Study: Gender gap remains for heart attack care

Women hospitalized with heart attacks still don't get the treatment they need and are more likely to die than men if they suffer a massive heart attack, a new study of U.S. hospitals shows.

Overall, women survive heart attacks about as well as men when they are under a hospital's care. But the study found that a gender gap remains when women have the most serious type of heart attack. Women also get less of the recommended medicines and procedures than men, or it takes longer to get them.

"We're doing better but not good enough for women," said Dr. Hani Jneid, lead author of the study from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

The data …

Two for the kids

Two enchanting visitors are beating Santa Claus to town.

The first is Madeleine L'Engle, a popular author of young adultnovels, who autographs her newest, Many Waters (Farrar, Straus &Giroux) from 1 to 3 p.m. today in the Children's Bookstore, 2465 N.Lincoln. The novel is the fourth in a series of fantasies thatincludes A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door and Swiftly TiltingPlanet (all in …

Iraq Warns Against Early U.S. Withdrawal

UNITED NATIONS - Iraq's deputy prime minister on Friday defended his government's progress in establishing security and ending political infighting, and warned that an early U.S. troop pullout would be disastrous for his country.

Barham Salih told a U.N. forum that the time had come to "define more clearly" the status of U.S.-led troops in Iraq, though he emphasized that Iraqi forces needed more time to take over security on their own.

Salih spoke during a U.N. discussion about the International Compact with Iraq - an ambitious plan to achieve a stable, united and democratic Iraq by 2012.

Many U.S. lawmakers, and at times, the Bush administration, have complained …

Tagliani is Indy 500 rookie of year

Canadian Alex Tagliani has been selected Indianapolis 500 rookie of the year.

The 37-year-old driver for Conquest Racing started 33rd as a late replacement for veteran Bruno Junqueira and steadily improved to an 11th-place finish, the biggest gain by any of the 33 drivers in Sunday's race.

He received a prize of $295,305 at the victory dinner Monday night, including a …

Crises overcome, Games becoming a good show

INDIANAPOLIS - A marvelous change has come over the 10th PanAmerican Games in their first week. Gone is the crisis atmosphere.What started as a semi-fiasco is becoming a good show.

The political tensions are still here, and erupted anew in abrawl that injured four spectators at Friday night's boxingcompetition. But they have become manageable, no longer are a timebomb threatening to blow up the stage of the most ambitiousentertainment this city ever has staged away from its motor speedway.

There has been no need since Wednesday for the Games organizersto look harried and exhausted while trying to explain overcrowding inthe athletes' village, harassment of Cubans, …

Cut in KRT, ambulance levy proposed: ; Changes would take place over three year period

Two Kanawha County commissioners are proposing to save taxpayers$1 million at the expense of the Kanawha County Ambulance Authorityand Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority.

Commissioners Duke Bloom and Kent Carper are proposing that thelevy that funds the two county agencies be cut by that amount over athree-year period.

"I believe that's realistic," Bloom said.

Carper added, "I am confident they can live with that cut."

Commissioner Hoppy Shores also is interested in lowering thelevy, but he is not sure whether it should be $1 million.

"I want to roll it back as far as we can," he said.

The commission wants to make a final decision on the cut beforeMay 2000, when the levy is up for renewal. The levy needs to beapproved by 60 percent of the voters to continue.

In the meantime, commissioners are expected to meet with theboards of the two agencies to find out if the proposed tax cut couldimpose an unnecessary financial strain.

Both agencies, which split the revenue from the levy equally, areaware of the proposal. Spokesmen for the agencies said they reallyhave no choice in the matter.

"Depending on what they roll back, we would have to developfigures to respond to it," said Joe Lynch, director of the ambulanceauthority.

Milton Back, general manager of KRT, said, "They are the ones whohave to turn around and face the voters - whatever their decisionis."

If necessary, the management of both agencies would consolidateor cut services to handle the cut. Lynch said his agency couldprobably deal with the reduction without losing jobs or services.But Back said there is a possibility his agency could lose jobs andservices. Fare increases may be considered to offset the cut, Backadded.

The proposed cut follows a five-year trend in which thecommission voted to lower the tax.

Earlier this year, the commission reduced the levy enough to savetaxpayers $500,000. County officials said the cut saved the averagehomeowner about $5 or $6 on annual property taxes. County officialsconsider the average homeowner to be a person who owns a $100,000home.

County officials said the reductions to the levy have made thebudgets for the two agencies "revenue-neutral." The term, theofficials said, means the two agencies do not lose any money neededfor operational costs.

Interestingly enough, however, the revenue generated by the levyhas increased steadily over the last five years. The increase can beattributed to a jump in property assessments, County Manager SteveSluss said.

Last fiscal year, the levy contributed about $5 million to thetotal budget of both agencies.

Writer Richard Peacock can be reached at 348-4819.

BET launches eight new series

BET launches eight new series

BET's "Urban Explorer Sweepstakes" is over, however it served its purpose of calling attention to the fact the the network has established its Action Pay Per View network.

Prizes for the sweepstakes total $38,475. Grand prize is a brand new 2000 sport utility vehicle. First prize (25 total) is a Panasonic portable CD player. Second prize is (100 total) a BET Action nightshirt. Winners will be chosen on June 1.

BET Action original shows include "Step to the Mic, with Thea Vidale," "Exploring the Fantasy," "Naughty Games," "Strip Comedy," "The Peep Show," "Uncut and Uncensored," "Nubian Goddess" and "Madame Tales."

BET Action prides itself on offering programming most requested by urban audiences. Rappers, hip-hop artists, strippers and stunning models are often showcased.

For instance, "Uncut and Uncensored" presents live and uncensored rap and hip-hop concerts. "Exploring the Fantasy" is an educational series on love hosted by the beautiful actress and former "Baywatch" star Traci Bingham.

"Step to the Mic" features one-hour comedy specials from comedians such as Thea Vidale and Faizon Love. BET Action's "The Peep Show" is a unique adult music video and interview program hosted by the legendary adult film star, Heather Hunter.

BET's "Step To The Mic" stars Vidale, a self-confident, assertive, outrageousness comedienne who has emerged as one of America's swiftly rising stars. Vidale is currently in the midst of her controversial national stand-up four appropriately titled "Thea Vidale, Down and Dirty," as well as preparing for a return engagement this August at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland in episode entitled "Two Mammograms and a Wedding."

Vidale is perhaps best remembered for her primetime ABC sitcom "Thea" for which she was nominated for a People's Choice Award as Favorite Female in a New Series in the show.

Thea portrayed Thea Turell, a widowed mother of four who works in a Houston supermarket by day and runs a one-chair beauty salon on the corner of her porch in the evenings.

The show's appeal was a heart-warming portrayal of a no-nonsense mother shepherding her children through their formative years. Bernie Kukoff and Andrew Susskind served as executive producers of the Castle Rock Entertainment production.

Article Copyright Sengstacke Enterprises, Inc.