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Thwart-off Cyber Crime this Holiday Season

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:49:01 GMT

RCMPThe holiday season is just around the corner, which means more and more people will be shopping for presents. Online shopping has become an increasingly popular and convenient way to find deals and cross things off our lists. With both Black Friday and Cyber Monday taking place this month, many Albertans will be handing out their credit card details in exchange for deals this month.In the Alberta RCMP’s jurisdiction in 2022 there were a total of:• 34 reports of unauthorized use of credit card data (4 in November and 2 in December);• 726 reports of Theft, Forgery, Misuse of Credit Card (53 in November and 47 in December);• 1,796 reports of Fraud (money/property/security) greater than $5,000 (183 in November and 150 in December); and• 5,653 reports of Fraud (money/property/security) less than or equal to $5,000 (445 in November and 401 in December).• Coaldale-Picture Butte Detachment advised that: “Cybercriminals are always looking for opportunities to exploit the holiday rush in ...

County Reeve launches food bank fundraiser with chance to “dunk the Reeve”

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:49:01 GMT

By Erika MathieuSunny South NewsLethbridge County Council is calling on the community to help stock the shelves at local food banks this holiday season, and offering a unique opportunity to donors.Last week, Reeve of Lethbridge County, Tory Campbell launched the Frozen Food Bank Fundraiser. The initiative will support of the Coaldale Food Bank and North County Interfaith Outreach Society in Picture Butte. The public is asked to consider donating funds or non-perishable food items, with the chance to win an opportunity to Dunk Reeve Campbell into a freezing tank of water. For each monetary donation, or item of food given, donors can enter a draw to dunk the Reeve in a dunk tank this winter.“There’s a lot of different opportunities to do good things throughout the year and I think that is especially highlighted during the holiday season, and this was just something a little bit unique, where we could take something that’s obviously quite serious and maybe add a little bit of a fun twi...

Albany leaders call for Gov. Hochul to sign Retail Crime Task Force bill

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:49:01 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- With the busiest shopping day of the year just a few weeks away, Albany leaders are pushing Governor Kathy Hochul to sign a new bill that would create an organized retail crime task force. The bill was passed as the state sees a drastic increase in organized retail crime. The task force would provide more information on retail crime and measures to counter losses across the state with members appointed by Governor Hochul, the state legislature and Attorney General. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! “These individuals are bold, they’re brazen, and yes it’s criminal," Assemblyman John McDonald said. "This is why establishing a task force, it’s intention, is to make sure all of the stakeholders the owners, law enforcement, employees, members of the community are at the table talking to each other.”The City of Albany is seeing an increase in retail crime. Eric Hawkins, Albany Police Chief, said its having a ...

NYSP seeks information about deceased female found in Fishkill

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:49:01 GMT

FISHKILL, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- State Police are seeking assistance in their investigation into the death of Jacqueline L. Orzeck, 37, of Middletown. Police say Orzeck was found deceased in Fishkill on November 2. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Jacqueline L. Orzeck (image credit: New York State Police)Jacqueline L. Orzeck (image credit: New York State Police)Orzeck was reportedly last seen in Newburgh on November 1 in the area of William Street and Hasbrouck Street. Anyone with information about her whereabouts or activities leading up to her death is asked to contact State Police at (845) 677-7300. The case number is 11693828.

Health insurance call center workers strike in Albany

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:49:01 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — With the enrollment period for health care in full swing, hundreds of workers who handle calls about Medicare and the Affordable Care Act plan to strike, including some people here in Albany. MORE NEWS from NEWS10The workers are employed by a federal and state contracted company named Maximus Incorporated. At least eight IT workers demonstrated before their shifts today. Tech department worker Michael Cipolla says the numbers would've been larger if workers did not fear retaliation. He also says the timing of the strike during the enrollment. Period is no coincidence. “It was deliberate. We're trying to slow them down. They need to know how important we are to their organization…” the IT employee told NEWS 10's Zion Decoteau during the strike Thursday morning. The Maximus employees are asking for more affordable healthcare, a living wage of at least 25 dollars per hour, and the ability to organize their union free from employer...

