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Whatever happened to savings bonds?

by Emaryi Williams –

According to AARP, savings bonds were really popular gifts “back in the day”, especially among grandparents. Savings bonds date back to 1935 when former president Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into legislation that the U.S. Department of the Treasury could sell them as a new type of security.

According to Treasury Directs, when you buy a savings bond you’re essentially “lend[ing] money to the U.S. government. In turn, the government agrees to pay that much money back later — plus additional money (interest).” The interest can only be earned for up to 30 years, and it can also be federally taxed.

There are three main types of savings bonds in the United States:

Series E — These types of bonds were created in 1981 to help fund World War II. As of 1980, they are no longer being sold. While these would be out of date, they are still redeemable.
Series EE — These bonds were created in 1990 to replace the Series E bond and were used as a way to help save and pay for college. These bonds earn different interest rates based off of when they were issued.
Series I — These bonds were created in 1998 to help Americans save while protecting them against inflation. These bonds have a combination of a fixed rate and a semiannual inflation rate that reflects the consumer price index.

Now that you know the difference between savings bonds, you may still be wondering where they went, and why you may not see them anymore.

The answer is simple. They went online.

As of 2012, savings bonds were no longer printed on pieces of paper. To both purchase and redeem an online savings bond, you must go through Treasury Direct, which is maintained by the U.S. Treasury. The move to online was made to make bond purchases easier and more accessible using the internet.

Despite paper bonds being discontinued, you can still cash in paper bonds. You can even convert your paper bond into an electric one on Treasury Direct’s website, letting it mature longer online. According to Investopedia, another pro to switching to electronic bonds is that when you want to cash out an electronic bond, you can choose to only take a portion and keep the rest maturing. You cannot do that with a paper bond.

Rules about interest and taxes are still the same for both paper and electronic savings bonds, and they can be found on Treasury Direct’s website. There is also a tool available to help bondholders determine what their bond may be worth today.

Apartment hunting? 5 things to consider

by Emaryi Williams-

As inflation rises in almost every aspect of American life, including housing, renting an apartment is starting to look unrealistic for some. According to Virginia Realtors, rental demand and prices for apartments are on the rise. Early preparation is important if you are thinking of finding an apartment.

In no particular order, here are five things to have or consider before renting:

Budget

According to Capital One, it is a general rule to have a job that pays three times your rent, and most landlords even require it for renting. This will be key in trying to set your budget. According to Citizens B ank, one common budget plan is the 50/30/20 Budget Rule, which divides your income into needs, wants and savings respectively.

Savings

With the numerous upfront costs that accompany a newly acquired apartment like furniture and appliances, aspiring renters need to have money readily available. The exact amount of money is subjective to the potential apartment and additional charges, but Supermoney says that the average person should have $5,000 to $8,000 in their bank account before moving.

Security deposit and application fees

To get through the application process, there are two main fees of which potential renters will need to be aware. According to Virginia tenant law, a landlord is required to charge tenants a security deposit, which is a maximum of two months’ rent. Potential renters will also need to make sure they are aware of the application fees. In Virginia, laws limit application fees to $50.

Credit score

Fixing a poor credit score cannot happen overnight, so making sure you have a good score is something you want to do well in advance of looking for a new apartment. According to Flex Finance Inc., the more competitive the market is, the higher your credit score will need to be with the following ranges:

Exceptional: 800 – 850
Very Good: 740 – 799
Good: 670 – 739
Fair: 580 – 669
Poor: 300 – 579

If you have a bad credit score, you may need to look into a co-signer.

Required documents

According to Apartmentguide, there are standard documents that you will need to provide your potential landlord. Other than providing your social security number, you will need to provide proof of employment with paystubs/bank statements, a government-issued ID, vehicle registration (for a parking pass) and rental history.

Unearth the power of ‘Earthing’

by Kayla Frank–

Earth Day celebrates the accomplishments of environmental movements and raises awareness of the moral duties of protecting our environment.

Photo of “person holding world globe facing mountain” by Porapak Apichodilok from Pexels.com retrieved April 4, 2023.

On Saturday, April 22, ways to honor Earth Day include picking up trash, planting trees, or even just going outside. Getting grounded is another way to engage with nature, but not the kind that comes from your parents or sends you to your room.

