#PublicHealth | AM 1180 Radio

August 7, 2026

One in Three Georgia Families With Children Struggle to Afford Enough Food, New Poll Finds

Local News, Local News Items #ChattoogaInfo, #Children, #CommunityNews, #EmoryUniversity, #Families, #FoodInsecurity, #Hunger, #PublicHealth, #RollinsSchoolOfPublicHealth, #RuralGeorgia, #SchoolNutrition, #SNAP, #WZQZ, #wzqznews, georgia 0

A new statewide poll conducted by Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health found that one in three Georgia families with children experience food insecurity, meaning they do not always have reliable access to enough nutritious food.

The survey found that 33% of Georgia families with children reported low or very low food security, while 18% said they had skipped meals, gone hungry or eaten less because they could not afford enough food. Researchers also found that many parents are sacrificing their own meals to ensure their children have enough to eat.

Food insecurity was found to be especially severe in rural parts of the state. According to the poll, 43% of rural Georgia families with children reported food insecurity, compared with 31% of families in urban and suburban areas.

Researchers warned the problem could worsen as changes to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) take effect, potentially making it more difficult for some families to qualify for benefits and increasing administrative costs for the state.

The poll surveyed 1,002 Georgia parents and highlights growing concerns about rising grocery prices, access to food assistance and the impact food insecurity can have on children’s physical health, mental well-being and academic performance.

August 6, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Georgia Medical Cannabis Program Sees Record Growth After Law Changes

Local News, Local News Items #briankemp, #CannabisLaw, #ChattoogaInfo, #Dispensaries, #GeorgiaAccessToMedicalCannabisCommission, #GeorgiaMedicalCannabis, #georgianews, #healthcare, #MedicalCannabis, #MedicalCannabisPatients, #MedicalCannabisRegistry, #MedicalMarijuana, #PatientCare, #PublicHealth, #statenews, #WZQZ, #wzqznews, georgia 0

Georgia’s medical cannabis program is experiencing its fastest growth since it launched a decade ago, with the number of registered patients increasing by more than 22 percent in just over a month following new state law changes.

August 2, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Queen City Lake Beach To Remain Closed As E. Coli Investigation Continues

Local News, Local News Items #BeachClosure, #ChattoogaInfo, #EColi, #georgiadnr, #LaFayetteGA, #northwestgeorgia, #PublicHealth, #QueenCityLake, #QueenCityLakeBeach, #WalkerCountyGA, #WaterQuality, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

Queen City Lake Beach in LaFayette will remain closed into next week as city officials continue investigating elevated E. coli levels in the water.

The City of LaFayette says daily testing has been conducted in an effort to determine the source of the contamination. While E. coli levels remain elevated, officials say the testing patterns have been inconclusive. The city is expanding the testing area to collect additional data and develop a clearer picture of the problem.

City officials are also working with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for guidance concerning the non-native duck population around the lake, which may be contributing to the elevated bacteria levels.

Residents have also reported a sewer leak located some distance from the shoreline. The line is privately owned, and the city says the organization responsible for it has begun making repairs. That work is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.

Officials say they do not want to draw conclusions before the testing is complete and will continue collecting data while the beach remains closed.

July 26, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Georgia Faces Growing Shortage Of Doctors, Especially In Rural Communities

Local News, Local News Items #ChattoogaInfo, #Doctors, #GeorgiaHealthcare, #healthcare, #MedicalWorkforce, #northwestgeorgia, #PrimaryCare, #PublicHealth, #ruralhealth, #WZQZ, #wzqznews, georgia 0

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Georgia continues to face a growing shortage of physicians and other healthcare providers, with rural communities experiencing some of the greatest challenges in accessing medical care.

July 19, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Taco Bell Lettuce Linked to Multistate Cyclospora Outbreak

Local News, Local News Items #CDC, #ChattoogaInfo, #ConsumerAlert, #Cyclospora, #Cyclosporiasis, #FDA, #FoodborneIllness, #FoodSafety, #georgianews, #healthnews, #LettuceRecall, #PublicHealth, #TacoBell, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

Federal health officials have identified shredded iceberg lettuce served at certain Taco Bell restaurants as the source of a multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness that can cause prolonged watery diarrhea.

July 18, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Chattooga County Restaurants Earn High Marks in July Health Inspections

Local News, Local News Items #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaCountyEnvironmentalHealth, #ChattoogaInfo, #FoodSafety, #GeorgiaDepartmentOfPublicHealth, #HealthInspection, #LocalRestaurants, #PublicHealth, #RestaurantInspections, #summervillega, #trionga, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

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The Chattooga County Environmental Health Department has released food service inspection scores for the first half of July, with local restaurants earning strong marks overall.

July 15, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Georgia Health Officials Urge Residents to Wash All Produce, Including Items Labeled “Prewashed”

Local News, Local News Items #CDC, #ChattoogaInfo, #Cyclospora, #Cyclosporiasis, #FoodSafety, #GeorgiaDepartmentOfPublicHealth, #HealthAlert, #northwestgeorgia, #ProduceSafety, #PublicHealth, #WashYourProduce, #WZQZ, #wzqznews, georgia 0

The Georgia Department of Public Health is urging residents to take additional precautions when handling fresh fruits and vegetables following updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

July 14, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

American Red Cross Declares Emergency Blood Shortage, Urges Donors to Give Now

Local News, Local News Items #AmericanRedCross, #BloodDonation, #BloodDrive, #BNegative, #ChatsworthGA, #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaInfo, #CommunityHealth, #DonateBlood, #EmergencyBloodShortage, #GiveBlood, #healthcare, #LocalNews, #murraycountyga, #northwestgeorgia, #opositive, #Platelets, #PolkCountyGA, #PublicHealth, #RedCross, #RockmartGA, #SaveLives, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

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The American Red Cross is asking donors to roll up their sleeves after declaring an emergency blood shortage caused by a sharp decline in donations during June. The organization says its blood supply dropped nearly 25 percent, creating a growing gap between available blood and hospital demand. The shortage is especially critical for platelets, O-positive blood, and B-negative blood.

July 14, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Georgia Health Officials Urge Precautions Against Cyclosporiasis

Local News, Local News Items #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaInfo, #CommunityHealth, #ConsumerSafety, #Cyclospora, #Cyclosporiasis, #DiseasePrevention, #DPH, #FoodborneIllness, #FoodSafety, #FreshFruits, #FreshVegetables, #GastrointestinalIllness, #GeorgiaDepartmentOfPublicHealth, #georgiadph, #Handwashing, #HealthAlert, #healthnews, #northwestgeorgia, #ProduceSafety, #PublicHealth, #WashYourProduce, #WZQZ, #wzqznews, georgia 0

The Georgia Department of Public Health is urging residents to take extra precautions when purchasing, preparing and eating fresh fruits and vegetables to help prevent cyclosporiasis, a gastrointestinal illness caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora.

July 11, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

West Nile Virus concerns have public health officials reminding about mosquito-bite prevention

Local News, Local News Items #CDC, #ChathamCountyGA, #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaInfo, #EnvironmentalHealth, #FultonCountyGA, #GeorgiaDepartmentOfPublicHealth, #GeorgiaHealth, #lyerlyga, #MenloGA, #MosquitoPrevention, #MosquitoSafety, #northwestgeorgia, #NorthwestHealthDistrict, #PublicHealth, #SummerSafety, #summervillega, #trionga, #WestNileVirus, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

Public health officials are urging Northwest Georgia residents to take precautions against mosquito bites as the 2026 West Nile virus season gets underway earlier and more aggressively than it has in more than two decades.