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Extra! Extra! Read All About It!
It's no secret that learning is a life-long
process. A person grows as the result of experiences from home,
school, work, activities, hobbies, vacations, and more. Home Federal
is not only dedicated to participating in Grand Island's educational system
and community activities, but also to providing learning opportunities
whenever possible. Be sure to bookmark this page for useful tidbits
and/or resources. If you have any topics of interest you would like to
see covered, please feel free to
contact us.
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Sandhill Cranes |
"How-To" Web Site |
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Email Scam Alerts |
What is Identity Theft? |
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Grand Island An Island
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Retirement & Weight Control |
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Lack of Sleep & Weight Gain
| Adverse Drug
Events
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Wellness Works |
TeamMates Mentoring Program |
Sandhill Cranes
Nearly 500,000 Sandhill
Cranes depend on the Platte River as a spring staging area each year.
This represents 80 percent of the world's population of Sandhill Cranes.
The Sandhill Cranes start arriving around February 14th, reach peak numbers
around March 17th, and are mostly gone by about April 15th. The
average height of an adult is 3 1/2 feet tall, and they weigh around 7 to 8
lbs. with a wingspan of 5 to 6 feet. They stop along the Platte River
in order to build up fat reserves, which are necessary to sustain them
through the strenuous nesting season further north. They will add at
least 20 percent to their body weight. Ninety-five percent of their
diet in the Platte Valley consists of waste corn found on the ground in the
surrounding fields. It is estimated that cranes eat up to 1,600 tons
of waste corn while in Nebraska. The other 5 percent of their diet,
consisting of worms, insect larvae, snails and other invertebrates, are
found in wet meadows adjacent to the river.
Sandhill Cranes spend the
night roosting on shallow sandbars in the open channels of the river.
They may roost in concentrations of 20,000 per mile. Roosting on the
river protects them from their predators. Why do the Cranes dance?
Some people believe the dancing is a way for the Cranes to release nervous
energy. It is also thought to be a courtship ritual contributing to
the synchronization of breeding cycles between pairs. Some have
suggested that they may be dancing simply because they are contented.
On any given day, 90 percent of the Cranes will be found within 3 miles of
the Platte River. They may travel an average of 6 miles per day.
Source: The Greater
Grand Island Area, Nebraska, Official Visitor's Guide, Spring 2003.
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"How To" Web Site"
Are you a do-it-yourself
kind of person? Here's a web site that may be of interest to you.
This site provides 15,000 step-by-step instructions for numerous projects,
including automotive, computers, food, entertainment, home, garden, travel,
pets, and more. Click here to find out more on
how to do projects.
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Email Scam Alerts In light of the recent
trend in Identity Theft, Home Federal Bank would like to share
the following information regarding email scams:
 | Home Federal Bank
will never request confidential information through e-mail.
If Home Federal requires an update of your personal
information, you will be instructed to contact one of our
locations. If the update pertains to Home Federal
Bank's online banking service, you will be instructed to
follow current password-protected access procedures.
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| Look-alike Web Site
Scams -- According to the Federal Trade Commission,
Internet scammers are luring people into providing personal
information by "phishing" for information. They use
e-mails pretending to be from a business or bank to tell the
recipient that they need to "update", "confirm" or "validate"
their billing information in order to keep their accounts
active. The scammers use various means to convince
customers that they are receiving a legitimate message.
Techniques such as a false "from" address or the use of
seemingly legitimate bank logos, web links, and graphics may
be employed to mislead the customer. After gaining the
customer's trust, the perpetrator directs the customer to a
"look-alike" web site of the legitimate business or provides
an embedded form for the customer to complete, further
tricking consumers into thinking they are responding to a bona
fide request. AGAIN, HOME FEDERAL WILL NOT REQUEST PERSONAL
INFORMATION VIA E-MAIL.
If you receive an e-mail that warns you, with little or no
notice, that an account of yours will be shut down unless you
reconfirm your billing information, do not reply or click on
the link in the e-mail. Instead, contact the company
using a telephone number or web site address you know to be
genuine.
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| Web Site Hoax for FBI
Identity Theft. The FBI is warning consumers of an email
scam which directs recipients to a web site that appears to be
the official FBI public web address. It is instead a
hoax site which is titled "Mass theft of debit cards".
The site encourages users to surrender personal information
pertaining to debit cards in order to ensure that "any fraud
operations with your account...not be made." Again, this
is not a product or solicitation by the FBI. Rather, it
is a serious violation of federal law and one that the FBI is
investigating vigorously.
The FBI has been aware of similar schemes in the past where
solicitations for personal information has occurred and the
perpetrators have falsely identified themselves as internet
service provider representatives, businesses, or financial
institutions. The FBI takes this matter seriously and
strongly encourages the public to be very skeptical of any
online requests for personal information, including credit
card and social security numbers.
Should anyone be directed to this web site, or any other that
appears authentic but solicits personal information, we
encourage you to contact the nearest FBI Field Office or the
Internet
Fraud Complaint Center.
