From the Knox County Health Department this afternoon:

East Knox County to Get Follow Up Spraying

Milligan Street Area Spraying Scheduled for Sunday Night

Knox County Health Department will conduct follow up spraying in the Milligan Street area of East Knox County area where West Nile Virus (WNV) was found in mosquitoes. Following national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocol, the affected area will be sprayed to reduce the mosquito population and the risk of further WNV spread.

Spraying is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 5 beginning at 9 p.m. Another follow up spraying is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 19. Signs will be erected in the affected area to alert residents, who are asked to stay inside during spraying. Public health officials will work with the zoo to assist in spraying their property.

“Since our last spray application we’ve had another positive lab result from this area,” said Ronnie Nease, KCHD director of Environmental Health. “We’ll keep spraying there to keep the mosquito population down until we get two consecutive negative lab reports.”

Spraying will occur within the area bordered by the eastern end of North Cherry Street, north of East Magnolia Avenue, west of Prosser Road, south of Kenilworth Lane, east of North Park Boulevard and south of Cecil Avenue. A map is enclosed for your reference.

To address the public health concerns caused by mosquitoes, KCHD conducts a mosquito control program during the summer months. Every year, as the weather begins to warm, public health professionals begin trapping mosquitoes around the county, testing batches weekly for West Nile Virus. WNV affected areas are sprayed with an approved mist when needed to reduce the mosquito population. Application is recommended between the hours of 9 p.m. to midnight when mosquitoes are most active. From early in the spring until the first frost, larvicides also are used in areas with standing water to prevent mosquito proliferation.

TIPS FOR CONTROLLING MOSQUITOES

Eliminating breeding areas is an important factor in controlling the mosquito population. KCHD urges the public to reduce breeding sites around their homes by following these tips:

• Dispose of, regularly empty, or turn over any water holding containers on your property such as tires, cans, flowerpots, or trashcans.
• Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers that are left outdoors.
• Make sure roof gutters drain properly and water doesn’t stand in them.
• Change the water in birdbaths at least once a week.
• Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use.
• Keep swimming pools, outdoor saunas and hot tubs clean and properly chlorinated;
• Remove standing water from pool covers.

TIPS FOR PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM MOSQUITO-BORNE ILLNESS

It also is important for residents to take necessary precautions against West Nile Virus during outside activity, either by proper clothing or insect repellant. The best way to protect yourself and your family is to keep mosquitoes from biting you. During mosquito season (generally April through October), take the following precautions:

• Limit outdoor activities between dusk and dawn, if possible, since this is the time of greatest mosquito activity.
• If you are outside when mosquitoes are prevalent, wear protective clothing such as long pants, long-sleeved shirts and socks.
• Use a mosquito repellant that contains DEET (the chemical N-N-diethyl-meta-toluamide); and
• Follow the directions on the label. If you are concerned about using repellent products on children you may wish to consult a health care provider for advice or contact the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) through their toll-free number at 1-800-858-7378 or npic.orst.edu.

More information on the mosquito control program and the treatment schedule are available by calling 215-5200 or online at http://knoxcounty.org/health/vector_mosquito_control.php. KCHD also provides the West Nile Virus Fact Sheet and the Public Health Fact Sheet discussing insect bites and repellents. All informational materials may be reproduced and distributed as needed. A Mosquito Control technician is available to discuss mosquito control at community groups or neighborhood association meetings.

KCHD is committed to promoting public health policies and practices that safeguard and improve quality of life for all residents. KCHD offers an array of resources, including medical and dental services, family planning, disease surveillance and control, emergency preparedness, air quality management, environmental services, food preparation oversight in public places, special nutritional programs for women with children and much more. For more information, visit www.knoxcounty.org/health. Information on flu is available at www.knoxcounty.org/flu.

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My step-sister Robin and her husband Sonny have raised a couple of very bright young ladies.  Let me be the first to say I can take no credit for it:  My dad re-married my wonderful step mother after the death of my mom.  She was a little older than me when she passed away, so Robin and I took the “step” moniker  Same for my step-brother Dick, and his wife Cindy, and their Parker and Rachael- a couple of standouts in their own right.  All step nieces and one step nephew that I have watched…remotely.. grow into good folks.

