|
|
| This Week's Titles: |
| North
Georgia County Fighting Back Against A Killer |
|
|
The Importance Of Testing
Homes For Radon |
|
| Consolidation
Loans Could Sink You Deeper In Debt |
|
| The
Mystery Of Disappearing Bees |
|
| Diabetes
Epidemic Getting Worse |
|
|
|
| North
Georgia County Fighting Back Against A Killer |
1:44 |
A North Georgia county is working
to get the upper hand on a killer of women. |
Hall County has one of the
highest death rates of women from cervical cancer in Georgia.
Reports indicate breast and cervical cancer screening rates
are low among low-income, uninsured, and underinsured women.
Beginning in 2005, Hall County Extension teamed up with the
District Health Department, and the American Cancer Society,
to reach at-risk women. Debbie Wilburn, a county extension agent
in Hall County says it's important to reach these at-risk women,
so cervical cancer can be caught early. "Something that we really
need to be aware of is that no woman should ever die of cervical
cancer. It is one of the most preventable diseases if it's caught
in the early stages." Debbie Wilburn With the University of
Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
To reach at-risk women, several cancer exhibits and programs
were held throughout Hall County. Several Cooking for a Lifetime
Cooking Schools were held, as well as a District Breast Cancer
Awareness Luncheon. Around one-hundred eighty people attended
these cancer awareness programs for women that were held in
Hall County during 2007. Attendance has also been good in 2008,
as at-risk women get the help they need so they won't become
victims of cervical or breast cancer. John Harrell, University
of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,
reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
|
| |
 |
| The
Importance Of Testing Homes For Radon |
1:51 |
Georgian's need to monitor
their homes to keep a deadly gas from sneaking in. |
Every year over eight-hundred
Georgian's die from lung cancer caused by the gas radon. The
University of Georgia Radon Education Program seeks to lower
that number by encouraging people to test and fix their homes,
if high levels of radon are found. Ginger Bennett, a radon education
specialist with the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences says what makes radon so dangerous
is that it's odorless, and tasteless. "That's right because
you can't see it, taste it, or smell it. And it causes no symptoms
until lung cancer has already begun to develop. You don't even
know you've got it until the harms been done. It does take a
long time for it to develop, but if you don't know it's developing
the only way to know and to protect yourself and your family
is to test your home." Ginger Bennett with the College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences. Over four-thousand free radon test
kits have been distributed in Hall and surrounding counties,
and over one-thousand test results have been received from the
test lab. Test results showed around twenty percent of the homes
were at or above the EPA action level. Each homeowner that received
high test results was sent an information packet with a coupon
for a second test kit, and suggestions for selecting a radon
contractor. Since this gas likes to sneak into homes undetected,
all homeowners throughout Georgia are encouraged to have their
homes tested for radon. John Harrell, University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting
from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
|
| |
|
| Consolidation
Loans Could Sink You Deeper In Debt |
1:37 |
Consumers that consolidate
debt may borrow more trouble. |
Many people in Georgia hear
and see a lot of advertising aimed at consumers with credit
problems. These companies offer to provide goods and services,
from copies of a credit report to relief from creditors. But
a financial management specialist with the University of Georgia's
College of Family and Consumer Sciences says obtaining a consolidation
loan could cause you to sink deeper in red ink. "If they get
a loan, they're going to be paying interest rates much higher
than anything they already have and all they're going to do
is add a considerable amount of time to how long it's going
to take them to repay that debt. It'll feel like it's better
because you will pay less per month but if you multiply the
amount that you pay per month by the number of payments that
you have and look at the total amount that you'll have to repay
you'll find that you're paying a whole lot more to get out of
debt then you would have to with other options." That was Michael
Rupured with the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. For
Georgian's that truly want to get out of debt, it's probably
best to leave debt consolidation loans alone. Remember, if debt
is your problem, borrowing more is not a long-term solution.
John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
|
| |
|
| The
Mystery Of Disappearing Bees |
1:44 |
College scientists continue
working to solve the disappearing bees mystery. |
Almost half the bee colonies
in the United States died last winter. Many were the result
of a disorder that causes the colony to literally collapse.
Since nearly a third of the nation's food supply is pollinated
by bees, it's important to stop bees from disappearing. Keith
Delaplane, a scientist with the University of Georgia's College
of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences says solving this
mystery will not be easy. "But the picture is getting more and
more complicated as the years go by. We know for instance that
the varroa mites interact with several bee viruses. They either
vector the viruses, or they activate the viruses that otherwise
are latent in a bee and don't show any symptoms." Keith Delaplane
with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,
who adds the problem is called colony collapse disorder. Scientists
believe a combination of factors contribute to this problem.
These include pesticide exposure, environmental and nutritional
stresses, and new or reemerging pathogens. University scientists
are looking at the problem from every angle as they conduct
research, in an effort to find solutions that will help beekeepers
and growers that rely on bees for pollination. John Harrell,
University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences, reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
|
| |
|
| Diabetes
Epidemic Getting Worse |
1:44 |
The diabetes epidemic continues
to get worse in Georgia and the nation. |
Heart disease continues
to be the number one killer disease across the nation, but diabetes,
which is number two on the list, is gaining quickly. A report
released in late June indicates the incidence of diabetes increased
fifteen percent, or by three million people since 2005. The
report also estimates four-hundred million people will have
diabetes by the year 2030. Connie Crawley, a nutrition and health
specialist with the University of Georgia's College of Family
and Consumer Sciences says obesity and a lack of exercise are
the two main factors leading to this increase. "Well we're pretty
confident that most of it is because we're getting more overweight
and or obese in this country. And we also are just becoming
more inactive and it's happening at younger and younger ages
so what used to developing in forty to fifty year olds is now
developing in teenagers and twenty year olds so it really is
a really serious problem." Connie Crawley with the College of
Family and Consumer Sciences, who adds ethnic groups are at
greater risk for diabetes. These include African Americans,
Native Americans, Puerto Ricans, Mexican Americans, Cuban Americans,
and Asian Americans. John Harrell, University of Georgia College
of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
|
| |
|
|
|
