Health is a lot more than how one looks and feels. Conversations about health should include all eight dimensions or areas of wellness: mental, social, emotional, spiritual, financial, occupational, environmental, and intellectual.

That’s the focus of Living Well Month, a national event in March promoting overall wellness and the education provided by Family and Consumer Sciences professionals to improve the lives of people, families, and communities.

The Oklahoma Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences works through the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service to offer information that will help families achieve a positive, healthy lifestyle. Whether you are trying to manage your diabetes through meal planning and exercise, make decisions about health care and insurance, or get tips on effective parenting techniques, Extension FCS has a research-based answer.

To make every month a “Living Well Month,” consider these tips:

Engage children in at least 60 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week. Adults need at least 30 minutes of physical activity. Play sports or recreational games, turn on some music and dance, hula hoop, or make an obstacle course. Take a walk or a bike ride in your neighborhood. All movement counts.

Start planning a garden now to work in the spring and summer. Gardening is great physical activity. This activity could also nurture your mental and environmental wellness.

Rethink your drink. The average adult human body is approximately 60 percent water. Water regulates every living cell’s process and chemical reactions. It transports nutrients and oxygen. Water also helps to maintain normal bowel habits and prevent constipation. Reduce the amount of soda and fruit drinks consumed daily.

Eat a variety of healthful foods. Eat colorful fruits and vegetables every day. Most people need to increase their fruit and vegetable intake. Have a sliced banana on cereal for breakfast. Enjoy a sandwich loaded with vegetables at lunch. At dinner, steam some vegetables and prepare a fruit parfait with yogurt for dessert. Try new fruits and vegetables. If there’s a kind you don’t like, try preparing it in a different way. See www.choosemyplate.gov for more information about nutrition for yourself and members of your family.

Read, read, read. Go to the library and check out books. Keep the mental stimulation flowing throughout the year regardless of your age. This will stimulate your intellectual health.

Talk to a friend or start a journal to get your thoughts and feelings off your chest. Staying in check with emotional health can be tough, but it’s important.

Check out parenting, finance, nutrition and/or food preparation classes offered by your extension office. See https://extension.okstate.edu/county/cherokee/ for more information about upcoming offerings.

Maintain a healthy home. Check that your smoke detector is working correctly and test for the presence of radon. Help manage allergies and/or asthma by cleaning and vacuuming regularly to reduce allergy triggers in the home. Avoid accidental poisonings by keeping medications locked up, and cleaning agents and other poisons out of reach of children.

Keep your family finances in check. Track your expenses and update your budget regularly. Eat at home often because meals outside of the home usually cost more. Plan your menus and use coupons as a planning tool. Creating and sticking to a budget, along with paying off debt are great first steps to financial wellness.

All eight of the dimensions or areas of wellness are connected and support each other. Evaluate your overall wellness and take small steps to improve your health during Living Well Month and all year long.

Heather Winn is family and consumer sciences educator for the OSU Cooperative Extension Service in Cherokee County.

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The Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services is alerting medical providers in the Eureka area to be vigilant of a possible local shigella outbreak as the spread is believed to be greater than first thought.

The Friday update for the medical community sent out by Humboldt County Health Officer Ian Hoffman states the series of confirmed and suspected shigella cases have been linked to locations on Eureka’s U.S. Highway 101 corridor. The update also alerted medical providers to consider testing and treating for shigella in an effort to get a handle on the situation.

“Based on current and ongoing investigations we suspect the spread may be greater than our current understanding. Therefore, we are alerting medical providers in the area to consider testing for and treating shigella to help both understand the extent of the problem and to help stop the spread of this highly contagious bacterial illness,” the update reads.

Health care providers who have patients exhibiting acute diarrheal illness or living in the Highway 101 corridor area are advised to order PCR testing of stool to determine whether they are infected with the bacterial disease. The document states that a lack of access to lab orders should not be a barrier to ordering stool tests.

In a DHHS video released Friday afternoon, public health nurse Daniel Tran confirmed five local individuals have been infected with shigella and the county is investigating 11 more possible cases in Eureka’s greater waterfront area.

In the video, Tran also provided basic information on the disease.

