News Progress

•October 19, 2022•
Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for approximately 70 million Americans will increase 8.7 percent in 2023, the Social Security Administration announced Thursday, October 13. On average, Social Security benefits will increase by more than $140 per month starting in January.
The 8.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to more than 65 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2023. Increased payments to more than 7 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 30, 2022. (Note: some people receive both Social Security and SSI benefits). The Social Security Act ties the annual COLA to the increase in the Consumer Price Index as determined by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Read More

•October 19, 2022•
Harvest seasons vary depending on the crop that was planted, but late summer and fall are busy times of year for farmers. And since the pandemic began, farmers have been working overtime to ensure that their goods make it to market on time.
The agricultural sector is affected by a number of variables, including the weather and pests. The pandemic is yet another of those variables, and consumers may want to know how the many factors that affect the agricultural sector could affect what is and isn’t in the grocery store in the months to come.
Wheat products: A variety of factors have affected the availability of wheat-based products. Earlier this year, exceptional drought levels in the midwest — areas with high production of wheat products — coupled with concern about spring rainfall amounts being enough for summer crops to thrive may continue to adversely affect the availability of breads, pastas and other items made from wheat. Read More

•October 19, 2022•
Halloween is an enjoyable holiday for all, but particularly for children. Kids enjoy the opportunity to channel their whimsy and imagination, whether that involves choosing a clever costume or helping design the theme and scope of home decorations.
Parents, guardians and educators can channel the creativity inspired by Halloween into various craft projects. Crafts can not only keep children busy when the “I’m bored” lamentations inevitably turn up, but crafts also are a way to keep children off of screens. Plus, the items that children create can be used to decorate rooms in the house — helping to curb added expenses on commercial decor.
The following are some Halloween crafts children can make alone or with the help of older siblings and parents.

Jack’s slime Read More

•October 19, 2022•
When Halloween arrives each October, most people are interested in the entertaining aspects of the holiday in addition to the abundance of sweet foods that are there for the taking. Even though fun may be foremost on the brain, it is important for everyone keep safety in mind as well.
According to the Florida Law Group, Halloween is a time of heightened injuries and fatalities, and is actually the deadliest day of the year for children. A State Farm insurance study that analyzed four million fatalities between 1990 and 2010 discovered children are twice as likely to die on Halloween as they are on any other day of the year. Data published in the Wall Street Journal indicated children between the ages of four and eight are 10 times more likely to be fatally injured by a car on Halloween than any other day of the year. Read More

•October 19, 2022•
By Cheri Burcham
Family Life Educator

Have you ever heard someone say, “There’s a lot on my plate,” or “I have too much on my plate?” Chances are you have even said it yourself. This idiom generally means there is too much to do, too much going on, or too much to deal with in a person’s life. In fact, we are all prone to times when we are stressed by the “busyness” of our lives.
This is a great article by Extension Educator Molly Hofer, who addresses how to prioritize activities in our lives to relieve stress. Molly says: So, what is on your plate? In fact, why not grab a paper plate and consider your own “plate of life” for a minute. Take the paper plate and a pen and write down EVERYTHING you do in an ordinary week. Go ahead, try it! While you’re at it, include the things you may not do weekly but take care of often, like take the dog to the vet, pay bills, wash the car, etc.
Once you have finished your plate of life, look at it and contemplate these questions: Read More