Senior members of the Miri Hakka Association convene for the association’s 332rd gathering cum members’ birthday celebration event. MIRI (Dec 30): Senior citizens are urged to actively participate in community activities, so as to strengthen connections with their peers and foster new friendships. In making this call, Miri Hakka Association deputy chairman Dato Sri Kam Pau Siong emphasised the importance of social interactions for senior citizens as it increases their activeness in community activities. In this regard, he encouraged the elderly to not be confined in their homes, but instead, join in recreational activities hosted by the association, aimed at promoting engagement and interaction between members. “Activities and events such as these provide a remarkable platform for the elderly to come together, socialise and spend time meaningfully while fostering camaraderie,” he said in his speech at the association’s 332rd gathering cum members’ birthday celebration, held at its premises here recently. At the event, participants were treated to a wide array of dishes as well as birthday cakes, celebrating the association’s senior members whose birthdays fall in the second half of the year. “The gathering provided an opportunity for members to gather together as year 2024 draws to a close, sharing warm wishes and an early New Year’s greeting,” said Kam.Next week will bring road trips and turkey dinners to many, and in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday, many city and school district offices will be closed. In Bryan, city offices will be closed Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving. Thursday’s routes, for both solid waste and brush/bulky collections, will be collected on Friday and Friday’s routes will be collected on Saturday. Closed facilities in Bryan include the Bryan Animal Center, the Bryan Municipal Court, Bryan Texas Utilities, Coulter Airfield, Legends Event Center, Neal Recreation Center, Public Works Call Center and the Used Oil and Tire Recycling Center. Payments or documents for the court will be accepted Dec. 2. Lake Bryan will remain open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Animal Control is available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and can be contacted by calling 979-361-3888. For BTU bill payments, call 979-821-5700 to use the automated voice service, stop by a kiosk or visit their website. All city of College Station offices and facilities also will be closed Thursday and Friday for the holiday. Thursday’s solid waste route will be collected on Friday and Friday’s routes will be picked up on Saturday. Recycling and solid waste collection schedules can be checked online or through the free College Station curbside app. All Bryan and College Station public libraries will close at 5 p.m. Wednesday until Monday, Dec. 2. Bryan ISD campuses and the Administration Building will be closed all next week until Dec. 2. College Station ISD will be closed Nov. 27-29 for Thanksgiving while Monday and Tuesday will be student holidays.Everyone knows there’s no cure for the common cold. Though colds can strike at any time, cold season tends to occur when the weather cools down and people spend more time indoors. Inside viruses can circulate and spread more easily, thus leading to elevated rates of infection. Though there might be no cure for the common cold, that does not mean people are helpless against it. Many people have their own remedies to help them manage and potentially shorten the duration of a cold, and chicken soup features prominently in those antidotes. Whether cold season is kicking into high gear or people are confronting the common cold at other times of year, they can incorporate this recipe for Chicken Barley Soup with Vegetables courtesy of Lines+Angles into their cold remedy routines. Chicken Barley Soup with Vegetables Makes 6 servings 8 cups chicken stock 4 cups water 1 teaspoon marjoram 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped 1 medium onion, sliced 1 cup carrots, sliced 2 cups cooked chicken breasts, diced 1 russet potato, peeled and cubed 1 cup broccoli, chopped 1/2 cup barley Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste Directions 1. In a large pot, combine chicken stock, water, marjoram, rosemary, and parsley. Simmer for 15 minutes. 2. Add onion, carrots, cooked chicken, potato, broccoli, and barley. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve.

