Yellowjackets At Clinton Nature Preserve

Specifically, at the white house.  There was some sort of gathering in the house around noon, and after they left, I went up to the house, intending to sit on the swing on the porch, but then noticed a corner of the porch had been roped off by what looked like shoelaces.  A few of the porch railings (underneath the main railing) had been broken out and a spray can of pesticide sat on the top railing of the porch.  Then I saw a yellowjacket.  There was no sign on the porch indicating that there were yellowjackets on the porch, but there was a sign on the front door that notified parents of a different location of where to drop or pick up kids from summer camp.  It, however, made no mention of yellowjackets.  When there was an infestation near the amphitheatre, signs in the effected area were posted. 

Also, for those of you who are regulars at the park…what are they doing with the heavy industrial equipment?  I noticed they were trying to even the road out but also noticed a pile of dirt, I think, over near the remains of the log cabin across from the gravel parking lot.

Cobb Resident Dies From Swine Flu

I thought we were supposed to start calling it the H1N1 virus because the pork farmers were mad…this is from WSBtv.com.  Their headline calls it swine flu.  Condolences to thewoman’s family and friends.  I would be interested in knowing what those “other health conditions” the woman had.

Health officials in Georgia have confirmed the state’s H1N1 or Swine flu death.

 Officials said the 43-year-old woman is from Cobb County and suffered from other health conditions when she became infected with the H1N1 virus.

 “I am saddened to report the first death of a Georgia citizen associated with the novel H1N1 virus,” said DCH Commissioner and Acting Public Health Director Dr. Rhonda Medows.

 To date, this illness has been seen most commonly in children and young adults with outbreaks in schools, child care centers and residential camps.

 Health officials urge Georgians to protect themselves through hand washing and other prevention measures to reduce transmission of the virus.

Help A War Veteran This Independence Day

Been on vacation this week–blog will be up and running again on Monday.

Combat Medic Brian Hall was a soldier in E Troop, 108th Cavalry of Georgia’s Army National Guard 48th Brigade.

On September 13th, 2005, Brian was injured in Iraq by an IED (improvised explosive device) attack. He received a severe head injury which put him into a coma and on a ventilator for about three weeks. He has had five surgeries, has a ventriculostomy (drain) in his brain cavity, and plate replacements for portions of his skull.

Brian suffers from tinnitus (ringing in the ear), hearing impairment, thrombosis (blood clots) of the brain, hypertensive vascular disease (heart condition due to the blast trauma), diplopia (double vision), and many other afflictions as a result of the injury.

He is a proud veteran of the Army National Guard, and a proud patriot. Despite his severe injuries, he wanted a flagpole in the front yard of his home, and it was constructed by his family. Flag Day 2007 was celebrated by Douglas County in Brian’s front yard, and he saluted his Nation’s flag.

Brian’s doctors recommend that he obtain a psychiatric service dog to aid him in his daily life. The dog would provide needed services including seizure detection (Brian suffers seizures even with his medications), stability of walking, stability and calming in panic situations (nightmares, threat assessments, etc.), caring and companionship in solo situations, assistance with time and location (reminder to take medications, guiding patient to a known location), and much more.

The House of Hoytt, a kennel that raised war dogs for the Army during World War II and Vietnam, is willing to provide a psychiatric service dog to Brian for $6,000, which is half of their normal fee. The dog would be Nationally registered and able to go everywhere with Brian.

Brian’s job in the Army National Guard was a medic and he took care of his fellow soldiers. We now need to take care of him.

We need 600 caring hearts to donate $10 each to pay for this needed service to an American hero.

We realize that times are tough, and money is tight. If you can help out with just $10, it will make a difference in an American soldier’s life.

As we celebrate our Nation’s independence, please try to do something tangible in our Nation’s honor by helping this hero. If Brian is up to it, he will participate in the Douglasville 4th of July Parade, riding on a float sponsored by Jerry Hall, a local businessman. He cannot be out in the heat for extended periods

Donations are tax-deductible. Checks may be made payable to Douglas CORE, a not-for-profit organization associated with Douglas County government. 100% of all proceeds will go towards the purchase of T-Rex, a Doberman service dog who is being trained to assist Brian, and who will be ready by late summer.

