🩺 Check Your Measles Shot Record, Two Lung-Health Days Next Week, Plan Ahead for Thanksgiving Closures and Look Twice at a Toy Car Remote: Your Healthy Valley Report

Or: Find That Old Shot Card, Give Quitting a Try Thursday, Book Your Holiday Rides and Refills Early and Check the Toy Remote Before It Goes Under the Tree

By Thomas Seest, Dunlap.Today · Saturday, November 14, 2026

Good afternoon, Valley. The National Weather Service has Dunlap sunny, near 50 today, with a low around 30 tonight. After that, it’s a string of sunny days that warm up a little each afternoon, from 57 Sunday to near 69 by Friday. Frosty mornings stay with us through Tuesday. Today’s report has four calm, practical things to know and do:

First, the Tennessee Department of Health asked Tennesseans on Friday to check that they’re protected against measles. The state has confirmed 11 cases this year. Every public exposure site it lists right now is in the Nashville area, not here, so this is a “check your paperwork” item, not a worry item. Second, next week has two easy lung-health days: a free lung screening bus stops on Signal Mountain Wednesday, and Thursday is the Great American Smokeout. Third, Thanksgiving closures: state offices, including our county health department, close Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26–27, and SETHRA rides pause too. Fourth, a quick toy recall to check before you wrap a remote-control car.

⏱️ What this means for you in 30 seconds

• 💉 Not sure you had a measles shot? Ask your doctor or the health department, (423) 949-3619, to look up your record. Born before 1957? The CDC already counts you as protected.
• 🫁 Free lung screening bus: Wed., Nov. 18, on Signal Mountain, 1238 Taft Highway. Call 423-495-5864 to see if you qualify.
• 🚭 Thinking about quitting? Thursday, Nov. 19, is a good day to start. Free help: 1-800-QUIT-NOW, or text QUIT to 615-795-0600.
• 🦃 Thanksgiving: the health department closes Nov. 26–27. SETHRA has no rides at all on Thanksgiving Day. Refill medicines and book rides by Friday, Nov. 20.
• 🚗 Bought a lime-green-and-blue Kakgold “PRO RACING” remote-control car on Amazon? Stop using it. Email kakrecall@outlook.com for a refund.

💉 A Calm Measles Check: Find Your Shot Record

This is statewide news from the Tennessee Department of Health, posted Friday afternoon, Nov. 13. The exposure list comes from the department’s measles page. No exposure sites are listed in our part of the state. With measles cases going up across the country, the state health department is asking Tennesseans to talk with their doctor about measles protection. Here’s what the state and the CDC say, in plain words:

• Tennessee’s count: 11 confirmed cases so far in 2026.
• Where the recent exposures were: every public site on the state’s current list is in the Nashville, Brentwood, Antioch and Arrington area, from late October and early November. Nothing is listed for the Valley or Chattanooga.
• The best protection: the CDC says two doses of MMR vaccine work best, and most vaccinated people are protected for life. Most adults need at least one documented dose.
• Born before 1957? The CDC counts you as already protected, because almost everyone caught measles as a child back then.
• Not sure about your record? The state says to call your doctor or your local health department. They can look it up and tell you if you need anything.
• The one habit to remember: if you ever think you’ve been around measles, call the clinic or ER before you walk in. That lets them get a room ready so nobody else in the waiting room is exposed.

What it means for you: This is like checking the spare tire before a trip. Odds are it’s fine, but it’s nice to know for sure. Dig out the old shot card from the cedar chest, or let the health department look you up. If you have a grandbaby on the way or a trip planned, that’s an extra good reason to check. Sequatchie County Health Department: (423) 949-3619, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

👉 Read more (Tennessee Department of Health: Measles and current exposures) · CDC: Measles vaccination

🫁 Two Lung-Health Days Next Week: A Screening Bus on Signal Mountain and the Great American Smokeout

The lung bus is regional news from CHI Memorial’s own schedule. The Smokeout is a national day, and the QuitLine is Tennessee’s free statewide service. Two calm, useful things land back-to-back next week, and one of them is right up Highway 8 from us.

1. Wednesday, Nov. 18: CHI Memorial’s “Breathe. Easy.” lung screening bus on Signal Mountain

• Where: CommonSpirit Medical Group – Integrative Medicine, 1238 Taft Highway, Suite 170, Signal Mountain.
• When: listed as 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Signal Mountain runs on Eastern time, so that’s about 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. our time. Call to confirm.
• Who qualifies: adults 50 to 80 (50 to 77 on Medicare) who smoke now or quit in the last 15 years, with about a 20 “pack-year” history (a pack a day for 20 years, or two packs a day for 10), no lung symptoms and no chest CT in the past year.
• Cost: CHI Memorial says most insurance covers it if you qualify, and there may be grants for people without insurance. Adults 40 and older who don’t meet the rules can pay $150.
• Call: 423-495-5864 (423-495-LUNG) to sign up and ask about the forms to bring.

