Palmer mayor hospitalized

June 9, 2006

By DAWN DE BUSK

Frontiersman

PALMER - Late Monday night, Palmer Mayor John Combs was transferred by ambulance from Mat-Su Regional Medical Center to Alaska Regional Hospital in Anchorage, where he was treated for a severe lung infection, according to Palmer City Clerk Janette Bower.

Combs still was in serious condition and in a total isolation unit on Thursday, according to Bower, who has been keeping in contact with the mayor's wife, Linda Combs.

&#8220It was such a severe infection in his lungs that they couldn't get it under control by antibiotics alone. They had to scrape the lining of his lungs,” Bower said. &#8220He is doing better, but it'll take a while for him to recover. It's going to be long road.”

Bower said Combs is expected to be released from Alaska Regional Hospital in about five days.

Combs was admitted to Alaska Regional

Hospital at 9:04 p.m. Monday, according to an unidentified employee there.

The hospital's official spokesperson, Kjerstin Lastu-fka, could confirm nothing, as she was bound by laws to maintain patient confidentiality.

Nor could the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center staff comment on why Combs could not be successfully treated at the Valley facility.

During a Saturday night phone interview about an unrelated subject, Combs said his ribs were hurting and it was painful to laugh, cough or sneeze.

When the Mat-Su Borough Assembly heard about Combs' hospitalization during its regular meeting Tuesday night, members suggested circulating a card or sending flowers for him.

&#8220He can't have any flowers at this time because he's in an isolation room,” Bower said, adding the mayor's wife could take any get-well cards or flowers and get those to him later. Linda Combs stayed the night in Anchorage the first few

days after her husband was hospitalized

Palmer City Council member Tony Pippel, who was elected by the council to serve as mayor pro tem, will fill in for Combs during upcoming council meetings and attend events to which Combs had committed, Bowers said.

&#8220My real job is to fill in for him to run meetings - to chair meetings in his absence,” Pippel said. &#8220I was asked to do a couple things like attend the Japanese Sister City thing, and I declined. I said another council member could do it.”

Pippel said he plans to be in the audience and not on a podium during Colony Days activities, which start today and run through this week-end. He said he prefers to be a spectator at the annual city celebration of its farm colony beginnings.

&#8220It's unfortunate that the mayor is ill,” Pippel said, &#8220but I'm not going to be the ceremonial mayor. He's a full-time guy, and it's important to have him attending these things. I would only do things that I think are really important to the city, or things I like to do. I would not be jealous if anyone else on the council stepped in to attend these functions while he's recovering.”

Contact Dawn De Busk at 352-2252, or dawn.debusk@ frontiersman.com.