Men in Black International is a spinoff/sequel sans Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones and it’s also a disappointing retread that proves this franchise doesn’t have much gas left in the tank.
Instead of Agent Smith and Jones, this time we get Chris Hemsworth as Agent H who works for the London division of the MIB which helps monitor extraterrestrial activity. Liam Neeson costars as his superior and he thinks H needs a partner to help him out. This formula sounds familiar. Hmmm…
Enter Tessa Thompson who worked with Hemsworth on Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Endgame. Her character has always believed in aliens and she hopes to prove her worthiness, but Hemsworth doesn’t think she’s well-equipped. This starts an endless parade of banter, but it doesn’t have any of the wit that Smith or Jones brought.
As per usual in a MIB movie, the characters go globe-trotting to find aliens that pose a threat to the human race and vaporize them, but now there’s a new twist that there might be a mole within the organization.
Hemsworth and Thompson attempt to display the chemistry they showcased in the MCU, but they’re let down by a lazy and desperate script. Hemsworth does bring some quirky charisma and Thompson has some degree of spunk, but I don’t think they’re cut out for this series. Hemsworth, in particular, couldn’t save the Ghostbusters reboot and lightning has struck twice.
The humor often feels forced except for a couple of scenes involving an alien hiding a man’s beard which feels strangely in line, but other than that, there’s nothing really fun or clever with this outing.
Director F. Gary Gray has proven he can handle terrific films such as the original Friday and Straight Outta Compton, but he has paper-thin material that suffers from a case “been there, done that.” Perhaps a neutralizer would be handy for audiences after they walk out.
Grade: C-
(Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action, some language, and suggestive material.)
Wayside Street in Cornelia will remain off limits to thru traffic until August so crews can finish installing a new sewer line and storm drains.
Crews began work on the project on May 20. Currently, Wayside Street is closed from North Main to Hoyt Street. Traffic is being detoured to Galloway Street for vehicles attempting to get to Level Grove Road.
The road will remain closed and the detours will remain in place until the project is completed sometime in August, according to a press release from City Manager Dee Anderson. “We apologize for any inconvenience that this might cause as we continue to replace our very old and outdated infrastructure,” says Anderson.
Two people escaped serious injury when a tree fell on top of it on Crane Mill road late Monday night. The accident happened around 10:52 p.m., shortly after a severe thunderstorm swept through Habersham County. The storm knocked down numerous trees across the county.
The Georgia State Patrol says the 2009 Honda Accord was traveling west on Crane Mill near Pea Ridge Road when a tree on the south shoulder of the road fell on top of it. Initial reports indicated the car ran up under the tree.
The car was driven by Jackie Dodd, 42, of Commerce. Rebecca Christine Dodd, 41, of Cornelia was a passenger in the vehicle. Both sustained suspected minor injuries. Habersham EMS did not transport either of them to the hospital.
Habersham County Emergency Services personnel cleared the fallen tree and debris from the roadway. They did the same in several other locations in the county, including Sam Bell Road near Clarkesville.
A Habersham County firefighter clears a tree that fell across Crane Mill Road. A car ran into the tree shortly after a severe thunderstorm swept through Habersham County late Monday night. (Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham)A Habersham County Sheriff’s deputy assists a county firefighter as he cuts up a tree that fell across Sam Bell Road. (Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham)
Florine Tabor Taylor, age 96 of Clarkesville, Georgia passed away on Monday, June 17, 2019.
Born in Jackson County, Georgia on August 11, 1922, she was a daughter of the late John Newton & Amelia Bell Tabor. Mrs. Taylor worked with Mount Vernon Mills and later retired from food service with North Georgia Technical College. She enjoyed yard working, square dancing, and spending precious time with her family, especially her grandbabies.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Enoch Taylor, Sr.
Survivors include her daughter, Rachel Taylor, son, Thomas Enoch “Tommy” Taylor, Jr. both of Clarkesville, GA; grandchildren, Roy Wildes, Jr. of Sylvester, GA; Robert Wildes, Thomas Caine Taylor both of Clarkesville, GA; Crystal Watkins of Cleveland, GA; 5 great-grandchildren; other relatives, her Hamilton family, & friends.
Funeral services are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Thursday, June 20, 2019, from Hillside Memorial Chapel with Rev. Tommy Childress & Rev. Tim Miller officiating. Interment will follow in the Yonah Memorial Gardens.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 11:00 a.m. until the service hour on Thursday.
(Cleveland)- The White County Board of Commissioners has given approval to the Fiscal Year 2020 county budget. Monday following a second public hearing on the proposed budget the commissioners gave unanimous approval to the 19.19-million dollar general fund budget.
