DATE: Tuesday, March 18, 1997               TAG: 9703180311

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B2   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

                                            LENGTH:   76 lines

ALBEMARLE

ELIZABETH CITY

ONCOLOGIST JOINS CENTER: Albemarle Regional Cancer Center has announced the addition of radiation oncologist Judith C. Blevins.

Blevins received her bachelor of science degree from Virginia Tech and her medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk.

She was an assistant professor at EVMS in its Department of Radiation Oncology and is a member of several medical associations.

Her office is located in the Albemarle Regional Cancer Center at 1144A North Road St. in Elizabeth City. The telephone number is 331-1900.

NAGS HEAD

INTERN WINS WRITING AWARDS: Jennifer McMenamin, a summer intern for The Virginian-Pilot in Nags Head, and a student at the University of Maryland, was recently named a winner of the Society of Professional Journalists' Region 2 Mark of Excellence, and was honored at an awards reception in Washington, D.C.

McMenamin won second place for Spot News Reporting for ``Some Hold Fast Before Hurricane,'' an article written for The Virginian-Pilot. She took second place honors also for In-Depth Reporting for ``Tales That Will Blow You Away,'' that appeared in The Carolina Coast section of The Virginian-Pilot. ``Mikulski Still Fights for the Underdogs,'' an article in The Prince George's Journal, won McMenamin third place for Feature Writing.

REGIONAL

JONES APPOINTED: House National Security Committee Chairman Floyd D. Spence, Monday announced the appointment of Congressman Walter B. Jones as vice chairman of the Research and Development Subcommittee for the 105th Congress.

``His hard work and dedication has been critical to the committee's goal to ensure that America's military remains second to none,'' Spence said.

``This appointment will mean a great deal to the people of eastern North Carolina,'' Jones said. ``The R&D Subcommittee controls a number of programs and weapons systems which are vital to our North Carolina military bases.''

AMNESTY FOR SEPTIC POLLUTERS: State residents with septic systems illegally discharging directly into creeks and streams may be eligible for assistance without fear of punishment.

Those who have been ``straight-piping'' have until the end of the year to turn themselves in and voluntarily install or repair a septic system without fear of legal repercussions, such as penalities or court action.

Those who do report the problem will receive technical help from the state Division of Environmental Health, including a site visit, recommendations for repairs and possible identification of funding sources for those unable to cover the repair costs.

The division will accept reports of failing systems or illegal discharges belonging to others, but amnesty will apply only when the person owning or controlling the property reports the problem.

To report failing systems, call 1-800-9SEWAGE. When calling, be prepared to give the owner's name, county, directions to the property, mailing address, phone number and nature of the problem or violation.

The ``straight-pipe'' initiative is part of Gov. James B. Hunt's Year of the Mountains package to improve water quality and promote tourism and economic development.

CANNED TUNA WARNING: The North Carolina Department of Agriculture's Food and Drug Protection Division is warning consumers with sulfite-sensitive asthma or other sulfite sensitivities not to eat white (albacore) or light canned tuna at this time.

The FDA said some canned tuna may contain sulfites not declared on the product labels. Sulfites and sulfiting agents are added to many foods as preservatives.

The white tuna is safe for anyone not suffering from sulfite sensitivities, according to a news release from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.

The sulfites apparently were contained, but not declared, in hydrolyzed vegetable protein, which is a raw material added to tuna to enhance its flavor.

The FDA is investigating, in cooperation with the tuna industry, how the canned tuna labels went unmarked.

For more information, call 1-800-283-1112.

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