Local briefs: Upcoming meetings, blood drives, planetarium shows

Public meetings

Here’s a look at upcoming public meetings held by the Madison County Commission. Unless otherwise noted, all county commission committee meetings happen at the County Finance Complex at 1981 Hollywood Drive:

• Aug. 8 – Property, 8:30 a.m. at Madison County Commission Office at 311 North Parkway
• Aug. 8 – Excess/Resale Property, 10 a.m. at Madison County Commission Office at 311 North Parkway
• Aug. 8 – Highway, 1 p.m. at Madison County Commission Office at 311 North Parkway
• Aug. 8 - Financial management, 2:30 p.m.
• Aug. 15 - Republican Caucus, 5 p.m. at Town & Country Realtors at 1944 Highway 45 Bypass
• Aug. 17 – Agenda review, 4:30 p.m.
• Aug. 21 – County Commission, 6 p.m. at West Tennessee Research and Education Center at 605 Airways Boulevard

Jackson-Madison County School Board meetings happen at the Central Office at 310 North Parkway:

• Aug. 7 – School board work session, 5:30 p.m.
• Aug. 8 – Education vision, 5:30 p.m.
• Aug. 10 – Board meeting, 5:30 p.m.

The West Tennessee Healthcare Board will have its regularly monthly meeting on Aug. 29 at 5 p.m. at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital.

Lifeline schedule

Lifeline Blood Services are currently in need for O positive and O negative blood in their bank that services medical facilities throughout rural West Tennessee. Here’s a list of blood drives they’ll have in August in Madison County.

• Aug. 8 – Kirkland Cancer Center, 1-4 p.m.
• Aug. 8 – South Jackson Lowe’s – 12:30-5:30 p.m.
• Aug. 24 – Back to School Blood Drive at their Jackson location from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.

UofM Lambuth planetarium announces August schedule 

The University of Memphis Lambuth M. D. Anderson Planetarium has announced its schedule of shows for August: 

• Friday, August 4, 1:30 p.m. – “Cosmic Origins Spectrograph” 
• Tuesday, August 8, 5:30 p.m. – “Hubble Vision” 
• Friday, August 11, 1:30 p.m. – “Hubble Vision” 
• Friday, August 11, 3:45 p.m., Kids' After School Special Planetarium Show – “The Cowboy Astronomer” 
• Tuesday, August 15, 5:30 p.m. – “Light Years from Andromeda” 
• Friday, August 18, 1:30 p.m. – “Light Years from Andromeda” 
• Tuesday, August 22, 5:30 p.m. – “MarsQuest” 
• Friday, August 25, 1:30 p.m. – “MarsQuest” 
• Saturday, August 26, 9:30 a.m., Kids’ Saturday Morning Planetarium Show – “Two Small Pieces of Glass” 
• Tuesday, August 29, 5:30 AND 6:30 p.m. – “TimeSpace” 

Schools or groups interested in scheduling a show should email planetarium@memphis.edu, or call Holley Wood, coordinator, at 731.425.7368. Presentations are free to groups and individuals, with free parking in the conveniently located Hyde lot. 

Doors open 15 minutes before showtime. For safety reasons, there is no seating once the “IN USE” lights are on. No food or drink is allowed in the auditorium.