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November 21, 2009

Swine flu kills area teacher

A kindergarten teacher at a Columbiana, Ohio, elementary school has died from complications of H1N1.

Cathleen Wagner, 55, of Columbiana, taught first and third grades at Dixon Early Learning Center for 30 years. She died at the Cleveland Clinic on Wednesday morning.

According to the Salem News, Wagner had originally called off for bronchitis about four weeks ago, but sickened, and had battled with the illness since.

Clergy and grief counselors were on hand Wednesday and today to help staff and students cope with the situation.

Her husband, Raymond Wagner, also is a teacher in the district.

According to the Salem News, Cathleen Wagner is the first Columbiana County resident confirmed to have died of H1N1 complications.

No one else in the school district has been diagnosed with H1N1, said superintendent Don Mook, who noted that the custodial staff began preparing in August to contain the spread of the virus.

Mook assured that precautions had been followed and continue to be conducted to help prevent illness, with the custodial staff nightly disinfecting items such as desktops, water fountains and doorknobs.

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