🩺 RAM's Second Day Is Sunday, Halloween Is Two Weeks Out and a Free Memory Helpline Never Sleeps: Your Healthy Valley Report

Or: Free Dental and Vision Care Continues in Chattanooga, Easy Costume and Candy Checks, Handwashing at Fall Festivals, a New Blood Pressure Hub and the Nov. 7 Walk to End Alzheimer’s

By Thomas Seest, Dunlap.Today · Saturday, October 17, 2026

A cool Saturday in October is a lot like sorting the seed jars on the porch shelf. Most of them can wait till spring, but a couple need to go in the ground this week. Today’s health news works the same way: a few things are worth doing now, and the rest you can tuck away for later.

Here’s what’s in today’s report: the free Remote Area Medical (RAM) clinic in Chattanooga keeps going through Sunday, and RAM says there’s no heated waiting area, so dress for a clear night near 38. Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, and Safe Kids and the FDA have simple costume and candy checks. With fall festivals everywhere, the CDC reminds families to wash up after petting zoos, and the FDA says to pour pasteurized cider. The American Heart Association opened a new blood pressure “Heart Hub” in Chattanooga’s East Lake neighborhood. And the Chattanooga Walk to End Alzheimer’s is Nov. 7, with a free memory helpline open 24 hours a day.

⏱️ What this means for you in 30 seconds

• RAM free clinic through Sunday, Oct. 18: Notre Dame High School, 2701 Vermont Ave., Chattanooga. Doors at 6 a.m. No ID, insurance or income rules. Bring blankets, a coat, gloves, a hat, water, snacks and your medicines.
• Free flu shots Tuesday, Oct. 20: Sequatchie County Health Department, 16939 Rankin Ave., Dunlap, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central. Ages 6 months and up.
• Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31: Add reflective tape, pick face paint over masks, and check the candy at home before anyone digs in.
• Fall festivals: Wash hands with soap and water after animal areas, even if you didn’t touch an animal. Serve pasteurized cider.
• Memory questions? The Alzheimer’s Association Helpline is free, day or night: 1-800-272-3900.

🦷 Missed Saturday? Free Dental and Vision Care Runs Through Sunday in Chattanooga

Remote Area Medical’s free clinic at Notre Dame High School, 2701 Vermont Ave., Chattanooga, is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17–18. RAM says clinic doors open at 6 a.m., and services are first-come, first-served with no ID, no insurance and no income requirements. Services include dental cleanings, fillings and extractions; eye exams and glasses; and basic medical exams and screenings. Dentures are not offered at this clinic.

RAM’s page lays out a few ground rules worth knowing before you go. Each patient must be present to get a service ticket, and tickets go out in order of arrival. If you leave the lot and come back, you go to the end of the line. There is no indoor waiting area before doors open, and the lot has no heated shelter, though bathrooms are available. Dental and vision fill early, you may be asked to choose one of the two, and medical care is offered to every patient. RAM says closing times can change based on capacity, so check its clinic page before you drive.

What it means for you: If you didn’t make it Saturday, Sunday is your second chance. Think of it like a yard sale’s second morning: there may be less on the tables, but there’s still plenty worth having. The National Weather Service forecast for Dunlap tonight is clear with a low around 38, so pack the way RAM suggests: water and snacks, all your medicines, blankets, a coat, gloves, a hat and a phone charger. Questions on weekdays go to RAM at 865-579-1530.

👉 Read more (RAM: Chattanooga clinic details and updates) · NWS: Dunlap forecast

🎃 Halloween Is Two Weeks Out: Costumes That See and Get Seen

Halloween falls on Saturday, Oct. 31 this year, which means more little ones out and about, maybe a little earlier in the evening. Safe Kids Worldwide offers a short, sensible list. Decorate costumes and treat bags with reflective tape or stickers and choose light colors when you can. Pick face paint over masks, since masks can block a child’s view. Hand out glow sticks or flashlights, and make sure costumes are the right length so nobody trips.

Safe Kids also suggests that an adult go along with kids under 12, and that children walk on sidewalks or paths. Where there are no sidewalks, which is a lot of country roads, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible. For drivers, Safe Kids says the most popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., so slow down, turn your headlights on earlier and back out of driveways carefully.

The FDA’s candy advice is just as simple: give kids a light meal or snack before they head out, ask them to wait until they get home so a grown-up can look over the bag, accept only commercially wrapped treats, and toss anything with torn wrappers or tiny holes. For very young children, remove choking hazards like gum, peanuts, hard candies and small toys. If your child has a food allergy, read every label.

What it means for you: Two weeks is plenty of time. Buy a roll of reflective tape this week the same way you’d buy a spare porch bulb before the old one burns out. It costs little and saves a scramble on the big night.

