As Iowans get out to enjoy the spring, they should take precautions to avoid ticks. 

Ticks thrive in wooded or grassy areas, and many people pick them up while gardening, hiking or taking part in other outdoor activities.

Ticks carry several diseases, including Lyme disease, a dangerous neurological condition.

Confirmed and probable cases of Lyme disease in Iowa jumped from 93 in 2010 to 201 in 2014 and 356 last year, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. Of the cases reported last year, 84 were confirmed. 

More:Ankeny families mobilize to help inspirational art teacher after Lyme disease diagnosis

How to avoid ticks

The best way to avoid ticks is to stay away from infested areas, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. The agency offers these tips to avoid ticks and the diseases they carry:

• When going into wooded areas or spots with tall grass, wear long-sleeved shirts and long, light-colored pants tucked into socks or boots.
• Stay on trails when walking or hiking and avoid high grass.
• Use insect repellants. Repellants that contain DEET should be used in concentrations no higher than 15% for children and 30% for adults, according to IDPH. (DEET is not recommended for use on infants.) Permethrin is a repellant that can be applied only to clothing, not exposed skin, IDPH says.
• Check yourself, your children and your pets for ticks as soon as you get back home. Ticks tend to prefer the back of the knee, armpit, scalp, groin and back of the neck.

How should you remove a tick?

If you find a tick on your skin, you should promptly remove it.

The best way to do so is to grasp it with a tweezers by its mouth parts, which are close to the host’s skin. Do not squeeze the tick’s body. Pull steadily and directly away from the skin until the tick comes off, IDPH suggests.

Once removed, clean the resultant wound and disinfect the site of the bite.

Don’t use folk remedies, such as burning the tick with a match or covering it with Vaseline, as these may cause the tick to regurgitate, increasing the chance of infection from bacteria ticks carry, IDPH says.

What is Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. The bacteria is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected tick.. 

What causes Lyme disease?

According to IDPH, ticks are most likely to spread the Lyme disease bacterium during their pre-adult stage (nymph). Nymphs, which are brown, small and difficult to see, are more common from May to July.

After attaching them to a host, ticks feed on the host’s blood until they’re swollen to many times their normal size. IDPH reports that scientific data suggests that ticks need to remain attached for 24 to 48 hours before the host is infected with the bacterium. 

What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?

Lyme disease affects various parts of the body, IDPH says. Not everyone who gets Lyme disease will experience the same symptoms.

The best and earliest sign of infection is a rash, called erythema migran, which appears in 60-80 percent of patients, according to IDPH. The EM rash usually appears at the site of the tick bite within a few days to a month. At first, it will be a small, red bump. Redness expands over the next few days and begins to look like a bull’s-eye. 

If left untreated, multiple EM rashes may appear within three to five weeks after the tick bite, IDPH says. The appearance more than one rash is a sign that the infection has spread into the blood. 

According to IDPH, additional symptoms can include:

• Mild eye infections
• Paralysis of the facial muscles
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Muscle and joint pain
• Abnormal heart rhythm (in less than 10 percent of cases)

IDPH says later symptoms of Lyme disease can appear months after the infection and last several years. Symptoms may include:

• Recurrent arthritis, commonly in the knees and shoulders
• Impairment of mood, sleep or memory
• Paralysis of the muscles in the face
• Pain or tingling in the extremities
• Meningitis and encephalitis

How do you treat Lyme disease?

Most people treated in the early stages of Lyme disease usually recover rapidly and completely, according to IDPH. Treatment can include antibiotics such as doxycycline, amoxicillin or cefuroxime. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website has more information about types of Lyme disease and treatment.

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Originally Appeared Here

By GAO Zhimiao

(ECNS) SHANGHAI — Disinfecting buildings, picking up deliveries and bringing them to everyone, collecting garbage from residential buildings… This is some of the daily work, or to be more exact, nightly work, for Serbian expat Nikola Jankovic, a teacher at Thomas School in Putuo District, Shanghai.

Jankovic applied for volunteer work on April 1, but at that time, there was no fitting roles that would match his skills. “At first the neighborhood committee did not officially recruit me, because I hadn’t studied Chinese, and could not communicate with residents in the neighborhood. But later, I was able to take some work that does not require Chinese communication, like delivering supplies and moving garbage bags, and I felt so happy,” Jankovic said.

