Albany Area Briefly

Albany Area Primary Health Care to open new OB/GYN center

ALBANY — Officials from Albany Area Primary Health Care will welcome the community to the official ribbon-cutting and open house of the community health center’s new Miriam Worthy Women’s Health Center on Palmyra Road Thursday.

The new facility, which will occupy a space being given to AAPHC by Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, will be the health center’s OB/GYN center, and will include 19 exam rooms, a laboratory, an ultrasound room, a DEXA scan room, a mammography room, a social worker room, two procedure rooms, a waiting area and work spaces.

Following the move to the new facility, AAPHC will convert its existing OB/GYN area into a pediatric, family medicine and urgent care facility. Additional space will also allow AAPHC to hire more providers for the community.

The ribbon-cutting will take place at 8:30 a.m and will be followed by AAPHC’s “Women are Worthy” health expo from 9-11 a.m.

DCSS High School High Tech Ceremony set for Thursday

ALBANY — Students participating in the Dougherty County School System’s High School High Tech program will gather for a special ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at the Thronateeska Heritage Center.

The High School High Tech program, which is housed at Westover High School and is a joint program with the Albany Advocacy Resource Center, is designed for students with disabilities who will potentially attend post-secondary school and go to work.

In addition to recognizing three WHS graduating seniors, Thursday’s ceremony will feature two speakers, one from Warm Spring and another who is a former student of the program who has recently completed requirements to become a firefighter.

Hines Memorial forum to feature remarks from Rep. Winfred Dukes

ALBANY — Georgia Rep. Winfred Dukes will be the featured speaker at a forum hosted by the Commission on Social and Human Concerns at Hines Memorial CME Church Tuesday at 6 p.m.

During his remarks, Dukes will discuss the importance of being engaged in the voting process, as well has his role in government and the various duties he performs as an elected official. He will also entertain questions and concerns from the audience.

Representatives from Hines Memorial are encouraging members of the community to attend and to bring a friend so that more people will be informed about the importance of being engaged in the electoral process.

The forum will be held in the church’s Family Life Center, located at 408 N. Madison St. For more information about the forum, contact Shirley Vaughn at (229) 395-4964.

YMCA Sports Park to open with Healthy Kids Day

ALBANY — The Albany Area YMCA is kicking off its slate of summer activities with its annual Healthy Kids Day celebration Saturday at the YMCA Sports Park on Gillionville Road.

Healthy Kids Day, which gets under way at 10 a.m., is a free, family event that will feature a variety of demonstrations and activities, including swimming, a bounce house, water slide, SCUBA demonstrations, disc golf and Stand Up paddleboard yoga.

“Healthy Kids Day is a great way for families in our community to have fun and stay active,” said Rachel Ortega, aquatics director for the YMCA. “We welcome families to come and celebrate healthy living and opening day at the YMCA Sports Park.”

Attendees of the Healthy Kids Day event will receive a coupon for 10 percent off a YMCA Sport Park summer pool membership. For more information about the event or about YMCA Sports Park summer memberships, call (229) 436-0531.

Pan-Hellenic Council to host Candidates Forum

ALBANY — The local Pan-Hellenic Council is inviting residents in Dougherty County to a candidate forum involving candidates running for local office in the upcoming primary elections on May 24.

The forum, which will be held Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Law Enforcement Center in downtown Albany, will feature candidates running for Dougherty County coroner, the Dougherty County Board of Education’s at-large seat, Dougherty County Board of Commissioners District 5 and Georgia House District 153.

The Law Enforcement Center is located at 201 W. Oglethorpe Boulevard in downtown Albany.

‘On Your Mark, Get Set, Read’

ALBANY — With the school year winding down and summer quickly approaching, the Dougherty County Public Library is once again preparing to launch its annual summer reading program.

Children of all ages are invited to participate in the library’s summer program, titled “On Your Mark, Get Set, Read,” during which attendees will get to enjoy a variety of programs, including interactive performances, crafts, games and story time.

Participants will also have a chance to receive prizes donated by local businesses to encourage students and families to keep reading.

The summer reading program begins May 23 and ends on July 31. For more information about summer events at the library, contact the Youth Services department at (229) 420-3208 or visit www.docolib.org.

Albany Tech Memorial Day program set

ALBANY — Albany Technical College is inviting the community to come out and help faculty, students and staff commemorate veterans at its annual Memorial Day ceremony on May 31.

The ceremony, which will include entertainment from local students, will also feature a keynote address from U.S. Army veteran Larry Milledge, the owner of Gladiator Services. Milledge will talk about his experiences in the service and the impact that they had on his life.

The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. in the Kirkland Conference Center on the ATC campus.

Loop the Lake

ALBANY — Albany’s Graceway Recovery Residence is once again inviting the Southwest Georgia community to participate in the “Loop the Lake” run to benefit the organization and its mission.

This year’s event, which is set for June 11, marks the 10th annual run along Lake Blackshear in Cordele’s Veteran’s State Park and will feature distance runs for all participation levels, including a 5K, a 10K, a half-marathon, a one-mile fun run and a stroller roll.

The event will also feature the Strut Your Mutt Pet Talent Show and activities for children. For more information about Loop the Lake or to become a volunteer or sponsor, call (229) 446-4550 or email [email protected].