The state Department of Public Health has confirmed the first case of a mosquito-borne virus in Alabama. Dr. Thomas Miller, Deputy Director for Medical Affairs says a Huntsville woman got chikungunya while traveling it Haiti. He says she was beyond the transmission stage when she returned to Alabama. Dr. Miller says the virus causes flu-like symptoms with a high fever and joint pain. There have been no locally transmitted cases in the U.S., but the two types of mosquitoes that can spread the virus live in Alabama. Chikungunya can be found in Africa and appeared in the Caribbean last year.
Lightning Safety
Weather experts are taking this week to remind the public about dangers of lightning. Staff Meteorologist for the National Weather Service office in Birmingham Matt Grantham says storms pop up quickly this time of year. He says it's best to take shelter from a storm even if it doesn't appear close by. The Weather Service reports that 261 people have been killed by lightning strikes in the U.S. from 2006 to 2013.
New Jobs Grant
Federal labor officials are offering grant money to help former employees of a shuttered paper plant find new jobs. The U.S. Department of Labor is offering more than $823,000 in National Emergency Grant funding to help Alabama Career Center offices in Sheffield and Decatur help former mill workers find new jobs. Officials says the job centers will help former workers find work, create resumes and more. The plant employed more than 1,000 workers and closed earlier this year.
Higher Education
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has issued a new report touting the benefits of obtaining a Bachelor's degree. Letitia Smith is a Career Coordinator at Alabama State University, she says students on track to get a degree also have access to meaningful resources such job fairs, resume writing seminars and interview training workshops. Smith works daily to connect potential employers to students. The study reveals that degree-holders can expect to earn about 1.2 million dollars more over their lifetime than someone who only gets a high school diploma.