In presenting the budget figures County Finance Director Jodi Ligon said this is a 2.61 percent increase in the 2019 budget. She also said there will be a need to dip into the county fund balance for almost a million dollars to meet the new budget.
The commissioners said the new budget was based on keeping the county’s current 10.75 tax millage rate in place.
The commissioners are expected to set this years tax millage rate in late July.
Carl Clinton Henson, Sr., age 88 of Mt. Airy, Georgia passed away on Tuesday, June 18, 2019.
Born in Murphy, North Carolina on February 05, 1931, he was a son of the late Zeb & Freda Bell Edwards Henson. Mr. Henson served his country proudly in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict. He was retired from Ethicon (Johnson & Johnson) with many years of dedicated service. Mr. Henson enjoyed woodworking, traveling to the mountains, flea marketing, gardening, and yard working. He was of the Baptist faith.
In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by several brothers and one sister.
Survivors include his loving wife, Lucille Hefner Henson of Mt. Airy, GA; children, Carl Clinton Henson, Jr. of Demorest, GA; Billy Ray Henson, Sr. of Mt. Airy, GA; Wanda Sue Berrong of Cleveland, GA; Gary Lee Henson of Mt. Airy, GA; Jacky Lynn Henson of Alto, GA; step-children, Teresa Hefner Colbert of Cornelia, GA; Pam Hefner Owen of Mt. Airy, GA; Dale Hefner of Mooresville, NC; brother, Hoke Henson of Murphy, NC; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, other relatives, & friends.
Funeral services are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Saturday, June 22, 2019 from the Hillside Memorial Chapel with Rev. Larry Ryals & Rev. Bill Trotter officiating. Interment will follow in the Welcome Home Baptist Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Friday.
North Georgia Technical College recently named Wayne Randall as the college’s new School of Agriculture program director. Randall served as Franklin County school superintendent from 2016-2019.
In making the announcement, the college touted Randall’s years of experience teaching and developing agriculture education curriculum. It also noted his work with a nationally recognized agriculture and FFA program.
Experience and accolades
Randall earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture education from the University of Georgia in 1988 and a master’s degree of agriculture from Clemson University in 1996. He received an educational specialist degree from the University of Alabama in 2004.
He lives in Martin with his wife and has three children.
NGTC Dean of Academic Affairs Leslie McFarlin says Randall has worked closely with the college throughout his career.
“North Georgia Technical College is very fortunate to have someone with Mr. Randall’s knowledge, leadership and community connections as our director of agriculture,” says McFarlin. “He not only has a deep understanding of agriculture education but technical education as a whole.”
McFarlin says she’s very excited to work closely with Randall to “build a great agriculture program and develop his progressive vision for our School of Agriculture.”
NGTC President Dr. Mark Ivester says Randall’s previous agriculture education experience is a perfect fit for the future of the college’s brand new School of Agriculture.
“Mr. Randall strongly believes in our college mission of workforce development,” says Ivester. He adds, Randall’s “vision for equipping future farmers with the knowledge, education, and experience needed to be successful will propel our agriculture programming to a higher level of expertise.”
Ag student applications now being accepted
The college is currently accepting students interested in studying agriculture beginning fall semester 2019. The School of Agriculture will offer an associate degree and diploma in modern agriculture and agribusiness, as well as a technician certificate in sustainable urban agriculture.
Click here for more information about the School of Agriculture programs.
The deadline for fall semester applications is July 25. Applications are available online. Visit www.northgatech.edu or call 706-754-7700 for more information.
Former state Rep. Dan Gasaway will have to foot the bulk of the bill for twice overturning a state Republican primary over improper voting, a Superior Court judge ruled Monday.
Senior Judge David Sweat rejected a request by Gasaway attorney Jake Evans to reimburse Gasaway for more than $100,000 in legal fees, according to The Daily Report. The fees were connected to the former state representative’s second successful legal challenge of his 2018 Republican primary race against Chris Erwin.
Gasaway did not seek fees after his first successful challenge of the contest in a trial last year.
Evans argued the court should award Gasaway attorneys’ fees for the second trial because the defense was frivolous. “The Respondents knew they would not win this case. They defended this case to weaponize the judicial system, by bleeding Mr. Gasaway financially and to politically paint him as the bully, when in reality it was Mr. Erwin who, not once, but twice, refused to do the right thing by conceding and forced this case to go forward to trial twice.”