Why is the Serbian expat so enthusiastic about volunteering for the neighborhood? “The reason is quite simple,” explained Jankovic. “China has been my home for several years already and made me feel safe. Now China is suffering and I feel that it is my duty to give something back by helping her during this hard time.”

Nikola Jankovic serves as a volunteer in his community in Shanghai. (Provided by the interviewee)

Although tightly covered by a face mask and protective suit, Jankovic still looks “full of energy” when he volunteers for others, and he himself enjoys the process, “My neighbors always smile when they see me. Community workers and other volunteers are also quite curious why a foreigner is so enthusiastic about volunteering. For me, every volunteering job is a rewarding experience. It’s great to feel able to help people who are in trouble.”

Having worked and lived in Shanghai for nearly four years, Jankovic is a teacher of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering Arts, and Math). As class has gone online due to the impacts of COVID-19, he has designed STEAM experiments that can be done at home with readily available materials. After Shanghai introduced a city-wide mentorship in schools, Jankovic has been an active participant in the initiative, spending a lot of his time off-class to contact students, and learn about their schoolwork, and difficulties at home and help them relieve stress associated with lengthy stays at home.

For Jankovic, Shanghai offers the job he is passionate about, and has the lovely students he likes to be with. Stressing that he hasn’t done much as a volunteer, Jankovic jokes that the work, in turn, has benefited him in some unexpected way, “Another benefit is that it is extremely warm in those protective suits so I am sweating a lot and losing some weight.”

Despite the time of difficulty, Jankovic has experienced friendliness in the neighborhood. “At times, there were shortages of supplies and everyone in our community started sharing with each other, helping each other and organizing group purchases as fast as possible. Maybe it doesn’t sound like it, but it was one of the most beautiful presentations of unity I have witnessed.” 

“All in all, this time is hard, but we are trying our best to be stronger together and walk tall. Just a while longer and we will return to our normal lives and set new goals,” said Jankovic.

Nikola Jankovic serves as a volunteer in his community in Shanghai. (Provided by the interviewee)

 

 

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MANILA, Philippines, May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Reckitt, the global leader in health, hygiene and nutrition, partners with Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan to launch its “Complete the #MissingHalf” Regional Super Brand Day. Families can rely on trusted brands from Reckitt including Enfagrow A+ Four, Lactum 3+6+, Lysol, Durex and more to help support the protection of the health, hygiene and nutrition of their loved ones, ensuring that they are not missing out.

Shoppers can look forward to health, hygiene, and nutrition tips and exclusive deals with Reckitt’s most- anticipated Super Brand Day on Shopee

Happening on May 19, Reckitt’s Super Brand Day campaign gives shoppers the best value deals on Reckitt’s wide portfolio of family care essentials on Shopee Mall.

For decades, parents have been taught that academic intelligence would guarantee their child’s best start to life, focusing less on confidence, creativity and independence. Reckitt puts parents’ worries to rest with Enfagrow A+ Four Nurapro by helping nourish both IQ and EQ to complete the #MissingHalf together with proper nutrition and stimulation. Enfagrow A+ Four Nurapro is the only one with breakthrough MFGM and 35 mg/serving of DHA that help nourish not just IQ but also EQ development.

Reckitt’s range of products goes one step further to complete the #MissingHalf for the entire family with their Health and Hygiene portfolio that consists of Lysol and Durex. As countries start to ease restrictions, hygiene moves from a defensive chore to a habitual act of protection. While families seek to bond with their communities, parents still want complete protection for their kids so that they maximize their potential. For example, not only does Lysol Disinfectant Spray kill over 100 illness-causing germs including the cold and flu virus, it also refreshes your home with 6 refreshing scents to choose from. Parents also want to instill the value of self-confidence in their children. With Veet, you can reveal the beauty of your skin with a long-lasting and user-friendly formula that can give you silky smooth skin for up to 2 weeks.

Story continues

Muksitul Islam, ASEAN eCommerce Director at Reckitt, said, “Reckitt is proud to partner with Shopee in the regional Super Brand Day to connect ASEAN consumers to our beloved & trusted brands like Enfagrow A+ Four Nurapro, Lactum 3+6+, Lysol, & Durex. Through Shopee’s impressive engagement tools, our consumers can not only look forward to choices tailored to their needs but also an enjoyable shopping experience from our diverse Nutrition, Health & Hygiene portfolio. We wish our consumers a wonderful Super Brand Day experience.”