“Shigella is a gastrointestinal bacteria, which is really just a fancy way of saying that it causes diarrhea, upset stomach, gas, and that kind of stuff. Typically this bacteria is found within a person’s feces or stool and even though that’s where it’s typically found, you could still spread it if you’ve made contact with different surfaces that are not clean and disinfected,” he said.

Shigella is transmitted by oral ingestion, meaning it must travel into the body through food or drink. The bacteria can come into contact with food and drink through contact with surfaces where the bacteria is located.

“That means you do not have to worry about it being transmitted through the air, like if someone sneezed on you or any of that. This is really a surface problem,” Tran said.

Kawsar Talaat, associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and shigella therapy researcher, told the Times-Standard the bacteria causing this disease often appears in low- and middle-income nations. Sporadic cases do pop up in the U.S., however.

“Generally, it’s in places where there’s poor hygiene and lack of access to adequate water and sanitation,” she said.

Humboldt County DHHS first made a public statement regarding shigella on Feb. 25, stating public and environmental health officials had been working to contain three lab-confirmed shigella cases and two more suspected cases identified in Eureka in the previous month. The bacteria causing this disease is believed to have possibly spread through laundromats in Eureka where an infected person is believed to have washed contaminated clothing.

As reported by the Times-Standard, two laundry facilities in Eureka linked to the first shigella cases were sanitized in the days after the Feb. 25 announcement.

The Self-Serve Laundromat in Eureka was one of two laundromats named as potential vectors for a local shigella outbreak, but the laundromat has since been cleaned and disinfected. (Jackson Guilfoil/Times-Standard)

Talaat explained that detergent is enough to kill the shigella bacteria, but a laundry facility used by people without access to sanitation can still be a vector for shigella.

“If you don’t have access to adequate water and sanitation, you could have your person and your belongings contaminated with stool and shigella is incredibly infectious. You only need a few bacteria to make you sick … so if somebody doesn’t have access to say hand-washing and then they use the bathroom they could contaminate themselves, their clothing or the environment,” Talaat said.

She also added homeless people are in a vulnerable position during outbreaks of similar diseases propagated through fecal matter, such as hepatitis A.

“Homeless people in the United States have some of the same challenges as people living in the poorest areas of other parts of the world in terms of access to adequate clean water and sanitation. And so, if we improve conditions for them, these things would be greatly improved,” Talaat pointed out.

To prevent further spread, people with shigellosis should not share food with others, abstain from entering pools and hot tubs, abstain from sexual intercourse for at least two weeks after symptoms clear and, if possible, stay home from school or jobs in the healthmcare, childmcare and food service industries.

Both medical professionals encourage basic cleanliness to prevent contracting infections.

“We are heavily emphasizing that everybody have really good hand hygiene and if you have door knobs or anything that has a high traffic, where lots of people are using it, then disinfect regularly with bleach or high-content of alcohol solution,” Tran said.

“Just wash your hands,” Talaat emphasized.

More information on disinfecting after any shigella exposure is available online at https://www.cdc.gov/shigella/shigella-toolkit.html.

Mario Cortez can be reached at 707-441-0526.

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Sponsored content: As we learn to live with the Covid-19 pandemic, UV-C disinfection technologies can help

Covid-19 is here to stay and as we open up our societies, we must learn to do one thing: live with the new normal.

But this is difficult when cases remain high and vaccine uptake wanes. We need to introduce technologies and policies that support masks, social distancing, and jabs, without replacing them entirely.

The obvious solution to living with an airborne disease is ventilation, but this can be energy-inefficient and costly, with heating bills rising as schools and offices are forced to keep windows open to encourage airflow.

Healthy, and efficient, buildings are essential in addressing infectious diseases as we spend much of our time living, working, and socialising indoors, and to reduce transmission, we must improve ventilation through new engineering techniques – that’s where UV-C comes in.

Ultraviolet-C is a type of radiation that breaks down the DNA and RNA of microorganisms including viruses and bacteria, and effectively renders them harmless. The technology is a well-established method of disinfection of air, water, and surfaces, but it’s only since Covid-19 that it’s true potential has been realised.