Young Mary is skilled in sniffing out the gastronomic delights around Knoxville.And, now… she has a website and blog  read here Pretty nifty, eh?

And, I’m already a bit jealous of the digital camera talents, and natural composition eye of Mary’s younger sister, Caroline.   Click here … Artsy, huh?

It’s wonderful to watch children grow into young adults with dreams, goals… and most of all the drive to acquire the skill to achieve them.

You go girls !!

Tennessee Highway Patrol Accepting Applications for Troopers

INTERESTED APPLICANTS MUST APPLY ONLINE

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) announced today it is aggressively seeking men and women who are interested in careers in law enforcement for a new Trooper Cadet Class slated to begin in the spring of 2011, if funds become available. Applications will only be accepted from Thursday, August 26 through Friday, September 17, 2010.

In an effort to recruit qualified candidates, the Tennessee Department of Safety invites interested individuals to visit an Informational Session, Friday, September 10, and Saturday, September 11, at the THP Training Center, located at 283 Stewarts Ferry Pike in Nashville.   To attend, interested individuals must register online at www.appointment.com/trooper to schedule a two-hour appointment between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.   THP Special Programs Lieutenants and other Department of Safety representatives will also visit events, festivals and job fairs across the state over the next few weeks actively seeking men and women interested in serving as Tennessee State Troopers.

Individuals interested in applying for the position of State Trooper must be at least 21 years old, a U.S. Citizen and have a high school diploma or equivalent.   No applicants with felony convictions will be considered.   If hired, individuals must obtain a valid Tennessee Driver License and are required to successfully complete a Level II background investigation, which includes a credit check and polygraph test.   Recruits must also pass a physical agility test, as well as psychological and medical examinations, including a drug screening.

Those interested in and qualified for the position of State Trooper should submit an employment application to the Tennessee Department of Human Resources for approval to take the civil service examination. All applicants must apply online at http://tn.gov/dohr/employment/career.html beginning Thursday, August 26, 2010, through Friday, September 17, 2010.   Applications will not be accepted after September 17, 2010. Current applicants on the register will also be required to submit a new application and take the examination.

There are currently 899 authorized commissioned officer positions within the THP.  Trooper recruits will be assigned to vacant positions across the state upon graduation.   The starting salary for a Tennessee State Trooper is $32,676 annually and includes other benefits such as a paid pension plan, low cost health insurance and paid holidays. Uniform, equipment and patrol vehicles are also provided by the THP. With regular pay increases, a Trooper can earn $48,564.00 per year after 10 years of service under the current pay structure.   Recruits are paid while in training.   The Trooper Class will last 18 weeks.

For additional information on becoming a State Trooper, visit the Department of Safety website at

http://state.tn.us/safety/thp/school.htm .

For more information about applications and testing, interested individuals are encouraged to contact the Tennessee Department of Human Resources Applicant Services Division at (615) 741-4841.

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* One dragster’s 500-inch Hemi makes more horsepower then the first 8 rows at Daytona.

* Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1 1/2 gallons of nitro per second, the same rate of fuel consumption as a fully loaded 747 but with 4 times the energy volume.

* The supercharger takes more power to drive than a stock hemi makes.

* Even with nearly 3000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger on overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into nearly-solid form before ignition. Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lock.

* Dual magnetos apply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is the output of an arc welder in each cylinder.

* At stoichiometric (exact) 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture (for nitro), the flame front of nitromethane measures 7050 degrees F.

* Nitromethane burns yellow. The spectacular white flame seen above the stacks at night is raw burning hydrogen, dissociated from atmospheric water vapor by the searing exhaust gases.

* Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed during a pass. After 1/2 way, the engine is dieseling from compression-plus the glow of exhaust valves at 1400 degrees F. The engine can only be shut down by cutting off its fuel flow.

* If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up in those cylinders and then explodes with a force that can blow cylinder heads off the block in pieces or blow the block in half.

* Dragsters twist the crank (torsionally) so far (20 degrees in the big end of the track) that sometimes cam lobes are ground offset from front to rear to re-phase the valve timing somewhere closer to synchronization with the pistons.

