Page 42 - Consumer Issues News Today

A Bellingham man who supports people with dementia has received one of the most prestigious awards for volunteerism in Washington state. The Washington Andrus Award for Community Service recognizes volunteers who are age 50 or older. This year, AARP Washington has selected Tom Oliver, lead volunteer of Project Lifesaver for Dementia Support Northwest. ...

Arizona is currently in last place nationwide in terms of nursing home residents and staff being up-to-date on their COVID-19 boosters. Thats according to AARPs Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard. "Up-to-date" means a person has gotten the new bivalent shot, or has completed the primary series of vaccines or boosters within the last two months. " ...

The nation is beefing up its power grids for the transition to fueling everything from cars to home cooling systems with electricity, and addressing hazards along the way. Engineers believe they are ready to implement a common-sense solution for stopping the sparks from power lines, which have led to destructive wildfires, including the one that burned down the entire town of Paradise, California. Paul Chinowsky, director of the climate consulting firm Resilient Analytics, said burying distrib...

By Ray Levy Uyeda for Yes! Magazine.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Greater Dakota News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Service Collaboration When spring hits, Kelsey Scott finally breathes a sigh of relief. Come May, her 120 cows will be ready to birth calves, and as the weather warms, Scott knows the newest members of the herd will be able to grow strong before the arrival of another unforgiving South Dakota winter. ...

After the calendar flips to December, South Dakota will see the return of colder temperatures during a period of higher natural-gas costs. Fire officials say if you havent already done so, now is an important time to make sure you have a safe heating source. At the start of each winter season, home heating safety tips are often provided to prevent a fire. ...

Bostons Mass and Cass area, with its large homeless population and open-air drug market, remains a trouble spot for city officials, but staff at the nearby Engagement Center say they are making inroads and helping drug-overdose survivors get the help they need. Researchers interviewed 59 overdose survivors, more than half of whom were living on the street, to find out what was preventing them from getting treatment. Jeff Desmarais, research and evaluation scientist at Institute for Community...

With Thanksgiving over, the holiday shopping season has the full attention of many Americans. But in Minnesota and elsewhere, people are being asked to be responsible when buying lottery tickets as gifts. The Minnesota Lottery and the Minnesota Alliance on Problem Gambling are again taking part in an annual campaign to discourage giving scratch-off tickets and related games to kids under 18. ...

November is National Family Caregivers Month, which focuses attention on the unpaid care work of family members. The care provided by families often is enabled and supported by state-funded wrap-around services. Over the last few decades, Missouri and other state governments around the nation have funded Home and Community Based Services - or HCBS - as a cheaper alternative to nursing-home care. ...

The holiday shopping season is here, and people are being reminded about the importance of supporting Black-owned businesses, in Wisconsin and elsewhere. A recent Global State of Small Business Report, issued by social media company Meta, notes the closure rate for minority-led small firms was 7% higher than other operations. And more than half led by Black owners reported lower sales than the previous year. ...

It may seem early, but programs across the country are preparing to help people with their 2022 income tax returns. In Washington state, United Way of King County is calling for volunteers for its free tax-preparation program. Ryan McFerran, program manager of tax credits and financial stability for the organization, said they rely on hundreds of volunteers each year. ...