Research by the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) at Boston University conducted research on Signify’s UV-C light sources and found that the virus was completed inactivated on previously contaminated surfaces after only seconds of exposure.

“Boston University has validated the effectiveness of our light sources as a preventive measure for companies and institutions as they seek ways to provide virus-free environments,” said Eric Rondolat, CEO of Signify.

“Given the potential of the technology to aid the fight against the coronavirus, Signify will not keep the technology for its exclusive use but make it available to other lighting companies,” he added.

The technology can be used to disinfect objects as small as handheld supermarket scanners to entire buses with disinfection chambers and lamps. Additionally, luminaires are being used to disinfect the virus in the air while people are present in the room, with fixtures designed to shield those from the light’s radiation.

Ultimately, this means that we can bring back face-to-face teaching, business, and play.

Recently, the Royal Theater Carré in Amsterdam and the Theater De Ruchte in Someren have been installed with UV-C technology and are welcoming back their guests to a safer space.

For the former, 75 Philips UV-C upper air luminaires now disinfect the building’s foyer, dressing rooms, and offices, while the latter is adding another 20 luminaires to it’s existing pilot installation.

“We are just as happy as our guests and performers to be open again,” said Thomas Groen, manager of sales & partnerships at Royal Theater Carré, “among other measures, these UV-C luminaires will minimise the risk of infection for our guests, performers and our colleagues.”

While standard HVAC solutions help to improve ventilation and overall air quality, they can be seen as uncomfortable and costly. Further, most systems in offices and schools provide up to two air changes per hour (ACH) which, themselves, aren’t capable of providing sufficient air quality that a suggested 20 ACH gives.

The energy required for such a speed would be vast, and so UV-C disinfection upper air luminaries remove this issue and disinfect the environment, delivering the required air changes per hour, in a quiet, comfortable, and unobtrusive manner.

“I think we should use UV-C disinfection equipment more broadly,” said Roxanna van Nispen-Dobrescu, a pulmonologist at GGD Breda, the city’s municipal health service.

“Before we began to use UV-C devices, some of our staff would get infected with TB by our clients. We haven’t seen any infections since we installed the luminaires as a preventative measure more than ten years ago,” she added.

Of course, UV-C should, and can, complement existing actions. It may even increase vaccine uptake as it can encourage those individuals who do not want to visit medical institutions for fear of catching the disease.

“Some of our clients are hesitant to come in as they’re afraid of getting infected by harmful viruses or bacteria during their visit, said Liesbeth Huizer, a medical technician at GGD Rotterdam, adding that the UV-C lights “really helps reassure them.”

“I’m surprised that even 1.5 years into this pandemic, we’re not making broader use of a technology that we have been using for 20 years and which has proven itself against TB and SARS CoV-2. It’s such an obvious measure.”

This post was sponsored by Signify. See our editorial guidelines for what this means.

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Originally Appeared Here

image: D2O-probed Single-Cell Raman Microspectroscopy is a promising approach in quantitatively assessing disinfectants’ antimicrobial efficacy via metabolic activity
view more 

Credit: LIU Yuhan and YU Ningfu

A Chinese research team has devised a ramanome-based technique to catch pathogens that are still present and metabolically active in a tooth about to undergo root canal treatment even after they appear to have stopped growing.

The technique could limit re-infections while reducing the amount of disinfectant required, in turn dialling down the chance of side-effects.

The technique and its application to both bacterial infection and fungal infection are reported, by scientists from Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao University and Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), across a pair of papers appearing in the Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology on February 23 and the Journal of Raman Spectroscopy on January 17. 

A common case of microbial infection in teeth occurs when as a result of tooth decay or damage, the pulpy mass of nerve tissue and blood vessels inside the tooth become home to the growth of pathogenic microbes. At this point, root canal surgery becomes necessary, which involves removal of the pulp tissue and a disinfection of the inside of the tooth with antibiotics. 

The bacterium Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) is frequently encountered in such dental infections. E. faecalis has become resistant to many antibiotics. When re-infections occur in the teeth, E. faecalis is typically the culprit, responsible for up to 90 percent of reinfection cases. 