Erwin’s attorney, Bryan Tyson, successfully countered that argument. Tyson said the judge held at the end of the hearing that Erwin’s defense “was based on a reasonable interpretation of the statute that the court could have agreed with.” That finding, he said, “forecloses fees”.
Tyson called Gasaway’s attempts to recoup legal fees “sour grapes”. Erwin and Gasaway’s opponents used that refrain frequently throughout the House District 28 legal ordeal.
Judge awards some costs
Sweat did order Erwin and the county election boards in Habersham, Banks, and Stephens to reimburse Gasaway for costs other than legal fees he spent litigating the second case. Evans says those costs should be somewhere between $1,000-$2,000.
“I am thankful Judge Sweat properly awarded Mr. Gasaway costs, partly making him whole,” Evans tells Now Habersham. “It has been a journey and blessing litigating this case, which will be a memorable one for me that I believe led to positive change.”
Gasaway’s first legal challenge to the May 22, 2018, GOP primary resulted in the discovery and correction of hundreds of House districting errors in Habersham County. The second lawsuit uncovered evidence of illegal voting in Habersham.
Despite the fact he won twice in court, Gasaway lost at the ballot box. Erwin soundly defeated him the third time voters went to the polls.
While opponents and some media berated him for suing, Gasaway says he did it to defend fair and honest elections.
“This ruling brings to an end what has been a very difficult 15 months for me and my family. I believe our democracy is worth fighting for…many have sacrificed their lives for this very institution.” He adds, “Public corruption is not a victim-less crime, we are all the victims.”
While the litigation may be over, the investigation into voting irregularities in Habersham County is not. The Secretary of State’s office opened two investigations into issues surrounding the House District 28 Republican primaries. Georgia election director Chris Harvey previously said the results of those investigations will be made public once they’re complete.
Patrick Taylor Ledford has been elected to the Mt. Airy Town Council. Ledford captured 44% of the vote in a four-person race to win Tuesday’s special election. He succeeds former Town Council member Bobby Ayers who resigned.
Voter turnout for Tuesday’s special election was 13.76%. One-hundred of the town’s 727 active registered voters cast ballots. Here’s the complete, unofficial vote count:
Lerlene Dodd: 26 (26%)
Elisha Kinsey: 19 (19%)
Patrick Taylor Ledford: 44 (44%)
Cindy Williams Tyler: 10 (10%)
There was one write-in vote according to information released by the Habersham County Elections Office.
Ledford says he’s excited and humbled by the election results. “It was a great turnout for a special election. I want to sincerely thank everyone that took the time to cast their vote.”
Ledford, who works as the career placement and development director at North Georgia Technical College, says he’s looking forward to working for the citizens of Mt. Airy.
“I look forward to serving my town, community, and the state of Georgia,” Ledford tells Now Habersham. “I hope to bring fresh ideas to the table that will benefit the citizens of Mt.Airy and help our beautiful community continue to move forward. I appreciate all the support and can’t wait to get started. Thank you.”
Mt. Airy City Manager/Police Chief Tim Jarrell says Ledford will be sworn into office on July 8th after the election results are certified.
Linda Means Kelly’56 walks down the aisle with a flower during the Alumni Memorial Chapel on Saturday, June 1. The chapel is a part of Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School’s Heritage Homecoming Weekend and honors alumni and former faculty who have passed within the last year. (RGNS)
More than 100 alumni and alumni families recently returned to campus at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School for Heritage Homecoming.
This year’s group of Heritage Homecoming attendees had the opportunity to enjoy lunch and breakfast in the new Richard and John Woodruff Dining Hall. They also witnessed the unveiling of the Alumni Plaza. The Alumni Plaza offers patio dining on the north end of the building overlooking the international flag plaza and barn in the distance.
The annual Heritage Homecoming celebration kicked off Friday, May 31. The annual Alumni Memorial Chapel Service was held in the Emily and ErnestWoodruff Chapel on Saturday, June 1. Alumni, faculty, and family members gathered to remember the Rabun Gap alumni and employees who have passed away since last year’s event. Head of School Dr. Anthony Sgro offered the Scripture and Homily.
Those honored were:
Marlar ML Carpenter, 1940 HS; 1942 JC
The alumni choir performs in the Emily and Ernest Woodruff Chapel during Heritage Homecoming Weekend 2019 at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School.
