State Police will continue with their Thanksgiving weekend traffic safety initiative, in an effort to prevent highway tragedies during this holiday weekend. State Police will continue with patrols focusing on speed enforcement, impaired driving, underage drinking, and distracted driving, they will also have fixed sobriety checkpoints and the “Operation Hang Up” which targets distracted drivers by utilizing unmarked patrol vehicles in traffic, locating drivers talking or texting on hand held devices. The highest traffic volumes of the year typically occur during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
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Doctors now recommend that everyone get the flu vaccine this year, now that there’s a high dose flu shot, aimed at giving older adults a better immunity against the illness. It contains four times the usual amount of immune-stimulating antigens against the three most common flu strains. The risks are the same as the regular flu vaccine. It also takes two weeks after getting the shot for the body to produce the antibodies against the virus
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New York State is increasingly driving away Baby Boomers in their retirement years. Between 2004 and 2011, IRS data that tracks taxpayers moving in and out of states showed New York lost $20.5 billion in total income from retirees with nearly 40 percent of that income flowing to Florida, a state that assesses no income tax. During the 12 months ended July 1, 2013, the Census Bureau estimated New York lost a total of 104,000 residents to other states. The number was the largest net domestic migration loss sustained by any state
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A regulation soccer goal is 8 feet tall, 24 feet wide and can weigh a few hundred pounds. And soon, state law will require it to be anchored into the ground while in use. Governor Cuomo signed a bill that requires the state to come up with official regulations for anchoring portable soccer goals, which can be susceptible to toppling if not grounded properly. There have been at least 36 deaths since 1979 resulting from toppled soccer goals, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The new law requires the state Department of State to come up with rules for portable goals based on guidelines from the federal commission
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The cold sets in, the thermostat goes up and heaters work in overdrive, 1 bad spark and a house could go up in flames. Winter weather can mean a heightened risk for fires. The National Fire Protection Association has some precautions to avoid heating-related fires during the winter months, including: Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like a furnace or space heater. Never use your oven to heat your home. Make sure a qualified professional cleans and inspects your home heating equipment each year. Install arc fault circuit interrupters to protect electrical outlets and avoid running extension cords across doorways or under carpets
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