BBQ, blues and bluegrass festival this weekend in Dalton

DALTON, Ga. — The Dalton BBQ, Blues and Bluegrass Festival is entering its first year and will take place Saturday and Sunday at the North Georgia Fairgrounds in Dalton. Organizers say visitors will encounter a family-friendly atmosphere that combines a barbecue competition and a blues concert. The barbecue competition will include a variety of teams from the community and area and judges will use a double-blind system to determine who has the best creations. Attendees can sample the barbecue and vote for the People’s Choice Award, as well as sample food from a variety of vendors. Local bands representing a variety of genres will perform throughout the event, and lawn games will be available. A Kids Zone will offer a variety of games and activities for all ages, and the vendor marketplace will showcase a variety of handmade items made by local suppliers. A portion of the event’s proceeds will go to the local Boys and Girls Club.

 

Woman released from hospital following Saturday wreck

MOULTRIE, Ga. — A driver was released from the hospital late Monday or early Tuesday following a Saturday afternoon wreck on Old Adel Road in Colquitt County. Jessica Gehringer, 36, of Moultrie, was listed in stable condition on Monday afternoon at Colquitt Regional Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said, but she was released sometime thereafter. Gehringer was the driver of a 2000 Ford Ranger pickup that crashed about 1 p.m. Saturday at 3893 Old Adel Road, the Georgia State Patrol said. The truck was headed east on Old Adel when it ran off the south shoulder of the road, the GSP said. The driver overcorrected, and the truck crossed the roadway and went off on the north shoulder. It struck a mailbox with its driver’s side, crossed a private driveway and started to overturn. It then struck a tree with its driver’s side, rotated counter-clockwise and came to a final rest on the north side of the roadway, facing north. Gehringer, who the GSP said did not have a seat belt on, was charged with failure to maintain lane.

 

West Nile case confirmed in Ben Hill County 

FITZGERALD, Ga. – The Georgia Department of Public Health has confirmed a Ben Hill County resident tested positive for West Nile Virus, according to a press release. A horse tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in Lowndes County. Last month, a horse tested positive for EEE in Brooks County also. Public health officials in South Georgia are encouraging everyone to guard against exposure to mosquitoes. People are urged to take the following precautions:

• Use insect repellent containing DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or PMD. Be sure to follow the instructions on the label.

• Any containers that can collect water should be discarded or dumped daily.

• Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks when outdoors, especially at dawn and dusk to reduce the amount of exposed skin, as weather permits.

• Avoid being outdoors from dusk to dawn, peak mosquito biting times, if possible.

• Set up outdoor fans to keep mosquitoes from flying near you.

Symptoms of West Nile include headache, fever, neck discomfort, muscle and joint aches, swollen lymph nodes and a rash that usually develops 2 to 14 days after being infected. The elderly, those with compromised immune systems, or those with other underlying conditions are at greater risk for complications from the disease. Severe cases of EEE begin with the sudden onset of headache, high fever, chills and vomiting. There is no vaccine for humans for mosquito-borne diseases, nor is there a specific treatment. People with severe cases are hospitalized and receive supportive care such as intravenous fluids and respiratory treatment. The best protection is to avoid being bitten. Horses can be vaccinated for some mosquito-borne diseases by contacting a local veterinarian. For more information about mosquito-borne diseases, call your local health department or visit www.cdc.gov/.

 

Literacy Festival returns 

VALDOSTA, Ga. – The South Georgia Literacy Festival will return to Rainwater Conference Center Sept. 8-9. The idea for the festival came to Festival Director Brenda Smith when she began discussing her vision for supporting literacy in Valdosta and met likeminded people, she said. A committee was formed and began discussing ways to bring a literacy event to town. The original idea to hold it during the anniversary of International Literacy Day fell through. Instead, the first literacy festival was held May 2016. Forty authors attended along with numerous vendors, literacy partners and participants. Smith said she deemed the first festival a success with young authors getting cash awards and winning essays being printed in Snake Nation Press’ magazine, $3,000 and a barrel of books being donated to Southside Library, $500 being donated to Library Boosters and a monetary gift being given to the Brooks County Little Library Project. Some of the 2017 featured authors will include Kandra Albury, Dr. Jacob Appel, Tamika Newhouse and Nina Foxx. There is already a growing list of vendors who will be attending and Lowndes-Valdosta Imagination Library will be stopping by, according to organizers. Snake Nation Press is a Valdosta-based publishing house. On Friday, Sept. 8, workshops are scheduled from 1-5 p.m ranging in topics from bullying to motivational talks to working with a publisher. A meet the authors reception will be held later that day from 5:30-8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, will be the book sale from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Smith said the community can support the festival by coming to the book sale and either buying a book or dropping a book in the barrel to be donated to the library. Sponsorships can be done by either visiting southgeorgialiteracyfestival.com or by e-mailing jean.arambula@gmail.org.