NATIONAL NEWS

SCHS student is Presidential Scholar semifinalist Sevier County High School student Anne Calkins is one of only twelve Tennessee students that have been selected among the semifinalists in the annual Presidential Scholars award program. Of the 550 semifinalists selected nationwide, up to 141 students will be chosen as 2006 Presidential Scholars. The 2006 Presidential Scholars will be announced in May and invited to Washington to attend a ceremony at the White House where each scholar will receive a Presidential Scholar medallion. Midwest sees mumps outbreak A large, ongoing outbreak of mumps in the Midwestern United States serves as a timely reminder of the importance of ensuring complete immunization of all Tennessee infants, children and others at risk of vaccine-preventable diseases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a growing outbreak of mumps, with over 1,100 cases identified in eight states. Currently, no outbreak-associated cases have been identified in Tennessee.  The best protection against mumps is MMR vaccine. Many of the cases associated with this outbreak in other states have been in individuals who are unvaccinated or under-vaccinated. While it is usually not a fatal disease, a small number of infected people may develop meningitis, inflammation of the testes, deafness or other complications. For more information about immunizations, please visit the Department of Health’s Web site at http://www.tn.gov/health/. Tenn. doctor charged with prescription fraud The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has arrested a former Athens doctor and nine of his employees, patients, relatives and friends for prescription fraud and conspiracy to commit prescription fraud. Dr. Lorenzo Nichols turned himself in to the McMinn County Sheriff’s Department this afternoon. He is accused of writing unnecessary prescriptions for scheduled and legend (non-scheduled) narcotics such as hydrocodone, valium and zanax. In exchange for writing those prescriptions, a portion of those drugs were to be returned to the Doctor for his own personal use. Nichols’ medical license was suspended after the TBI’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit executed search warrants at his office and home, located on 446 County Road in Riceville. Prior to his move to Tennessee, Nichols was the subject of several civil suits related to the death of his brother-in-law who died from an overdose in Dr. Nichols’ Pikeville, KY home.