With Colorado set to reintroduce gray wolves, bill backed by U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert seeks their removal from endangered species list

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:49:01 GMT

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives last week passed a bill co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert proposing to delist gray wolves from the the nation’s endangered species list.The bill, called The Trust the Science Act, was included in the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for the 2024 fiscal year, which House members passed Nov. 3 — less than two months before Colorado reaches a year-end deadline to reintroduce a gray wolf population in the state.The proposed federal legislation would reinstate a 2020 U.S. Fish and Wildlife rule that delisted gray wolves as endangered species, a move later challenged in a lawsuit and overturned by a decision handed down by the U.S. District Court for Northern California in February 2022.Following the court’s decision, President Joe Biden’s administration joined hunting groups in supporting an unsuccessful appeal of the court’s decision.Read more at steamboatpilot.com.Get more Colorado news by signing u...

California-based home goods retailer closing all stores nationwide

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:49:01 GMT

Z Gallerie, a Los Angeles-based furniture and home goods retailer, has announced that it is closing all its brick-and-mortar stores nationwide.“Thank you for shopping with our store teams over the years, you have inspired us,” the company said in a social media post on Wednesday.The company said its products will continue to be sold online.“Even though our retail stores are closing, our signature Z Gallerie style is available to you, our valued customers, 24/7 via our online channel so you can continue to get lost in the details and turn your home into a work of art.”An image from Z Gallerie's message announcing its closure. Nov. 8, 2023. (Z Gallerie)Z Gallerie has 21 locations in nine states, including five in California.On Oct. 16, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for a third time citing negative cash flow and mounting debt as high mortgage rates crippled home sales and sapped demand for its products, Bloomberg reported.The company was founded in 1979 as a poster shop...

Disneyland's ‘Fantasmic!’ expected to return in May 2024

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:49:01 GMT

Performances of Disneyland’s popular nighttime show “Fantasmic!” are expected to return on May 24, 2024, Disneyland officials announced Thursday.“ At a "Fantasmic!" cast meeting earlier this week, we announced that the show will return on May 24," Disneyland officials said. "We look forward to providing more information about Fantasmic! in the coming months."When the show returns next year, it won’t include the dragon figure, but it will include new special effects and a new battle scene between Sorcerer Mickey and Maleficent, Disneyland officials previously said. Nightly show performances were abruptly halted after a fire destroyed the dragon prop during a performance on April 22. Disneyland releases first look at new Adventureland Treehouse The fire, which caused the nighttime show to go on hiatus, broke out during the show’s finale, sparking first from the “Maleficent” dragon prop’s face before spreading to the rest of its body, photos and video from the scene showed.This photo...

Dylan Blau, Legendary Dog Trainer Continues To Help Dogs and Positively Impact The Dog Training Industry.

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:49:01 GMT

Dylan Blau, a name synonymous with innovation and excellence in the dog training and social media industry, is revolutionizing the way dog trainers and entrepreneurs harness the power of social media. With a career spanning over 15 years, Dylan Blau has not only transformed the lives of countless dogs but has also become a trailblazer in teaching how to leverage social media effectively to grow businesses and make an impact in the digital realm.Dylan Blau is not just another dog trainer; he is a visionary who understands the nuances of social media and how it can be a game-changer for dog trainers and entrepreneurs alike. During the pandemic, when many businesses were struggling to stay afloat, Dylan stepped in to help hundreds of dog trainers pivot to social media as well as hundreds of local businesses in California, including several restaurants and wineries. He provided them with invaluable insights, strategies, and the courage to be authentic and relatable; more importantly to ...

Trends and Strategies for Mergers and Acquisitions During Inflation

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:49:01 GMT

As of November 2023, the Fed’s target interest rate currently sits at a 22-year high of 5.25 to 5.50 percent, while inflation continues to dilute the dollar to the tune of 3.7 percent. According to financial experts, these economic headwinds have important repercussions on corporate mergers and acquisitions.“As the Fed raises interest rates to combat inflation, we’re seeing the cost of debt rise for acquisition debt as well,” says Jay Jung, founder and managing partner of strategic finance advisory firm Embarc Advisors.The effects of inflation and high interest rates on mergers and acquisitionsPreviously, businesses leveraged the low cost of borrowing to finance a wide range of projects, which included lower-quality transactions. “Basically, with lower cost debt, they either had more margin of error or more time to rehabilitate the margin structure of these poorer-performing businesses,” Jung explains.Times have changed, however. As incurring debt becomes more expensive, buyers feel...