Friday, October 5, 2012

in

ANOTHER LOCAL WOMAN DIES IN MENINGITIS OUTBREAK
A third person in Tennessee has died from the meningitis outbreak linked to a specialty pharmacy in Massachusetts.  Fifty-six-year-old Diana Reed from Brentwood died Wednesday at Saint Thomas Hospital. So far, at least five people have died and 30 others in six states are sick; all were given steroid injections used mostly for back pain. The Centers for Disease Control is warning that the drug may have been given to people in 23 states. The Massachusetts pharmacy that distributed the drug has been shut down.

NEW LAW PUTS SOME RESIDENTS AT RISK FOR LOSING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
Thousands of Tennesseans will be affected by a new state law that requires residents to take a job offered, or risk losing their unemployment benefits.The change comes as part of the Unemployment Insurance Accountability Act. State lawmakers passed this law in May 2012. The legislation is designed to provide more scrutiny to those who are chronically unemployed. Employers who supported the law were very vocal about people who would come in and refuse an offer of employment, to stay on unemployment.

METH LAB FOUND IN PARKING LOT OF SPRINGFIELD WALMART
Officers arrested a young Robertson County couple Wednesday after finding a meth lab in their vehicle.The working methamphetamine lab was discovered during a traffic stop in the parking lot of the Walmart in Springfield.  Robertson County's meth task force safety removed the chemicals from the vehicle and decontaminated the vehicle's occupants, 19-year-old Rebecca Ferguson and 18-year-old Allen Poole.  Both were arrested without incident and booked into the Robertson County jail.

RAGWEED IRRITATION HIGH FOR ALLERGIES
Health experts say the cooler weather this weekend won't do anything to help those fall allergies you've been dealing with. That's mostly from ragweed... and that's not going to stop until we've had a couple of days of freezing temperatures. And this rain we've gotten lately... has mold spores exploding as well. You can make the effects less, if you stay indoors as much as you can... and do little things most of us don't think of.. like wiping the dog down with a towel or damp cloth when he comes back n from a walk. Otherwise, he's tracking in that ragweed pollen, and it gets into the carpet and furniture.

NHL CANCELS GAMES
If you have season tickets for the Nashville Predators, you may want to start making other plans for game nights. The National Hockey League is cancelling regular-season games through October 24th, because of the labor standoff between the league and the Players Association. ( The NHL locked out the players after the previous collective bargaining agreement expired September 15th.  The regular season was scheduled to begin next Thursday.)

AMERICAN AIRLINES DELAYS
If you were planning to fly on American Airlines... make sure to check your flight before you leave for the airport. There are more cancellations and delays today. American has grounded 48 of its Boeing-757 jets for inspection and repairs. This is after at least three seats just came LOOSE mid-flight. (They say the work should be done by tomorrow.  )

BEATLES FIRST SONG ARRIVES IN STORES 50 YEARS AGO TODAY
It was 50 years ago today The Beatles first single "Love Me Do" hit store shelves. The amazing thing is that most of it was written by Paul McCartney when he was 16, and playing hooky from school. John Lennon helped him finish it later. (It's "Love Me Do" Weekend in The Beatles' hometown of Liverpool, England. They're trying to break a world record with a giant sing-along of the song.)

KEY PAROLE OFFICIAL QUITS AFTER CRITICAL AUDIT HEARING
One of Tennessee's top parole officials has resigned after a legislative hearing critical of the problems with the parole system, including officers who claimed they'd been checking on felons who'd died years before. Gary Tullock resigned... after 40 years with the department. He'd been asked why the officers who falsified reports weren't arrested as well as fired. The Department of Correction Commissioner is ordering a full investigation.

SATURDAY IS FINAL DAY TO GET VOTER REGISTRATION IN MAIL
If you need to register to vote, remember you have to have it postmarked by tomorrow (Sat) to vote in next month's Presidential election.

BOY SCOUTS CONTROVERSY
A California woman whose son is being kicked out of the Boy Scouts because he's gay now has more than 100-thousand petition signatures asking the Scouts to let him stay. ( Karen Andresen started the petition because not only will the Boy Scouts not allow her son Ryan to become an Eagle Scout, his troop leader says Ryan is no longer eligible for membership in scouting because of his sexual orientation.)   

WALK 100 MILES FOR YOUR HEALTH
Mayor Karl Dean wants you to take a walk with him. He's leading his second round of "Walk 100 Miles",  and asking you to join in... and get healthy! It's not 100 miles all at once.. it's smaller walks in different parts of town, all through the year. You walk along and track the miles online. The first one is a week from tomorrow. You can get the info at www.walk100miles.com
(Saturday, Oct. 13 at 11:30 a.m. Walk begins at the Walgreens, 2611 Franklin Pike and will travel through the 12th South Neighborhood & Sevier Park.)