Sue Anderson Vandiver 1942 JC
Leta Keener Murat 1946
Mary Carolyn Philyaw Shirley 1947
Edward Wayne Dickerson 1949
James C. Hogan 1949
David Lee Booker 1950
Carolyn Carnes Brewer 1951
Robert H. Philp, Jr. 1952
Mary Jean Hopper Barber 1953
Ben Hyde 1953
Larry Milton Keener 1954
Thomas E. George 1957
Henry Dwain Ward 1959
Roger Dale Anderson 1962
Lillie Stancil Billingsley 1963
Michael Vincent Geiger 1968
Laura Yarbrough Barron 1969
Kathy Long Blalock 1972
Wallace Gordon Southwell III 1976
James Rogers 1980
Tia Rowe 1985
Ivey Williams Eberly 2003
Lisa Oppelt 2018
Robert “Bob” Bennett, Former Staff
Thomas Poe, Former Faculty
Dr. Karl Anderson, Former Head of School
A final farewell
Head of School Dr. Anthony Sgro and his family attended this year’s Alumni Luncheon held in the new dining hall and Dr. Sgro shared a final farewell to alumni before departing to take on the Head of School role at Asheville School on July 1.
Jeff Miles will take over as Rabun Gap’s new Head of School on July 1. Miles has worked at Christ School in Arden, North Carolina, for the past 20 years. The Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School Board of Trustees appointed him to succeed Sgro back in December. Miles will become Rabun Gap’s eleventh Head of School.
Petey Webster ‘20, left, of Franklin, NC accepts the 2019-2020 Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School Alumni Association Scholarship.
The Alumni Association scholarship recipient, Petey Webster ‘20 of Franklin, NC, addressed alumni in attendance and shared the impact being a student at Rabun Gap has had on him.
Founded in 1903, Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School is an independent, coeducational college-preparatory school serving students in PreK-12th grade day school and grades 7-12 for boarding school.
Georgia’s child well-being ranking has climbed one spot, to 38th among the states, in an annual national report on kids.
The KIDS COUNT Data Book for 2019, released Monday, measures children on education, economic well-being, health, and family and community. Georgia has come a long way from a ranking of 48th in 1990, the report said.
Georgia’s ranking climbed one spot to 38th among the states, in an annual national report on kids.
Georgia’s health care rankings in two other recent reports, though, languish in the 40s among states. That’s a familiar spot in such rankings for the state, which has high rates of people in poverty and without health insurance and grapples with issues of access to care.
The Commonwealth Fund last week ranked Georgia 42nd in its scorecard on health care system performance. And MoneyRates.com ranked the state No. 49 in its analysis of health care in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
KIDS COUNT is an annual project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
“If you want to peer into Georgia’s future, you need only measure the health and well-being of our children,” Russell Hardin, president of the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, said in a statement. “The annual KIDS COUNT data is our report card and should be required reading for everyone who cares about our state. It is encouraging to see that our state’s ranking has improved, but as long as one in five children are born into poverty, we have more work to do to ensure that all of Georgia’s children have the opportunity to succeed.”
On health, the report found that just 7 percent of Georgia kids lack coverage. Yet Georgia’s child uninsured rate is higher than the national average of 5 percent.
Georgia’s death rate for children and teenagers was 52 per 100,000 in 1990. The report, released Monday, said that death rate now is 28 per 100,000. And fewer teenagers abuse drugs and alcohol, with the figure cut in half in recent years, going from 6 percent in 1990 to 3 percent today.
But there remain some worrisome trends. Georgia’s low-birthweight baby rate has increased significantly since 1990 and is at a 30-year high of 9.9 percent.
Polly McKinney of the advocacy group Voices for Georgia’s Children said Tuesday that such rankings “are a great way to show where we as a state have improved overall, and where we stand relative to the rest of the country. And they certainly indicate an increasingly integrated and cohesive approach by the array of public and private stakeholders doing the work.’’
McKinney, citing the high poverty rate here, added that “we must continue to expand stakeholder and community ownership in helping these kids and families find health, happiness, and success.’’
The Commonwealth Fund’s 2019 Scorecard on State Health System Performance put Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Washington state, Connecticut, and Vermont at the top of its rankings.
The scorecard assesses 47 health care measures, covering access, quality, service use and costs of care, health outcomes, and income-based health care disparities. Arkansas, Nevada, Texas, Oklahoma, and Mississippi ranked at the bottom in the report.
Among the national findings: Health care costs are the primary force behind rising premiums, which are an increasing financial burden to working families in all states.
Georgia scored well in some categories, such as having fewer adults with inappropriate lower back imaging; a high rate of children’s vaccinations; and fewer home health patients without improved mobility.
Its lowest measures include adults who went without care because of cost; its uninsured rate; and catheter-related infections.