Annie Lin, Head of Shopee Mall at Shopee Philippines, added, “Consumers are shopping more frequently online for household and healthcare needs. We are glad to partner with Reckitt to provide parents and families with a wide variety of trusted brands that gives them the assurance they need when it comes to enhancing family health and nutrition. We will continue partnering with brands to offer shoppers access to greater convenience, variety and value all-year-round through Shopee Mall.”

Through the campaign, Reckitt will educate users about what it means to complete the #MissingHalf for their children together with celebrity mom Kristine Hermosa-Sotto on Shopee Live. Users can also tune in to learn how they can have a healthy home with Lysol.

On May 19-20, Reckitt will complete the #MissingHalf with exclusive deals from Enfagrow Four, Lactum 3+6+, Lysol, Durex, and Veet on Shopee Mall, providing shoppers with the best deals including:

• Free Gift with no minimum spend: Get FREE Lysol On-the-Go wipes for every checkout on all Reckitt brands until supplies last

• Online Exclusive Bundles: specially curated bundles including:

• Shipping discounts and 20% Cashback vouchers

Find out more about Reckitt’s Complete #TheMissingHalf campaign on May 19-20 at https://shopee.ph/collections/1129804.

Download it now for free on the App Store or Google Play Store.

SOURCE Reckitt

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Construction work was apparent at the Abbott Nutrition’s plant on Centreville Road last week. 

Congress is now investigating contamination at the baby formula production facility after infant deaths and infections. 

Connecticut Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro revealed in a statement Thursday that a whistleblower sent U.S. Food and Drug Administration a 34-page document outlining potential concerns with the Sturgis plant in October. 

The congresswoman said in a statement that a former plant employee accused the plant management of hiding information during a 2019 FDA audit. The whistleblower also cited lax cleaning practices, falsifying records and releasing untested infant formula. 

DeLauro and other members of Congress now want to know why FDA didn’t take action earlier. 

Abbott said in a statement after it shut down baby formula production following an inspection by FDA from Jan. 31 to March 18, “We are currently reviewing the U.S. FDA’s 483 observations from the inspection of our powder formula manufacturing in our Sturgis, Mich., facility. We’re taking this very seriously and are working closely with the FDA to implement corrective actions.” 

The FDA investigation began after one infant death and two serious infections were reported. FDA added a second death and several more illnesses to the investigation. 

FDA said a Cronobacter infection may have contributed to the cause of death for both patients.

Abbott noted that in all four cases, the state, FDA and/or CDC tested samples of the Abbott formula that was used by the child. In all four cases, all unopened containers tested negative.

Formula at the homes of three cases were tested. The one positive was from an open container. It tested positive for two different strains of Cronobacter sakazakii. One strain matched the strain that caused the infant’s infection, and the other matched a strain found on a bottle of distilled water in the home used to mix the formula. Neither strain matched strains found in at the Sturgis pant. 

The infected infants consumed four different types of our formula made over the course of nearly a year. The illnesses took place over several months in three different states.

The inspection issued by FDA’s Detroit office confirmed some of the allegations. Ten inspectors, including a national office health expert, visited the plant. 

Inspectors found, “In the packaging room for filler line the hinge attachment and bolt heads on the top, clear cover of the scoop hopper was swabbed and was positive for Cronobacter sakazaldi. This scoop hopper is utilized to feed scoops, which are placed directly inside infant formula containers. You consider this a high-care area.”

The report redacted details regarding location and unit equipment. 

Abbott said in its latest statement: “While there are actions we need to take to address the FDA observations, it is important to note that no Cronobacter sakazakii or Salmonella was found in any of our testing of products distributed to consumers. Additionally, the unique genetic makeup of the Cronobacter sakazakii microbes found in non-product areas at the Sturgis facility did not match the Cronobacter sakazakii microbes from the reported cases” related to the deaths or infections.    

Abbott noted “After a thorough review of all available data, there is no evidence to link our formulas to these infant illnesses.”

The inspection also located in a medium critical area “duct tape on the floor; debris was observed beneath and on top of the duct tape. The area between the duct tape and the wall was swabbed and was positive for Cronobacter sakazakii.” Tests were positive.

Investigators observed those in the plant walking between general areas of the plant and into production areas without changing or disinfecting footware. 

Abbott knew of the contamination, the report stated.

“Between 9/25/19 and 2/20/22, your firm’s environmental samples and finished product testing confirmed the presence of Cronobacter,” the report stated.

