Prepper's Web

With storm rolling into the Valle on Tuesday, it often means flooding and water on the roadways.

Riverside County tells News Channel 3 they’re actively working to prepare for flooding on the Valley floor.

“Areas where we have roadway flooding. They’re definitely monitoring the areas where we have recent burn scars, so that we can kind of assess everything that’s coming in and what our current state is,” said Shane Reichardt, Senior Public Information Officer for the County’s Emergency Management Department.

As for residents, there’s ways you can prep your home ahead of potential flooding.

“We encourage people to go to their nearest fire station pick up some sandbags. Most fire stations have sandbags available, you will need to get sand,” Reichardt said.

Cal Fire fire stations provide bags for you to fill up. You can find the nearest location to you here.

The County recommends placing them in front of your doors, garage and other areas that are typically prone to flooding.

“The sand that you put in the sandbag can be everything from sand. Worst case scenario, you can even use dirt,”Reichardt added, “It doesn’t necessarily have to be clean, like playground type sand, you can get sand and bags of sand from the local hardware stores. But, you can just use whatever’s available to you.”

The County recommends saving and reusing those sandbags for the next rainstorm since they can last about a season or two. If you are out and about on wet roads, be sure to drive slow and make sure your tires are maintained.

Watch for flooding, especially in the wash areas. If roads are closed, be sure to follow the signs.

“We want people to remember Turn Around Don’t Drown. It’s just not worth it. It puts them them at risk. It also puts our first responders at risk if they have to come out and rescue somebody that’s made that attempt to cross a flooded roadway.”

LAKE CRYSTAL, Minn. (KEYC) – The Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial-Nicollet Knights cross country team is prepping for their sixth state tournament appearance after winning its first section title in school history.

Boys cross country tournaments begin Saturday. For the Knights, they’ve won their first section title in school history but they are searching for something bigger, a state championship.

It’s been a long time coming for Knights head coach Doug Burns. As head coach for the boys cross country team for 30 plus years, this is the Knights first section title in school history. He is excited about the Knights accomplishments this season.

“It’s tremendous,” said Burns when asked how he felt winning the schools first section championship. “The boys really worked hard. This is a team that improved a lot throughout the season. We’ve made it to state, we were pretty good way good back in the 90′s, these kids weren’t even born; but we had five section second place finishes so this is our sixth time at the state meet in program history and this is a team that came on like gangbusters. I’ve said over and over that they ran out of their minds that day which we were really happy about.”

Knights senior captain Christian Fells feels the hard work and excitement not only from his teammates, but coaches as well.

“It’s been really great because the coaches have been wanting this for a while because I think we had the great season last year but we didn’t quite get where we wanted to be,” Fells said. “And then to see everything come together right when it mattered was nice and cool.”

As the state competition approaches, Fells understands preparation is key for a legendary state title run.

“Our goal this year was to qualify for state and get section title,” said Fells. “It was really nice to get that, now that with this week, we’ve been working on, not as hard of workouts but lesser stuff to get us more prepared and in shape and just run he best meet we can in state.”

The meet begins at 1 p.m. at St. Olaf College.

Copyright 2022 KEYC. All rights reserved.

The inside conversation in D.C. these days, as you might expect, is all about scrutinizing the midterm polling data, Nate Silver-izing the margins of error, and guessing where the chips will fall on Tuesday night. Inside the White House, Bidenworld is cautiously preparing for a red tide in the House, with Republicans potentially picking up more than 20 seats. The outcome of the Senate may be unknown on election night, and it could even drag on until December 6 if neither Senator Raphael Warnock nor Herschel Walker pass the 50 percent threshold, triggering a runoff in Georgia. Much has been made of how election cycles have turned into endless, multi-year events. Elections, themselves, are now multi-weeklong affairs.

Meanwhile, the spin machine inside the White House is in overdrive, as the messaging gurus prepare to position the reality, no matter the historical precedent, that Americans came out, at least in part, to repudiate their administration. I’m told that the Obama alumni in Biden’s inner circle, such as Anita Dunn, are still experiencing mild trauma-quakes from Obama’s admission that the 2010 midterms offered a “shellacking”—a phrase that echoed loudly on behalf of the recognition that his agenda, centered around the Affordable Care Act, had become part of the Tea Party’s immaculate conception. (Obama, of course, wasn’t the only president to fall into the trap of stating the obvious—George W. Bush remarked in 2006 that the G.O.P. endured a “thumping” in his second midterm.)

