2. Her ovary was removed. She
underwent radiation, chemother-
apy and interferon treatments.
She lost her hair.
Wednesday, worse news came.
The family learned Tammy
has 22 spots of cancer on her
brain.
“It’s like a big step backward
for us,” Mark said.
Throughout the ordeal, the
hardest part for Tammy has been
the time spent away from her
two children — Logan, 7, and
Kayla, 5 — and her dog, Buzz.
“Those kids are my life,” she
said from her hospital room
Wednesday. “I miss everything
— even the naughty little stuff
that they do.”
Tammy and Kayla are best
friends, Mark said.
The kids know mom is sick,
but they don’t know how sick.
“Even if they did, I don’t
know how much you’d want
them to know,” said Mark, who
works for Aeromark in Hastings.
The Verbeck family spends as
much time together as possible.
Mark, Logan and Kayla go to the
hospitaleverynighttovisitTammy.
“He’s (Mark) doing all right,”
Tammy said. “Some days I think
I hold up better than he does.”
Because of Tammy’s illness,
visitors must wear masks and
wash their hands, and contact is
limited.
“They (Kayla and Logan)
can’t touch her and they don’t
understand that,” Mark said.
“She can’t even give me a hug
or a kiss or the kids. I think
what’s going on now is the
hardest. It’s the hardest on the
kids — you go to reach for
mommy’s hand and she pulls
away and you can’t touch her or
hug her. That’s the worst.”
Should Tammy contract even
a simple cold, it could prove
deadly.
BIG SUPPORT SYSTEM
Whenshespeaksofthesupport
and well-wishes she’s received
from everyone around her,
Tammy’s eyes well up with tears.
“I’ve got so much support
that I can’t believe it myself,”
Tammy said.
The Verbeck family has
remained positive and plans to
stay that way.
“I guess it’s life itself,” she
said. “I try not to think nega-
tive. Even with the news this
morning — that’s something I
can’t do. I don’t want to start
giving up. I can’t. Mom’s got to
be there for her kids.”
To offset the rising medical
bills, friends and family have
organized a benefit for Verbeck
at 1 p.m. Sunday at Little Jake’s
Dancin’ Country, 1104 W. J St.
The Verbecks do have insur-
ance, but it doesn’t cover every-
thing. Tammy has had to quit her
job at Good Samaritan Village.
Funds raised during the bene-
fit — which includes a meal,
silent auction and music from
local band Shifter — will be
used for medical and travel
expenses. If funds remain after
Tammy’s treatment, they will be
donated to another cancer
patient in need.
Local business have donated
items for the silent auction and
raffle.
“You don’t really realize how
many friends you actually have
until something like this hap-
pens and they step up,” Mark
said. “It’s just amazing.”
It is unknown if Tammy will
able to attend the benefit.
“I’m going to talk to them
(the doctors) to see if she can
just go for an hour,” Mark said,
“so at least she can see how
many people are there.”
MISSING OUT
Tammy was admitted back
into the hospital Monday
because she had been running a
fever and her white blood cell
count was high.
“We don’t know how long
she’ll be here in the hospital,”
Mark said.
Being in and out of the hospi-
tal, Tammy said she misses the
little things, like waking Logan
and Kayla up for school, cook-
ing and cleaning.
“This last time I got out of the
hospital I had a hard time keep-
ing my house clean,” she said.
Now, she says, she just wants
to get better so she can take care
of her kids.
Both are being held in the
Hall County Jail because the
Adams County Jail is at capaci-
ty.
Adams County Sheriff’s
Office drug investigator Glenn
Kemp said investigators busted
the meth lab at 125 E. Fourth St.
around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Investigators allegedly found
1.77 pounds of meth, 6 ounces
of crystal meth, a loaded .40-cal-
iber handgun and $4,000 cash.
Also found was 8 pounds of
MSM, a chemical used for the
treatment of horses. MSM is
sometimes used to stretch
meth.
Lazaro-Mendez and Solano,
who both are Mexican nation-
als, were arrested and taken into
custody. Kemp said two other
Mexican nationals in the house
were taken into custody by U.S.
Immigration and Customs
Enforcement. A woman also
was in the house but was not
taken into custody.
Kemp said investigators
learned that the house could be
the site of a meth manufactur-
ing lab during a traffic stop by a
Hall County Sheriff’s deputy.
Investigators then sought a
search warrant in Adams
County Court.
The Adams County Special
Response Team served the war-
rant because of information
that Lazaro-Mendez likely had
weapons.
