Blount County Singles Connection meets Monday ... and more women's news ...

Blount County Singles Connection will meet from 6:30 p.m. to dark Monday at Pearson Springs Park Pavilion, off Montvale Station Road, Maryville. The event is for single adults, women and men, of all ages that live in Blount County. Cost is $4 per person and includes hot dogs, desserts and non-alcoholic refreshments. For information, call Keith Pierce at 363-2938 or e-mail freedompastor@aol.com.

Nominations sought for environmental awards

Keep Blount Beautiful and Little River Watershed Association are seeking nominations for the annual Blount County Environmental Achievement Awards. The awards honor individuals, businesses and organizations that make significant contributions to the betterment of the Blount County environment. Categories include individual; building re-use; businesses and corporations; civic or government/schools; church and non-profits; and the Bravo Award. Go to www.keepblountbeau tiful.org to download a nomination form or call Keep Blount Beautiful at 681-4809 or the Little River Watershed Association at 980-2130 for more information. Nominations are due by May 16.

Holistic Moms meet Monday, Tuesday

Holistic Moms Network will meet at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Burlington Library in Knoxville and at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Cedar Bluff Library in Knoxville. Judy Stansberry, a licensed professional counselor and owner of Healthy Mind Counseling Services Inc., will present the program both days on postpartum depression. Meetings are free. For information, go to www.holistic moms.org or e-mail Heather at knox villeholisticmom@yahoo.com.

Asthma attacks increase risk of birth defects

Uncontrolled asthma during the first trimester of pregnancy greatly increases the risk of birth defects in babies, according to new research to be published in the June issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Canadian researchers Lucie Blais and Amelie Forget concluded that women who had an asthma flare-up in the first three months of pregnancy were 48 percent more likely to have a baby with at least one congenital defect than asthmatic mothers who did not have a flare-up. For more information about asthma and pregnancy, visit the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma Immunology Web site at www.aaaai.org.

Web site offers free video e-cards for Mother's Day

Whoopi Goldberg, Lily Tomlin and Liz Smith can wish your mother a happy Mother's Day through wowOwow.com, a Web site created, owned and written by women for women. Ranging from 30 to 90 seconds, these video e-cards feature each woman's unique view on Mother's Day. The e-mailable video cards are free to send.