The Inbox July 2016

THE

INBOX Delivering the latest news to Henry County employees

July ‘16 Published by Henry County Communications Department & Henry County Board of Commissioners Editors Melissa Robinson Samantha Watson Graphic Designer Samantha Watson Contributors Meredith Butler Melissa Robinson Samantha Watson Chyah Williams-Thompson Kevin Williams

Please contribute to the monthly employee newsletter!

Email Communications Specialist, Samantha Watson at swatson@co.henry.ga.us.

Contributions can include: original artwork, comics, pictures, announcements, classifieds or columns.

Discounts for county employees

Showing appreciation for employees is important to the county since without you, there would be no newly paved roads, no incoming grant funding, no fires extinguished, no justice served, no place for our seniors to go and therefore, no county.

As a thank you for all the hard work you do, and to give your wallet a break, there are multiple discounts set up for Henry County employees.

You’ve probably already heard about the discounts from Sprint, Gold’s Gym and AT&T, but have you heard about all the discounts available through the Association County Commissioner of Georgia (ACCG) that offers price cuts for Dell, Enterprise and Verizon? We didn’t think so! To learn more about these bargains, log on to the employee intranet, a.k.a. the Henry Communicator.

In addition to these offerings, county departments also want to show support by giving discounts.

Animal Care and Control reduces the pet adoption fee from $65.00

By Samantha Watson

to $35.00 for county employees and also reduces the pet microchipping fee from $20.00 to $10.00 for county employees. Parks and Recreation offers free gym memberships at their facilities to Board of Commissioners employees and a discounted membership fee of $40.00 per year for family members of an employee.

The department also offers a 20 percent discount on facility rentals, excluding pavilions, for county employees and only charges employees for the instructors’ fee for exercise classes. All discounts will be applied only after a valid county ID badge is shown.

With all of these great deals at your fingertips, you are sure to feel appreciated! So after a long day at the office, go treat yourself to a 15 percent off unlimited data plan with Sprint, a new (half-price) furbaby and an invigerating run at the nearest Parks and Rec gym facility. And maybe plan a party for 20 percent off while you’re there!

July ‘16

There’s nothing like a hot, steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee in the morning.

Or is there…

Caffeine addiction, like some of us already know, is a real thing. Our bodies have become dependent on the stimulant that gives us that extra boost of energy in the morning while we prepare to send the kids off to school, try to squeeze in that morning run and get ready for eight hours at the office.

There are between 95 and 200 mg of caffeine in an 8 ounce cup of brewed coffee—double that number if you order a Grande from Starbucks. According to the Mayo Clinic, caffeine also increases your levels of insulin and raises your blood pressure immediately after it is consumed. As the main ingredient of coffee, caffeine is largely the reason why people consume the drink, but also the reason others stear clear of it.

Below are some alternatives to drinks that contain high levels of caffeine, like coffee, that can help you curb those compelling cravings.

To lessen your intake but not give it up entirely, try these brewed alternatives in 8 ounce servings: • Black tea, which has 14-70mg of caffeine • Green tea, which has 24-45mg of caffeine • Decaf coffee, which has 2-12mg of caffeine To kick the habit altogether, try these naturally energizing but caffeine-free drinks: • • • • • • • •

Kvass (a fermented Russian pro-biotic drink) Ginseng tea Wheatgrass juice Peppermint tea Acai berry juice Coconut water Green smoothies/juices Kombucha (a fermented pro-biotic tea) The Inbox

Getting Strong with sam

Strong back

1. Dumbbell pull over: Start on your back, with your knees bent and feet on the floor. With dumbbells in each hand, raise your arms above your chest. Keeping your elbows completely straight, drop your arms behind your head and using your back muscles, pull your arms over your head back to their starting position. Keep your shoulders out of your neck and engage your core to protect your lower back. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

2. Single-arm dumbbell row: (left) Start with your feet hip-width apart, slightly bend your knees and bend over keeping a straight back. With a dumbbell in hand, reach down with one arm, keeping the other arm at your side. Keeping your elbow close to your body, pull your arm back, using your back muslces, like you’re starting a lawn mower. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

3. Wide-grip pull up: (right) (most women will be unable to complete this move) With your arms spread wider than your shoulders, grip the pull up bar with your palms facing out. Extend your arms and legs so your whole body is dangling then, engaging every muscle in your body, pull yourself up until your chest reaches the bar. Try to keep your shoulders down and out of your ears. Do as many as you can for 60 seconds.

Beginner - Intermediate - Advanced

July Health Observances July is Cord Blood Awareness Month, Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month, National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month and International Group B Strep Awareness Month.

According to Save the Cord Foundation, umbilical cord blood is a rich, natural, controversy-free source of life-saving stem cells.

The collection of cord blood does not harm the mother or child and can be readily available when needed if collected and banked.

Cord blood stem cells are the most adaptable form of cells, which provides its potential to be used in regenerative medicine. They also have a broader match potential and are more resistant to infection. Diseases currently being treated with cord blood include malignancies, immunodeficiencies, blood disorders and metabolic disorders.

