Message from the Other Side

Watch the video of Tara on Better Connecticut

Today, I appeared on Better Connecticut during a segment with Angelina Diana, a psychic medium. I’ve always believed in spirits, and today confirmed that belief entirely!

Angelina and I met when I sat down on the Better Connecticut couch just seconds before we went on air. She didn’t know anything about me, not even my name, until Scot said it. Immediately, she started describing my grandfather who passed away two years ago. She said things about his condition that even people close to me were unaware of.

I expected to be nervous, partly because this was on live TV, and partly because I’ve never experienced anything like this before. But, unexpectedly, it was a very calming experience. She also said that my grandpa was happy with the choices my family made, which included putting a DNR into effect, as you can imagine, a very difficult decision. I was shocked at how specific and accurate Angelina was.

On a lighter note, Angelina also talked about my personal life. I think her words rattled my boyfriend a little, but all of our coworkers were very amused!

I’d like to thank Angelina for using her talent to relay this information to me. You can check out her web page: http://www.angelinadiana.com/

Have you ever visited a psychic medium? I’d love to hear about your experiences.

Happy Halloween!

Check your credit for free!

Today Mike Hydeck did a story about freezing your credit to protect your identity from thieves. One of the easiest things we can do to make sure no one is stealing our credit information is to monitor credit reports. There are 3 nationwide consumer reporting companies, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion that compile credit reports. Each get credit information independently, so your reports can differ. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), each company has to offer you a free report once every 12 months. The easiest way to get the report is to go to www.annualcreditreport.com. You can also find out more about the FCRA by following this link to the FTC’s webpage: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/freereports.shtm.

Fall Fruits

During the summer I enjoy growing tomatoes and herbs on my back patio. Usually by this time of year those fresh plants are nothing more than a memory. But about a week ago, I went to look at my ailing tomato plant, and found new leaves and at least 3 growing tomatoes. Fearing for the cold, I brought the plant inside the house. I hoped that it would make it at least long enough to harvest the developing fruit. Well, a week later, there are 9 tomatoes growing and many more flowers!

So now I’m wondering how to care for this plant so it lasts as long as possible. I’ve been watering as usual, and have the plant near a fluorescent light. My thumb is far from green, so I’d love to hear any tips you have to help my tomato plant survive!

USPS Helps Identify Fake Check Scams

Recently I posted about a rash of fake check scams going around Connecticut. This is a nationwide problem that prompted the United States Postal Service in conjuction with the National Consumers League to set up the website http://www.fakechecks.org/. Consumers can learn more about fake check scams and report fraudulent activity on this site. Consumers are also asked to call 1-800-372-8347 if they’ve been scammed.

The USPS has some pretty strong advice for consumers. They quote Susan Grant, vice president of the National Consumers League. She says, “there is no legitimate reason anyone would mail you a check or money order and then ask you to wire money in return,” Grant said. “People need to know that checks can take months to clear, even if the money initially looks like it’s in your account. The scammers know that, and most consumers don’t.”

Fakechecks.org also outlines the six most popular scams:
Foreign Business Offers: Scammers pretend to be businesspeople or government officials and promise millions of dollars. But real companies and government agencies don’t offer legitimate business propositions to people they don’t know.
Love Losses:The scammer poses as a romantic interest online, and promises to come to the U.S. to be with the victim. Soon after, the online friend asks the victim to cash a check or money order to cover “travel expenses.”
Overpayments: Scammers buy merchandise online, and then claim they mailed the wrong amount by mistake. The seller is asked to deposit the “wrong” check anyway, and then return the “excess” amount to the scammer. But the check doesn’t clear, and the victim has sent the scammer his own money.
Rental Schemes:Scammers claim to be moving to the area, and put down a rental deposit. Then they tell their landlord they have unexpected expenses, so they ask for some of their deposit back as a favor. They never move in, and the deposit check never clears.
Sudden Riches: The scammer claims the victim has won a foreign lottery or sweepstakes. The notice comes by mail, phone, fax or email. Consumers should know that winners of real cash prizes are notified by certified mail.
Work-at-Home: The scams promise easy money by “processing” checks. The victim deposits the checks and sends the money to the scammer, minus a small fee. Legitimate companies don’t do business like this.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Today is the first day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We are airing a story that features a woman going through radiation to treat breast cancer. When I met with Anne a week or so ago, she was almost finished with her treatments and doing great! It was nice to be able sit down with Anne and talk about her experience. If she hadn’t told me, I never would have guessed that she is 80 years old! She chose to have radiation at a community cancer center near her home. That allows her to continue her many daily activities.
Anne was diagnosed with cancer in February after having a routine mammogram. Doctors recommend that women get the test every year starting at age 40 if there are no risk factors, and earlier if there are risk factors like a family history of breast cancer.