Grounding, also referred to as “earthing,” involves direct skin contact with the Earth’s surface, like walking barefoot or sitting outside on the grass, sand, or dirt. Emerging yourself in a body of water can also be considered grounding.

Photo of “person in black leggings standing on rock” by PNW Production from Pexels.com. Retrieved April 4, 2023.

Scientific research supports reductions in chronic pain, inflammation, and muscle damage, along with better sleep and improved moods when connecting with Earth’s surface electrons.

Extra amounts of reactive oxygen species that contain atoms with unpaired electrons can create chaos in the body. Known as free radicals, these can aid in development of cancer, Alzheimer’s, and irritable bowel syndrome.

Due to modern lifestyles that keep us inside, grounding can help restore our “electron deficiency,” realigning our primordial electric connection to Earth. Like our ancestors did for thousands of years, walking barefoot absorbs ions from the Earth’s surface, acting as antioxidants to improve our health.

If going outside isn’t an option, there are other ways to unearth grounding. Alternatives range from grounding mats, sheets, blankets, socks, bands, and patches that are available from a range of sources.

In an initial grounding experiment conducted by Clint Ober, the CEO of Earthing FX and innovator behind the grounding movement, Ober gathered 60 volunteers with chronic sleep and pain difficulties who were either grounded or sham-grounded during sleep.

Grounding was through means of a conductive pad connected to a rod outside their bedroom. The results showed those who were grounded saw significant improvements in sleep and pain versus sham-grounded .

Table of Ober’s grounding experiment from Ultimate Longevity LLC 2021, Grounding Research: Study Summaries. Retrieved April 4, 2023.

Remember to be intentional while earthing or grounding if you plan to take part this Earth Day. Earthing is a great way to connect with nature and reduce anxiety, but should be practiced often to achieve ample effects.

On its way to becoming a massive movement worldwide, shed your shoes and get to grounding.

NRV overdoses surpass the Va. state average

by Savannah Webb-

The Virginia Department of Health released data suggesting that the New River Valley experienced an increase in visits to emergency departments (ED) for drug overdoses in 2022.

Overdoses spiked during the pandemic, but the state has since reported decreased overdose rates. Conversely, rates are steadily increasing in the New River Valley, with prescribed opioids causing a majority of overdoses.

Inclusivity in Hollywood

by Golder Baah-

In the last few years, Disney has been remaking many of their classic animated films into live-action movies. Although there hasn’t been an official announcement or confirmation of a live-action version of “The Princess and the Frog,” rumors are circulating in the news and on social media that Disney is working on it.

Social media users have immediately jumped to who should play Princess Tiana and who should not. Many people on social media are voicing their opinions on the role due to Hollywood’s repetitive colorism. Hollywood has a history of giving roles that are meant for darker-skinned women to lighter-skinned women, and the media is not having it for the live-action version of “The Princess and the Frog.”

According to Deadline, “nearly 80% of Black female characters have light or medium skin tones.” This is due to the stereotype of darker-skinned black women “not having the white standards of beauty.” This limited representation on the big screen does not accurately showcase the range of Black women in today’s society.

In 2021, the trailer for the movie “The Harder They Fall” was released, and the media immediately noticed the portrayal of Stagecoach Mary, a real historical figure who was a dark-skinned Black woman, was being portrayed by light-skinned actress Zazie Beetz. This sparked questions on social media about why a light-skinned actress was cast in the role of a real-life darker-skinned woman when there are darker-skinned actresses who could have justified the role.

According to TeenVogue, “Hollywood still overwhelmingly believes that a Black woman must possess non-Black ancestry or features to be considered beautiful or valuable.” Concerns over colorism and blackface were brought to light again when light-skinned actress Zoe Saldana was cast as Nina Simone, a dark-skinned musician who faced racial discrimination. Saldana wore a prosthetic nose, false teeth, and dark makeup for the role.

While there have been some efforts to increase the number of roles meant for dark-skinned women in Hollywood, inclusivity cannot be achieved until dark-skinned women have equal representation on the big screen. With the potential upcoming live-action version of “The Princess and the Frog,” many people on social media are hoping to see Hollywood make progress and accurately represent the Black community in film and TV, rather than continue to disappoint with a lack of representation and blackface.