The Tri-Cities Drug Task
Force, Adams County
Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska
State Patrol, Hastings Police
Department and Adams
County Attorney’s Office
cooperated on the bust.
While serving the search war-
rant, investigators received a
call at the house from a man
asking to make a drug deal,
according to an affidavit filed in
Adams County Court.
The man, John W. Norden,
36, of Aurora allegedly called
the house and stated he was
looking for compensation for
work he did on a Chevrolet
Lumina. He asked the investiga-
tor to “hook me up,” the affi-
davit states, with “a quarter
pound with cheese.”
After multiple phone conver-
sations, investigators set up a
meeting time with Norden at
Fourth Street and California
Avenue, in which Norden
allegedly believed he was going
to be given meth.
Norden was arrested in the
parking lot of Alcott School at
11:45 p.m., the affidavit states.
He also was arrested on eight
outstanding warrants.
Norden appeared in Adams
County Court Thursday on a
charge of attempted possession
of meth.
Adams County Judge Jack Ott
appointed a public defender in
Norden’s case. Bond was set at
10 percent of $5,000. He is
scheduled to appear in court
again at 9 a.m. Nov. 14 to enter
a plea.
Meanwhile, Ott set Lazaro-
Mendez’s bond at $250,000
cash or surety and set Solano’s
at $100,000 cash or surety.
If either of the two post bond,
they are not to have contact
with the other.
Lazaro-Mendez and Solano
were appointed public defend-
ers.
A preliminary hearing was
scheduled for both of them at 9
a.m. Nov. 7.
Possession of methampheta-
mine with intent to distribute is
a Class 3 felony punishable by
up to 20 years in prison and a
$25,000 fine.
Possession of a firearm while
manufacturing, distributing,
delivering or possessing meth is
a Class 4 felony punishable by
up to five years in prison and a
$10,000 fine.
Attempted possession of
meth is a Class 1 misdemeanor
punishable by up to one year in
jail and a $1,000 fine.
A6 HASTINGS TRIBUNE
Friday, Oct. 31, 2003
ANNUAL
EARLY BIRD
S A L E !Our Biggest Sale of the Year!
SAVINGS START AT 8 AM!
Saturday, November 1st
* Comparative Prices
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NOW HIRING!
JOIN The
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Store Manager
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Imperial Mall
DOORS
OPEN AT
8AM!
The Early Bird Saves the Most!
E
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8AM TO 9AM
30%
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ENTIRE
STORE*
9AM TO NOON
E
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ENTIRE STORE*
NOON TO 7PM
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ENTIRE STORE*
Imperial Mall, Hastings
Specializing in Women’s
Health Care for 25 Years
• Gynecologic Assessments & Surgery
• Menopausal & Hormonal Problems
• Routine & High Risk Pregnancy
• Infertility Evaluations
• Routine Health Care
• Annual Exams
Call for an appointment
402-463-6793 or 800-742-3305
OBSTETRICIANS AND
GYNECOLOGISTS, P.C.
2115 N. Kansas Ave., Hastings, NE
Barbara Peckham, C.N.M Rebecca Wells, C.N.M Georgie Evans, A.P.R.N.
George M. Adam, M.D. Todd A. Pankratz, M.D.Terence K. Foote, M.D.
Byrd has said she wrote the
checks as a contingency plan in
case the state’s new accounting
systemfailedwhenitcameonline
in March and she wasn’t able to
pay expenses related to mailing
out child support payments.
The e-mail defended her
actions.
“One thing is for sure, what
ever (sic) the Treasurer knew
about the ’NEW’ system
scarred (sic) her enough to risk
her job,” the e-mail said.
The e-mail said many people
knew there were problems but
were afraid to speak up for fear
of losing their jobs.
“So we have to smile, put a
good face on it and lie,” the let-
ter said.
The author took issue with
comments made in a Sept. 25
AP article by accounting direc-
tor Paul Carlson and Tom
Conroy, project director of the
new accounting system.
In the article, Conroy said most
of the problems associated with
the new system were due to state
employees trying to learn the pro-
gram, not flaws in the system.
“It is an insult to any state
employee who has struggled
with the accounting system to
blame problems on the employ-
ees learning the system is a slap
in the face,” the e-mail said.
Lazaro-
Mendez Solano
Meth: Two arrests made in bustContinued from page A1
BRENT McCOWN/Tribune
This house at 125 E. Fourth St. was the scene of the meth bust Wednesday eveing.