Donations may be mailed to:
Douglas CORE
Douglas County Courthouse
8700 Hospital Drive
Douglasville, Georgia 30134
or brought to the Douglas County Department of Communications and Community Relations, third floor, Douglas County Courthouse.

BOE Claims They Are In Compliance With Shots

Of course you know they had to respond to last week’s AJC article.  In today’s Sentinel:

Schools in compliance on shots

by Winston Jones/Staff Writer

 

Douglas County schools are in full compliance with state immunization requirements despite a recent news article showing two county schools behind, a local school official said Monday.

“We have less than five students at Factory Shoals Middle School and about 20 at Chapel Hill Middle School, who are missing doses,” Suvess R. Ricks, associate superintendent of general administration, told the Douglas County Sentinel. “Other schools don’t have any missing.”

Ricks was responding to an article in the Sunday Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) on laxity in enforcing state school vaccination requirements. The AJC used the Open Records Act to obtain figures from a 2008 state audit of school immunization compliance. It listed Factory Shoals Middle as having 166 sixth-graders without shots, 58 percent, and Chapel Hill Middle, 166 sixth-graders, 53 percent. The shots in question were all the second (booster) doses of the varicella vaccine which protects against chicken pox. These shots became mandatory in Georgia in 2007.

“Children are required to have the shots when they enter the sixth grade,” Ricks said. “The state audit was done at the very beginning of the 2008-2009 school year before we had a chance to contact parents whose children were missing the shots. This was a brand new requirement, and some of our local pediatricians couldn’t get the serum in time. It put parents in a bind since the vaccine was not available.”

She said the school system is working with the parents and guardians of the few students still without the shots. It has also sent out reminders about the shots for new sixth-graders entering middle school in August.

“We sent letters home with the elementary students in March,” Ricks said.

She noted that failure to comply with the state’s immunization requirements is a misdemeanor, punishable by fines or imprisonment.

The law reads, “No child shall be admitted to or attend any school or facility unless the child shall first have submitted a certificate of immunization to the responsible official of the school or facility.”

It further states that any responsible official allowing a child to remain in school in violation of the code, or any parent or guardian who does not comply with the code, “shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $100 or by imprisonment for not more than 12 months.”

Students are allowed exemptions from vaccination for religious beliefs or medical reasons.

The AJC article said that more than 8,000 kindergarten and sixth grade students statewide were missing doses of required vaccines when the state audit was conducted last fall.

DayStar Tabernacle Wins Tanner Health System Contest

From Tony Montcalm, Communications Manager at Tanner Health System:

Tanner Health System Announces Winner of Tanner’s ‘Shocking’ Giveaway

Douglasville’s Day Star Tabernacle to Receive a Free AED

 Day Star Tabernacle International has long been in the business of saving souls, but as winner of Tanner Health System’s “Shocking” giveaway, they may save a few hearts, too.

 The Douglasville, Ga. , church garnered 5,864 online votes during the two-week voting period to win a free automatic external defibrillator (AED) and training (including CPR training kits) for up to 100 organization members—a giveaway valued at approximately $5,000.

 “It is amazing what this church and this community banded together to accomplish,” said Loy Howard , president and CEO of Tanner Health System. “The work they’ve done to collect these votes illustrates this congregation’s resolve to help one another in the true spirit of Christian faith.”

 Freedom Baptist Church , in Ranburne , Ala. , achieved a close second place with 5,462 votes. Due to the close results—only 402 votes separated the first- and second-place nominees—Tanner Health System decided to donate a second AED and training (including CPR training kits) for up to 50 organization members to Freedom Baptist Church .

 A total of 22 organizations were nominated and met the criteria to participate, including organizations located in Bowdon, Carrollton, Dallas, Douglasville, Franklin, Heflin, Ranburne, Roanoke, Waco, Whitesburg and Villa Rica. Almost 19,000 votes were cast during the two-week voting period. Carrollton ’s Oak Mountain Academy earned solid third place with 2,050 votes by the close of voting on April 29.

