Pickens County progress. (Jasper, Ga.) 1899-current, July 09, 2020, Image 1

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Newspaper Page Text$1 Thursday, July 9, 2020 Volume 133 Number 12 Jasper, Georgia Local News Published Weekly COVID-19 testing rises here 8.7% of statewide tests return positive By Christie Pool Staff writer christie@pickensprogress.com The number of people being tested in Pickens County for COVID-19 on Wednesdays at Mount Zion Baptist Church is rising, according to Rev. Ben Mock, the church’s pastor and test site volun teer. Mock said 123 people were tested at the site last Wednesday, July 1st, up from the usual 70 or 80 tests they have performed in previ ous weeks. The Georgia Department of Pub lic Health’s website showed on Tuesday afternoon July 7th that there were 100,470 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Georgia, with 2,899 deaths, 12,226 hospitaliza tions and 2,471 ICU admissions. The site further indicates there have been 1.15 million total COVID-19 tests performed in our state. According to the Georgia De partment of Public Health (GDOPH) website, the number of positive COVID-19 tests is 8.7 percent of the total performed. In Pickens, according to the GDOPH website, there have been 101 confirmed cases, with five deaths and 16 hospitalizations, as of Tuesday, July 7. In neighboring Gilmer County, there have been 197 confirmed cases with two deaths and 23 hospitalizations. In Fannin, there have been 109 confirmed cases, one death and 10 people hospitalized. Cherokee County has 1,551 cases with 45 deaths and 196 hospitaliza tions. The Progress sent an email re quest for information to Piedmont Mountainside Hospital CEO Denise Ray, who forwarded it to the hospi tal’s public relations specialist, Stacy Fentress. Hospital administrators did not answer questions as to whether the local hospital has seen an in crease in the number of admitted pa tients or whether numbers were rising here for younger people. In stead the hospital issued the follow ing statement: “COVID volumes across Pied mont Healthcare’s 11 hospitals con tinue to rise. It’s clear that COVID-19 is part of our collective day-to-day reality and we have incorporated the treat- See COVID-19 on 11A VA clinic hosts July 4th flag ceremony, announces opening in August Dan Pool / Photo Developer David Shouse said the 30-foot by 38-foot flag isn’t the biggest available, but was the biggest they could engineer a flagpole for at the East Church Street VA Clinic. Above, the local Marine Corps League with developer David Shouse raise the flag during a July 4th ceremony. Talking Rock Heritage Days cancelled Loss of all the big festivals will hamper economy By Dan Pool Editor dpool@pickensprogress.com Talking Rock Heritage Days became the latest big event to pull the plug on their 2020 plans, citing sim ilar COVID-19 concerns as the Marble Festival, Jeep- Fest and the July 4th cele bration before them. Cheryl Sams, who has been involved with the festi val in Talking Rock over its 27 years, said, ‘‘This has been one of the hardest deci sions I have had to make. A few people complained [on social media] but a lot of others said they understood and thought we did the right thing. The festival is like a family reunion and many people said they hated to see us cancel but understood and they probably wouldn’t have come anyway.” Sams said of particular concern going into the 27th annual festival was shuttling festival goers from the park ing areas. “There is no way we could have maintained social distancing on the buses and trolleys and no way we could have cleaned them between each trip,” Sams said. Some vendors and musi- See Heritage on 11A By Dan Pool Editor dpool@pickensprogress.com An enthusiastic crowd decked out in red, white, blue - and quite a few masks - gathered at the forthcoming VA clinic on East Church Street to watch a giant American flag rise on the morning of July 4th in a brief patriotic program organized by the building’s owner/developer. It was announced during the program that the VA clinic, a project that the pub lic was made aware of in August 2017, will begin seeing patients next month. Developer and landlord David Shouse welcomed the crowd and thanked the many veterans at the pro gram. Shouse said people thank him for bringing this clinic here, but the real praise should go to all the men and women of the armed services who have kept the country free for the past 244 years. All work at the facility is complete and they will open in August, Shouse said. He said another VA clinic is opening in Savannah around the same time and they are discussing really big joint grand-opening plans for both facilities. The veterans have waited patiently for a facil ity that they deserve to treat their needs locally, he told the crowd. Shouse is running as an Independent for the county commission chair in No vember. He made no refer ence to his campaign Saturday during the cere mony. There was a table where people could sign his See VAon 11A Peace out Peace Park? Not quite. City adding curb appeal to the downtown park Angela Reinhardt / Photo Artist Eino’s marble sculpture - including the large rock with the hole in the center - is no more. The city has not finalized plans on what will be put there next. By Angela Reinhardt Staff writer areinhardt@pickensprogress.com Motorists driving by Peace Park in Jasper this week have likely noticed ex tensive demolition work at the site, which many resi dents have complained is an “eyesore.” The park featured a large marble rock sculpture and was outfitted as a water fountain with a small pool at the far north comer. The park/art project was initially designed and installed by renowned marble sculptor See Park on 11A Georgia tick season 101 larva nymph mala Black-legged Tick or “Deer Tick” - Transmits the bacteria that cause Lyme disease and Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis (HGA). Requires attachment for at least 24 hours to cause illness. larva nymph male American Dog Tick - The second most com mon tick in Georgia. It transmits the bacterium that causes Rocky Moun tain Spotted Fever. Re quires attachment for at least four hours to cause illness. & Mr W larva nymph male Lone Star Tick - Most common tick in Georgia. Transmits the bacteria that cause Human Monocytic Ehrlichiosis (HME) and Southern Tick-Associated Rash Ill ness (STARI). By Angela Reinhardt Staff writer areinhardt@pickensprogress.com As bugs go, ticks are among the most widely hated, and, let’s admit it, downright nasty. While summer months are the height of tick season in Georgia, ticks can be an issue all year round. We rounded up some tips about prevention, how to properly remove a tick, and how to identify the most common and dangerous ticks in Georgia. We also spoke with a few local experts to help keep you informed and aware. Tick-born illness rare in humans here Despite the prevalence of ticks in Georgia, tick- borne illness here is exceed ingly rare in humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In 2018, there were just four con firmed cases of Lyme Dis ease in Georgia, and between 0 and 3 cases per million people of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Dr. Carl McCurdy, a local family physician with Piedmont, has treated very few cases of Rocky Moun tain Spotted Fever - the most recent being several years ago - and in his 38 See Ticks on 12A Inside: '-rm Athletics slowly returning tO PHS Page 1B Scholarships awarded by Bent Tree Foundation, Big Canoe Chapel Page 3A Dog tests positive for COVID-19 Page 5A Bible reading marathon planned Page 2B Obituaries - 10A • Bobby Martin • Mildred Garner • Ronald Johnson Sr. • Shirley Wickham • Tex Bryant Index Editorial 4A Letters to the Editor . 5A Church 2B Kids 5B People 3B Classifieds 6-7B Legals 8-9B Follow Us Online emu |fl You |]j@ Contact Us 94 North Main Street Jasper, Ga. 30143 706-253-2457 www.pickensprogress.com Open for business during these hours: Mon-Thurs, 9-5, and Fri, 9-4:30 0

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Pickens County progress. (Jasper, Ga.) 1899-current, July 09, 2020, Image 1