Georgia
Should South Georgia be worried about potential impacts from the Bird Flu?
WALB is working to produce video for this story. In the meantime, we encourage you to watch our livestream.
ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) – According to the CDC, H5N1 or Bird Flu, is a virus that originates from wild birds. Both poultry and cows can contract this virus.
Through consumption of dairy products and interactions with infected animals, humans are also at risk for exposure.
“I think that people need to be appropriately concerned. And for most people, that’s going to mean taking precautions if they are engaging in any type of high-risk exposure. So, if they are a dairy or a poultry farm worker, absolutely they need to be taking precautions,” said Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist from the University of Saskatchewan.
The CDC reports that there are 65 confirmed cases of bird flu in the US, so far none in Georgia. But many are at risk for exposure. Experts say those with backyard chickens should wear appropriate personal protective equipment when near those birds.
“When you think about all the various ways that Avian Influenza can spread, the biggest vector usually is wild birds migrating, bringing the disease into an area it wasn’t before. It’s really hard to control that interaction between domesticated birds and wild birds, especially when we want things like cage free eggs,” said Chad Hart, an Agricultural Economist at Iowa State University.
In November, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that over 6 million infected chickens were slaughtered in an attempt to contain the virus from spreading to humans, but recent trends in raw milk consumption have experts worried for those who prefer unpasteurized dairy products.
“I strongly advise people not to drink raw milk. This is not a good way to immunize yourself against H5N1, and it might be a very good way to infect yourself with a massive dose of H5N1 that could lead to severe or fatal disease, and especially in a child,” continued Rasmussen.
Experts say the spread of Bird Flu from one human to another is rare. It’s more likely for an individual to contract the virus through exposure or consumption of infected animals and their by-products. The University of Georgia is currently one of five institutions working with the Food and Drug Administration to test the country’s dairy supply for signs of H5N1.
Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.
To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.
Copyright 2024 WALB. All rights reserved.
Georgia
Co-owner of Yurezz Home Center in Greeneville arrested in Georgia
APPLING COUNTY, Ga. (WCYB) — The co-owner of Yurezz Home Center in Greeneville has been arrested in Georgia, according to a report obtained by News 5.
Earlier this week, News 5 told you about the dealership in Greeneville that abruptly shut down last month.
This has left homeowners with partially built homes and employees without jobs.
It is not yet clear why Richard Altman was taken into custody.
This is a developing story.
Georgia
Georgia Supreme Court upholds convictions of men in deadly shooting during gas station carjacking
Two men found guilty of murdering a man while he was pumping air into his tires at a Georgia gas station will remain in prison, the Georgia Supreme Court has ruled.
Miles Chatezal Collins and Josiah Hughley, Jr. had appealed to the state’s highest court after they were found guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault, violating Georgia’s Street Gang, Terrorism and Prevention Act, and hijacking a motor vehicle, among other charges in 2025.
The men’s charges stem from a shooting on July 10, 2022, at a QuickTrip gas station in Peachtree Corners. According to the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office, 30-year-old Bradley Lamar Coleman had stopped at the gas station to fill up his tires when Collins, Hughley, and a third man pulled up beside him and tried to steal his Dodge Charger.
When Coleman tried to stop the men, officials say they shot him and fled the scene.
Authorities say the three men were members of the Blood gang and had tried to steal the car to increase their status.
While their first trial ended in a mistrial due to a comment by the prosecution, a jury found Collins, Hughley, and their co-defendant, David Jarrad Booker, guilty of more than a dozen charges in 2025. They were each sentenced to life plus 145 years in prison.
In Collins and Hughley’s appeal to the state Supreme Court, they argued that there was insufficient evidence to support some of the charges and that the judge in the case improperly admitted certain evidence and committed errors in instructing the jurors.
The justices’ rulings disagreed, finding that their attorneys failed to object to the supposed errors and that the two men’s claims were insufficient.
The judges also found that a claim by Hughley that his counsel failed him by not asserting that a statement made to law enforcement should have been suppressed. With those findings, the Supreme Court chose not to overrule the case, letting the convictions and sentences stand.
“We are grateful for this affirmation from the Georgia Supreme Court,” Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. “Thanks to the incredible work of our team of trial and appellate prosecutors, and all of the staff that assisted with defending these convictions, two dangerous criminals will remain in prison.”
Booker’s appeal remains pending.
Georgia
Trooper injured in chain-reaction crash on Georgia 400
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. – A Georgia State Patrol trooper sustained injuries Tuesday afternoon after striking the rear of a stopped vehicle on Georgia 400, triggering a three-vehicle chain-reaction crash.
What we know:
The collision happened around 3:43 p.m. on the northbound lanes just south of Abernathy Road.
A trooper was traveling north on Georgia 400 when traffic in front of the cruiser came to a sudden stop. The trooper was unable to halt in time and struck the rear of a second vehicle, which then slammed into a third vehicle.
All three vehicles sustained enough damage to be towed from the scene, according to the state patrol report. The trooper had visible injuries and received treatment onsite, while medics transported the second driver to a local hospital. The driver of the third car complained of injuries but refused medical treatment at the scene.
What we don’t know:
Officials have not yet confirmed the current medical conditions of the hospitalized driver or the injured trooper. It remains unclear what caused traffic to come to a sudden halt before the chain-reaction collision occurred.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Lt. E. Starling of the Georgia State Patrol DPS Public Information Office, who provided the preliminary crash details in an official statement.
-
Hawaii31 seconds agoThree West Hawaii sex offenders arrested – West Hawaii Today
-
Idaho4 minutes ago
Idaho Power crews respond to outage affecting 2,163 customers in Canyon County
-
Illinois16 minutes agoAs Illinois enters 10th year under Evidence-Based Funding model, equity remains an elusive goal
-
Indiana18 minutes agoFAIRFIELD NATIVE AND HIS WIFE FOUND DEAD IN THEIR NEWBURGH, INDIANA HOME
-
Iowa23 minutes agoFrom caviar nuggets to bison, 10 new Iowa State Fair food trends
-
Kentucky33 minutes agoKentucky lawmakers hold town hall on AI data centers in Louisville
-
Louisiana38 minutes agoNorman C. Francis library naming honors Lafayette education legacy
-
Maine46 minutes agoLive updates: U.S. and Iran escalate attacks; jockeying starts in Maine after Graham Platner drops Senate bid