Kansas.com: News2Use

Tips for a safe and healthy road trip

LYNDA SHRAGER — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 01:40 CDT

The summer travel season is upon us. When planning to travel by car to your vacation destination, a bit of preparation will help ensure a safe and healthy road trip.

Before the trip, take your car to a mechanic to make sure it is in good working order. It is far better to find a problem while you are still home rather than on a highway in the middle of nowhere.

Before you go, speak with your doctor about any health concerns. Don't leave home without a mini-medical chart on all the travelers, including emergency contact information for all your doctors. If you travel with medications, take them in their original containers along with a copy of the prescription.

It is always a good idea to travel with three to five days of extra medication beyond the planned trip should you be delayed in coming home.

When packing the car, leave room for a cooler to hold bottled water and any medications that might be heat-sensitive.

APPLY FOR THE WOMEN'S PROGRAM

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 01:39 CDT

How to

A $138,000 grant from the Wichita Community Foundation will provide funds for women living in poverty who are pursuing an education. Women in need can apply for the Wichita Women's Assistance Network program at participating agencies.

1. Women who apply must be at least 18 years old, single, living in Sedgwick County, at or near poverty level and enrolled in classes now or in the fall.

2. Women can apply at:

--Catholic Charities, Inc.

Women especially should be saving more for retirement

CANDICE CHOI — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:39 CDT

Women may not earn as much as men or fly up the corporate ladder as quickly, but they get the last laugh since they live longer. Right?

As it turns out, women probably aren't saving enough to bankroll those extra years in style. They invest more conservatively, start saving later and are more likely to be in and out of the work force, according to a study released Wednesday by Hewitt Associates, a human resources consulting firm.

Suddenly, retirement isn't looking so rosy.

Women live an average of 22 years after retirement versus 19 years for men -- and medical costs are rising, so women will need to save 2 percent more than men every year over 30 years to maintain their standard of living upon retirement, the study found.

The importance of saving didn't dawn on Jerre Laughlin until she was in her 40s and started working in human resources.

Kids behaving badly online, too

ALANA SEMUELS — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:41 CDT

On the playground, children pilfer lunch money and push each other around. But in the cyber-clubhouses they're filling by the millions, kids rig elections, sell fake products and scam each other out of every virtual-worldly possession.

Sophia Stebbins recently joined one such online community, Webkinz, which lets its young members create avatars, play games and hang out. The 9-year-old from Irvine, Calif., worked in a virtual hamburger shop, earned virtual cash and bought a virtual bed, couch and TV for her virtual house.

Then one day, she logged in to her account to discover that all of her gear and money were gone. She suspects that another kid swiped her password and sold her things.

"I was a little scared," she said. "Sometimes now, I hesitate to go online."

An estimated 12 million children and teenagers will visit virtual worlds in 2008, according to research firm eMarketer Inc. So it's no wonder that such sites have become big business.

PREVENT HOME BURGLARY

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:40 CDT

How to

Wichita and Sedgwick County authorities say taking these steps will help prevent theft and aid the recovery of stolen items:

• Lock doors, leave windows open no more than 6 inches and close garage doors, even while at home.

• Install an alarm system and display the sign.

• Record serial numbers on valuables such as electronics or handguns so that you can identify them if stolen. Engrave or write your name on items and take photos of jewelry.

Gen-Xers create family-friendly online networks

EVELYN SHIHEVELY — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 01:43 CDT

Chris Schwartz's child isn't due until September. But girl or boy, Virgo or Libra, the littlest Schwartz has already been the subject of adoration in Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Texas and New Zealand.

Schwartz has been posting sonograms on his personal page at Famzam.com, a new family-friendly networking site founded by Anthony Lamme of Oakland, N.J. Like many Generation-X parents, the 35-year-old Schwartz has incorporated the Internet in his parenting -- even before his child is born.

"I like to think we have the youngest social networking child in the world, at five months before birth," said Schwartz, a Linden, N.J., native.

For Gen-X parents, it's no longer enough to use resources on the Internet passively. Several 30- and 40-somethings have used their Web savvy to create sites that are a new space for their generation, apart from that of the dominant youth culture.

Partly, they are being forced to actively engage with Web culture because their children are (or will be) in the cyber world as early as 2 or 3 years of age. But mostly, the Internet is starting to become a new frontier for Gen-Xers who want to claim niches for themselves.

FUNDING OPTIONS FOR KANSAS TRANSPORTATION

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:38 CDT

Now you know

• Increasing motor fuels taxes by 1 cent would provide $17.8 million a year

• Indexing motor fuels tax would raise the rate with inflation over time

• Increasing vehicle registration and license fees by 1 percent would provide $1.7 million a year

• Bond financing would provide for major projects over the next 20 years

Nondrug treatments may help hyper kids

TARA PARKER-POPE — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 01:42 CDT

About 2.5 million children in the United States take stimulant drugs for attention and hyperactivity problems. But concerns about side effects have prompted many parents to look elsewhere: As many as two-thirds of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, have used some form of alternative treatment.

The most common strategy involves diet changes, like giving up processed foods, sugars and food additives. About 20 percent of children with the disorder have been given some form of herbal therapy; others have tried supplements like vitamins and fish oil or have used biofeedback, massage and yoga.

While some studies of alternative treatments show promise, there is little solid research to guide parents. That is unfortunate, because for some children, prescription drugs aren't an option.

The drugs have been life-changing for many children. But nearly one-third experience worrisome side effects, and a 2001 report in The Canadian Medical Association Journal found that for more than 10 percent, the effects could be severe -- including decreased appetite and weight loss, insomnia, abdominal pain and personality changes.

Although the drugs are widely viewed as safe, many parents were alarmed when the Food and Drug Administration ordered in 2006 that stimulants like Adderall, Ritalin and Concerta carry warnings of risk for sudden death, heart attacks and hallucinations.

Study shows diet can affect genes

BETSY MASON — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 01:41 CDT

The benefits of eating right and staying active may extend well beyond your physique, all the way down to your genes, San Francisco Bay area scientists have found.

Men with low-risk prostate cancer were able to change the activity of genes that affect tumor growth with diet and exercise, which could potentially reduce the risk of the cancer progressing.

"So often people say, 'It's all in my genes, what can I do?' Well, it turns out we can do a lot, and faster than we thought," said Dean Ornish of University of California San Francisco, lead author of the study.

Turning certain genes on and off may not only help slow cancer progression, it could help prevent recurrence and perhaps prevent cancer from showing up in healthy people.

The team studied patients with low-risk prostate cancer because unlike patients with breast cancer or colon cancer, immediate chemotherapy or radiation isn't required, and the tumor can be safely monitored for growth.