2. Thursday, Nov. 19: The Great American Smokeout

• The idea: pick one day to quit, or just to make a plan. You don’t have to do it alone.
• Free phone coaching: 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669). Our time: weekdays 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Free patches or gum: the QuitLine offers free nicotine replacement to people who qualify and sign up for coaching.
• Prefer texting? Text QUIT to 615-795-0600 for tips and encouragement.

What it means for you: A lung scan is like walking the fence line before winter. You’re not expecting trouble, but if a post is leaning, you’d rather find it early. And quitting is like clearing a field: nobody does it in one afternoon, but the first stump is the hardest. If the drive up the mountain isn’t easy, a neighbor and a thermos of coffee can turn it into a nice morning out. One more thing: the Roads & Commute report says flaggers are working on Taft Highway here in Sequatchie County on weekdays, so leave a few extra minutes.

👉 Read more (CHI Memorial: Breathe. Easy. lung bus schedule) · Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine

🦃 Plan Around the Thanksgiving Closures: Refills, Rides and Who’s Open

This is local and statewide news from the State of Tennessee’s 2026 holiday list and SETHRA’s own holiday and ride pages. SETHRA’s main office is right here in Dunlap. Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26. A little planning this week saves a scramble later:

• State offices close Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26–27. That includes the Sequatchie County Health Department, which is part of the Tennessee Department of Health. Neighboring county health departments are likely closed too, so call ahead.
• SETHRA rides: SETHRA’s offices close both days. There are no rides at all on Thanksgiving Day. On Friday, Nov. 27, rides run only for cancer treatment and dialysis.
• Booking rules: SETHRA asks for 24 hours’ notice for in-county trips and 72 hours’ notice for out-of-county trips, like Chattanooga. Its office is open weekdays only, so for an out-of-county ride Thanksgiving week, call by Friday, Nov. 20. Sequatchie County: 423-949-2191 (call or text).
• Medical rides through insurance: SETHRA says to schedule medical rides through your insurance company.
• The library: the Sequatchie County Public Library closes Wednesday through Friday, Nov. 25–27.
• Always open: the Erlanger Sequatchie Valley Emergency Department, 16931 Rankin Ave., Dunlap, is open 24 hours a day, every day: 423-949-2000. For an emergency, call 911.

What it means for you: Holidays are like a snow day you can see coming. Fill the woodbox before the flakes fall. This week, look at your pill bottles. If any will run out between Nov. 25 and Nov. 30, call the pharmacy now and ask about refilling early. Pharmacies set their own holiday hours, so ask yours. And if you count on a ride, book it before the weekend.

👉 Read more (SETHRA: Holiday closures) · SETHRA Transit: How to ride · State of Tennessee: 2026 holidays

🚗 Christmas Toy Check: A Remote-Control Car With a Reachable Button Battery

This is a national recall posted Nov. 12 by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The toy was sold online only, on Amazon. It’s a small recall, about 294 toys, but it’s the kind of thing that ends up in a stocking.

• What it is: the Kakgold 4WD Stunt Vehicle, a lime green and blue remote-control car with a black chassis, checkered patterns, an “X” design and the words “PRO” and “RACING.” A white tag on it says “Do Not Twist the Shaft” in red.
• The problem: children can easily get to the button battery in the remote. Button batteries can cause serious harm if swallowed. No injuries have been reported.
• Where sold: Amazon.com, July to September 2026, for about $34 to $50.
• What to do: stop using it. Email kakrecall@outlook.com for a full refund. You’ll write “RECALLED” on it and send a photo of it going in the trash. Get rid of the batteries the way the county’s hazardous-waste rules say.

What it means for you: Button batteries are like a wasp nest under the porch rail. Small, easy to miss and best kept far from little hands. Whatever toys you buy this year, check that the battery door closes with a screw, and keep spare button batteries up high. If you ever think a child swallowed one, go to the emergency room right away and call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 on the way.

👉 Read more (CPSC: Kakgold remote-control car recall)

📅 This Week’s Sticky Notes (all times Central unless noted)

• Today, Sat., Nov. 14 (World Diabetes Day): Sunny, near 50. Low around 30 tonight.
• Sun., Nov. 15: Sunny, near 57. Low around 30.
• Mon., Nov. 16: Sunny, near 60. Free Chair Dancing at the library, 1 p.m. (also Wed. and Fri.).
• Tue., Nov. 17: Sunny, near 63.
• Wed., Nov. 18: Lung screening bus on Signal Mountain, about 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. our time (423-495-5864). Last day for the Erlanger Bledsoe apprenticeship interest form. Sunny, near 65.
• Thu., Nov. 19: Great American Smokeout (1-800-QUIT-NOW) and Rural Health Day. Mostly sunny, near 67.
• Fri., Nov. 20: Book Thanksgiving-week rides and refills by today. Last day of the Griffith Elementary Harvest Food Drive. Sunny, near 69.
• Mon., Nov. 23: First “Cooking Small, Living Well” class, 5 p.m. (423-949-2611).
• Wed., Nov. 25: Last regular weekday for the health department before the holiday. The library closes through Friday.
• Thu.–Fri., Nov. 26–27: Thanksgiving. State offices closed. No SETHRA rides Thursday.
• Mon., Dec. 7: Medicare open enrollment ends.