* To exceed 300mph in 4.5 seconds dragsters must accelerate at an average of over 4G’s. But in reaching 200 mph well before 1/2 track, launch acceleration is closer to 8G’s.

* If all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for free, and for once NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs $1000.00 per second.

* Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have read this sentence.

Did you know …

… that the nitromethane-powered engines of NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars produce approximately 7,000 horsepower, about 37 times that of the average street car?

… that one cylinder of the eight cylinders of a Top Fuel dragster or a Funny Car produces 750 horsepower, equaling the entire horsepower output of a NASCAR engine?

… that the gasoline-powered engines of NHRA Pro Stock cars produce about 1,200 horsepower, about eight times that of the average street car?

… that an NHRA Top Fuel dragster accelerates from 0 to 100 mph in less than .8-second, almost 11 seconds quicker than it takes a production Porsche 911 Turbo to reach the same speed?

… that an NHRA Top Fuel dragster leaves the starting line with a force nearly five times that of gravity, the same force of the space shuttle when it leaves the launching pad at Cape Canaveral?

… that an NHRA Funny Car is slowed by a reverse force more than seven times that of gravity when both parachutes deploy simultaneously?

… that NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars consume between four and five gallons of fuel during a quarter-mile run, which is equivalent to between 16 and 20 gallons per mile?

… that NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars use between 10 and 12 gallons of fuel for a complete pass, including the burnout, backup to the starting line, and quarter-mile run?

… that NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars travel the length of more than four football fields in less than five seconds?

… that NHRA Top Fuel dragsters can exceed 280 mph in just 660 feet?

… that from a standing start, NHRA Top Fuel dragsters accelerate faster than a jumbo jet, a fighter jet, and a Formula One race car?

… that a fuel pump for an NHRA Top Fuel dragster and Funny Car delivers 65 gallons of fuel per minute, equivalent to eight bathroom showers running at the same time?

… that the fuel-line pressure for NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars is between 400 and 500 pounds, about 20 times greater than the pressure on passenger-car fuel pumps?

… that depending on size and angle, the large rear wing on an NHRA Top Fuel dragster develops between 4,000 and 8,000 pounds of downforce?

… that the 17-inch rear tires used on NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars wear out after four to six runs, or about two miles? Some brands of passenger-car tires are guaranteed for 80,000 miles.

… that it takes just 15/100ths of a second for all 7,000 horsepower of an NHRA Top Fuel dragster engine to reach the rear wheels?

… that it’s desirable for an NHRA Top Fuel dragster to race with its front wheels inches off the ground for about the first 200 feet of the run? This ensures proper weight transfer to the rear wheels, a crucial part of a good launch and quick run.

… that the nitromethane used to power the engines of NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars costs about $30 per gallon?

Sources: NHRA Communications and Technical Departments, NHRA race teams, motorsports equipment manufacturers (and boostedpimp )

Second Spraying for Cedar Bluff Area Scheduled for Sunday Night

Following national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocol, Knox County Health Department will conduct follow up spraying of the Cedar Bluff area where West Nile Virus (WNV) was found in mosquitoes. Spraying is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 29 from 9 p.m. to midnight. Signs will be erected in the affected area to alert residents, who are asked to stay inside during spraying. Additional spraying will be necessary if the area tests positive again for WNV.

Mosquito spray trucks will be on these roads Sunday night (see attached map):

·         Dutchtown Road from the east entrance to Christian Academy of Knoxville (including CAK, Dutchtown Harbor and Villas, and Manis Lane) to Blessed Way; all of Tallahassee and Cortez drives.

·         Sanders Road to Venice, including all of Ethan’s Glen Subdivision

·         Venice Road east of Sanders Road, including Tampa and Suwannee Roads

·         All of Briarwood Drive and Laurel Hill Road south from Briarwood Drive; Briarwood Boulevard west of Chateaugay Road

·         All of Gulf Park Drive and all streets west of Pensacola Road, including Mobile and Sarasota drives and Galveston Road

·         Cedar Bluff Primary, Intermediate and Middle schools