Virginia rural areas combat health inequity

by Cyna Mirzai-

Blacksburg, Va., March 23, 2023 — Communities in rural Virginia are disproportionally affected by health-related issues than those in urban communities. Photo credit: Cyna Mirzai

The Virginia Rural Health Association, a non-profit health advocacy group serving people living in rural Virginia, is fighting against racism and inequity in the healthcare system.

An affiliate of the National Rural Health Association and with over 1,000 members statewide, the VRHA states a mission to “improve the health of rural Virginians through education, advocacy, and fostering cooperative partnerships.” This mission is especially present in their efforts to reduce health inequity.

The Virginia Department of Health defines health inequity as “disparities in health that are a result of systemic, avoidable and unjust social and economic policies and practices that create barriers to opportunity.”

There are many health disparities that affect rural Virginia, including a lack of primary and emergency care, barriers in access to health insurance and a mortality rate that is 30% higher than urban areas, says Beth O’Connor, the executive director of the VRHA. She explains these disparities are found across all levels of the healthcare system, especially among non-white communities.

“We still see disparities in people of color when it comes to being accepted into medical schools, in how they are treated throughout their educational process as both students and residents and in how they are treated as employers,” O’Connor said.

According to the VRHA website, health disparities for black citizens in Virginia include higher rates of diabetes, hypertension and obesity. Black women in Virginia are also three times more likely to die after giving birth than white women.

A 2021 study also shows that rural black Americans are more likely to have risk factors for severe COVID-19, influencing their increased risk of hospitalization.

Blacksburg, Va., March 23, 2023 — The Virginia Rural Health Association’s office allows O’Connor to hold meetings and events addressing pressing health equity issues. Photo credit: Cyna Mirzai

As an advocacy group, the VRHA works to address racism in various facets. In 2015, their board of directors made a commitment to address multiculturalism and rural health. Since then, the organization has increased diversity in its membership and included health equity topics in its educational programs.

While the VRHA is currently focusing on addressing health inequities in regards to race, Danielle Montague, a program coordinator for the VRHA, hopes people from all kinds of identity groups receive health equity.

“It is important that we educate people about what equity really means,” Montague said. “I often remind people that equity and racism are not synonymous. Equity is actually about making sure everybody’s needs are met, whether it is in regard to their race, gender, sexual orientation or a disability.”

The VRHA is continually working on new advancements towards health equity. They are currently in the process of applying for a grant from the CDC to uncover the inequities in maternal health in Danville, Virginia. They hope to hire and train doulas to work with pregnant women, as Danville has one of the highest populations of non-white citizens in rural Virginia, and yet their maternal mortality rate is the highest in the state.

Patient anxieties affect medical treatment

by Anthony Cusat-

The Lewis Gale Hospital in Blacksburg, Va., Thursday, March 23, 2023. (Anthony Cusat, JMC 4814). The Lewis Gale hospital is able to run a variety of medical tests on patients.

Despite over one billion visits to doctor’s offices in 2021, different forms of medical anxiety continue to affect patients in need of care. White-coat hypertension, a temporary spike in blood pressure when in a doctor’s office, is just one example of the results of medical anxiety on physical health, and has implications for future heart troubles.

While some amount of anxiety is normal, too much anxiety in a medical context creates challenges for receiving proper treatment.

Medical test anxiety is most commonly broken down into fear of needles, the fear of the doctor and the fear of tight spaces for evaluations like magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs). These different medical anxieties have the potential to affect both health outcomes and physician practices. According to the National Library of Medicine, the fear of needles is higher in younger populations but still accounts for 16% of adult patients avoiding influenza vaccination.

The home testing section at a local chain drug store in Blacksburg, Va., Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (Anthony Cusat, JMC 4814). Various tests can be done by individuals outside of a doctors office.

The avoidance of medical testing, even when exhibiting symptoms of an illness, is also something medical professionals commonly see on the job. “A lot of people will refuse to actually get the tests,” said Alonda Johnson, a medical office technician in the New River Valley. Medical tests are not forced on patients so some still walk away without confirmation of a diagnosis.

Johnson also said that there can be additional anxiety created from testing illnesses that coincide with societal stigmas like sexually transmitted diseases. For example, the labeling of monkeypox as a disease mainly spread by men who have sex with men during the 2022 outbreak created concerns among experts that attempting to get the vaccine would carry a stigma similar to the one surrounding HIV treatments.

