RUSHVILLE —
Thursday morning, Janelle Bedel walked in for an interview wearing a T-shirt, sweatpants and a big smile. Her wardrobe? That means she had just come from the gym, a small yet remarkable action for someone with only one lung. Her smile? That means in late September, the Miles for Meso 5K she single-handedly planned will take place at the Rush County Fairgrounds. Bedel is a 3-year mesothelioma survivor as of this month. Mesothelioma is a disease that most frequently affects older men and women who have been exposed to the fire retardant asbestos; she was diagnosed with the form of lung cancer when she was only 31 years old. After months of tests, confusion, disbelief, surgeries and rehabilitation, Bedel got good news at her latest doctor appointment in New York on Aug. 9. “It went well. I had a clear scan, and [my doctor, Dr. Valerie Rusch] doesn’t need to see me for nine months now,” Bedel said. “She was happy I made it past the three-year mark.” In the meantime, Bedel has been busy. This weekend she will attend a Livestrong retreat in Austin, Texas for cancer survivors. She has been getting her 7-year-old son, Carson, ready for school and helping with a friend’s baby shower. In June, she attended the International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma in Washington, D.C. There, she helped inform legislators about mesothelioma and lobbied for House Resolution 771, a motion to officially declare Sept. 26 as National Mesothelioma Awareness Day. It was also where she got the idea to organize a 5K run/walk fundraiser in Rushville. “I met a girl there (in Washington, D.C.), and her father had passed away. She had been raising money for research. She had done a poker run and just all kinds of fundraising all throughout the year. I believe she raised over $100,000,” Bedel said. “She just really motivated me to do it myself.” The local event will be held Sept. 25, the day before the widely recognized Mesothelioma Awareness Day. Registration will be from 7 to 8:45 a.m. at the fairgrounds. The entry fee is $20, and all the proceeds will go to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. The event is sponsored by Simmons Law Firm, one of the country’s leading asbestos and mesothelioma litigation firms, and it will be orchestrated by Anytime Fitness. First, second and third place finishers will receive $500, $250 and $100 respectively, along with a three-month membership to Anytime Fitness. Bedel said she will also be walking and jogging in the race. “Come out with the community. It’s a good cause,” Bedel said. “Asbestos affects everyone; everyone can be exposed to it. So in the future, we really do need to get a cure for it.” For more information about Miles for Meso or to register for a race visit www.milesformeso.org. n Approximately three thousand or more Americans develop this malignant tumor that, after a latency period of 10 to 50 years, aggressively invades the linings of the lungs, abdomen, heart or testicles. n Millions more Americans are being put at risk today because of all of the asbestos that remains present in occupational settings – in buildings such as homes, offices and schools. n Asbestos is not banned in the United States. It's highly regulated, but it's still used in several products like brake pads, roof shingles, chalkboards, vinyl floor tile, cement pipes and gaskets. (Source: curemeso.org)News
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RCCF Education Fund Grants awarded
The Rush County Education Fund Grants Committee recently met to review grant applications for the 2012 grant cycle and to make their recommendations to the Rush County Community Foundation's Board of Directors.
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Commissioners hear of feasibility study
The Rush County Commissioners met earlier this week and heard a report regarding a feasibility study currently underway regarding the city possibly running an ambulance service out of the Rushville Fire Department.
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Pool open
Waggener Community Pool will be open from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday. The pool will be closed Monday and Tuesday and then open again Wednesday as was originally scheduled. Information: 932-7100.
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Farmers Market
The Rush County Farmers and Artisans Market kicks off the 2012 season at 9 a.m. Saturday in the 100 block of East Third Street in downtown Rushville!
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Good Samaritan recognized for heroic efforts
The lives of three complete strangers became intertwined the morning of Oct. 25, 2011.
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Lion Project showing community pride
If you've been paying attention, you'll have noticed that new concrete lions are showing up all over town.
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Waggener Pool opening Saturday and Sunday
In an update to this story, the City announced plans today to open Waggener Community Pool earlier than originally planned due to expected high temperatures over Memorial Weekend. Mayor Mike Pavey has asked that the pool be open this coming Saturday and Sunday. Hours will be noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday. The pool will be closed on Monday for Memorial Day and Tuesday, and open again Wednesday, May 30, as was originally scheduled.
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Why do young white women risk cancer to be tan?
A CDC report out this month found that nearly one in three white women aged 18 to 25 had used a tanning booth in the previous year. White women aged 18 to 21 went the most often, averaging 27.6 sessions per year—that’s over two sessions per month—while nearly 70 percent said they had gone at least 10 times in the last year.
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Collision lands driver in Indy trauma center
A Milroy woman sustained serious injuries in a single vehicle accident on SR 244 west of Milroy that was reported shortly after 1 p.m. Monday.
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Todd resigns
Bill Todd (center) is pictured during a recent meeting of the Rush County Commissioners at which he formally announced that he had turned in his resignation as the Rush County Area Plan Director. Todd has served in the capacity of APC director since 1998.
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