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Celebrate Munford 5K gets Tipton going

Celebrate Munford 5K gets Tipton going

The 12th Annual Celebrate Munford 5K and Kids Fun Run is coming up on Saturday, August 20.

The race, which starts and ends in Centennial Park, starts at 8 a.m. and will benefit the Munford-Tipton County Memorial Public Library. While the 5K will be a jaunt through the streets of Munford, the Kids Fun Run will be around the baseball fields and on walking and sidewalk paths.

Registration by August 17 is $15 for adults & $12 for kids. Race-day registration is $20 for all categories.

For more information check out their website here.

Photo courtesy Flickr user lululemon athletica.

Christmas in July helps Downs Syndrome Assoc.

Local vendors are coming to Lexus of Memphis at 2600 Ridgeway on July 28 for "Christmas in July," benefitting the Downs Syndrome Association.

The event will also feature live music as well as food and drinks from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.

The cost of admission is $5.

To find out more, visit the association's website or call 901-362-8833.

Research Provides New Insights into Immune System Biology

Research Provides New Insights into Immune System Biology

Scientists at the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, have identified a key immune system regulator, a protein that serves as a gatekeeper in the white blood cells that produce the "troops" to battle specific infections, according to a report from the Institute.  Loss of that protein was associated with a reduction in the number of certain immune cells and a weaker immune response.

The work by Dr. Hongbo Chi, assistant member of the St. Jude Department of Immunology, and first author Dr. Kai Yang, a postdoctoral fellow in Chi's laboratory, appears in the July 17 online edition of the scientific journal Nature Immunology. For a more detailed explanation of this discovery, click here http://tinyurl.com/3k5g6gn.
 

Luncheon to unite women in fight against multiple sclerosis

The National Mutliple Sclerosis Society Mid South Chapter will hold the 5th Annual Women Against MS (WAMS) Luncheon on Wednesday, July 27. The luncheon will be held at the Holiday Inn University of Memphis from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets are $50 or $500 for a table of 10.

All proceeds from the luncheon will go toward funding for local client programs and national research focused on finding a cure for MS. The luncheon is designed to give women the opportunity to support other women in the fight against MS and encourage women philanthropists in the area to become better acquainted with the work of the National MS Society. Nationwide, more than 400,000 people have been diagnosed with MS and the Mid South Chapter supports more than 8,800 of these individuals and their families.As women are affected by MS more than twice as often as men, the WAMS luncheon was started as a way to bring concerned women together to support the mission of the National MS Society.

Fourth of July festivities best enjoyed from safe distances

Fourth of July festivities best enjoyed from safe distances

Fireworks are a tradition of summer activities for many adults and children. However, fireworks cause thousands of injuries and emergency room visits each year, and more of these injuries occur during Fourth of July festivities than any other holiday. As Independence Day approaches, the Tennessee Department of Health urges residents to practice safe and responsible use of fireworks to avoid injuries.

“We want all Tennesseans and visitors to remain safe this holiday and enjoy their Fourth of July celebrations without visiting an emergency department for a fireworks-related injury,” said Health Commissioner Susan R. Cooper, MSN, RN. “The best way to prevent fireworks-related injuries is to leave fireworks displays to trained professionals.”

Dyersburg State goes smoke free August 1

As of August 1, Dyersburg State Community College will adopt a Tobacco Free policy for its campus and centers.

According to the newly approved policy, the use of tobacco in any form on or in property owned, rented or leased by DSCC is prohibited.

The policy applies to the entire college community, including employees, students, contractors and visitors.

Tobacco usage will be permitted only in private vehicles parked on the campus or at a center.

At present, smoking is allowed outside DSCC facilities in designated smoking areas.

The policy, which has been under consideration since the fall of 2010, was approved by the DSCC Administrative Council at its meeting on April 29.

In April, prior to the council’s formal vote, the police was reviewed by and received the support of the college Student Government Association and the college academic honor society Phi Theta Kappa.

Tennessee picked for new school lunch, breakfast plan

Tennessee picked for new school lunch, breakfast plan

Tennessee is one of the first states to adopt a new free lunch program. The Community Eligibility Option will allow schools in high-poverty, low-income areas to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students without having the use of applications.

This new option will allow schools to use their preexisting data to determine the number of households in their community that are currently participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The school can then offer all children meals free of charge, and the USDA reimburses them for the appropriate amount based on the data from previous years.