Visit healthyklamath.org to learn more.

Start Now:Cervical cancer can often be found early and sometimes even be prevented entirely, by having regular Pap tests. If detected early, cervical cancer is one of the most successfully treatable cancers.

Early DEtEctioNCervical cancer is a common cancer that has a very high cure rate when caught early, typically by way of Pap tests. 8 of 10 women in Klamath County have had a Pap test in the past three years.

Herald and NewsSaturdayMarch 29, 2014

Suzanna Hartl, 48

— See page A4

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DAILY BRIEFING ONLINE INDEX OBITUARYLike our Facebook page and leave us a comment at facebook.com/HandN.

Follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates at twitter.com/HandN_news.

Klamath Advocate: Fire chief has a lot on his plate

Bonanza Fire Chief Bob Tyree has seen most everything after 30 years with the Bonanza Volun-teer Fire Department. Helping out the community is his main priority. See page A2.

New software to connect citizens with the city

City Manager Nathan Cherpeski hopes a civic engagement software system, Open Town Hall, could help bolster interaction with city residents on a variety of issues that affect them. See page A4.

Vol. No. 23,581

On heraldandnews.com: For breaking news updates, go to www.heraldandnews.com

Klamath County’s low birth weight rates are among the highest in the state.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, a pregnant woman may increase her chances of having a

low birth weight baby through a variety of lifestyle risk factors including smoking, drinking alcohol, lack of weight

gain during pregnancy, if the woman is younger than 15 year or older than 35, exposed to air pollution or contami-

nated drinking water, or if the pregnant woman’s lifestyle includes social and economic factors such as low income, low

education level, stress, domestic violence or other abuse, and if she is unmarried.

All of those risk factors come in to play for Klamath expectant mothers. Using rates from the website healthyklamath.org, which collects information from the Oregon Health Authority, the rate of Klamath County mothers who smoked during pregnancy in 2012 was 19.6 percent, again one of the highest rates in the state.

Poverty and teen pregnancy rates in Klamath County are high as well, as is the number of single-parent households.

Dr. Linda Walker, an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Sky Lakes Women’s Health Clinic, said those statistics are concerning.

“A lot of it depends on how people take care of themselves dur-ing pregnancy,” Walker said.

Advice for expectant mothers

“Indestructible”Manicure

“Mani Q” Products$18 ($35 Value)

Manicure with Massage and

Nail Polish $11 (Reg. $25)

By TRISTAN HIEGLERH&N staff reporter

A Klamath Falls woman has been arrested and charged with conspiring to murder her ex-hus-band in 2012.

Carla Louise Clark, 66, was arrested Wednesday on a warrant for criminal conspira-cy (conspiring to mur-der) and on metham-phetamine possession. The conspiracy charge stems from an alleged deal struck between Clark and former neighbor Zane Ster-ling Skeen, 35, to kill Clark’s ex-husband, Larry “Wayne” Clark, 65, whose body was found at his home on Lindley Way in 2013.

According to Cole Chase, deputy district attorney, Clark promised money to Skeen in exchange for murdering her former spouse. A warrant was issued for her arrest March 20.

Ex-wife arrested

Murder for hire

Woman charged with conspiring to kill ex-husband

See ARREST, page A3

See BABIES, page A3

Clark

Editor’s note: This is part one of a two-part series on infant mortality and infant health care in Klamath County. Part two

will print in the Sunday edition of the Herald and News.

By NORA AVERY-PAGE : H&N Staff Reporter

First Trimester1. Hydrate.

2. Initiate early prenatal care.

3. Start a prenatal vitamin with folate and DHA prior to conception if possible or when you get a positive pregnancy test.

4. Make sure you know what foods you cannot eat. Cold cuts and deli meats, raw meats like sushi, unpasteurized products such as soft cheeses and some juices, and some fish are off limits.

Second Trimester1. Hydrate — it will help your skin and baby.

2. Watch out for pre-term labor; Braxton-Hicks contractions are usually felt as mild tightening without pain. If you start to feel more than six contractions lasting more than 20 seconds in an hour along with cramping or pressure, get off your feet, hydrate, take a warm bath or shower if possible and see what happens. If you continue to have the contractions, call your doctor right away.

Third Trimester1. Hydrate to avoid pre-term contractions.

2. Do kick counts; once a day starting in the third trimester, you should feel the baby move at least 10 times. Pick the baby’s most active time and start count-ing. If it takes more than two hours to count 10 movements, call your doctor.

3. Swollen feet are often a normal change in pregnancy associated with the pressure on the pelvis as the baby gets bigger.

Dr. Linda Walker’s pregnancy care tips, by trimester

Read about more pregnancy care tips for each trimester on page A3.

Showers52/31

Page C8 empowering the community ❘ www.heraldandnews.com — Klamath Falls, Oregon — 75 cents

Low birth weight worries

Klamath County’s low birth weight rates are among the

highest in the state.

By TRISTAN HIEGLERH&N staff reporter

The fire that ravaged a home in the 2200 block of Greensprings Drive Thursday night has been deemed accidental in nature. Pro-pane heaters are being cited as the cause.

Lt. Dusty Turner, Klamath County Fire District No. 4 fire investigator, said propane heat-ers placed too close to combustible materials on the home’s back porch seem to have caused the blaze.

House fireruled as accidentPropane tank explodes

See FIRE, page A6

‘A lot of it depends on how people take care of themselves

during pregnancy.’ Dr. Linda Walker, obstetrician and gynecologist

at Sky Lakes Women’s Health Clinic

NCAA Sweet 16 roundup● Michigan State v. Virginia: 61-59

● Michigan v. Tennessee: 73-71

● Connecticut v. Iowa State: 81-76

● Kentucky v. Louisville: 74-69

Oregon Tech baseball

See page B1

OIT misses out on chance to hand No. 3 Lewis-Clark State College a loss in Friday’s doubleheader