Home Canning and Botulism
It’s summertime and time to harvest the delicious produce you’ve been growing. You may be thinking about home canning as a way to preserve your garden goodies. But beware! If home canning is not done the proper way, your canned vegetables and fruits could cause botulism. What is botulism? Botulism is a rare but potentially deadly […]
Avoid Dengue by Preventing Mosquito Bites
Each year, an estimated 400 million people are infected with dengue virus. About 100 million get sick. Outbreaks have occurred in Southeast Asia, the Western Pacific, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Americas, the Caribbean, and Africa. Signs and Symptoms of Dengue Most people infected have mild or no symptoms. About 1 in 4 people infected with […]
‘Supersized Alcopops’ Pose Unique Danger to Youth
College students seriously underestimate the effects of drinking a new class of beverages being marketed across the country, according to a new George Mason University study. “Supersized alcopops” – sweet, colorful and fizzy drinks that have been shown to appeal to youth – now contain almost as much alcohol as a six-pack of beer in […]
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Launches America’s New Top Supercomputer for Science
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) unveiled Summit as the world’s most powerful and smartest scientific supercomputer. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry attended the debut to meet with the ORNL team and see first-hand this monumental supercomputer. With a peak performance of 200,000 trillion calculations per second—or 200 petaflops, Summit […]
Teenage Girls Are More Impacted By Sleepiness Than Teen Boys.
Preliminary results of a recent study show that teen girls reported a higher degree of interference of daytime sleepiness on multiple aspects of their school and personal activities than boys. The study examined whether teen boys and girls report similar negative impact of sleep disturbances on their daytime functioning. “What was most surprising is the […]
“Weird” Veggies Are Favorites You Just Haven’t Tried
A stranger is just a friend you haven’t yet met, the saying goes. The same is true for the unfamiliar vegetables that will be showing up at farmers markets and in community supported agriculture (CSA) boxes this summer. As the national movement toward eating more fresh and local produce grows, so does the need for […]
SFMO Provides Guidance, Adopts New Codes To Enhance School Safety
In an effort to provide greater flexibility and clarity to Tennessee educators when planning for school safety emergencies, the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) today announces new guidance for classroom safety in addition to the adoption of the National Fire Protection Association 2018 Life Safety Code rules for classroom safety measures. During annual inspections […]
Tennesseans Drop Off More Than 10 Tons of Pills During Spring Take Back Event
Tennessee collected an impressive 20,590 pounds of prescription drugs during the DEA’s 15th annual National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on April 28. For Count It! Lock It! Drop It! those statistics continue to indicate that its efforts are paying off. CLD is a community program for prescription drug misuse that works to raise awareness about […]
Professional Educators of Tennessee Announces Award Winners
Professional Educators of Tennessee, a statewide professional association whose members come from all aspects of the educational systems in our state, announced their statewide award winners at their annual conference. “We are pleased to honor these well-respected educators that are making a difference in the lives of real students, while upholding the highest ethical standards […]
Anne Marie Lovelace Potts Announces Candidacy for School Board
Anne Marie Lovelace Potts is announcing her candidacy for School Board representing the First District. Potts, a Jefferson County native, is currently a sitting member of the Jefferson County School Board. She has represented the First District for four terms with six of those years serving as School Board Chair. A graduate of Jefferson County […]
Janie Slaton Announces Candidacy for Jefferson County School Board
To the Voters Living in the 1st, 2nd, and 8th Districts: I am pleased to announce that I am running for school commissioner. I feel certified and qualified to serve. Degrees and Schools: B.S. University of Tennessee with teaching certification in History and English M.S. and Ed.S. Lincoln Memorial University in Administration and Supervision Career […]
Perception That Antibiotics Are Harmless is Widespread
A new study of decision-making about the use of antibiotics in medicine has found that the mistaken belief that antibiotics are harmless is widespread, especially among patients. Clinicians and patients alike are influenced by the general notion of “why not take a risk” (“WNTAR”), a belief that there is potential benefit and very little risk […]
Mobile App for Autism Screening Yields Useful Data
A Duke study of an iPhone app to screen young children for signs of autism has found that the app is easy to use, welcomed by caregivers and good at producing reliable scientific data. The study, described June 1 in an open access journal npj Digital Medicine, points the way to broader, easier access to screening […]
1 in 3 Swimming-Related Disease Outbreaks Occur at Hotels
A third of treated recreational waterborne disease outbreaks during 2000 through 2014 occurred in hotel pools or hot tubs, according to a report published today in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Cryptosporidium (also known as “Crypto”), Pseudomonas, and Legionella caused most of the outbreaks in swimming venues in the United States during this time period. Crypto is a parasite tough enough […]
Woulda’, Coulda’, Shoulda’: The Haunting Regret of Failing Our Ideal Selves
Forsaken dreams. Romantic interests not pursued. Securing a job near home rather than an adventurous position overseas. Our most enduring regrets are the ones that stem from our failure to live up to our ideal selves, according to new Cornell University research. Psychologist Tom Gilovich and former Cornell graduate student Shai Davidai have found people […]
Budget Committee To Recommend No Tax Increase Budget
The Jefferson County Commission will receive a recommended fiscal year 2018/19 budget from the Jefferson County Budget Committee that will include no property tax increase. Despite a deep hole of around $830,000 that faced the committee at their last meeting, committee members approved using funds from the Hospital Reserve Fund to meet the financial needs […]