After the FDA inspectors arrived, “your firm identified the presence of Cronobacter in low-, medium- and high-care areas of powdered infant formula production on 20 occasions  between 2/6/22-2/20/22,” the report stated. 

Water was located in dry areas of the production plant. Abbott “identified 310 water events including water leaks, moisture, and condensation in dry powdered infant formula production areas.” Wet areas allow for the growth of the bacteria. 

The FDA report said Abbott found cracks and pits in dryers dating back to 2018. 

From the inspection report: “FDA and your firm found evidence of Cronobacter spp. in your powdered infant formula production environment. Your firm also identified Cronobacter spp. in finished powdered infant formula products.”

FDA also cited the company for failure to retain samples of products it said it tested due to the complaints related to the reported deaths and infections. All those complaints showed the babies infected used products from the Sturgis plant.  

As a result of the probe, Abbott Nutrition recalled select lots of its Similac, Alimentum and EleCare formulas. 

The recall and stop in production are part of the nationwide baby formula shortage. Both Abbott and the FDA want to bring the plant into safety compliance and restart production as soon as possible. 

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Every year, approximately 600 million people worldwide contract foodborne illnesses. According to the CDC, 48 million people in the United States become ill each year as a result of eating contaminated food.

Cross-contamination is one of the many ways that food can become contaminated and cause food poisoning. While most foodborne illness outbreaks are traced back to retail food establishments, they can also occur at home.

Fortunately, you can avoid cross-contamination by following the proper food safety precautions. This article will walk you through everything you need to know about preventing cross-contamination.

What Is Cross-Contamination?

Cross-contamination is the unintentional transfer of pathogens from one surface or food to another. It usually happens when Potentially Hazardous Foods (or PHFs) come into contact with uncontaminated ready-to-eat food. PHFs are more likely to harbor and support the growth of harmful microorganisms. Examples of PHFs include raw or undercooked meat, poultry, fish, eggs, leafy greens, and unpasteurized dairy products.

There are three major types of bacterial cross-contamination:

• Food to food – when contaminated food comes into contact with uncontaminated food
• Equipment-to-food – when the different equipment that comes into contact with food, for instance, utensils, harbor harmful bacteria, and other microorganisms
• People-to-food – when the person handling food at different stages—production, transportation, prepping, cooking, storing, etc.—unknowingly transfers harmful pathogens to food.

Cross-contamination can occur during shopping and check-out if food is not handled with care. Here are some of the ways you can avoid cross-contamination when shopping:

• Separate raw foods (especially raw meat, poultry, and seafood) from other foods in your shopping trolley or basket
• Use separate shopping bags to pack raw foods and other foods at check-out
• Designate some shopping bags for placing raw foods if you use reusable shopping bags
• Pack food separately from other household items
• Place raw foods in plastic bags if you must pack them together with other foods. This will prevent chances of the juices dripping to other foods in the bag
• Replace old plastic bags often

When shopping, try to avoid damaged packages, including a dented can.

Wash Your Hands When Handling or Prepping Food

Washing your hands properly before, during, and after prepping any food is vital in preventing cross-contamination. If your hands come into contact with some germs, you can easily spread them to foods and around the kitchen.

According to a study done by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS):

• Most participants did not wash their hands 97% of the time, they should have
• 48% cross-contaminated spice containers
• 5% spread bacteria to the salads they prepared

To prevent cross-contamination around the kitchen, always wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 2o minutes after:

• Handling food, especially raw meat, poultry, seafood, fruits, and vegetables
• Touching garbage
• Coughing or sneezing onto your hands
• Using your mobile phone and any other unsanitized item

After washing your hands, use a single-use paper towel to wipe your hands. Avoid wiping your hands with an apron or a used towel.

It’s easy to cross-contaminate when using the same utensils when prepping food. Here are some proper food safety practices you can follow when prepping food:

• Invest in at least two chopping boards – one for raw meats and another for fresh produce
• Don’t use the same chopping boards and utensils for both cooked and raw foods
• Wash chopping boards, knives, and other utensils with warm soapy water after placing raw foods on them

Disinfect Kitchen Surfaces Regularly

If a kitchen surface is contaminated unknowingly and not cleaned properly, it’s possible to transfer harmful bacteria to food. These bacteria can survive for extended periods of time on surfaces such as countertops. Bacterial cross-contamination in the kitchen can occur when you place unwashed produce on countertops, prep food, or wash raw meat and its juices splash onto the sink area and other surfaces. A study by the national sanitization Foundation (NSF) found sinks to be the second germiest place in the household.

