The Daily Journal from Franklin, Indiana • Page 5

INDIANAPOLIS Margaret Ruth (Puckett) Denning Benedict Margaret Ruth (Puckett) Denning Benedict, 77, died Sunday, Aug. 13, 2006, at her residence in Indianapolis. Survivors include five children, Otis Carl (Jean) Denning of Phoenix, Libby (Dave) Mote of Avon, Peggy (Larry) Needham of Brownsburg, Mary (Rodney) Larrison of Haines City, and Jackie (John) Howell of Indianapolis; 15 grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Vivian Delores and Otis Carl Puckett and two husbands, Floyd Denning and Thomas Benedict. Prayers will be conducted at 9:15 a.m.

Friday at G. H. Herrmann Madison Avenue Funeral Home, 5141 Madison Ave. in Indianapolis, with a funeral Mass to follow at 10 a.m. at Holy Rosary Catholic Church.

Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. Burial will be at Greenwood Cemetery. MARTINSVILLE Steven Arthur Bray Steven Arthur Bray, 60, passed away Monday, Aug. 14, 2006, at his home in Martinsville.

A son of the late Raymond and Neva (Perry) Bray, Steven was born June 19, 1946, Greenwood. He graduated from Center Grove High School. He served his country in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. He moved to Martinsville from Greenwood in 1998.

Expressions of sympathy may be sent to his daughter, Sarah Branham, at 57 N. Ninth Beech Grove, IN 46107. Other survivors include two grandsons, Christopher Etting and Alexander Branham; and a brother, Cecil Bray of Martinsville. There will be no public services prior to cremation. The Marshall Erlewein Funeral Home in Dublin has been entrusted with services.

FRANKLIN Randall L. Neely Randall L. Neely, 44, died July 22, 2006, at his residence in Franklin. Survivors include a son, Ben J. Neely of Edinburgh; and a brother, Wayne E.

Neely of Franklin. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dwight and Peggy (Bonnett) Neely. The Rev. Tom Knight will conduct a memorial service at 6 p.m. Saturday at Nineveh Christian Church, 1261 E.

County Road 775S in Nineveh. Friends may call from 2 p.m. until service time Saturday at the church. Eskew-Eaton Funeral Home in Edinburgh is handling arrangements. INDIANAPOLIS Diana Price Diana Price, 54, died Wednesday, Aug.

16, 2006. She was a resident of Indianapolis. Survivors include her husband, William L. Price; three children, Frannie Webber, Bill (Cris) Price and Josh Price; her mother, Mildred Hudson; a brother, LeRoy Hudson; two sisters, Donna Hiatt and Debi Giblin; and six grandchildren. A service will be conducted at 7 p.m.

Friday at Flanner Buchanan Funeral Center-Decatur Township, 5463 Kentucky Ave. in Indianapolis. Friends may call from 4 p.m. until service time Friday at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to Chapel Rock Christian Church, 2020 N.

Girls School Road, Indianapolis, IN 46214. Information: www.flanner buchanan.com GREENWOOD Pauline Anna Ramsey Pauline Anna Ramsey, 94, died Saturday, Aug. 12, 2006. She was a resident of Greenwood. She was preceded in death by her parents, Herman and Theresa (Kanyare) Wodtke.

A memorial service will be conducted at 7 p.m. Friday at Edgewood United Methodist Church, 1820 E. Epler Ave. in Indianapolis. Family Funeral Care in Indianapolis is handling arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, 6100 W. 96th Indianapolis, IN 46278. FRANKLIN Frances G. Switzer Frances G. Switzer, 97, passed away Tuesday, Aug.

15, 2006. She was a resident of Franklin and a former resident of Greenwood and Bargersville. She was born April 4, 1909, in Greene County to A.L. and Anna (Crabbe) Gore. She married William English Switzer on Feb.

5, 1936, in Bloomfield. He preceded her in death June 10, 1973. She also was preceded in death by her parents; and a sister, Lena Gore Sexton, who died Oct. 24, 1995. Frances and her late husband owned and operated Hoosier Tomatoes in Bargersville.

She also had served as clerk-treasurer of the town of Bargersville. A graveside service will take place at 1 p.m. today at Grandview Cemetery in Bloomfield. Online condolences may be sent to the Switzer family at www.wilsonstpierre.com. Arrangements have been entrusted to Wilson St.

Pierre Funeral Service Crematory, Vandivier- Tudor Chapel, in Franklin. Obituary policy The Daily Journal will publish free death notices for Johnson County area residents, former residents and close relatives of area residents. A free death notice contains basic information, including details about visitation and services, memorial contributions and some survivors. Families who want to include more information or include a photograph can purchase a custom obituary. Additional information may include memberships, employment, education and additional survivors.

The custom obituaries on this page have been paid for. The Daily Journal takes obituary information from funeral homes. The deadline for submitting obituaries to the Daily Journal is 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Sundays, the deadline is 1 p.m.

