ICE STORM
The National Weather Service says northwest Iowa is under an Ice Storm Warning, from noon today to 6 pm Tuesday. Precipitation will begin to fall as snow later this afternoon, then turn to snow, freezing rain and sleet overnight into Tuesday. Snowfall is expected to total 2 to 6 inches, and between one quarter to one half of an inch of ice is forecast. Winds overnight will gust as high as 35 miles per hour. This will result in power outages and tree damage. Travel could be nearly impossible. Travel is strongly discouraged. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. Be prepared for possible power outages.
BLOOD DONORS
The Iowa chapter of the American Red Cross is starting out 2023 much as it always does, with a critical need for blood donors as blood supplies are dangerously low. Agency spokeswoman Sue Thesenga says she’s hoping the blood shortage in the new year makes people stop and think about what they can do to help year-round.
The Red Cross is in need of all blood types, especially those with type O, which is considered a universal type for transfusions.
To find a place to donate, visit redcrossblood.org.
NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS
A psychology professor at Iowa State University says our approach to making New Year’s resolutions usually sets us up for failure. Alison Phillips says you may need to genuinely focus on making the change in order to keep the pledge. Phillips, who studies behavior change and habit formation, says to focus on how to make changes that will lead to creating a better version of yourself. She says the behaviors that do stick are those that become part of our self-identity and how we see ourselves. She says zero in on things you can become good at and that you see yourself doing and take pride in — and those are the kinds of things people won’t give up on.
STRONG PASSWORDS
With new online scams emerging almost daily, Iowans are being encouraged to use a little of their extra time during the holiday break to brush up on their computer security precautions. Consumer protection advocate Michael Domke (DOM-kee) says you should consider using a password manager on your computer and phone, instead of reusing old passwords.
Domke says it’s important to keep the password you use for your personal email account or cell phone as strong as possible and never use it for other apps or websites. One really good idea, he says, is to put your most important accounts — like your email, banking and credit card accounts — behind two-factor authentication.
That way, even if someone can work out your password, your information will stay safe and you can be alerted to update your password. He notes, even cursory knowledge about you could let people get past basic security questions.
Making a password “strong” may involve having it be at least eight characters, with some upper and lower case letters, as well as numerals and symbols.