Benefit: Event to help mom, family
Continued from page A1
Investigation:
More letters sent
Continued from page A1
3. B5
HASTINGS TRIBUNE
Friday, Oct. 31, 2003
Markets
Friday’s noon
local markets
Wheat . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.37
Corn . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.27
Milo . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.25
Soybeans . . . . . . . . . .7.52
Stocks of local interest
The following stocks of local interest were
traded today on the New York Stock
Exchange and Nasdaq:
Last Chg.
Alltel
BN Santa Fe
Berkshire Hathaway A
Berkshire Hathaway B
ConAgra
Commercial Federal
Dana Corp.
Eaton Corp.
Ingersoll Rand
Kinder Morgan
Level 3
McDonald’s
Gilbralter Packaging
PepsiCo
Papa John’s
TierOne
Tricon Global Restaurants
Union Pacific
Wells Fargo
Williams Cos.
Wal-Mart
47.16 -0.02
28.93 -0.01
78,000 +50.00
2,600.00 -0.10
23.81 +0.15
25.91 -0.08
16.24 +0.10
99.96 -0.02
60.21 -0.57
53.56 +0.58
5.51 +0.03
24.98 +0.25
2.25 0.00
48.05 +0.04
26.76 +1.16
23.71 +0.15
34.02 +0.06
62.30 -0.47
55.76 +0.38
10.05 0.00
58.95 +0.15
PROGRAM BEING
DOWNLINKED
TO COLLEGE PARK
Hastings Tribune
A University of Nebraska
research symposium Nov. 13
will provide agribusiness profes-
sionals and producers the latest
information in research and
crop management.
The symposium, which origi-
nates in Lincoln, will run from
9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with registra-
tion starting at 8:30. The pro-
gram will be broadcast via satel-
lite to four downlink sites across
the state, including College Park
in Grand Island.
The symposium is designed
for crop consultants, seed corn
representatives, agronomists,
producers and others who make
crop management decisions.
Presenters include NU faculty,
specialists and researchers.
Symposium co-sponsors
include NU Cooperative
Extension and the Nebraska
Agri-Business Association.
Topics are to include:
x an update on the Nebraska
Soil Fertility Project
x the NU soybean breeding
program
x irrigation water allocation
x starter fertilizer for no-till
corn and grain sorghum
x a new simulation model for
understanding corn yield and
making management decisions
x irrigated pastures
x what it takes to produce
identity-preserved grain
x replacing forage lost by
drought
x refuge acres for insect resist-
ance management
x Roundup Ready corn
Certified crop advisers can
receive five continuing educa-
tion credit hours for attending
the symposium. They and
members of the Nebraska Agri-
Business Association will receive
a registration discount.
A discount also is available for
those who register by Nov. 1.
For more information call
(402) 476-1528.
Ag symposium
set for Nov. 13The drug produced by
Elanco Animal Health in
Indianapolis has come
under scrutiny since the
accidental death of
Saronville farmer Rourk
Erickson in March.
Although there is no way
to avoid every possible acci-
dent, Elanco officials say
they believe they have a
good product.
Dennis Erpelding, manag-
er of government relations,
public affairs and communi-
cations at Elanco, said his
company continues to work
on making sure Micotil is
administered more safely.
Despite the Erickson acci-
dent and other deaths
worldwide, Erpelding said
there’s no reason to stop
selling the drug.
“Our deepest condolences
to the family,” Erpelding
said. “It is a tragic and very
unfortunate accident. We
already have a very strin-
gent approval process, and
the drug can be properly
handled. We feel very confi-
dent this product can be
handled safely on the farm.”
Micotil’s overall safety record is good — nearly 2,400 acci-
dental injections, scratches and other accidents reported
worldwide between 1992 and 2000, and just one reported
accidental death.
Despite the safety record, however, the drug and the
Elanco laboratory in Indianapolis have been under Food and
Drug Administration pressure in recent years.
EYE ON ELANCO
As it does with all companies and products, the FDA mon-
itors how Elanco produces and markets Micotil and other
drugs.
The drug is used to treat upper respiratory disease in cattle.
It has been attributed to 13 reported human deaths, includ-
ing two this year.
Stephen Sundlof, director of the Center for Veterinary
Medicine, said discussions about Micotil are ongoing with
Elanco officials.
“We have been in contact with Elanco to find out if there
are ways to ensure (accidental death) doesn’t happen again,”
Sundlof said. “At this point, it (the Erickson accident) is an
isolated event. In working with Elanco, we think they have
good suggestions to make sure the message gets across.”
