Eyewitness News at 6, 11-29-12

Hello everyone. Thank you for joining us.

I'm Frank Malloy.

And I'm Leah Johnson.

This is Eyewitness News at Six.

First tonight... We're talking about something called C-R-E.

That's a deadly strain of bacteria that's the target of a USA Today Investigative report.

So far this year... Seven people have died from the CRE infections.

Those cases were centered at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center outside Washington, DC.

But this isn't the first we've heard of it.

Research from USA Today, which is owned by our parent company, Gannett Communications, shows thousands of C-R-E cases throughout the country in recent years...

According to the report, they've manifested as everything from pneumonia to intestinal and urinary tract infections.

Some facts on C-R-E... Death rates can be high ...Up above 40 percent in some cases.

And while most cases like the ones reported this summer turn up in hospitals...some fear...it'll spread beyond medical facilities.

Now what's so troublesome about CRE is... so far... It seems to have some sort of immunity, even when treated with some of the most powerful antibiotics.

That leaves some wondering if we're confronting an illness that could run rampant.

Peter Eisler is an investigative reporter with USA today...he joins us by phone with more on what he learned working on today's article.

Peter, you describe how this bacteria affects the body...

Any idea where it comes from?

Why isn't there reliable national data on the full scope of this problem?

You talk about a new tracking plan to zero in on cases and how they're transmitted.

Why do doctors think it defies what the article calls "drugs of last resort"?

What's the chance of a silver bullet, or miracle drug, being developed in the nest few years?

Peter Eisler ... That report is called "deadly Superbugs invade U.S. Health Care Facilities"... You can read it in USA Today online right now.

When a Perry family took their cat to the vet, they were told it had a broken bone.

But what the X-ray showed...was a complete shock ...

Tom George spoke with the family about Sugar... and what really happened.

When Kris Plested noticed that Sugar ... The cat they've had since daughter Holly was 10 was limping, they knew something was wrong.

<I noticed that Sugar had problems getting up on to the bench where I normally keep the cat food .. And then when you came over, she was really limping badly one day. >

So they took her to the Perry Animal Hospital ... Where an X-Ray showed a broken bone...and something else..

<but then there was also a surprised that it was hard for them to see the break at first because of the clusters of Bb's that were lodged in her leg into two different areas. Someone had actually shot my cat with a BB gun, so that was not a pleasant surprise at all. >

They put Sugar in a pink splint ... And she's getting around..with a slight limp.

<sugar was always an outdoor cat, but because of the injuries, she's now having to recover inside... >

Her vets say the BB's did not cause the break .. And that pets with lodged pellets ... Are actually more common than people think.

<people are surprised a lot of times when we're going over the X-rays .. And we say oh by the way, did you know he was shot with a BB or whatever, and they're surprised to hear that they're more concerned with who might have done that, versus the reason we took the X-ray in the first place. >

In fact, unless a shooting causes an immediate wound, some pet owners may never even know their pet was shot.

<years later they go and get them X-rayed and they have Bb's or pellets or buckshot in them and theyre wondering how it happened .. Well it could have happened even prior to your owning to pet. >

But while they may never know the when ... Or the who ... The main question for these animal lovers ... Is why...

<I mean in any case, it's never acceptable to shoot a cat you know no matter what the circumstances.>

In Perry, Tom George, 13WMAZ Eyewitness News.

We spoke with Captain Heath Dykes of Perry Police.

He says they have no record of pets being shot in the last two months.

East Macon's city council members want folks on this side of the river...to join them for a forum Saturday morning.

Ward 1 Council member Elaine Lucas says the goal is update East Maconites on some issues coming down the road.

They include consolidation...policing changes...and highway projects.

 

 

{***SOT FULL***}

<we also hope to have people to get involved so that they can let all of their elected representatives know exactly what their feelings are on these issues and we also want to impact people in such a way with so much information that they get involved in advocating for or against particular intiatives in the community. >

She says she hopes Mayor Robert Reichert...or a representative from the Mayor's office...can join them.

<we have asked the mayor's office to give us an update on SPLOST projects and funding and also we want to get an update on consolidation and just how much that's costing the citizens of the community and where we are on that process >

Councilwoman Lucas also says a big topic at the Saturday meeting will be the Walnut Creek Village Development.

She says City council heard a presentation on this proposal several months ago.

<what it would do is take a large portion of the fort hill area and the cross keys area and the proposal is for a development of mixed use development in that area. The problem that we see is, it's a wonderful project but there is no funding attaced to it so what we would like to see is a push to get funding for all of these different intiatives that are right now proposals. >

That session takes place Saturday...December first....at 10 a-m.

It happens at St. Paul's AME Church....2501 Shurling Drive...East Macon.

Lucas's fellow council members Rick Hutto...and Lonnie Miley...are co-hosting the session.

The public is invited.

Military men and women at Robins Air Force Base are gearing up for their annual Holiday concert.

We spent time with them Thursday afternoon during one of their rehearsals. Master Sgt. William Granger... The Superintendent of the band of the U.S. Air Force reserve says they'll kick off their 51st Annual Holiday concert next Thursday at the Museum of Aviation.

Earlier this year.. The band was identified for deactivation, however at this point, Granger says that decision hasn't been made final.

He says they're focused on their current mission of spreading cheer this holiday season.

<

Like anybody, no one likes uncertainty in their lives but you know we still have a very important mission to do, taking the message of the 70 thousand citizen airmen of our air force reserve out around the world and the globe.

>

The Holiday concert is free and is set for Thursday December 6th at the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins.

Doors open at 6pm and the concert starts at 7.

We have an update on our story about the Tripp Family's Christmas light show in Cochran we aired last night on Eyewitness News at 11..

On Wednesday...December 19th... the Macedonia Missionary Baptist church will host a living nativity scene alongside the Tripps' own display.

We incorrectly reported the date last night...and this morning.

But family member Joey Tripp confirms that the correct date for that living nativity....is Wednesday the 19th.