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Category: June 2021

Play It Safe Online

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

Being online lets you follow the news, connect with friends and family, shop, manage finances and much more. Here are some tips to protect your personal information while you’re online.

  • Lock the devices just like you lock your front door. Use a passcode, facial recognition or fingerprint to lock your phone or tablet. If you have a computer, use a strong password that’s at least 12 characters long.
  • Know the red flags of scams. If someone contacts you and asks you to pay by wire transfer or gift card, be wary. It’s probably a scam.
  • Share with care. Limit how much personal information you share online. Set your social media profiles to private. If someone asks to connect with you on social media, only accept their request if you know them.

By: Brenda Langdon

June 10th is Herbs and Spices Day!

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

Cassie Homan and Ashley Svaty teamed up to deliver a virtual program discussing how to grow and cook with herbs and spices on May 5th. If you missed the live program, the recording is below along with the link to the other KSU Garden Hour series videos and resources.

Link to KSU Garden Hour series and resources: https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/k-state-garden-hour-webinar-series/k_state_garden_hour.html

By: Ashley Svaty

Emergency Broadband Benefit Program

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program provides support to help families and households struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. This new benefit will connect eligible households to jobs, critical healthcare services, virtual classrooms, and so much more. It will provide a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price. Learn more, including eligibility guidelines, at https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit

By: Brenda Langdon

 

Storm Damage Cleanup

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

If your home has been affected by the recent heavy rains, here are some guidelines to safely and effectively clean and restore your storm-damaged home and contents.

  • After a flood, it is important to take every precaution to ensure the safety of your well water. Have the water sampled and tested to ensure it is safe to drink.
  • Discard all food that came in contact with floodwaters, including canned goods. It is impossible to know if the containers were damaged and the seals compromised.
  • Discard wooden cutting boards, wooden spoons, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers. There is no way to safely clean them if they have come in contact with flood waters.
  • Never enter a building that might have structural damage. Look for signs such as cracks, sagging rooflines, leaning and foundation shifts. Make sure electrical and gas supplies are disconnected and inspected for chemical contamination.
  • Be alert to possible invasion by snakes, fire ants and other creatures.
  • Mold problems can result in damage to materials and health. The longer the mold is allowed to grow, the greater the risk and the harder it is to remedy. As soon as the floodwaters recede and it is safe to return, don’t delay cleanup and dry out.
  • If you need to clean mold, follow these steps and refer to EPA guidelines online at epa.gov/moldto do it as safely and effectively as you can.
  • Cleaning and drying water-soaked floors is difficult. In the aftermath of a flood, contamination by mud, silt, sewage and mold compounds the problem. Surfaces exposed to rising flood water or sewage should be both cleaned and disinfected.
  • Some fixtures, wiring and appliances such as laundry equipment, dishwashers with replaceable insulation and microwave ovens, may be salvageable. However, they should be inspected by a service professional before use. Unplug, clean and dry appliances, but do not use them before servicing.
  • Check to make sure that tetanus shots are up-to-date. Get a booster shot if you have not had a tetanus shot within the past 10 years. Some health departments recommend a booster within five years if you are working in flood water.

By: Brenda Langdon

Smith County Simply Produce

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

“Simply Produce” offers customers approximately 15 pounds of produce for $15.00.  Produce baskets will contain a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and may vary slightly from what is typically available on the produce department’s shelves.  Basket contents will be different for each ordering period as well.  In addition to produce, customers will receive a recipe highlighting basket items, as well as educational materials on food storage and produce handling.

Produce baskets are purchased through the participating grocery store’s register and must be paid for at time of ordering.  The purchase is taxable. 

For the June distribution, baskets must be ordered June 10th through June 15th at Noon and distribution is set for June 18th from 12-12:30pm at the Mary’s Parish Hall, 403 US-36 in Smith Center. Customers will drive up to the Parish Hall and volunteers will bring out their purchased basket(s).

Produce basket distribution that utilizes local retail venues is designed to increase access to healthy fruits and vegetables for consumers, while stimulating positive economic impact and building regional food system sustainability. We are proud to partner with Gene’s Heartland Foods to promote this great opportunity for our residents.

For more information, please contact Post Rock Extension agents, Ashley Svaty (asvaty@ksu.edu) or Brenda Langdon (bklangdon@ksu.edu).