Fourth of July Safety

Indepndence Day is coming up, which means plenty of fireworks will be shot off around the United States.  It is important to remember Fireworks safety whenever handling these explosives.

Before
- Choose an open area away from spectators, homes, buildings and dry vegetation.
- Use a garden hose to wet down the area before firing.

During
- As each device burns out, soak it using a hose or a bucket of water.

After
- Place all used items in a covered, fireproof container and leave it outside away from homes and buildings.



For sparklers
- Children under age 12 should not use sparklers without very close adult supervision.
- Always remain standing while using sparklers.
- Never hold a child in your arms while using sparklers.
- Never hold or light more than one sparkler at a time.
- Sparklers and bare feet can be a painful combination. Always wear closed-toe shoes when using sparklers.
- Sparkler wires and sticks remain hot long after the flame has gone out. Be sure to drop the spent sparkler directly in a bucket of water.
- Never hand a lit sparkler to another person.
- Treat fireworks with respect, read all of the cautions and warnings and use common sense.
- Lighting fireworks indoors, throwing them from automobiles and lighting multiple devices at the same time can lead to accidents and are not how fireworks are intended to be used.
- Always obey all local laws pertaining to the use of fireworks.

Bottom line
If you see someone misusing fireworks, stop them. Show them the correct way to use consumer fireworks and do not ever use professional fireworks or illegal explosives.

For more safety information please see Kirtland Air Force Base.

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Two University Jumpers Contend for Spot on Olympic Team

For a few athletes their dreams are on the line, as they contend for a spot on their countries Olympic team.  These athletes are all from the University of New Mexico, and have competed with the school's team while studying at the University.  They are now competing for an even bigger contest.

For two UNM jumpers, the road to London goes through Eugene, Ore.
Junior long jumper Kendall Spencer and senior triple jumper Floyd Ross are going to the Olympic trials in Eugene from June 22 to July 1 to try to qualify for the U.S. team in the upcoming summer games.

The jumpers are not the only UNM athletes hoping to compete in the Olympics; junior high jumper Django Lovett is trying to represent Canada, while senior middle-distance runners Ross Millington and Sam Evans, senior steeplechaser Imogen Ainsworth and recent graduate Sarah Waldron are trying to represent their native England.

Ross, who sleeps in his uniform the night before a competition, said he is not changing his strategy or intensifying his training to make the team.

“I don’t want to change up what I’ve been doing to get me here right now,” Ross said. “I want to keep it the same.”

He did, however, change his diet from fast food to salads.

“I’m a Mickey D’s kind of guy, but lately I’ve noticed that eating well has helped me out a lot,” Ross said.

Spencer, who is last year’s NCAA Division I Indoor long jump champion, said getting mentally prepared for the Olympic trials is the hardest part about training.

“Mental game is a huge part of trying to make the Olympic team,” Spencer said. “I pray a lot. My church family really keeps me grounded, and I try to keep a lot of positive people around me.”
In order for Spencer to make the U.S. Olympic team, he has to jump about 27 feet, which is a bit farther than his personal best of 26 feet, 8.25 inches*.

“As long as he comes out and does what he’s supposed to do, he has a very good shot of making the team,” said UNM horizontal jumps coach Austin Brobst, who is working with Ross and Spencer. “He still has to jump about seven centimeters further for the U.S. to take him, but I believe he has it in him.”

UNM is paying for the athletes to travel to Eugene. Spencer said the support of the University and community means a lot.

“Having a support system is a huge part of being successful,” Spencer said. “We get letters, phone calls and text messages from people that are really supportive.”

After he won the indoor long jump championship last year, Spencer received a slew of supportive text messages from family and friends and said he will use those as motivation at the Olympic trials.

“I saved all those text messages so when I go to the trials and I’m trying to get focused, I’ll just go back and read them all,” he said.

Off the track, both men are successful scholars. Ross aspires to be a sports reporter and said all the hard work he put on the track will help him be successful in a professional career.

“Being an athlete, I’ve noticed that you can’t slack off,” Ross said. “You can’t slack off in anything you do. Just go hard or go home.”

Spencer, on the other hand, plans to get a Ph.D. in counseling psychology. He works with children who have autism and strives to make the dean’s list every semester. He said he works just as hard in the classroom as he does on the track.

“A lot of people just see me as the track athlete, but people who have been around me know that there’s a lot more to me than that,” Spencer said. “Everything that I do on the track is complemented by things that I do in the classroom.”

Spencer said he does not want to be the kind of athlete who only cares about himself.

