Public health officials presented Gold and Silver Buoy Awards March 22 to nine pool and spa operators in Augusta, East Helena, and Helena. This is the fifth year the health department has issued the awards, which recognize operators of public, recreational water features (pools, hot tubs, and water parks) who provide a clean, healthy, and safe environment. The awards are based on annual inspections by public health sanitarians. Find out who the winners were.

While the focus during floods tends to be on protecting property, it’s important to remember that flood water can put your health at risk, too. Flood water mixes with everything it touches, including raw sewage, animal waste, pesticides, and other chemicals. You should assume that flood water is a swirling cocktail of bacteria and other disease-carrying germs that can cause intestinal problems, headaches, flu symptoms, and skin infections. Even when the water subsides, clean-up can be risky. These fact sheets might help:

• Managing Your Septic System During/Following a Flood
• Your Well: What to Do after the Flood

Lewis and Clark Public Health recently honored teen winners of a billboard design contest aimed at discouraging the use of tobacco, especially among their peers. The “Talk Back to Tobacco” competition was funded through a grant from reACT, a Montana youth-led movement that encourages students to take a stand against “Big Tobacco.” Thirty-seven students from Lewis and Clark, Broadwater, and Jefferson counties submitted entries. Find out who the winners were and see their winning designs!

Lewis and Clark Public Health has recognized 55 local food establishments for their exceptional efforts to make, serve, and sell safe food to the public. The department gave out 21 Gold and 34 Silver Fork Awards this year, a record number. These are establishments that have an effective food-safety system that reduces or eliminates the risk of food-borne illnesses. Find out which establishments are winners!

Scientists have found that loneliness is just as risky for our health as being obese or smoking 15 cigarettes a day. It's a growing public health “epidemic” that has become the focus of serious study. Surveys show that more than 40 percent of American adults report being lonely, twice as many as in the 1980s. Read more about loneliness.

Helena is one of the first communities in Montana to offer an electronic benefit system for participants in its WIC supplemental nutrition program. The new system, called eWIC, replaces paper benefits with a charge card similar to a credit or debit card. Helena and four other communities began testing the program in June. It’s expected to go statewide later this month. Learn more about eWIC and how you can apply.

Lewis and Clark Public Health was awarded accreditation in June by the national, nonprofit Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). Only about 5 percent of local health departments in the country have achieved this recognition since PHAB launched its program in 2011. LCPH becomes only the 5th local health department in Montana to become accredited. Find out what this means for the department and for the community we serve.