For renters seeking a new apartment community since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, finding the best place to live has come down to the three Rs—ratings, reviews and reputation.
The search for a new place to rent can bring challenges and stresses, but pandemic concerns and restrictions on in-person tours can make that search more difficult. As a solution, renters are skipping the physical tours and going digital to vet communities. As such, online ratings and reviews have become critical for many renters seeking new spaces.
Expert Opinion
“More than 85% of all renters industrywide indicate they read reviews before making a decision on which apartment they want to live in. That’s significant,” said Mike Gomes, chief experience officer for Cortland, which owns and operates more than 200 apartment communities across the country. The company benefited greatly from positive reviews, attracting new residents throughout its portfolio despite the unimaginable challenges of 2020. Through a responsive customer care team and a tenant-focused service philosophy, it has maintained its position as the No. 1 property management brand in online reputation. Continue reading
Children and teens are catching and spreading COVID-19 at an increasingly high rate. Even if your child or teen has not yet contracted COVID-19, they are at risk, especially with the low number of vaccinated residents in Oklahoma.
“In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, older people were most likely to get the virus. Now it is affecting everyone, and children and teens are also at risk of contracting the virus and experiencing long-lasting impacts,” said Dr. Dale Bratzler, University Chief COVID Officer and Professor in the OU Hudson College of Public Health. “We need to do everything we can to keep all our kids safe, and the best way to do that is to get more people vaccinated.”
Parents and other adults in a child or teen’s life can take steps to protect young people and themselves.
Get Your Child Vaccinated When Eligible
The best way to protect your children from COVID-19 and all the potential complications is to get them vaccinated as soon as they are eligible. The COVID-19 vaccine is free, widely available, and highly effective in preventing hospitalization and death from COVID-19. Like most vaccines, some minor side effects may occur, such as a sore arm or slight fatigue, but the symptoms and long-term impact of contracting COVID-19 are much more serious. Ultimately, it is much safer for children and teens to get a COVID-19 vaccine than getting the disease itself.
Practice Prevention
If your children are not eligible to be vaccinated, you can still keep them safe from COVID-19 by practicing recommended prevention methods such as physical distancing when possible and continuing to wear a mask, especially in crowds or while indoors. Even people who have been vaccinated should wear a mask in crowds and public indoor places. Most children can safely and effectively wear face masks, so it’s important to remind them that it keeps them safe and to set an example by wearing a mask, too.
Encourage Adults In Your Child’s Life To Get Vaccinated
Ensuring that those who spend time around your child are vaccinated helps keep an unvaccinated child from getting sick or spreading COVID-19 to other vulnerable people. Talk to the adults in your child’s life—grandparents, friends’ parents, and teachers—about getting vaccinated to protect themselves and your child.
Children and teens are just as susceptible to COVID-19 as adults, and they can spread the virus to others who are at even greater risk. A growing number of children and teens have been hospitalized with COVID-19. Getting all eligible children and teens vaccinated and following simple prevention measures will protect them, their families, and friends, and get everyone one step closer to getting this pandemic under control.
Learn More
For more information and to find a vaccine, visit www.vaccines.gov.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is warning Floridians about the recent explosion in deadly counterfeit pills confiscated nationwide. The United States Drug Enforcement Administration recently seized 1.8 million fentanyl-laced pills in a two-month nationwide sting that launched on Aug. 3. Since the start of 2021, officials have seized more than 9.5 million counterfeit pills—an increase of nearly 430% since 2019. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin and is an accelerating force behind the increase in drug overdose deaths.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “We are seeing a nationwide increase in the amount of fentanyl coming across our border. We are also seeing a dramatic spike in the number of overdose deaths attributed to fentanyl. As Florida’s Attorney General and as a mother, I don’t want anyone to abuse drugs, but please be especially warned that if you take a pill from anyone other than your doctor, you may be risking your life. Just one dose of fentanyl can kill, and with an increasing number of these counterfeit pills circulating throughout the country, the message is more important today than ever before.” Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody today issued a Consumer Alert highlighting a staggering increase in the number of robocalls flooding Floridians’ phones. According to the Robocall Index, so far in 2021, robocalls have increased by nearly 450 million calls, or 16% when compared to the same time period last year. The Federal Communications Commission cites robocalls as the agency’s top consumer complaint. Attorney General Moody is working with attorneys general from across the country in a coordinated effort to fight back against illegal robocalls to protect Floridians from scams connected to calls.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “The pandemic changed the way we work, learn and socialize—further popularizing the tools we use to communicate remotely, including cellphones. With this rise in cellphone use, it is no surprise that we are seeing an increase in the number of robocalls targeting Floridians. Please remain vigilant when receiving calls from unknown sources and never give personal or financial information in response to an unwanted solicitation.”
