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News You Can Use

June 27, 2008

Email Hoax Warns of Stolen License Plate for Gas Thefts

"Don't become part of an email hoax" is the message being disseminated by the Pennsylvania State Police.  An email circulating in Pennsylvania falsely warns of license plates stolen from vehicles for the purpose of stealing gas.

The email hoax suggests, if your license plate goes missing it could reappear on the back of another vehicle as the operator attempts a drive-off gas theft.  The message goes on to falsely warn that the license plate owner could be held responsible for the gas theft.

The PSP wants the public to know the message was not generated by law enforcement and is a hoax.  The Department asks that you help stop the hoax by not forwarding the false information to others.

Lane Painting Season Arrives

Warm weather means you are likely to encounter the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's (PennDOT's) annual line painting operation.  The Department applies a fresh coat of reflective paint to lines that provide direction, delineation, and guidance to motorists.

Helpful information and tips to avoid interfering with a line painting operation include:

• Line painting trucks typically travel about 15 miles per hour
• Slow down and be patient when signs indicate lane closures or warn of work ahead
• Stay at least 10 car lengths behind the supply truck
• Avoid driving on freshly painted lines for at least 2 minutes
• Use denatured alcohol to remove fresh line paint and go to a car wash

On most roadways you will find a paint truck and a supply truck unless a freeway or expressway is being painted, in which case there will be a second supply truck.  Access more work zone safety tips for a safe summer. 

Guided Butterfly Tours Offered in July

Fort Indiantown Gap is not just the only live fire, maneuver military training facility in Pennsylvania.  The Lebanon County facility also provides habitat for the only viable colony of Regal Fritillary butterflies, a federal species of concern, in the Eastern U.S., according to the Pennsylvania Department of Military & Veterans Affairs (DM&VA).

Free, guided Regal Fritillary butterfly tours will be conducted on July 4, 5, 14, and 21 at 9 a.m. and at 1 p.m. on July 13.  Participants must arrive at the Gap's Community Club located at the intersection of Fisher and Clement Avenues (Rt. 934) to attend an orientation meeting before heading out on the tour.  For details call the PA DM&VA Wildlife Office at 717-861-2449. 

The natural habitat also supports 36 species of mammals, 122 breeding species of birds, 34 species of reptiles and amphibians, 25 species of fish, 792 species of plants, and many notable species of invertebrates including 83 species of butterflies and 237 species of moths across 17,000 acres that include over 3,000 acres of native grassland habitat, considered the largest in the state.

Fort Indiantown Gap must balance one of the region's more ecologically diverse areas with the military mission of supporting 19,000 PA National Guard personnel and more than 130,000 Guard, military, law enforcement, and civilian personnel from other states annually. 

PGC Announces New Birding Website

Birders throughout Pennsylvania may now participate in an international “eBird” network through a customized satellite website being hosted and managed by the PA Game Commission (PGC) in partnership with the Pennsylvania Society of Ornithology and Audubon Pennsylvania.

The PA Game Commission is the first state wildlife agency to host and manage an “eBird” website.  Featured stories are intended to appeal to casual and avid birders while reflecting the interests of partnering organizations.  “eBird” is a repository of news, information, and observations. 

Information shared on “eBird” is especially important to conservation efforts.  Researchers can analyze the observations to determine a species distribution, abundance, and migration.  Birders can participate in an ongoing effort to collect field observations to be used in a database that is expected to quickly become a vital source of bird information that will expand and improve with each passing year. 

Put PA Preferred Fruits & Vegetables On Your Picnic Table

Fresh fruits and vegetables are showing up in grocery stores and roadside stands around the state.  You can make sure you are putting the freshest fruits and vegetables on your picnic table by looking for the PA Preferred logo, according to the PA Department of Agriculture.

Use the Seasonal Items Chart to help you plan your menu with healthy recipes.  You'll find beets and broccoli are just a few of the items that have come into season this month.  Interested in baking a cherry pie?  The chart reveals sweet cherries are ripe and the tart variety will be ready in July.

The Pennsylvania Preferred Program assists Pennsylvania farmers by encouraging consumers to purchase Pennsylvania products.  The PA Preferred logo assures that foods are grown and processed under some of the world's most stringent food safety standards and in Pennsylvania's rich soil and temperate climate.  Turn to the 2008 Consumer's Guide to PA Farm Markets to help you locate PA Preferred produce. 

Diabetes is a Growing Problem

Nearly 24 million people in the United States are suffering from diabetes, according to 2007 statistics collected by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.  Twenty-five percent of diabetics do not know they have the disease, identified as the seventh-leading cause of death in the U.S.

Diabetes can lead to serious complications including heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, blindness, kidney disease, nervous system disease, amputations, dental disease and complications linked to pregnancy.  The CDC illustrates some of the complications of diabetes:

• The risk for stroke is 2 to 4 times higher among people with diabetes. 
• Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults aged 20–74 years. 
• It is the leading cause of kidney failure, accounting for 44% of new cases in 2005. 
• About 60% to 70% of diabetics have mild to severe forms of nervous system damage resulting in impaired sensation or pain in the feet or hands, slowed digestion of food in the stomach, carpal tunnel syndrome, erectile dysfunction, or other nerve problems. 
• More than 60% of non-traumatic lower-limb amputations occur in people with diabetes. 
• Almost one-third of diabetics have severe periodontal disease with loss of attachment of the gums to the teeth measuring 5 millimeters or more. 

Adopting a healthy meal plan and incorporating regular exercise into your daily routine may help with excess weight and blood glucose levels.  The American Diabetes Association offers the latest news and research on diabetes along with recipes and exercise tips to fight the disease.