January 8, 2019 www.broadcasteronline.com Why Community Service Matters on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (SPM Wire) Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be commemorated on January 21. If you are planning how to best spend the time off from work or school, consider volunteering. To honor the life and legacy of King, many communities offer service events that are easy to join for one day. From serving meals to the elderly to interpreting critical health information to new immigrants, there are many ways you can devote your skills, time and energy to others in need. A national listing of service projects can be found by visiting nationalservice.gov. This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, consider how you can honor a great man, while helping to build a stronger community. What everyone is reading. www.broadcasteronline.com www.plaintalk.net Broadcaster Press 7 Why Vocational Education is Critical for Many Young People (StatePoint) In this high-tech era where a college degree is positioned as a necessity for success, vocational education is often overlooked. But experts say that a vocational education provides the right experience for many jobs that are currently vacant. Indeed, there are 30 million jobs nationwide that don’t require a Bachelor’s Degree that pay an average of $55,000 annually, according to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Whether it’s a student that doesn’t fit the traditional high school-to-college path or someone who is interested in mechanics, a vocational education can prepare that individual for a well-paying, real-world career right out of high school. Indeed, many students learn from industry professionals and participate in internships and other unique programs that serve as a springboard to careers after they graduate. For example, over the last two decades, derelict farm equipment has provided high school-aged students with the tools they need for life through the Chevron’s Delo Tractor Restoration Competition, an annual event that is open to high school-aged tractor restorers. The program provides a national platform for students interested in careers in agriculture or diesel mechanics on which to shine, mixing the hands-on vocational experience of restoring an antique tractor with the business skills needed to detail, manage and communicate the process. On top of valuable experience and national exposure at industry events, the Delo Grand Champion receives a $10,000 prize. The process of restoring an antique tractor to likenew condition involves commitment, determination, teamwork, project management, budgeting, planning Read and Recycle Seniors: How Healthy Feet Can Reduce Your Risk of Falling (StatePoint) Among older Americans, falls are the number one cause of injuries and death from injury, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Not only are seniors more at risk for falls, when they do so, it poses a greater risk for injuries, hospitalization and complications. For a ground-up approach to fall prevention, seniors should start by examining the health of their feet. “Painful foot conditions, such as osteoarthritis, corns, bunions, hammertoes and diabetes complications, can make it difficult for seniors to maintain balance and coordination when walking or standing,” says Michael Ambroziak, DPM, FACFAS, a board-certified foot and ankle surgeon and Fellow Member of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgery (ACFAS). “Compounding the issue is that the very exercises intended to correct risk factors for falls, such as lower-body weakness, as well as gait and balance problems, are made difficult to perform when one is suffering from painful foot and ankle conditions.” While the factors causing falls are numerous, experts say that seniors, and everybody for that matter, can take steps to reduce their risk by minimizing or even eliminating foot pain. Doing so will improve balance, coordination and stability when walking or standing. Foot and ankle surgeons recommend the following ways to help keep feet and ankles healthy: • Don’t ignore pain: Foot pain is not just a normal consequence of growing older, so don’t resign yourself to aching and suffering. You likely have a treatable condition. For a proper diagnosis and intervention, be sure to pay at- and even a little marketing. It’s a very hands-on experience and those familiar with the program say that participants come out prepared for the real world. “I can’t count the number of kids that have been exposed to excellent career opportunities through this program,” says Rick Elmore, career and technology education coordinator at Dubiski Career High School. “I have been an advisor and mentor to participants in the competition for over a decade and have seen the impact it can have on their lives.” Indeed, many participants have gone on to careers in mechanics, or have used the experience to launch them into careers outside of agriculture or mechanics. “The vocational aspects of the Delo event provided critical context that led to my study of automotive restoration at McPherson College,” says Tabetha Salsbury Hammer, two-time competition winner (‘03 and ‘04) and the first female to win the event. “The business skills helped prepare me for a career in the classic car industry. To say this event changed my life would be an understatement.” For those interested in a vocational education, such programs abound, representing a number of industries and careers. It’s only a matter