New Way to Shop for Apartment On-Line, by Mikaela Kornowski

  

A free search engine can locate rental housing in Wisconsin, WIHousingSearch.org.

The site was recently created to provide affordable, accessible, and, when necessary, emergency housing. This web-based service provides information to the general public as well as to housing professionals seeking clients.

Properties can be searched by county and provide a quick index for wheelchair accessible, pet friendly, smoking friendly, and washer/dryer accessible. The site also provides pricing information and income based options. Photos of the property and maps are also accessible.

Listings can also be sorted by cost, date availability, proximity to medical facilities, public transit, and schools, number of bedrooms or bathrooms, and by realty company.

Users can add prospects to their “basket,” where the renter’s favorite locations can be compared until a final decision can be reached.

WIHousingSearch.org also offers tools such as an affordability calculator, rental checklist, and information about renters’ rights and responsibilities.

Landlords can upload their rentals at no cost. Landlords will be provided 24-hour access to update their listings and availability. They can also call in the property information.

The site is just several weeks old, and its administrators have updated the search tool since its opening. Users can now narrow their search by their preferences or budget.  The amount of rental listings is also increasing.

The site is promoted by the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and the Wisconsin Department of Administration, Division of Housing.The site is supported by a toll-free, multilingual call center, 1-877-428-8844.

No "Vampire Electricity" Bleeding Your Apartment, by Crystal Oravis

             Given that the vampire electricity idea is in fact, a myth, students can save money in other places, mostly time-proven, common sense advice.

Vampire electricity is the belief that cords left plugged into outlets, even when not connected to a device or being used at all, are still sucking electricity and raising electric bills. Students don’t need to purchase expensive power strips advertised to protect against the sucking of electricity.

Myth-busters, a television show dedicated to solving life’s myths, looked into this. Using Kill-A-Watts (a device placed between an outlet and a plug to measure the wattage being used), the Myth busters measured the wattage on a wireless phone charger, and a MacBook Pro power adapter. With the devices not plugged into the chargers, the vampire electricity myth proved to be false.

            With heating apartments and houses, there are proven ways to keep electricity bills as low as possible. Covering all bare floors with carpeting or rugs adds to heat retention, especially if little to no floor insulation.  

    

Lowering temperature on heating devices when leaving the house is another way to lower the use of electricity.

            Always leave an open space for heating to work and move throughout the house; do not cover air vents with drapes or shades so that the air is able to not work as hard to heat the entire space. Opening blinds during the day can help to heat spaces using sun’s natural heat.

           

Wisconsin Insurance-Buyers Less Affected by ACA, by Melissa Koch

Majority of health insurance plans in Wisconsin will not be cancelled because of the health care reform.

A report from Families USA co-released in Wisconsin by Citizen Action of Wisconsin stated that few people in the state who buy health insurance on their own keep their policies for more than a year.  Most people qualify for more affordable plans with the new changes than what they have now.

“It is clear that most who buy insurance on their own will have more stable and affordable insurance options because of the Affordable Care Act, and that a small fraction risk the cancellations of policies that would have cost them less,” stated Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin.

Further results of the study show

●     6.5% of Wisconsinites under the age of 65 buy health insurance on the individual market.

●     73% of Wisconsinites who purchase health insurance on the individual market are eligible for tax subsidies to make them more affordable under the Affordable Care Act.

●     0.6% of Wisconsinites under 65 are at risk of paying more next year, because their current policy is being cancelled under the new policy.

Other states are dealing with well-publicized cancellations to health insurance policies under the Affordable Care Act. The website for Affordable Care Act has been dealing with problems since its launch. There was a deadline to fix the website by November 30, and administration spokesman stated yesterday that it is now operating up to target.

Wisconsin Sees Early Start to 2013 Flu Season, by William Ricioppo

Colder than average temperatures have brought an early start to flu season.

Holiday travel, family gatherings, and students traveling home from around the country brings large groups of people together, increasing chances for the spread of a virus.

“The good news is that if people who haven’t been vaccinated yet get a flu shot right now, they will be protected” (for the next holiday), says Dr. Henry Anderson of the State Health Office.

Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that anyone over six months get a flu shot.

College students traveling home for Thanksgiving may return to school with a bug or bring one back home for Christmas, so now would be a good time for this group to get inoculated.

“No one wants to be sick for finals or the holidays, and they don’t want to be responsible for spreading illness, either,” adds Anderson.

This year’s flu vaccine covers all currently circulating strains of the illness.

So far this season there have been fewer than 10 hospitalizations in Wisconsin, a number that is expected to increase. Cases of Influenza A and B have already been reported across the state.

In addition to getting a flu shot, frequent hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes, and keeping commonly touched surfaces clean can help prevent the spread of the flu.

Both injected and nasal mist applications of the 2013 flu vaccine are available at most health care providers, public health departments, and some drug stores. College students can contact their school’s health services for campus immunization schedules. For more information on where to find a nearby vaccination clinic or participating pharmacy, visit www.flu.gov.

USPS Raises the Cost of Postage, by Shelby Phillips

The U.S. Postal Service has plans to increase its prices for postage, but not until after Christmas.

These changes will be put in place to increase revenue for the U.S. Postal service by $2 million.  Effective in January of 2014 the prices are as follows:

·         1 oz. Letters: rises 3 cents to 49 cents

·         Letters greater than 1 oz.: increases 1 cent to 21 cents

·         Letters with international destinations: $1.15

·         Postcards: increases 1 cent to 34 cents

Typically the Post Office keeps up its prices with the Consumer Price Index’s rate of inflation.  This year inflation has risen to 4.2%.  According to Governors of the Postal Service, these new prices are higher than the inflation rate.  Even though U.S.P.S. mostly caps prices with the CP index, this elevation was deemed necessary to keep the Postal Service still operating. 

Every year the Postal Service faces serious financial challenges because revenue does not keep up with operation costs.  Last fiscal year alone a total $15.9 billion debt was accrued.  This year it is expected that an additional $6 billion will be added to the debt, surpassing the $20 billion checkpoint.  The Post Office no longer receives any government subsidies. 

These price proposals will be reviewed further at the legislative level, but should they become effective, those increases will start on January 26, 2014.

2013 Wisconsin Deer Season Opens— Old Traditions, New Information, by William Ricioppo

The 2013 nine-day deer hunting season brings new technology and specific information.

DNR officials recently announced the first free DNR mobile hunting app for both iPhone and Android. The app allows hunters to find hunting locations, register, and access rules and regulations. It also has a GPS safety mapping tool that lets users notify designated contacts of their whereabouts.

“By bridging the tradition of hunting with new technology, we aim to make it even easier for hunters to connect with each other, with DNR, and help deliver information hunters are looking for to have a safe and successful season,” says DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp.

The new DNR app will also have other benefits for fishing and general outdoor recreational activities. “This app will have something for everyone who has an interest in the outdoors of our state,” notes Stepp.

A “Trophy Case” feature on the app allows hunters to share stories and photos from their hunt.

Numbers of deer in farmland regions were presumed to be high this year. However, hunters participating in the recent bow hunt reported fewer sightings in northern parts of the state.

This year Minnesota reported numbers of deer down by about 6% from the 2012 season.

One way hunters  increase their chances of finding good animals is to spend more time in the field. “Nearly ten percent of Wisconsin residents will take to the field for the annual hunt,” says DNR ecologist Kevin Wallenfang, “putting potentially hundreds of thousands of outdoorsmen in the woods.”

Also this year DNR is encouraging hunters to participate in wildlife surveys. Hunters are asked to track and record their wildlife observations while on the hunt, and submit the information to DNR. State officials are hoping to gather information to help biologists track population changes and improve management decisions.

Information on the survey can be found at dnr.wi.gov and information may be submitted online or through the mail.

“This is a great opportunity for hunters to inform wildlife biologists what they are seeing,” stated DNR survey manager Brian Dhuey.

Hunters can record and submit information until January 2014.

Wet conditions could impact hunter accessibility and deer activity according to Wallenfang. Not only is it tougher for hunters to get around in boggy conditions, but the late start this year could also mean reduced rutting activity.

The  deer season ended Sunday, December 1, at sundown.