Aquatics:

The REC Center Pool is open from 9:00 am - 6:00 pm, Monday - Friday and on Saturdays from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. Access is free to members, and non-members can pay a daily fee. Water aerobics will be held Monday - Friday at 9:00 am. Private and group swim lessons are available.

The St. Marys Pool (on Ashley Street) is open from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday - Saturday and on Sundays from 1:00 - 5:00 pm. Water aerobics are available Monday - Friday at 11:00 am.

Group and private swim lessons are available at both pools. Group lessons are $40 per 2 week session. Private lessons are $20 per lesson.

Youth Sports:

The PSA is currently accepting late registration for girls summer volleyball (ages 9-16). Registration fee is $50.

The PSA is currently accepting registration for a summer swim league. For more information, and to register, visit www.boomerswimming.org. 

Football and Cheerleading registration will begin on July 20th.

Adult Sports:

Team registrations are being taken for adult summer softball. Email the athletic department at psaathletics@tds.net for more information.

Day Camp:

A summer day camp program for kids ages 5-15 years old is offered. Registration fee is $10 per child. Camp fees are $20 per day or $80 per week. Camp is available Monday - Friday (except holidays), 7:00 am-6:00 pm every week through the summer. Activities include swimming, outside fun, arts and crafts, theme days, basketball, field trips, and more!

For more information, visit www.camdencountypsa.info or call 729-5600.

At the 30th Annual Crawfish Festival held in Woodbine, a group of high school students were busy handing out information on driving safety and encouraging everyone to sign a pledge not to drink and drive or text while driving. In an effort to get the word out about underage drinking, these teenagers took it upon themselves to help educate the Camden community. 

The group, known as "Healthy Camden," teamed up with the Georgia Department of Transportation and Camden Community Alliance & Resources, Inc. to promote Teens in the Driver Seat (TDS). On their website, www.t-driver.com, TDS says car crashes kill more young people than any other cause, accounting for nearly half of all teen deaths in America each year. Teens in the Driver Seat is working to lower this number by utilizing the powerful voices of its teens.

 The teenage members of Healthy Camden help shape the program and are responsible for implementing it in the schools and community in order to educate their peers and parents about driving risk. Healthy Camden also promotes Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws that help to keep teens safe. Car crashes are the #1 killer of teens in America. Many of the causes include driving at night or while drowsy; not wearing a seat belt; speeding and street racing; driving while under the influence; and distractions such as texting and passengers.

 According to an article published in August 2014 by USA Today, parents are a distraction for their children when driving. The research found about 53% of teens who talked on the phone behind the wheel talked to a parent and 46% talked to a friend. This is mostly due to parents keeping track of their teen and expecting their teen to answer the phone when they call.  Parents need to be reminded that children are under our influence. (Text messages were more likely to go to friends than parents.)   

 Camden Community Alliance & Resources, Inc. is a local non-profit and the official planning agency for improving the lives of family and children. In a recent survey, they found 86% of Camden County High School students think that their parents should be the ones to tell them about the dangers of underage alcohol consumption. Additionally, survey results also revealed that 76% of Camden County High School students choose not to drink.

The Board of County Commissioners would like to commend the teenagers at Camden County High School and everyone involved with the "Healthy Camden" and "Teens in the Driver Seat" campaign for wanting to be part of the majority and educate the community while encouraging their peers to drive safe. The Board of Commissioners are proud to have the younger generation of Camden County taking steps to educate, encourage and support their peers in every way possible about the hazards of driving.

 Teen's Pledge: I make this pledge, both bold and brave, so someone's life I will help to save. Watch my speed, stay awake and know the difference a drink can make. Buckle up and avoid distractions - like texting, cell phones - such deadly actions. Golden rules, simply five, strive to keep our drive alive.

Most teens and parents are unaware of the driving restrictions imposed on them by the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws. 

 For more information please go to

http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/bystate/ga.html.  If you would like to find out more about Teens in the Driver Seat go to www.t-driver.com for information, videos, print outs and more.   

The Mosquito Control Division is dedicated to

Mosquito Control sprays approximately 3,575 gallons of mosquito control pesticides annually to all incorporated and unincorporated public areas of the county. Spraying is completed on a regular basis and generally occurs in the early morning hours or late at night.  Below are some ways to help prevent the breeding of unwanted mosquitoes. 

• Empty, drain, remove, cover or turn upside down things that can hold water. Throw out old tires, tin cans, bottles, jars, buckets and other containers or keep them upside down so no water can enter them.
• Empty any small plastic wading pools weekly. Store it indoors when not in use. Properly maintain your swimming pool and keep it covered so as not to collect water.
• Repair leaky pipes and outside faucets. Don't let runoff water from your air conditioner collect in shady areas.
• Don't dump grass clippings, branches or other items in storm drains or ditches.
• Fill holes in trees with sand or mortar.

Taking these simple steps can help to reduce the number of mosquitoes breeding in your own backyard.

Some mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water, where they will hatch in a day or two. Other mosquitoes lay their eggs in old tires, tin cans and other such water-holding containers. The mosquitoes may remain un-hatched for weeks, months or until they are covered with water. Mosquitoes need water to complete their life cycle. Adult flying mosquitoes are hungry and ready to eat.
  

To contact the Mosquito Control Division, please call 912-729-4823
 

Thanks to the relentless efforts of Ola Smith, CEO of McKinney Medical Center and a member of the Georgia Association of Primary Health Care, and her team, we are proud to announce that the McKinney Medical Center is coming to Camden County. The McKinney Center will be located next to Camden County CASA (same site as DFCS and Gateway), across from Camden Middle School on Charles Gilman Drive. An opening date is slated for the middle of July.

Since August 2013, meetings have been held to discuss the opportunity to provide affordable health care to the citizens of Camden County. Locally, the County has invested a significant amount of time in bringing the McKinney Medical Center, Inc. (MMC) to Camden County after unanimous support was received for the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). McKinney Medical Centers are currently located in Ware, Brantley, Charlton, Bacon and Pierce counties.

FQHC's are community-based organizations that provide comprehensive primary and preventive care, including health, oral, and mental health/substance abuse services to persons of all ages, regardless of their health insurance status or ability to pay. FQHC's operate under a consumer Board of Directors governance structure and function under the supervision of the Health Resources Services andAdministration (HRSA), which is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). FQHC's were originally meant to provide comprehensive health services to the medically underserved, thereby reducing the patient load on hospital emergency rooms. 

Their mission now is to enhance primary care services in underserved urban and rural communities. In particular, they serve underserved, underinsured, and uninsured Americans, including migrant workers and non-U.S. citizens.

FQHC's charge for services on a community board approved, sliding-fee scale that is based on a patient's family income and size. In return for serving all patients, regardless of ability to pay, FQHC's receive consideration from the Federal government in the form of a continuation grant, cost-based reimbursement for their Medicaid patients, and free malpractice coverage under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA).

"This is terrific news for the citizens of Camden County! Our Community will now have a new resource to access medical services needed to ensure a healthy and productive life," said County Administrator Steve Howard. "We look forward to their grand opening."

"It has been a pleasure working with the County Administrator (Mr. Steve Howard), Mrs. Mary Smith and a collective team of community agencies," stated Ms. Ola Smith. "This has been a long time coming but God always works things out for the good for those who wait. I look forward to seeing the Camden County community at your new Primary Care Medical Home (PCMH Accredited)."