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| Yahoo, Pay Pal and EBay Email
Update/Solicitation Scam. This email
scam instructs the recipient to update his/her account by
completing the personal information requested and return to
sender. The information requested includes such things
as the person's checking account number, social security
number, bank routing number, and ATM/Debit Card PIN number.
The email appears to be legitimate because it contains the
company logo, but it is a hoax. Neither Yahoo nor EBay
would solicit information from its customers in this manner.
If you should receive such an email, please delete it.
Remember that email is NOT secure, and one should never
send personal information (especially credit information) via
email. If a company such as Yahoo or EBay wants a
customer to update his/her account, they will instruct the
customer to log into their Yahoo or EBay account using the
appropriate ID and Password and then make the updates there.
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What is Identity Theft?
Identity theft occurs when
a thief steals your personal identifying information, such as your name,
address, date of birth, social security number, mother's maiden name, and
bank or credit card account numbers in order to impersonate them. The
thief uses this personal information to open credit card accounts, rob bank
accounts, obtain employment opportunities or make deposits on cars or
housing. Thieves obtain this information by sorting through your
trash, stolen purses or wallets, mailboxes, phone solicitation and email
solicitation.
Preventive Actions:
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Promptly remove mail from
your mailbox.
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Memorize your Social
Security number.
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Never leave receipts at
ATMs, unattended gas stations, trash containers, etc.
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Empty your wallet of extra
credit cards and IDs.
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Deposit outgoing mail in
post office boxes. Don't leave in open receptacles.
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Shred any pre-approved
credit applications, bills, pre-approved checks, etc.
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Never give personal
information over the phone unless you have initiated the call.
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Never loan your credit
cards to anyone.
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Be aware of when your
statements should arrive, and notify company or financial institution when
you notice you haven't received one.
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Order a credit report once
a year from one of the following credit bureaus to check for fraudulent
activity or other discrepancies.
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What to do if Identity
Theft has Occurred:
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Notify the credit
reporting agencies of suspicious activity. A "Fraud Alert" will be
placed on your credit report.
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Notify all creditors,
financial institutions, credit card companies, etc.
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Call the nearest U.S.
Postal Inspection Service office.
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Call the local Police or
State Patrol
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Contact the Social
Security Administration
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Contact the state office
of Department of Motor Vehicles.
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Contact Information:
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Equifax Credit Bureau, PO Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241, Toll
Free Phone 1-800-525-6285
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Experian Information Solutions (formerly TRW), PO Box 2002, Allen, TX
75013-0949, Toll Free Phone 1-888-397-3742
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TransUnion Credit Bureau, Fraud, PO Box 2000, Chester, PA 19022,
Toll Free Phone 1-800-680-7289
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Federal Trade Commission,
1-877-IDTHEFT
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Local Police Department,
Grand Island, NE 308-385-5400
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Nebraska State Patrol,
402-471-4545
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U.S. Postal Inspection Service, PO Box 249550, Omaha, NE 68114,
402-392-8920
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Social Security
Administration, Fraud Hotline, 1-800-269-0271
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Nebraska Consumer
Protection, 2115 State Capitol Building, Lincoln, NE 68509,
1-800-727-6432
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Grand Island, Was It Really
An Island? Have you ever been asked if Grand Island is really
an island? If you answer, "sure there was an island somewhere", you
are correct. Grand Island, itself, was not an island, but its namesake
was. In the early 1700's French fur traders named the island La Grande
Ile. The island was the largest inland island and the estimates of the
island's size range from 40 to 70 miles in length and 1 1/2 to 3 miles wide.
La Grande Ile was formed by the braided channels of the North and South
Platte River (the Platte River is one of the only two braided rivers in the
Northern Hemisphere). La Grande Ile was an important landmark used by
the fur traders and pioneers. The first Hall County settlers arrived
in 1857 and Grand Island (named after La Grande Ile) was incorporated in
1872. That is not the only claim to history that Grand Island and Hall
County have. In the early years the Mormon Pioneer Trail, the Oregon
Trail, the Ox Bow Trail, the California Trail, the Nebraska City Cutoff
Trail, the Omaha and Fort Kearney Road, and the Pony Express ran through the
immediate area of Hall County. As you travel those roads and see that
landscape, remember, you really aren't the only one who has taken that path.
And the next time you are asked if Grand Island is an island you will know
the answer.
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True Retirement Planning Includes Weight Control. Think about
it. How much time, thought, energy, and financial resources are spent
on financial planning for retirement? A lot! It is even more
important, however, to plan for good health during our retirement years.
Too many people prepare financially only to find that their health
limitations will not allow them to enjoy (or live?) the later years of life.
Look around and you'll see that far too many Americans have difficulty
enjoying even young and middle adult years due to weight-related health
limitations.
How do I get started
in getting my weight under control?
A successful weight
control plan will be well thought out and will address medical, lifestyle,
psychological, nutritional, activity, and social factors. This can be
very rational and methodical. Write out all the factors you are aware
of that contribute to your own current weight problem. Then, develop a
plan. This may involved educating yourself on weight control and
obtaining counsel or accountability from friends, your physician, a
nutritionist or dietitian, a counselor or perhaps an exercise trainer.