I recently did a story about another test that screens for celluar changes in the milk glands that could lead to cancer. Dr. Iacob Marcovici is the first doctor in Connecticut to administer the test. He showed us how it works… and explained that this test for breast cancer is similar to a pap test for colon cancer. The entire procedure takes about 5 minutes, and is non-invasive. The company that makes the Halo recommends women start getting the test at age 25. This allows doctors to compare the celluar changes from year to year. For more information about the test, you can visit Dr. Marcovici’s web site: http://drmarcovici.com/obgyn/serv_innovative.asp
Unfortunately this test is not covered by insurance, but for the month of Octobor, Dr. Marcovici is reducing the price of the test to $100. Normally it costs $125.

Don’t Get Scammed!

I’ve received a lot of calls recently from viewers regarding a popular scam. People are receiving a letter saying they’ve won a large amount of money and a check for a small amount. The letter says to cash the check to pay for any fees involved with getting the remaining money transferred. They usually ask that you wire some of the money back to them in order to pay for the transfer fees. Often these “windfalls” come from an international address. Most of the time, these types of offers are a scam. If you are unsure, you can call the Attorney General’s office at 860-808-5400 or write them at:
Attorney General’s Office
55 Elm St.
Hartford, CT 06106

Looking for a Few Good Viewers

Currently I am working on two stories that I need your help with. That’s right, I need you to be in a story that will air on Channel 3 in the coming weeks!

Here are the topics:
1. Hand Washing – Cold and flu season is quickly approaching… do you know the correct way to wash your hands? I want to put you to the test!

2. Are you protecting your personal information on your home computer from hackers? Have you mastered the firewall, Patch Tuesday, and encryption? If you’re like me, and the answer is no… send me an e-mail now!

If you want to volunteer, send me an e-mail at tara.moncheck@wfsb.com. Make sure you include a phone number where I can reach you during the day, and specify which story you are interested in. Only people willing to be on camera need apply!

Bottled Water All Washed Up?

Recently, I worked with Irene O’Connor on a story she did about people and businesses moving away from using disposable bottles of water. You can see that story by clicking this link: http://www.wfsb.com/news/14099430/detail.html
While researching this topic I came across some startling statistics. National Geographic’s “The Green Guide” says that Americans spent $11 billion on bottled water last year. They say 22 billion empty plastic bottles end up in landfills every year, even though the containers are recyclable. If you do the math, bottled water costs more than a gallon of gas. There are 128 ounces in a gallon. At one vending machine at WFSB, you can get two 16.9 ounce bottles of water for $1. At that price, a gallon of bottled water would cost about $3.79. So what’s the fascination with this bottled beverage? The following article looks at the history of bottled water, and why Americans are so hooked:
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/117/features-message-in-a-bottle.html

This got me thinking about my own consumption of water. For years, I’ve owned a Nalgene bottle. I try to use the indestructible plastic whenever I can, instead of buying and throwing away a disposable bottle. But sometimes it’s just more convenient to pick up a nice cold pre-bottled beverage while I’m out or at work. After reading these statistics, I’ll be thinking harder about where that container ends up.

Is this something that you’ve considered? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

As Seen on TV

On Saturday, Sept. 29th, Rocky Hill High School will be hosting the 9th annual Royal Blues Invitational. 11 high school marching bands from Connecticut and Massachusetts will perform throughout the afternoon and into the evening during this competition. Two of the bands you saw right here on Channel 3 will be preforming: the Rocky Hill High School Marching Band, and the Maloney High School Marching Band from Meriden.

So if you like what you saw on our morning show, go check this out! It starts at 4pm at the Rocky Hill HS football field. Admission is $8 for adults, and $5 for seniors and students. There will be concession stands there too.

Have fun, and let me know what you thought about this event.

Marching Into the School Year

Maloney H.S. Video	Bristol Central H.S. Video
New Britain H.S. Video	Rocky Hill H.S. Video

Last week was Back to School Week across Connecticut and at Channel 3. Part of our coverage included inviting local marching bands to our new Rocky Hill studios to perform live on our morning show. My intern, Rachel and I organized the event and field produced bright and early every morning.

Because of the early hour, the air was crisp, and for the first time this year, it really felt like fall. That combined with hearing the bands belt out their tunes really took me back to high school football season. There’s something about the energy of a marching band that’s contagious, and I think most of us here felt it. It was a great thing to wake up to.

Special thanks to the bands that participated: Maloney HS from Meriden, New Britain High School, Rocky Hill High School and Bristol Central High School. All were good sports about getting to our station so early and playing throughout our morning show.

Also thanks to Autumn and Specialty Transportation for providing the bus that served as our backdrop.

I hope you enjoyed waking up to these marching bands as much as we enjoyed having them.