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Most Affordable Des Moines Communities to Buy a Home

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Des Moines, IA, is a prime city that offers various neighborhoods that cater to different lifestyles and budgets. Finding an affordable home in such a place can be an endeavor. Des Moines has immense popularity for its vibrant culture, friendly communities and excellent quality of life and it also provides numerous options for prospective homeowners. This guide will explore some of the most affordable Des Moines communities to buy a home, highlighting critical aspects of each area to help you make an informed decision.

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How to Identify and Report Nursing Home Abuse: Tips for Families

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Ensuring the safety and well-being of elderly family members in nursing homes is a significant concern for many families. Nursing home abuse is a distressing reality that can have devastating effects on victims and their families. It is crucial to recognize the signs of abuse, understand the appropriate steps to take, and know how to report such incidents. This comprehensive guide aims to provide families with the necessary information to identify and report nursing home abuse effectively.

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Children’s Aid and Family Services is Offering a Free Program for Ridgewood Families

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Children’s Aid and Family Services is offering a free program for families that are coming to Ridgewood .This free program is being run with space provided by West Bergen Mental Healthcare; however, families do not need to be receiving their services or looking to receive their services.

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Village of Ridgewood Offers guidance for parents, families and school personnel on mold in the Home and School

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October 20,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the Village of Ridgewood Offers guidance for parents, families and school personnel on mold in the Home and School.

What is mold? Molds are fungi, such as mildew, mushrooms and yeast that can be found both indoors and outdoors. No one knows for sure how many species of fungi exist but estimates range from tens of thousands to perhaps three hundred thousand or more. They have been known for centuries.
How does mold grow?

Mold needs water and food. Mold can grow almost anywhere there is water, high humidity, or damp conditions. Molds are often found in homes and schools that have been flooded or have had water leaks. Mold grows faster in warm temperatures and high humidity. Molds can even grow in desert areas if evaporative (swamp) coolers are used. Mold can feed on paper, fabric, wallpaper glue, sheetrock, wood, soap scum, leather, and many other surfaces. Molds grow by producing very small spores that can settle on wet surfaces and grow to the visible forms of mold common in the bathroom of most homes and schools.
How are children exposed to mold?

Children can be exposed to molds in the home as well as at schools. The most common areas in a home are where water is present, such as bathrooms. In schools, bathrooms, shower rooms and laboratories are environments suitable for mold growth. Mold exposure can also occur in any area where water from a leak comes in contact with paper, fabric, wallpaper glue, sheetrock, wood, and other surfaces. In addition, mold can grow on cold surfaces due to condensation of water on cold surfaces, particularly if these surfaces can serve as “food” for molds. There have been cases of children with health effects from mold growth in gyms with wet walls due to condensation.
You can breathe the mold particles if mold is disturbed. You can breathe in mold spores (usually not visible) that mold releases in the air. You can touch mold and get it on your skin. You can also swallow mold if you eat moldy or spoiled food like moldy bread.
What are the health effects of mold?

Some people are allergic to molds. Mold exposure may worsen asthma symptoms, hay fever, or other allergies. The most common symptoms of mold exposure are cough, congestion, runny nose, and trouble breathing. Symptoms usually disappear after the mold contamination is
removed. Exposures to very large mold growth from flooded buildings presents more potential for respiratory problems than common exposures found in homes and schools, particularly if ventilation is on as this may disperse mold spores throughout the building.
Should I have my home/school tested for mold?

Generally, it is not necessary to identify the species of mold growing in a residence, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not recommend routine sampling for molds. Current evidence indicates that allergies are the type of diseases most often associated with molds. Since the susceptibility of individuals can vary greatly either because of the amount or type of mold, sampling and culturing are not reliable in determining your health risk. If you are susceptible to mold and mold is seen or smelled, there is a potential for health effects; therefore, no matter what type of mold is present, you should arrange for its removal. Mold testing is expensive and the results are not always related to health risk.

Should I see a doctor if my child has been exposed to molds at home or at school?
If you think that your children have symptoms related to mold exposure in your home, you should see a doctor. If the exposure was from school, you should also notify the school nurse or administrators. Keep in mind that many symptoms associated with mold exposure are also caused by many other illnesses. The extent of mold exposure (small spot in bathtub versus large area of extensive mold growth due to flooding) is also a factor in seeking medical attention.
How can you reduce mold in your home or school?