Or, you may choose to go to a center that specializes in weight management.
Either way, I suggest you think through causes of your weight problem and
have a written, thoughtful plan in advance for lasting success.
Regardless of how your
plan unfolds, don't neglect addressing your weight if it is an issue in your
life. There is hope and there are people and plans to help. It
may be the best investment in your future that you could make.
Rick Tague, M.D.,
M.P.H., Medical Director, Center for Nutrition and Preventive Medicine,
Topeka, KS, Health Wise, Heartland Community Bankers Association, Fall,
2003.
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Study Shows Lack of Sleep Leads
to Weight Gain. A study released last year by researchers at
the University of Chicago shows a direct link between sleep deprivation and
weight gain.
Doctors recommend an
average of eight hours of sleep per night. Study participants who
received less than 6 hours of sleep per night experienced significant
hormonal changes. The affected hormones, leptin and cortisol, regulate
hunger urges in the body. The hormone changes increased the appetites
of study subjects and "tricked" their bodies into thinking they were
receiving a diminished caloric input. The end result was that the
individual would overeat and therefore face an increased likelihood of
obesity.
The study also showed that
a lack of proper sleep put young men into a pre-diabetic state that made
their insulin and blood sugar levels resemble those of adults over the age
65
Fortunately, the hormone
levels of the study subjects returned to their normal level when they
returned to eight hours of sleep each night. The study did not
examine, however, the long-term relationship of insufficient sleep and
obesity.
Health Wise, Heartland
Community Bankers Association, Fall, 2003
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Adverse Drug Events - When indicated,
medications may be needed to help control serious health problems such as
high blood pressure, a heart problem, or a life threatening infection.
If taken inappropriately (the wrong medication, an improper dose, or
interaction with another medication being taken) drugs can cause serious and
life threatening problems.
Seniors, age 65 plus, are
the largest users of medication. It is estimated that 40% of seniors
use 5 or more different medications every week. 12% of seniors use 10
or more different medications weekly. The more medications you take,
the greater the likelihood of an adverse event occurring. A study
conducted this year among 27,000 seniors highlights this problem.
Based on their findings they estimate that nearly 2 million adverse drug
events occur each year among seniors resulting in more than 180,000 life
threatening or fatal adverse drug events.
The most common,
preventable adverse drug effects occurred in the following medications:
cardiovascular drugs, diuretics, analgesics (pain relievers), hypoglycemics
(lowers blood sugar), and anticoagulants.
Here are practical
suggestions for helping eliminate this problem for yourself, a parent, or a
friend.
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When taking medications,
be sure to follow the doctor's instructions. If you are not sure what
to do, inquire.
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Tell your doctor (and
pharmacists) what other medications you are already taking in order to avoid
serious drug interactions.
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If you have symptoms that
occur after taking the medication, be sure to contact your doctor right
away.
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Don't take medicines
longer than the time prescribed.
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Don't take other people's
medicine!
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If you have trouble
remember if you took your medication or not, put your pills in a daily pill
box, one compartment for each day of the week. Or, have someone else
administer the medications daily.
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Lastly, you may be able to
make lifestyle changes (such as losing weight, cutting back on salt and
saturated fat, and getting regular exercise) that correct problems so that
medications need not be taken or taken so often. Be sure you get your
doctor's guidance in making changes.
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By using medications
properly you can greatly reduce the likelihood of an adverse drug problem.
(Adverse drug events,
Journal of the American Medical Association, March 5, 2003)
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Wellness Works is the only facility of its
kind in central Nebraska where you can go to a retail setting and seek out
pertinent information on health and wellness as it relates to your needs.
Wellness Works offers the following:
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Food Demonstration Center
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Healthworks Center
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Computer Center
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Reading/Chat Center
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Educational Center
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Monthly Calendar of
Activities
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Hours: M-F 10 a.m.
to 8 p.m., Sat 10 am. to 3 p.m., Sun 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
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Location & Contact
Information
Wellness Works
Conestoga Mall
3404 West 13th Street, Suite 188
Grand Island, NE 68803
Local: 308-398-5050
Toll Free: 877-522-0108
Fax: 308-398-8070
Web site:
www.wellnessworksonline.org
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TeamMates Mentoring Program -- TeamMates of Nebraska is a
mentoring program modeled after the original program started by Tom and
Nancy Osborne. The Osborne's encountered numerous children who were
growing up without enough adult interaction. They realized that these
young people needed someone who could spend time with them, reinforce basic
life skills, and help them with character building. TeamMates is a
school-based program matching middle school students one-on-one with adult
volunteers. These TeamMates partners meet at least one hour a week
during school hours and share a variety of activities. The program is
extremely beneficial to both the student and the adult volunteer. For
more information on the local program in Grand Island, write to TeamMates,
P.O. Box 430, Grand Island, NE 68802, call 308-381-7767, or
click here.
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Email Scam Alert |
What is Identity Theft? |
Retirement & Weight Control |
Lack of Sleep & Weight Gain |
Wellness Works |
TeamMates Mentoring Program |
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