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Gov. Nathan Deal is helping raise awareness about the importance of fire for healthy forests by proclaiming Feb. 2-8 Prescribed Fire Awareness Week.

“Prescribed burning of Georgia forest lands is a valuable tool for protecting the forest from devastating wildfires and managing valuable wildlife species,” states the proclamation, which will be signed Wednesday at the State Capitol.

Professional foresters and other land resource managers, including the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, use prescribed burning to improve forest health, reduce hazardous fuels, enhance reforestation and restore wildlife habitats.

Established in 2005 through the efforts of the Georgia Forestry Commission and the Georgia Prescribed Fire Council, Prescribed Fire Week is observed during the first full week of February. The focus recognizes prescribed fire as a safe way to apply a natural process, ensure ecosystem health and reduce wildfire risk.

Authorities in Floyd County responded to a call about counterfeit money at a Rome fast-food restaurant.

According to Rome police reports, a man entered the Burger King restaurant on Shorter Avenue around 8 p.m. and placed an order.

The man attempted to pay for his order with a counterfeit $100 bill. The cashier checked to see if the bill was real with marker pen. She held onto the bill when it was revealed to be counterfeit.

The report states the man then paid for his order with a non-counterfeit $10 bill and was told it would be a few minutes before his order was ready.

The man left the restaurant before taking his food and before law enforcement arrived. The counterfeit bill was then taken into custody and placed into evidence by the Rome City Police. 

Scam artists seem to be using the names of highly recognizable, legitimate companies more and more in their attempts to rip you off – and, that trend has ramped up considerably over the last couple of years.

One such example is a letter received by a Cherokee County, Alabama resident, purportedly coming from Publishers Clearinghouse.

The message said the recipient had won a total $330,000 in their “Quarterly Bonanza”.

The letter was painstakingly done to appear as legitimate as possible, citing those so-called “winning ticket numbers”, an outline of how to proceed in order to collect your “winnings”, and so on.

The envelope also contained a check, made out in the name of the “winner” – in the amount of $2,280 to be used for (quote) “…processing, insurance and delivery fees, which will be required to get your money to you as soon as possible…” (end-quote).

Strangely enough, that check appeared to be drawn on the CVS Corporation, which was yet another “red flag” in the process.

The intent of the letter is to entice the victim to cash that check at his or her local bank, and as in every case, they would then be told to mail the money to the scammers. This is where it all goes wrong. By cashing that check the con artists will then be able to access your bank account and they can pull whatever amount they want from it…which is always ALL OF IT – and in addition to that the phony check will bounce in a few days – and the bank is going to be wanting that $2,280 back and they’re going to be coming to YOU to get it.

A representative from Publisher’s Clearinghouse said that this is one of the highly sophisticated scams illegally using the Publisher’s Clearinghouse name – adding that the company often works with people wishing to report such a scam to law enforcement officials.

She also said that in the event someone does win a substantial monetary amount – Publisher’s Clearinghouse does NOT contact that person through the U.S. Mail, via e-mail or by phone; instead, just like in the television commercials – they show up at your home with the prize, in person.

So if you receive any similar notification that you have “won” a large amount of money from Publisher’s Clearinghouse – don’t get your hopes up and above all don’t fall for the gimmick being used by these crafty con-artists.

If you’re ever actually a winner you’ll see a van pull up in front of your home and a bunch of very nicely-dressed people will come to your front door with check in hand.

A certified Healthcare Exchange Navigator will be offering a free seminar at Redmond Regional Medical Center to assist individuals in learning more about their health insurance options and to provide one-on-one enrollment assistance. The class will be held on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 at 5:00pm in the Lower Level Classroom A at Redmond Regional Medical Center. The class will begin with a short presentation by a certified navigator and will then offer participants the opportunity to enroll online with one-on-one certified navigator assistance.

This session is free, but seating is very limited and participants are asked to register ahead of time by calling 706-368-8480.

For coverage starting in 2015, the open enrollment period for Affordable Healthcare Act health insurance runs through February 15, 2015. This is the last health insurance enrollment class to be offered at Redmond prior to the end of open enrollment.

The class will be led by Jennifer Lunk, a Cartersville resident and former teacher. Jennifer is a federal and state-certified navigator who provides the following free assistance:
• Explains what insurance is and why it’s needed
• Provides education and outreach in the community
• Helps with enrollment through the Marketplace
• Answers questions pertaining to the choices available

Lunk can also help individuals find out if they qualify for lower cost coverage, explain choices and choose the insurance plan that is best for the individual and his/her family. “I don’t work for an insurance company; my only job is to help you,” said Lunk. These services are free and available at Redmond Regional Medical Center by appointment only.

For those who cannot attend one of the seminars, Lunk encourages individuals to call and make an appointment with her. Appointments can be made by calling 770-382-1530 ext. 1198. “Or, you may enroll online at HealthCare.gov or call 800.319.2596 to get help as you shop, compare and apply for health insurance online,” said Lunk.

                  Chattooga County Sheriff’s Department

24 Hour Arrest Report

02/04/2015

54 Inmates at Chattooga 57 Meals Ordered

20 Housed at Floyd Co

                                16 Housed at Polk Co Jail

  Total Inmates: 90