👉 Read more (Safe Kids: Halloween safety tips) · FDA: Halloween food safety tips for parents

🐐 Fall Festivals and Petting Zoos: Clean Hands and Pasteurized Cider

Hayrides, goats and corn mazes are some of the best parts of fall around here. The CDC says animal exhibits are educational and fun, but even animals that look clean and healthy can carry germs such as E. coli and Salmonella, and you don’t have to touch an animal to pick them up. The people most likely to get sick are children under 5, adults 65 and older and anyone with a weakened immune system.

The CDC’s advice: find the handwashing station when you arrive, and wash with soap and running water right after touching animals and again when you leave the animal area, even if you didn’t pet anything. Hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol works until you can reach a sink. Don’t eat or drink around animals, leave strollers, cups and toys outside the pen, and keep pacifiers and little fingers out of mouths. The CDC also says children under 5 shouldn’t touch reptiles, amphibians or poultry like chickens and ducks.

For fall parties, the FDA says unpasteurized juice or cider can carry harmful bacteria such as Salmonella, so serve pasteurized products. It also reminds hosts to keep perishable foods cold until serving time and not leave them out more than two hours.

What it means for you: Treat the petting zoo like the barn: you’d never come in from feeding the goats and grab a biscuit without washing first. Tuck a small bottle of hand sanitizer in the diaper bag or truck console for festival season, and check the jug label for the word “pasteurized” before you pour.

👉 Read more (CDC: Staying healthy at animal exhibits) · FDA: Party and cider safety

❤️ A New Blood Pressure “Heart Hub” Opens in Chattanooga

The American Heart Association announced on Oct. 12 that it opened a new Heart Hub at the East Lake Community Resource Center in Chattanooga. The hub offers blood pressure monitoring, health education and connections to care, and it is open to the public. It joins what the association calls a growing network of Heart Hubs across Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley.

The association says more than one in three adults across Chattanooga live with high blood pressure, and its data estimates nearly 40% of East Lake residents do. High blood pressure often has no symptoms, which is why regular checks matter.

What it means for you: Most of us check the tire pressure more often than our own. The next time you’re at the doctor, the pharmacy or a free clinic, ask what your blood pressure numbers are and write them on a card in your wallet. If you’re in Chattanooga anyway, the Heart Hub is one more easy place to learn more. For questions, the association’s public line is 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721).

👉 Read more (American Heart Association: New Heart Hub in East Lake)

💜 Walk to End Alzheimer’s Is Nov. 7, and a Free Helpline Is Always Open

The 2026 Chattanooga Walk to End Alzheimer’s is Saturday, Nov. 7, at Erlanger Park, 2658 Pipe Way, Chattanooga, from 8 a.m. to noon. According to the Choose Chattanooga event listing, registered walkers receive a flower for the Promise Garden Ceremony at 9 a.m. to honor a loved one living with Alzheimer’s or dementia, or simply to show support, and the walk begins right after at 9:30 a.m. Registration is through the Alzheimer’s Association’s walk page.

Whether or not you walk, the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline at 1-800-272-3900 is free for people living with dementia, caregivers, families and anyone with questions. You reach a live person who can share information, local resources and emotional support, and the association says conversations are confidential. Dial 711 for relay service.

What it means for you: If you’re the one keeping track of Mom’s pills or Dad’s appointments, you don’t have to figure it all out alone. Write that helpline number on the inside of the kitchen cabinet door, right next to the doctor’s number, so it’s there on a hard day.

👉 Read more (Choose Chattanooga: Walk to End Alzheimer’s) · Alzheimer’s Association: 24/7 Helpline

📅 This Week’s Sticky Notes

Quick reminders on the calendar:

• Sunday, Oct. 18: RAM free clinic, day two, Notre Dame High School, Chattanooga. Doors at 6 a.m.
• Monday, Oct. 19: UTC MobileMOC free clinic for adults 18+, Spring City Town Hall, 221 Front St., Spring City, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern. Call 423-425-1657.
• Tuesday, Oct. 20: Free Fight Flu TN shots, Sequatchie County Health Department, 16939 Rankin Ave., Dunlap, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central. Health department phone: 423-949-3619.
• Wednesday, Oct. 21: Mobile mammograms, Morning Pointe of Hixson, 5501 Old Hixson Pike, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments required: 423-495-4040.
• Thursday, Oct. 22: MobileMOC, Grandview Community Center, 175 Emergency Road, Grandview, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern.
• Saturday, Oct. 24: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Year-round drop box at Dunlap Police, 119 Church St.
• Tuesday, Oct. 27: MobileMOC, Piggly Wiggly, 17619 State Hwy. 58 N., Decatur, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern.
• Friday, Oct. 30: CHI Memorial mobile lung CT bus, Dunlap Walmart, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 423-495-5864.
• Saturday, Oct. 31: Halloween. Popular trick-or-treat hours are 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 7: Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Erlanger Park, Chattanooga. Ceremony at 9 a.m., walk at 9:30.
• Through Dec. 7: Medicare Open Enrollment. Free, unbiased help from TN SHIP at 1-877-801-0044.

