Today is the Mother Lode Community blood drive sponsored by the Jackson Rotary. Anyone who gives a pint gets a pint today! If you donate blood you will receive a coupon for a free pint of Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream and T-shirt. Blood donations help patients being treated for accidents, routine surgeries and diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and hemophilia. Thanks to the generosity of local donors when you receive care at Sutter Amador Hospital or at Sacramento-area hospitals such as Kaiser Permanente, UC Davis Medical Center, Sutter or Mercy hospitals, the blood you receive comes from BloodSource donors. Giving blood is easy, safe and takes less than one hour, but only five percent of the estimated 60 percent of eligible Americans donate blood. To give blood, you must be in generally good health, free from cold symptoms for at least 48 hours; be at least 17 years old (16 years old with parental consent); and weigh at least 110 pounds. There is no upper age limit for donating blood. If you’re interested in donating blood please don’t forget a photo ID. The Blood drive is going to be held from 11am to 6pm at the Jackson Civic Center located at 33 Broadway. For more information about the Mother Lode Community blood drive please call Jody Boetzer at 257-7619. For donor eligibility questions call BloodSource at 1-800-995-4420.

A bill that would remove the power from the California State Legislature to approve new childhood vaccine mandates and hand it over to state public health officials appears to be gaining ground in the capitol. The bill, AB 16, would require that all new vaccines recommended by the Center for Disease Control for children would be automatically mandated in California five years later. Citizens would not be able to speak through their elected representatives and stop a new vaccine mandate, such as the Human Papillomavirus vaccine, or stop any other new vaccine recommended by the CDC from being mandated.

It is that time of year when Amador county residents should begin taking precautions against West Nile Virus (WNV). West Nile Virus is caused by a virus which is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. WNV is established in mosquito and bird populations in California and in Amador County, as well as surrounding areas. People who spend a lot of time outdoors at work, gardening or recreating are at the highest risk of being bitten and becoming infected by the virus.

After numerous incidents of injury, 100,000 infant sling carriers made by Infantino have been recalled. Thursday the US Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of the SlingRider Infant Carrier. The slings have a plastic slider on the fabric strap that can break causing infants to fall out of the carrier. There have been ten reports of the sliders breaking. Eight babies actually fell out of the carriers, four of which had impact injuries and were taken to the emergency room. One baby received a fractured skull. The recall involves the Infantino SlingRider carriers with item numbers 141-210, 151-210, 151-528 and 151-534. They were sold at Target Stores, Babies R Us, BJ's Wholesale Club, Modecraft and other retailers nationwide from July 2006 through February 2007. Products labeled “Made in Thailand” or “New 2007 Design” are not included in the recall. For more information, contact the safety commission at (800) 638-2772