Tag Archives: National

David Trail Mix Sweet & Salty Voluntarily Recalled Due To Undeclared Dairy Allergen

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daves-1DAVID® Trail Mix Sweet & Salty flavor is being voluntarily recalled by ConAgra Foods of Omaha, Nebraska, due to the presence of an ingredient in the trail mix that contains milk protein, which is not declared on the packaging.

The finished product is made for ConAgra Foods by a third party supplier who is conducting a separate recall for similar, impacted products.

This food is a concern for people who are allergic to milk. People who have allergies to milk run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the product. ConAgra Foods was made aware of this issue through a consumer contact. ConAgra Foods is aware of one consumer allergic reaction associated with consumption of this product.

ConAgra Foods is advising consumers who have purchased this item to discard it or return it to the store where originally purchased.

This recall includes the following DAVID Trail Mix Sweet & Salty products sold as part of multi variety packages that also contain DAVID Trail Mix Classic. DAVID Trail Mix Classic is not impacted by this recall.

The DAVID Trail Mix Sweet & Salty UPC is: 26200 23885, 5oz. bags/149g.

The product was shipped to retail food stores and distributors in the U.S. and Mexico. ConAgra Foods is working with retail customers and distributors to ensure the packages are removed from store shelves.

This recall is limited to DAVID Trail Mix Sweet & Salty flavor only and does not impact other flavors of DAVID Trail Mix or any DAVID Seeds products.

Consumers with questions should call our Consumer Affairs hotline at: (800) 881-3989, open 24 hours a day/7 days a week.

General Mills Issues Voluntary Recall Of Cheerios And Honey Nut Cheerios Cereal

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800-cheerios-1MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — General Mills is voluntarily recalling several days of production of Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios cereal produced at its Lodi, California facility on certain dates in July of this year because of an undeclared allergen – wheat – with potential adverse health effects.

Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios produced on these dates at the company’s Lodi, California facility are being recalled because an isolated incident resulted in wheat flour being inadvertently introduced into the gluten free oat flour system at its Lodi facility. As a result, the products may contain an undeclared allergen – wheat – in products labeled as gluten-free.

General Mills will recall and retrieve affected cereals produced on those dates from customer warehouses and store shelves. Consumers with wheat allergies, celiac disease or gluten intolerance should not consume products bearing the affected code dates and should contact General Mills for a replacement or full refund.

This voluntary recall includes four days production of original (yellow box) Cheerios, and thirteen days of production of Honey Nut Cheerios at its Lodi, California facility with the following “BETTER IF USED BY” code dates and the plant code LD which indicates the product was produced at Lodi, California:

Honey Nut Cheerios
12JUL2016LD, 17JUL2016LD, 23JUL2016LD, 13JUL2016LD, 18JUL2016LD, 24JUL2016LD, 14JUL2016LD, 20JUL2016LD, 25JUL2016LD, 15JUL2016LD, 21JUL2016LD, 16JUL2016LD, 22JUL2016LD

Yellow Box Cheerios
14JUL2016LD, 15JUL2016LD, 16JUL2016LD, 17JUL2016LD

Products containing wheat can cause illness or severe reactions for individuals with wheat allergies or celiac disease. Products containing wheat can also cause illness or discomfort for individuals with gluten intolerance.

General Mills is transitioning five varieties of Cheerios to gluten free. Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios cereals produced at General Mills’ other facilities, or on dates other than those noted at the Lodi, California facility, are not impacted. General Mills’ other gluten-free Cheerios varieties – including Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios and MultiGrain Cheerios – are not impacted and are not being recalled. No other General Mills cereals are affected

Consumers requesting refunds or calling with further questions should contact General Mills Consumer Services at 1-800-775-8370.

K-9 Kraving Dog Food Has Announced a Voluntary Recall of Their Chicken Patties Dog Food

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k9-cravingBaltimore, MD — K-9 Kraving Dog Food has announced a voluntary recall of their Chicken Patties Dog Food shipped between July 13th – July 17th, 2015 because these products may be contaminated with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

The affected product was distributed to retail stores only in Maryland. No other K-9 Kraving Dog Food products are affected.