Below are tips for disinfecting kitchen surfaces to prevent cross-contamination:

• Don’t wash raw meat
• Use hot soapy water and clean cloths to wipe kitchen surfaces, especially after handling raw meat
• Wash the prep sink and work area with hot soapy water after preparing any food item and before proceeding to another. You should also disinfect the sink area, including sink strainers, once or twice every week with a disinfecting cleaner
• Sanitize the surfaces that are touched most in the kitchen, such as refrigerator handles or cabinet knobs, or pulls

Prepare and Serve Food Hygienically

How do you avoid cross-contamination when preparing and serving food? Here are some tips:

• Replace excessively scratched or worn chopping boards
• Avoid leaving cut fruits and vegetables at room temperature for long
• Don’t serve cooked food on the same plate or cutting boards that you’d placed raw foods on
• Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water before peeling, cutting them, or cutting away damaged parts
• Thoroughly cleanse utensils, including chopping boards, before reusing them, especially if they’ve previously held raw meat
• Discard sauces and marinades that have come into contact with raw meat juices, as they may transfer germs to cooked foods
• Don’t touch the food contact surfaces of dishes and utensils
• Don’t touch and serve ready-to-eat foods with bare hands when serving others

Store and Preserve Food Safely

How can cross-contamination be prevented in storage? Where and how you store food is vital in preventing cross-contamination. Whether you’re storing food on a shelf or in a refrigerator, it’s important to follow food safety practices.

Here are some of the ways you can avoid cross-contamination when storing foods:

• Keep raw and ready to eat foods separate
• Place raw meat, poultry, and fish in covered containers or sealed plastic bags and store them on the bottom shelf of your fridge. It prevents raw juices from dripping onto other foods in the fridge
• Refrigerate eggs as soon as possible
• Place meat that you aren’t using in the next few days in a freezer
• Don’t place raw meat and ready to eat food on the same fridge shelf or next to each other
• Eat leftovers within three to four days. If you mix refrigerated leftovers with other foods, don’t store them as leftovers again. Leftovers kept in the fridge for an extended period of time can cause bacterial overgrowth
• Wrap or cover food before storing it in a refrigerator
• Refrigerate cut vegetables like tomatoes and leafy greens at 41°F (5°C) or lower
• Move your shopping to the right storage place immediately
• Store food and food equipment a few inches off the ground to avoid splash

Clean Dishrags or Kitchen Sponges Thoroughly

A study conducted by the National Sanitization Foundation (NSF) found that the sponges and dishrags used to wash utensils and kitchen counters to be the germiest in most homes. The kitchen sponges or dishcloths easily pick up bacteria during the cleaning process. If not properly sanitized, they can promote the growth and spread of the bacteria.

To prevent cross-contamination, clean the wet sponges frequently by placing them in a microwave when wet for two minutes. If you use dishcloths, towels, and rags, you can wash them in the hot cycle of your washing machine or boil them for 15 mins to remove any pathogens. Be sure to replace washable linens frequently, preferably after a day or two.

Store Utensils and Kitchen Equipment Properly

Utensils must be stored correctly to prevent cross-contamination. Here are some guidelines that you can follow to keep your utensils and non-food items like knives correctly:

• Store utensils that carry food some inches off the floor (about six inches) to prevent splashes and spills
• Store cups and glasses upside down on sanitized utensil holders or surfaces
• Store items with handles up to prevent anyone from touching the food contact surface

Summary

Cross-contamination is a leading cause of food poisoning, but it can be prevented by following proper food safety advice. It’s always a good idea to separate raw food, particularly Potentially Hazardous Foods (or PHFs) such as unpasteurized milk and raw meats, from ready-to-eat foods.

While anyone can get sick due to cross-contamination, certain groups are at a higher risk and should always observe food safety practices. These groups include people with weakened immune systems, people above 65 years, pregnant women, and children.

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Originally Appeared Here

Gas prices are up and morale is down. Gas prices are rising as a direct result of a few things: Russia’s war on Ukraine, inflation, and the lack of energy diversification. This is raw capitalism playing out in the marketplace. Morale is down as most Arkansawyers figure that they have to just suck it up and figure out how to get by on $4 gas until global leaders figure out energy supplies and domestic leaders get inflation under control.

But that isn’t completely true. There is something we, ordinary Arkansawyers, can do to ease the burden of rising gas prices: Work from home.

