that Turkeys may cost a little bit more this year. While on the subject of the holidays a 19 foot Frazier for from ASH County will be this year's Christmas tree for the Blue Room of the White House. The tree is coming from a farm in West Jefferson. It will be cut down on November 24th and then trucked to D.C. for a November 27 presentation at the White House. Tomorrow night on North Carolina now we'll conclude our series on North Carolina's retiree population. And Maria Lundberg takes us on a major cruise in the Wilmington area. Enjoy your evening everyone. Stay warm stay dry. See

you tomorrow in Chicago.