Catastrophic inland flooding in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee has made headlines across the country in recent months. Severe flooding in areas not typically associated with flood problems may have Americans wondering if they should buy federal flood insurance. But National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) coverage may not be available to everyone who wants it, Insurify reports. Nationally, 2,279 communities don't participate in the voluntary program that provides insurance against flood damage, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, and most homeowners policies won't cover flood damage. Property owners in non-participating municipalities can't buy federally backed flood insurance. Often, non-participating communities are rural, and many have very small populations. Other communities may seem to have little to no risk of flooding, though some may be unaware of the true risk in their area. Communities that don't participate in the NFIP often "have horrible, inadequate flood maps," Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers, or ASFPM, told Insurify. "FEMA's limited mapping budget goes to areas with risk, and your areas of higher risk are going to be bigger. In smaller communities, you're going to have old, approximate flood data." A lack of good data and floodplain maps is a widespread problem for communities, Berginnis said. "We have 3.5 million miles of streams, rivers, and coastlines in the country. We've mapped 1.2 million miles of them. We've only mapped a third of our floodplains." FEMA manages the NFIP, which Congress created in 1968 with the National Flood Insurance Act. Homeowners, businesses, and renters can buy flood coverage through the NFIP Direct system or more than 50 insurance companies that work with FEMA. In order to participate in the NFIP, communities must agree to regulate residential and commercial development in any floodplains that fall within the municipality's boundaries. Communities can participate in the NFIP only if their adopted and enforced regulations meet or exceed NFIP criteria. In participating communities, any property is eligible to buy NFIP coverage—even those outside a mapped floodplain. Currently, the NFIP underwrites approximately 5 million policies in over 22,600 communities across all 50 states and six U.S. territories. Any area that receives rain can be at risk for flooding, and flooding is the most common natural disaster, causing the costliest damages, according to FEMA. Yet nearly one-third of all NFIP claims originate in areas outside high-risk flood zones. Berginnis, who spent a decade in Ohio's state floodplain management office before joining ASFPM, said communities may forgo NFIP participation for multiple reasons. Some have no identified floodplains in their boundaries. Others may have flood zones that are already off limits for development. Some may have considered the relative costs of initiating a floodplain management program—a prerequisite for NFIP participation—and chose not to participate in the program. In such situations, town officials may decide participating isn't worth the effort—especially if they don't see demand from residents for flood insurance. A lack of penalties for non-participation may also be a factor, Berginnis said. "Essentially, joining the [NFIP] is a very simple and straightforward proposition," he said. "Typically, the community passes a resolution of intent to join the program. That's something the [town] council could do, literally at their next meeting. Then, they adopt a set of regulations and standards that include designating someone to be the floodplain manager." Every state provides model fill-in-the-blank ordinances to make it easy for communities to create the regulations required to participate in the NFIP, he said. Once communities commit to participation, they must administer and enforce the regulations they adopted around development in floodplains. "We've kind of made it easy in this country, in my opinion, for communities to participate, and remove all obstacles for them participating," Berginnis said. "They just need the political will to do it." Residents of non-participating communities can't buy federally backed flood insurance. They may also struggle to find private flood insurers willing to cover their properties, as some private insurers won't sell flood coverage in areas that don't take part in the NFIP. Additionally, residents won't be able to use federally backed mortgages, such as loans from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Federal Housing Administration, or Rural Housing Services, to buy or build a home in a Special Flood Hazard Area, or SFHA. And, if disaster strikes—as it did on Sept. 27 for many Western North Carolinians—non-participating communities won't be able to secure financial assistance from the federal government to repair or rebuild structures in SFHAs. Perhaps no state is a better example of the potential consequences of unprotected flood risk than North Carolina. Most of North Carolina's 550 municipalities participate in the NFIP. But 27 don't—including Mills River, which experienced damage in Hurricane Helene. Helene ripped through the northwestern part of the state on Sept. 27, decimating communities in North Carolina's largely rural Blue Ridge and Appalachian mountain ranges. The storm killed more than 225 people, and about half of those deaths were in North Carolina. As of October, authorities were still unsure how many people remained missing. Flood damage to homes and businesses in affected communities is extensive. Since many affected communities are participants in the federal program, the NFIP could cover those losses, at least in part. But few property owners in those areas purchased NFIP policies before Helene. For example, Asheville, with a population of more than 95,500 and 47,606 housing units, saw nearly 10 inches of rainfall that caused devastating flooding. But city residents and businesses had just 447 NFIP policies in force, offering total coverage of just under $152 million. Helene's total cost could range as high as $250 billion, according to AccuWeather. At least one Tarheel community that saw damage from Helene doesn't participate in the NFIP. The town of Mills River in Henderson County lies south of the Asheville Regional Airport—and the Mills River. After Helene, the town's Mills River Park became a distribution point for