It’s a parent’s worst nightmare, but it happens every summer: kids suffer heatstroke and, in some cases, die after being left in hot cars.
Registered nurse Phyllis Larimore points out that children left inside a vehicle can suffer fatal hyperthermia in just minutes, even when the outside temperature is mild. She says a change in routine is often behind these tragedies.
“Children have stopped going to school, and so there’s something new, or someone else is taking them to the daycare,” says Larimore. “These things happen across all socioeconomic strata, all types of parents.”
According to the website KidsAndCars.org, nearly 400 children in America have died in hot cars in the last decade, an average of 38 deaths per year.
The summer heat and humidity can also spell trouble for kids who spend time outdoors, as a child’s body heats up much faster than an adult’s. Dr. Eric Kirkendall says that makes them more susceptible to heat exhaustion, heat cramps and heatstroke.
“That includes hot, flushed skin typically associated with high fevers, over 104 degrees,” Kirkendall explains. “And that’s when kids will also start to have altered mental states – they’ll start getting really confused and, in some of the worst cases, can have seizures.”
To protect against heat-related illnesses, Kirkendall says parents need to make sure their children stay hydrated and that their exposure to the sun is limited.

We know that it is not even mid-July, but believe it or not school will be starting back soon. Sorry kids.
Director Dr. LaDonna McFall says Coffee County schools will start as planned with the first day set for July 29 for registration with students released at 10am and the first full day will be on July 31. The Coffee County system is very excited as the new middle school on the Woodbury Hwy and the 9th grade Raider Academy are set to open on time.
In Tullahoma, city schools will begin on July 29 with students dismissed at 1pm and the first full day on July 30.
In the Manchester city school system students return on August 1 with dismissal at 9am and the first full day of class on August 4.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue is reminding Tennesseans that the eighth annual Sales Tax Holiday is scheduled for Friday, August 1st at 12:01am, through Sunday, August 3rd at 11:59pm.
During those three days, Tennessee shoppers can save nearly 10 percent on tax-free clothing, School and art supplies, and computer purchases.
During that time, consumers will not have to pay state or local sales tax on clothing items costing $100 or less, school and art supplies costing $100 or less, and computers costing $1,500 or less.