2018 – Digital Storytelling

Reuse Store Saves Teachers Hundreds in Impoverished Communities

December 11, 2018May 13, 2019 Charlotte NorsworthyEducation, low income, poverty, recycle, reuse, school, sustainable0 comment

ATHENS, Ga. — Athens-Clarke County Recycling Division seeks to reduce the cost of school supplies for public school teachers through its Teacher Reuse Store, a facility that offers recycled school materials to local teachers for free. The store, now in its thirteenth year, is housed in the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials, and is now open three times a week. “In the first year, we collected over eight tons of material,” Stacee Farrell, executive director of Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful and leader of the team that managed the reuse…

Government News

Girtz’s Environmental Plan Sparks Concern for Low-Income Families

December 10, 2018May 13, 2019 Caitlin Jettcommunity, Environmental Awareness, Plastic Bags0 comment

ATHENS, Ga. — Some residents of Athens-Clarke County fear that a plan on plastic bags could cause a negative impact on low-income families. Kelly Girtz, mayor-elect of Athens-Clarke, released an environmental plan that includes a ban or fee on plastic bag use in the county. While Girtz mentioned that he will ensure that low-income families will not be burdened by this plan, there are still concerns lingering among Athens-Clarke residents. Asynaka Willis, business account manager at Haven, a company that offers services such as document printing to web hosting, in Athens, Georgia, an…

Experts: Five Minutes of Meditation Per Day Enough

December 5, 2018May 13, 2019 Donovan HarrisAthens, barre, meditation, mental health, Mental Health Awareness, Millennials, mindfulness, stress, therapy, yoga0 comment

ATHENS, Ga- Those who practice daily meditation say they reap the benefit of having fewer stressful days, even with just a couple of minutes of daily dedication. Becky Smith, the owner of Above Barre Athens, started incorporating a few minutes of meditation into the barre classes at her studios to help gym-goers de-stress. For about two to five minutes at the end of class, women are encouraged to meditate and clear their minds. “We have such busy lives. It’s just good to have those few moments to yourself,” Smith says. Above…

Uncategorized

Athens Farmers Market Helps Combat Local Food Desert

December 4, 2018May 13, 2019 Eleanor CashAthens, farmers market, local, sustainability0 comment

ATHENS, GA- Combatting the food desert in Athens has become a goal of the Athens Farmers Market, which has led to the establishment of two major programs to help curb the issue. The first program, Double SNAP, is an extension of the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program program which provides monthly supplements for qualifying members who purchase nutritious food. At the farmers market, the SNAP dollars are doubled, meaning that participants will receive double what they have spent on food in market tokens. The second program, the Fruit and Vegetable…

Community Government News Organizations Social Issue

Dreamers in Athens Maintain Hope Amidst Uncertain Future

February 19, 2018April 13, 2019 Rebecca Nauth, Emma KorstanjeDACA, Dreamers, Immigration0 comment

ATHENS, Ga. – The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) is scheduled to expire on March 5 putting as many as 21,600 registered beneficiaries of this federal program popularly called Dreamers in Georgia at risk for deportation, according to the Migration Policy Institute. The ending of DACA, which allows undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children to live and work in the country, would demographically affect those that are single and under the age 24. If faced with deportation, almost 80 percent of these young DACA recipients…

Community Health News Organizations Social Issue

Campus Kitchen Provides Thousands of Meals for Food Insecure Households

February 18, 2018December 7, 2018 Rachel GraceACCA, Athens, Athens Community Council on Aging, Campus Kitchen, Campus Kitchen at UGA, Food Insecurity, Hunger Relief, SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, UGA, UGA Office of Service Learning, UGArden, University of Georgia, Volunteering0 comment

ATHENS, Ga. – Campus Kitchen at the University of Georgia distributed 25,000 pounds of food to food insecure households and food banks around Athens last year, according to the program’s website. The organization recovered more than 43,000 pounds of food from local grocery stores and gardens, such as UGArden, which they used to provide weekly nutritious meals for their clients and then redistributed unused food to related programs in the area. “Our model is built on creative food sourcing,” said Brad Turner, the program coordinator for the organization at UGA’s Office of Service…

Entertainment News Uncategorized

Athens Drag Culture Inspires Gender Identification

February 9, 2018December 7, 2018 Savannah Peatathens drag, drag, drag culture, drag race0 comment

ATHENS, Ga. – Diego Wolf, a native of Conway, Arkansas, who now lives in Athens, said that drag shows– the energetic art of song and dance– have given him a way for him to find his true self. “It is a socially acceptable, safe place to explore the identity that you choose, and not the one that you are born with,” Wolf said. Between three drag groups, a dozen human rights events, and weekly drag performances, drag has become a staple in Athens, according to Wolf. When exploring one’s…

Athens Tattoo Artist Makes Scars Disappear

February 9, 2018December 7, 2018 Caroline Elliot#scar, #scarcorrection, #skin, #tattoo, #tattoshop, Athens, UGA1 Comment

ATHENS, Ga. – Ron Hendon, a tattoo artist from Athens, Georgia, removed over 40,000 scars in almost 30 years using his artistic ability and decades of tattoo expertise for scar removal therapy. Hendon’s scar removal involves irritation of the scar tissue using tattoo needles. One of its aspects is paramedical micro-pigmentation, a method of cosmetically covering scars. Hendon developed these techniques by accident when a client came in with a large scar on her breast after a domestic dispute. “When the same client came in for a touch up of her floral tattoo,…