✅ Your Healthy Valley Checklist

• ✅ Find your measles shot record, or call (423) 949-3619 to have it looked up.
• ✅ Think you’ve been around measles? Call before you walk in to any clinic or ER.
• ✅ Smoked for years? Call 423-495-5864 about Wednesday’s lung bus on Signal Mountain.
• ✅ Ready to quit, or just curious? 1-800-QUIT-NOW, or text QUIT to 615-795-0600.
• ✅ Look at your pill bottles. Running out Nov. 25–30? Refill early.
• ✅ Need a ride Thanksgiving week? Call SETHRA at 423-949-2191 by Friday, Nov. 20.
• ✅ Check any remote-control car for the Kakgold “PRO RACING” look. Recalled? Email kakrecall@outlook.com.
• ✅ Keep spare button batteries up high, away from little hands.

Practical rule: check the record, book the ride and fill the bottle before the holiday, not during it.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk with your doctor, pharmacist or health department about your own situation. In an emergency, call 911.

— Dunlap.Today

📚 Plain-English Health Glossary

• Measles: A virus that spreads through the air and causes a high fever and a red, blotchy rash that starts on the face.
• MMR vaccine: One shot that protects against measles, mumps and rubella.
• Shot record (immunization record): The written list of vaccines you’ve had. Your doctor or health department can often look it up.
• Exposure site: A public place where someone with measles was while they could spread it.
• Low-dose CT: A quick scan, with a small amount of X-ray, that makes a detailed picture of the lungs.
• Pack-year: A way to count smoking history. One pack a day for one year is one pack-year.
• Nicotine replacement: Patches, gum or lozenges that ease cravings while you quit.
• Curb-to-curb: A ride service, like SETHRA’s, that picks you up at your curb and drops you at your destination’s curb.
• Button battery: A small, round, flat battery, like the ones in remotes, key fobs and watches.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Is there measles in the Sequatchie Valley?

Not on the state’s list. All of the public exposure sites the Tennessee Department of Health lists right now are in the Nashville area. The state’s advice is simple: make sure you’re protected, and call your doctor if you have questions.

How do I find out if I had the measles shot as a child?

Start with any old shot card or school records at home. If you can’t find one, call your doctor or the Sequatchie County Health Department at (423) 949-3619. The CDC says that if you can’t find a record, getting another MMR dose is safe.

I got a measles shot in the 1960s. Am I covered?

It depends on the kind. The CDC says people with records of the live measles vaccine from the 1960s don’t need another shot. People who got a shot before 1968 of the killed kind, or an unknown kind, should get at least one dose of today’s vaccine. Your doctor can help you sort it out.

Do I qualify for the free lung scan?

Generally, if you’re 50 to 80, smoke now or quit within 15 years, have about 20 pack-years of smoking and no lung symptoms, you may qualify. Call 423-495-5864 and they’ll walk you through it, including cost and insurance questions.

What if I need a ride to dialysis the day after Thanksgiving?

SETHRA says rides on Friday, Nov. 27, will run for cancer treatment and dialysis appointments only. There are no rides on Thanksgiving Day. Call 423-949-2191 early to set yours up, and if your ride is through insurance, call them too.

My child’s toy car looks different. Is it safe?

This recall covers only the lime green and blue Kakgold 4WD Stunt Vehicle sold on Amazon. For any toy, look for a battery door that closes with a screw, and keep loose button batteries out of reach.

🔗 Other Resources

• Tennessee Department of Health: Measles and current public exposures
• Tennessee Department of Health: Newsroom
• CDC: Measles vaccination
• Sequatchie County Health Department · 16939 Rankin Ave. N., Dunlap · (423) 949-3619
• CHI Memorial: Breathe. Easy. lung bus schedule · 423-495-5864
• Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine · 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669)
• American Cancer Society: Great American Smokeout
• SETHRA: Holiday closures
• SETHRA Transit: How to ride · Sequatchie County 423-949-2191
• State of Tennessee: 2026 state holidays
• CPSC: Kakgold remote-control car recall
• CPSC: All current product recalls
• Erlanger Sequatchie Valley Emergency Department · 423-949-2000
• Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222 or online help
• National Weather Service forecast for Dunlap

🌻 A Little Planning, a Lot of Peace of Mind

Nothing here calls for worry. Measles is far from home, and a quick look at your shot record settles the question. A lung scan and a quit plan are two of the kindest things a person can do for themselves. Booking rides and refills early means Thanksgiving is about pie, not pharmacy runs. And a two-minute look at a toy remote keeps Christmas morning merry. Enjoy the sunny, warming week, and check on a neighbor who might need a ride.

For more calm, useful news for the Sequatchie Valley every morning, read Dunlap.Today. To find local clinics, pharmacies and businesses, visit Dunlap.Directory.