Meanwhile, Candida ablicans (C. ablicans) is a fungal species that poses a risk of oral infection more broadly than just the teeth. 

In root-canal treatments, sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) and chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) mouthwashes are used to disinfect the mouth from, and rid it of both E. faecalis and C. ablicans.

Although microbes stop multiplying at the ‘minimum inhibitory concentration’ (MIC) of an antibiotic disinfectant, this does not mean that they are not still metabolically active (i.e., still alive but not growing).

This “nongrowing but metabolically active” (NGMA) state, which can lead to recurring infections, is a real clinical challenge. “To fix this problem, the clinician needs to know not just whether the microbes are still growing, but also whether they are still metabolically active,” said YANG Fang, Deputy Director of Stomatology Center at Qingdao Municipal Hospital and the senior author of both papers. “So, we devised a technique to allow such an assessment to happen.” 

They applied the ramanome approach, which is based on single-cell Raman spectroscopy (SCRS), to tackle the task, with the help of Clinical Antimicrobial Susceptibility Test Ramanometry (CAST-R), a novel instrument developed at Single-Cell Center, QIBEBT, CAS. This permits the identification of metabolic activities at a remarkable resolution of just one cell (of bacteria or fungus, or indeed any type of cell) rather than at the level of billions of them.

SCRS uses laser ‘tweezers’ to manipulate single cells, while the broader field of Raman spectroscopy enables identification of those molecules. After feeding the microbes with heavy water (D2O), SCRS can track the microbe’s uptake of D2O, which in turn can be used as a proxy for metabolic activity.

If even a tiny handful of microbes are still metabolizing, the technique can detect it.

Next, the researchers used the D2O-based SCRS technique to assess and compare metabolism inhibiting abilities of three antimicrobial agents: the aforementioned NaClO and CHX, as well as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). They found that by doubling the MIC doses, they could achieve the more rigorous complete inhibition of their metabolic activity (MIC-MA).

Better yet, they found that if they combined two of the three options rather than just using one, a lower concentration of the disinfectants could suffice to elicit the same metabolism-inhibiting effect, which could reduce side effects. 

Like the MIC dose, the MIC-MA dose is not intrinsic to the drug, but also depends on unique attributes of the infected person. Thus, moving forward, the researchers hope to develop their technique to be able to identify the relevant disinfectant level that is personalized to the patient.

Such lower need for the antimicrobial drugs to achieve the same effect could also reduce overuse of antibiotics, as no more is applied than necessary.

Journal

Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

Article Title

Assessing Efficacy of Clinical Disinfectants for Pathogenic Fungi by Single-Cell Raman Microspectroscopy

Article Publication Date

23-Feb-2022

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Originally Appeared Here

News Center > Grand Gulf begins scheduled refuel, ensuring future reliability

For Immediate Release

02/28/2022

Grand Gulf Nuclear Station has begun the plant’s 23rd scheduled refuel. Nuclear plants refuel every 18 to 24 months. Hundreds of contract workers have joined the Entergy team, creating an economic boost for the local communities.

Grand Gulf Nuclear Station has begun the plant’s 23rd scheduled refuel. Nuclear plants refuel every 18 to 24 months. Hundreds of contract workers have joined the Entergy team, creating an economic boost for the local communities.

Refuel begins after year of record generation

PORT GIBSON, Mississippi – Grand Gulf team members joined with hundreds of employees and contracting partners this weekend to commence the station’s 23rd scheduled refueling and maintenance outage following a record-setting year of power generation.

Control room operators removed the plant from the grid at 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, placing the plant in safe shutdown while refueling takes place. Refueling outages typically last several weeks, allowing for safe, secure and reliable operation when the refuel and other maintenance activities are finished.

Hundreds of contract workers are joining the Grand Gulf team, along with Entergy employees from other nuclear plants and headquarters. The influx of contract workers throughout the duration of the outage, many from outside the area, and their associated spending will provide an economic boost to the local communities.

