Light Rain Fog/Mist 43°
News
Algae Bloom Threatens Wildlife, Pets In Easthampton Pond Algae Bloom Threatens Wildlife, Pets In Easthampton Pond
Algae Bloom Threatens Wildlife, Pets In Easthampton Pond Officials in Hampshire County are telling residents to avoid the Rubber Thread Pond in Easthampton after a toxic algae bloom has taken over the water.  Easthampton leaders posted the warning on the city's Facebook page after tests showed possible signs of the toxic algae cyanobacteria.  The Massachusetts Department of Public Health will continue to conduct tests until the bloom has gone. Until then, residents should avoid swimming, fishing, or touching the water.  Contact with the infected water can cause skin irritation, gastrointestinal distress, liver or ne…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
News
Massachusetts Among Top 10 Best States, Brand-New Ranking Says: Here's Why Massachusetts Among Top 10 Best States, Brand-New Ranking Says: Here's Why
Massachusetts Among Top 10 Best States, Brand-New Ranking Says: Here's Why A new ranking lists Massachusetts as one of the top 10 best states in the country and places the commonwealth in the top three in categories like education and healthcare. The results are in. The 2024 Best States list by U.S. News & World Report, released on Tuesday, May 7, names Massachusetts as the 10th-best state in the country, a place higher than it scored in the 2023 report.  Massachusetts closely follows states like Utah (the best state, according to U.S. News & World Report), Nebraska (number three), Washington (number eight), and Florida (number nine). However, whe…

SHARE

by Sophie Grieser
Business
Nationwide Recall Issued For Ground Beef Products Due To Possible Contamination: View Labels Nationwide Recall Issued For Ground Beef Products Due To Possible Contamination: View Labels
Nationwide Recall Issued For Ground Beef Products Due To Possible Contamination: View Labels A nationwide recall has been issued for ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli. Cargill Meat Solutions, headquartered in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, is recalling approximately 16,240 pounds of the raw ground beef products, the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced on Wednesday, May 1. The raw ground beef items were produced on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, 27.  The following products are subject to recall: 2.25-lbs. plastic-wrapped trays containing "93% LEAN 7% FAT ALL NATURAL LEAN GROUND BEEF" with lot code 117 and estab…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
Business
Nationwide Recall Issued For Prosciutto Made In Germany, Distributed In US Nationwide Recall Issued For Prosciutto Made In Germany, Distributed In US
Nationwide Recall Issued For Prosciutto Made In Germany, Distributed In US A recall has been issued for a brand of deli meat that authorities say was uninspected. The US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that ConSup North America Inc., based in Lincoln Park, New Park, is recalling approximately 85,984 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) sliced prosciutto ham produced in Germany without the benefit of equivalent inspection. The RTE sliced prosciutto ham item was produced on various dates from Monday, Sept. 25, 2023, through Wednesday, March 6, 2024, and shipped to retail locations nationwide. FSIS said it is concerned th…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
News
Largest Egg Producer In US Halts Production After Bird Flu Found In Chickens Largest Egg Producer In US Halts Production After Bird Flu Found In Chickens
Largest Egg Producer In US Halts Production After Bird Flu Found In Chickens Production has been halted at the largest producer of fresh eggs in the United States after bird flu was discovered in chickens. Cal-Maine Foods reported that one of the company’s facilities located in Parmer County, Texas, tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), resulting in depopulation of approximately 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets, or approximately 3.6 percent of its total flock. "Production at the facility has temporarily ceased as the company follows the protocols prescribed by the USDA," Cal-Maine said in a statement, noting that it is working to s…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
News
Bacterial Infection With Unusual, Serious Symptoms Prompts CDC Warning Bacterial Infection With Unusual, Serious Symptoms Prompts CDC Warning
Bacterial Infection With Unusual, Serious Symptoms Prompts CDC Warning A bacterial infection is appearing nationally with unusual and serious symptoms according to federal authorities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has just issued a Health Alert warning that the rare illness, caused by a strain of Neisseria meningitidis bacteria, has a higher fatality rate than normally seen with meningococcal infections. As of Monday, March 25, 143 cases have been reported to CDC for the current calendar year, an increase of 62 cases over the 81 reported as of this date in 2023.  Cases caused by this strain are disproportionately occurring i…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Those Infected With Virus 4 Times More Likely To Develop Chronic Fatigue, CDC Says COVID-19: Those Infected With Virus 4 Times More Likely To Develop Chronic Fatigue, CDC Says
Covid-19: Those Infected With Virus 4 Times More Likely To Develop Chronic Fatigue, CDC Says Those who have had COVID-19 are about four times more likely to develop chronic fatigue compared to those who haven't been infected, according to a new study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Researchers analyzed electronic health records data collected from the University of Washington that included three hospitals and over 300 primary care and specialty clinics providing healthcare services across the state, totaling 4,589 patients. Patients, who consisted of adults over age 18 having either a positive test result for COVID or a clinical diagnosis of COVID …