Franklin Randall L.Neely, 44 Frances G.Switzer, 97 Greenwood Pauline Anna Ramsey, 94 Indianapolis Margaret Benedict, 77 Diana Price, 54 Elsewhere Steven Arthur Bray, 60 DAILYJOURNAL www.thejournalnet.com THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2006 A5 DAILY JOURNAL, JOHNSON COUNTY, IND. Got a story idea? CCaallll nnoott 736-2712 A once-rare drug-resistant germ now appears to cause more than half of all skin infections treated in U.S. emergency rooms, say researchers who documented the startling spread in the general population. Many victims mistakenly thought they just had spider bites that heal, not drug- resistant staph bacteria. Only a decade ago, these germs were hardly ever seen outside of hospitals and nursing homes.

Doctors also were caught off- guard, most of them unwittingly prescribed medicines that do not work against the bacteria. is time for physicians to realize just how prevalent this said Dr. Gregory Moran of Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, who led the study. Another author, Dr. Rachel Gorwitz of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said: think no one was aware of the extent of the Skin infections can be life- threatening if bacteria get into the bloodstream.

Drug-resistant strains can also cause a vicious type of pneumonia and even wounds. The CDC paid for the study, published in New England Journal of Medicine. Several authors have consulted for companies that make antibiotics. Researchers analyzed all skin infections among adults who went to hospital emergency rooms in 11 U.S. cities in August 2004.

Of the 422 cases, 249, or 59 percent, were caused by methi- cillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. Such bacteria are impervious to the penicillin family of drugs long used for treatment. The proportion of infections due to MRSA ranged from 15 percent to as high as 74 percent in some hospitals. completely matches what our experience at Vanderbilt Hospital has said Dr. Buddy Creech, an infectious-disease specialist whose hospital was not included in the study.

what we see is a mom or dad brings their child in with what they describe as a spider bite not getting better or a pimple not getting and it turns out to be MRSA. The germ typically thrives in health-care settings where people have open wounds and tubes. But in recent years, outbreaks have occurred among prisoners, children and athletes, with the germ spreading through skin contact or shared items such as towels. Dozens of people in Ohio, Kentucky and Vermont recently got MRSA skin infections from tattoos. The good news: MRSA infections contracted outside a hospital are easier to treat.

The study found that several antibiotics work against them, including some sulfa drugs that have been around for decades. A separate study in the journal reports the effectiveness of Cubicin, an antibiotic recently approved to treat bloodstream infections and heart inflammation caused by MRSA. However, doctors need to test skin infections to see what germ is causing them, and to treat each one as if it were MRSA until test results prove otherwise, researchers said. have made a fundamental shift in pediatrics in our and now assume that every such case is the drug-resistant type, Creech said. ARILYNN ARCHIONE THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Resisting MRSA transmission Found in the nostrils and on skin of up to 30 percent of the population Gets into blood through open wounds or a tube inserted into the bloodstream Hand-washing is the main prevention since the bug is mainly spread by skin contact Wear masks, gloves and gowns for protection from infectious body fluids Isolate MRSA carriers in a private room or with other carriers Other germs ethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Adult emergency room skin infections, Aug.

2004 SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAP Study finds the spread of a An MRSA skin infection, first looking like a spider bite or pimple, can be life-threatening if it moves into the bloodstream. A study found the once-rare infection is on the rise. Drug-resistant infections on the rise in U.S. Deaths from driving drunk hold steady Federal traffic officials hope new ads promising arrest for drunken drivers will lower death statistics that have barely budged in a decade. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a report Wednesday that 39 percent of all traffic deaths last year involved alcohol.

A total of 16,885 people died in alcohol-related crashes in 2005, including pedestrians and cyclists, down just 0.2 percent from 16,919 in 2004. Fatal crashes involving at least one driver or motorcyclist with an illegal blood-alcohol level of 0.08 dropped more than 1 percent. But traffic deaths in crashes involving a blood-alcohol level of 0.15 were up nearly 1 percent. Safety officials said little progress has been made during the past decade. In hopes of changing that, they are launching an $11 million advertising campaign targeting male drivers ages 21 to 34, along with stepped- up enforcement through Labor Day, including sobriety checkpoints and additional patrols.

driving is one of deadliest crimes. Our message is simple: if you drive drunk, you will be said Maria Cino, acting U.S. secretary of transportation. Alcohol-related traffic deaths increased between 2004 and 2005 in 25 states, including Indiana. The Associated Press PEACHES NECTARINES Excellent For Eating, Baking, Canning Freezing INDIANA Mrs.

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17th 10am-7pm Fri. Aug 18th 10am-7pm Sat. Aug 19th 10am-5pm Discounts Up To Discounts Up To (Certain restrictions apply) OVADO ITIZEN ORENZO OT DIAMONDS FREE FOOD! Join us for hot dogs, hamburgers, nachos, popcorn FUN Win Prizes extra discounts! Donations benefit Riley Hospital for Children Annual Sale! Get A Great Deal! The Pointe Retail Centre 1263 North State Road 135, Greenwood (Corner of County Line Road St. Road 135) 317-888-7662 Diamonds! Diamonds! Diamonds! Gold, Platinum, Titanium Do you need additional copies of the Daily Journal for your family, friends or scrapbook? Limited back issues are available at our Customer Service Center, 2575 N. Morton St.

(U.S. 31) in Franklin. Weekday copies are 50 cents, and Weekend copies are $1 each, and can be picked up at the newspaper office or mailed to your home for a nominal fee. To reserve your copies, please call: 736-7101 DAILY JOURNAL EEPSAKES.