Friday, October 19, 2012

TN Parks Get $6.9 Million Boost
Gov. Bill Haslam and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation awarded $6.9 million in parks and recreation grants to help local governments buy land and fund parks, natural areas, greenways and other recreation facilities.“Our quality of life is directly linked to the quality of our parks and outdoor spaces,” not only to Tennesseans but for the many visitors we attract to our state each year.”says Gov. Haslam.

Ikea in Nashville? Maybe!
Company officials said no location is set, but they said IKEA is looking to open a new store in the fall of 2015 and Nashville, Saint Louis and Miami are supposedly all in the running.

Nashville Dips in TV Ratings
About 6.8 million people watched the second episode of “Nashville” on Wednesday night, down from the 9 million who tuned in for the premiere a week ago. The show was still second behind “CSI” in its timeslot.

Texas Court Rules For Spiritual Cheerleaders
A judge ruled Thursday that a group of cheerleaders fighting for the right to display biblical-themed banners during high school football games in their small Texas town could continue to do so. The cheerleaders got a complaint for  banners with scriptures like "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me,"The complaint from the Freedom from Religion Foundation said banners violate separation of church and state. Parents and attorneys for the girls, filed a lawsuit arguing that the banners were constitutionally guaranteed free speech. State Atty Genl Greg Abbott says "We will not allow atheist groups from outside of the state of Texas to come into the state, to use menacing and misleading intimidation tactics, to try to bully schools to bow down at the altar of secular beliefs," For now The banners fly - at least until the issue goes to court in June.

Dog and Puppies Keep Lost 10 Year Old Safe
An Alabama man credits a dog and her four puppies for helping rescue a Kyle, 10-year-old boy with Down syndrome who was lost in the woods for 18 hours on Tuesday. The puppies kept him warm.  We dont know what would have happened had the puppies not been with him, said the boy's mother. Police say it’s believed that Kyle walked away from home for a mile and half into the woods. Bo Swinney who led the search said the hunt's unsung hero was the mother of mixed-breed litter. "I knew if anyone was going to find the boy it was going to be the mother of the puppies and I all I had to do was follow the mother dog," Swinney said. "She had been barking and running along and I took off after her." Kyle was treated for minor scrapes and bruises but is home, thanks to mama dog and her puppies. See pictures of the happy reunion here.

Unemployment Lowest Rates Since June in TN

Tennessee's unemployment rate decreased slightly in September.- 8.3%, down from 8.5% in August., the lowest rate since June. The national rate was 7.8%. So what does that mean in jobs?  In TN we saw an increase in 3,300 jobs from Aug to Sept.

http://www.wkrn.com/story/19858980/september-unemployment-drops-to-83

Franklin High Rocks The Competition

Congratulations to The Franklin High School marching band who beat 24 other high school bands to claim first place in the Band of America regional competition last weekend in Jacksonville, Alabama. "It was a huge moment for our band program," David Aydelott. "It is sort of the culmination of a lot of work and effort that has been going on the last four years."  Their musical presentation has been described as Cirque de Soleil meets Marching Band. Find out how the students, teachers, and parents responded to the win here.

Fall Season Means A Heavy Winter
Cleveland Clinic dietitian Carolyn Snyder says autumn is when people tend to pack on extra pounds.  Becoming less active in the colder months combined with eating higher calorie, high carb foods can cause weight gain.  She suggests cutting the calories by using alternative ingredients lower in fat and carbs.  We also burn more calories by finding activities we enjoy doing either inside or outdoors during the colder months. 

Oatmeal is A Secret Weapon Against Breast Cancer
We know that oatmeal in our daily diet lowers bad cholesterol and boosts the good kind, but did you know it soups up your immune system to fight infection ?  Studies show a 19% decrease in type 2diabetes among oat eaters, and pre-menopausal women have 41% less chance of breast cancer with whole grains in the diet.  Though there is some gluten, oatmeal has been shown as well tolerated by those with celiac disease.  So simple...those Quakers had it right all along.

Dog Saves Man in Bordeaux
In Bordeaux, first responders reported a house fully engulfed in flames yesterday when they arrived.  The silver lining to the story - The occupant of the home, was asleep when his dog woke him up in time to exit the house safely.  Both the man - and man's best friend escaped without injuries.

South Nashville Theives Say Cheese!
Police are investigating dozens of car break-ins only this time they have red-handed evidence. A night vision video camera mounted in one of the vehicles caught one of the crimes in its entirety.  The theives were actually using their cell phones to light their way inside the dark vehicle. The men didn't know as they looked for something to steal that the camera was recording everything; it even captures one of the perpetrators unmasked and looking right into the lens.  Now here's a tip for the rest of us:  Police say the burglars are not smashing windows, but looking for unlocked doors.  So lock your car, that's the first deterrent to any theif.  Also police need your help.  If you have any information about these crimes in Antioch call the South Precinct at (615)862-7763.

Annual Physicals Don't Make You Live Longer
A new study of more than 180-thousand people finds that annual physical exams do not help people live longer.  The study in Denmark told people to either get yearly check-ups or to only see a doctor when needed.  When researchers compared results between the two groups, they found almost no difference between the rate of death, cancer or cardiovascular disease between the two groups.  The study points out that yearly exams may result in overdiagnosis of otherwise healthy adults by physicians. 

West 70 Arts Cruise Benefits Cheatham Shelter Animals
It's Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, and this wknd you can support the Cheatham County Animal Awareness Foundation at Mud Puddle Pottery's West 70 Arts Cruise on Saturday featuring local artists, homegrown produce,naturally grown beef, handmade products, live music, Extreme pumpkin carving classes...and customized pet pottery dishes to benefit our furry friends.  Finish your strides walk and head to Pegram to help the puppies.

A Vitamin A Day Reduces Cancer Risk
Daily use of a multivitamin can help reduce cancer risk among older men, said the findings of a new study  presented yesterday at the meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research

Gas Prices Tick Down For 10 Days In A Row

Look for a 15cent reduction before it's all over with the Fall gasoline price descent.  Post vacation travel gasoline supplies go up and the prices go down.  For a free app to find the lowest price near you, go to www.gasbuddy.com