The best way to reduce mold exposure in your home is to remove water and moisture sources. Fixing leaks, drying damp areas, and removing humidity from the air (e.g., using a dehumidifier in basements; opening a window while taking a shower in bathrooms with no exhaust vent) will help limit mold growth and keep it from coming back. In schools, administrators and maintenance personnel must be notified to correct leaks and remove moisture sources as well as remove moldy ceiling tiles and similar materials.
How do you clean up mold on a surface in your home?

The best way to clean mold from surfaces such as shower walls is to use detergent and water. Diluted household bleach (no more than one cup of bleach in one gallon of water) may be used to clean hard surfaces; however, you should avoid its use in confined areas (showers and closets) and should never mix bleach with other household cleansers. If you have breathing problems (asthma, emphysema, COPD), you should avoid the use of bleach altogether. If large areas of a home have mold growth, such as might occur from flooding, then a professional mold remediation contractor should be contacted.

In schools, maintenance personnel may be able to clean up small areas of mold and remove stained, wet ceiling tiles and other moldy surfaces. The best way to eliminate mold is to make sure that the source of water is stopped.

Mold spores are difficult to kill and some will remain in a home or school even after a cleanup. It is very important to reduce or eliminate moisture in areas prone to mold growth. This can be done by use of exhaust fans in bathrooms and increased ventilation in school rooms. If moisture remains, mold will grow again from the microscopic spores.

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Governor Christie Signs Executive Order Declaring Opioid Drug Abuse a Public Health Crisis

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January 17, 2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  Intensifying his Administration’s commitment in the fight against substance abuse, Governor Chris Christie today signed Executive Order 219 declaring the opioid epidemic a public health crisis in New Jersey. The action requires the marshalling of all appropriate resources to combat its harmful effects on state citizens.

“We must take aggressive action to get this insidious crisis under control so I am calling together all resources of state government in order to save lives,” said Governor Christie. “The human cost of this epidemic is incalculable, impacting every part of life in New Jersey, affecting our education system, our health care system, public safety and the financial security of every person it touches.”

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, an American dies every 19 minutes from an opioid or heroin overdose. New Jersey’s drug overdose death rate increased by almost 22 percent between 2014 and 2015. There was a 30 percent increase in heroin deaths over the previous year and triple the number of deaths caused by the synthetic opioid fentanyl. Additionally, the CDC reports that in 2012, health care providers wrote 259 million prescriptions for opioid pain medication, enough for every adult in the United States to have a bottle of pills.

The new Executive Order creates the Governor’s Task Force on Drug Abuse Control, to be headed by Charlie McKenna, Executive Director of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, which will be charged with developing and executing a comprehensive, coordinated strategy to combat the drug-abuse epidemic by working with all areas of state government, in addition to local, federal, and private entities, as well as the Facing Addiction Task Force.

The Drug Abuse Task Force will consist of eight members, including the Attorney General and the Commissioners of Health, Human Services, Corrections, Education, Children and Families, and Banking and Insurance.

The Task Force will review current statutes and regulations that present barriers to individuals suffering from addiction to receiving treatment from rapid opiate detox centers and make recommendations to rescind or amend any such statutes or regulations to remove those barriers.  The panel is authorized to call upon any department, office, division, or agency of this state to supply it with information, personnel, or other assistance available as the Task Force deems necessary to discharge its duties. The Task Force may consult with experts or other knowledgeable individuals in the public or private sector on any aspect of its mission.

The Executive Order also directs Attorney General Chris Porrino to take all necessary steps to limit the initial prescription of opioids for acute pain and establish standards such that additional quantities may only be prescribed after further consultation with the patient.

The Order further directs Department of Children and Families Commissioner Allison Blake to ensure residential substance abuse disease treatment facilities and similar facilities utilize their existing spaces effectively, including ensuring that 18 and 19-year-olds with substance abuse problems are able to take advantage of any vacancies in existing facilities wherever appropriate.

In addition, the Governor is directing Acting Education Commissioner Kimberley Harrington to develop a new, comprehensive grade-specific curriculum to educate children about the dangers of substance abuse.

“Opioid drug abuse is one of the most challenging issues facing us not only as Americans but as New Jerseyans,” said Governor Christie.  “The crisis is pervasive – impacting our families, friends, neighbors and coworkers.  The steps I am taking today through this Executive Order recognize the severity of the crisis and pull together the efforts of all state government agencies.”

