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An eventful summer ahead
IN THIS ISSUE
— See inside for planned activities
BUSINESS NEWS A2 | POLITICS A6 | PUBLIC NOTICES A8 | OBITUARIES A12 EDUCATION B1 | SPORTS B9 | FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT B11
2022 — APA DIVISION D GENERAL EXCELLENCE DESIGNATION — 2023 COVERING LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA Vol. 16, No. 34 Opelika, Alabama Thursday, May 30, 2024 Your hometown newspaper created 'for local people, by local people.'
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REMEMBERING THOSE WHO GAVE ALL PHOTO BY ROBERT NOLES | THE OBSERVER
Opelika City Council President and Ward 4 Council Member Eddie Smith led those present during the Memorial Day Remembrance ceremony in the Pledge of Allegience.
See photos from Opelika’s ceremony and others on A14.
Local man recounts being infected with Lyme Disease BY DAN P. SCHMIDT FOR THE OBSERVER
RUSTY HERRING
LEE COUNTY — For months, the joint pain and swelling in Rusty Herring’s feet was excruciating. Even something as simple as a trip to the bathroom first thing in the morning became unbearable as he searched for what was causing his misery. Until last November, a battery of tests had failed to identify the culprit. Then, Herring, a 39-year-old chiropractor in Auburn, received the results of a more detailed blood test he outsourced to a company in California. He had Lyme disease, a tick-borne
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bacterial infection that can compromise joint, nervous system and heart health if left untreated. Despite suspecting he had Lyme disease since his symptoms first surfaced last September, the diagnosis brought a sense of relief nevertheless. While his recovery was initially slow, Herring is now as close to 100% as possible. Looking back now in hindsight, he characterized his improvement as nothing short of extraordinary. “Six months later, I’m now running around on the baseball field coaching my kids,” Herring said. “I feel really fortunate because for a lot of people, it doesn’t go that way and can be a lifelong struggle. My
day to day looks normal again now.” According to the Centers for Disease Control, state health departments reported more than 63,000 cases of Lyme disease in 2022 alone. Recent estimates also suggest upwards of 476,000 people may be diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease every year in the United States. While it is typically found in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic and upper-Midwest regions of the United States, it is also found in the South. It can also produce a variety of symptoms that include fever, a distinctive ovular or target-shaped rash, facial paralysis, an irregular heartbeat and arthritis. See LYME DISEASE, page A2
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Free outdoor concerts every Tuesday night, 7 p.m. at Opelika Municipal Park.
June 3 - Conner Lorre