Larry Lykins has learned to roll with the punches when it comes to threats to his 14-acre Ellijay vineyard.
His winery survived a virus spread via nursery plants several years after he bought the vineyard in 2007. More recently, he dealt with glassy-winged sharpshooters, a bug species that moves viruses from one plant to another.
So, when he heard last week that the spotted lanternfly – a fruit orchard pest with an insatiable appetite for grapes, peaches, plums and apples – had been sighted for the first time in Georgia, he remained calm.
“When I first started back in ’07 or ’08, we didn’t have to spray for insects very much,” said Lykins, owner of Cartercay Vineyards, a grower of several grape varieties, including Vidal Blanc, Catawba, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. “But now we do. It’s all part of warmer climates and globalization where bugs hitch rides on cargo ships.
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“Being a farmer you just have to educate yourself and do the best you can with it,” he said.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture last week confirmed the first sighting of the spotted lanternfly on Oct. 22 in Fulton County, making the state the 18th in the nation that the pest now calls home and the most southern. The agency warned farmers, agriculture businesses and homeowners alike that the bug poses a serious risk to the state’s agricultural sector. It does not appear to pose a threat to humans. The spotted lanternfly. Courtesy Georgia Department of Agriculture)
The spotted lanternfly – which is more akin to an aphid or a stink bug – damages plants and trees by producing “a sticky, sugary waste fluid that encourages the growth of sooty mold,” the state said.
The remedy: kill it on sight, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J. Harper said.
“We urge anyone who sees the spotted lanternfly in their area to document it, report it, and kill it,” he said in Thursday’s announcement. “Controlling the spread of the spotted lanternfly is our best strategy for safeguarding Georgia’s agriculture industry, and we are asking for the public’s help in this effort.”
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The bug spreads by various methods, including laying eggs or egg masses on tires, chairs and vehicles, said Mike Evans, director of state agriculture department’s plant protection division.
The spotted lanternfly lays eggs from September to November, with nymphs born in the spring, state officials and experts said. Adults die at the first hard frost.
Paul McDaniel, forest health coordinator for the Georgia Forestry Commission, said elimination of the spotted lanternfly is critical to protect the state’s urban trees. Hardwoods in Georgia cities and large ex-urban communities already struggle for survival because of limited space for root growth and excessive sunlight from pavement, making it easier for the spotted lanternfly to cause damage.
“A lot of your urban trees already have stressors just being in that environment,” he said.
A major lure of the spotted lanternfly is the tree of heaven, an invasive deciduous tree that while not as prevalent in Georgia as in other states, still presents a host for the bug, said Sarah Lowder, a University of Georgia extension viticulture specialist and assistant professor of horticulture. Those with trees of heaven on their property should cut them down immediately to reduce the risk of a spotted lanternfly outbreak.
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“It is one of their preferred food sources so you want to get rid of that so you don’t hopefully draw any of those in,” she said. “I guess it tastes the best.”
While it’s necessary to alert others to the threat the spotted lanternfly poses, Brett Blaauw told the Georgia Recorder everyone should take a breath. There are still a lot of unknowns about how it will react in Georgia and what steps will be more effective to bring it under control, said Blaauw, a University of Georgia associate professor and extension specialist with a focus on grape growing
Blaauw on Thursday posted to a viticulture blog followed by Georgia vineyard owners that their crops are not in peril.
“We need to work as an industry to monitor, track, and manage this new pest,” he wrote in the blog. “While any new, invasive species is going to be scary, thankfully there has been a lot of work done in other states that we can adapt to be used in Georgia, so we are not starting from scratch.”
He said even if thousands of bugs are found swarming a single tree – which they sometimes have been known to do – the tree can often survive the ambush if it is well-established.
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“For growers, seeing this bug that’s over an inch long, it can be quite intimidating,” said Blaauw, who also is a Clemson University associate professor.
It’s also unclear if the spotted lanternfly can take Georgia’s heat, especially the further south it travels, he said.
“It’s a new bug,” Blaauw said. “It’s probably going to expand in its population and its range in Georgia, but we need to not panic. At least not yet.”
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – On New Year’s Day, there will be a new starter at quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs. After Carson Beck’s season-ending injury in the SEC Championship, UGA is now resting its College Football Playoff hopes on backup Gunner Stockton.
Aside from some mop-up minutes earlier in the season, Stockton’s only game action came in the second half of the SEC Championship after Beck got hurt. But in that time, he managed to convert on 12-of-16 pass attempts, while leading Georgia to an overtime win. And confidence in the new QB is not something that seems to be lacking in Athens.
“Gunner has the team behind him right now, and we believe in his ability to come in and get the job done and do what we need,” said defensive lineman Mykel Williams.
