Tennessee National Guard Soldiers are trained in various skills to accomplish their missions. Recently, that training had life saving results for a Lebanon, Tenn. resident.

Sgt. 1st Class Billy Markham, Jr., was walking through a Lebanon shopping center Dec. 5, when he heard an announcement come over the intercom, “If there is anyone who knows CPR, please come to the back of the store.”

Upon hearing the message, Markham, a transportation sergeant at Joint Force Headquarters, Tennessee National Guard, handed his

13-month-old daughter to his wife and rushed to the back of the Lebanon Wal-Mart, where he found a woman lying unconscious on the fl oor. “A manager was back there and told me that none of the employees knew CPR,” said Markham. Markham immediately took action.

“I checked her airway, and then another lady and I started CPR,” he said. “She started breathing, but I couldn’t feel a strong pulse.” After performing CPR for about 15 minutes, an ambulance arrived and took the injured woman to a nearby hospital.

“It seemed like forever

before the ambulance got there,” Markham said.

He continued going to the store to check on the condition of the woman, whom he found had suffered a massive heart attack.

“We heard from the hospital and she survived her surgery,” explained Markham, “she is expected to make a full recovery.”

For the quiet, unassuming Markham, CPR is just one of the many skills he was trained to do in the National Guard, and helping the stranger in need was not the fi rst time he had to put his training into action.

On April 15, 2009,

Markham’s youngest step-daughter, Brittney Mullins, was staying at his home when his wife called for help from the bathroom.

“Brittney was purple when I got in the bathroom. I tried putting her on her side, but she still didn’t start breathing,” recalled Markham.

He was able to feel a pulse and did get her to start breathing again, continuing CPR until the ambulance arrived. A brain tumor was discovered after Brittney was rushed to the hospital that evening.

“She had surgery and she is close to a full

recovery,” he said.Markham reacted

quickly in these tough situations. He said, “I

hope to never have to do this again, but I will if somebody needs help.”

Page A16— The Brownsville States-Graphic, Thursday, December 23, 2010

See how the little changes add up.

Brownsville Utility DepartmentIt’s so cold, and cold weather means high electric bills. Why? The colder it is the more your heating unit has to work to keep your home warm. Try setting your thermostat to a reasonable setting and using conventional heating methods, such as candles and blankets, to make up for the lack of heat.

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fridayDecember 31

THE FIREHOUSE3302 Hwy 70W•Brownsville, TN

(731)772-8193(StatePoint) Cash or credit? It’s probably one of the most important decisions you’ll make this holiday shopping season.

Almost half of consumers expect to charge an average of $100 to $500 more than usual on their credit cards during the holidays, according to a recent myFICO.com survey. And for many people it will take up to six months to pay off these bills.

“It’s important to not get caught up in the season and overspend during the holidays,” said Michael McAuliffe, president of the non-profi t Family

Credit Management Services. “Charging your purchases is not the problem. Emotional or impulse spending is the problem, and credit cards simply make it easier.”

The experts at Family Credit Management are offering some tips to help avoid sinking into extra debt this season:

* Create a detailed holiday shopping budget this year by listing how much you will spend on every person on your list. Then total the amounts. If the total is too high, decide whether to scale back on the purchases or give to few people.

Whatever you do, make sure it’s a realistic budget that you won’t regret after the holidays.

* Avoiding “window shopping” (in-store or online), which increases the temptation to buy items not on your list. But when you are shopping, either locally or online, check out coupon websites and in-store discounts to see if they apply to your list.

* When shopping online beware of “ r e c o m m e n d a t i o n software” that convinces you to buy things that a few minutes earlier you didn’t even know existed.

If your life was fi ne fi ve minutes ago without it, you don’t need it now.

* Use a debit card instead of credit, but make sure you know how much is in your account -- you don’t want to bounce checks or be charged overdraft fees.

* Steer clear of new department store credit card offers of immediate savings. They usually charge higher interest rates than the major cards such as Visa or Mastercard and will simply add to your debt. Just opening one may negatively affect your credit score.

* Make your own

gifts. The most cherished gifts are frequently the “heirloom gifts,” passed down through family members. Or you can use your existing talents and skills to create thoughtful gifts, such as writing a short story for your favorite niece and nephew.

For additional holiday shopping tips, general money management tips or a spending plan, visit www.familycredit.org.

Steering clear of unneeded, excess debt is one of the best gifts you can give yourself.

SFC Billy Markham, Jr., helped save the life of a Lebanon, TN woman who suffered a heart attack in a local shopping center. Markham serves as a transportation sergeant at Joint Force Headquarters, Tennessee National Guard. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Robin Olsen.)

Tennessee Guard Soldier helps save woman’s life

Don’t Overspend This Holiday Season