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
News
Deadly Cheeses Prompt Massive Recall Nationwide: CDC, FDA, USDA Deadly Cheeses Prompt Massive Recall Nationwide: CDC, FDA, USDA
Deadly Cheeses Prompt Massive Recall Nationwide: CDC, FDA, USDA Dairy products linked to deaths and serious illness — sold nationwide at many major retailers — are being recalled, the Center for Disease Control, the US Department of Agriculture, and the Food And Drug Administration announced in multiple releases over the first week of February.  Rizo Lopez Foods, Inc. is recalling over 50 products after 26 illnesses, 23 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths, according to the CDC.  The California-based company issued the recall following the report of Listeria monocytogenes contamination causing illnesses in 11 states. Listeria monocytogene…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Business
Supplements Sold Nationwide Being Recalled Due To Presence Of 'Gas Station Heroin' In Products Supplements Sold Nationwide Being Recalled Due To Presence Of 'Gas Station Heroin' In Products
Supplements Sold Nationwide Being Recalled Due To Presence Of 'Gas Station Heroin' In Products Federal Health officials are cautioning consumers to avoid certain products that may contain an ingredient known as "gas station heroin."  Neptune Resources LLC announced a voluntary recall of all lots of "Neptune's Fix Elixir," "Neptune's Fix Extra Strength Elixir," and Neptune's Fix Tablets due to the possible presence of tianeptine, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced. Tianeptine, which has been called "gas station heroin" by some, is not FDA-approved for any medical use, and its presence in the products prompted the nationwide recall. "The presence of tianepti…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
News
Woman Sues After Finding Severed Finger In Salad At Northern Westchester Eatery, Lawsuit Says Woman Sues After Finding Severed Finger In Salad At Northern Westchester Eatery, Lawsuit Says
Woman Sues After Finding Severed Finger In Salad At Northern Westchester Eatery, Lawsuit Says A Connecticut woman has filed a lawsuit against a restaurant company in New York after allegedly finding herself chewing on part of a severed human finger while eating a salad served at one of the company's locations within the county.  Fairfield County resident Allison Cozzi, of Greenwich, filed the suit against Rye Brook-based Chop't Creative Salad Company LLC on Monday, Nov. 27 after allegedly finding part of a severed finger inside her meal bought at a Chop't location in Northern Westchester County at 53 South Moger Ave. in Mount Kisco.  According to the lawsuit complaint file…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
News
COVID-19: Symptoms Now Number 11; Here's Latest Rundown From CDC COVID-19: Symptoms Now Number 11; Here's Latest Rundown From CDC
Covid-19: Symptoms Now Number 11; Here's Latest Rundown From CDC When COVID-19 cases first were identified in the United States in March 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) listed just three symptoms for the novel coronavirus: Fever Cough Shortness of breath Now, nearly five years later, the virus remains an everyday part of American life, with about 1,000 deaths from the disease nationwide each week. As COVID has evolved, mainly from the highly contagious Omicron strain and several of its subvariants, the CDC's updated list of symptoms for the virus now numbers 11. They are: Fever or chills Cough Shortness of breath or difficu…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: FDA Approves Updated Booster Shots Targeting New Variants COVID-19: FDA Approves Updated Booster Shots Targeting New Variants
Covid-19: FDA Approves Updated Booster Shots Targeting New Variants Health officials are one step closer to rolling out updated COVID-19 vaccines just in time for a rise in cases heading into the fall and winter months. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved new vaccines on Monday, Sept. 11, that are meant to better target currently circulating COVID-19 variants and provide better protection against hospitalization and death, the agency announced. Monday’s move affects vaccines manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer. The updated mRNA vaccines are each approved for people ages 12 and older and are authorized under emergency use for children ages 6 mo…

SHARE

by Michael Mashburn