✅ Your Healthy Valley Checklist

• ✅ Heading to RAM Sunday? Pack blankets, a coat, gloves, a hat, water, snacks, your medicines and a phone charger, and check RAM’s page before you leave.
• ✅ Put Tuesday, Oct. 20, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. on the fridge for free flu shots at 16939 Rankin Ave., Dunlap.
• ✅ Pick up reflective tape and glow sticks for Halloween, and choose face paint over masks.
• ✅ Plan a home candy check before anyone eats a treat, and remove choking hazards for little ones.
• ✅ At fall festivals, wash hands with soap and water after animal areas, and keep snacks away from the pens.
• ✅ Serve pasteurized cider and don’t leave party food out more than two hours.
• ✅ Ask for your blood pressure numbers at your next visit and jot them down.
• ✅ Write 1-800-272-3900 inside the cabinet door if someone in your family has memory troubles.

Practical rule: Dress warm for the free clinic, light up the costume and wash up after the goats.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk with your doctor, pharmacist or a trusted counselor about what’s right for you and your family. In an emergency, call 911.

— Dunlap.Today

📚 Plain-English Health Glossary

• RAM (Remote Area Medical): A nonprofit that runs free pop-up dental, vision and medical clinics staffed by volunteers.
• Service ticket: The numbered ticket RAM hands out in order of arrival. It holds your place in line for care.
• Reflective tape: Shiny tape that bounces headlights back so drivers can spot a walker from farther away.
• Pasteurized: Heated briefly to kill harmful germs. Look for the word on the cider or juice label.
• E. coli and Salmonella: Common germs that can cause stomach illness. Animals can carry them without looking sick.
• Blood pressure: How hard your blood pushes on your artery walls. High blood pressure often has no symptoms, so checking is the only way to know.
• Dementia: A general term for memory and thinking problems that make daily life harder. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common kind.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Is the RAM free clinic open on Sunday?

RAM lists the Chattanooga clinic for Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17–18, at Notre Dame High School, 2701 Vermont Ave., with doors at 6 a.m. RAM says closing times can change based on capacity, so check its clinic page before you travel.

Is there somewhere warm to wait at RAM?

No. RAM says there is no indoor waiting area before doors open and no heated shelter in the parking lot, though bathrooms are available. Bring blankets, a coat, gloves and a hat.

What are the most important Halloween safety steps?

Safe Kids recommends reflective tape, light colors, face paint instead of masks, flashlights or glow sticks, costumes that fit, and an adult with kids under 12. The FDA says to inspect treats at home and only eat commercially wrapped candy.

Why wash my hands at a petting zoo if I didn’t touch anything?

The CDC says areas where animals live or roam can carry germs, and you don’t have to touch an animal to pick them up. Wash with soap and water when you leave the animal area.

Is fresh farm cider safe?

The FDA says unpasteurized juice or cider can contain harmful bacteria such as Salmonella and recommends serving pasteurized products, especially at parties.

What is the new Heart Hub?

The American Heart Association says it’s a spot inside Chattanooga’s East Lake Community Resource Center that offers blood pressure monitoring, health education and connections to care. It’s open to the public.

Who can call the Alzheimer’s Association Helpline?

Anyone. The 24/7 Helpline at 1-800-272-3900 is free for people living with dementia, caregivers, families and the public, any time of day or night.

🔗 Other Resources

• Remote Area Medical: Chattanooga clinic, Oct. 17–18
• Local 3 News: Free RAM clinic stops in Chattanooga
• National Weather Service: Dunlap forecast
• Safe Kids Worldwide: Halloween safety tips
• FDA: Halloween food safety tips for parents
• CDC: Tips for staying healthy at animal exhibits
• American Heart Association: New Heart Hub opens in East Lake
• Choose Chattanooga: Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Nov. 7
• Alzheimer’s Association: Register for the Chattanooga walk
• Alzheimer’s Association: Free 24/7 Helpline
• Dunlap Tribune: Health Department offers free flu shots Oct. 20
• TDH: Free flu vaccine on Fight Flu TN day
• UTC MobileMOC: October clinic calendar
• Chattanoogan.com: Mobile mammography in Hixson Oct. 21
• DEA: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
• Medicare.gov: Open Enrollment

🌻 Small Steps, Warm Coats and Good Neighbors

This weekend brings free care just over the mountain, two weeks to get Halloween ready and plenty of fall fun that only asks for clean hands. None of it has to happen all at once. Pick the one step that fits your family today, grab a jacket on the way out, and save the rest for next week.

We’ll keep watching for clinics, screenings and helpful services so you don’t have to. Read Dunlap.Today and sign up for our newsletter for plain-English Valley news, and find local businesses anytime on Dunlap.Directory.