Do you remember March and April of 2020? It was scary. Hospitals in New York were overwhelmed, we didn’t completely understand how covid-19 worked, and people were scrambling to make ends meet. Some of us were also disinfecting our groceries. Wild times.

But if you drove anywhere during that time, you may also remember how empty the roads were, how little you spent on gas, and maybe you remember how crude oil prices went negative on the stock exchange due to the lack of demand. I personally remember traveling from downtown to west Little Rock on Interstate 630 at 5:30 one afternoon and it taking me eight minutes, without speeding.

Why was that possible? Because so many people were working from their homes and weren’t on the roads for rush hour.

It’s time we got back to a little more work from home, at least for the short term. Working from home removes the daily need to commute to work by car. Removing that commute helps lessen the effect gas prices are having on people’s pocketbook.

Here’s why: Not commuting to work means less miles driven, less gas consumed, less money spent on gas in a given week, and less spending on gas eases the burden of sky-high gas prices.

But what about folks who can’t work from home? I hear you, but not all hope is lost. If more people worked from home, then fewer people would be on the road for mundane travel and lessen the amount of traffic. Less traffic means you don’t waste gas by sitting in stand-still traffic or going 20 mph due to congestion on the roads (similar to how I was able to get from downtown to west Little Rock in eight minutes). Although that benefit is kind of indirect, it would likely help.

But there’s a more direct benefit that helps non-remote workers and remote-able workers.

If more people worked from home, not just in Arkansas but all over the country, then that would lower the overall demand for gas. Lower demand for gas could help lower crude oil prices (like we saw in 2020 with negative prices). Lower crude oil prices would translate to lower prices at the pump, or at least keep them from going any higher, which helps everyone weather this storm.

Now, you can probably already feel the criticism coming from your boss: “But what about productivity? We’re more productive in the office. Sorry, Charlie.”

Sure, that is a real concern; can’t have people goofing off at home. But they can’t deny that for six or so months in 2020, you and your fellow employees kept that business afloat by working from home. That’s a fact, Jack. And when the winter storm happened in February, I am sure you didn’t get a “snow day,” but were instead asked to work remotely. Why can’t you work from home on a beautiful day when gas is $4 a gallon?

Productivity is important, but it’s not everything. Putting productivity above people can be disastrous for a business’ longevity. Why? Well, because happy employees tend to make better employees, and better employees tend to make a better business.

Some may argue that happiness can’t be bought. Certainly true. But how much happier would you be if you were able to pay for day care, or continue to save for a house, or make ends meet each month despite inflation, without having to stress yourself out over a $500-a-month gas bill? You aren’t asking for a company paid vacation, you’re asking for some help to keep up a basic standard of living.

We all get it: These are strange and tough times. We’re all just trying to do our best. But it’s time we stop kidding ourselves and begin to look at what we can do to help ease all the burdens we face, especially now. And a big burden right now for many folks is gas prices. Working from home is a way to combat its effect on our wallets, and we need to seriously consider it once again.

Samuel McLelland is a lifelong Arkansawyer, graduate of Emory Law School, and practicing attorney in Little Rock. The views in this article are his alone.

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Originally Appeared Here

Metro Delays Due to Safety Snafu — “Metro’s Chief Safety Officer reports that nearly half of Metro’s 500 rail operators have lapsed recertification… In consultation with the Board of Directors, Metro management is taking immediate corrective action to remove from service 72 train operators who became out of compliance prior to May 2021. This will result in a temporary reduction in Green and Yellow line service from every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes due to an operator shortage.” [WMATA]

APS Changes Bell Schedules — “The School Board in Arlington, Virginia, voted to lengthen the school day by a little less than 10 minutes and to rearrange school start and end times in the first change to the county school system’s bell schedule in more than two decades. At its Thursday meeting, the board unanimously voted in favor of the adjustments.” [WTOP]

Psaki Spat With Arlington GOP — Outgoing White House Press Secretary (and Arlington resident) Jen Psaki “acknowledged that there have been instances in which she shared information with the Secret Service about threats… She said that no one has physically come to her home, but added, ‘There is a circulation of my address among the Arlington Republican Party.’ The Arlington GOP in a statement to The Hill said it ‘has not publicly disseminated any Biden Administration official’s home address.’” [The Hill]