Grand Gulf is one of the largest operators of its kind in the world, and the plant enters its 2022 refuel after setting all-time station records for both gross generation and net generation in megawatt-hours. In 2021, Grand Gulf’s net generation was 11,731,254 megawatt-hours, with gross generation of 12,200,125 megawatt-hours. Gross generation is total generation, and net is the amount of total generation produced minus the electricity used to operate the power plant. Previously, Grand Gulf’s all-time record was in 2015, with 11,715,621 and 12,160,896 megawatt-hours, respectively.

Nuclear power plants around the world schedule refuels every 18 to 24 months, typically in the spring or fall when power demands are lower.

What is a refuel?

Nuclear refuels are similar to fueling a vehicle, beginning when plant operators take the unit offline. Then work begins. Nuclear professionals remove a portion of the fuel from the reactor, shuffle current fuel rods and replace the removed fuel with new fuel.

While the unit is offline, the team completes maintenance work and other projects to improve reliability. Every detail of a refueling outage is meticulously planned and every Grand Gulf worker plays an important role.

To ensure the safety of Grand Gulf employees and supplemental workers, COVID-19 prevention protocols will be enforced. Those protocols include mask-wearing when appropriate, social distancing, frequent cleaning and disinfecting, as well as having employees stay home if they feel sick.

With its 800-plus employee workforce, Grand Gulf has a robust impact through community engagement, such as its home winterization drive, park cleanup and other volunteer efforts that help improve local lives while teambuilding for the plant.

Grand Gulf, owned by Entergy (90 percent) and Cooperative Energy (10 percent), is known worldwide for its generation capabilities. Since 1985, the plant has provided an economic boost to the community while providing low-cost power to Entergy’s customers. Additionally, Grand Gulf and its employees maintain a strong presence in the communities they serve by spending more than $9 million per year with local companies, and through charitable contributions and donations that promote community development, education and the environment.

About Entergy

Entergy, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans, powers life for 3 million customers across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy is creating a cleaner, more resilient energy future for everyone with our diverse power generation portfolio, including increasingly carbon-free energy sources. With roots in the Gulf South region for more than a century, Entergy is a recognized leader in corporate citizenship, delivering more than $100 million in economic benefits to local communities through philanthropy and advocacy efforts annually over the last several years. Our approximately 12,500 employees are dedicated to powering life today and for future generations. Learn more at entergy.com, follow @Entergy on social media and @EntergyNuclear on Twitter. #WePowerLife

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Originally Appeared Here

So, for those of you who truly detest cleaning (we hear you), how do you enjoy the rewards of spring cleaning without perishing in the process? We tapped home organization expert Kathryn Emery of holistic cleaning service Be The Best Home to find out. With 30 years of experience in the home improvement space, she certainly knows what it takes to orchestrate a thorough home clean — but she also knows that we’re all busy (and cleaning is rarely our top priority). That’s why she has rounded up her most efficient, low-effort tips for a good, proper spring cleaning session — designed for people who hate cleaning. Take a gander at the below, then go forth and vacuum. 
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Originally Appeared Here

After the past two years, we have all tried to be conscious of germs. From singing “Happy Birthday” while washing our hands to hoarding hand sanitizer, the overall alert around germs has been heightened and measures have been taken to eliminate them. However, you may not remember to use antibacterial wipes every time you’re cleaning your house. Plus, you may have run out. But what if you had a device that not only could sanitize and disinfect your home but also keep your clothes from wrinkling? Enter the Laurastar IGGI steamer.

The Laurastar IGGI steamer is a handheld 2-in-1 device that disinfects fabrics and more. With high-pressure steam, it can keep your home cleaner and keep you looking better. It’s targeted at those who need it for travel but also families who want to keep their kids’ toys clean. Does it hold up? I reviewed it to find out.

Laurastar IGGI Handheld Steamer

Rating: 4.5 Stars

The Laurastar IGGI Handheld Steamer is a two-in-one device that will disinfect surfaces and steam fabrics.

