COUNTY LIFE
Safety steps for spooky fun
(Family Features) Traditional family activities like trick-or-treating create fun moments and memories, but the effects of COVID-19 on this Halloween will bring about change for the spooky excitement.
You can still ensure a special night for your little ones and all the ghouls, goblins and ghosts in your neighborhood by following safety measures aimed at keeping everyone healthy on All Hallows’ Eve. Consider these tips for safe trick-or-treating from the experts at the National Safety Council and leading candy maker, Mars Wrigley.
Before
- Buy individually wrapped candy to hand out to trick-or-treaters. Fun-size packs are one of the easiest forms of candy for trick-or-treaters to grab and go.
- Create fun, individual candy goody bags for a no-touch option for trick-or-treaters.
- Make sure your yard is well-lit; replace any burnt-out light bulbs.
- Create signs encouraging trick-or-treaters to stay 6 feet apart and display them in your yard.
- Don’t hand out treats if you are not feeling well.
- Consider socially distanced options such as “trunk-or-treating,” during which prepackaged goodies are handed out, or a virtual costume parade. Alternately, you can use a tool like Mars Wrigley’s “TREAT TOWNTM,” an app-based digital experience for families to virtually trick-or-treat for real candy. It offers Halloween fans of all ages the ability to create personalized spooky avatars, customized decorations for your in-app “door” and the ability to “knock” on the doors of friends and family across the country. Visit Treat-Town.com to find more information.
During
- Make trick-or-treating care packs with hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and extra face masks.
- Help little ones clean their hands throughout the night.
- Maintain a distance of 6 feet from other groups of trick-or-treaters, allowing one group to collect candy at a time.
- Wear face masks and reflective tape or clothing and carry flashlights or glow sticks if you’re walking in the dark.
- Do “mask checks.” Stop in a safe place and make sure young children’s masks are covering their mouths and noses.
- Use sidewalks and crosswalks. Don’t cross the street between cars and be as visible as possible as drivers may be distracted.
- Consider setting up a grab-and-go “candy corner” for visitors, inclusive of hand sanitizer and treats.
After
- Wash your hands when you get home.
- Sanitize candy wrappers before eating or let it sit for 24 hours.
- Follow the “when in doubt, throw it out” rule. Throw away any candy that is open, ripped or has torn packaging, an unusual appearance or pinholes. Discard any homemade items made by people you don’t know.
- Watch for choking hazards. If you have a young child, make sure candy he or she collected isn’t a choking hazard. If it is, discard it.
- Keep candy away from pets, especially chocolate and sugar-free gum, which can be poisonous for your furry friends.
Handing Out Treats from Home
If you’re staying home to hand out treats to the superheroes, ghosts, princesses and other little guests that arrive on your doorstep, consider these ideas to encourage safety and fun:
- Minimize the number of hands reaching into a bowl. Find fun, hands-free ways to give candy to trick-or-treaters. You can place candy on your lawn or driveway, so trick-or-treaters don’t have to crowd around your front door, touch handrails or knock.
- Move out of the way any items that children could trip over and keep pets inside.
- Stand outside when handling treats, wear a mask and use hand sanitizer often. Consider keeping a large bottle of sanitizer near you for visitors to use as well.
- Allow one small group at a time at your door.
- Give out one set of treats at a time to minimize hands reaching into a common bowl. For example, fun-size packs of treats like M&M’s and SNICKERS offer plenty of options and are easy for trick-or-treaters to grab and go.
Photos courtesy of Getty Images
SOURCE:
Mars Chocolate North America
Take time to remember all those who gave all for our freedoms in America. The Bowie News staff wishes you a safe and happy holiday day weekend this Memorial Day. The News office will be closed on Monday for the holiday.
AUSTIN – With Memorial Day weekend marking the unofficial start to summer boating season, Texas Game Wardens are preparing for one of the busiest boating weekends of the year and reminding Texans and visitors alike to put safety first before heading out on the water.
In 2025, Texas recorded 178 reportable boating incidents that resulted in 50 fatalities and 77 serious injuries. Eighty-four percent of those who died in boating incidents were not wearing a life jacket. Texas Game Wardens also made 223 Boating While Intoxicated (BWI) arrests last year.
“Memorial Day weekend is when many families get back on the water for the first time this year,” said Col. Ron VanderRoest, director of Law Enforcement for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “Before you leave the dock, take a few minutes to make sure your life jackets are on board, your boat is properly equipped and you have designated a sober operator.”
Texas Game Wardens encourage boaters to keep the following in mind before launching:
- Wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Children younger than 13 are required to wear one while underway.
- Never operate a boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- The operator must wear the lanyard or have the engine cut-off switch fob on their person when operating a boat equipped with one.
- Operate at a safe speed and maintain a proper lookout.
- Take a boater education course. It is required for anyone born on or after Sept. 1, 1993.
- Check the weather before heading out and be prepared for changing conditions.
- Leave a float plan with someone you trust.
- Don’t overload your boat.
“Boating should be fun,” said VanderRoest. “A little planning and some common sense help keep it that way.”
Renting a Boat or Personal Watercraft
If you plan to rent a boat or personal watercraft, choose a licensed vessel livery (a business establishment engaged in renting or hiring out vessels for profit).
By law, vessel liveries must provide all required safety equipment, explain how to operate the vessel, review applicable boating laws and have the operator sign a form acknowledging they received this information. They are also required to carry liability insurance.
Before leaving the dock, renters should make sure the vessel has enough life jackets for everyone on board and that they understand basic operating rules, including those specific to personal watercraft.
Personal Watercraft Safety
Personal watercraft, including jet skis, are subject to special laws in Texas. Operators and passengers must always wear a life jacket, the operator must use the engine cut-off switch, and these vessels may not be operated between sunset and sunrise. Operators must also stay at least 50 feet from other vessels, people and the shore unless traveling at headway speed.
“Whether you’re launching your own boat or renting one for the day, take the time to understand the rules and make safety part of your plan,” said VanderRoest. “If you take safety seriously from the start, you’re far less likely to need help later.”
For more information about boating laws, required equipment and boater education courses, visit the TPWD Boater Education Program at tpwd.texas.gov/boatereducation.
Starting at noon on May 25 at The V (VFW) in Nocona there will be a program for the Memorial Day featuring speakers, cannons and a rifle team.
There will be a Memorial Day Celebration Dinner at 5 p.m. on May 25 at the Nocona Senior Citizens Center (Carpenter Shop).
Call for reservations at 940-825-3148. The meal will include barbecue ribs, french fries, beans, cole slaw, dessert and ice team. Adults are $10 and children $5.
Proceeds benefit the senior center and the Meals on Wheels program at Nocona.
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