#PublicHealth | AM 1180 Radio

May 22, 2026

Asian Longhorned Tick Confirmed in Georgia and Alabama

Local News, Local News Items #AgricultureNews, #AlabamaAgriculture, #AlabamaAnimalHealth, #AnimalHealth, #AsianLonghornedTick, #CattleHealth, #chattoogacounty, #DeKalbCountyAL, #ExtensionService, #Farmers, #FarmNews, #floydcountyga, #GeorgiaAgriculture, #GeorgiaDepartmentOfAgriculture, #HabershamCountyGA, #HallCountyGA, #LivestockHealth, #LivestockOwners, #NorthGeorgia, #northwestgeorgia, #OutdoorSafety, #PetOwners, #PickensCountyGA, #PublicHealth, #Theileriosis, #TickAlert, #TickPrevention, #TickSafety, #VeterinaryCare, #WhiteCountyGA, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

Agriculture and animal health officials in Georgia and Alabama are urging livestock owners, pet owners, and outdoor enthusiasts to be on alert after the Asian Longhorned Tick was confirmed in multiple counties across the region.

May 20, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Georgia DPH Confirms Three New Measles Cases In Metro Atlanta Family

Local News, Local News Items #CDC, #chattoogacounty, #CommunityHealth, #georgiadph, #georgianews, #HealthAlert, #Measles, #MedicalNews, #MetroAtlanta, #MMRVaccine, #northwestgeorgia, #PublicHealth, #Vaccination, #wzqznews 0

The Georgia Department of Public Health has confirmed three new measles cases involving members of a metro Atlanta family who recently traveled internationally.

May 19, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Community Blood Drive Planned Wednesday At Mount Vernon Mills In Trion

Local News, Local News Items #BloodAssurance, #BloodDrive, #chattoogacounty, #CommunityEvent, #DonateBlood, #May202026, #MountVernonMills, #northwestgeorgia, #PublicHealth, #TrionCommunity, #trionga, #WednesdayEvent, #wzqznews 0

A community blood drive will be held tomorrow at Mount Vernon Mills in Trion.

The blood drive is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the mill located at 91 4th Street in Trion. Organizers are encouraging donors to make an appointment ahead of time.

Blood Assurance officials remind donors to eat a healthy meal, drink plenty of water, and avoid energy drinks before donating blood.

Donors can also save time on the day of their appointment by completing the Blood Assurance QuickScreen health questionnaire before arriving.

Anyone with questions about donating blood, or those needing assistance in Spanish, can contact Mitzi at 706-618-9108.

May 18, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Health Inspection Scores – First Half of May 2026

Local News, Local News Items #chattoogacounty, #EnvironmentalHealth, #FoodService, #HealthInspectionScores, #LocalNews, #lyerlyga, #LyerlySchool, #MondayMay182026, #PublicHealth, #PuddingPops, #RestaurantScores, #summervillega, #WaffleHouse, #WZQZ, #Zaxbys 0

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The Chattooga County Environmental Health Department has released its latest food service inspection scores for the first half of May 2026.

All listed locations received scores in the 90s or above, with three locations receiving perfect scores of 100.

Pudding Pops’ base of operation and mobile unit, both located at 190 Alred Street in Summerville, each received a perfect score of 100 during inspections on May 12.

Lyerly School also received a perfect score of 100 during its May 1 inspection.

Other scores included Waffle House in Summerville with a 96 on May 8, and Zaxby’s in Summerville with a 99 on May 7.

For more information, or for any complaints about any food service or tourist accommodation that operates in Chattooga County, residents may contact the Chattooga County Environmental Health Department at 706-857-3377.

May 6, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Outdoor Burning Ban Now In Effect Across Chattooga County And Northwest Georgia

Local News, Local News Items #AirQuality, #BurnBan, #chattoogacounty, #FireSafety, #GeorgiaEPD, #georgianews, #LandClearing, #LocalNews, #lyerlyga, #MenloGA, #northwestgeorgia, #OpenBurningBan, #OutdoorBurning, #OzoneSeason, #PublicHealth, #summervillega, #trionga, #wzqznews, #YardDebris 0

An annual outdoor burning ban is now in effect across Chattooga County and much of north and central Georgia.

