tobyotter, flickr

It seems that all of the junk food that we’ve been eating might not be killing us off as quickly as some might think.

In fact, according to the annual state of the union’s health report, which was released this week by the Center for Disease Control, even though the American population is getting fatter, we are still longer living longer.

The report details the relation between our income and education, life expectancy, disease and risk factors health care costs and our overall health.

Here are some points of interest from the study:

• We are living longer. Since 19080, men’s life expectancy rose from 70 to 76, while women’s increased from 77 to 81.
• Even though heart disease is the most common killer between men and women, the number of deaths from heart disease dropped 32%.
• Caner deaths are down 15% for men and 11%for women.
• Deaths by stroke are down nearly a third for both men and women.
• Nearly 50% of adults living with high blood pressure don’t have it under control, which is surprisingly lower than it was in the 1990’s.
• Obesity has gone up in every age demographic.
• 20% of school age children are now obese.
• Only half of adults over the age of 18 years old meet federal physical activity recommendations.
• More adults are having cancer screening than 10 years ago.
• Drug overdose deaths have nearly doubled in the last decade.
• Nearly a third of money spent on heath care was spent on hospitals.
• Prescription drug costs have more than doubled over the last decade.
• Employees receiving health insurance from their employer decreased 10%.
• Seventeen percent of American adults to not receive timely health care due to cost.

[WEB MD]

Courtesy of UW Club Baseball

The Wyoming club baseball team continues to enjoy plenty of success on the diamond, as they return to the NCBA Division II World Series starting Friday in Columbus, Georgia. UW was second last year and has two other top six finishes since 2008.

The Cowboys are 20-8 on the season, which includes a 16-2 mark in their conference. They won the District VIII title for the fourth time in the past five seasons to qualify for the World Series.

This team possess’ some big-time offensive weapons. Statistically, Wyoming has six players in the top 10 of NCBA Division II in hits on the season. Jordan Mette leads the way with 34 hits, among them three home runs and three triples. Mette and teammate John Czerwinski are both hitting over .519 on the season, while Mette and teammate Matt Overton have driven in 25 and 24 runs on the season, respectively.

UW also has some quality pitching at the NCBA Division II level. Ryan Bunger is second in wins with seven on the season, while teammate Dustin Stallings is tied for third with five. Those two, along with Carlos Casas, rank in the top seven in innings pitched this season. Stallings and Casas are fifth and sixth in strikeouts with 54 and 44, respectively. Nicholas Barker leads the division with six saves on the year.

Now it’s time to focus on the action. Seeded fourth, the Cowboys play the first game of the NCBA Division II World Series, Friday at 8 am Mountain time, against Illinois.

Wyoming’s player-coach Skyler Joy joined David Settle and Kari Eakins on Sportsline Live May 14th. He talked about the season, broke down the club and previewed the upcoming NCBA Division II World Series.

restlessglobetrotter, Flickr

A man in the UK who was upset with his accountant chose a rather unusual way to express his irritation: he paid off his $1,200 bill for services rendered in coins. But the accountant got the last laugh by taking his client to court.

Robert Fitzpatrick apparently didn’t like the job done by Philip Lawrence’s firm, so he dumped five crates of coins on Lawrence’s front lawn. And while the amount he owed was technically paid in full, it violated a local law stating coins can’t be used for large payments — so Lawrence sued.

“Incredulous is really the only word,” Lawrence said of the weighty payment method. “I was not at home when the boxes were delivered and did not sign for them. My partner phoned me to ask if I was expecting a delivery and when I told her that I wasn’t, she opened the boxes only to find all these coins.”

Lawrence sued for the original amount owed plus another $500 for the daily cost of storing all that metal. He prevailed in court, but didn’t get the storage fees. He said once he’s paid, he’ll return the coins to his former client.

Fitzpatrick is fine with the ruling, saying, “Of course it’s unusual but it depends how annoyed you are with someone. I’m not bothered. Mr. Lawrence had sought more but didn’t get it.”

[The Telegraph]

Karen Snyder, K2 Radio

Secretary of State Max Maxfield reminds potential candidates that the filing period opens Thursday, May 17th. If your interested in running for a federal, state, county or municipal office the filing period runs through Friday, June 1st.

“We have our filing process as a way to spotlight the many opportunities for people to get involved in the election process. Wyoming has one of the most transparent election laws in the nation.”

By statute, candidates have until close of business on June 1st to submit their application, along with the filing fee to the appropriate election office.

Maxfield says anyone running for state office is encouraged to file and pay your fee online.

You can also download the application form and submit it by mail or in person.

Applications and online filing information are available at http://soswy.state.wy.us.

Jerry Bunkers, Flickr

Are you addicted to checking your work email? Well, knock it off. A new study says it’s bad for your health.