“One of the things I promised myself was that I was going to be one of those athletes that was always approachable, kept a good head on his shoulders and had an all-around good character,” Spencer said. 

“I want to leave a positive mark on the world.”

For more information on these athletes head to the UNM Daily Lobo Website.

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Sign up for Albuquerque's Emergency Text Alert System

Getting emergency information as fast as possible is the most important step in keeping your family safe.  The county is now offering emergency alerts through txt messages to all residents.  Make sure to sign up today to make sure you are in the know for developing situations.

Bernalillo County and the Emergency Communications Center have created a system to notify residents via phone if there is an emergency situation in their neighborhood. If you have a landline and live in Bernalillo County, you’re already prepared for the notifications to reach. Those with cell phones have to opt-in to get them sent to their devices.


Registering for the emergency notifications is very simple. Go to this website and fill in the required fields to make sure your number is on the emergency list. It’s a good idea for anyone who has a cell phone as their main telephone line. Also consider registering work phones should anything occur while you are on the job during the day.

Typical notifications may include anything from evacuations due to fire or flood or advisements of a dangerous situation in your area. Sometimes if there is a SWAT team working nearby or an environmental hazard, it’s in the best interest for everyone to take shelter and let the professionals do their work. It’s completely based on the address you input with your phone number, so make sure you give the correct, most recent address.

For more information go to Prudential.com

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7 Ideas to Help Decorate Your Apartment

Are you having trouble decorating your brand new apartment?  Check out these beautiful and inexpensive ideas to decorate your apartment on a budget.  Everything from color to furniture make your apartment look like it came out of a magazine with these ideas!


Your apartment can have the appearance and feel of a well lived in home.  The mindset that your apartment has to be cold and uninviting should be the farthest idea from your head.  Apartment living is a great way to save money and you have the freedom of moving around as you please.  Decorating your apartment cheaply will make you feel good when you entertain, and when enjoying your place on your own. Here are ideas to cheaply decorate and furnish your apartment and to make it the best it can be.

SALES: Yard, garage, and discount stores are the best place to find décor items for cheap! Furniture, wall décor, and storage items don’t need to be bought brand new.  You can find beds and couches and spruce them up with mattress covers and slip covers.

ONLINE CLASSIFIEDS: Websites like Craigslist, Backpages, and other free online classifieds are great resource for finding décor.  Often time’s people are moving out of their homes and need to get rid of items fast and cheaply.  Estate sales are also published in online classifieds as well. Estate sales are trying to sell the belongings of a deceased person. They can also be from individuals who can’t financially afford their belongings. Take advantage of these because the items may be hard to find bargains!

DO IT YOURSELF: Believe it or not, you and some friends may be able to assemble anything you put your mind to. Do it yourself tables, chairs, and entertainment centers can save you money.  Stores like Ikea have made their entire business centered around merchandise that you can assemble yourself.  Ikea has décor and storage ideas for every budget, and every assembly skill level.

LOFT BEDS: Loft beds are a cheap way to accommodate several people in a small space.  Loft beds are reminiscent of bunk beds, which take advantage of vertical space. Loft beds can be bought at furniture stores, garage sales, or check college dorm and apartment bulletin boards for quick sales. Even if you don’t have a lot of people in your apartment, loft beds can house a bed on top and a desk area beneath to save valuable space in your bedroom.

DOLLAR STORES: These stores have come a long way from when they only sold car fresheners and cheap soap! Try to find dollar stores that offer home décor, cleaning products, storage items, kitchen utensils, etc… You may be pleasantly surprised to see that you can decorate and have all your essentials for your apartment for a small amount of money.

ADD COLOR: Bring color into your apartment with bed and bath accessories that can change the atmosphere instantly! Coordinating bed linen, curtains, and an area rug can make your drab space look pulled together with minimum effort and cost.  Matching shower curtain, towels, and bath rugs will make you feel and look good in your bathroom.

COLLECTIBLES: Do you collect movie posters or have a collection of vintage Coke bottles? Why not use them as décor in your apartment? Décor doesn’t have to be purchased. Use your collections to display them on walls, in shadow boxes, or on a shelf to bring instant personalized décor to your apartment.  You will be surprised how collections can be a clever focal point for a room.
The amount of money you spend in your apartment can be minimal when armed with resources to find quality items. Remember, there is always someone moving in and out of apartments and homes.  Take advantage of these resources, and do the same when you move out of your apartment.

Want some more ideas or information check out freshome.com.

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