No illnesses have been reported to date. Even though no illnesses have been reported, consumers should follow the Safe Handling Instructions printed on the K-9 Kraving Dog Food package when disposing of the affected product.

K-9 Kraving Dog Food became aware of a potential issue after receiving notification from the FDA that a routine surveillance sample of Chicken Patties tested positive for Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.

Consumers feeding the affected product should discontinue use and monitor their pet’s health, and contact their veterinarian if they have concerns. Consumers who purchased the product can obtain a full refund or exchange by either returning the product in its original packaging or bringing a proof of purchase back to their retailer.

Consumers with additional questions can call our Consumer Relations team at 1-800-675-1471 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, EST.

Robert Barrett, Chief Executive Officer of K-9 Kraving Dog Food, stated, “At K-9 Kraving Dog Food we take quality and safety very seriously. We believe that under all circumstances, health and safety comes first, and we are committed to providing the best possible nutrition for pets.”

One lot of “Good ‘N’ Fun – Beefhide Chicken Sticks” recalled due to possible salmonella contamination

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GoodnFun-1Deerfield, FLORIDA — Salix Animal Health, LLC today announced it has initiated a voluntary recall of one lot of “Good ‘n’ Fun – Beefhide Chicken Sticks” because it may have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals eating the product and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated products.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some, or all, of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected, but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

The recalled “Good ‘n’ Fun – Beefhide Chicken Sticks” was distributed nationwide by Salix Animal Health to Dollar General and Dollar Tree retail stores.

The recalled product is packaged in a 2.8 ounce bag stamped on the back side with lot # AO15010 and with an expiration date of 03/2018. The UPC code is 0 91093 82247 1.

No pet or consumer illnesses from this product have been reported to date. However, because of our commitment to safety and quality, Salix Animal Health is conducting a voluntary recall of this product.

The potential for contamination was noted after routine testing by the Georgia Department of Agriculture revealed the presence of Salmonella in one 2.8 ounce package of “Good ‘n’ Fun – Beefhide Chicken Sticks” labeled with the recalled code.

No other product is affected at this time. Customers should look at the lot code and expiration date on the product package to determine if it is subject to the voluntary recall. Customers who have purchased the product subject to this recall are urged to dispose of the product or return it for full refund.

We take our responsibility to pets and their owners seriously and as a result we are investigating the cause of this problem so that we can prevent it from occurring in the future. Salix Animal Health, is also working with retailers to ensure that the affected product is no longer sold and removed from inventory.

If you have these products, please contact Salix Animal Health’s consumer affairs team at 1-800-338-4896, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time for a refund. Customers with questions may call the consumer affairs team at the number listed above.

OC RAW DOG Voluntarily Recalls Limited Number of Raw Frozen Dog Food Due to Potential Salmonella Health Risk

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Santa Margarita, CALIFORNIA — OC Raw Dog of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA is voluntarily recalling 640 lbs. of Chicken, Fish & Produce Raw Frozen Canine Formulation. This is being done in an abundance of caution, as the product has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. No illnesses have been reported and no other OC Raw Dog manufactured products are affected.

Individuals handling raw pet food can become infected with salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the product or to surfaces exposed to the product. Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. If a consumer exhibits these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, pets may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

This voluntary recall is limited to Chicken, Fish & Produce Raw Frozen Canine Formulations that were packaged into 6.5 lb. Doggie Dozen Patties, 4 lb. Doggie Sliders, and 3 lb. Meaty Rox with the lot number 1819, and use by date of 05/05/16. These codes can be checked on the bottom left corner of the back of the package. Distribution is limited to customers in Colorado, Vermont, and Pennsylvania and sold to consumers through independent pet specialty retailers.

The potential for contamination was noted after routine testing by the Colorado Department of Food and Agriculture of a sample that they collected at retailer revealed the presence of Salmonella in a 3 lb. bag of “Chicken, Fish & Produce Raw Frozen Canine Formulations” Meaty Rox. Another sample from the same lot was previously tested by the California Department of Agriculture and it had a negative Salmonella result.