Researchers at the University of California-Irvine conducted a study and found that people in constant contact with their email accounts tended to have steady “high alert” heart rates, while those who weren’t had more natural, variable heart rates.

What’s more, after five days of not constantly reading and responding to messages, the latter group reported they had more time to complete work tasks and felt more in control of their work overall.

The bottom line? People who check their work email regularly exhibit higher states of stress and are less focused than people who do their jobs while being cut off from email entirely.

Lead researcher Gloria Mark, a UC-Irvine informatics professor, said that while it’s impossible for people in some professions to ignore their email, everyone else would be well-advised to take a break now and then.

“I could see people taking a day off of email if they could afford it … It would be good for their health,” she said. “We are heading towards a 24/7 connectivity [and] I think we have gone a little too far.”

[Ottawa Citizen]

Getty Images

As a way to help promote healthy eating among children, US Rep. Jared Polis has introduced legislation which would redefine the Department of Agriculture’s classification of pizza as a vegetable in school lunches.

Polis said the tomato sauce used in pizza isn’t enough to qualify it as a vegetable and he wants the USDA to implement new nutrition standards for the food.

“Categorizing pizza as a vegetable because of its small amount of tomato paste is exactly the wrong approach, as Type II diabetes rates among children and child obesity continue to climb,” said a release from Polis’ office.

So, Polis introduced legislation called the SLICE Act, which changes how pizza is classified and allows the USDA to set both sodium reduction and whole grain standards.

While Polis is fine with children occasionally eating pizza, he prefers that it be served along with a healthy side dish. According to the Congressman, pressure from frozen food makers accounts for the designation of pizza as a vegetable, and he hopes this new legislation will impose more sensible standards.

[CBS4]

Ernie Hathaway, flickr

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park are offering annual entrance passes granting free admission to military service members and their families.

The annual passes will become available on Saturday, Armed Forces Day, to active duty service members and their dependents. More than 2,000 national parks, wildlife refuges, national forests, and other public lands across the country also are issuing the passes.

Jonathan B. Jarvis is director of the National Park Service. He says places such as the Statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon symbolize the nation that military service members make great sacrifices to protect.

Photo from Flickr via MSVG

One of the greatest things about Townsquare Media Laramie, is our commitment to you for following us online or listening to us over the radio. Whether it’s our LaramieLive Rewards program, the Mighty 1290 Club, or the Y95 Country Corral, there are many great opportunities for you to receive prizes just for frequenting our websites.

Every few weeks, we have a new list of items that you can be eligible to win, and very recently, we released a list of summer trips that you can win just for participating through our websites. All of the trips are great deals for you and a friend (or friends) to enjoy some great summertime activities and though some of them might be valued higher than others, all that truly matters is which trip is most appealing to you… 

We want to reward you just for answering this poll! Enter your answer to this poll in the Mighty 1290 Club for your chance to win some great prizes like gift certificates, DVDs, and this month a whole slew of prizes to get you ready for summer!

LANDER, Wyo. (AP) — The Lander Water Department says the town’s water supply is running low. Lander is asking residents to voluntarily conserve water by watering lawns only at night and fixing leaky faucets. The situation is a drastic turnaround from last year, when the town was awash in spring runoff from a huge winter snowpack.

PINE RIDGE, S.D. (AP) — A federal wolf specialist says a gray wolf found dead this week on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation came from Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says information from a tracking collar identifies the wolf as a 3- to 4-year-old male that was part of a pack in the southeast part of Yellowstone. The wolf appears to have been struck by a vehicle.

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — The Wyoming State High School Track and Field Championships being today in Casper. Upton senior Kevin Allen is looking to challenge a long-standing record in the discus. Allen tossed the discus 204 feet, 4 inches at the Class 1A East Regional meet last weekend in Cheyenne. The state record is 210 feet, 4 inches set by former Cheyenne Central standout and Olympic medalist John Godina 22 years ago.

Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

Jamie Moyer extended his record for being the oldest winning pitcher in history to 49 years and 180 days, as the Colorado Rockies (15-21) beat the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks (16-22) 6-1 last night in Denver. The two-game series wraps up this afternoon at 1:10 at Coors Field (TV: Root Sports).

Moyer, already on his way to 6 1/3 innings of pitching that baffled D-backs hitters, hit a dribbler to the right side of the infield with runners at second and third with two out in the fourth that scored two runs. Moyer struck out five against two walks and six hits, and didn’t give up a run until allowing consecutive doubles in the seventh.

Official: Tuesday’s Box Score.

The Rockies riddled Corbin (2-2), a 22-year-old rookie, for six runs and nine hits in six innings. The game was smoother than Tuesday’s 5-4 victory at San Francisco. The Rockies blew a 4-1 lead in that one but won on Marco Scutaro’s ninth-inning home run.

