Registered voters can cast their ballots early for the November 4 Special Election. Vote in advance in person every day, including Saturday and Sunday, from October 14 to October 31 at the Gwinnett Voter Registrations and Elections Office in Lawrenceville. If you prefer to vote by mail, request an absentee ballot until Friday, October 24.
Additional early voting locations are at Bogan Park, Collins Hill Library, Five Forks Library, George Pearce Park, One Stop Centerville, Loganville Fire Station; Lucky Shoals Park, Mountain Park Community room, Pinckneyville Park Recreation Center, Rhodes Jordan Park and Shorty Howell Park. If you prefer to vote by mail, request an absentee ballot until Friday, October 24. Visit GwinnettElections.com for more information.
Budget now to avoid stress for your Christmas gifts
The holidays come quicker than you think. Americans typically spend an average of $1,200 annually on holiday presents, according to the National Retail Federation. Georgia Gwinnett College business professor Dr. Cathy McCrary says starting to budget now can help avoid stress and overspending later.
“It’s been said that ‘when you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail,’” McCrary says. “This wisdom also applies to spending decisions.”
McCrary recommends creating a simple plan that:
- Identifies who you want to buy gifts for,
- Lists the types of gifts you’d like to give, and
- Includes the average retail price of each item.
By setting a plan early, shoppers gain discipline, understand price points before sales begin, and have a clear savings goal for major events such as Amazon Prime Days, Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
Strategies for Saving:
- Determine a realistic savings target (even if it doesn’t cover everything on your wish list).
- Break down how much you can set aside each pay period, based on your income and other financial responsibilities.
- Create a separate savings account and set up automatic transfers to stay on track.
After putting this plan into action, shoppers may discover that sticking to a budget can help avoid holiday debt.
“And that’s something to be jolly about,” she says.
Jackson EMC endows Georgia 4-H speaking program
Demonstrating a lasting commitment to youth leadership and personal development, Jackson Electric Membership Corporation (Jackson EMC) has endowed Georgia 4H’s Public Speaking Project, which is part of the organization’s leadership development program Project Achievement. This gift ensures continued support for one of the organization’s most impactful programs.
This endowed sponsorship reflects Jackson EMC’s deep belief that helping young people develop communication, confidence and leadership skills is essential to building stronger communities. As part of its broader support for youth development, Jackson EMC, along with its employees and members, recognizes public speaking as a life skill that opens doors for academic, civic and career success.
“Georgia 4-H supports young people on their journey to become healthy, engaged, and productive citizens, and these efforts are made possible because of the generous support of great partners like Jackson EMC,” said Georgia 4-H State Leader Melanie Biersmith.
Students learn why matching blood types is vital
Lab coats. Check. Gloves. Check.
Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) students learned about the importance of blood typing and then went into action, putting their knowledge to work.
Dr. Victoria Bali, assistant professor of biology, recently taught her students how to type blood, a follow-up on learning about the immune system. Her students were tasked with determining the blood type of four patients. To do this, the students worked with samples of synthetic blood.
She says: “I stress the importance of matching correct donors and recipients for transfusions and understanding mismatch reactions. The immune system recognizes foreign substances and will defend the body by attacking them. That’s why accurate blood typing is critical – so your immune system does not attack the new blood you are receiving.”
The transition of learning about the body’s immune system to blood typing is foundational.
“One way the immune system defends the body is by producing antibodies that target these foreign substances,” she adds. “We use this property of the immune system to correctly identify a person’s blood type.”
Part of her lecture included showing her class why it’s important to understand the different blood types. Her students learned that the universal donor is O-negative and the universal recipient is AB-positive. Simply put, that means that people with O-negative blood can donate to all blood types, which is why the demand is high. People with AB-positive blood can receive from all blood types.
Sherika Wilkerson, a Lawrenceville native and senior studying nursing, says: “Dr. Bali’s lecture helped me to work with my lab partners to easily identify the different blood types we had. This is important to know so that patients know I’m receiving the correct blood type.”
For Rame Muner, a junior who wants to study nursing, the lecture and lab are knowledge he’ll need for his career. “Receiving the correct blood type is lifesaving,” he says.
According to the National Institutes of Health, if a recipient receives mismatched blood, reactions from the immune system can range from hemolysis, the destruction of red blood cells, fever and back pain. In severe cases, it can lead to kidney failure and even death.
Local hospitals depend on donations to help their patients in need of care ranging from traumas and surgery to childbirth. The supply of blood is also used to treat patients battling diseases that range from cancer to Sickle Cell.
According to the Association for Blood Donor Professionals, Type O blood is the most common and in the highest demand. This is because those with an O-positive blood type can donate to any positive blood type, which accounts for over 80 percent of the population.
