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As temps rise, so do risks for kids, pets and vehicles

With the summer solstice — the official start of the season — arriving Sunday, the hottest temperatures of the year are likely ahead for the region. With that in mind, it’s worth reprinting AAA’s tips to help motorists keep their children, pets and vehicles safe during the warmer months. Excessive heat can pose great risks to motorists. Within just a few minutes the inside of a car can become dangerously hot, AAA warned in a news release. Since 1998, 1,049 children have died due to Pediatric Vehicular Heatstroke, according to noheatstroke.org. In 2025 alone, 33 children died in ...

Red Cross needs donors — and offers e-gift cards

The American Red Cross has an urgent need for donors and is counting on people to act now and book a time to give blood or platelets. Donors of all blood types and those giving platelets are needed to keep a strong supply of lifesaving blood products on hospital shelves into the summer, the Red Cross states in a news release. As summer heat ramps up, so do people’s plans, which could lead to postponed appointments or less opportunities to give ─ an especially troubling scenario at a time where the Red Cross has experienced an alarming drop in scheduled donations in ...

Ways to deal with a bad year for ticks

Although the warm weather is just starting in the region, from what we’re hearing, it’s the worst season for ticks that anyone has seen. Tick season is in full swing and with it, the danger of contracting one of several nasty infections that are becoming all too common in the area. But ticks shouldn’t keep you out of the woods, if that’s something you enjoy doing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has these suggestions to avoid contact with ticks: Before going outdoors • Know where to expect ticks. Ticks live in grassy, brushy or wooded areas, or even on ...