Dalton judge elected to position in state association

DALTON, Ga. — Dalton Municipal Court Judge Robert Cowan has been elected to a leadership role in Georgia’s Council of Municipal Court Judges. Cowan was elected to the council’s Executive Committee as representative for District 7 which includes the Dalton area. Cowan was elected at the council’s summer Law and Practice Update in Savannah in June. Cowan has been a member of the Council of Municipal Court Judges since he was appointed to Dalton’s Municipal Court in 2015. The council was created by the state to further improvement of Georgia’s municipal courts and the administration of justice by assisting judges with the execution of their duties. It also promotes and assists in their training. “We address some of the potential systemic issues — probation, bonds, mental health issues that arise, approaches to city ordinances, just to name a few,” said Cowan of the work done by the council. “As a member of the Executive Committee, we can propose legislation that will improve municipal courts and those who appear in them.” Cowan said his election as a member of the Executive Council is also an honor for the people who work in Dalton’s Municipal Court. 

South Georgia DNR officer honored for hunter education

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. — A South Georgia game warden is one of two men recently honored as a Hunter Education Instructor of the Year, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division. Ranger First Class Eric White with the DNR Law Enforcement Division, whose work unit serves the Albany, Tifton, Moultrie and Thomasville areas, was recently recognized along with volunteer Steve Wilson of Haralson County. During this past year, White held 42 information and education programs incorporating hunter education concepts. He was able to set up several hunter education classes for 4H youth who needed certification in order to participate in a 4H SAFE program, and additionally helped local Boy Scout troops with several outdoor safety programs.

Tifton implements mosquito control tablets 

TIFTON, Ga. — The City of Tifton is implementing a mosquito control technique with the use of Mosquito Dunks. Mosquito Dunks have the active ingredient Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelenis (B.t.i.) that kills larvae of all 2,500 species of mosquitoes. B.t.i. is a bacterium that is deadly to mosquito larvae, but harmless to other living things. It is a safe, nontoxic way to control mosquitoes before they become adults and are able to spread diseases. The Mosquito Dunk is a tablet that floats on standing water then as it slowly dissolves, it releases a bacterium that is toxic to all species of mosquito larvae. When mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water treated with a Mosquito Dunk, when hatched they begin to eat the B.t.i, which kills the larvae. One Mosquito Dunk effectively treats 100 square feet of surface water for 30 days or more. A dunk can also be split into smaller portions when treating less water. They have been found safe to use around birds, wildlife, children, and pets. The Public Works department is actively addressing standing water in ditches and waterways, and releasing these tablets for mosquito control inside the City. They are also commonly used in water troughs, drainage ditches, dry creek beds, lakes and ponds, sewage lagoons, storm sewers, and any place stagnant water collects and remains for a period of time. The City is diligently working to provide these tablets where needed, so that we can significantly decrease the amount of adult mosquitoes in our area. If any citizen would like to request a tablet be added in a certain ditch or waterway in the City, please contact the Public Works department at 229-391-3944.