food, water, and supplies, and offered a mobile shower station, and mobile kitchen serving hot meals for storm victims. The town was home to more than 7,300 people, according to the North Carolina League of Municipalities. Because the community doesn't participate in the NFIP, most—if not all—homeowners and businesses in the town lack flood insurance and will have to shoulder the cost of rebuilding without federal funding. Many of the North Carolina communities that don't participate in the NFIP have very small populations of fewer than 1,000 residents. Like Mills River, they also tend to be rural. Many exist in close proximity to a number of waterways, from large rivers and lakes to creeks and streams. With inland waterways comes an elevated risk of inland flooding. Helene's severe effect on many inland communities across multiple states took many people by surprise. But with climate change driving more frequent and stronger hurricanes and other weather events, it's likely more communities will face situations similar to Helene's effect on Western North Carolina. Smaller communities may be unaware of the elevated risks they face. "In counties and rural areas, you need to pick up 10 to 20 square miles of drainage before a FEMA flood map starts picking up on the floodplain area, yet you have flood risk even if there's only a square mile of drainage," Berginnis said. "These small communities way up in the hollows, they have significant flood risk. [But] we've not mapped it, and that's, I think, on us as a country." Property owners can take steps to protect themselves, even if they're in a non-participating community, he said. The federal government has been working for over a decade to support the development of a private flood insurance market. People in communities where NFIP coverage isn't available may be able to purchase private flood insurance. Homeowners and businesses can also ask their town leaders to begin participating in the NFIP. Above all, Berginnis cautioned, communities should continue to prepare for flooding—even those that have already experienced a catastrophic flood event. "Do not delude yourself to think it can't happen again, or it won't happen again. It will," he said. "And it could happen next week, it could happen next month, it could happen a year from now—the same extreme event." This story was produced by Insurify and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) denies it has been lobbied to change a commissioner to sway an investigation into former premier Thaksin Shinawatra 's police hospital detention. NACC secretary-general Sarote Phuengramphan, who is also the agency's spokesman, denied lobbying had taken place to change the commissioner in charge of the case, as reported. The lobbying was alleged by activist and former red shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan who claimed during a live session on Facebook on Dec 25 that an attempt was made to coax Ekkawit Watchawanku into stepping aside as commissioner in charge of the Thaksin hospital detention case. Mr Sarote said on Sunday the NACC has accepted the case for probe with the entire panel of commissioners supervising the process. The NACC earlier this month agreed to investigate officials accused of letting Thaksin stay in relative comfort at the Police General Hospital (PGH) instead of prison. Thaksin, sentenced to eight years in prison across three cases before receiving royal clemency, reducing his term to one year, was detained in a ward on the 14th floor of the hospital for approximately six months. He was paroled and discharged from the PGH on Feb 18, completing his one-year prison term on Aug 31. The commission decided to take up the case in response to claims that officials at the Department of Corrections and the hospital sent Thaksin to the PGH so he did not have to serve his term in prison. Thaksin spent 180 days at the PGH, although he was believed not to have been seriously ill. The NACC said it had gathered enough facts, witnesses and evidence to conduct the probe so decided to proceed with the case. The investigation would focus on 12 officials at the Department of Corrections and the PGH, the commission said. On his Facebook session, Mr Jatuporn said Mr Ekkawit was subject to lobbying to stand down in favour of another commissioner. The activist suggested the lobbying may have come from someone within the commission. He said Mr Ekkawit, a former Supreme Court chief justice, assumed a prominent role in the probe and it was natural for him to be target of lobbying to have him sidelined. Although a switch of commissioner in charge may not end in the case being dropped, it would at least delay the investigation, Mr Jatuporn said. However, Mr Jatuporn said it was up to Mr Ekkawit if he would cave in to pressure. "My message to NACC is simply this. The country had endured enough tribulations. The agency must recognise that there are no secrets in the world," he said.Jimmy Carter's environmental legacy set the foundation for today's climate action

Tulisa snubs I’m A Celebrity spin-off after erasing show from her social mediaNine years ago, when 195 countries signed up to a net-zero target in Paris, nuclear was a dirty word at international climate gatherings. A huge pavilion was built in the French capital for the COP 21 climate conference in 2015, showcasing the host nation’s leadership in various fields of science and technology. Yet nowhere did the pavilion mention nuclear energy, a field in which France held a leading edge. Greenpeace’s Jan Haverkamp trumpeted it as a sign that the nuclear sector was in trouble. "They will increasingly struggle to update their fleet and do not know how to finance new projects,” he told France 24. Fast forward to COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, which is a very different story. Six more countries joined the pledge to help triple the world’s nuclear energy capacity by 2050, bringing the number of nations on board with the agreement launched last year to 31. Haverkamp’s prediction the nuclear industry would be starved of finance was wide of the mark. In September, 14 of the world’s largest banks pledged to finance the expansion, including Bank of America, Barclays, BNP Paribas, Brookfield, Citi, Credit Agricole CIB, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Rothschild & Co. The change in global attitudes towards nuclear has left the Albanese government deeply exposed. Suppose nuclear