If you are in possession of this recalled product please submit a picture of the package with the lot number to Olivia@ocrawdog.com for verification. Either dispose of the product immediately or return the product to the retailer where you purchased it for a replacement product.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-844-215-DOGS (3647) Monday thru Friday 9am – 4pm PST. If you get our automated answering system please leave a message and we will call you right back.

At OC RAW DOG, we are passionate about our products and the safety of canine and human customers is our top priority. We apologize for any inconvenience this recall may have caused.
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Texas congressmen submit bills to limit refugees

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640-1026617801Opinion

300px-Tulsi_GabbardCongress is in a rush to pass bills concerning the recent refugees of young, fighting age men from Syria. The bills are along party lines with the Democrats trying to take in as many as will fit in a boat.

Democrats are concerned about the Christians, all of the sudden. Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii has submitted H.Res.435, “Recognizing the persecution of religious and ethnic minorities, especially Christians and Yezidis, by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as Daesh, and calling for the immediate prioritization of accepting refugees from such communities.” (minus the Christians they throw overboard) It makes no mention of the Christians persecuted here in America, of course.

The web site, D.C. Clothesline, is reporting on one Texas Congressman from the other side of the aisle.

300-Brian-BabinTexas Republican Brian Babin, from the 36th district, has submitted H.R.3314, the Resettlement Accountability National Security Act of 2015, would prohibit the admission of refugees into the U.S. until Congress passes a joint resolution giving them authority. Section 2 of the bill specifies:

Beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security may not admit into the United States an alien under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1157) until such time as Congress passes a joint resolution giving the Secretary authority to resume admitting aliens under such section.

The bill would also require a GAO study of:

  1. The average duration for which such an alien received benefits under a program described in section 4.
  2. The percentage of such aliens who received benefits under a program described in section 4.
  3. The cost, per year, to each program described in section 4 for such aliens.
  4. The number of such aliens who paid Federal income tax or Federal employment tax during the first year after being admitted to the United States.
  5. The cost, per year, to the program described in paragraph (5) of section 4 for such aliens.
  6. The number and percentage of such aliens who received benefits under a program described in section 4—
    (A) 2 years after being admitted to the United States;
    (B) 5 years after being admitted to the United States; and
    (C) 10 years after being admitted to the United States.
  7. The cost, per year, to the Federal Government, to State governments, and to units of local government of providing other benefits and services, directly or indirectly, to such aliens.

The benefits listed under Section 4 of the bill that must be reported are:

  1. The Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.).
  2. The Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.).
  3. Disability insurance benefits under title II of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402 et seq.).
  4. The supplemental nutrition assistance program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.).
  5. Rental assistance under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f).

So these “refugees” will be able to come here and and reap the “benefits” you pay for. We just want to know how much it costs. The benefits that elderly Americans have to wait for (while the U.S. Government hopes they die first), such as disability. They will be waived the fines (or taxes depending on which Supreme Court Justice you talk to) that Americans incur because they cannot afford Obamadoesntcare on their own because they are struggling to feed their families because they are not eligible to get food in a SNAP. The poor refugees will just have to wait until Congress says it’s okay.

300-Michael-McCaulAnother bill, sure to draw the ire of Senator John McCain of Arizona, is a little more stringent. Republican Representative Michael McCaul of the 10th district of Texas has submitted H.R. 3573, the Refugee Resettlement Oversight and Security Act of 2015. This bill seeks to limit the number of refugees, somewhat.

Before the beginning of a fiscal year and after appropriate consultation, the President shall submit to Congress a recommendation on the number of refugees who may be admitted under this section in any fiscal year.

This bill requires the following reports from the GAO not later than one year after this bill passes (if it should pass):

  1. The number of refugees that the Secretary of Homeland Security determined were admissible under paragraph (3) of section 212(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)), but who, subsequent to admission to the United States, became inadmissible under such paragraph.
  2. Federal agencies which are not, as of the date of the report, involved in making determinations of admissibility of refugees under such paragraph, which the Comptroller General determines should be so involved.
  3. Issues or gaps in the process for determining the admissibility of refugees under such paragraph.
  4. Recommendations for improving the process for determining the admissibility of refugees under such paragraph in order to better protect the security of the United States.