The Commonwealth Fund scorecard also said Georgia improved on diabetic patients getting an annual hemoglobin A1c test. Among the measures of health in which the state got worse were hospital 30-day mortality and adults without all recommended cancer screenings.
Source: 2019 Scorecard on State Health System Performance
Last year’s scorecard ranked Georgia 40th.
Dr. Harry Heiman, a health policy expert at Georgia State University, said Tuesday that “what is striking to me is the lack of meaningful action, in spite of [Georgia’s] continued dismal health rankings.”
“How can state leaders honestly say they are committed to the health and well-being of Georgia children and families, as their policy decisions continue to fail to meet the needs of people living in our state?” Heiman added. “Georgia remains a negative outlier in terms of our overall health and health system performance.”
In a high-profile effort, Gov. Brian Kemp has pushed for federal waivers for the state’s Medicaid program and the private insurance exchange market, aiming to improve health care in Georgia.
MoneyRates focused on seven factors: health insurance coverage, age-adjusted mortality, vaccination rates, infant mortality, nursing home availability, hospital availability, and practicing physicians per capita. Data came from the U.S. Census Bureau and the CDC.
Massachusetts was rated the best state, while Mississippi was worst.
The report rated Georgia “critical’’ on its overall condition, health insurance coverage, infant survival, and patient care doctors. Hospital capacity and longevity in the state were judged to be “frail.’’
The one “robust’’ factor for Georgia: child vaccinations.
Isolated thunderstorms will develop this afternoon across northeast Georgia and parts of the western Carolinas. The main threat with these storms will be cloud to ground lightning, small hail, and gusty winds.
Another active weather day is in store Thursday. Thunderstorms will cross the region from the west and become strong through the afternoon. Some of these storms will be capable of reaching severe levels and produce large hail and damaging winds. Forecasters say heavy rainfall will also be possible with some of these storms.
Here’s the latest arrest report from the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office.
DISCLAIMER
The arrest records available through this website are public information. Any indication of an arrest does not mean the individual identified has been convicted of a crime. All persons arrested are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Garvis and Judy Kinsey were recognized during the June 17 White County Commission meeting. (WRWH/Dean Dyer)
(Cleveland)- Garvis and Judy Kinsey of Cleveland have contributed a lot in their lifetime to White County and Monday during a called county commission meeting Commission Chairman Travis Turner read a proclamation approved by the board recognizing the two.
Turner said, “Garvis worked at Truett McConnell College for 31 years and Judy worked in the Truett Bookstore and later started Kiddie Kollege Kindergarten in 1976 in the basement of their home.” The two founded White Creek Christian Academy in 1988, where they offered elementary and secondary grades with the mission of developing students to their full potential both academically and spiritually.”
The couple retired from White Creek Christian Academy at the end of the 2018-2019 school year but plan to continue mentoring the new administrators and volunteering their time at the school. Garvis, along with Judy, pastored at Cool Springs, Alley’s Chapel and most recent Macedonia United Methodist Churches, retiring from pastoring this past Sunday, June 16th.
White County Commissioners presented the Kinseys with a proclamation honoring their years of service to the community. Pictured (l-r): White County Commissioner Terry Goodger, Craig Bryant, Travis Turner, Garvis & Judy Kinsey, Commissioners Lyn Holcomb, and Edwin Nix. (wrwh.com/Dean Dyer)
Turner then shared from the proclamation, “Now therefore in honor of Garvis and Judy Kinsey’s life long commitment to White County where they have served selflessly for over 40 years, we the White County Board of Commissioners hereby express our recognition and appreciation for your contributions as you have made and we extend our best wishes to you.”
Turner also shared his personal comments about how the two, and their staff at the school, played a big part in his children’s lives.
This after-the-fourth of July celebration featuring a live concert and fireworks is now an annual tradition in Clarkesville. (file photo 2017/Daniel Purcell)
The City of Clarkesville will host “Red, White & Tunes” on Friday evening, July 19th in Sam Pitts Park. This free event features a Cruise-In on the square, Duck Race in the Soque, family activities in the park, and a live concert and a fireworks extravaganza capping off the evening.
Evening line-up
The kids’ area will provide pre-entertainment park activities beginning at 5:30 p.m. Kona Ice and the Clarkesville Kiwanis Club will be serving concessions.
The Soque River Duck Race, sponsored by Volunteers for Literacy, will start at 7 p.m. in the river.
The Masterpiece Band will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. with its high energy brand of Motown, soul, and modern pop hits. Fireworks will begin just after dark.
