Muscle cramps can occur anywhere on the body but typically target the lower extremities, like calves or feet. In a growing athlete, muscle cramps are often the result of dehydration and improper stretching or warmups. “Muscle cramps are involuntary contractions of the muscles that can occur at any time, interrupting a workout or game in the blink of an eye,” says Lindsey Ream, MEd, LAT, ATC, Athletic Training Manager in the Children’s Sports Medicine Program. “They may also be caused by extended periods of exercise, general overuse or fatigue, dehydration or muscle strain.” These tips from the sports medicine team...
A Daughter’s Inspiration to Help Veterans
Contrary to popular belief, there is a real and ongoing challenge to meet the needs of our disabled military veterans. A growing number of these veterans and their families are struggling to remain independent, and many have already fallen into our homeless population. No one is more aware of this critical issue than Master Sergeant (Retired) Patricia Baisden, CEO of Southern Crescent Veteran Services, Inc. No stranger to the plight of so many military veterans, Baisden recalls her own father, a veteran, and his struggles with adequate housing and homelessness. “These memories inspired me to do all I can do...
A ‘Pizza’ Henry History
Patrick and Katie McHugh have been in the pizza business for 19 years, but their restaurant has ties that stretch back far longer. It was originally 14th St. Pizza when they purchased it in January of 2004. The Henry County restaurant moved from Hudson Bridge Road to Jodeco Road in 2010 and then to its current location on Jonesboro Road in October of 2022. “We are the oldest continuously run pizza restaurant in Henry County,” said Patrick. “I think we’ve been successful because of our core values: Family, Honesty, Outstanding Service, and Community.” 15th St. Pizza & Pub is a...
Piedmont Henry Hospital Creates a New Pathway to a Career in Nursing
Paula Butts, the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) at Piedmont Henry Hospital, got her start as a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Georgia Baptist Medical Center, which later became Atlanta Medical Center. Her experience in critical care includes trauma and open heart, cardiology, neurology, and medical/surgical among others. Her extensive career has given her good insight on what it takes to recruit and retain nurses and the answer often starts with education. Butts joined Piedmont Henry as the CNO in 2017 and immediately began to strengthen partnerships with nursing programs at colleges, as well as local high schools...
Remember, I’m Right Here in Your Heart
“…So when tomorrow starts without meDo not think we’re apartFor every time you think of meRemember I’m right here in your heart” As the grueling morning of Sunday, February 13, 2022, arrived, the fear of the morning after kicked in. How will I feel tomorrow, Monday, when he is no longer here to wake me up and greet me? I dreaded having to signal the Veterinarian to go ahead and push that IV that will make his heart stop. He was only four years of age, and cancer had destroyed him. Two months earlier on the week prior to Christmas,...
The Sky’s The Limit
Before moving to Georgia in 2014, Akhenaten Mswia lived in Brooklyn, New York, and Reisterstown, Maryland. Mswia’s mother is originally from Tanzania, so he was able to travel between the U.S. and Africa frequently during his childhood, becoming fluent in Swahili in the process. Over the past several years, Mswia has accomplished impressive feats in aviation, his hobby, and engineering, his career aspiration. With his father and brother both pilots before him, Mswia explains that his family’s willingness and openness to support him in all his endeavors was something that allowed him to discover his passion for engineering. Following his...
Happiness and Homemade Goodness
The smell of freshly made waffle cones and a warm “Welcome Home” greets each person who enters Welcome Home Creamery and Coffee store. Whether you visit the original location along East Main Street in Hampton or the new store in Locust Grove’s Ingle’s shopping center, you are sure to find a tasty, homemade treat. Creating a “happy” business was co-owners Devlin Cleveland and Lakeisha Gantt’s inspiration for Welcome Home Creamery and Coffee. So, the pair went to ice cream and coffee school and spent one-year planning and prepping to build a business in the community that would bring happiness to...
Moments in Time
One of my favorite Greek words is kairos. It means the opportune moment or the ultimate moment. The English translation of this word is “opportunity.” Maybe you are unfamiliar with the word kairos, but you may be familiar with another Greek word: chronos, which refers to a broader span of time. This is where we get our English word “chronological.” The Bible tells us that God has numbered our days (Job 14:5), and while the span of chronos appointed to each of us is different, our lives are filled with these very significant kairos moments. So far, I have spent...
Serving with Hospitality
Service to your community can be demonstrated in a variety of ways. For a group of Henry County residents, that means serving as volunteers, known as Local Explorers, with Visit Henry County, GA. This group works alongside Visit Henry County, GA, and their new Mobile Visitors Center to share things to do, places to eat, and other information about the area with visitors. As a Realtor, Cynthia Crawford is constantly selling Henry County. She joined the Local Explorers to deepen her knowledge in order to better serve her clients. “I realized there was a lot I did not know [about...
Pouring Love into Her Students
Amanda Malette always knew she wanted to be a teacher; there was never any question. This is her 21st year as a first-grade teacher (well, one year was in second grade), starting at Pate’s Creek Elementary and now at East Lake Elementary in McDonough. Her students are known as “Malette’s Munchkins,” and they carry that with them beyond the year they spend in her classroom. This dedication and love have played a part in Malette’s selection, first as East Lake Elementary’s Teacher of the Year and then earning the title of Henry County School’s Teacher of the Year. So how...