The one problem with this bill is that it expects the GAO to report refugees who have been admitted, but we realize should not have been admitted. Does he expect that the Department of Homeland Security would keep track of them once they are here? Once they are nestled in their little cell awaiting orders? They can’t even keep track of an illegal deported five-times who kills a woman in San Francisco. (Don’t worry. They will really deport him this time and he’ll stay deported!)

Section 5 of this legislation would give preference to Syrian and Iraqi refugees who are of a “religious minority.”

Beginning in fiscal year 2016 and ending in fiscal year 2020, when considering the admission of refugees who are nationals or citizens of Iraq or Syria, the President shall prioritize refugees who are members of a religious minority community, and have been identified by the Secretary of State, or the designee of the Secretary, as a persecuted group.

In Muslim States that would lead one to presume he is referring to Christians. We are, however, relying on the John Kerry State Department to make that determination.

One might think that it will take time to for these government reports to go through keeping the invasion at bay. When the government wants something, however, those reports will fly out faster than an appointment at a VA hospital. Okay, that is a bad comparison. Everything in the government happens faster than an appointment at a VA hospital.

None of them seem to readily admit that the U.S. government funded ISIS and now they are hoping that bombing the homes of these refugees will correct their mistakes. How about defunding terrorist organizations by using our own oil reserves instead of paying Saudi Arabia?

Martin Milner dies at age 83

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milner_nMartin Milner best known for the roles of Corvette owner Tod Stiles in the television series Route 66 and stone-faced police veteran Pete Malloy in Adam-12 passed away at the age of 83. The communication office of the LA Police Department issued an Instagram which stated, “Pete Malloy, you are end of watch.”
martin-milner-instragram
Milner started his career with a 1947 appearance in Life With Father. He went on to do roles in many World War II movies, such as Sands of Iwo Jima, Halls of Monezuma, Fighting Coast Guard and other television shows and movies. He even stood out in his minor role as a southern shore patrol officer in Mister Roberts.

I remember him for his movie The Private Lives of Adam and Eve. He also stared in the Irwin Allen production of Swiss Family Robinson and the short-lived television series of the same name.

It was his role of Tod Stiles in the 1960 to ’64 Route 66 that brought him the most fame during this period. My father told me that when he was working on the Glen Canyon Dam, the show was filming somewhere in Arizona. He and a friend passed by and the friend said something that the producer liked and paid his friend $50 to allow him to use it in the show. My father said that he wished he had said something—anything—at the same time.

He played the role of Stephen Banner in the Dragnet series of 1951 to 1959. He returned to his association with Jack Webb in the Dragnet which ran from 1967 to 1970. He played to role of officer Pete Malloy. That character did not rest, however, appearing in The D.A. series and the television series Emergency! while the television series Adam-12 was running from 1968 to 1975.

His last role was Detective Halloran in the mystery television series Diagnosis Murder staring Dick Van Dyke. But he continued to draw fans and autograph seekers as this YouTube video at an event in Chicago in 1996 shows.

Political activist Williams Lewis passes away

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William-Lewis-1Political film maker Williams Lewis passed away on August 29 at about 1 a.m. at the age of 47. No official word on the cause of death has been announced. It is believed that he suffered from diabetes and may have had a stroke. He is survived by his wife Debbie Morgan Lewis and children.

According to the LiveLeak web site:

According to Williams wishes he wanted very little fanfare to be made in his passing, so Debbie will be having a small private family memorial and funeral later this week to honor the life & times of William Lewis, beloved husband and father.

Lewis was also a musician beginning his career in Shreveport, Louisiana working with legendary music producer Stan Lewis of Jewel Records. Working with Stan, Lewis designed cover art for over 300 music artists such as Nat Stuckey, B B King, Ike and Tina Turner, and Jerry Beach.

