Safety
Lots of Rain = Lots of Mosquitoes. Here’s How to Fight Back
August 8, 2018With all the rain we’ve been having this summer, you can be sure the mosquitoes are out in full force. Torrential downpours have left standing water anywhere it can pool: in puddles, in discarded tires, in tree stumps, in the folds of tarps, even in toys left outside. They all make perfect breeding grounds for…
Don’t become a statistic — follow these tips to beat the heat
July 11, 2018Though this summer hasn’t been as consistently hot as others (yet), we’ve already had our fair share of blistering temps and heat warnings. As we head into the middle of July, you can be sure more heat waves are likely. Every year, there are grim news stories about children or pets who’ve been locked in…
Fireworks on the Fourth: Celebrate Independence Day Safely
June 28, 2018This Fourth of July will be the state’s first under a new fireworks law that allows residents to legally shoot off bigger, louder and more dangerous displays than have been allowed for the last 80 years. It’s a change that brings with it the potential for more injuries — and that has local authorities concerned….
It’s Swimming Season — Make Water Safety a Priority
June 21, 2018You may have seen the news reports about the drowning death of 19-month old Emeline Miller, daughter of former winter Olympian Bode Miller. The toddler was playing with other children in a room during a party when she got outside through a back door. By the time anyone realized she was gone, it was too…
Allentown not alone in need for water infrastructure upgrades
June 12, 2018There’s no getting around the fact that costly upgrades are needed for Allentown’s more than 600 miles of aging water and sewer lines. Over the next 45 years, LCA expects to spend $1.3 billion on infrastructure improvements in the city. But Allentown and LCA aren’t alone in this struggle: Communities across the country face the same…
Don’t forget fire hydrants when clearing snow
December 16, 2017It’s not quite officially winter yet, but we’ve already had two snowfalls, and there’s likely more on the way before spring rolls around. Few people like clearing snow, but it’s a must to keep sidewalks and driveways safe and passable. While many of us focus just on clearing a space for our car and…
Cold weather is on the way — winterize now and protect those pipes!
December 7, 2017Temperatures are dropping and the official start to winter is about two weeks away — if you haven’t done so already, it’s time to winterize the house, protect those pipes and wrap that meter. Before the big chill hits, check your house to make sure your water meter and any water lines that are in…
Safety tips to make Halloween a little less scary for children (and their parents, too)
October 27, 2017It’s that time of year again, when little ghosts, goblins, monsters and other creatures will be roaming darkened streets. It’s a scary prospect – especially when you consider that children are more than twice as likely to get hit by a car around Halloween than at any other time of the year. With that in…
County has new, safer options for prescription drug disposal
September 21, 2017If you’ve been flushing unused medications down the toilet, it’s time to stop. Doing so in the past has led to widespread contamination of water supplies, because wastewater treatment plants were not designed to remove these compounds. Throwing drugs into the trash or leaving them in the medicine chest, though, is also problematic, because it can…
As Irma hits Florida, it’s a good time to ask: Are you prepared for an emergency?
September 10, 2017As Hurricane Irma tears into Florida, it seems like the perfect time to re-visit a subject we’ve written about several times in the past: emergency preparedness. With late summer and early fall comes hurricane season – and we’ve often felt the after-effects of coastal storms all the way up in the Lehigh Valley region. As…