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Influence peddling, acting for Putin’s ally, hiding classified secrets and sexting – how FIVE separate FBI cases are probing virtually every one of Clinton’s inner circle and their families

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Scale of FBI investigations into Clinton’s closest aides and friends is becoming clear
Besides Huma Abedin,  a swathe of long-time loyalists are at the center of investigations including Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe
John Podesta ran the Clinton Foundation which is under investigation while his brother Tony is also focus of a probe about foreign corruption
Cheryl Mills already received limited FBI immunity during Clinton email investigation – and is key Clinton fixer
String of other names are being looked at or have been caught up in earlier scandals

By DAILYMAIL.COM REPORTERS

PUBLISHED: 09:32 EDT, 1 November 2016 | UPDATED: 14:56 EDT, 1 November 2016

The extent to which Hillary Clinton’s key advisers are now the focus of major FBI investigations is becoming clear.

The Clintons’ long-term inner-circle – some of whom stretch back in service to the very first days of Bill’s White House – are being examined in at least five separate investigations.

The scale of the FBI’s interest in some of America’s most powerful political fixers – one of them a sitting governor – underlines just how difficult it will be for Clinton to shake off the taint of scandal if she enters the White House.

There are, in fact, not one but five separate FBI investigations which involve members of Clinton’s inner circle or their closest relatives – the people at the center of what has come to be known as Clintonworld.

The five known investigations are into: Anthony Weiner, Huma Abedin’s estranged husband sexting a 15-year-old; the handling of classified material by Clinton and her staff on her private email server; questions over whether the Clinton Foundation was used as a front for influence-peddling; whether the Virginia governor broke laws about foreign donations; and whether Hillary’s campaign chairman’s brother did the same.

The progress of the Clinton Foundation investigation and that into McAuliffe was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

The FBI does not generally comment on investigations, so it is entirely possible there are more under way.

Here are the advisers and consiglieri – and how the FBI is looking at them

Read more: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3889994/Influence-peddling-acting-Putin-s-ally-hiding-classified-secrets-sexting-FIVE-separate-FBI-cases-probing-virtually-one-Clinton-s-inner-circle-families.html#ixzz4Oo0hDHbN

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Iran Nuclear deal angers families of Iran terror victims

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SEPTEMBER 14, 2015, 10:40 PM    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015, 7:11 AM
BY MIKE KELLY
RECORD COLUMNIST |
THE RECORD

It is considered a footnote in the contentious debate over the Iran nuclear deal.

But for the families of several New Jersey residents who were killed years ago in Iran-sponsored attacks, the deal’s promised return to Iran of billions of dollars in assets that were frozen years ago is nothing less than a blow to the war on terror.

Estimates of the amount of money in play range from $50 billion to about $150 billon, with opponents of the deal more likely to cite a higher figure. Many victims’ families looked to the frozen funds as a potential target — if an elusive one — to collect in court judgments against Iran for its role in planning terrorist attacks dating to the 1980s.

Supporters of the deal, however, say that the attempt by victims of terrorism to tap into the frozen assets is misguided and a back-door attempt to derail implementation of the accord, which the Obama administration says will prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb. Much of the money is already committed to paying other bills in Iran’s oil trade with Asian and European nations.

Regardless, the fate of the money has emerged as a dividing point in the debate over the deal — and future dealings with Iran.

“It’s a nightmare,” said Stephen Flatow of West Orange, whose 20-year-old daughter, Alisa, was killed in an Iranian-financed bus bombing in the Gaza Strip in 1995.

That event sparked Flatow’s nearly two-decade court battle to punish Iran by tapping into its financial holdings in America and across the world.

Along with Flatow, the families of American victims killed in dozens of terror attacks across the Middle East may lose out on the chance to collect as much as $20 billion in outstanding court judgments if Iran is able to recover all of its financial holdings that were frozen under international economic sanctions, some of which were imposed as punishment for those terrorist activities.

“This is about bills owed, payment owed,” said Arline Duker of Teaneck, whose 22-year-old daughter, Sara, was killed in another Iran-backed bus bombing in Jerusalem in 1996. Duker later followed Flatow in filing a lawsuit against Iran.

“These are not about new sanctions,” she said “This is about payment of a debt. The whole idea is for Iran to acknowledge what it did.”

The debate over Iran’s leading role in sponsoring terrorism dates back decades to a period when Iranian-backed terrorist proxies such as the Hezbollah group in Lebanon and Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank regularly attacked U.S. targets.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/kelly-nuclear-deal-angers-families-of-iran-terror-victims-1.1409790