In terms of medical professionals’ responses to these various fears, Brendan Huang, a medical assistant, said that anxiety in patients is something that those who work in the field experience every day and were taught how to handle.

“We’ll have normal conversations with the patients just to get a vibe of how their anxiety is if they do show any signs, then try to talk things through as much as possible.”

Along with fostering comforting environments, new advancements in technology look to continue to reduce the extreme anxiety those undergoing medical tests and procedures may face. VR technology has already been shown to reduce pain and anxiety during puncture procedures in children.

Additionally, letting physicians know about concerns and general anxiety management techniques like breathing exercises can help with milder worries. For overwhelming anxiety, talking to a mental health professional might be the best course of action.

Pandemic-related transportation changes not going away

by Deanna Driver-

The coronavirus impacted almost every facet of life in 2020, including travel. Most modes of public transportation were affected, leaving employers and travelers alike in a state of disarray. According to the World Tourism Organization, international arrivals decreased by 74% in 2020. The past three years experienced a great deal of drastic change in terms of health/safety protocols, traveler numbers and price fluctuations in all spheres of transportation.

Due to the close-knit nature of air travel, COVID-19 negatively affected this mode of transportation with its ability to rapidly transmit from individual to individual. Photo taken on March 24, Virginia Tech Montgomery Executive Airport. (Photo by Deanna Driver)

Air travel was greatly affected by the pandemic and quickly had to adapt to the changing environment. Heather Ream, Director of Marketing and Communications at Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport (SHD) said the airport immediately began implementing safety measures to keep passengers safe in 2020.

“We had been working on an expansion of our sterile area with the addition of a glass partition wall that could be raised or lowered to accommodate larger passenger loads. This extra space came in handy during the pandemic because it allowed passengers to spread out more.”

Ream stated that due to its small size, the airport maintained its air service connectivity and continued servicing individuals, especially through corporate aircraft usage which reduced exposure. This was not true for all airports, however; according to an article on the Insider website, 2020 had the lowest passenger numbers in over a decade, and a lot of employees and passengers suffered as a result.

Despite the severity of the pandemic, people still needed to travel, and Amtrak remained one of those resources. Amtrak’s Senior Public Relations Manager, Kimberly Woods, like Ream, said the organization worked quickly to make passengers feel safe.

“It was important for customers to be aware of the enhanced safety and cleaning measures. We worked to simplify and safeguard the travel experience, and several cleaning, contact-free and convenience measures were implemented into every part of the customer journey.”

In July 2021, SHD saw an all-time high in number of passengers serviced as travel resurged. However, surprisingly, the most drastic shift for SHD’s air travel came in March 2022. A large number of older pilots retired after being furloughed, and additionally, finding staff for the mechanical portion of plane maintenance was difficult.

“Unfortunately, the regional airlines were hit the hardest by these workforce issues and many had no choice but to decrease the number of markets served due to no crews to operate the flights,” Ream stated.

In this same period, Amtrak didn’t note any issues with staffing. Some routes discontinued according to an AP article, but other than mask mandates, physical distancing guidelines, and an emphasis on reservation systems, Amtrak services operated relatively normally in 2021 and 2022.

Now, in 2023, a sense of normalcy has returned to the travel sphere, but certain practices and policies from the peak pandemic era stuck around. For one, ticket prices increased as a result of higher demand and lower number of available pilots and employees. Additionally, certain safety measures still exist.

As a result of the pandemic, plane tickets prices have soared. This uptick in price is a culmination of many things: lack of adequate staff, increased jet fuel prices and increased demand by customers. Photo taken on March 22, 2023. (Photo by Deanna Driver)

“We are still using the glass partition wall to give passengers extra space post screening. Our hand sanitizer stations are still in place throughout the terminal and our building maintenance team maintains the additional cleaning procedures put in place during the pandemic,” Ream said.

Amtrak has seen a wave of new customers utilizing their services since travel has surged again.

“We are seeing customers who are traveling on Amtrak for the first time. New riders skew younger with less income and education and slightly more racial diversity. Our ridership has returned to 84% of pre-pandemic levels and continues to improve,” Woods said.

COVID-19 dismantled the way the world operated for a significant time, but by adapting guidelines to make everyone as safe as possible, travel institutions navigated the ever-changing landscape.

Author: The News Feed