The executive director of the program for exceptional students in the Muscogee County School District presented the school board an overview of the plan to improve the system’s special education. Read the full article: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

A majority of parents are having their children get the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, according to the CDC. Read the full article: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

That ice-cold soda that sounds so good on a blazing afternoon might do more than quench your thirst, Georgia researchers say. It may be one of the key things makes people gain weight. Read the full article: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

David Koontz, 59, has led the Columbus hospital through a difficult transition from a nonprofit locally controlled facility to a part of LifePoint Health, a public company based in Brentwood, Tenn. Read the full article: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

Southwest Georgia Public Health officials confirmed that an Albany person was confirmed to have West Nile virus, the third reported case in the state this year. Read the full article: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

Audra Nesseth and Lisa Jenkins, cofounders of the Facebook group “Stop Bullying in Muscogee County Schools,” told the Ledger-Enquirer that they consider their initial meeting a success. Read the full article: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

Breathe Easy Columbus, an organization pushing for a citywide smoking ban, released results from a poll Wednesday that supports its position. Read the full article: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

With a growing need for more paramedics not only in Columbus but across the nation, the mayor and city council are trying to increase salaries for some personnel in the Columbus Department of Fire & Emergency Medical Services to keep them on the job. Read the full article: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

Dr. Sylvester McRae with the St. Francis OB/GYN Associates, who is the grandson of slaves, has delivered more than 10,000 babies in his career. Read the full article: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

Two former Columbus Regional Health workers responsible for financial oversight colluded in using bank credit cards issued by the hospital for their personal use, together embezzling more than $900,000. Read the full article: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer