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Help people affected by Hurricane Helene

On Thursday, the state of Florida, USA was hit by Hurricane Helene and devastated populated areas such as its capital Tallahassee and the surrounding areas,  Flooding and power outages are ongoing and will be for several days and even weeks.

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Pennsylvania Residence can now Text 9-1-1

According to WFMZ TV 69, all Pennsylvania residence can now use text to talk to 9-1-1.  All 67 counties now have the ability to receive and send 9-1-1 text to all cell phones.

Here's how it works (for iPhone):

  1. Go into the Messages app.
  2. Start a new text message.
  3. Type 911 in the TO: field.
  4. Give the 911 operator your name, address, and an overview of your situation.
  5. Send the text as normal.
  6. That's it.

Here's how it works (for Android):

  1. Go into your texting app.
  2. Start a new text message.
  3. In the TO: field, type 911.
  4. Give the 911 operator your name, address, and an overview of your situation.
  5. Send text.
  6. That's it. 

 

 

Entire town could have kids go smartphone-free until age 14

A group of parents are trying to get the agreement of an entire town to have their kids go without smartphones until they are 14 years old.

The hope is that if enough parents sign up to the initiative, it will remove the danger of isolating children from friends who do have phones …

There’s long been significant concern about the impact of social media apps in particular on teenage mental health, as well as on the potential harm done by kids using smartphones at school.

We’re seeing more states and school districts either ban or limit smartphone useduring school hours, but BBC News reports that one group of parents is hoping to go further.

Parents have signed a pledge to delay giving their child a smartphone until the end of Year 9 when most will have turned 14.

William Ransom Primary School, in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, has asked all 25 primaries [elementary schools] in the town to join them in requesting that parents do not give their pupils smartphones.

Earlier this year, a group of parents at the school agreed they did not want to give their children smartphones and raised it with head teacher Tony Plunkett, who supported their campaign […] He hopes to have all the town’s primary schools signed up to be smartphone-free this school year.

One of the biggest challenges for parents who want to make this decision is that it runs the risk of leaving their kids isolated, if all their friends are chatting on apps, and arranging get-togethers on social media. The idea here is to remove that problem.

Plunkett said: “You don’t want to alienate your child, so you inevitably give them access. Hopefully, what we’re doing is trying to build that community where more children do not have phones than do.”

The most famous school in Britain recently told parents that students will only be allowed Nokia dumbphones during term time.

Via: 9to5Mac.com

SCAM WARNING: Family Member calling claiming to be in Jail

This could happen to YOU or someone you know:

*** SCAM WARNING ***
My dad just got this and it ended up being a known scam.
If you get a call from a friend or family member claiming that he or she is in jail, hang up immediately. The caller claimed to be a family member and needed $$$ or gift cards to get out of jail. With my dad being in his 90s, I tend to listen to the first minute or two to his calls.
My dad did hang up, but the dweeb called right back!
If this happens to you, hang up, call that family member and make sure it wasn't really them.
Then call your state's U.S. Attorney General's office and report the matter.

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