Sundlof said that includes conducting additional outreach
programs to veterinarians, farmers and ranchers who prescribe
and administer Micotil.
MICOTIL’S FUTURE
Since Erickson’s death, Erpelding said Elanco has stepped up
its efforts to make sure safety information about Micotil is
made available to consumers.
Elanco has created laminated dosage cards, as well as a
client information sheet attached to the drug that outlines
necessary safety precautions.
Even before the accident, Erpelding said, customers received
informational dispensing pads, and Elanco representatives
have been active in discussing Micotil’s dangers with cus-
tomers and veterinarians.
In recent years, Elanco installed a plastic shroud around the
250-milliliter Micotil glass bottles to make them easier to handle.
The company has also developed an injection administra-
tion kit for hand-operated syringes that allows multiple dos-
ing and reduces the number of needle/skin exposures.
Despite efforts to ensure the drug is handled safely, an inves-
tigation into Erickson’s death found a general, laid-back atti-
tude prevalent among some Nebraska veterinarians and con-
sumers when it comes to handling the drug.
According to an Aug. 18 report compiled by Art Davis, an
occupational safety investigator for the state of Nebraska who
investigated the Erickson accident, only some veterinarians
“always warn” their customers of Micotil’s dangers.
Among customers, most of them reported they had been
warned about the drug at one time but had become “compla-
cent” until Erickson’s death.
Davis reports that some users have traveled “many miles”
with loaded syringes of Micotil.
The study found that the majority of the time, those people
who administer Micotil place the syringes in bib overall pock-
ets, toss them on the pickup dashes, lay them on nearby seats
or place them in saddle bags.
Erpelding said he wasn’t aware the drug was being handled
in that manner.
“There is training out there, and it would be surprising if
people didn’t have access to those programs,” he said. “We’ve
made a sincere effort from day one that if we hear specific con-
cerns, we address those.”
NO ANTIDOTES
The FDA has come under fire by the Erickson family and
others for not requiring drug companies to produce antidotes
for drugs that are fatal to humans.
The Erickson family learned Micotil does not have an anti-
dote as Rourk Erickson fought for his life at Mary Lanning
Memorial Hospital in Hastings.
According to a statement from the FDA, antidotes general-
ly are not needed if label directions are followed.
“Few drugs available to livestock producers are significantly
dangerous at normal use levels,” according to the FDA.
“Therefore, in most cases no antidote is needed. If a drug can
present a risk to human users, (Center for Veterinary
Medicine) typically requires warnings on the labeling.
Veterinarians and others who might use the product must
understand the dangers and take whatever precautions are
appropriate.”
Dr. Irving Rossoff, a nationally renown toxicologist and
author of the Handbook of Veterinary Drugs and Chemicals,
said for all of the criticism the FDA receives when things go
wrong, the bureaucracy is in place for a reason.
“TheFDAisdoingagoodjobinmanyareas,”Rossoffsaid.“We
have to understand that we need the FDA. But you do get some
within the bureaucracy who don’t give a damn about justice.
“But we can’t legislate against everything.”
In October 2002, Elanco was ordered to stop using a series
of ads because they “fail to include brief summary of infor-
mation relating to the side effects, contraindications and
effectiveness. … These omissions would cause your drug
product to be misbranded. … ”
That order came as a result of brochures provided to
the FDA as an attachment to an adverse drug experi-
ence report.
Similar violations had been committed as far back as
1999.
According to an FDA letter to Elanco dated Oct. 12,
1999, the company filed a “misleading” brochure about
the drug along with a drug experience report dated Aug.
20, 1999.
Elanco bases the drug’s clinical effectiveness on “in
vitro” data, or outside a living body. The FDA letter states
that since in vitro information does not speak to a drug’s
effectiveness, the advertising claim made was “false or
misleading.”
The FDA also warned Elanco that the brochure “fails to
present a balance of information in the body of the text. That
is, the efficacy information in the body of the text is not fair-
ly balanced with risk information.”
The federal government ordered the company to stop using
the brochure.
A similar warning was issued in December 1999, when the
FDA found a Micotil ad appearing in an October 1999 issue of
Beef Magazine was “not fairly balanced.” The FDA ordered
Elanco to stop using the ad.
LABORATORY VIOLATIONS
In September 2002, several violations were uncovered dur-
ing three FDA inspections at Elanco’s Indianapolis laboratory,
conducted between March 12, 2002, and March 22, 2002.
According to a FDA warning letter dated Sept. 12, 2002,
Elanco was cited for a failure to report adverse drug experi-
ences related to the swine drug, Paylean.
