If Oglethorpe County were still my beat...

I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent in Oglethorpe County this semester. I wish I had had more time there to explore different story ideas. Being there made me miss small-town journalism and all the simple stories (and way-too-complex issues) that can exist there. That being said, here are a few ideas I picked up on, but didn't have the time or ability to dig deeper into:

1. People living in buses and sheds (what some call Butler houses, by the brand name). Seriously. There are people in Oglethorpe County who live in these structures, and it seems from talking to first responders and EMS that many choose to live there. It would be interesting to see why, and to see the health issues that may come from this - or the lack of health issues. Maybe these people are more in touch with nature and live a more healthy lifestyle. Both are possible.
2. ATV accidents. These are a big problem in rural Georgia. My husband has a student who was just in his second four-wheeler wreck and who still won't wear a helmet, even after the 10-plus stitches the first one cost him. But the issue isn't just helmet use, it's ATV safety in general. And, hey, ATVs are fun. It's hard to get most people to realize the dangers.
3. A ride-along with emergency services. They mentioned it. I should have taken them up on it. How cool would it be to ride an ambulance for the day and see what it's really like?
4. A day in the life of a rural school nurse. There are probably stories galore if you can get them to talk.
5. Lack of doctors in the county. There are only two, if I can remember correctly. However, it may not be as huge a problem as it could be because the county is located so close to Athens. But what about people who lack transportation?
6. Health issues related to number of grocery stores/types of restaurants in the county. I love down-home cookin'. Mmm, cheese grits, blackeyed peas and chicken. But when the only options are butter-loaded, fried in fat options at restaurants, the population will feel the effects. If you're interested in nutrition, there's a gold-mine of stories related to food served and consumed.
7. Community Connections meetings. I hear from my fellow students that these are great places to meet community members.

So, those are some story ideas. Here are a few people I would have liked to have talked to about other possible story ideas:

1. The two pharmacies in town. I bet those pharmacists have a wealth of information.
2. The MedLink nurse practitioner. Who she sees, what she does, how she helps, etc.
3. The school nurse(s) at Oglethorpe elementary, middle and high schools.
4. Organic growers. Yeah, sounds like a stretch in a rural county, but there's actually a growing number of these people. It would be interesting to see how they might (or might not be) changing their community's eating habits. New Moon Farms and Backyard Harvest are two that come to mind.

You better hurry if you want these ideas. I may just send them to the Oglethorpe County beat reporter at the Athens Banner-Herald. Wait, I think you're in luck. There may not be one. ;)

Finally, these are people you should talk to:
- Nancy Bridges (and her husband Mark). She's the county family and consumer sciences Extension agent, and she's so helpful. Like SO helpful. It was cool driving out to her office and just talking. Mark is a volunteer everything (first responder, fire department, head of the rescue unit), and he's just a cool guy.
- James Mathews. He's the guy pictured at top left along with Mark Bridges. James is the EMS director and coroner. So helpful. So is his staff. They're all nuts. Fun, but crazy.
- Lisa Vaughan. She is AWESOME! You'll notice my multimedia piece with her. She's wonderful. So happy and cheerful and full of life. Totally full of life. I had so much fun talking to her.