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Category: 2021

Caller ID Spoofing

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

Spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. To trick you into answering, spoofers  may use local area codes and numbers that look familiar.  Here are some ways to avoid being spoofed.

  • Don’t answer calls from unknow numbers.
  • If you answer and it’s not who you expected don’t hang on, hang up.
  • If a caller asks you to hit a button to stop getting calls, just hang up.
  • Never assume an unexpected call is legitimate. Hang up and call back using a number you can verify on a bill, a statement or an official website.
  • Be suspicious. Con artists can be very convincing.
  • Don’t give out personal information – account numbers, social security numbers, or passwords – or answer security questions.
  • Use extreme caution if you are being pressured for immediate payment.
  • Report spoofing scans to law enforcement, the FCC and the FTC.

By: Brenda Langdon

Top 10 Home Safety Tips

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

Here are ten top tips to keep your home safe:

  1. Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and outside of every sleeping area. Test them monthly. If your smoke alarms are ten years old or more, replace them. If you build or remodel your home, install fire sprinklers.
  2. Develop a fire escape plan for your family. Point out two exits from each room, pick a meeting spot outside, and hold a fire drill at least twice a year.
  3. Always stay in the kitchen while food is cooking on the stove.
  4. Keep all stairways, paths and walkways well lit. Use railings.
  5. Install grab bars in bath and shower stalls, and use a non-slip mat or adhesive safety strips inside bathtubs and showers.
  6. Post the National Poison Control Hotline number (1-800-222-1212) and other emergency numbers next to every phone in the home.
  7. Install child locks on all cabinets used to store dangerous items such as poisons, matches and lighters. Install carbon monoxide alarms.
  8. Keep you water heater setting at 120⁰F or less.
  9. Install four-sided pool fencing with self-locking and self-closing gates. Fencing should completely isolate the pool from the home and be at least five feet high.
  10. Constantly supervise children in or near bodies of water such as pools, ponds, bathtubs, toilets and buckets.

By: Brenda Langdon

Food Preservation workshop Coming to Beloit!

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

Join us on September 23rd at the First Christian Church in Beloit from 9-4 for a hands on Food Preservation workshop!

Participants will learn food preservation basics and will get hands on experience using a pressure canner and water bath canner. Karen Blakeslee, KSRE Rapid Response Center and Ashley Svaty, Post Rock District will facilitate the workshop. Cost is $30*, which will include lunch.

Each participant will leave with their canned items, materials, and door prizes! Please bring a box to the workshop to carry your canned items. Dial Gauge testing will be available on site.

Register at this link: https://kstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/preview/SV_2nwXe6QwHKxtItU?Q_CHL=preview&Q_SurveyVersionID=current

Or by calling (785) 524-4432 or visiting any Post Rock District office. Registration and payment is due September 20th.

*Financial scholarships available. 10 participants required to hold workshop.

By: Ashley Svaty

K-State Garden Hour Fall Series

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

Please join us for the upcoming K-State Garden Hours. We have great topics planned to close out the year!

September 1– Basics of Growing Berries in Kansas

September 15– Composting with Worms- Vermicomposting 101

These webinars are free to attend but registration is required. Register here: https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/k-state-garden-hour-webinar-series/k_state_garden_hour.html

By: Cassie Homan

Free Living with Chronic Conditions Workshops

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

If you are living with an ongoing health condition (such as arthritis, asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, or depression) or you are a caregiver of someone who does, this is for you! Living with Chronic Conditions workshops are interactive learning opportunities that teach techniques to manage common symptoms.

FREE 6-week workshop series led by trained leaders to help you:

  • Learn decision-making and problem solving skills
  • Communicate effectively with family, friends and health professionals
  • Manage fatigue
  • Learn new ways to eat healthy
  • Control pain
  • Increase physical activity
  • Set and accomplish goals
  • Deal with anger, depression, and difficult emotions

Choose between 3 workshops:

Lincoln: Tuesdays September 28-November 2, 9-11:30 am

 Lincoln Senior Center

 Register: https://forms.gle/JtG26zhSeB8NvzLK7 or call (785) 524-4432.

Osborne: Tuesdays September 28-November 9 (skipping a week) 2-4:30pm

Free Methodist Fellowship Hall

Register:  https://forms.gle/BKN6LP3WMNGzXmUc7 or call: (785) 346-2521

Ellsworth: Thursdays September 30-November 4. 9-11:30 am

J.H Robbins Memorial Library

Register: https://forms.gle/G1wi434RjPsEJxSh9 or call: (785) 524-4432

Please register by September 23rd.

By: Ashley Svaty

Back to School: Pack Healthy, Safe, and Tasty Lunches

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

Students who eat full, nutritious lunches have higher cognitive function, improved mood, and better attention spans. Set your child up for success by utilizing the following tips:

  • Introduce children to a variety of whole-grain breads. If your child doesn’t like sandwiches, try an unassembled one they can eat in stages or a wrap.
  • Try “planned-overs” like hearty soups, chili, or spaghetti from the night before. Use a container that can keep foods hot.
  • Veggies and dip are always a hit. Cut up carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, or cauliflower and pack with a small container of your child’s favorite low-fat dressing.
  • Offer beverages like water and low-fat milk; 100% fruit juice should be an occasional beverage.
  • Minimize the salty and sweet treats in the lunch bag. Items like chips, “fruit” roll-ups, and cookies make it tough for small stomachs to get all the nutrients needed for good health and growth.
  • Include a favorite item along with new foods. This way if the child doesn’t care for the new item, he or she will still have the old favorite.
  • Involve children when planning lunch bag menus. They’ll look forward to lunchtime knowing they’ve helped create the menu.
  • Keep foods safe. Use insulated bags with reusable ice packs to keep foods cool.

By: Ashley Svaty

Life Insurance

Posted on by mjsaxton@ksu.edu

Life insurance protects your family if you should die. The best buy for most people is term life insurance.

Term life insurance is usually issued for 1, 5, 10 or 20 years and remains in effect for that period of time as long as you pay the premiums.  You have to reapply for the insurance at the end of the specified time period.  Premium costs increase as you get older.

You can buy a term life insurance policy in the dollar amount of your choice.

Check with your employer.  You may be able to get term life insurance from a group plan.  It may be less expensive, especially if you have a health problem.

By: Brenda Langdon