BGR may receive a commission

BGR may receive a commission

Pros

• Expertly designed with good safety features
• Heats up incredibly fast
• Kills 99.9% of germs without using chemicals
• Compact enough to carry

IGGI design

The Laurastar IGGI design is a rather simple one but it is made from Swiss engineering, so it has been tested vigorously. It looks similar to other steamers you may have seen before with a nozzle and a trigger that shoots out the steam. But it is incredibly efficient, more than 15x faster than other leading steamers. You receive the refill bottle that carries three ounces of water and has an auto-stop function. You fill this up and unscrew the cap on the device and push the bottle into the device. That causes the water to come out. You can use distilled water and bring three ounces of it with you and it won’t leak, thanks to the bottle design.

Once you load up the canister with water, you screw the cap back on. You plug it in and it immediately starts heating. There’s an orange light that lets you know it’s heating and when it’s done, it turns green. It takes no more than two and a half minutes. Not only is that an indication that the bottom is hot, but there is a safety near the nozzle that prevents you from accidentally pushing the trigger and having hot steam come out when you don’t want it to. Once the safety is off, you can use the device. The Laurastar IGGI also comes with a thermoprotective glove that you can wear while using it.

Disinfecting abilities

A look at all that comes with the Laurastar IGGI steamer. Image source: Chris Hachey for BGR

When you pull the trigger, it will shoot out hygienic Dry Microfine Steam (DMS). This can disinfect all kinds of fabrics and objects. I used it on door knobs and toys around my home. The noise that comes out is a bit loud, but the fine steam comes out in a strong force, thoroughly covering your surface. You don’t need chemicals to disinfect the areas and, while the steam may leave some moisture on the surface, it doesn’t saturate it and it dries rather quickly. It kills 99.9% of germs.

Laurastar IGGI steaming ability

Using the Laurastar IGGI steamer to get some wrinkles out of a shirt. Image source: Chris Hachey for BGR

While disinfecting is a great feature of this, it really is great as a portable handheld clothes steamer. Using the same methods of pouring in distilled water, plugging it in, heating it up, and then pressing the trigger, the DMS will work wrinkles out. Again, this won’t saturate your fabric like some irons do if water happens to leak out of it. I was able to steam with one hand and pull the fabric with the other in order to work the wrinkles out.

It only took a matter of moments to notice the difference. The steam is warmed and works its way through wrinkles. My shirt, which was decently wrinkled, was much tidier and ironed within minutes. The steam also didn’t run out easily. It lasted a while, so I was able to disinfect and do a few more shirts in a short amount of time. When you are done steaming, you also can’t open up the canister quickly. There is a button that prevents it from opening if it’s too hot, another great safety feature. Once the canister has cooled enough, the button is able to be pushed in and the cap can be unscrewed.

IGGI portability

On top of the refill bottle and glove, it also comes with a drawstring bag that will fit the IGGI. The product measures 4.3″ x 4.3″ x 10″. It is simple to put in the bag and fit in with luggage. Using it while it’s plugged in works but it also works while unplugged. You don’t need to be near an outlet to use this. The refill bottle and glove are easy to store too. The steamer weighs 2.2 pounds, meaning anyone can use it.

Conclusions

This is great for a lot of different people. Those with kids, who travel a lot for business, or just who need to steam clothes at home will benefit from this. Your amount of use for this will help justify if the cost makes sense for you. At $300, it is pricey.

The competition

There are other steamers that will disinfect, as seen by steam mops and steam cleaning machines. While the IGGI isn’t great for steam cleaning your floors, it’s great for smaller surfaces and specific objects. Options from Conair or PurSteam can do more for larger surfaces and may not cost as much.

Should I buy the Laurastar IGGI handheld steamer?

Yes, especially if you want to keep items in your home clean and your clothes wrinkle-free at home or on trips.

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Originally Appeared Here

Covid has created problems for all of us, at so many levels, but how about this?

Amber Cusano has a full-scale in-home healthcare company that provides caregiving, nutrition, specialty healthcare needs like physical therapy, and hospice care. The business needs regular licensing – but the state licensing authority has halted all in-person audits for licensing because of Covid. How can a business survive in that environment?

Cusano hasn’t just been sitting around waiting for the pandemic to be over. Instead, she has spun off a branch of her business, called it the Gilpin Cleaning Company, and moved into that much-needed field in our Peak to Peak community. And when Cusano does something, she does it completely.

