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PAGE 8A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. OCTOBER 26. 2023
Over 900 North Georgians protected against
the flu at Public Health drive-thrus
Drive Thru Clinic Numbers
*Of the 901 residents vaccinated this
year at the Drive-thru Flu Shot Clin-
ics in North Georgia, the county
health departments provided the
following doses:
Pickens County
76
Cherokee County
110
Fannin County
. 148
Gilmer County
. 76
Murray County
• 174
Whitfield County
317
By Jennifer King
Communications Specialist
North Georgia Health
This year's annual Drive-
thru Flu Shot Clinics held by
public health in North Geor
gia have successfully vacci
nated 901 residents,
providing them with protec
tion against the flu and help
ing to prevent the spread of
the virus within their families
and communities.
Since 2007, the North
Georgia Health District
Emergency Preparedness
team, nurses, and Infectious
Disease staff have collabo
rated with Cherokee, Fannin,
Gilmer, Murray, Pickens, and
Whitfield County Health De
partments to conduct these
drive-thru clinics each fall.
The initiative offers resi
dents a safe and convenient
method of receiving a flu
shot. It also serves as an op
portunity for health depart
ments and partnering
agencies to test local strate
gies for rapid vaccine or
medication administration
during a public health crisis.
Partners in this initiative in
clude local law enforcement,
Community Emergency Re
sponse Teams (CERTs), busi
nesses, and first responders
such as the county Emer
gency Management Agency,
Emergency Medical Serv
ices, and Fire Departments.
Flu vaccines are readily
available in various loca
tions, including doctors’ of
fices, pharmacies, and
grocery stores. They are also
offered at all county health
departments in the North
Georgia Health District at
low or no cost, depending on
an individual’s healthcare
coverage. No appointment is
necessary at these health de
partments during regular
clinic hours.
The Georgia Department
of Public Health advises that
flu symptoms and their inten
sity can vary among individ
uals. Symptoms can include
fever, cough, sore throat,
runny or stuffy nose, body
aches, headache, chills, and
fatigue. Certain individuals,
including those aged 65 and
older, those with chronic
medical conditions such as
asthma, diabetes, or heart dis
ease, pregnant women, and
children younger than 5
years, especially those
younger than 2 years old, are
at a higher risk of developing
serious flu-related complica
tions.
Prevent the spread of
flu and other viruses:
• Regularly wash hands
with soap and warm water or
use an alcohol-based hand
rub
• Cover nose and mouth
with a tissue when coughing
or sneezing, then dispose of
the tissue, or cough or sneeze
into the crook of the elbow
Avoid touching eyes, nose,
and mouth to prevent the
spread of germs
• Avoid close contact with
individuals who may be sick
• Clean and disinfect sur
faces and objects that could
be contaminated with germs
• Stay home if experienc
ing flu-like symptoms and re
main home for at least 24
hours after fever is gone
without the aid of medication
to prevent infecting others
For more information
about influenza, visit the
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) web
site at www.cdc.gov/flu.
To inquire about flu vac
cines and other services, or to
find the nearest health depart
ment location in the North
Georgia Health District, visit
www.nghd.org
Longarm Quilting Services
for all Quilts
Computer guided edge to edge quilting
Amelia Broussard
Phone: 706-692-5663
or e-mail: broussardcol@msn.com
My name is
Bethsadia
Fernandez, and I
am seeking
your vote on
Nov. 7, 2023, for
the Post 5 City
Council Seat for the
City of Jasper.
• I am running for city council to save our city. I believe in
keeping Jasper a small, mountain town. Well loved, well
maintained and inviting for all to come and stop by and enjoy
its quaintness.
• I do not want to see Jasper turn into the next Holly Springs. I
think it's important to stand up for what you believe in. Our
current city council has been in office for years, they pride
themselves on that....and I personally do not agree with the
direction and leadership that is coming from their years of
experience.
• As was printed in the paper, our current city council lost almost
$500,000 just with our sanitation alone. I don't know about
you, but if I lost $500,000 at my current job, I would be fired.
The city manager paid a scammer $150,000 instead of
Cherokee Co Water Authority for our water, this was also
shared with us in the paper, back in May. None of the city
council wanted to comment. That's $650,000 of our tax
dollars, gone, wasted, poorly managed. Enough is enough!!
• I may not know the ins and outs of how to run a city, but I do
know how to run a business. I’ve been in charge of over $12
million dollars worth of business, had 100’s of direct report
employee's and can figure out how to make the most of money
and resources. I am a boots on the ground, let's figure it out &
make it happen, type of gal. Anyone that knows me, can attest
to that.
• I have a servant's heart, if elected as your newest city council
member, I will keep open communication, diligently work to
save our city and still be able to smile and give you a hug in
Ingles, because I have nothing to be ashamed of. I will always
make the best & most ethical and moral decisions for you, our
people of Jasper.
Wildcat Community
protection grant
Submitted by
Clayton Preble
President Wildcat
Community, Inc.
On October 18, 2023 the
Wildcat Community Inc.
filed an application for a
Community Wildland Protec
tion Plan (grant). If ap
proved, the $4.3 million grant
will allow the Wildcat Com
munity to implement major
mitigation strategies to re
duce wildfire risk in the Pick
ens Mountains. The filing of
this grant represents the most
significant and far reaching
step the Wildcat Community
has taken since the construc
tion of the Wildcat Fire Sta
tion 10 on Monument Road
in 2008.
