Christmas tree pickup
As you return your home to its normal state after the Christmas holidays, don’t forget to put your tree out on time.
The city trucks will be around to pick up both Christmas trees and wreaths on Monday, Jan. 6.
Since the pickup will begin at 7 a.m. you may want to take care of it the night before.
Did Norwalk visit your house?
The Norwalk virus, made famous by recent cruise ship episodes, is making its presence known in Minnesota as well as Luverne.
During the six-week period that began on Nov. 1, the Minnesota Department of Health has received reports of 25 separate outbreaks of Norwalk-like illnesses, involving a thousand or more people.
Outbreaks have been reported in a variety of settings this year, including restaurants, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, catered events, private social gatherings (which would include my home on Christmas day), and work sites.
It runs its course in a day or two, but can last as little as 12 hours and as long as two and a half days.
Aid may be coming to local responders
The government recently announced that Minnesota will receive a $2.1 million grant for state and local responders and emergency management to better equip them for acts of terrorism and other emergencies and disasters.
According to Senator Mark Dayton, 75 percent of the grant, which will be administered by the FEMA Office of National Preparedness, is required to go to local government, such as Luverne or Rock County.
Did you borrow interest free money?
Were you one of the 47who took advantage of interest free loans this year in Luverne?
Luverne’s three financial institutions loaned $21,720 in the form of 47 loans for this year’s Christmas shopping.
Participants have six months to pay the money back, interest free.
In 2001, Luverne shoppers borrowed $31,800 interest-free dollars .
How’s your credit card debt
Although the number of credit cards has remained constant over the past year, the amount of debt on those cards has gone up 35 percent.
According to a recent credit card survey, conducted by Myvesta, the average American individual has a total balance of $3,250, on 2.5 credit cards.
That dollar amount is up from $2,411.
With the average shopper spending $722 for their Christmas shopping this year, that number could go to nearly $4,000, if people haven’t been planning and saving for their Christmas purchases.
Other results from the Myvesta Credit Card Survey include:
Males have an average of $3,932 of credit card debt; females have $2,584.
Married individuals carry an average of $4,436 on their cards; singles carry an average of $1,651.
People aged 18-24 have an average of $849 of credit card debt. Those in the 25-34 age bracket average $3,110; 35-44 average $3,011; 45-54 average $5,276; 55-64 average $6,911 and those aged 65 and older have an average balance of $433.
People in the Midwest carry the largest balances on their cards with an average of $5,140 each. Those in the west carry the smallest average balances with $2,077. Individuals in the South have an average of $2,795 on their cards and those in the Northeast carry an average of $3,333 on their credit cards.
Publisher Roger Tollefson can be contacted by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com