energy is as expensive as Labor claims and renewable energy is a technically and economically viable alternative. Then why are nations as diverse as France, South Korea, Turkey and Romania rushing to build new reactors? Even countries with no historical ties to nuclear power are entering the fray. Turkey, for instance, is constructing its first nuclear power plant and planning two more to meet rising electricity demands and reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. Similarly, Romania is expanding its nuclear capacity with Western nations' support and pioneering smaller, innovative reactor designs. As Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala noted at COP29: "I strongly believe that nuclear power is essential to meet climate goals." The global change of heart towards nuclear has pulled the rug from under the Albanese government. For the country with the largest known reserves of uranium to rule out nuclear power is absurdly irrational. In the absence of Anthony Albanese from Parliament this week, it was left to Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles to defend Labor's increasingly precarious position. “You can't go out there and just magic the reactors - you've actually got to go and build them,” Marles said. He has said building the reactors would take 20 years. The argument that building reactors takes time is all the more reason why we should start planning for them now. Yet international experience suggests it won’t take two decades. The UAE’s first reactor at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant took eight years to build. The average construction time for a nuclear generator is 7.5 years with 85 per cent completed in under 10 years. Marles' less-than-convincing recitation of Labor’s talking points in Question Time on Wednesday was a clear sign the politics of nuclear energy have slipped from Labor’s grasp. The body language on the government benches offered further evidence the Coalition has comprehensively won the argument. Peter Dutton’s decision to embrace nuclear in 2022 was seen as risky at the time by some influential Liberal Party figures given Labor’s ability to master fact-free policy scare campaigns. It has partly paid off because Dutton and his energy spokesman, Ted O’Brien, have mastered the policy detail. Internal arguments in the Coalition over climate and energy policy that sapped the party’s strength for a decade are over. The nuclear option is virtuous and practical, providing common ground for believers and sceptics. Scott Morrison’s decision to sign up for Zero 2050 remains controversial within the Coalition. Yet it robbed their opponents of an easy line of attack and changed the debate from the morality of climate change to practicalities. The case for nuclear power has been made easier by Labor’s brittle policy, and an energy minister who is more certain than informed. Seldom has a minister failed to deliver so much in such a short amount of time as Chris Bowen has in the energy portfolio. He has not managed to lower household power bills by $275 in Labor’s first term. He has not succeeded in speeding up the roll-out of renewable energy. His target of installing 40 7MW wind turbines a month and 20,000 solar panels a day has proved hopelessly unachievable. Indeed, the number of projects that have reached financial completion has fallen. He has not succeeded in reducing CO2 emissions, which have flatlined since Labor came to power. His boast of turning Australia into a clean-energy superpower has fallen flat as investors have gone cold on the future of green hydrogen. Critically, Bowen has been unable to say how much his renewable-only net-zero policy will cost. Labour's energy policy to the last election is much more of a liability than an asset. The advantage of climate and energy in the next election will be in the hands of the Coalition. Nick Cater is a senior fellow at Menzies Research Centre and a regular contributor to Sky News Australia

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A video of a man beating up a hurt deer posted on social media has garnered attention and now the Missouri Department of Conservation is investigating. The video posted on Facebook at around 8:30 p.m. Saturday is a screen recording of a Snapchat video showing a hurt deer lying on the side of the road. The post claims the men involved are from Rolla. The video shows a man walking toward a deer lying on the side of the road that has blood coming from its mouth. The man is heard saying "f**k this stupid thing" as he walks towards it. Once the man approaches the deer, he strikes the deer in the head about three times while yelling more expletives at the animal and saying it jumped out in front of him. The man then shows the deer, which has blood coming from its nose and a cut on its forehead. It's eyes are partially closed. Another man can be heard saying, "Hold my phone so I can cut its throat." The next clip shows the deer upright standing next to the road. The man recording says to the deer "What the f**k are you doing bro? You just hit the damn truck and you're just going to walk off?" The man kicks the deer. The deer then runs off into the distance while the man laughs. The other man says "you just lost the deer meat," the man recording then says "f**k this stupid thing" before starting to run in the direction the deer ran. The video cuts off after that. In an email to ABC 17 News, a spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Conservation says the agency is aware of the incident and is investigating. The spokesperson provided no other information. When the conservation department's agents complete an investigation, any recommendations for criminal charges will go through the appropriate county prosecutor. The Phelps County Sheriff's Office and Rolla Police deferred to the conservation department for information about the investigation. The video has gotten 769 shares, 366 reactions and 659 comments on Facebook. A commenter on the post tagged the Missouri Department of Conservation. Boone County Prosecutor Roger Johnson said in Missouri, it is illegal to intentionally inflict suffering on an animal. "Normally, that's a misdemeanor, it's punishable by up to a year in jail or up to a $2,000 fine," Johnson said. "But, if you inflict torture or mutilation on an animal while you're causing suffering, it actually is a felony, in Missouri, you could go to prison for up to four years."

