As part of Immunization Awareness Month, state health officials are reminding parents this month to make sure their children are up to date on immunizations. Read the full story

SOURCE: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
By 2020 or sooner, the entire nation could have laws banning smoking in all indoor areas of private sector worksites, restaurants and bars, a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found. These places are major sources of secondhand smoke exposure.
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When my mother was in the final days of her life because of cigarette-related lung cancer a decade ago, my siblings and I had an important tool that let us focus on saying goodbye and grieving – and not on the confusing, chaotic decision making that often surrounds critical illness. My mom had an advance directive, or living will, that made the most important decision for us: She asked not to be kept alive by extraordinary means.

In her final hours, we sat with her in the hospice wing of Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, Conn. A nurse occasionally strolled in to check her condition, or to adjust the painkillers aimed at easing her passing. We held her hand as she slipped away peacefully. It was a sad moment – mom was only 65 years old – but it was as easy as one could possibly imagine.

Saturday, April 16, is National Healthcare Decisions Day, set aside to promote awareness of planning for important end of life decisions. Read the full story

CORNELIUS - Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce will host a workshop Thursday, April 14, from noon to 1 p.m. on Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture.  Read the full story

A bill introduced this week at the North Carolina House of Representatives would introduce a new licensing procedure that would license certified professional midwives to deliver babies at home. Read the full story

Davidson Parks & Recreation will host a series of evening programs on herbal medicine this spring titled “Back to Basics.” The monthly programs are April 5, May 3, and June 7. To register, visit www.d-Recs.org or call the office at 704-892-3349. All programs are at the parks & rec offices, 416 Armour St. Davidson. Here are the details: Read the full story

Duke Energy's emergency zone map for McGuire Nuclear Station. Click image to download full map (PDF)

The post-earthquake mayhem in Japan, including crises at several nuclear reactors, has many of us wondering about the safety of our nearby atomic power plants. Who hasn’t been in a conversation this week about what might happen if our local nuke (McGuire Nuclear Station in Huntersville) had an accident? Could it happen here?

Of course earthquakes are rare here in the Piedmont, and tsunamis impossible. Still, what if?
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Artists, poets, statesmen and others among the high-and-mighty from history were afflicted by gout – a form of arthritis that often comes with a diet of rich meats and alcohol. But it’s no longer restricted to the well-off, the The Washington Post reports. Surveys show cases have tripled since the late 1970s in the U.S., and about 8 million Americans now deal with the condition. And in another challenge to stereotypes, an increasing percentage are women.

LINK: “Gout, a form of arthritis, is no longer limited to the well-to-do.”

CORNELIUS – March events and activities at the North Mecklenburg Senior Center will include a safe-driving course as well as a 10-week weight loss challenge.

“The success of these programs rests largely with the number of people who attend, so I urge all interested individuals to take advantage of these unique opportunities,” said Joanne Ahern, the center director.

Here’s a list: Read the full story

Davidson Parks & Recreation is offering a full schedule of health, fitness and wellness classes in March, from Zumba to yoga to tai chi. Here’s a schedule. Similar classes are offered in coming months as well. For more information, call 704-892-3349 or register online at www.d-recs.org. Unless noted, all programs are at the Parks & Recreation office, 416 Armour St.
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