The Hamilton County Health Department is offering flu vaccinations at all locations; no appointment is necessary. The flu vaccine is recommended for anyone six months and older.
The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat and lungs. Those at highest risk of severe complications from the flu include children under five years, adults 65 years and over, pregnant women, and those with preexisting medical conditions or a compromised immune system.
The Health Department is encouraging everyone to receive a flu shot this year.
“As we approach the winter months, we often see a rise in cases of influenza-like illnesses such as the flu, COVID-19 and RSV,” says Dr. Stephen Miller, health officer for the Hamilton County Health Department. “These respiratory viruses tend to thrive in colder weather, increasing the risk of transmission through sneezing, coughing and talking.
“Taking preventive measures like vaccines, good hand hygiene, and staying home when sick is crucial to protect yourself and your loved ones from severe illness.”
All Health Department locations will offer the flu vaccine, a high-dose vaccine for those 65 and older and an egg-free vaccine for those with an egg allergy. The department encourages anyone with an egg allergy to call the clinic ahead of time to ensure the vaccine is available and ready for their visit.
The COVID-19 vaccination is also available at all Health Department locations and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may be administered simultaneously with the flu vaccine.
YMCA opens Dodds Avenue location
The YMCA celebrated the grand opening of the new James A. Henry Community YMCA at 3500 Dodds Avenue Sept. 26. The renovated facility includes upgraded equipment, a full commercial kitchen, offices and a space for activities. It also features a teaching kitchen for community nutrition education and workforce development.
“Today is an important step forward as we complete a capital campaign and open our doors to more children and families,” said Baron Herdelin-Doherty, president and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga. “Our new facility will help us serve 50% more people by 2028.”
Each year, the YMCA prepares, packs and distributes 300,000 meals to children at 80 sites across the region to help reduce hunger. The J.A. Henry’s summer and after school nutritional programs, which were administered through its previous location at 460 Dodson Avenue, provide thousands of meals daily, while the site’s Early Childhood Nutrition Program supplies fresh meals to three preschool sites in Chattanooga.
“One out of 10 people in our region is facing food insecurity, and the Y is part of the solution in reducing hunger among children in our community,” said Paula Irwin, executive director of the J.A. Henry Community YMCA. “Our new facility and expanded operations will help us feed even more kids.”
The new facility will also support J.A. Henry’s Mobile Market, which provides groceries in food deserts, and Mobile Fit, which brings meals and activities to schools, parks and housing sites.
The J.A. Henry YMCA also operates Bingo’s Market in Patten Towers in downtown Chattanooga.
Beyond meal prep, the YMCA provides education on healthy eating through Food Rx. The eight-week class focuses on improving health through plant-based nutrition education.
The branch also hosts legacy youth leadership development programs like Youth Trust and Youth Leadership Chattanooga, both of which focus on college and career readiness.
The new facility also features a dedicated space staffed by Wellpoint Tennessee associates to assist community members with navigating health care resources and accessing social services. This initiative is the latest in a series of collaborations between Wellpoint and the J.A. Henry YMCA to support the Chattanooga community.
Volunteers, donors and partners help support the J.A. Henry YMCA. The teaching kitchen was funded through a grant with the State of Tennessee.
For more information, visit www.ymcachattanooga.org/volunteer.
Lakesite funds music program
The city of Lakesite presented a $1,500 check to the Loftis Music Program during its commission meeting on Sept. 17. The donation will support music education programs at Loftis Middle School.
Loftis Middle School provides music education to 50% of its students through various programs, including the Musical Theater Program, an after-school program that’s open to every student in the school and that culminates in five community performances near the end of the school year.
“Our donation is a drop in the bucket of what’s needed to run the program,” said Lakesite Commissioner Wayne Behlau. “But we want to support the program, and we hope our donation encourages others.”
Carrie Brock, the teacher for the Music Theater Program, is a long-term teacher at Loftis. Due to funding constraints, Brock is able to produce only one program every other year.
The program costs about $15,000 to produce. This includes over $800 for backdrop rental, $8,000 for lights, sound rental and labor, up to $3,000 for building materials and $2,000 for props.
Sculpture Fields seeks ambassadors
The Sculpture Fields at Montague Park board of directors is conducting a search to fill its Ambassador Committee. Formerly known as the Ambassador Board, the SFMP board created the committee in 2021 to advance the mission of SFMP.
Ambassadors will be expected to promote SFMP within their social and professional spheres, participate in events and attend regular committee meetings.
Committee members will also be responsible for drafting the Ambassador Committee’s mission statement and developing and executing an action plan that supports and promotes the park.
Interested candidates should email Executive Director Lynn Brown at [email protected] with a brief statement of interest to receive an official application. Applicants will be invited to a meet-and-greet to learn more about Sculpture Fields and the Ambassador Committee.
SFMP is a free-to-the-public outdoor sculpture museum and park in Chattanooga.
Investigators release chemical eruption details
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board has released an update to its ongoing investigation of a May 30, 2024, accidental release of a molten mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium nitrate at the Techniques Surfaces USA Liquid Nitriding facility in Chattanooga.
The incident killed one employee and injured a second employee.
TS USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of HEF USA, which is headquartered in Springfield, Ohio, and which is in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of the HEF Group, which is headquartered in Andrézieux-Bouthéon, France.
The TS USA facility in Chattanooga began operations in September 2017 and was designed for processing large and heavy parts requiring nitriding. Liquid nitrating is a surface hardening process that enhances the wear resistance of iron and steel by diffusing nitrogen into the material.
Liquid nitriding involves submerging components in molten nitrogen-containing sodium and potassium salts to increase the hardness and durability of the treated materials. The liquid nitriding process is particularly beneficial for industries requiring durable components, such as automotive, aerospace and manufacturing, where parts are subject to high stress and wear.
On the day before the incident, TS USA had completed a liquid nitriding process for five 316 stainless steel rollers. The rollers were left in a hot water rinse bath overnight – a common practice at the facility. The next morning, the plant manager found one roller still leaking water and suspected it was clogged with solidified oxidizer salt.
After consulting with a process engineer who was working remotely, the manager decided to reintroduce the rollers directly into the oxidizing bath without preheating. At 8:58 a.m., an eruption of molten salt from the oxidizing bath occurred, fatally injuring one employee and igniting combustible materials in the area.
The CSB is continuing to gather facts and analyze several key areas, including the cause of the molten salt eruption, a hazard analysis of the liquid nitriding processes, TS USA’s hazard identification program, TS USA’s safety management systems, HEF and TS USA’s corporate governance of safety programs, and regulatory and industry guidance for liquid nitriding facilities.
The CSB’s board members are appointed by the U.S. president and subject to Senate confirmation. The board does not issue citations or fines but makes safety recommendations to companies, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and the EPA.
Learn more at www.csb.gov.