Wednesday August 29, 2012

HURRICANE ISAAC 
Isaac did, indeed, turn into a hurricane. And it's dumping water on Louisiana and the Gulf Coast area. While the current storm is nowhere near as powerful as Hurricane Katrina — which struck seven years ago Wednesday — its pounding, driving rains and surging waves are lashing towns from east of Morgan City, La., to the Mississippi-Alabama border. There are about a quarter of a million people without power. Millions more are hunkered down behind boarded-up windows, waiting it out. Water is pouring over at least one levee in Louisiana, but there have been no reports of serious injuries so far. Some people have been evacuated, waiting on the roofs of their houses to be rescued.
And The Salvation Army has deployed its Mobile Canteen and Disaster Relief Teams to help people with food, water and supplies-- or just saying a prayer with them if they need it. But they need cash to keep those supplies flowing, so they're asking you to help with a donation to the Disaster Relief Fund. You can give online at www.salarmy-nashville.org  or you can make a 5 or 10 dollar donation by texting the word STORM to 80888.

WEEKEND TRAVEL PLANS AFFECTED
And there are a lot of local people with vacation plans on hold for this weekend, as they try to figure out how bad Isaac will be, and decide whether a trip to Destin or some other location not quite in the Hurricane's path is going to be safe and sunny.  

STORM HEAD
Anna Marie, Mix 92.9
Do you have storm head? This is completely unscientific, but it seems there've been a lot of people with really bad sinus and pressure headaches this week as the high pressure from Isaac hit Tennessee. Some of them here at the radio station claim they can predict storms by when they get headaches. One woman called Mix 92.9 this morning and said she had "snow toe." She claims when snow is on the way, her big toe aches. 

NASHVILLE ROADS CLOSED THURSDAY FOR TWO GAMES
There'll be some early road closures in downtown Nashville tomorrow for the Tennessee Titans' preseason game tomorrow night. And the West End area will have its usual detours and closings for tomorrow night's Vanderbilt game. This is the first of the season for them, and will include a tribute to the Goodletsville All Stars Little league team during halftime. 

MORE THAN A THOUSAND MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO DEADLY VIRUS AT YOSEMITE
Now we're hearing that as many as 17-hundred people may have been exposed to a deadly virus at Yosemite National Park. The rustic tent cabins there — a favorite among families looking to rough it in one of the nation's most majestic settings — have become the scene of a public health crisis after two visitors died from a rodent-borne disease following overnight stays.
The disease can incubate for up to six weeks before flu-like symptoms develop. It's fatal in 30 percent of all cases, and there is no specific treatment. It is not spread human-to-human. All four of the cases so far have been in people who stayed within 100 feet of each other, though not in the same tents.
On Tuesday, park officials sent letters and emails to 1,700 visitors who stayed in some of the dwellings in June, July and August, warning them that they may have been exposed to the disease that also caused two other people to fall ill.
Those four people contracted hantavirus pulmonary syndrome after spending time in one of the 91 "Signature Tent Cabins" at Curry Village around the same time in June. The illness is spread by contact with rodent feces, urine and saliva, or by inhaling exposed airborne particles.
The park is asking anyone who stayed at Curry Village since June to be aware of the symptoms, which include fever, headache and muscle ache. Nearly four million people visit Yosemite National Park each year, with the majority congregating in the Yosemite Valley, where Curry Village is located.

NEW MILEAGE STANDARDS WOULD DOUBLE FUEL EFFICIENCY
Your next new car could be drastically different -- on the inside -- than your old one. The Obama administration is announcing new regulations to nearly DOUBLE the gas mileage that new cars have to get. The rules would require new cars and trucks to average 54.5 miles per gallon. The changes will raise new car prices, but the government says that will be offset by savings at the pump.

TDOT PLANS TO EXPAND 2 LANE WILLIAMSON COUNTY ROAD IN FUTURE
If you've been stuck in the traffic there, you know what great news it is that the Tennessee Department of Transportation is going to expand the two lane portion of Franklin Road between Concord Road and Moore's Lane in Williamson County to four lanes. What's not so great is that TDOT won't even start that project for two years.

40 CATS RESCUED FROM HOARDING CONDITIONS IN WHITE COUNTY
Doesn't it just break your heart to hear about people finding cats and dogs in HORRIBLE, filthy living conditions?
Well, it's happened again. But if you've been even considering adopting a cat, this may be the time you can really do something good. The White County Animal Shelter rescued at least 40 cats from a really bad hoarding situation recently, and some have already been treated and healed and are ready for adoption. Here's where to get more info.

MORE CELEBRATIOSN FOR GOODLETSVILLE ALL STARS
We're not through celebrating the Goodletsville All-Stars yet!  Vanderbilt University will honor the team at half time of their first game of the season tomorrow night, and there's an official city celebration set for next Saturday, the 8th, at Moss-Wright park. The kids won the American Little League Championship.

LANCE ARMSTRONG SPEAKS AT CANCER CONFERENCE
A lot of people are probably wondering just what lance Armstrong's message will be tonight... he's the guest speaker at a Cancer fundraiser in Montreal. Just a few days ago Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and slapped with a lifetime ban from professional cycling... after he said he would no longer fight the doping allegations that have dogged him for years.

MICHAEL JACKSON BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION TODAY
Michael Jackson's hometown is paying tribute to the late King of Pop on what would have been his 54th birthday today.  The city of Gary, Indiana is holding a series of events celebrating Jackson's life and career. Festivities kick off tonight with  a candlelight tribute at the site of Michael's boyhood home.