Of course, the A.C.A. has since become the left’s generational touchstone, and becomes more popular every year. But while Obama looked vulnerable in 2010, there was no question that he was the leader of the party. Biden’s position, on the contrary, is far more precarious given the open speculation by some Democrats that he might not be the right candidate for 2024, making it more critical that they not frame the midterm outcome as a referendum on his first two years. 

Even though Biden is unlikely to suffer his own 63-seat shellacking, the midterm results certainly reflect frustration around a plethora of issues, from inflation and gas prices to the gridlock of his first year, which have largely outweighed (at least in the cultural memory) his recent legislative victories and overall success in handling the pandemic. So the question is how to spin the defeat with grace and optimism, perhaps gesturing at a silver lining, and so forth. 

What to Say?

People close to the White House say they are loath to issue a mea culpa, and the messaging gurus want to steer the gaffe-happy, speak-from-the-heart president toward a message that transcends himself. “Everything that happens in that first 24 hours after the elections impacts the lame duck session, the next two years of his presidency, and ultimately the 2024 election,” said a source close to the White House. “They don’t have a vested interest in saying they were wrong.” 

It’s a sticky wicket. Biden needs to: 1) show strength despite losing the House (and maybe more); 2) make sure no one doubts the veracity of the elections; 3) listen deeply to groans from the party poobahs without accepting responsibility; and 4) pull all this off in a non-tone-deaf manner without any off-script moments. “I just don’t see them taking responsibility,” said a Democratic strategist. “I think it’s going to be hard to accept that they lost the midterms because of them.” 

I’m told the White House is leaning toward delicately arguing (positioning, as they say here) that the results would have been different if Congress had been able to pass his very popular legislation earlier into his term, so that voters could have felt the effects before going to the polls. Of course, this is also a dig at camera-mugging, foot-dragging moderates, like Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin, who just wouldn’t support his F.D.R.-ish $3.5 trillion Build Back Better bill, rather than an admission that the president’s agenda was his own version of Obamacare—perhaps too ambitious and mismanaged by Chief of Staff Ron Klain, who wasted far too much time negotiating with progressives, like Pramila Jayapal. I’ve also heard that Bidenworld wants to position the inflationary pressures as exogenous and beyond anyone’s control, especially after Covid. 

In his first remarks after the midterms, Biden does have the opportunity to use the power of the presidency to lay down the marker and pick the first fight with Republicans—to put them on defense heading into the next Congress, perhaps preemptively taking Medicare or Social Security benefits off the negotiating table, or gently flex his office’s might before the inevitable slew of subpoenas arrive for his family and cabinet secretaries. A tweet yesterday from White House spokesperson Andrew Bates, red-flagging Republican plans to potentially curtail various social programs, is indicative of the presumptive strategy. Fighting for entitlements like Social Security and Medicare could also engender the support of Bernie Sanders and Manchin, creating the impression that the party, while diminished, is at least unified.

The Team

Bidenworld doesn’t want to show weakness in his remarks. They don’t want to show it in their ranks, either. And a huge post-midterm shakeup could imply that the Biden administration has been on the wrong track. 

The result may be fewer personnel moves than were previously expected as Biden enters the second half of his term. I’m told from multiple sources close to the White House that Biden wants to keep Klain as his chief of staff, even if Klain, after putting in his two years of service, is ready to head for the door. With Republicans about to investigate Biden’s family members, and possibly even attempt to impeach his cabinet secretaries, Biden’s bunker mentality is likely to take hold, which could put Klain in a situation like his communications director Kate Bedingfield, who was talked out of leaving in the spring for a more lucrative corporate sinecure. After all, if there’s one thing that Biden likes, it’s old familiar faces and reliable loyalists. This also explains the cadre of middle-aged white men, like Ricchetti and Mike Donilon, at the top of his pyramid. And it explains why Dunn keeps flying back into the White House through the revolving door. 

The lack of turnover in Bidenworld has already flummoxed some powerful Democrats, who thirsted for fresh ideas and new actors (and, of course, people more loyal or favorable to them…). “There are so many operatives and donors who are going to be pissed if heads don’t roll, people need to be fired when this is over,” said one Democratic strategist who advises donors. “People are going to want blood because they don’t want to roll into 2024 with the same battered team.” 

But these party operatives also know, as do the president’s inner circle, that he will likely handle his midterm response just as he handles his kitchen cabinet, and just as he will likely handle his re-election: he’ll listen to everyone, mull it over endlessly, talk to Jill Biden, operate on his own time frame, and then follow his gut.