She points out that “We (Gilpin Cleaning Co.) are state licensed, carry liability insurance for all of our contract cleaners, which protects the owner’s property inside while our team is cleaning, and bonded to protect our clients and their belongings. The company only hires locals in order to offer consistent year-round reliable work, and we offer the highest rate of pay in our area even when compared to the big ski resorts. The company gives regular bonuses and treats our contractors like family by assisting with financial insecurities and great birthday/holiday gifts.”

Cusano hopes to reinstate the healthcare part of her business soon, and has big plans. “I come from a medical background,” she says, “with a desire to assist our elderly community, especially those isolated in our rural areas up here. The company is growing exponentially and will eventually offer various medical, non-medical, holistic, and other varying services such as cleaning, errand running, food delivery services and more.

“We are working hard in the next year to obtain Medicaid /Medicare certification, which is very difficult for a small business to do, but we will give it all we have – fingers crossed – to eventually be able to offer insured care for our wonderful elderly community!”

Meanwhile, the cleaning service, even with the problems created by the pandemic, has been growing very nicely. “We have tripled our business every six months or so and are still growing….[However], Covid has impacted our entire team individually with each of their families as well as offered additional work since disinfecting and cleaning is an integral part of the Covid process with regard to keeping it at bay or cleaning after an illness.

“So we have seen both sides of the fence since the pandemic started. We are grateful to be healthy today & still able to offer services to the community to keep them and their families safe and healthy!”

Cusano goes on to explain, “Staffing has been very difficult in the last year with a high turnover rate. The pandemic has really affected our community’s mental health and overall health and wellbeing as well as the ability to work on a consistent basis. This in turn affects the business’ ability to take on new clientele and be reliable to our loyal clients. Fortunately, we have a great, reliable, healthy team now and are back to full service for the community taking on new clients weekly!”

The cleaning company is now accepting Spring clients, and is now offering Co-host services for Airbnb owners. She has also recently partnered with a reliable plow service.

Cusano loves the cleaning branch of her business – she says what’s best about it is “helping people find a little bit of peace. Coming home to a clean and sanitary house leaves them feeling calm and happy; and in today’s crazy world that is important for their mental health and overall wellbeing.”

But she is very much looking forward to reinstating the healthcare agency. “The idea is to eventually have a ‘one stop shop’ for all of our local residents to rely on,” she says.

She stresses that “We cater to our local mountain towns and do not desire to enter any other markets. Currently the cleaning company services all residential, Airbnb, & commercial needs for the Peak to Peak area.”

The Gilpin In-home Healthcare Agency and the Gilpin Cleaning Company can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ Gilpincaregivers. The Company can be reached at 720.252.2566, as well as by email at [email protected].

Sponsored by Gilpin County, with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.

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Originally Appeared Here

The 24/7 Crew at the Safety of Dams National Monitoring Center was recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs for practicing their 24/7 moniker 365 days a year throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. From left to right: Nygel Matt, Rebecca Phillips, Kyle Schock, Loretta Hoots and Bryanna Steele. Not pictured are, Molly Auld, Nick Quequesah, Ambrose Cook-Saloway, Robert Farrow and Holly Burland. 

Char-Koosta News 

RONAN — On guard 24 hours a day, seven days a week all year long. That is the charge of the staff at the Bureau of Indian Affairs Safety of Dams National Monitoring Center (NMC) in Ronan. The quaint one story building across the street from the Boys and Girls Club that houses the NMC seems to shade the importance of what goes on inside. 

The 24/7 Crew, as they are referred to, currently monitors 141 dams on 40 Indian Reservations in various regions nationwide. In the Northwest Region 24/7 crew monitors 26 dams; Rocky Mountain Region, seven; Great Plains Region, 31; Midwest Region, one; Eastern Region, two; Southwest Region, 29; Navajo Region, 14 Dams; Pacific Region, two; Western Region, 29. 

There are 12 BIA dams on the Flathead Reservation and two just off that are monitored by the NMC. The on-Rez are: Upper Dry Fork, Lower Dry Fork, Pablo, Ninepipe, Hell Roaring, Twin (Turtle) Lake, Kicking Horse, McDonald, Mission, Tabor, Black Lake, and Jocko dams. Little Bitterroot and Hubbart dams are just north off the reservation. When the reconstruction of Crow Dam is completed, it will be added to the list of monitored dams.