Defensive back Malaki Starks added, “I think it’s just the confidence that he has in himself. I think you see everybody having confidence in him when you see him step out and he’s running guys over. That’s just the confidence that he has in his game, and that’s another reason why it makes it so easy to follow.”
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“Gunner is a confident player,” said inside linebacker Jalon Walker. “He’s confident in his skillset, and he’s always determined to make the best plays possible, not only for himself but for our team.”
For the first time in three and a half weeks, Georgia will take the field Wednesday night against Notre Dame, with the winner advancing to the College Football Playoff semifinals. Kick off from New Orleans is set for 8:45 p.m. ET.
Compared to the general population, police and firefighters face heightened risks of depression, PTSD and suicide, and they are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty, according to a 2018 report commissioned by the Ruderman Family Foundation, which advocates for people with disabilities.
At least 33 first responders have taken their own lives in Georgia since 2018, according to First H.E.L.P., a charity that fights mental health stigma. Most were men who held jobs in law enforcement.
Ambitious plans
The Hale Foundation, a nonprofit that helps men recover from drug and alcohol addiction, met with stiff opposition from Augusta residents for years as it sought to transform a former convent into Valor Station. Neighbors said they worried about safety and their property values. Ultimately, the foundation failed to win approval from the Augusta-Richmond County Commission.
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The foundation sued in state and federal district courts. After losing those legal battles, the foundation switched to a location closer to Hale House, its addiction recovery center for men in Olde Town Augusta.
In preparation for Valor Station’s opening, Hale Foundation CEO Cliff Richards and a few colleagues checked out the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program, which treats military veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Some of Emory’s patients have also held civilian jobs as first responders.
“I found there are a lot of parallels between what they are doing and being successful at with the military and what we are trying to do here with first responders,” said Matthew Carpenter, a former New York City police officer who serves as Valor Station’s chief administrative officer.
Sheila Rauch, deputy director of the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program, also sees overlap.
“There are a lot of similarities. Both first responders and military populations have high rates of exposure to trauma,” Rauch said.
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Valor Station plans to offer some of the same forms of treatment the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department has found effective for military veterans with PTSD.
Among them are individual and group talk therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, or EMDR, in which patients are instructed to discuss their traumatic experiences while focusing on blinking lights and vibrations. Patients from across the United States with and without medical insurance will be welcomed at Valor Station, Banish said.
“We want to open at least two on the East Coast and two on the West Coast, and hopefully have one or two centrally located, so officers don’t have to travel as far to get treatment,” said Jim Banish, the founder and president of the New York Law Enforcement Assistance Program, a nonprofit that aims to prevent PTSD and suicide.
2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Ring in the New Year with nature! Georgia State Parks offer over 70 guided hikes for all levels on New Year’s Day, from easy family walks to challenging treks, including accessible options. Celebrate with a First Day Hike sticker and connect with friends and family in the great outdoors.
All across the country, people can welcome 2025 with an inspirational “First Day Hike” on New Year’s Day. Georgia’s State Park and Historic Site rangers are offering more than 70 guided adventures where participants can connect with friends, family and the great outdoors. Visitors can choose from a variety of distances and difficulties, from kid-friendly strolls to heart-pumping treks and wheelchair accessible trails. Participants will go home with a First Day Hikes sticker to commemorate their accomplishment as part of this nationwide movement.
First Day Hikes is a national initiative from America’s State Parks that encourages people to get outside and explore nature. It began more than three decades ago, and all 50 states have participated. A few unique First Day Hikes in Georgia include watching sunrise over the Okefenokee Swamp at Stephen C. Foster State Park, exploring a pitcher plant bog at Jack Hill State Park, a musket firing at Fort Morris Historic Site, and birding at Crooked River State Park. Dozens of additional hikes are listed on GaStateParks.org.
This year, Georgia State Parks will host two accessible hikes where mobility-impaired visitors can borrow all-terrain wheelchairs free of charge. Advanced reservations are required by December 27 for these two programs. The first is at Sweetwater Creek State Park west of Atlanta and the second is at Tallulah Gorge State Park in northeast Georgia. Participants may also bring their own all-terrain wheelchairs. A few more state parks have also planned First Day Hikes on easy, accessible trails, including Panola Mountain, Florence Marina, Seminole and Richard B. Russell.
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For park guests who want to celebrate a quiet New Year’s Eve surrounded by fresh air, Georgia’s State Parks offer cozy cabins, heated yurts and modern campsites. Fireworks and sparklers are not allowed in state parks, making them a peaceful choice for the holiday – especially those with dogs. For reservations, call 1-800-864-7275 or visit GaStateParks.org.
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