According to the CDC, craniofacial defects are conditions present at birth that affect the structure and function of a baby’s head and face. Two of the most common craniofacial defects are orofacial clefts, which occur when the lip and mouth do not form properly, and craniosynostosis, which happens when the bones in the baby’s skull fuse too early. Microtia is when the external portion of the ear does not form properly, and anotia occurs when the external portion of the ear is missing. Treatments and services for children with craniofacial defects can vary depending on the severity of the defect; the presence of associated syndromes or other birth defects, or both; as well as the child’s age and other medical or developmental needs. Children with certain craniofacial defects can have a greater risk for physical, learning, developmental, or social challenges, or a mix of these.

Women who have diabetes before they get pregnant have a greater risk of having a baby with craniofacial defects, as do women who smoke during their pregnancy, women who have and were being treated for thyroid disease during their pregnancy or women who take fertility medications while trying to concieve.

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July ‘16

SAFETY FIRST Travel Safety with Chyah Williams-Thompson

5th Annual 5k/10k Firecracker Road Race

The Inbox

Annual leave approved, check! Groupon voucher, check! Airbnb reservation, check! Tickets to see Mickey, check! Start the engine!

But wait! Have you ensured that your home and possessions are as secure as possible? Before you get in full vacation mode, check out these tips: 1. Invite a trustworthy relative or friend stay in your home while you’re gone.

2. Have a trustworthy neighbor look after your property.

3. When you’re leaving for more than a couple of days, call your local post office to stop mail delivery until you get back.

4. To help create the illusion that you’re still home, invest in timers that turn on the interior lights for a few hours every evening.

5. Locking up your home makes it less attractive to burglars.

6. Don’t plaster your whereabouts all over social media. Upload or post when you return.

7. Turning off your garage door is also an effective way to keep thieves from opening it with a universal remote.

8. Don’t leave a portable GPS in your car when you use long-term parking at the airport. It’ll alert thieves that you’re not home and give them a map to your house.

9. If you have a security system, you might want to consider updating it to feature video surveillance.

Home secure, check! Time to go. Enjoy!

Brenda ‘Nish’ Willis

Brenda Nishiyama “Nish” Willis began her fire service career in 1977 and she currently serves as Henry County’s new Fire Chief. She most recently served the citizens of Riverdale, Georgia as their Fire Chief, having held the post since 2012.

In the Atlanta Fire-Rescue Department, Chief Willis distinguished herself as a highly motivated, career-oriented firefighter who accepted any challenge placed before her. She was one of the first 20 female firefighters hired by the Atlanta Fire Department, and she was the first female to serve on the department’s prestigious hazardous materials and technical rescue unit. She served as the Deputy Chief of Airport Operations the last year of her career with Atlanta Fire Rescue Department.

Chief Willis has a Bachelor of Science in Fire Administration. She is an adjunct faculty member with the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland and is called to teach classes throughout the United States.

Chief Willis was an adjunct instructor at Dekalb Technical College and is a certified fire instructor at the Georgia State Fire Academy. She looks forward to continuing her career and setting the pace for men, women and future leaders of the Fire Profession.

Hurtin’ in the Heat Extreme summer heat causes more fatalities in the U.S. per year than any other weather-related factor. The most severe heat-induced illnesses are heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Heat Exhaustion symptoms: heavy sweating, headaches, dizziness/lightheadedness, weakness, mood changes, nausea, vomiting, decreased and dark-colored urine, fainting and pale and clammy skin.

Treatment: Move the person to a cool area to rest. Lay them on their back and raise their legs 6-8 inches if they are dizzy and lay them on their side if they are nauseus. Loosen or remove any heavy clothes. Give them cool water and fan them off. Call 911 if they don’t feel bettter soon.

Heat Stroke symptoms: Dry and pale skin with no sweat, hot and red looking skin (like sunburn), mood changes, seizures/fits, collapse or passed out with no response.

Treatment: Call for 911 then move the person to a shaded area and lay them on their back. Remove their outer clothing. If they are alert enough, give them some cool water. Cool them down by fanning them and spraying them with cool water. Place ice packs at their groin and armpits if you’re unable to put them in a cold shower.

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July ‘16

Office Notes

Retirements • • • •

Judy Blount, Magistrate Court Debra Brown, Resource Court John Eskew, Fire Department Pamela Lytle, Senior Services

Job Openings • • • •

Accounts Administrator Recycle Center Attendant School Crossing Guard Senior Center Aide

Walk-A-Thon • The special needs organization, People First, is holding a Walk-A-Thon fundraiser on July 30 at 8 a.m. at the Board of Education offices. All donations are appreciated and all the money collected goes to benefit the non-profit, which provides for families with special needs children and adults. For more information, call Ricky Craig at 770-957-6060.

Lunch & Learn • The Extensions Office is hosting a Lunch and Learn lecture with an emphasis on turf grass diseases on August 9 at noon at the Extensions Office in Heritage Park. Participants are encouraged to pack their own lunch.

The Inbox

What animal has the longest gestation period?

CERN launched the very first website in what year?

July

The writer Eric Blair went by what pen name?

The Walker Law passed in 1920 in New York was a law regulating which sport?

Where is the baseball hall of fame located?

The fans of Taylor Swift are known as what?

What was the first department store to open in the U.S.?

In what country did table tennis originate?

At what temperature are Celsius and Fahrenheit equal?

Superman is a fictional superhero from what fictional planet?

Answers to the triva questions are listed on the employee intranet on the communications page.