And for monitoring that without skipping a beat throughout the COVID-19 mogul-speedbumps the NMC 24/7 Crew was recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Safety of Dams Bureau with a Certificate of Appreciation for a job well done. 

“We acknowledge the past two years with the COVID-19 pandemic have been difficult, presenting unique challenges to everyone. Though this time, the National Monitoring Center has maintained consistent and reliable monitory and notification support [24 hours a day, seven days a week] for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Safety of Dams Branch,” stated Rodney Eisenbraun, BIA Safety of Dams Branch chief, in. a press release. “The National Monitoring Center staff has continued working in-person with other emergency personnel through the pandemic, being flexible with shifts, social distancing, and masking to keep the call center operational.”

NMC supervisor Loretta Hoots concurs with the BIA Safety of Dams assessment of the 24/7 Crew.

“While the stress level was high, the staff was extremely vigilant in preventing the pandemic from taking us down. Wearing masks, disinfecting work stations including the entire workspace, and social distancing as much as they could in a small space,” Hoots said. “This staff went nearly 24-months without a single case of COVID-19.”

Hoots was the hands on the wheel driving home with constant reminders to the staff to exercise the now common lexicon of the safe measures of hand washing, mask wearing and staying home when sick.

“We didn’t have an alternative plan if the pandemic struck and took us down. It’s not as if you can just shut down, with the responsibility we have. We can’t just forward our phones, or leave a message on voicemail,” Hoots said. “We are responsible for people’s lives. Mission Valley Power depends on us to dispatch for them during their off hours. We don’t have off hours.” 

The NMC 24/7 Crew comprised of Jamesina “Molly” Auld, Holly Burland, Ambrose Cook-Saloway, Robert Farrow, Nygel Matt, Rebecca Phillips, Nicolas Quequesah, Kyle Schock, Bryanna Steele and Loretta Hoots received Certificates of Appreciation for “outstanding achievement and dedication in work” with the 24/7/365 coverage at the National Monitoring Center during the pandemic.

“My staff is dedicated, and that showed. I couldn’t be prouder of how vigilant they are. I wouldn’t ask them to do something, I myself am not willing to do. I worked right along with them. Supporting them in every way I could,” Hoots said. “It was and is still stressful with new variants coming out. We still practice the mantra of masking up, washing our hands, sanitizing our work areas, and social distancing. This is what has prevented us from being taken down. We can’t afford to be shut down.”

The NMC Early Warning System (EWS) provides real-time remote monitoring of reservoir levels, stream levels, and rainfall at dam sites, which can provide information for the early detection of flooding and other conditions that could lead to dam failure. It also monitors earthquake activity at its monitoring sites, and provides after-hours emergency dispatch for Mission Valley Power, and Tribal Fish and Game.

The NMC EWS is built upon the integrated real-time monitoring instrumentation, telemetry and centralized enterprise data collection services infrastructure. All the data coming in are automatically processed, analyzed and disseminated in real time. Alarms events are triggered based on advanced customized rules and the system automatically generates and sends out early warning notifications with Emergency Action Plan procedures to alert emergency personnel of possible hazardous and flood-threatening conditions.

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CHICAGO (WAND) – Masks are now not required at the United Center, but there are still guidelines in place for attendees. 

NBC Chicago reports there is still a requirement for fans at Chicago Bulls or Chicago Blackhawks games to show proof of vaccination, but they now have an option to show a negative COVID-19 test instead. The facility previously did not allow a negative test for entry. 

Masks are optional at events. The venue lists them as “recommended.” 

Fans can first experience the changed guidelines when the Bulls are at home Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Blackhawks will next be at home Sunday to host the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

The Bulls will have eight of their last 21 games at home, with potential playoff games coming after that. The Blackhawks have over a dozen home games remaining. 

Ticket-checks and payments at the United Center will still have a contactless format. The facility has adopted enhanced standards for cleaning, including cleaning more often, disinfecting equipment and adding more sanitation stations. 

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