Next week’s election is on pace to be record-breaking in the number of ballots cast. That is unusual for midterms, which usually see lower voter turnout. The Douglas County Election Commission is predicting a 57 percent voter turnout for this election. It ties the 2018 rate and blows past previous midterm elections in the last decade by as much as 17 percent. Douglas County has more registered voters than ever before. Plenty cast their ballot early on Wednesday. “This could be a record-breaking turnout,” said Brian Kruse, the Douglas County election commissioner. Kruse says his office sent out more than 100,000 ballots and received 67,000 back already. They are expecting a high voter turnout next week. “You know, I think in this election, really, there’s something for everybody to get out there and vote on that’s driving them to get a ballot,” said Kruse. UNO political science professor Randy Adkins tells KETV four things draw people out to vote: a sense of civic duty, the ease of voting by mail-in ballot, the clarity of the issues at hand and if a particular race is close, like the fight for Congressional District 2 between Republican incumbent Don Bacon and Democrat Tony Vargas. “That is probably going to be what drives turnout more than any other race in the district. When people know that a race is close, they’re more likely to turn out to vote for it,” said Adkins. “We felt it’s extremely important to come out and cast our vote because of the direction of the country and how it’s been headed in regards to the economy, the safety of the border, crime,” said Scott Hanson, a Douglas County voter. And with inflation, the abortion fight and the war in Ukraine on voters’ minds, the stakes are as high as ever. “The issues are as probably important as we have had in a decade or more,” said Adkins. Douglas County Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 8,000 in registered voters, but 25 percent identify as non-partisan. Adkins expects they will play a big role in these competitive District 2 races. Per Douglas County Election Commission: The voter turnouts for previous statewide gubernatorial general elections were 40.2 percent in 2010, 45.0 percent in 2014, and 57.7 percent in 2018.The Statewide Gubernatorial General Election is Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. Polls are open from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Voters may confirm their information, such as political districts and polling place, as well as view their sample ballot, by visiting our website at www.votedouglascounty.com and entering their house number and zip code in the “Find Your Voting Information” area. Voters may also call the Election Commission at (402) 444-VOTE (8683) during business hours (Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.).All early voting ballots must be received by the Douglas County Election Commission, either at its office or at one of the drop box locations, by 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. At this date, voters are discouraged from returning ballots via the US Postal Service due to extended processing times. Ballot drop box locations are listed on the instruction sheet included with every early voting ballot and are posted at www.votedouglascounty.com.Voters are encouraged to return their ballots as soon as they feel comfortable making their choices. Kruse encourages voters to return their ballots this weekend to one of the official convenient drop boxes if they are ready to do so.

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – As the autumn leaves fall, Ohioans instinctively know that snowflakes will be falling in the weeks to come.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is working vigilantly to prepare snow removal equipment for the season at hand.

ODOT District 5 Public Information Officer Morgan Overbey explained some of the processes mechanics are performing to be ready for that first snowfall.

“Our mechanics are doing a 150 point checks on all of our snowplows, plow-blades, salt spinners, all the equipment related to snow and ice season has to get checked. And the reason that we do that is if anything needs repaired at this point in time we can do that before the first snow flies.”

Last winter, ODOT crews drove more than 7 million miles across the state, removing snow and ice. This year ODOT has more that 120,000 tons of salt prepared to spread across Central Ohio’s roadways.

“It’s always our goal to have primary routes such as I-70, 40, 22, that sort of thing fully cleared and ready to go after a snow and ice event has ended. So that actually when the snow stops, it stops snowing. Two hours after an event it’s our goal to have the road clear and passable. And then some of those more rural state routes, it’s our goal to have them clear and passable four hours after an event stops.”

Last year, ODOT District 5 was rated 99 percent effective as they implemented a procedure that proved to be very effective in dealing with the Interstate 70 construction and plan to clear Muskingum County roads with the same procedures this year.

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Verified: On Thursday, Elon Musk sealed his on-again, off-again deal to buy Twitter. Now, the keys to one of the world’s most influential social media platforms are in his hands. But not everyone’s eager to see the “Chief Twit” spread his wings.