Hundreds pack Pitts Park annually to enjoy live music and fireworks during Red, White & Tunes. (Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham)
Free cruise-in on the square
In conjunction with the event, Red, White & Cruise- a Clarkesville Cruise-In- will take place in the upper parking lot of the old courthouse, adjacent to the gazebo at 5:30 p.m. All makes and models will be on display, and prizes will be awarded.
There is no fee to enter the cruise-in. Registration begins at 5 p.m. Final judging will take place at 6:30 p.m and participants are encouraged to stay for the concert and fireworks.
For more information about the event, contact Trudy Crunkleton at 706-754-2220.
Men in Black International is a spinoff/sequel sans Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones and it’s also a disappointing retread that proves this franchise doesn’t have much gas left in the tank.
Instead of Agent Smith and Jones, this time we get Chris Hemsworth as Agent H who works for the London division of the MIB which helps monitor extraterrestrial activity. Liam Neeson costars as his superior and he thinks H needs a partner to help him out. This formula sounds familiar. Hmmm…
Enter Tessa Thompson who worked with Hemsworth on Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Endgame. Her character has always believed in aliens and she hopes to prove her worthiness, but Hemsworth doesn’t think she’s well-equipped. This starts an endless parade of banter, but it doesn’t have any of the wit that Smith or Jones brought.
As per usual in a MIB movie, the characters go globe-trotting to find aliens that pose a threat to the human race and vaporize them, but now there’s a new twist that there might be a mole within the organization.
Hemsworth and Thompson attempt to display the chemistry they showcased in the MCU, but they’re let down by a lazy and desperate script. Hemsworth does bring some quirky charisma and Thompson has some degree of spunk, but I don’t think they’re cut out for this series. Hemsworth, in particular, couldn’t save the Ghostbusters reboot and lightning has struck twice.
The humor often feels forced except for a couple of scenes involving an alien hiding a man’s beard which feels strangely in line, but other than that, there’s nothing really fun or clever with this outing.
Director F. Gary Gray has proven he can handle terrific films such as the original Friday and Straight Outta Compton, but he has paper-thin material that suffers from a case “been there, done that.” Perhaps a neutralizer would be handy for audiences after they walk out.
Grade: C-
(Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action, some language, and suggestive material.)
The small yellow yard signs began to appear this spring, seemingly overnight and without fanfare. They’re peppered across the parking lots of shopping centers and along the stretch of U.S. Route 78 that runs through downtown Athens.
“WE BUY DIABETIC TEST STRIPS,” reads one sign, written in bold, black capitalized letters and an industrial font. An accompanying local phone number sends callers to an Indiana-based company named Test Strip Search, whose website advertises three easy steps for people seeking cash: Get quote. Mail strips. Get paid.
People diagnosed with diabetes spend more than $3,000 per year on supplies, according to 2018 estimates from the American Diabetes Association, and test strips are a crucial part of their daily routine. The thin slivers of paper are used with a glucose monitor several times a day to check blood sugar levels, so patients can determine how much insulin they need to inject to control their condition.
A number of companies — such as Test Strip Search, Fast Cash Strips, Diabetic Strips 4 Cash and others — buy unused supplies from people who have too many.
According to Dr. Mohammed Ali, an associate professor at Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health and a primary care physician, some people with diabetes may have an excess of test strips due to inefficiencies in the health care system.
Ali
“Test strips are technically recommended only for people who are using insulin, because the idea is that they should be able to help by measuring your glucoses on a regular basis,” he said.
“Unfortunately, over the years, there has been some excess use of them and prescription of these, in that a whole lot of people who don’t use insulin or just use a long-acting insulin were given these glucose strips.”
And then market forces come into play.
“You have really a sort of imbalance in the supply-and-demand situation where the wrong people are getting” the test strips, Ali said. “Those that really need them, and are in unfortunate circumstances, are not being covered for them,” he said.
People who have strips that they don’t need may want to sell them, so those who need them can buy them.
They resell them via online marketplaces like Amazon, eBay and Craigslist. Even a search for “diabetes test strips” on social media sites such as Facebook brings up a number of groups and posts offering to buy or sell the strips.
This flourishing secondhand commerce is catching the attention of manufacturers, patients’ advocates and federal health officials. It’s a profitable “gray market” in which products are redirected through nonstandard channels of distribution. And it’s perfectly legal.
“I’m taking advantage, as are my peers, of a loophole,” the owner of one resale website told The New York Times earlier this year. “We’re allowed to do that. I don’t even think we should be, frankly,” the person said.
Some others agree that the situation has gotten out of hand. The state of California began to regulate the supply chain of diabetes products two years ago as part of an effort to prevent fraud. And patient safety is also emerging as a concern. Federal officials are homing in on both problems.
