News You Can Use

August 17, 2007

Students & Credit Card Blues

Students preparing to go off to college can take steps now to ensure they graduate with a healthy credit history, according to the PA Office of Attorney General.  Credit card offers are pouring into the mailboxes of college students heading out the door with limited financial and budgeting experience.

When the monthly bills such as rent and utilities compete with concert tickets, CDs and parties, the impulse to spend money that the student does not have can lead to financial problems.  For example, a student spending or charging $2,000 by credit card in one month at an 18.5 percent interest rate who only makes the minimum monthly payment will take 11 years to pay off the bill.  The student will pay a total of $1,934 in interest.  (The minimum monthly payment is the greater of $20.00 or 2.8 percent of the outstanding balance.) 

A 2004 study of high school seniors revealed nearly 65 percent of high school seniors failed a financial literacy survey.  To help them graduate with a healthy credit history, share "Money's Best Friend" with the students in your family for aid with credit, savings, budgeting and more.  Don't wait until they are ready to head off to college or even high school.  The Kids & Money page, sponsored by the PA Office of Financial Education, can help you start early or catch them up.  Download "Stay Afloat-Don't let those Credit Card Blues get you Down" to alert your student to the financial pitfalls of irresponsible credit card use.

As the Vegetable Travels 

Did you know the average vegetable travels nearly 1,500 miles from the farm to the grocery store before you lay eyes on it?  That's 27 times the mileage of foods purchased from local farms, according to the PA Department of Agriculture. 

Pennsylvanians interested in fresh Pennsylvania-grown produce should consult the Consumer's Guide to Pennsylvania Farm Markets 2007 to find a convenient location (listed in alphabetical order by county).  See page 171 of the Farmer's Market Guide for a list of produce and the months each can be found in-season in PA.

You may also go to VisitPA.com and enter the words "farm markets" in the keywords search.  Check "Show Advanced Options" and you will have your choice of seven regions in which to locate a market.  You will also have options to locate additional attractions, events and road trips to add to your fun while seeking out the freshest and tastiest PA produce. 

Turn the page to 172 for information on the Farmer's Market Nutrition Program providing income eligible seniors and WIC recipients with the opportunity to buy nutritious, locally-grown fruits and vegetables.  See related links:  FMNP; Welcome to WIC; Nutrition.gov; PA WIC

Impaired Driver Crackdown through Labor Day

An impaired driver crackdown utilizing specially trained drug recognition experts (DREs) will continue across Pennsylvania from mid-August through Labor Day 2007.  In addition, each of the 50 DUI Task Forces funded by the PA Department of Transportation is asked to conduct a sobriety checkpoint on Friday, August 24, 2007. 

DREs are trained to characterize and stop impaired motorists in seven major drug categories.  When a driver seems impaired and his alcohol concentration fails to match the level of impairment, a DRE is utilized to determine other drug-induced impairment. 

According to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, approximately 31 million American drivers admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs in the past year.  Warnings of possible impairment associated with prescription and over-the-counter medications are included in the PennDOT announcement or access statistics and costs associated with impaired driving.

Consumers Urged to Check Vehicles for Potentially Dangerous Tires

If you are driving an SUV, pickup or van with tires sold from early 2004 to mid-2006, refer to an announcement from the PA Office of Attorney General regarding a tire recall.  Approximately 255,000 potentially dangerous, Chinese-made, steel-belted radial tires were sold under the brand names Westlake, Compass and YKS.   

A change in the design appears to have resulted in the product missing gum strips to help protect against the tread or belt separating from the tire and causing an accident.  The recalled tires can be returned to the original dealer or other dealers agreeing to replace them.  The tires will be replaced with light truck radial tires of comparable value and size at no cost to consumers.   

Consult the Consumer Advisory issued by the PA Office of Attorney General for convenient links to Foreign Tire Sales, the New Jersey tire distributor that contracted production with a Chinese manufacturer.

Consumers may call the company's hotline at 1-888-899-9293 or go directly to Foreign Tire Sales, Inc.  Consult the Company's recall announcement.    

For information about the recall of other consumer products, visit the website of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

PA CleanWays Seeks Volunteers  

Whether you are seeking a way to enjoy the last days of summer or looking ahead for ways to enjoy that cool fall air, the PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR) and PA CleanWays wants to hear from you.  Individuals, corporations, schools, and other groups and organizations are helping to reduce litter and participating in cleanup projects across the state.   

Volunteers will contribute to outdoor cleanup projects in state parks, along waterways, and in suburbia.  Choose to be a hands-on volunteer removing debris from a steam bank or use your organizational skills to conduct a cleanup in your community.  If speaking and teaching are your forte, PA CleanWays enlists assistance to man booths for local conferences, fairs and events to educate and generate outreach programs.  Others choose to be site monitors in areas of unabated illegal dumping. 

DCNR partners with PA CleanWays, a non-profit organization, to identify dumpsites and form community volunteer teams to help remove waste under the Forest Lands Beautification Program.  Get involved or locate an upcoming event or other opportunity.   

DCNR is charged with maintaining and preserving the 117 state parks; managing 2.1 million acres of state forest lands; providing information on the state's ecological and geologic resources; and establishing community conservation partnerships to benefit rivers, trails, greenways, local parks and recreation, regional heritage parks, open space and natural areas.  Explore PA State Parks or locate a state park near you.     

No Better Time to Prepare 

With tropical storms beginning to brew in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, it is time for East Coast residents to prepare for possible emergency conditions, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  

FEMA offers key points to preparing for extreme weather conditions and disasters.  FEMA points to the need for an emergency plan and a basic emergency supply kit and provides useful links to complete your family's plan.   

Resources offered through Ready.gov include a checklist for your supply kit with a little extra help.  The average person will require at least one gallon of water per day for 3 days.  The checklist includes a list of special conditions and people who may require additional water during an emergency.   

A 3-day supply of food is recommended.  Ready.gov can help you select healthy non-perishables to carry your family throughout an emergency.  Here are more tips on completing your emergency kit.