The Story

In just over 15 years, Twitter has amassed more than 230 million users — and became a top platform for prominent political leaders, business executives, journalists, and activists. It helped spark social movements (see: #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo), provided real-time info on major news events, and changed the way the world communicates. For better…and for worse. Twitter has repeatedly come under fire for its handling of hate speech, misinformation, and disinformation (think: election lies, conspiracy theories). Which have continued to take hold despite the company’s efforts (think: labeling misleading tweets, banning accounts). Now, those measures could be seeing major changes.

Because of Musk?

You said it. The self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” has already said that the site must be “warm and welcoming to all.” And that the company will create a “content moderation council” before making any changes. TBD what exactly that means. But many worry controversial figures (like former President Trump and Alex Jones) could ultimately return to the nest. And that Musk will peel back the platform’s moderation efforts — which critics have already said are not enough. That could lead to a rise in hate speech, extremism, and misinformation. And at a not-so-great time (read: the midterms are just over a week away). But those aren’t the only flags being raised.

What do you mean?

Musk is the latest example of the uber-rich buying, creating, or financing social media platforms. (See: Peter Thiel and Rumble. Trump and Truth Social. Perhaps even Kanye West and Parler.) In doing so, they’re all becoming political gatekeepers — at a time when social media has become even more influential for how the public gathers info about elections and politicians. (Worth noting: At least 69 million people have reportedly joined alternative social media sites, which 6% of Americans consider a go-to source for news. But Twitter is at least three times the size of that.) So it’s got many concerned about the profound effects this ‘boys club’ could have on politics and society.

theSkimm

While it’s still unclear what Twitter will look like under Elon Musk, even the smallest change could have major implications. And prove that billionaires really do run the world.

Bookmark’d

Here’s a look at the reads we’ve saved, texted, and emailed to our friends…

The Mysterious Patient in Room 23…she came from one of Europe’s wealthiest families, then became a woman without a trace. Now, her fate may hang in the hands of one person.

What My Mom Taught Me About Sex…hint: it’s not what you think.   

Stevie Case vs. the World…two decades after the gaming industry’s first female superstar said ‘game over,’ she’s finally opening up about the misogyny, harassment, and sexism she faced IRL.

Downtime

Downtime doesn’t have to mean doing nothing. Here’s one idea for making the most of your weekend.

Halloween’s just around the corner. But if you haven’t gotten into the scary spirit just yet, have no fear. We’ve rounded up a few, well, fab-boo-lous ways to help you embrace the most spooktacular time of the year:

• Have a scary movie night. Break out the stash of extra candy, turn off all the lights, and put on something that’ll scare you silly. That could be a classic (think: “Rosemary’s Baby,” “Psycho,” or “The Shining”). It could be one of the recent reboots (think: “Scream” or “Halloween Ends”). Or, if you’re someone who doesn’t like horror movies, it could be something more suspenseful (think: “Get Out” or “Us”). Either way, it’s best to have a security blanket handy.

• Set the stage for a frighteningly good time. All you need are a few festive decorations — both indoors and outdoors. Add drama to your dining table with black candles. Hang a creepy wreath on your door. And pick up a few pumpkins, which you can paint for a more modern look or carve for something more traditional. (Pro tip: Make sure to save the seeds for a well-deserved treat.)

• Pull together some last-minute costumes. You could brave the Spirit Halloween crowds and chaos — and score some of our fave costumes for kiddos and furry friends. Or you could easily DIY a prize-winning costume for yourself (see: the smart cookie and raining men ideas), your little ones (see: the hot air balloon or cardboard train costumes), and your pet (see: the cupcake). 

• Dive into a few spooky stories. If you think there’s nothing better than a thrilling page-turner, check out these reads: “Jackal,” in which a young girl goes missing in her Rust Belt town. “The House Across the Lake,” about an actress whose life starts to spiral following the death of her husband. And “When No One Is Watching,” which follows a woman looking into the gentrification of her Brooklyn neighborhood.

• Eat, drink, and be scary. Make a ‘scare-cuterie’ board. While you’re at it, whip up eyeball pasta, ‘ghoul’-ash, and monster wraps. And don’t forget to stock up on some Halloween candy before the big night. Including treats for everyone.

Howard undergraduates considering careers in medicine, law and academia are exposed to a world-class medical school, dental school, law school, and graduate program from the moment they step on campus.

However, students at other historically Black colleges and universities are often at a disadvantage, with many not knowing the best ways to prepare themselves for graduate and professional schools of their choice.

Through an innovative Summer program, Howard is helping to change that.

“Howard has long operated from the old proverb, ‘to whom much is given, much is expected,’” says Calvin Hadley (BA ’08), senior adviser for strategic initiatives in the Office of the President. “President Frederick has been a leader, not only for our student population and alumni, but for the larger HBCU community.”

