Neti pots have become a popular remedy for colds and sinus congestion, but health officials are warning people to use them properly in the wake of recent deaths.  For some, the thought of rinsing one’s nose is enough of a deterrent from using a neti pot. But the problem is not the idea of washing your nose – it’s what kind of water you use. In two widely reported cases  last year people used tap water, instead of distilled or sterilized water and wound dying of of water-borne brain-eating amoeba. Continue Reading

Beginning this month,  Kannapolis Fire Department is shifting its CPR classes from those focused on healthcare providers a series called Family & Friends CPR. The Department hopes to reach those individuals in the community who would not normally have the opportunity to learn CPR through these monthly classes. Continue Reading

The Lake Norman YMCA, at 21300 Davidson Street in Cornelius, will hold an open house Saturday, Jan. 21, from 1 to 4 p.m.

For those who haven’t already seen it, guests on Saturday can tour the Y’s newly renovated fitness facility that opened last month.

The interior of the wellness center, complete with new equipment and better lighting. (YMCA photo)

The center features:

• Larger, brighter and more open workout space
• New and improved Life Fitness strength equipment
• Panoramic views of Lake Cornelius
• Precor TRM 885 Cardio Equipment, including top-of-the-line commercial treadmills, private viewing screens, touch screen consoles, heart rate monitors, integrated Footplant Technology and Ground Effects impact control
• Stay Healthy fitness tracking technology available with all equipment

Open house visitors will be able to try the new fitness equipment, participate in group exercise demonstrations, meet staff members and familiarize themselves with the other facilities and services offered at the Lake Norman YMCA.

All community members are invited to attend.

Cyclists ride through Antiquity. (Chip Dawson / DavidsonNews.net)

By CHIP DAWSON
DavidsonNews.net

This is bike country. The weather and the open road become a siren call for many of us year around.
You can have a nice outing exploring the trails and neighborhoods of Cornelius and Davidson. If you’re a more serious biker, try the county and state roads to the north and east or head west on Catawba and explore all the residential neighborhoods along the lake. A ride down Jetton and through all its side roads can net you well over 30 miles.

SAFETY – THE NUMBERS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

While it provides great exercise and good times, bicycling is also a job. You must be serious about the condition of your bike, your equipment and your skills. According to the CDC, more than 500,000 people in the U.S. are treated in emergency departments, and more than 700 people die as a result of bicycle-related injuries each year. One study showed that one third of the injuries are significant head injuries. Continue Reading

Centers for Disease Control, http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/

Now that New Year’s has come and gone, the motivation to stick with those resolutions may be fading. This year, the Town of Davidson has partnered with Snap Fitness to help local residents stay on track and lose those unwanted holiday pounds with an 8-week Lose Weight, Feel Great Challenge. Continue Reading

The race will run up the 50-floor Duke Energy Center

CHARLOTTE – Ever run up a skyscraper? Registration is now open for 750 slots in the 2012 Race to the Topon Saturday, March 24, in downtown Charlotte. Runners will see who can be the fastest to scale the 50 floors and 1,194 steps of the Duke Energy Center in downtown Charlotte.

The race begins at 8:30 a.m. with runners starting in waves at 15 second intervals, according to experience level. Runners also will be able to choose their own flight times.

This year’s competition will include a First Responders category, where police, fire and Medic officers will compete against one another.

Part of the proceeds from this year’s Race to the Top will benefit the Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte. Continue Reading

Here’s an outside reading suggestion: In the Lake Norman section of The Charlotte Observer this week, reporter Elizabeth Arriero introduces us to Cornelius resident Connie Hawkins, whose personal experience led her and others to found the Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center in Davidson. It’s an organization that coaches parents to advocate for their children with disabilities.

LINK: Jan. 11, 2011, Charlotte Observer, “Mom first coached others to be advocates.”

MOORESVILLE – Lake Norman Regional Medical Center hosts a Diabetes Support Group that meets on the fourth Monday of every month from noon to 1 p.m., in the Burlington Room at the Charles Mack Citizens Center in Mooresville. The next Diabetes Support Group will meet Monday, Jan. 23. Continue Reading

The ride annually attracts all kinds of bikes. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Hundreds of cyclists are expected for Lake Norman’s 14th annual Polar Bear Ride on Saturday, Jan. 14, in Davidson. The Rocky River Road Club sponsors the half and full metric century bicycle rides through the North Mecklenburg/Lake Norman area, as a fundraiser for Davidson’s Ada Jenkins Center.

Both rides start and finish at Ingersoll-Rand on Beaty Street in Davidson at 10:00 am and registration opens at 8:30 am. Continue Reading

Scientists are debating the newsworthiness of a recent discovery that has the potential not to help, but to hurt. Researchers last July in the Netherlands created an airborne version of a dangerous flu virus- in essence “tweaking it genetically to make it more contagious,” according to the New York Times. Now, U.S. government advisers are urging that scientists keep the research private – so it can’t be used by terrorists or other bad guys.

LINK: Dec. 27, 2011, New York Times, “Science debate persists on deadly flu made airborne.”