Ice cream trucks are licensed annually

Q: Is it true that the ice cream trucks that patrol local neighborhoods are selling their wares without benefit of the county health inspector maintaining periodic inspections of the refrigeration units that house the ice cream novelties?

A: "Those types of ice cream trucks are required to have a city business license," said Tracey Glenn, public information officer for the city of Cape. "In order to obtain that license, the vendor is required to take the truck to the health department for an inspection. The health department signs off on the form we supply. If the business base is out of a person's home, the city building inspection department would also sign off on that before the license is issued. Each person with a business license has to renew it annually with re-inspections."

Q: Is it true that the song "Skin," sung by Rascal Flatts, is based on the true life story of a girl in Southeast Missouri who had cancer? And did Pam Tillis write or cowrite the song?

A: I met several roadblocks trying to find an answer to your question, and did not discover any local link to the song. If someone has more information, let me know, but Brad Gentry at the Show Me Center, which has been in discussion with Rascal Flatts' promoter at different times, located the publicly-available information about "Skin."

"Pam Tillis didn't get any credit in the liner notes for writing the song," said Gentry. "Neither do the three members of Rascal Flatts: Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney. The song information from their Web site includes the writers, Doug Johnson and Joe Henry."

Here are the lyrics to the song, which are quite touching. Note: I've added punctuation:

Sara Beth is scared to death / To hear what the doctor will say. / She hasn't been well, since the day that she fell / And the bruise just won't go away.

So she sits and she waits with her mother and dad / And flips through an old magazine / Till the nurse with the smile stands in the door / And says will you please come with me.

Sara Beth is scared to death / Cause the doctor just told her the news. / Between the red cells and white, something's not right / But we're gonna take care of you.

Six chances in ten, it won't come back again / With the therapy we're gonna try. / It's just been approved, it's the strongest there is / And I think that we caught it in time.

And Sara Beth closes her eyes.

Chorus: And she dreams she's dancing / Around and around without any cares / And her very first love is holding her close /And a soft wind is blowing her hair.

Sara Beth is scared to death / As she sits holding her mom / Cause it would be a mistake for someone to take / A bald-headed girl to the prom.

For just this morning, right here on her pillow / Was the cruelest of any surprise. / And she cried when she gathered it all in her hands / The proof that she couldn't deny.

And Sara Beth closes her eyes.

(Chorus Repeat)

It's quarter to seven, that boy's at the door / And her daddy ushers him in. / And when he takes off his cap / They all start to cry / Cause this morning where his hair had all been / Softly she touches just skin.

And they go dancing, around and around / Without any cares. / And her very first true love is holding her close / And for a moment she isn't scared.

Jon K. Rust is publisher of the Southeast Missourian. If you have a question, e-mail factorfiction@semissourian.com or call Speak Out (334-5111) and identify your call as a question for "Fact or Fiction?"