Rosslyn Tunnel Congestion Revisited — “The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) is pressing leadership of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority not to forget about congestion at the Rosslyn tunnel. In a May 6 letter to (outgoing) Metro general manager Paul Wiedefeld, NVTC chair Carek Aguirre urged the transit agency to ‘recognize the strategic importance of moving swiftly to design a solution to relieve train congestion’ at the tunnel.” [Sun Gazette]

Wakefield Rowing Storms State Tourney — “At Saturday’s regatta… the Warriors stood just as deep as any other school on the Occoquan River and stepped into the dynasty conversation themselves, with the boys’ and girls’ top varsity eight boats each rowing to titles.” [Washington Post, Twitter]

Trucker Protest Returning — “The People’s Convoy is slated to be in D.C. by Tuesday, as they’re currently in Ohio. Further, a convoy leader tonight took to the microphone to try and squash fear over being hit with eggs in the city, saying: ‘I happen to like eggs.’” [Twitter]

DCA Using UV to Zap Covid — “Reagan National and Dulles International airports now have ultraviolet disinfection technology to combat the spread of viruses including Covid… The airports authority’s statement of work specifically called for the technology to disinfect the air in 39 spaces at National and 73 spaces at Dulles, including ticketing and baggage claim areas, security checkpoints, transit platforms and gate hold rooms.” [Washington Business Journal]

Local Real Estate is Really Expensive — “There may be an end in sight at some point for rising single-family home values in Arlington. But so far, it hasn’t been reached. The average sales price of the 100 single-family properties that went to closing in April was $1,348,813. That’s up 14.5 percent from a year before.” [Sun Gazette]

Missing Falls Church Teen — “City of Falls Church Police seek information to help a teen return home. Abigail… is 16 years old and was last seen at her home in the City at about 3 a.m. on Sunday after an argument with family. Abigail is about 5 feet tall, has black brown hair and a nose ring.” [City of Falls Church]

It’s Monday — Rain and storms, some severe, in the afternoon and evening. High of 77 and low of 64. Sunrise at 5:56 am and sunset at 8:16 pm. [Weather.gov]

Photos courtesy Will Wiard, Geoff Collins, Dave Statter and Kelly Harrington

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Originally Appeared Here

Gas prices are up and morale is down. Gas prices are rising as a direct result of a few things: Russia’s war on Ukraine, inflation, and the lack of energy diversification. This is raw capitalism playing out in the marketplace. Morale is down as most Arkansawyers figure that they have to just suck it up and figure out how to get by on $4 gas until global leaders figure out energy supplies and domestic leaders get inflation under control.

But that isn’t completely true. There is something we, ordinary Arkansawyers, can do to ease the burden of rising gas prices: Work from home.

Do you remember March and April of 2020? It was scary. Hospitals in New York were overwhelmed, we didn’t completely understand how covid-19 worked, and people were scrambling to make ends meet. Some of us were also disinfecting our groceries. Wild times.

But if you drove anywhere during that time, you may also remember how empty the roads were, how little you spent on gas, and maybe you remember how crude oil prices went negative on the stock exchange due to the lack of demand. I personally remember traveling from downtown to west Little Rock on Interstate 630 at 5:30 one afternoon and it taking me eight minutes, without speeding.

Why was that possible? Because so many people were working from their homes and weren’t on the roads for rush hour.

It’s time we got back to a little more work from home, at least for the short term. Working from home removes the daily need to commute to work by car. Removing that commute helps lessen the effect gas prices are having on people’s pocketbook.

Here’s why: Not commuting to work means less miles driven, less gas consumed, less money spent on gas in a given week, and less spending on gas eases the burden of sky-high gas prices.

But what about folks who can’t work from home? I hear you, but not all hope is lost. If more people worked from home, then fewer people would be on the road for mundane travel and lessen the amount of traffic. Less traffic means you don’t waste gas by sitting in stand-still traffic or going 20 mph due to congestion on the roads (similar to how I was able to get from downtown to west Little Rock in eight minutes). Although that benefit is kind of indirect, it would likely help.

But there’s a more direct benefit that helps non-remote workers and remote-able workers.

If more people worked from home, not just in Arkansas but all over the country, then that would lower the overall demand for gas. Lower demand for gas could help lower crude oil prices (like we saw in 2020 with negative prices). Lower crude oil prices would translate to lower prices at the pump, or at least keep them from going any higher, which helps everyone weather this storm.

Now, you can probably already feel the criticism coming from your boss: “But what about productivity? We’re more productive in the office. Sorry, Charlie.”