Those violations were uncovered during an FDA review of
Elanco telephone records, that showed at least 23 customer
calls reporting adverse drug experiences were received but not
reported to the FDA by the company.
A major drug company employee who chose to
remain anonymous told the Tribune that drug compa-
ny employees are required by law to report any and all
drug experiences.
“For example, even if I hear about someone having a reac-
tion to a drug,” he said, “and it’s being told to me by a public
citizen, say out on the street, at a cocktail party, wherever, I am
obligated to report it to my pharmacovigilance unit. Point
being that Elanco, even if it hears about an ADE (adverse drug
experience), they must report it.”
The FDA learned in 2002 that Elanco did not provide proof
that employees in charge of processing veterinary drug expe-
rience complaints had proper training qualifying them for
those duties.
Certain Elanco employees were collecting data during
research into new animal drugs when they were not author-
ized to do so according to laboratory protocol.
A warning letter to Elanco from the FDA suggests that there
may be “serious” problems with the company.
“This letter is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of
deficiencies at your facility,” the letter states. “It is your
responsibility to ensure adherence to each requirement
of the Act and its regulations. The specific violations
noted in this letter may be symptomatic of serious
underlying problems.”
Continued from page A1
Continued from page A1
FDA: Companywarnedin1999
aboutunfairadvertisingpractices
Agri/Business
Breaking
Silencethe
Business
STATE OFFICER
Dena Beck, Minden Chamber
of Commerce manager, now has
additional duties as secretary of
the Nebraska Association of
Resource Conservation &
Development Councils.
Beck was chosen for the state
position at the association’s
annual meeting in Nebraska
City Oct. 9. In addition to her
job with the Minden Chamber,
she is vice president of the
South Central RC&D Council.
RC&D councils are nonprofit
organizations set up to work on
improving the quality of life for
residents in their areas. They
work in partnership with the
U.S. Department of Agriculture
to promote community and
economic development.
The South Central RC&D
Council has its office in
Doniphan. Its membership
includes representatives from
cities and villages, counties,
coummunity organizations,
utilities, natural resources dis-
tricts, other nonprofits, and
interested individuals.
Whom do you call if you
have a potential story for
print?
The answer, of course,
is the Hastings Tribune or
an authorized
representative.
Listed below are
Tribune correspondents
and phone numbers. If
you have a news tip, a
news story, or a picture
possibility, call the
correspondent nearest
you.
He or she will get the
information to the
Tribune as soon as
possible. If your
community isn’t
represented drop the
Tribune a line at Box 788,
Hastings, NE 68902, if you
would like to be a
correspondent or know
someone who would be
interested.
Sometimes we miss a
story because no one took
the time to call us. Here’s
your chance to make sure
your community is
covered in the Tribune.
What’s New In Your Area?
Give the Tribune a Call
Town Correspondent Phone
Blue Hill, NE 68930.......Susan Danehey.........(402) 756-4847
Box 368
Esbon, KS 66941 .............Lesa Peroutek ..........(785) 725-4871
Rt. 1, Box 15
Fairbury, NE 68352 .......Denise Andersen ....(402) 729-3916
56040 716 Road
Fairmont, NE 68354.......Dave Carew...............(402) 268-7691
1000 I. Monroe Street
Geneva, NE 68361 ..........Dianne Girmus ........(402) 759-3643
511 N. 9th
Lawrence, NE 68957......Leonard Haba...........(402) 756-7391
6525 E. Silver Lake Rd (402) 462-9509
Harvard, NE 68944 ........Lisa K. Hiatt .............(402) 772-2062
P.O. Box 111
Red Cloud, NE 68970 ....Barbara Tupper .......(402) 746-3589
242 W. 3rd
Superior, NE 68978 .......Donna Christensen .(402) 879-3865
945 E. Second St.
Stamford, NE 68977 ......Diana Lambson .......(308) 868-3545
Box 104
Superior, NE 68978 .......Beth Bohling ............(402) 879-3494
1345 Commercial
Upland, NE 68981-9723 Ivan Schoone ............(402) 756-0217
Rt. 1, Box 62
Byron, NE 68325 ............C. J. Gehle .................(402) 236-8728
Rt. 2, Box 22
Sutton, NE 68979 ...........Beth Bartell ..............(402) 773-5537
P.O. Box 1
REGIONAL EDITOR
Hastings, NE 68902 .......Andy Raun ................(402) 461-1251
P.O. Box 788
JENNIFERK KALVELAGE/Tribune