“We recognize that some people may be choosing to purchase pre-owned or unauthorized test strips because they believe there is a cost savings,” said Tim Stenzel of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, in a warning to consumers issued in April.
“However, by doing so, they may be putting themselves at risk for serious injury or even death,” he said in the announcement, which warned of the risks of infection and inaccurate results.
How the resales work
More than 30 million Americans reported having diabetes in 2015, according to data from the American Diabetes Association. Rates are particularly distressing here in the Southeast, in states such as Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. That’s what makes this region attractive for resale businesses.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, the death rate from diabetes in this state is 8 percent higher than the national average.
Test strips often come in packs of 50 or 100, and a pack can range from $50 to $200 if purchased without assistance from insurance. Georgia requires that patients have a prescription to purchase test strips from a medical supplier, but the resale of these strips is legal for both buyer and seller, as it is in many other states.
The head of TestStripSearch.com, Wendy Carrier, as well as other corporations that buy and resell test strips in Georgia, were contacted but declined to comment for this story. However, their websites and advertisements on social media detail a how-to guide for people who want to make money on the supplies they have.
The American Diabetes Association estimates that more than 1 million people in Georgia have diabetes, and many of those people don’t even know they have the condition. There are an estimated 50,000 diabetes diagnoses each year.
Medical expenses for those living with the condition are around 2.3 times higher than those who do not have it. The American Diabetes Association estimates that people with diabetes spend an average of $11,744 on health care expenses yearly.
Ali said he’s not aware of any statistics on average medical expenses for Georgians who have diabetes. But he believes the trends in this state are similar to those nationwide.
“Strips are certainly very expensive, and part of that expense makes them an interesting commodity,” he said. “In some respects, we are unfortunately getting it wrong in terms of a lot of people getting excess strips that they don’t need. And, vice versa, those that really need them, and are in unfortunate circumstances, are not being covered for them,” he said.
The resale companies say their services help get unused test strips into the hands of patients who otherwise would have trouble acquiring them, such as the uninsured who can’t get a prescription. Patients who sell their unused strips get cash, and the companies profit by reselling the products, generally at a higher price.
“With our program, everyone wins!” declares the website quickcash4teststrips.com, which says it distributes unused test strips locally first, but also says strips sold outside the local area are 75 percent to 80 percent cheaper than retail.
Most of the resellers claim that they only buy packs of strips that are unopened and not past their expiration date.
Do you know what you’re getting?
That may be good for the seller, but Donald Walker, director of the Atlanta Diabetes and Prevention Group, a nonprofit that helps educate patients with diabetes about their condition, says he has heard multiple negative reports from patients who used these distributors to buy products.
“Some of the test strips were open. Some were defective,” Walker explained. “The quality of the product was just affected in some regard,” he said, citing poorly packaged products and unusable goods.
Manufacturers of test strips generally send their products directly to pharmacies, and they say they are able to certify quality and offer warranties only on products sold by these authorized distributors. Those products have been evaluated for proper handling, shelf life and authenticity.
Photo by Chris Herbert
Authorized suppliers also can ensure that a particular kind of test strip will work with a patient’s specific glucose meter, said Diana Hidalgo of the customer support team of Ascensia Diabetes Care, a leading manufacturer in the blood glucose test strip market.
That’s important, because getting the wrong equipment is risky. Patients in Georgia and elsewhere who buy diabetes supplies secondhand are being warned about potential inaccuracies in their blood sugar readings, which can lead to the administration of too much insulin, or too little.
Dr. Ali said that type 1 diabetes patients, who are using insulin “because it is lifesaving,” depend on accurate readings of their blood sugar levels.
“If they had erroneous readings that led them to adjust their insulin incorrectly, they could either end up bottoming out and having hypoglycemia, where they drop too low, which is also potentially fatal,” he said. “Or they could go the other way, where they underdose themselves and end up going too high.”
The FDA said in April that it is closely monitoring reports of adverse events associated with the testing issue. Consumers should report problems directly to the FDA by calling 1-800-FDA-1088 or visiting MedWatch, the agency’s safety information and adverse event reporting program.
About the authors:
Yunxuan Gu is currently pursing her master’s degree in journalism at the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication
Chris Herbert is a freelance journalist and graduate student at the University of Georgia. His interests lie in health, investigations, content moderation, security and privacy. Chris’s previous work has appeared in Yahoo!
Sam Jones is a University of Georgia graduate student studying journalism
Naomi Thomas is an Athens-based intern for Georgia Health News
The North Georgia Technical College Foundation recently announced this year’s recipients of the North Georgia Technical College Presidential Scholarships.