As a music writer and producer in the 1990’s, he worked along side Anne Stuckey, wife of the late country singer Nat Stuckey and actor John Fertitta (actor: Mississippi Burning, Blaze, Delta Heat). He also developed a state-of-the-art digital video production facility.

In 2001 Lewis started producing the American Freedom News which grew to an international program covering issues concerning the intrusive nature of global governance. In 2003 he created William Lewis Films which produced documentaries exposing government intrusions on the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and some secret government projects. He produced films such as Beyond Treason, One Nation Under Siege, Enemy of the State and Don’t Tread On Me.

Arizona patriotic musician Gianluca Zanna expressed condolences on his Facebook page saying:

I had the honor to work with William Lewis, who used one of my songs Don’t Tread on US for his documentary “Don’t tread on me”
He is survived by a wonderful wife, Debbie Morgan Lewis. In the last few years William was unable to continue work in film because of his illness.
My prayers for his soul and his family.

Films:
Peddling Influence (Documentary)
2012 The Ron Paul Uprising (Documentary)
2011 Blood of Patriots (Video documentary)
2010 Don’t Tread on Me (Documentary)
2010 Enemy of the State: Camp FEMA Part 2 (Documentary)
2009 Camp FEMA (Documentary)
2009 Life on the Edge of a Bubble (Video documentary)
2008 Washington You’re Fired (Video documentary)
2007 911 Ripple Effect (Video documentary)
2006 One Nation Under Siege (Video documentary)
2005 Beyond Treason (Video documentary)
2004 911 in Plane Site (Video documentary)

General Mobile Radio Service license DOES cost

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Radio-15-08-31-07(9/1/15) You might remember the citizens band (CB) radio craze of the seventies. The craze was driven by movies such as Smokey and the Bandit. There were CB clubs and conventions throughout the country much like the amateur radio class. At the time, both required a license to operate.

Amateur radio still requires a license but the requirement to get one is much different. Depending on which class you go for limits you to operating on certain frequencies. Operating on the CB frequencies no longer requires a license, but you can still get in trouble for operating illegally, which we will discuss later.

Today the Family Radio Service (FRS) band has become popular. You can purchase a pair of FRS radios and chargers from $20 on up depending on what you want. I have collected several of these radios which people seem to be dumping onto thrift stores. They are of different brands, but because they operate on the same frequencies you can communicate between them.

One specification you might notice on the package is the promise of ranges from 21-miles to 35-miles, or so. What they do not explain is that those particular models are also equipped with General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) channels. Those operate at a higher power and that is why they print those ranges. The problem is that you will not get those promised ranges even operating on the GMRS channels without absolutely perfect conditions. Any obstruction or change in atmospheric condition will severely limit the range you will actually get.

Another thing that they do not tell you is that you are required to obtain a license from the Federal Communication Commission (FCC or Uncle Charley if you want to make them angry). There is some licensing requirement confusion on the Internet. Articles such as this one claim that the FCC has eliminated the license fee for GMRS. As with much that is on the Internet, I found this to be false at considerable cost to my wallet. My license actually cost me $90. The license, however, is good for five-years so long as I do not violate the laws governing this class of radio.

This may cause many to get into trouble by operating on these frequencies. It is equally hampered by the fact that I cannot find one single, simple list of licensing fees or requirements on the FCC web site. Human nature, being what it is, people will generally flock toward what they want (being no license) and run with it. A good rule of thumb is if you operate at an output power from about 4-watts on up, you probably need a license. And a check book.

Their article references an FCC proposal to eliminate the license requirement bound up in the legal mumbo-jumbo of this PDF. The problem is that proposal has not been approved. The article suggests people go to the FCC web site and flood it with comments to eliminate the license requirement. The problem with that is the licensing fees, in this case anyway, are not set by the FCC, but the Congress.

I am not one known to support or defend ANY government bureaucracy whether of national, State or county government origin. The ORIGINAL purpose of the FCC, however, might be considered Constitutionally based. Except that they do not have the right to suppress the Internet. While you may have the right to operate on a channel, you do not have the right to tie it up all day. You do not have the right to overstep my transmission. You MUST clear the channel for ANY emergency traffic. And your HAM radio cannot interpreter with my satellite television (which I do not have. This is just an example). Enforcement of the rules to prevent radio interference was the original purpose of the FCC. Like most bureaucracies, the FCC has gone way beyond its constitutional purpose.

