T’is the season…  Getting ready for winter doesn’t always take a lot of work.  Sometimes it’s just a few little things that can make the difference between safety and suffering: having a survival kit in your car, changing the batteries in your carbon monoxide detector, staying well-hydrated during outdoor fun.

Next week, November 10 – 14 is Winter Hazard Awareness Week. This is the time Minnesotans are reminded of the hazards that come with winter and are reminded of winter safety and individual preparedness wherever they are: in their homes, on the road, at work, or at play.

Most Minnesotans, through years of practice and experience, are knowledgeable about winter weather conditions. They know how to dress, drive, be active outdoors and generally get through the winter with their lives, homes and property intact. Nonetheless, deaths and injuries occur every winter because people fail to take precautions. Carelessness, overconfidence, ignorance and innocence leads to damage, injury or death from winter weather conditions.

Stearns County Emergency Management’s website offers some simple precautions and winter safety tips you can use to be prepared and to have a safe and enjoyable Minnesota winter.

Family Caregivers play a critical role in providing the best care possible for our Nation’s Veterans and their labors often go unnoticed. November is a time to highlight these generous, loving individuals and show appreciation and support for their indispensable efforts.

In support of caregivers, the St. Cloud VA is hosting a series of weekly Caregiver relaxation telephone conferences. These brief relaxation exercises can be accessed directly from your home or mobile phone, and are scheduled every Wednesday in November, at 7 a.m., 11 a.m., and 7 p.m.  To participate, simply dial 800-767-1750. When prompted, enter access code 73687. Participation is limited to the first 100 Caregivers who access the call.

Additionally, an “Understanding PTSD for Caregivers” presentation is scheduled for November 18, from 9 to 11 a.m., at the St. Cloud VA Medical Center. Call 320-252-1670, ext. 7283, to register. The location of the presentation will be will be provided upon registration. 

As the Veteran population ages, and as combat Veterans return from deployments in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the need for family Caregivers continues to grow. These family Caregivers make countless sacrifices to support ill, injured, or disabled Veterans. A 2014 study by the RAND Corporation found that 12% of Caregivers of Veterans who served after 9/11/2001 and 10% of Veterans from all other eras report spending more than 40 hours a week providing care.

The mission of the VA Caregiver Support Program is to promote the health and well-being of family Caregivers who care for our nation’s Veterans, through education, resources, support, and services. VA offers numerous programs such as in-home care, adult day health care, respite, and Home Based Primary Care. Caregivers are offered various supports including online and telephone support programs, peer mentoring, and/or local Caregiver support groups. Every VA medical center has at least one Caregiver Support Coordinator who can assist Caregivers with accessing these services and supports.

This November, please join VA in celebrating National Family Caregivers Month and honoring our family Caregivers, who offer so much to improve the well-being of our Nation’s heroes.

For more information on VA’s Caregiver Support Program, go to http://www.caregiver.va.gov/, call VA’s toll-free Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274, or contact the St. Cloud VA Caregiver Support Coordinator at (320) 252-1670 ext. 7283.

The first Wednesday of the month people are used to hearing tornado siren testing.  Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 5th, St. Cloud residents will not hear the sirens sound during the monthly testing.  That’s because the software system that runs these sirens is getting an update.

Stearns County doesn’t want to cause concern among residents who may think their siren isn’t working. They should know there is no need to call authorities. 

Only the sirens within the St. Cloud city limits are affected. Sirens will go off throughout the rest of the County as scheduled.

The software update should be completed, and the sirens back up and running again by the week of November 17, 2014.

Presented by Dick Gaither
    Employment Professional
    Vietnam War Veteran
    Best Selling Author

St. Cloud State University
    Atwood Cascade Room
    November 12
    2:00pm - 4:00pm

Rockville County Park & Nature Preserve and Spring Hill County Park will be closed to the public for two weeks in November. 

The Stearns County Parks are closed beginning this Saturday, from November 8 – 23, 2014, to accommodate a special hunting opportunity for people with disabilities. The hunters applied and were selected by Midwest Outdoors Unlimited for the deer hunt.  Each disabled hunter will be accompanied by one able bodied person from Midwest Outdoors Unlimited while in the park.

Midwest Outdoors Unlimited is a non-profit organization that manages special hunting opportunities for people with a disability.