Two Cases of MRSA in North West Georgia

In East GA schools, recent outbreaks of drug resistant staph infections, known as MRSA, have left many parents worried. Now, two students at Coosa High School in Floyd County were diagnosed with drug resistant staph infections. Officials say not to worry. The infection is treatable, just not with the common antibiotic, methicillin.

Floyd County School representative, Tim Hensley, says all Floyd County schools are working with the Health Department to make sure they’re cleaned properly, but parents play a big role as well.

“The biggest thing, and we try to stress that with parents, is good hygiene, and washing your hands a lot, before you eat, after you work out in a weight room, and wiping down equipment; things we should be doing all the time.”

Henson says the county is involved in a state wide initiative to educate students about MRSA and how to prevent it.

High court takes on juror fraud case

The Georgia Supreme Court has agreed to hear a murder case where there may have been juror fraud. Richard Scott Harper is accused of killing a Floyd County deacon in deadly love triangle. Harper’s lawyers say a juror may have been replaced by his father.

North Georgia county seeks more water rights

Today Floyd County, the home of two north Georgia rivers, voted to ask the state to return water taken out of Lake Allatoona. The water goes to metro Atlanta counties. It’s then treated, and sent to the Chattahoochee River. Floyd County wants that water to return to north Georgia. Floyd County also wants more money for a watershed analysis, funding for a regional reservoir and a plan to reduce water pollution.

Police suspect gang in school vandalism

Vandalism and a torched SUV at a northwest Georgia high school could be connected to last month's gang-related arrests.

A spray-painted message on the front windows of Rome's Armuchee High School reads, “You can’t catch us all.” Floyd County Police have made 10 gang-related arrests in the past month, all of teens, all associated with a gang that calls itself the Riverside Boys.

Armuchee High School’s Principal James Burris said the paint was easy to clean off, but what worries him is the SUV burnt to a crisp in a back parking lot.

“Of course it’s one of those disturbing things that we are taking seriously, but school’s going on as normal as possible and everyone is as safe as we can make them here,” said Burris.

Burris says vandalism happens every few years at Armuchee. He students have always came foreword with information but so far, no one has.