Seventh annual Book Blast to be held

DALTON, Ga. —  Readers to Leaders (R2L) is hosting its Seventh Annual Book Blast. Join the Northwest Georgia Healthcare Partnership in a community-wide celebration of literacy on Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Mack Gaston Community Center. The event is free and open to families and children of all ages. For those who attend, there will be storybook character meet-and-greets, information booths, snacks and drinks, games and crafts. Storyteller/musician Reuben Haller will perform. And every child will leave with their own book. The Literacy Celebration is an annual event for Readers to Leaders, a community initiative established in 2012 to support, encourage and nurture early literacy among Dalton and Whitfield County students. The work of R2L is accomplished both in and out of the classroom with the goal of building strong early learners who can succeed in school and in life. For more information, contact Stephanie Hogshead at 706-272-6662, ext. 111, or email shogshead@nghp.org.

Police: Duo charged after drugs found in car at sports complex

MOULTRIE, Ga. — A man and woman who were parked Friday night at a recreational facility in Moultrie were arrested after a search turned up suspected drugs and a pistol. Terri Renee Corbin was behind the wheel of Chevrolet Malibu seen at Knuck McCrary Park at 8:42 p.m. Friday, said Sgt. Justin Lindsay of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Drug Enforcement Team. Her passenger was Anthony Maurice Wilson. “Anthony Wilson had in his possession a small quantity of cocaine and a small quantity of marijuana,” Lindsay said. “A gun was located in the glove box. Inside the vehicle another small (amount) of cocaine and marijuana were found on the driver’s side of the vehicle.” Corbin, 55, 221 S. Peachtree St., Doerun, and Wilson, 48, 1312 Summer Circle, were each charged with possession of cocaine and possession of marijuana. Wilson also was charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. The weapon was a .22-caliber revolver, Lindsay said.

Georgia Museum of Agriculture sets August hours

TIFTON, Ga. – Regularly scheduled seasonal updates, repairs, and maintenance will take place at the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village during the month of August. Museum Director Garrett Boone said the  Historic Village, Gallery, Museum and Vulcan Steam Train will resume regular hours on Sept. 4. The administrative offices will remain open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. during August. The Country Store will remain open for business. Conference facilities will also remain available throughout August to meet the event needs of the public. The Country Store will continue to operate on its normal schedule of Monday–Saturday from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. For more information on the Georgia Museum of Agriculture, interested persons can call 229-391-5205 or visit the web site at www.abac.edu/museum.

Emergency Management plans open house

VALDOSTA, Ga. — Lowndes County Emergency Management will host an open house as part of hurricane season. The open house is scheduled 6-8 p.m. Thursday, July 26, at 250 Douglas St., according to county officials. The center will be open for tours at 6 p.m., with a program beginning at 6:30 p.m. County officials said the community is invited. Responders will be present to answer questions and meteorologist Kerri Copello is scheduled to share information on the projected forecast for the 2018 hurricane season. Hurricane season began June 1 and runs through Nov. 30. The event will give residents a behind-the-scenes look into what emergency management is doing during an emergency and what they can do to help, according to county officials.

Rabies alert issued just south of Live Oak

LIVE OAK, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health – Suwannee County issued a rabies alert late Monday afternoon for south central Suwannee County, near Live Oak.

The alert comes in response to a confirmed case of rabies in a cat.

The rabies alert lasts for 60 days.

The center of the rabies alert is 117th Road, from Bass Rd. to the north; 129th Rd. to the west; U.S. Highway 129 to the east: and 110th Street to the south in the south central section of Suwannee County, just south of Live Oak near Melody Christian Church.

It is the second rabies alert issued for the county in five days with an alert issued Thursday for the southern portion of the county near Branford.

All residents and visitors in Suwannee County should be aware that rabies are present in the wild animal population and domestic animals are at risk if not vaccinated, according to DOH-Suwannee.

The health department asks the public to maintain a heightened awareness to rabies being active in the county, including those areas not named in an alert.

Animals with rabies can infect other animals not vaccinated. According to DOH-Suwannee, wildlife contact should be avoided, particularly raccoons, bats, foxes, skunks, otters, bobcats and coyotes.

Rabies are a disease of the nervous system and is fatal to warm-blooded animals, including humans. The only treatment for human exposure to rabies is rabies-specific immune globulin and rabies immunization.