Page 3 - Tim Morstad News Today

May is Wildfire Awareness Month, and state officials are encouraging Coloradans to get up to speed on prevention and emergency-exit strategies if evacuation notices are issued. Rocco Snart, the planning branch chief with the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, said its never too early to prepare. Make a list of all the things you need to take with you, including a weeks worth of prescription medicines. ...

With early voting ending this Friday, and the election schedule for Tuesday, May 24th, AARP encourages Texas residents to exercise their right to vote.

An official plan to expand broadband in Texas is due out June 15, after state officials traveled near and far to collect public comments on internet access and affordability. Tim Morstad, associate state director for AARP Texas, said the pandemic highlighted equal access to high-speed internet is critical and no longer a "nice-to-have" luxury. "Weve got to get access to high-speed internet, and weve got to make sure its affordable, and weve got to make sure people ha...

AUSTIN — Old cellphone technology -- 3G -- is on the way out as companies move onto 5G technology, but advocates are concerned that not everyone is ready, particularly older

Facing below-freezing temperatures, there was another crisis brewing last February for Griddy Electric customers who were paying wholesale prices.

A Cleveland mans crusade to help Ohio families better protect their loved ones in nursing-home care from abuse and neglect will soon come to fruition. Esthers Law goes into effect March 23. It allows patients in Ohio long-term care facilities to install cameras or other electronic monitoring devices in their rooms. ...

As the cost of living skyrockets in Washington state, people needing in-home care are being squeezed, a state Senate bill would increase the amount of money they can keep after paying for care. The Personal Needs Allowance is the amount of income left over after the Medicaid copay for long-term care. Its currently set at $1,074 a month in Washington state, far lower than the national average. ...

Advocates for older New Yorkers say Gov. Kathy Hochuls proposed executive budget leaves people living in nursing homes behind, by not addressing a key program. AARP New York and other groups working on behalf of seniors said $20 million is needed for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program, which serves as an independent advocate for nursing-home residents and their families. ...

Not enough has been done to prevent another catastrophic power-grid failure such as the one in Texas last February, according to AARP Texas, which warns that consumers will foot the bill for what comes next. A rare winter storm left millions without power and 246 Texans dead, almost two-thirds of them age 60 or older. Tim Morstad, director of AARP Texas, estimated that gas and electric customers will pay more than $6 billion in their utility bills to cover cleanup costs from Winter Storm Uri, ...

But energy experts warned Texas consumers could still end up with higher bills without improved electric reliability.