To whom much is given, much is expected.”

Recognizing the prominent role Howard’s medical school has played in the education of Black health care professionals, Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick wondered how the University could help prepare students from other HBCUs for a career in medicine whether they chose to attend Howard or not. Hadley worked with Julie C. Andrist, director of the Center for Preprofessional Education, to build a program that would turn that idea into a reality.

The Pre-Health Scholars Summer Enrichment Program (PHSEP) launched in the Summer of 2015 to prepare undergraduates at Howard and other HBCUs for medical and dental school. During the four-week program, students received training for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and Dental Admission Test (DAT), as well as guidance on the entire medical and dental school application process. Students at Howard’s medical and dental schools served as mentors and gave scholars a glimpse into life studying dentistry and medicine at the graduate level.

“We’ve provided the students with the structure and foundation to move forward,” says Andrist. Already the program is yielding positive results. For example, 80% of the Pre-Health Scholars from the 2020 cohort have been accepted into medical and graduate schools, Andrist says.

The success of the Pre-Health Scholars program led President Frederick to ponder whether the program could be replicated at the law school. “It was really a no-brainer for our dean to support President Frederick’s vision,” says Keri Foster, director of academic success and bar preparation for the School of Law. “It is keeping with the law school’s mission to create social engineers.”

The Pre-Law Scholars Summer Enrichment Program (PLSEP) welcomed its first cohort in 2016. Students received training for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Current law students served as mentors, and through visits with lawyers and judges, students got to see first-hand what it was like to pursue different legal careers.

We’ve provided the students with the structure and foundation to move forward.”

The following year, Keneshia Grant, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, attended a conference that explored ways to increase the number of Black PhDs. “It occurred to me while I was sitting in that session that since we have a pre-health enrichment program and a pre-law enrichment program, we should have a pre-PhD enrichment program,” Grant says. 

She pitched the idea to Dr. Frederick and the Pre-PhD Scholars Summer Enrichment Program (PPSEP) launched in 2017 to prepare HBCU students to apply to PhD programs in the humanities.  

While students receive a wealth of knowledge through the programs, they don’t have to pay for it. “We know that finances are often a barrier to success, so we created a program where we could give students a stipend and everything could be paid for,” Hadley says.

Students also benefit from the camaraderie they build with fellow HBCU students, as well as their relationships with Howard students and faculty. “We’re really doing everything that we can to prepare students academically, emotionally, and every other way imaginable,” Hadley says.  

Fall may be a lovely season in Illinois, but a lot of dreaded chores come along with it when you’re a homeowner.

You have to rake a crap ton of leaves.

You have to put away/cover all your outdoor furniture and other fun stuff.

You suddenly discover a bunch of drafty windows that need to be dealt with before the REALLY cold temps come in.

You get my point; sometimes Fall is a LOT of work.

The Biggest Mistake People Make When Prepping Their Homes for Winter

Last weekend we hosted my daughter’s birthday party at our house, and it was the perfect reason to do the deep cleaning that was desperately needed. While vacuuming up cobwebs and washing windows on a pretty windy day I discovered a pretty troublesome problem; there was a major draft coming through most of my windows.

My Googling led me to an old TODAY article from 2015 about insulating your windows for winter where I came upon this quote;

the No. 1 mistake people forget to do with their windows is lock them. Without locking them, you’re likely leaving open space, even the smallest sliver, to let in that cool air and make your home feel cold.

Excuse me, what?

An unlocked window lets in more cold air than a locked one? If you’re thinking DUH, Who doesn’t lock their windows? The answer is me…I often forget to lock all my windows, especially the ones on the second story of our home. You better believe I will be checking each and every window is locked before winter hits!

More Ways to Prevent Drafty Windows and Doors

If locking windows doesn’t cure all your draft problems and you don’t have the budget to replace them right now, here are a few more things you can do according to bobvilla.com;

• Get yourself a door draft stopper, aka, “door snake” like this one on Amazon.
• Install the storm windows you probably have tucked away in your basement or garage.
• Purchase window insulation kits.
• Check the weatherstrip on all your windows and doors and then replace or repair them if necessary.
• Pull the drapes or curtains shut on particularly drafty windows and doors, and/or buy some think, insulated drapery.
• Use clear nail polish to paint window cracks closed.

LOOK: 20 tips to help your houseplants survive the winter