Sure, that is a real concern; can’t have people goofing off at home. But they can’t deny that for six or so months in 2020, you and your fellow employees kept that business afloat by working from home. That’s a fact, Jack. And when the winter storm happened in February, I am sure you didn’t get a “snow day,” but were instead asked to work remotely. Why can’t you work from home on a beautiful day when gas is $4 a gallon?

Productivity is important, but it’s not everything. Putting productivity above people can be disastrous for a business’ longevity. Why? Well, because happy employees tend to make better employees, and better employees tend to make a better business.

Some may argue that happiness can’t be bought. Certainly true. But how much happier would you be if you were able to pay for day care, or continue to save for a house, or make ends meet each month despite inflation, without having to stress yourself out over a $500-a-month gas bill? You aren’t asking for a company paid vacation, you’re asking for some help to keep up a basic standard of living.

We all get it: These are strange and tough times. We’re all just trying to do our best. But it’s time we stop kidding ourselves and begin to look at what we can do to help ease all the burdens we face, especially now. And a big burden right now for many folks is gas prices. Working from home is a way to combat its effect on our wallets, and we need to seriously consider it once again.

Samuel McLelland is a lifelong Arkansawyer, graduate of Emory Law School, and practicing attorney in Little Rock. The views in this article are his alone.

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Originally Appeared Here

Consider the humble trash can. It holds our waste materials, so the rest of our abodes remain tidy. It never refuses our refuse.

But what happens when this simple but ubiquitous home accessory itself needs spring cleaning?

That’s the question one Twinsburg resident asked himself. His answer: TwinsBinz, which aims to not only clean, but disinfect, deodorize and sanitize garbage containers.

Yamil Encarnacion, who many in Twinsburg will recognize as a longtime patrolman and K9 officer with the city’s Police Department, said he first thought of the idea while he was on medical leave after an injury he sustained while assisting with a rescue.

“I began researching to see if there was any company or a service that cleaned dirty trash cans especially during the height of COVID-19,” Encarnacion said. “After much research into the industry, cleaning methods, I saw the demand for a service that could not only clean but disinfect, sanitize and deodorize the one item in our homes that we come in contact often that not only smells but contains bacteria, viruses, mold and often attracts bugs and small animals.”

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Encarnacion said this is his first entrepreneurial venture.

“This is a new challenge for me personally which I have welcomed and embraced,” he said. “In the short time that I have been operating this business, I have learned the value of communication, customer service, time management and logistics. It is often great to meet your customers in person, being able to show how the equipment works and how you help them. It has been such an amazing experience to meet clients from every walk of life.”

TwinsBinz provides curbside services for businesses, residences

TwinsBinz can be hired for a one-time cleaning or can be contracted to provide cleanings quarterly or once a month, Encarnacion said.

Prices range from $24.95 per month for monthly cleaning of two bins to $69.95 for one-time service to clean two bins. Additional bin cleanings are billed at $10 each .

The business serves Twinsburg and nearby communities, including Hudson, Macedonia, Solon, Chagrin Falls, Bentleyville, Orange, Streetsboro, Stow and Peninsula. 

“Cleaning your dirty, smelly bins is a task that some may deem is simple with some cold water and bleach but that does not properly clean, disinfect and sanitize the bin,” he said. “Most pour that dirty water on their driveway or yard which can come in contact with family members, pets and our environment.”

Some people may find that “cleaning their bins may be a challenge, he added.

“For example, our seniors who cannot clean their own trash cans, also those who may have a medical condition and lastly that mother or father with children who have busy lives and careers,” he said. “We want to provide a service that can be as simple as taking your car through the car wash except we come to you.”

Encarnacion said his company comes to the home or business with a specialized trailer built for the dirty job of cleaning trash bins.

TwinsBinz uses water heated to 200 degrees to clean the outside and inside of the receptacle. 

“The bin is lifted with a grabber onto a specialized spray head that rotates 360 degrees and sprays the hot water at high pressure,” he said. “The dirty water is collected at the same time inside the hopper. We only use water and when necessary, an eco friendly degreaser. Once the cleaning is complete the inside of the bin is sprayed with an eco friendly deodorizer, leaving your bins smelling fresh. The dirty water we collected is taken to the waste water facility to be properly and safely processed.”

For details, visit www.Twinsbinz.com or call 330-486-8100.

Reporter April Helms can be reached at [email protected]

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