1)  Keeping Inventory of Financial Information Can Help in Emergency

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Keeping an inventory of financial information – checking, savings and/or credit card account numbers and current balances – can be helpful if a wallet or purse is lost or stolen, said Marilyn Bischoff, Extension family economics specialist, University of Idaho, Boise.

Copying the front and back of a credit or debit card, which often will include a toll free number for reporting a lost or stolen card, is recommended, said Bischoff, who cautioned account holders to store the inventory in a secure place.

More information on money management is available at county and district K-State Research and Extension offices and on the Extension Web site: www.oznet.ksu.edu.

                                                Source: Kansas State University Research and Extension


 

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2) K-State Energy Answers: Window Shutters, Thermal Shades Can Aid a Home’s Indoor Environment
 

Q: Do such movable insulation products as shutters and shades really make a difference in the interior temperature of a home?

A: Movable insulation is a versatile window covering, such as shutters and shades, that can increase or decrease net heat gain as determined by homeowner needs and weather conditions.

Insulating windows can make a significant difference in energy bills, since windows are to blame for much of summer heat gain and winter heat loss, due to the low R-value of the glass pane. If you do not properly install, use, or maintain the window treatment, it will probably produce only low or moderate savings on heating and cooling costs.

R-value measures resistance to heat gain or loss. A typical insulated wall has an R-value anywhere from 12 to 19, while a common double-pane window has an R-value of about 2. Depending on design, movable insulation may be able to achieve double or triple that R-value.

Movable insulation can be interior or exterior. Examples of interior movable insulation are thermal curtains, shades, shutters, and window quilts. Shades and shutters keep out (or retain) the most heat, but also cost more than curtains and window quilts. Any treatment is more effective if it is properly sealed along a window’s edges. Interior shutters are often made of polystyrene or a foam sheath encased in wood or metal, and can triple a window’s R-value.

The most common type of exterior movable insulation are shutters. Exterior shutters provide increased security and may reflect sunlight into a home during winter months. They also do a better job of reducing solar load in the summer. However, shutters generally cost more than interior insulation, and are subject to weathering. Adding movable insulation to windows can be expensive, so many people make and install their own systems. Such projects can be less expensive if the consumer has sewing or carpentry skills, and realistically assesses the project and time required.

More energy-related information is available on Kansas State University’s Energy Extension Service Web site: http://www.engext.ksu.edu/ees/.

 Source: Bruce Snead, Kansas State University Energy Extension Service


 

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3)  Weather Wonders: Just How Much Snow Can Kansas Get?  

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- With winter still stretching on for several more weeks and with it, the prospect of even more snow, some Kansans might be wondering just how much snow can Kansas get?

“Snowfall in Kansas can vary quite a bit, not only from location to location, but year to year,” said State of Kansas climatologist Mary Knapp. “The average annual snowfall in Kansas is 19 inches. It ranges from 11 inches a year in Parsons to over 40 inches a year in Goodland.”

Knapp, who runs the Kansas Weather Data Library based in Kansas State University Research and Extension, said the greatest 24-hour snowfall recorded in Kansas was on October 26, 1997 when Norcatur received 24 inches.    St. Francis holds the record for a single season with 99 inches during 1983-84. On the other side of the scale, many stations have years with no snow at all. Even Goodland has had years of little snowfall, Knapp said.

During 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001, Goodland saw less than an inch of snow each of those years.

“In contrast, on the national scene, Mount Baker Ski Area, near Seattle, set the U.S. record in the 1998-99 season with 1,140 inches. That’s a lot of snow,” Knapp added.


 

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4) Tips for Parents:  Responding to a Child’s Question Promotes Future Dialogue

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Asking a question can be a child’s way of inviting conversation with his or her parents, a Kansas State University family specialist said.

Parents who fail to follow up on the child’s question may diminish opportunities for future communication with the child, said Charlotte Shoup Olsen, K-State Research and Extension family systems specialist.

Suppose, for example, a child returning after a day at school asks: “What’s for dinner?”

Which of the following responses will contribute to positive interaction and future communication between the parent and child?

1. Responding with a sharp: “Get in here and help …” (from a harried parent).

2. Turning to the child and saying, calmly: “I’m working on it. Would you like to help?”

3. Ignoring the question, and asking: “Can you get the salt?”

Turning to the child and inviting her to get involved invites dialog that can serve as a foundation for future communications, Olsen said. 

More information on managing family relationships is available at county and district  K-State Research and Extension offices and on Extension’s Web site: www.oznet.ksu.edu.