The $500 scholarships have been awarded each year since 2008 to one senior from each high school and mountain education center in the college’s eight-county service area. The recipients are high school seniors who have excelled in a technical career program in their school and have shown interest in attending or have dual-enrolled at NGTC.
This year’s recipients are:
Brittany Thomas of Copperhill, Tenn., from Fannin County High School
Isabel Parrish of Royston, Ga., from Franklin County High School
Emily Watts of Clarkesville, Ga., from Habersham Central High School
Pebble McDaniel of Lula, Ga., from Habersham Mountain Education Charter High School
Brandon Hunter of Tiger, Ga., from Rabun County High School
Joseph Aaron Thompson of Tiger, Ga., from Rabun Mountain Education Charter High School
Brayden Looney of Toccoa, Ga., from Stephens County High School
Ava Rogowski of Martin, Ga., from Stephens Mountain Education Charter High School
Hunter Moss of Hiawassee, Ga., from Towns County High School
Taylor Murphy of Blairsville, Ga., from Union County High School
Victoria Hilbish of Blairsville, Ga., from Union Mountain Education Charter High School
Caylee Brooke Pierce of Cleveland, Ga., from White County High School
Jared Redfern of Clermont, Ga., from White County Mountain Education Charter High School
For more information regarding the North Georgia Technical College Foundation and how it can assist students at any of the college’s three campuses in Clarkesville, Toccoa or Blairsville, visit www.northgatech.edu or call 706-754-7795.
Habersham County must pay former State Rep. Dan Gasaway $550 to cover litigation costs associated with the second of two lawsuits he filed over voting irregularities in the House District 28 Republican primary.
Gasaway had sought to recoup more than $100,000 in attorneys’ fees but a judge denied his request after a hearing on June 17 in Banks County Superior Court. That hearing was the last round in a year-long legal battle over the House race between Gasaway and former Banks County school superintendent Chris Erwin.
The two initially faced off at the polls in the May 22, 2018, primary. Erwin won the race this past April after two lawsuits and three elections.
Cost to taxpayers & electoral impact
The House District 28 lawsuits and special elections cost Habersham County taxpayers $58,966, according to county manager Phil Sutton. The county spent $41,235 on legal representation and $17,181 on the two special elections that were held. The overall sum also includes Habersham County’s share of the litigation costs Senior Judge David Sweat awarded to Gasaway.
While Judge Sweat’s refusal to award attorneys’ fees significantly minimized the financial impact on the county, the electoral impact of the lawsuits is significant.
After the first lawsuit was filed, Habersham County election officials reassigned more than 400 voters whom they had placed in the wrong state House districts. Also, Carole Lonergan resigned from the Habersham County Elections Board after it was revealed she had actively campaigned against Gasaway.
After the second lawsuit, election officials implemented procedures to guard against the kind of illegal voting that ultimately cost Gasaway his House seat.
Gasaway lost the first do-over election on December 4, 2018, by two votes. The court ruled that three of the votes cast against him were illegal because the voters no longer lived in the county or district where they voted. Erwin refused to concede. The judge ordered another election and Erwin won the second do-over with 75% of the vote.
Safeguarding future elections
Habersham County Manager Phil Sutton says poll workers will now make sure voters complete the change of address form before they vote. (Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham)
“We are now in a position to ensure voter’s addresses can be verified and cross-checked across multiple sources of information,” Sutton tells Now Habersham. He points out three ways in which this will be achieved:
1. We have a procedure to cross-check the voter registration list with our geographic information system to ensure we have a second verification of the location of the voter’s residence. This procedure is confirmed before every election, whether it be a federal/state/county/municipal election.
2. The Secretary of State’s Office has put into place a new procedure for the National Change of Address Confirmation Notices, allowing us to process more voter’s addresses when the voter does not return the confirmation notice with their new address to the Elections & Voter Registration office.
3. Based on the Judge’s ruling, we will go above and beyond the requirement of Georgia Election Law. The poll workers will continue to give a change of address form to every voter who reports a different address than the official registered address at the voting precinct and will make sure they complete the change of address form before they vote. This is beyond what is required in Georgia election law, however, it is necessary for us to comply with Judge Sweat’s ruling in the Gasaway suit.
The Georgia Secretary of State’s office launched two investigations into voting irregularities in Habersham County. State Election Director Chris Harvey previously said the results of those investigations will be made public once the investigations are complete.
People diagnosed with diabetes spend more than $3,000 per year on supplies, according to 
