Inside the most vaccinated county in the rural South
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For many, this week it's back to school. But this time with the additional challenge of the delta variant and debates about mask mandates.
Recently, we spoke to health care workers across the South about vaccines and teens — you can read that full story here. Beyond the numbers, the story highlights advice from doctors to parents, including what to do if you are vaccine hesitant but your teen is not. Also this week, we spotlight a county in the South that stands out for the highest vaccination rate among rural areas in our region.
In a shift to the outdoors, I'm sharing a story from Victoria Dodge in Louisiana. She wrote about surf culture in the South. Yes, you read that correctly. The waves of Port Fourchon, just west of Grand Isle, have remained Louisiana's best-kept secret. We tell you why.
Finally, so much has changed in this post-pandemic and pandemic-again world. But I was pleased to learn there is new shift in seafood distribution that may be here to stay. Typically, when you think of a food bank and fish, only canned tuna may come to mind. But through a new initiative more fresh fish is being delivered to food bank freezers. It's a change that's helping fishermen and the community.
Before I go, if you're looking for a new show to binge watch on Netflix, I recommend High on the Hog, which was recently picked up for a second season. Catch up on the first season, then read our Q&A with Satterfield.
Thanks for reading. Take good care!
Ashley Hopkinson (Editor, The American South)
P.S. Why Dolly Parton says it's always "hot girl summer."
Inside North Carolina's 'little Dare County,' most vaccinated county in the rural South
As the rest of the South trails behind the nation, North Carolina pulls ahead. Dare County has the highest vaccination rate (59%) of any rural Southern county, according to CDC data. The high percentage is notable at a time when Southern states have seven of the nation’s 15 lowest vaccination rates.
Leaders said the success of their vaccination rollout came down to two things: outreach infrastructure and pushing for a greater vaccine supply. And Dare is no stranger to either, especially in emergencies, as the coastline county is often struck by hurricanes.
Now, as states such as Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama endure hospitalization numbers not seen since the height of the pandemic, the National Rural Hospital Association is looking at places like Dare County for clues on how to connect with unvaccinated residents in rural areas.
Fresh local seafood available at more food banks in the South
The past year was hard for Cy Tandy. He is the director of IONA House, a 34-year-old food pantry in Jackson, Mississippi. The economic downturn caused by the pandemic doubled the number of people who came to the pantry in need of food. But in the tough year, there were bright spots. For the first time, the IONA House was able to give its clients fresh, locally caught shrimp. 🍤
Using a $5 million grant, Catch Together bought 2 million meals of local seafood for food banks across America. For organizations stocked with shelf-stable supplies, canned tuna might be common but fresh seafood is rare.
The group hopes this pandemic program will be the first step in making locally caught seafood a regular part of the menu at American food banks. The fishermen also believe the program can show the USDA, a major supplier to food banks, that local fish can be part of the solution to food insecurity.
Louisiana's best kept secret: Surfers find a sweet spot off the coast of Grand Isle
Hang ten, y'all! 🏄
Down a two-lane toll road inching toward the edge of the state, past sunken barges and hurricane shredded homes, is the surf of Louisiana. For years, the waves of Port Fourchon, just west of Grand Isle, have remained Louisiana's best-kept secret. Fourchon is the closest thing Louisiana has to a deep-water break. Eventually, it was made private and surfers had to find new ways to ride the waves.
In true Louisiana fashion, they adapted by hopping on boats and catching Fourchon's waves from vessels instead of beaches.