Wally Decker
Tuesday News for February 20, 2024
28 days till Spring
Today is Love your PET day
‘PIZZA with POLICE’ is a FREE community event in Elkin this evening (Feb 20). Officers with the Elkin Police Department and the Surry County Sheriff’s Department will be available for conversation (and pizza) this evening (from 5:30pm – 8pm) at the Yadkin Valley Visitors Center (257 Standard Street) in Elkin.
Help is just a phone call away. The Peer Warmline is a phone line staffed by specialists who offer non-clinical support to individuals in recovery with mental health or substance abuse issues, or both. Just call 1-855-PEERS NC (1-855-733-7762).
The 988 Suicide and Crisis lifeline is available 24 hours a day seven days a week by simply calling 9-8-8. More info at https://988lifeline.org/
Recall: 2.6 million Honda and Acura vehicles (model years 2017-2020) are under a recall (in the US) due to a ‘fuel pump module’ that can ‘deform and cause the engine to stall while driving’. Honda will notify owners when they can come in to their local dealership and have their vehicles ‘fixed’ for FREE. The bad news: the parts may not be available until the fall of 2024.
Visit these websites for additional info: www.recalls.acura.com, www.recalls.honda.com
*Also, check your vehicle’s VIN number for any open recalls. https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls
NASCAR: 26-year-old William Byron from Charlotte winning the Daytona 500 last night.
The rain-delayed event was just the third time in the Daytona 500’s 66-year history that the race was held on a Monday. https://news.yahoo.com/william-byron-wins-daytona-500-012619571.html
Every US state and territory will receive a new round of funding to help clean up the nation’s drinking water. The bipartisan effort aims to fix America’s vast underground water system, replacing miles of corroded pipes. CNN
Commissioners in Union County voted 3-2 Monday night to stop adding fluoride to part of the county’s water supply. A contentious debate between public health and medical freedom has spanned months. During the public forum portion of Monday’s meeting, several pediatric dentists spoke about the benefits of fluoride, particularly for individuals without dental insurance. *Union County is located southeast of Charlotte.
Poll: Americans are currently ‘less satisfied’ with their personal lives, the lowest since 2011. According to a new Gallup poll, a few groups stand out regarding their higher-than-average satisfaction of life…including married couples, those in a higher income bracket, college educated, older Americans (+55 years) and faithful churchgoers. In fact, a total of 56% of US adults who attend religious services ‘regularly’ say that they are very satisfied with how things are going in their personal lives…
College Hoops: Men’s basketball (TONIGHT)
Wake Forest hosting Pitt (9pm) at the Joel. TRIVIA NIGHT…
NC State hosting Syracuse (7pm)
Wednesday night: Duke at Miami (Fla)…7pm.
Thursday night: App State at Old Dominion
‘No need to kiss the ring’
Update: Nikki Haley reiterating that she’s ‘not dropping out of the Republican presidential race’. The South Carolina Republican primary is this Saturday.
In polls, former President Trump leads Haley by double digits…
www.newsnationnow.com/politics/2024-election/nikki-haley-not-dropping-out-2024-election/
Walmart is buying TV maker Vizio for $2.3 billion.
The deal would give Walmart more ways to offer ads through Vizio televisions, as well as create entertainment options exclusively for customers with Vizio TVs.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/20/tech/walmart-vizio-tv/index.html
Ukraine’s army is under pressure as Russian forces are making advances ahead of the two-year anniversary of the invasion this week. BTW: February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. The invasion became the largest attack on a European country since World War II. Thousands inside Russia taking to the streets to protest the death of opposition figure Alexey Navalny. https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Key measures of respiratory virus activity in the US have been trending down for weeks, and the CDC says the worst of the Cold, Flu, Covid season may be over?
However, virus levels remain elevated across the US – especially in the South, where Covid-19 levels are twice as high as in the rest of the country. Source: CDC
IRS: Tax ‘filing’ season has begun.
Free tax-preparation sites are now open throughout Davidson County.
Locations include Lexington, Thomasville and Denton as well as the campus of Davie-Davidson Community College. Deadline to file your 2023 taxes is April 15th.
Election 2024. In-person early voting continues in North Carolina thru March 2.
During the in-person early voting period, voters may cast a ballot at ANY early voting site in their county. Curbside voting is available for voters who are NOT able to go inside.
*Don’t Forget Your Photo ID. https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/vote-early-person
A link to Early Voting Sites in your county on the News Blog.
BTW: Primary Election Day in North Carolina is Tuesday, March 5th.
