Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream shops in the Charlotte area will host “Give a Pint, Get a Pint” blood drives on Thursday, July 14, with free ice cream for all donors. Also, Community Blood Center of the Carolinas plans a series of blood drives in the Lake Norman area this month, some offering free movie tickets or smoothie coupons.  Continue Reading

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Even non-exploding fireworks can be dangerous.

Did you know the tip of that sparkler is 1,200 degrees?

It’s summer, the sun is shining, kids are out of school, and everyone is exploring the great outdoors. We’re all on the lookout for sunburn, but as July 4th approaches it’s also a good time to think about fireworks safety.

Unsupervised fireworks use by children, or those around older siblings, can be dangerous and severe eye injuries are among the risks, Lake Norman Regional Medical Center warns this week in a news release.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, “safe” or legal fireworks cause more injuries than illegal fireworks, especially to young children. For example, did you know that the tip of a sparkler can reach up to 1,200 degrees? To put that into perspective, glass melts at 900 degrees, yet we let our children and loved ones handle these seemingly harmless sparklers every year. Continue Reading

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Rising 7th grader and Secchi Dip-In participant Alex Lambert takes measurements in the Catawba River. (Catawba Riverkeeper photo)

You can help with the tests of water quality and clarity. Info below on how to get a “Secchi Disk” test kit

SOURCE: Catawba Riverkeeper
Everyone wants to see their feet when they go for a swim in the lake, and the fish like to see what they are about to eat. The Catawba Riverkeeper wants to know, too, and this month an army of volunteers will be out testing the waters from boats, docks and piers. They’ll be dropping black-and-white weighted disks on a ropes into the water to assess water clarity.

The volunteers began tests June 25 and they’ll continue through July 17 at sites throughout the Catawba River Chain of Lakes. Continue Reading

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Leslie Willis

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

When Leslie Willis came to Davidson for a visit a few months ago, she saw “people active” – walking, running and biking around town. That told her that there’s a “good foundation here” for building community health and wellness.

Ms. Willis, 35, is the former campus recreation director at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Mo. She started work June 16 as Davidson Parks & Recreation’s first health and wellness supervisor. She said this week she’s excited about her new role developing and managing health-related courses, programs and events.
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