Queens Car Accident Attorney Keetick L. Sanchez Discusses Lower Back Pain Settlements Following Car Accidents 12-12-2024 08:06 PM CET | Politics, Law & Society Press release from: ABNewswire Queens car accident attorney Keetick L. Sanchez ( https://accidentlawyer-queens.com/lower-back-pain-car-accident-settlement/ ) provides valuable insights into the factors affecting settlements for lower back pain sustained in car accidents in New York in the article titled "Lower Back Pain Car Accident Settlement." The article emphasizes the challenges of determining settlement amounts and explains how various factors influence compensation. The team at K L Sanchez Law Office, P.C. has highlighted examples, including cases where settlements ranged from $20,000 to multimillion-dollar awards, illustrating the variability based on injury severity and impact. Lower back pain is a common outcome of car accidents and can range from mild discomfort to debilitating, long-term pain. Settlement amounts depend significantly on factors such as the severity of the injury, medical treatment costs, and the extent to which the injury affects an individual's daily activities and ability to work. A Queens car accident attorney can help evaluate these factors and guide victims through the legal process. Sanchez elaborates on how these elements are assessed in New York under the state's personal injury laws. "Settlements often reflect not only the tangible costs like medical expenses and lost wages but also the intangible impact, such as chronic pain and reduced quality of life," Sanchez explains. A Queens car accident attorney can assist in ensuring these intangible factors are properly considered when negotiating a settlement. Severe cases requiring surgeries or extended recovery times often lead to higher settlements, as they account for long-term implications and the need for ongoing care. The article discusses the importance of understanding the role of Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage in New York, which initially covers medical expenses regardless of fault. However, in cases where the costs exceed PIP limits, victims may seek compensation through at-fault drivers' liability insurance. For significant injuries, the settlement value often increases due to the inclusion of pain and suffering compensation and future lost earnings. Sanchez also addresses how insurance companies evaluate lower back pain claims, a process that begins with assigning an adjuster to investigate the case. The adjuster reviews evidence such as medical records, police reports, and witness statements to determine the claim's value. Initial settlement offers may be lower than the claim's actual worth, which underscores the importance of carefully negotiating the final amount to ensure fair compensation. Statutory limitations and procedural requirements for filing claims also play a significant role in securing a settlement. In New York, victims typically have three years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. However, specific exceptions, such as cases involving minors or municipal liability, may alter these deadlines. Failing to adhere to these timelines can result in forfeiting the right to pursue compensation. The article highlights real-life examples where settlement amounts varied widely depending on the circumstances of the accident. For instance, one client received $2,700,000 after suffering severe lower back injuries in a rear-end collision, while another secured $250,000 for similar injuries. These examples underscore the importance of tailoring compensation to reflect the unique challenges and recovery needs of each case. For victims navigating lower back pain from car accidents, the article stresses the significance of working with knowledgeable legal professionals to ensure that all injury-related costs and impacts are properly documented and included in the settlement. By addressing both immediate medical expenses and long-term effects, victims can focus on their recovery while seeking the financial resources needed to move forward. K L Sanchez Law Office, P.C. supports individuals dealing with the aftermath of car accidents, helping them pursue fair settlements that account for all aspects of their injury and recovery. Their approach emphasizes comprehensive documentation and negotiation to secure compensation that reflects the full scope of damages. Keetick L. Sanchez continues to provide clarity on legal issues surrounding personal injuries in New York. This latest article is an essential resource for anyone seeking to understand the nuances of lower back pain settlement after car accidents. About K L Sanchez Law Office, P.C.: K L Sanchez Law Office, P.C. is a Queens-based law firm dedicated to assisting clients with personal injury cases, including car accidents and other serious injuries. The firm is committed to advocating for individuals seeking compensation for their losses and providing support through the legal process. Their approach focuses on delivering practical solutions to help clients move forward after challenging life events. Embeds: Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5uWU8F7mtE GMB: https://www.google.com/maps?cid=2729652254808699760 Email and website Email: accidentlawny1@gmail.com Website: https://accidentlawyer-queens.com/ Media Contact Company Name: K L Sanchez Law Office, P.C. Contact Person: Keetick Sanchez Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=queens-car-accident-attorney-keetick-l-sanchez-discusses-lower-back-pain-settlements-following-car-accidents ] Phone: (646) 701-7990 Address:3763 83rd St #1m City: Jackson Heights State: New York 11372 Country: United States Website: https://accidentlawyer-queens.com This release was published on openPR.