“It’s just a well-played game, a clean game without unnecessary drama and flair,” manager Jim Tracy said.

Tickets are available for this afternoon’s game at Coors Field vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks, and can be purchased by calling (800) 388-ROCK, or click here.

[ColoradoRockies.com]

mikeblogs, flickr

What do Amazon, Apple, and L.L. Bean have in common? They all ranked at the top of their categories in a recent study tracking customer satisfaction with online retailers.

The ForeSee E-Retail Satisfaction Index uses a 0 to 100 scale with scores based on factors like functionality, merchandise, content and price. Anything above an 80 is considered “good.”

This year’s big category winners included L.L. Bean (in apparel) and Apple (in computers and electronics) — but the overall grand champion? That’s Amazon, which scored an all-time high of 89.

“Amazon continues to set the standard for e-retailers,” the study said. “Amazon’s score sets a record as the highest score ever attained by a retailer measured in this Index.”

The ForeSee study and others show that not only are customers happy with Amazon, consumers find online shopping in general more satisfying than shopping in brick-and-mortar stores — and that’s something that’s making traditional retailers take notice. Many have now realized how important their websites are and have done major overhauls to attract new customers.

Will Ander, a senior partner with retail industry consulting firm McMillanDoolittle, said, “The smart chains are the ones looking to grow online because there aren’t that many places left in the U.S. that warrant the cost of building another big-box store.”

[Time]

Joe Raedle, Getty Images

Here’s the good news: Americans have better credit scores now than we have in the past few years. But there’s bad news, too: credit standards are now so high that it may not matter much.

FICO scores range from 300 to 850, and are typically affected by paying your bills on time, not applying for new credit lines and keeping your existing balances low.

Research from Fair Isaac Corporation, the company behind your FICO score, indicates the percentage of people with excellent credit scores is the best it’s been in four years, while the number of Americans with lousy scores has fallen to pre-recession levels.

Although it’s encouraging that consumers seem to be spending more responsibly, the problem is that there are still a lot of people stuck in a sort of “no man’s land” of credit — their scores aren’t terrible, but they also aren’t top-notch. And since the criteria for getting the cheapest credit has risen so much since the economy took a nosedive, those folks are often saddled with higher interest rates.

Many borrowers now require a FICO score of 720 or more for the best rates on a credit line. While many people now have scores exceeding 800, the number of people with credit scores between 700 and 749 has fallen to about 16 percent — a historic low.

[Time]

kat sommers, flickr

Unfortunately, a memo requiring you to work on Saturday may not be the only thing on your desk making you sick.

A new study by the University of Arizona says eating lunch at your desk can actually put you at risk of developing a food-borne illness.

According to their report, the average office desktop has 100 times more bacteria than a kitchen table and 400 times more than the average toilet seat. The reason? It’s likely due to our mindset that we should keep our bathrooms and kitchens clean, yet we seem to neglect the cleanliness of out workspaces.

Eighty-three percent of Americans regularly eat at their desks, according to a survey conducted by the American Dietetic Association and ConAgra Foods’ Home Food Supply Safety program.

“With fears of a double-dip recession, more people are bringing their lunches to work instead of eating out,” says Joan Salge Blake, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “No matter how busy you may be, keep in mind that it’s just as important to practice the same food safety tips while eating at your desk as you would in your kitchen.”

The good news is there are steps you can take to avoid getting ill from chowing down at your desk, including keeping your workspace clean, placing food in a refrigerator, re-heat food appropriately if using a microwave and wash your hands.

[Men's Fitness]

(alexindigo, Flickr)

The 28^th Annual Laramie Arbor Day Celebration Tree Sale will take place on June 2nd. The day is meant to encourage beautification efforts around Laramie and is a great chance to purchase a tree or shrub at cost.

Two trees will be planted during the Arbor Day Celebration. The University Lab School will plant one at Labonte Park and the 4th-6th grade SACC students will plant the other tree at the Laramie Community Recreation Center. Parks & Recreation director Paul Harrison told the city council on Tuesday night that Rocky Mountain Power donated the $500 for the two trees.

Harrison also said there will be 78 trees and shrubs available for purchase at wholesale cost. You can view the full list of available varieties by clicking here. The sale will start at 8 a.m. at the Parks Maintenance Shop at the west end of Labonte Park. But Harrison warned that the line for the sale forms well before 8 a.m. and that all of the trees and shrubs “will disappear before noon.”

All of the trees and shrubs will be available on a first come, first serve basis, with a limit of one per household. For more information contact the Parks Division at 721-5264 or visit the Parks & Recreation pages on the City of Laramie website.

