With rare bipartisan support, Kevin and Avonte’s Law was introduced in November of 2017. Named for two children with Autism who died by drowning, Kevin Curtis Wills, who died in 2008 at the age of nine in Jefferson, Iowa; and Avonte Oquendo who was a high school student who drowned in the East River in New York in 2014. Both boys had been diagnosed with autism and drowned after wandering away from supervised settings.

The bill passed the Senate by voice vote and provides nearly two million dollars in funding to train law enforcement, schools, families, and community organizations on ways they can prevent and address wandering among people who have developmental disabilities and conditions, like Alzheimer’s disease, in which wandering is common. It was passed as part of the Omnibus Spending Act of 2018 and the legislation itself can be found on page 1937.

Led by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, Chuck Grassley (R) of Iowa the bill was also sponsored by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D) of Minnesota, Senator Thom Tillis (R) of North Carolina, and Senator Chuck Schumer (D) of New York and signed into law by President Trump.

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November is a month that has been set aside to recognize the contribution of family caregivers across the county and the sacrifices they make to provide dedicated care for their loved ones. In the U.S. there are nearly 90 million family caregivers that play pivotal roles in the health and well-being of loved ones.

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Researchers from Michigan State University have joined forces with the state’s Department of Natural Resources to conduct an ongoing study on the state’s population of deer. The project is being conducted around the Crockett Quantitative Wildlife Center and MSU’s Boone areas.

Researchers hope to learn more about the 1.75 million white-tailed deer that live in Michigan. They want to learn more about chronic wasting disease and how the disease spreads.

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From snow or freezing rain to intense winds and cold temperatures, winter conditions pose serious challenges to fleets. To protect your drivers when they’re sidelined by a storm, start winterizing your fleet for the season with these four tips.

1. Inspect and Clean the Exterior

Thoroughly clean the vehicles and apply a coat of wax to protect their exterior form ice, salt and snow. Wash the body, cab and undercarriage of each vehicle regularly to remove deicers and corrosive salts and prevent body damage.

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A family-owned business had construction equipment stolen that was worth around a half million dollars, according to Pat Toole, the owner of Greenville Tractor Co.

The manager, Andrew Reese, stated when they showed up on Monday morning at the tractor place, they noticed a machine sitting on top of a dirt pile. They also said the chain around a gate of theirs was broken, assuming the thieves had cut the link.

One excavator and seven compact track loaders of different sizes were taken, according to Reese. Also missing were other smaller, but costly accessories.

According to Lieutenant Ryan Flood, even though Greenville Tractor Co. didn’t have surveillance cameras around their property, across the street the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office found a surveillance video. Read the rest of this entry »