COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WECT) – The Columbus County School system will host a health fair this weekend in an effort to educate people on the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle.

Columbus county has been named the unhealthiest county in the state of North Carolina, and school officials hope this fair will help bring awareness to that fact.

The goal of the event is to educate our residents in the awareness of multiple factors that affect health, including but not limited to, access to care, smoking, environmental factors, and socio·economic factors.

The fair will offer health screenings, blood pressure checks and education.

The event will be held May 1, 2013 at South Columbus High School from 1:30-5:00 p.m.

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COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WECT) - Starting July 1, all Columbus County employees who have health care will be covered under Cigna. Currently, employees are covered under United Healthcare.

County officials say that when they were negotiating with both insurance companies, United Healthcare wanted a 28 percent increase, and Cigna wanted a 14 percent increase.

Officials say both companies then lowered their prices, so that Cigna only wanted an 8 percent increase, and United Healthcare wanted a 19 percent increase. So the county switched to Cigna.

COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WECT) - Officials in Columbus County are working to have a self audit on the county's department of aging finished by April 15.

County officials say that earlier this year, after receiving complaints from a client about not receiving services from the Department of Aging that were paid for, and seeing documentation discrepancies, they requested the state to come in and investigate.