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

MONTROSE, Colo. (AP) — Forest managers are asking for greater flexibility to deal with a bark beetle epidemic that has ravaged forests.

According to the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, witnesses told a congressional hearing on Monday that the epidemic poses a serious to local communities and firefighters.

They told the panel it can take up to a year and a half to get permission to take action and by that time, it is often too late.

An aerial survey last year showed about 4.6 million acres in Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota have been affected since the first signs of the outbreak in 1996. That’s up from about 4.3 million acres in 2010.

Getty Images

A mock biological disaster, “Operation Prairie Eagle”, continues this week with emergency response partners across the state participating. The Exercise requires mass distribution of anti-biotics in the face of widespread anthrax contamination. The practice scenario began last Friday in Natrona County and involved the Governor requesting from the Center for Disease Control medication from the Strategic National Stockpile.

Audrey Gray is Natrona County’s public health response coordinator and she says they’re also working with local volunteer registers.

“Wednesday we’re opening our volunteer reception center which is actually a nationwide standardized type of response to process volunteers who might be coming out to volunteer in the time of a disaster.”

Gray says its a chance to make sure they use health professional volunteers appropriately.

It’s the largest exercise of its kind in the last five years and includes Wyoming National Guard Troops.

Operation Prairie Eagle continues through Friday.

(Photo Courtesy of Adam Porter)

A popular summer concert series is coming back to the University of Wyoming this year. The Campus Activities Center was impressed with the response from students and faculty last year, so they decided to bring back the concert series for another summer.

Every Wednesday from May 23rd until Aug 8th there will be a lunchtime concert from 11:45 am to 1 pm. No concert will take place July 4th so everyone can enjoy the holiday. The concerts will take place at the Simpson Plaza which is located on the west side of the Wyoming Union. If weather does not permit an outdoor concert, the bands will be moved to the lower level of the Wyoming Union, and the concert will take place at the same time.

The summer concert series is open to the public and is free of charge. All members of the community are encouraged to stop by the concerts and even bring a lunchtime picnic to enjoy in Prexy’s Pasture during the show.

The Campus Activities Center is in the process of booking talent for the series, and just over half of the weeks are already filled. You can look forward to performances by Tim Bruns, The Patti Fiasco, Lonesome Heroes, Cary Judd, Rob Drabkin and other talented artists throughout the summer.

The Summer Concert Series will kick off on May 23^rd with a performance by Tim Bruns, who performed in last year’s series as well. Tim Bruns is a musician out of Denver who favors genres such as indie, rock and folk.

The Summer Concert Series is a great way to spend lunch hour each Wednesday this summer. Be sure to drop by the University of Wyoming campus to check out the great music.

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

DENVER (AP) — Nearly a dozen helicopters will fill the air as Denver-area emergency crews practice for a mass disaster.

The exercise Wednesday is a major test of the National Disaster Medical System. It will involve more than 200 simulated patients, 11 metro-area hospitals, 10 ambulances and 10 helicopters. Part of the exercise will involve Denver International Airport.

The program is designed to coordinate medical care in national or international emergencies.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker John Boehner says that when Congress raises the nation’s borrowing cap he will again insist on spending cuts and budget reforms to offset the increase.

The Ohio Republican took the same stance a year ago during last summer’s debt battle. That measure produced a 10-year, $2 trillion-plus package of spending cuts. But with the failure of the so-called deficit supercommittee to reach a deal, automatic spending cuts are set to hit the Pentagon and other Cabinet agencies next year.

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner says the government will hit its borrowing cap late this year but that Treasury can use accounting maneuvers to buy time for the newly elected Congress to deal with the issue early next year.

uggboy ugggirl, flickr

Buying airfare shouldn’t be as complex as trying to handicap a race horse, but the truth is sometimes it’s trickier.

Most people at least have a fighting chance with a little beginner’s luck when making their first bet on the ponies, yet those of us who have been flying for years can’t seem to get a grip on this airfare game.

Americans typically get a little jumpy when they feel like they’re being ripped off, but losing money on a bet is just part of the fun.

However, there is nothing fun about paying too much for airfare. According to Jetsetter, there are some specific tips you can follow in order to get the best possible deal.

• Book airfare six weeks in advance during normal time (not during the holidays)
• Book airfare three months in advance to a popular location in high season
• Book airfare for Thanksgiving the day after Labor Day
• Book airfare as soon as possible during the summer months because rates get higher as summer progresses
• Book airfare two-to-four weeks in advance during the fall months because you can wait longer for last minute deals in the off-season
• Book airfare for winter vacations as early as September
• Book airfare for spring break three months in advance

So plan all of your trips well in advance to ensure the best possible bet on your next airfare purchase. And remember, it’s a gamble.

[LearnVest]