 In the event of cardiac arrest, an AED can save a life. An AED is a computerized medical device that can check a person’s heart rhythm. It can recognize a rhythm that requires a shock, and it can advise the rescuer when a shock is needed. The AED uses voice prompts, lights and text messages to tell the rescuer the steps to take. The free CPR training kits include a personal practice mannequin, training DVD, booklet and more.

 “Our hope is that the members of Day Star Tabernacle will take full advantage of this CPR training, and will use these materials to help teach others the fundamentals of saving a life using CPR,” said Howard.

 Day Star Tabernacle was nominated by church members Redonna Cox and Bridgette Gholston. A focus on health is an important part of the church’s ministry – the church’s nearly 18-acre campus includes a gym, tennis courts and softball field.

 “Day Star Tabernacle is an organization that is making a difference in the community where life-changing positive results in people’s lives are taking place,” they wrote. “It is a ministry that has an impact on the spirit, soul and body. This ministry discusses the importance of good health.”

 Tanner Health System is a four-hospital regional healthcare provider with more than 250 physicians representing 35 specialties. Tanner facilities include the 202-bed acute care Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton, the 40-bed acute care Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica, the 25-bed critical access Higgins General Hospital in Bremen and the 52-bed behavioral health facility Willowbrooke at Tanner. Other Tanner services include the Roy Richards, Sr. Cancer Center, Tanner Heart and Vascular Center , Tanner Breast Health, Tanner Occupational Health, Tanner Center for Sleep Disorders, Tanner Health Source, Tanner Behavioral Health and more.

 Tanner also operates Tanner Medical Group, consisting of more than 20 physician practices with specialties in cardiology and interventional cardiology, family medicine, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pain management, pediatrics, psychiatry and pulmonary and critical care medicine. To find a physician on staff with Tanner Health System, call Tanner’s physician referral line at 770.214.CARE or visit www.tanner.org.

Mayfield Ice Cream Recalled

How does this happen???

Mayfield issues recall for ice cream
Atlanta Business Chronicle
by Lauren B. Cooper

Mayfield Dairy Farms said it is voluntarily recalling containers of its vanilla ice cream that may be contaminated with ammonia .

The ice cream manufacturer said Wednesday that the recall includes more than 14,000 units of its 1.5-quart Mayfield Homemade Vanilla Select Ice Cream.

The product may contain ammonia, the company said in a news release, which could cause headache, nausea, vomiting and irritation of the throat.

It said the product was distributed through numerous retail outlets in Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida.

Possibly contaminated containers will have a code date of 03/17/10 and plant code of 010176, found on the lid.

GA Swine Flu Case Confirmed

By WSB. In Henry County at Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy–the school is closed until further notice. See article: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/19360942/detail.html The CDC is also testing a sample from a possible case in Cobb County from a three year old.

4:21pm Update: The CDC is reccommending that schools with a confirmed case of swine flu be closed for at least two weeks.

Swine Flu In GA

80 miles away…

Health officials have also confirmed the first case of swine flu in Georgia.

The head of Georgia’s Division of Public Health said Thursday a 30-year-old woman from Kentucky who had traveled to LaGrange in west Georgia had fallen ill. She had been in Cancun, Mexico earlier this month.

AJC confirmed the first case about 3pm.  http://www.ajc.com/gwinnett/content/health/stories/2009/04/30/swine_flu_georgia.html

Restaurant Inspection Scores

Want to know why the scores on the blog haven’t been updated in almost two months?  The Board of Health hasn’t updated them in almost four months–on March 2, it will be four months from the last posted inspection score.  Looks like much hasn’t changed from the old system in terms of how often they update the scores.

Wellstar Douglas Hospital Violation-Free

At least when it comes to mammograms, which is good to know.  CBS 46 did a story tonight on hospitals that were still operating after receiving “serious Level One violations.”  They have a file at the bottom of the article that lists (what looks like) every hospital in the area and how many violations they have had from 2003 to 2008.  WellStar Douglas Hospital had no violations at any level.  However, the Douglas Women’s Center in Lithia Springs had five Level Two violations.  Tanner Breast Health in Carrollton had two Level Two violations.  Higgins General Hospital in Bremen had one Level Two violation.  Wellstar Cobb and Wellstar Paulding, in Austell and Dallas respectively, had one Level Two violation each.