Knoxville, Nashville and the Tri-Cities all made the top 10 list of U.S. migraine hot spots in a recent study. Credit: stockarch/morguefile.com

Here’s a study that could give you a real headache: Three Tennessee cities top a list of migraine “hot spots,” according to a report by Sperling’s Best Places. For this survey, the demographic research firm analyzed the number of migraine-related drug prescriptions, people’s hours worked, commute time, environmental factors and diets. Dr. Jan Brandes, a neurology professor at Vanderbilt University, said Tennessee’s weather is another factor. “One of the issues that may play a role has to do with barometric pressure shift,” she said. “So, we have four seasons here, and any time there’s a fluctuation in barometric pressure, that – for many migraineurs – can trigger an attack.” Knoxville, Nashville, and the Tri-Cities made the top 10 on a list that includes 110 cities. Brandes said people can reduce their incidence of migraines by reducing alcohol and caffeine intake, and also to be aware of certain foods that, for some people, can be “triggers” for headaches. The study estimated that 18 percent of women and 6-percent of men suffer from migraines, which are most frequent in people ages 25 to 55. For those who are diagnosed with migraines, Brandes said, it’s important not to overuse medications that may relieve their symptoms. “We know that Tennessee’s very high on prescription medication use,” she said. “We know that if you take a short-acting medication more than two or three days a week, that can promote daily headache.” She added that migraines often are misdiagnosed as sinus headaches, so experts recommend getting a specific diagnosis to ensure the proper medication is being used. The report is online at bestplaces.net.

Bad weather put a stop to a fireworks display on July 3 in Tullahoma, but now the Tullahoma Kiwanis Club has announced they will host a fireworks show that was originally scheduled for the July 4th weekend this Sunday, September 6th at Wilkins Stadium. The show will take place at approximately 8:15 p.m., but plenty of activities will be happening beforehand such as vendors and music.
In the case of rain, an alternate date has yet to be announced. The show is free to attend.

David Scott Kelnhofer intake photo provided by the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department

David Scott Kelnhofer of Smyrna was arrested Tuesday after a Coffee County deputy found him to be in possession of drugs.
The man was stopped by a deputy for a traffic violation after Coffee County Investigator James Sherrill observed Kelnhofer texting and driving erratic. As officers approached the SUV they allegedly observed drug paraphernalia laying in the seat.
Personnel with the sheriff’s department searched the man and allegedly found a plastic container with two baggies of meth weighing one and a half grams. Among other things allegedly found was another baggie containing a quarter gram of meth along with digital scales, needles and other items.
Kelnhofer, 40 of Seminary Road, Smyrna was charged with manufacture/delivery/sell of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Kelnhofer was booked into the Coffee County Jail under a $17,500 bond. He is to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court Sept. 28.

For the first time in decades all 95 Tennessee counties have adopted their annual budget resolutions by August 31. This extraordinary achievement means that Tennessee counties are now operating under a locally adopted budget for the current fiscal year.
Tennessee counties are also in full compliance with Public Chapter 170, Acts of 2015. This new law allows counties that do not adopt a budget resolution prior to June 30 to operate under a continuation budget through August 31. Counties with extraordinary circumstances preventing the adoption of a budget resolution by August 31 may request approval from the Comptroller of the Treasury to operate until September 30.
The Tennessee County Services Association requested Public Chapter 170 from the State Legislature, and its members should be commended for adhering to its requirements.
In the past, it was not uncommon for some Tennessee counties to operate without a current budget into October.

A Mercy for Animals investigation found chickens at a Dukedom, Tennessee, farm were bred to grow so quickly they became crippled under their own weight. Credit: Mercy for Animals.

A Tennessee chicken farm has lost its contract to provide chickens for McDonald’s through Tyson Foods, after the chicken supplier announced it was terminating its contract with the farmer. Late last week, the animal rights group Mercy for Animals released the results of an undercover investigation which it says documented the abuse of chickens at T & S Farm in Dukedom – located in western Tennessee along the Kentucky border. Matt Rice, a Mercy for Animals spokesperson, describes horrific conditions. “At this Tyson contract farm, chickens were treated like mere meat producing machines,” he says. “From the day that they hatched, until they’re violently killed, their short lives are filled with misery and depravation.” There was no answer at T & S Farm for comment on this story. The video shot by the investigator, who was hired as an employee, shows birds being beaten and stabbed with clubs spiked with nails. A statement from McDonald’s says it’s working with Tyson Foods to further investigate the situation. The Weakley County Sheriff’s Office said it has opened an investigation into the farm. Rice says Mercy for Animals has conducted more than 40 investigations at factory farms across the U.S. Each time, as in this case, farms are chosen at random. “Every single time, we’ve documented animal abuse,” he says. “Which leads us to believe that animal abuse runs rampant in the factory farming industry, and we need more laws and stronger oversight from these companies that buy from these farms to ensure these animals aren’t being abused.” According to Mercy for Animals, T & S Farms typically housed more than 120,000 chickens. According to the USDA, Tennessee ranks 11th in the country in terms of the number of slaughtered chickens annually.