Georgia sees first case of measles since 2012

An infant with measles entered the country earlier this month from Kyrgyzstan and is now being treated in Atlanta, state health authorities said Monday. The child represents the first measles case in Georgia in nearly three years.

The baby’s parents were moving from Kyrgyzstan, in central Asia, to settle in DeKalb County, said Nancy Nydam, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Public Health.

The stage of the infection while the family was traveling is not yet clear — measles is highly contagious and is spread through the air by coughing or sneezing.

Nydam said exposure to people at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport was likely minimal.

Read the entire story: onajc.com/georgia_measels inate state-subsidized health coverage for school employees who work less than 30 hours per week.

State officials have said 10,500 employees would lose coverage. But Department of Community Health Commissioner Clyde Reese told a House Budget subcommittee Tuesday that nearly 22,000 could potentially lose out, including the family members of bus drivers and cafeteria workers who are on State Health Benefit Plan coverage.

When asked how those employees and dependents would get coverage in the future, Reese said some may be eligible for subsidies to help them pay for insurance through the federal health exchanges. The exchanges are a key part of President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act.

Deal proposed eliminating state subsidies for part-time em- ployees in the budget for fiscal 2016, which begins July 1. Coverage would end Jan. 1.

Read the entire story: on-ajc.com/busdriverbenefits governs the county.

The project, called Panola Slope, was envisioned as an around-the-clock attraction where adults could play games that are allowed under the Georgia Lottery, like video poker and video slots. Cash payouts are prohibited in Georgia, but the games would have given prizes in the form of vouchers for items like steak dinners and lodging in 2,700-square-foot villas.

Read the entire story: on-ajc.com/panolaslope