May 5, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Mental Health Awareness Month Highlights Legacy Of Rosalynn Carter

Local News, Local News Items #AccessToCare, #BehavioralHealth, #CarterLegacy, #CommunityHealth, #EndTheStigma, #FormerFirstLady, #GeorgiaFirstLady, #GeorgiaHistory, #HealthAwareness, #MayAwareness, #MentalHealthAdvocacy, #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, #MentalHealthCare, #MentalHealthMatters, #MentalHealthSupport, #northwestgeorgia, #PublicHealth, #RosalynnCarter, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

May is recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about mental health, reduce stigma, and encourage people to seek support when they need it.

May 3, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Free PFAS Documentary Screening Set For Monday In Rome

Local News, Local News Items #AssociatedPress, #AtlantaJournalConstitution, #coosariverbasininitiative, #crbi, #DeSotoTheatre, #EnvironmentalNews, #FloydCounty, #ForeverChemicals, #ForeverStained, #FRONTLINEPBS, #georgianews, #northwestgeorgia, #PFAS, #PublicHealth, #RomeGA, #WaterQuality, #wzqznews 0

The public is invited to a free documentary screening Monday at the DeSoto Theatre in downtown Rome, focusing on PFAS contamination in the South and its impact on Northwest Georgia.

May 1, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Perfect Scores Highlight Latest Chattooga County Health Inspections

Local News, Local News Items #chattoogacounty, #CommunityHealth, #DominosPizza, #EnvironmentalHealth, #FoodSafety, #GeorgiaHealth, #HealthInspection, #InspectionReport, #LocalNews, #LocalSchools, #MenloGA, #northwestgeorgia, #PerfectScore, #PublicHealth, #RestaurantScores, #summervillega, #trionga, #wzqznews 0

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The latest health inspection report for Chattooga County covering April 15 through April 30 shows a strong run of perfect scores across local schools and restaurants.

The following establishments all received a 100 health inspection score during the reporting period:

Menlo Elementary School – inspected April 29
Leroy Massey Elementary – inspected April 28
Summerville Middle School – inspected April 28
Trion School – inspected April 27
Chattooga Head Start / Early Head Start – inspected April 22
Chattooga High School – inspected April 16
Domino’s Pizza in Summerville – inspected April 15

Health officials say these scores reflect proper food handling, cleanliness, and adherence to safety standards.

Residents are reminded that if they ever have concerns or complaints about a food service establishment or tourist accommodation in Chattooga County, they can contact the Chattooga County Environmental Health Department at (706) 857-3377.

April 30, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Tick Bites Sending More Americans to the ER, CDC Warns

Local News, Local News Items #CDC, #chattoogacounty, #healthnews, #LymeDisease, #northwestgeorgia, #OutdoorSafety, #PublicHealth, #SpringSeason, #TickBites, #WednesdayApril292026, #wzqznews 0

Health officials are raising concerns as new data shows tick bites are sending more people to emergency rooms at the highest rate in nearly a decade.

April 29, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Narcan Kits Being Distributed To Northwest Georgia Schools

Local News, Local News Items #BehavioralHealth, #DBHDD, #GeorgiaSchools, #Narcan, #northwestgeorgia, #OpioidCrisis, #OverdosePrevention, #PublicHealth, #SchoolSafety, #WesleysLaw, #wzqznews 0

Opioid overdose reversal kits are being distributed to 180 schools across Northwest Georgia.

The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities is partnering with Northwest Georgia RESA as part of a statewide effort to equip every public school in Georgia with Narcan, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses.

A “Stuff the Box” event was held Tuesday, April 21, where local education, behavioral health, and public safety professionals helped assemble the kits for schools in the region. Several schools picked up their completed kits the same day.

State officials say the effort is funded through opioid settlement dollars and supports Wesley’s Law, which allows schools to obtain and administer opioid antagonists while providing legal protections for staff acting in good faith.

The statewide initiative has already reached more than 1,300 schools, with a goal of equipping 2,300 schools by the end of the school year.