Post-storm briefs for the Albany area

Colleges announce reopening times

ALBANY — Both Albany State University and Albany Technical College plan to reopen their offices and campuses, including ASU satellite campuses, Wednesday morning.

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College officials say the Tifton college will remain closed Wednesday and will reopen Thursday morning.

Also, Albany Tech President Anthony Parker’s annual State of the College address, which had been scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed. ATC will announce a new date and time for that event.

Phoebe reopens medical clinics

ALBANY — Phoebe Physicians opened four clinics Tuesday afternoon for walk-ins.

The clinics were Phoebe Primary Care at Northwest, 2336 Dawson Road, Albany; Phoebe Primary Care at Laurel Place, 1390 U.S. Highway 19 North, Lee County; Phoebe Primary Care of Camilla, 725 U.S. Highway 19 South, Camilla, and Phoebe Primary Care & Sports Medicine of Americus, 922 E. Jefferson St., Suite B, Americus.

All Phoebe Physician outpatient clinics will resume normal business hours Wednesday.

Phoebe Urgent Care Clinics and the Phoebe Community Care Clinic opened Tuesday.

Citizens Police Academy postponed

ALBANY — Officials with the Albany Police Department say the 12-week Citizens Police Academy is being rescheduled.

The CPA, which covers topics including gang awareness, traffic regulations, and property and personal crimes, originally was scheduled to start Tuesday evening.

With the delay, APD officials say there is still time to sign up for the academy. Contact APD at (229) 431-2100.

Community Night event canceled

ALBANY — The Albany Civil Rights Institute has canceled its planned Thursday-evening presentation.

Frank Wilson, executive director of the CRI, said the Georgia Justice Project event scheduled for Thursday “has been cancelled until further notice.”

Wilson said the presenters, who are from the Atlanta area, were experiencing post-storm effects from Irma.

Senators applaud Georgia responses

WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, Georgia’s U.S. senators praised federal, state and local responses in Georgia to Hurricane Irma.

The senators cautioned that Georgians should only return home after local officials say that it is okay and keep in mind that Hurricane Irma may have ongoing impacts and disruptions to daily activities because of its widespread damage across the state. A state of emergency remains in effect for all 159 Georgia counties through Sunday.

“Hurricane Irma was a serious and devastating storm that affected our entire state, along with millions of people in neighboring states and multiple countries,” Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Marietta, said. “Thanks to the preparation efforts by Gov. Deal in close coordination with state, local and federal officials in advance of Hurricane Irma, Georgia was ready to respond on all levels.

“I appreciate the efforts by Georgia officials, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and all of the local first responders and medical personnel who helped keep Georgians aware and alert before and during Hurricane Irma. My prayers are with all those who experienced loss during this terrible storm and with the emergency first responders working to aid those in need.”

Sen. David Perdue, R-Sea Island, said, “Since Hurricane Irma hit Georgia, Gov. Deal, our first responders, the Georgia National Guard, the Georgia Department of Transportation, and the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency have been working around the clock to help keep Georgians safe.

“Everyone is doing an incredible job responding to emergency calls and providing Georgians in the storm’s path with real-time updates. Like many Georgians, Bonnie and I evacuated this weekend, too, and we encourage everyone to pay attention to the official schedules for returning home. Senator Isakson and I remain in constant contact with Gov. Deal’s office, and our state and federal agencies, as they begin to assess the damages and get our communities up and running again.”

USDA ready to help storm survivors

WASHINGTON – Officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a reminder for rural communities, farmers and ranchers, families and small businesses impacted Hurricane Irma that the USDA has programs that can provide assistance in the wake of disasters.

USDA staff in the regional, state and county offices stand ready and eager to help, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, a former Georgia governor, said Tuesday.

“In recent weeks, millions of Americans have been affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and the wild fires in the west,” Perdue said. “USDA employees have been working tirelessly and will continue to stand ready to help those in need. As we head down the path to recovery, I am encouraged by the resilience of America’s farmers, ranchers and the American people as a whole that we can come together and get through this trying time.”

Perdue said that the USDA Operations Center has been activated 24/7, keeping him and the department’s leadership team informed. An Incident Management Team supports the USDA Operations Center and will remain in effect through both Hurricane Harvey recovery and Hurricane Irma’s response and recovery.

In an effort to better serve the public, USDA officials say they have partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other disaster-focused organizations to create the Disaster Resource Center website. This central source of information utilizes a searchable knowledge base of disaster-related resources that are powered by agents with subject-matter expertise. The Disaster Resource Center website and web tool now provide easy access points to find USDA disaster information and assistance.

USDA also encourages residents and small businesses in impact zones to contact its offices to meet their individual needs.