In 2019, Attorney General Moody, attorneys general from other states and 15 phone companies adopted the Anti-Robocall Principles to fight robocalls through prevention and enforcement solutions. Since then, companies that agreed to the principles have: Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody today issued a Consumer Alert warning Floridians of a new COVID-19 vaccination text scam. There have been reports of fraudulent text messages being sent to Floridians asking for driver license details in order to remake licenses that show vaccination status. The text messages provide a link that sends targets to a spoofed Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles website with input boxes requesting Social Security and driver license information—including a place to upload a photocopy of a driver license.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “COVID-19 cases have decreased drastically across the state, but that hasn’t stopped scammers from finding new angles to exploit the pandemic. Please be on the lookout for phony messages and remember that the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will never reach out via text and ask for personal information. Florida is not updating driver licenses to include proof of vaccination—any solicitation making this claim is a scam that should be reported immediately.” Continue reading
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services acknowledges in a new report that early vaccination of seniors saved lives
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a report which validates Governor DeSantis’ Seniors First vaccination policy, declaring that “efforts to prioritize and vaccinate” those 65 and older “helped prevent hundreds of thousands of new COVID-19 infections and tens of thousands of deaths among seniors” and “directly correlate[s] to saving lives.”
“As the COVID vaccines first became available, I made it clear that in Florida we were going to put Seniors First to make sure the most vulnerable received the protection they needed,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Following Florida’s lead, earlier this year the federal government reversed course from prioritizing younger populations for vaccinations to recommending that states prioritize seniors age 65 and older. When I decided to put Seniors First, the data clearly showed that prioritizing vaccines for seniors would save the most lives. It was the right thing to do, and I am glad to see the federal government has continued to acknowledge this reality.” Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the resignation of First Lady Casey DeSantis as Chair of the Florida Children and Youth Cabinet and the designation of State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo as the new Chair.
“I’m proud of the First Lady’s leadership as Chair of the Florida Children and Youth Cabinet,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Her commitment to children is unmatched, and she has continued to foster collaboration across state and local partners to benefit families in our state. As a mother, she understands that Florida’s youth need our support, love and care and we are all better for her leadership over the past three years.”
Originally appointed in 2019, First Lady DeSantis led the Cabinet with distinction, recognizing the bandwidth and horsepower of the talented group of individuals serving on the Cabinet. The First Lady continuously challenged members to take a holistic approach to addressing the needs of children in our state. Under her leadership, the Cabinet tackled critical issues and aided in the state’s pandemic response, notably including: Continue reading
November is military family appreciation month. During this month, families with members of the military, past and present, are honored and recognized for their commitment and contributions in support of our military and nation. November 11th is Veteran’s Day. Thank a member of the military for serving this country. It is important for them to hear your appreciation, but most of all, it’s respectful.
With the holiday season upon us, we should be thankful for the time that we have to spend with our family and friends. There are families that are separated because a member is away serving our country in the military or worse, they have sacrificed their life for our country. In reality, freedom is not free. It is important to reflect that these families have a difficult time coping with their situation. We should be thankful for those who make sacrifices and also for our families, friends, and the opportunities we have in this country.
November 25th is Thanksgiving Day. It began as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest of the past year. It is important to spend time with family and friends. Remember that there are families that are missing members because of their sacrifice both here and abroad. Continue reading
Homemade Butterfingers are the most addictive candy bars, maybe ever. These bite-sized chocolate bars are great for a Halloween bash, but they are also great for your everyday chocolate cravings!
Ingredients
- 3 cups candy corn
- 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups good quality chocolate – milk, dark, or even white!
Instructions
- Line a 9×9 inch baking dish with parchment paper (be sure to cover up the sides of the dish too), and set aside.
- In a large glass bowl melt the candy corn in the microwave. Melt it in 30 second spurts and stir it well in between each time. When it is completely melted add the peanut butter and stir to combine. Pour it into the prepared pan, spreading it out, and smoothing the top. Let the mixture cool completely, about an hour.
- When cool, remove the candy from the pan by pulling on the parchment paper. Place the parchment paper and candy on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the candy into bite-sized pieces.
- Melt the chocolate and then dip each piece of candy completely into the chocolate. Remove and place on a piece of waxed paper until the chocolate is set, about 20 minutes.
- Serve or store in an air-tight container.
OCALA, Fla.—Because of a reduction in the demand for COVID-19 testing, Statlab Mobile, a COVID-19 mobile clinical testing service, will no longer offer free drive-through testing at the Florida Agriculture Center and Horse Park in Ocala.
Testing also ended at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion in Ocala on Oct. 11.
CovidTestFL.Org, a COVID-19 mobile clinical testing service, continues to provide extended-hours testing opportunities in Marion County. Call CovidTestFL.Org at 866-826-8430 for details.
“We want to thank Statlab Mobile, the Florida Horse Park and the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion for partnering with us, and helping ensure Marion County residents had multiple opportunities for testing during the pandemic,” said Department of Health in Marion County Administrator Mark Lander.
“Such partnerships have been invaluable in our efforts to provide Marion County residents with rapid, responsive COVID-19 testing.” Continue reading