of learning more about these opportunities. So, whether you have an aptitude for mechanics or you are not sure if a traditional four-year college degree is the right path for you, visiting the career center at your school as well as looking into vocational internships, programs and competitions, can expand your horizons about what’s possible for your future. Additional Financial Protection for Your Family: What to Know (StatePoint) It is hard to think about death, but organizing your financial paperwork, having a will, making sure you have an appropriate amount of life insurance coverage and even writing out funeral plans, can help ensure that tention to your feet and see a foot and loved ones left behind have a little less to worry about during a difficult time. ankle surgeon if and when you experiDraw up a Will ence pain. Only 44 percent of Americans report • Examine your feet: You are the having a will, according to a 2016 Galgatekeeper of your own health, maklup poll, and that percentage drops to ing regular at-home foot examinations just 14 percent for those younger than critical. At the sign of bumps, lumps or other changes in your feet, make an 30. Even if you don’t own much, a will helps family and friends know that they appointment with your foot and ankle are following your wishes, which can surgeon. be comforting. If you have children • Exercise: Simple stretching exeror pets, it is important to think about cises can help you maintain strength and mobility in your feet and ankles, as their future and who you want to take well as provide pain relief. Talk to your care of them in your absence. Specify if physician about appropriate exercises you have special directions regarding your funeral services, if you want one for you. at all. • Protect: Use padding, insoles or Creating a living will is also critical. whatever special footwear you are preYou’ll want to give your loved ones scribed. Be sure to wear these, along with comfortable, sensible shoes, every some guidance on making important health decisions, should you be unable day. to yourself. Granting power of attorney • Be flexible: Know that at times, to a trusted agent in the event that you surgery is the most appropriate treatment for a given condition. Fortunately, are too ill or incapacitated to oversee many simple surgical techniques allow your affairs is another way to help ensure your estate will be properly foot surgery to be performed on an managed under any circumstances. outpatient basis. Consider Life Insurance For more ways for to keep feet and Nearly 90 percent of Americans ankles healthy, prevent falls or to find believe that a family’s primary wage a foot and ankle surgeon near you, earner needs to have life insurance, but visit FootHealthFacts.org, the patient education website for ACFAS. Foot and only three in five U.S. adults own an individual or group life insurance policy, ankle surgeons are experts in providaccording to the Life Insurance Market ing both conservative care as well as Research Association 2018 Insurance surgical approaches to foot and ankle Barometer. healthcare. “Life insurance can be an important Remember, just one fall can permapart of an overall financial plan. The nently rob seniors of their independmoney can help your family fulfill your ence and dramatically reduce their quality of life. Taking good care of feet plans for them, such as maintaining and ankles however can reduce the risk their current home, attending college and assisting those with special needs,” of a life-altering slip, trip or fall. says Bill Smith, president, Cigna Group Insurance. (All Cigna products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Life Insurance Company of North America, Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York (New York, NY) and Connecticut General Life Insurance Company.) Smith also points out that beneficiaries often have other immediate needs beyond receiving a benefit check. Grief counseling or access to legal document review may be available as part of the policy. Find out what resources will be available to your beneficiaries and list those details with your policy information to make it easy for them to access this help. And remember, if something changes in your life -- you get married, divorced or have children – you should update your beneficiary information accordingly. Organize Your Paperwork Make it easy for your family to handle next steps. Create a personal information organizer containing the following crucial information to serve as a quick reference: • Personal family information, such as the names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers of spouses, children and dependents. • Important contact information, including your attorney, landlord, financial planner, doctors, business associates, etc. • A directory specifying the location of pertinent documents such as your Social Security card, birth certificate, passport, property deeds, insurance documents, loan documents, tax returns, estate planning documents and more. Want to strengthen your family’s financial well-being? Take steps now to help ensure they will be well-protected, come what may. We’re all ears. Promise FOR THE FUTURE Questions? Comments? Story Ideas? Your opinion is something we always want to hear. Call, write us or contact us via e-mail and let us know how we are doing. 201 W. Cherry • Vermillion, SD 57069 605-624-4429 • classifieds@plaintalk.net Raise your expectations. 101 W Main St | 605.624.4461 | CorTrustBank.com ID 405612