The Wildcat Community
covers over 15,000 acres in
cluding the largest subdivi
sions representing over 4,000
homes.
The Grant Plan and list of
Member Communities of the
Wildcat Community can be
accessed on our website:
wildcatcommunityga.org
The following is an
overview of the highlights of
our grant request.
Term & Administration
• The term of the grant is 5
years.
• Residents and property
owners within the Wildcat
Community membership are
eligible for mitigation.
• The Wildcat Community
leadership will administer
and determine the priority,
based on need and perceived
risk.
• The Wildcat Community
will contract with independ
ent contractors who have the
knowledge, equipment and
skill to achieve the goals out
lined in the grant.
Scope of Mitigation
Home Mitigation - based
upon an initial assessment of
the home, the contractor will
create a defensible space
within 40 feet of the house in
all directions to include the
following:
• Clear debris, pine needles,
leaves etc. from the roof and
gutters
• Clear debris from all
vents, and eaves.
• Remove all debris, under
brush and dead fall within the
40 foot defensible space. De
bris shall be either chipped
back onto lot or, if need be,
taken to an authorized dump
site.
• Cut down all dead trees up
to 8 inches in diameter within
the 40’ defensible space.
• Identify missing shingles
wildland
filed
or gaps that could allow em
bers to enter the home and
bring that to the home
owner’s attention.
Lot Mitigation
Based upon assessment of
lots that put nearby Homes,
infrastructure or roads at risk,
the Grant provides for miti
gation of those lots that are
within 50’ from edge of the
road, property line of a home
at risk, or infrastructure
(overhead power lines).
Common Area
Mitigation
• Remove fallen trees, dead
fall and underbrush in the
road right-of-way (not to ex
ceed 30 feet from center line)
and remove to chip in lots or
dump in approved location.
• Trim branches or cut back
limbs/branches up to 20 feet
above the road or right-of-
way area. Chip into lots or
remove to dump.
Other Key Elements of
the Grant
• The addition of a 68,000
gallon cistern tank and instal
lation of 6 hydrants - 3 on
each side of the entrance to
Wildcat Fire Station 10.
For more information
please visit - wildcatcommu-
nityga.org.
ELECT
JIM
LOONEY
JASPER CITY COUNCIL
LORA
ERDMAN
MAYOR
CITY OF JASPER
• THIS ELITIST INCUMBENT JASPER CITY COUNCIL BELIEVE
THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN GOVERN THE CITY OF
JASPER.
• THEY GOVERN BY DIVINE RIGHT, ONLY ANSWERABLE TO
THEMSELVES AND NOT THE LOWLY TAXPAYER.
• THE JASPER CITY COUNCIL BELIEVE WE AS TAXPAYERS
DON’T SEE ALL THE WASTE AND NEGLECT ON A DAILY BASIS.
• THE CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBERS DO NOT CARE IF THEY
RAISE OUR TAXES AND LET OUR PARKS AND ROADS GO
WITHOUT PROPER MAINTENANCE.
• THE JASPER CITY PARK LOOKS AND SMELLS SO BAD YOU
WOULD NOT WANT TO EAT LUNCH THERE OR ESPECIALLY
CARRY YOUR FAMILY THERE FOR A PICNIC, IT’S JUST NASTY!
(WHAT A JOKE!)
• OUR HIGH DOLLAR CITY MANAGERS AT CITY HALL JUST
TODAY TOLD A CITY HOMEOWNER THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED
THIS YEAR’S TAX DIGEST, WHEN IT WAS ACTUALLY
APPROVED BY THE JASPER CITY COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 14TH
(WHAT A JOKE!)
• THESE ARE THE SAME CITY MANAGERS THAT THE JASPER
CITY COUNCIL CALL PROFESSIONAL MANAGERS. CITY
MANAGER #1 (SALARY $110,000) + CITY MANAGER #2
(SALARY $101,000) + ($150,000 THEY GAVE AWAY TO A SCAM
ARTIST) + ($150,000 THEY STILL PAID CHEROKEE COUNTY
WATER AND SEWER JUST FOR THE PRIVILEGE TO BUY
WATER) = $511,000. (WHAT A JOKE!)
• NOW I ASK YOU CITIZENS OF JASPER DOES THIS SOUND
LIKE HIGHLY-EDUCATED PROFESSIONAL THAT LOSE YOUR
HARD-EARNED TAX MONEY WITHOUT ANY REMORSE? WE
DON’T NEED TO LOSE THE QUALITY OF LIFE HERE IN JASPER.
• VOTE AGAINST ALL INCUMBENTS AND COUNCILMAN JOHN
FOUST WHO (SHOWING NO COURAGE) ABANDONED HIS
INCUMBENT POST 5 WHEN HE WAS CHALLENGED. HE THEN
QUALIFIED FOR KIRK RAFFIELD’S VACATED POST WHERE HE
ATTRACTED THREE CHALLENGERS.
• WE DON’T NEED TO LOSE THE QUALITY OF LIFE HERE IN
JASPER.
VOTE EARLY.
VOTE ERDMAN.