Smoke's getting in all of our eyes - and what we can do about it

From the Chatham County Health Department:


CHATHAM COUNTY, GA— The Chatham County Health Department is asking residents to take precautions to avoid health problems related to the smoky conditions caused by the recent wildfires.
Smoke from wildfires can cause coughing, a scratchy throat, irritated sinuses, shortness of breath, chest pain, headaches, stinging eyes, and a runny nose. Smoke may worsen symptoms for people who have heart or lung disease, or other pre-existing respiratory conditions, such as respiratory allergies, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). When smoke levels are high enough, even healthy people may experience some of these symptoms.
The Chatham County Health Department urges you to protect yourself by using the following precautions:
Stay inside with windows and doors shut.
Use the recycle or re-circulate mode on the air conditioner in your home or car.
If you do not have an air conditioner and if it is too warm to stay inside with the windows closed, seek shelter elsewhere.
Avoid cooking and vacuuming, which can increase pollutants indoors.
Avoid physical exertion.
Asthmatics should follow their asthma management plan.
Keep at least a five-day supply of medication on hand.
Contact your doctor if you have symptoms such as chest pain, chest tightness, shortness of breath, or severe fatigue. This is important for not only for people with chronic lung or heart disease, but also for individuals who have not been previously diagnosed with such illnesses. Smoke can “unmask” or produce symptoms of such diseases.
Keep airways moist by drinking lots of water. Breathing through a warm, wet washcloth can also help relieve dryness.
Use a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to reduce breathing problems. A HEPA filter may reduce the number of irritating fine particles in indoor air.

For more information about health problems related to the smoke, please call your local healthcare provider.

Phone Scam Making the Rounds in Our Neighborhood

From the SCCPD:
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Crime stats for 6/5 - 6/11

Here's the latest crime numbers for Fairway Oaks and select surrounding neighborhoods.
Click to enlarge.

Crime Stats for the week of May 22-28

Here's the latest crime numbers for Fairway Oaks and select surrounding neighborhoods.
Click to enlarge.

Crime Stats for 5/16 - 5/23

Nothing for Fairway Oaks this week - hooray!

Crime Stats for May 9-16

Here's the latest crime numbers for Fairway Oaks and select surrounding neighborhoods.
Click to enlarge.

Crime Stats for April 18 - May 2

Here's the latest crime numbers for Fairway Oaks and select surrounding neighborhoods.
Click to enlarge.

Another home invasion/robbery in Fairway Oaks

Details are still developing, but what is known so far is that the incident took place on Wednesday, April 20th at a private residence at the corner of Althea and Margatha, around the time of 9:30 -10:30AM.
An elderly man with a cane approached our neighbor (a retiree) on her way out of her side door to the garage. His story was that he had worked in this area years ago and that he remembered her and wanted to show her something she needed. He was trying to sell her something.
As he tried tried to call her by name, his younger 'associate' got out of their truck and walked up with a roll of linoleum for her kitchen floor. The old man kept on talking - keeping our neighbor's attention and herding her into the kitchen - while the young guy slipped into the dining room and into the rest of her home and bedroom, where he took a bracelet some old gold and some money.
It appears these two have been working this angle for a while as the the younger man reappeared just as the old man finished his sales pitch. Expert timing here.
Our neighbor said she was not interested in the product and the two left quietly and amicably with their swag. It was not until Thursday and Friday that the theft was noticed, and not until Saturday morning were the police notified and a report filed.
Our neighbor was embarrassed that she was taken by these thugs, but she's also very lucky to be unhurt. She feels very stupid and foolish about this.
She had no way of knowing it, but these guys are pros - not random street scum wandering our neighborhoods. They did their 'homework' on her and our neighborhood and targeted her. They had to have spent considerable time cruising our streets to have picked her out.

Now she just wants to make sure that no one else makes the same mistake she made. All in all, she was pretty lucky.

REMEMBER - IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING!
CALL 911! IT'S THAT SIMPLE.

LNG Liability Forum May 3

Citizens for Clean Air and Water schedules a forum on Liability for Liquified Natural Gas

On May 3, 2011, Citizens for Clean Air and Water will present a Forum on Liability for Liquified Natural Gas.
The location is Candler Hospital, 5353 Reynolds Road, in the Marsh Auditorium
The Forum will begin at 7PM and is free and open to the public.
A panel of experienced Savannah attorneys, including Howard Spiva, Mark Tate, George Lewis and Clete Bergen will discuss the issue of liability insurance and its pertinence to LNG.
Pam Miller, co-founder of Citizens for a Safe and Secure Savannah, will give remarks about the organization’s activities related to the proposal for LNG trucking.
Topics that will be discussed include, but are not limited to, liability for negligence; wartime exceptions such as terrorism, foreign or home grown; and limitations regarding natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados and the like.
Clete Bergen, a Savannah attorney and President of CCAW said, “Our lives are full of risks. We attempt to protect ourselves from these risks with insurance. We need to be fully informed about the extent or limitations of such protections.”
Judy Jennings, a CCAW member and long-time LNG watcher said, “LNG is by definition a hazardous material. We often look to government to protect us, but we also have personal responsibility and we need to know the fine-print about whether or not our insurance will keep us whole in the case of a loss resulting from LNG.”
Patricia Jenkins, a CCAW member with personal experience in evacuations said, “I understand about evacuations. The Powell Duffryn explosions and fire in 1995 caused my parents to be evacuated three times from their home. Proximity of the danger was a primary issue. Also, the aftermath placed unexpected living expenses and undue turmoil on my parents who were already weakened by previous illnesses.”

For more information, call Clete Bergen at 912-233-8001.

April 4 crime stats

Here's the latest crime stats for the week of 4/4. click to enlarge