For those who do not know, those channels that you dial into your GMRS/FRS or CB radio correspond to certain established frequencies. Like when you dial in your favorite FM (frequency modulation) station 92.9 in Flagstaff, you are tuning into a certain frequency. In this case 92.9 megahertz. If you program your radio so that it goes to 92.9 MHz when you press the “1” button, you are setting up a channel similar to the way GMRS/FRS and CB radios work. It should be noted that channel 1 on a CB and channel 1 on a GMRS/FRS radio are not the same frequency, so you cannot communicate between them.

As for the law, Title 47 of the United States Code parts 0-199 concern the operation of the FCC. The parts important to this article is Title 47 Subchapter D Part 95 for General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) and Family Radio Service (FRS) and Title 47 Subchapter D Part 96 for Citizen Band, or CB radio. Part 97 concerns Amateur or HAM radio.

While the CB license requirement has been eliminated—and the GMRS requirement may be—there are still stipulations. The main one is that you may not alter the radio to put out more power or add devices that will increase your output. This is the same for GMRS or FRS. I read one article that blasted the FCC for fining a man for operating a CB without a license even though a license has not been required for some thirty years. It turns out that is not what they fined the man for. What they fined him for is that he was broadcasting with a power amplifying device, called a linear amplifier, attached to the radio. That has always been illegal.

You also cannot modify the channels of either radio so that they broadcast at a different frequency. Some older CB radios had three channels and you could change the crystals (things that determined the frequency) to any CB frequencies; but ONLY those frequencies allotted for CB.

The FCC does allow you to use a pseudonym or “handle,” like Bandit or Snowman (although snowman may have an entirely different meaning today). You must, however, use a self-assigned call sign. Your call sign would begin with a “K,” followed by your initials and then your zip code. You are supposed to begin your transmission with that code and rebroadcast it every fifteen minutes. The same reason that television stations “Pause for station identification” every half-hour.

I went into a lot of detail on the various radio services that are open to the public in one way or another. The bottom line is to broadcast on CB or FRS does not require a license. Yet there are still things that you should be aware of. Some of the instructions you receive when you buy the radio gives you some of the specifics, but you should consult the FCC web site or the laws for more in depth information. If you purchased your radios at a swap meet or thrift store, it is very important that you are aware of the laws as you may not get the instruction booklet with it. Operating instructions are generally available online in PDF format. The operating instructions will tell you which channels on your radio are FRS and which are GMRS. If you do not have a license, you are limited to operating on channels 8 to 14 on your dual-purpose radio.

The one feature that you should look for on any of these radios is the weather frequencies. In a weather emergency the NOAA may still be broadcasting in your area.

New Windows scam emerging

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phoneA friend of mine on Facebook reports that he received a call from an 800 number from someone purporting to be from “Windows Security.” The person asked if he could go to his computer and type in what the person instructed.

Sadly, my friend could not. He owns a MAC.

With the problems associated with Windows 10, people might be lead to believe this is the real deal. IT IS NOT.

Microsoft will not call you to do anything over the phone. They charge you to call tech support. Why would they give up a cash cow for free? They will continue to force the security updates down your throat through their update mechanism. Since you also agree to allow Microsoft to store your emails anytime they want, they will even check your spelling.

Scams are getting more sophisticated and there are those who will prey on your lack of computer knowledge and scares over viruses and updates. Do not fall prey to any scams. If you are not sure, hang up and call a friend who is more knowledgeable. These people are simply trying to get you to set up a remote link—so convenient with Windows—to steal your personal information.

If your remote access feature is not turned off, you need to do it. Have a person with knowledge do it for you if you do not know how. It is different in each version of Windows.

I just refuse to answer any calls that are not in my book or not identified by caller ID. Some of the scammers will actually leave a message on your phone. There are no “free” trips to Jamaica. If you want to travel, consult a reliable travel agent.