St. Louis News - "All The News That Is Saint Louis"

St. Louis Front Page

Community Info

St. Louis Job News

St. Louis Restaurants

How To Reach Us:
St. Louis Front Page
P.O. Box 1354
St. Louis, MO 63188

Voice: 314-771-0200
Fax: 314-771-0300

To submit news, contact:
editor@slfp.com

To advertise, contact:
advertising@slfp.com

ST. LOUIS NEWS TODAY - Sunday, February 13, 2005

Survey Reveals Changes In 50-Plus Consumers' Attitudes Toward Real Estate & Technology
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com) February 13, 2005 - ERA Real Estate today announced the results of its annual survey of mature consumers on their opinions toward real estate and the home buying and selling process.

The survey of more than 1,500 people, age 50 and older, revealed changing attitudes about real estate that contradict some long-held assumptions.

It was often believed that the typical aging homeowner was looking to move to an active adult community and downsize, but survey results show otherwise.

Only 8 percent of those considering a move in the next five years
More than 61 percent consider purchasing a single-family home
The average senior lives in a house with three or more bedrooms and two or more baths
Only 11 percent felt their current home is too big
Nearly 25 percent of respondents thought their home was too small
Respondents cited better home or living conditions as the second most popular reason for buying a new residence

Seniors also proved to be more savvy and demanding when it comes to technology. In fact, those considering moving in the next five years chose the Internet as the most popular home buying research method, up from the second most common choice mentioned in study the previous year. However, while mature consumers showed an increased propensity for the Internet to search for real estate information, nearly 92 percent said they were only somewhat to not at all likely to choose a real estate agent based on Internet research. This may be due in large part because the survey showed an existing relationship with a broker or real estate agent was still the second most popular method for researching real estate.

The ERA Real Estate survey also showed some interesting findings regarding mature consumers' level of concern for some common economic costs. Despite a historically strong real estate market that has seen continued price increases, more respondents expressed greater concern over prescription drug costs (62 percent), hospital-related costs (60 percent), income and other taxes (59 percent) and gas prices (56 percent) than they did over the price of houses (43 percent).

Bond Urges Quick Approval of Mallinckrodt Worker Compensation
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com) February 13, 2005 - Senator Kit Bond has applauded a federal advisory board for recommending faster payments for some Cold War-era Mallinckrodt workers and urged federal health officials to quickly approve the recommendation. Bond also vowed to continue his fight for those Mallinckrodt workers not yet eligible for the immediate compensation.

A federal panel meeting in St. Louis last week announced that Mallinckrodt workers employed between 1942 and 1948 at the downtown site and who now suffer from one of 22 specific cancers should be eligible for immediate compensation of up to $150,000 from the federal government. The Department of Health and Human Services has 30 days to approve the recommendation.

"Justice has been served for some of these workers," said Bond in an announcement. "These families can now receive the compensation they deserve and have been owed for too long. Without the selfless hard work of Denise Brock this would not have been possible. I am urging federal officials to approve this recommendation immediately."

The board will make a recommendation for Mallinckrodt workers employed between 1949 and 1956 at a meeting expected to take place in April in order to review new information.

"I am eternally grateful to Senator Bond for his presence in this fight and his continued commitment to these workers," said worker advocate Denise Brock. "We could not have accomplished this without the support of Senator Bond."

The St. Louis-based Mallinckrodt Chemical Company's nuclear production facilities employed about 3,500 people who were exposed to large doses of radiation, but those workers have not been granted a special federal health designation from the federal government, called a Special Exposure Cohort (SEC), which would prevent the workers from going through the cumbersome process known as dose reconstruction in order to be eligible for immediate compensation.

St. Louis Ranks Fifth on America's 'AhH-Choo! Index'
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com) February 13, 2005 - How many sneezes is too many for one city? Where does your city rank on the "Ahh-Choo! Index"? Anaheim, California, might be home to baseball's Angels(TM), but during cold and flu season the city is anything but heavenly.

According to statistics compiled by Surveillance Data Inc. (SDI) for the 2003-04 cold and flu season, Anaheim had the highest incidences of colds and flu in the United States last year. Atlanta, in second place, was followed by Los Angeles in third place, Manchester, NH in fourth and St. Louis in fifth place.

There is only one way to avoid the top spot on this season's list: protection. Cities and citizens can lessen their suffering during cold and flu season as long as they remember to P.R.O.T.E.C.T. themselves. The following tips will help keep cities off of "America's 'Ahh-Choo! Index.'"

P - Plenty of Fluids: Consuming plenty of fluids can help loosen mucus, keep you hydrated and make you feel better during cold and flu season.
R - Reach for the Soap: According to the American Society for Microbiology, most Americans do not wash their hands after coughing or sneezing. Experts say washing hands is the best way to prevent the spread of cold and flu germs.
O - Opt for Antioxidants: Drinking antioxidant-rich orange juice may help boost the body's immune system's ability to fight infection.
T - Throw Away the Junk Food: Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet full of immunity-boosting foods such as pecans and walnuts and liquids like 100 percent natural orange juice help fight colds and flu.
E - Enough Sleep: Getting the recommended eight hours of rest during the longer fall and winter months helps the immune system stay strong
C - Cease Contact: Avoiding contact with those who are sick lessens the chance of catching a cold
T - Training and Exercise: Getting plenty of exercise helps strengthen the immune system, providing extra protection during cold and flu season.

The "Ahh-Choo! Index" is a list of American cities that reported the most cases of respiratory illness during the peak week of the 2003-'04 cold and flu season -- the week of December 26, 2003. Statistics were provided by Surveillance Data Inc. (SDI).

STL-News is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group as a special feature of the Saint Louis Front Page for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Saint Louis area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 1996 - 2008 Moore Design Group .