This Week's Facts:
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January is Month to Raise
Thyroid Disease Awareness
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Website Connects Disability
Community to Useful Resources
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New Campaign Highlights
Contributions of Indiana Farmers
Homeland Security Offers Tips
to Stay Safe & Warm this Winter
Winter in Indiana is beautiful, but sometimes
dangerous. Each winter, Hoosiers brace for the worst winter
weather.
The Indiana Department of
Homeland Security has information
and resources to help prepare for
winter storms,
winter and safety tips for the
home,
winter safety tips for vehicles
and
power outage information.
Due to rising heating costs, some Indiana residents resort to
alternative methods of heat or rely on fireplaces to stay warm.
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security also has valuable
information
on heating safety
for people in those situations. These resources can be a
valuable tool or a reminder to stay safe this winter season. If
you or someone you know need financial assistance for utilities,
click here
for details and information. Remember to stay safe and find
beauty in the season.
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Friday Facts is a production of
the Indiana State Library
Friday Facts Editorial Team:
Katharine Springer
State Data
Center Coordinator
Elisabeth
O’Donnell
Federal Documents Librarian
&
Kim Brown-Harden
State
Documents Coordinator
-------------------------------------
Join the
FDLP-IN
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for the latest
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  |
January is Month
to Raise Thyroid Disease Awareness
 Thirty
million Americans have some sort of thyroid disease; women are
at least 7 times more likely to be affected. As such, January
is
Thyroid Awareness Month.
The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located just
above the collarbone. It helps regulate your metabolism and
affects how you eat, feel and how active you are. If your
thyroid is too active, it’s called hyperthyroidism. Those with
hyperthyroidism often lose weight, have sped-up heart rates and
may be extra-sensitive to heat. Hypothyroidism, or an
under-active thyroid, may cause you to gain weight, feel
excessive fatigue or have problems dealing with the cold.
Hypothyroidism is far more common and is usually much more
treatable.
Medline Plus has good
information on both conditions, including a more detailed list
of symptoms and treatment options. Women may be interested in
visiting
Womenshealth.gov for
thyroid health information geared directly toward them.
Finally, a third thyroid disorder is cancer. There were 37,200
new cases of thyroid cancer in the United States in 2009. For
more information on thyroid cancer and its treatment, be sure to
check out the
National Cancer Institute.
Luckily, thyroid conditions are usually treatable. However, if
you are feeling unusual changes in your energy level, it’s
important to get it checked out. Having a regulated thyroid
makes a world of difference!
Website
Connects Disability Community to Useful Resources
 Patrons
with disabilities are often frustrated when searching for
employment, laws and benefits information. Designed to “connect
the disability community to information and opportunities,”
Disability.gov is a great portal for such
information. Users are able to find information on a variety of
topics, whether they’re looking for a job, wanting to start a
business, looking for housing or even seeking grant or
scholarship information. Each topic provides links to a variety
of sources. For example, when someone clicks on
I want to…find a job, they
are directed to a list of search techniques for the website and
information about One-Stop Centers and Disability Program
Navigators (DPNs) locations. There is also employment
information specifically geared toward disabled veterans, people
receiving Social Security benefits, those looking for federal
jobs and even students.
Users can also look for information by state. Each state
section includes a list of websites to visit that includes state
agencies, legal information and non-profits that are involved
with the disability community. Further Indiana-specific
information can be found at
www.IN.gov. Indiana Protection & Advocacy
Services has a good list of
Disability Rights Resources and the Family and
Social Services Administration
Division of Disability & Rehabilitative Services
has further information.
Finally, it’s easy for libraries to link to Disability.gov. You
can also follow them on Twitter or receive email updates. This
site is really well laid-out and easy to navigate. It’s a great
source of resources and information for those with disabilities.
New Campaign Highlights Contributions of Indiana Farmers
 Do
you know if the food you’re eating comes from an Indiana farm?
Have you ever wanted to visit a farm, but didn’t have the time?
Farmers Feed Us is a
website that celebrates farmers across the Midwest. It also
provides an opportunity to get to know the
farmers and their families
as well as interesting
fun facts. Regardless of
which type of farm you’re interested in -
corn,
eggs,
dairy,
fish,
pork or
soybeans – there are
interesting facts and information about each type of farmer.
After your virtual farm visit, you can get
recipes and news items
about the various farms and industries.
For more information on Indiana farms and farmers, visit the
Indiana
State Department of Agriculture’s website.
Here you can view the 2009 Agriculture Photo Contest winning
entries, listen to Lt. Governor Skillman’s PSA about farm
safety, or check out Hoosier-specific recipes! The next time
you sit down to dinner, remember the farmers who feed us. |
