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It’s a travel scenario we’re all familiar with: You make it through the airport, board your plane, settle into your seat, and…suddenly realize you left something at home. It may something replaceable like a phone charger or toothbrush, but it’s still incredibly annoying to be stuck in the air without those essentials.
While you can easily make a packing list (and check it twice), there are still some basic items that travelers usually forget to throw in their carry-on bags. But what are the things people almost always forget to pack? To get some answers, we reached out to a few flight attendants with 26 years of combined experience. After so much time in the sky, they have heard every complaint and dealt with every request, and they were gracious enough to share their knowledge with us.
Read on for their carry-on packing tips, and be sure to revisit this list before your next flight.
Water bottles
“Water bottles are the most useful item that passengers forget or don’t think to bring,” says Sarah McWilliams-Guerra, who was a Delta Air Lines flight attendant for seven years before launching her own travel website, Airplane Mode. “By bringing an empty water bottle through security, passengers can fill up their bottle in the airport and not rely on anyone else if they’re thirsty or need water.”
McWilliams-Guerra says that while flight attendants can usually accommodate requests for water, many budget airlines don’t include free drinks. To avoid paying a hefty fee or having to wait to quench your thirst, bring your own travel-friendly water bottle—you can even find collapsible bottles that hardly take up any space in your bag.
Shop Reusable Water Bottles
Shop Reusable Water Bottles
Blankets & pillows
Ask any flight attendant and they’ll tell you: It’s impossible to please everyone on the plane. “One passenger will be hot and the other cold,” says Steven Daniel, who has worked on SkyWest Airlines for the past two years. “It’s important to bring your own blankets and pillows for your comfort.”
You obviously don’t want to fill up your carry-on with bulky bedding, so make sure to look for compact, travel-sized blankets and pillows. Many popular travel blankets fold down to a fraction of their full…
WEST BEND — The dam is gone. The lake has drained. And the river is running wild.
Welcome to Riverside Park, a sprawling 70-acre recreation center that stands where a manmade lake once languished with deteriorated water quality and diminished public value.
More than 30 years ago — long before a similar dilemma surrounded Echo Lake in Burlington — West Bend city officials made a tough decision: They would remove their lake and build something new in its place.
It was not a change that was universally accepted in the 1980s, and it remains a sore spot for some West Bend residents today.
But patrons and visitors at Riverside Park applaud the results. With a restored Milwaukee River flowing down the center, the new park has been enhanced with a variety of amenities — some similar to what has been discussed in Burlington.
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Carla Stewart practices her shot in disc golf on an 18-hole course created in West Bend’s Riverside Park after city officials drained the area of an old lake that had become polluted and distressed.
Scott Williams
A trail system, soccer field, disc golf course, kayak launch, and pedestrian bridges now occupy rolling green parkland that was reclaimed from deep beneath the old lake. It is a process that has taken…
A new retreat and adventure center opened this summer in Thaxton, breathing life into land that has sat vacant for many years.
The Peaks Retreat and Adventure Center is located at 1336 Simmons Mill Road in Thaxton. After the WoodmenLife Insurance Company closed its Woods Adventure and Conference Retreat at the site five years ago, the 66-acre property sat vacant until a new tenant, CustomEd, purchased the land in September 2021.
CustomEd, the company that owns The Peaks, is a nonprofit that designs and implements educational and outreach programs for a variety of causes and organizations.
Hunter Gilbert, program director at The Peaks, said the company wanted a place to host corporate retreats, hold summer camps and events.
He said that turned into being able to open up to do various other things, especially in the surrounding community.
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The Peaks Retreat & Adventure Center officially opened about two months ago and has hosted two camps, Anxious for Nothing and Bias Chana, so far this summer.
The center will mostly hold youth camps during the summer months but during the rest of the year is planned to be open for corporate events, field trips, community days and festival-type activities.
Missy Morris, center director at The Peaks, said she is excited there is a new outdoor education and adventure facility in the area.
“Specializing in camps and retreats, The Peaks also provides a great location for private events including corporate teambuilding, festivals, weddings and much more,” she said in an email. “Set in the shadows of the beautiful Peaks of Otter, not only does the facility have scenic beauty, but also the thrill of adventure.”
She said The Peaks offers a unique challenge course including climbing walls and a 400-foot gravity zipline, as well as two miles of hiking trails, a swimming pool, basketball and sand volleyball courts, archery, disc golf and a one-acre pond for canoeing.
Gilbert said the gravity zip line is a little bit different than some traditional zip lines — a person’s weight determines how far they swing down.
It’s also set up so that they’re returned back to the ground by a facilitator just above the platform and there’s a…
By Madonna Mogul, director of the York Area Chamber of Commerce
This has certainly been quite the summer for the York community. Just a few weeks ago, we had a fantastic weekend of summer fun in York. Sidewalk sales were strong and the various children and family activities were a hit. Thank you to all who participated as businesses, organizations and patrons. York was definitely buzzing with activity during the Balloon Days weekend.
The Leadership York Steering Committee wanted to put a reminder out that applications are open now. Employers, your team members can gain leadership skills and learn more about York while making connections that could benefit your organization by taking part in the 2022/23 Leadership York class. The application is open and ready for one or more of your associates to apply. Leadership York is a nine-month course focusing on the vital aspects of the community. Class members will have the chance to build professional relationships that can be helpful in the future. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity. The application deadline is August 5. If you or someone within your business or organization is interested in being part of the class complete the application at: https://yorkchamber.org/leadership-york/.
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Yorkfest registrations are open now! There are several activities taking place throughout the 4-day celebration! Pre-registering for events helps organizations be best prepared for participants the day of their events. Register early and don’t miss out:
• The Fun Run (Thursday, Sept. 8) Registration is free (if registered by Aug. 19) and comes with a commemorative Yorkfest t-shirt. Registrations after this date will have a $10 fee for the shirt.
• Mayoral Prayer Breakfast (Friday, Sept. 9) ticket and table sponsorships are now open. Tickets are just $15 per person.
• Coronation Luncheon (Friday, Sept. 9) is set for noon on Friday. Don’t wait, tickets are $15 per person.
• The INCREDI-BOWL Night of Bowling (Friday, Sept. 9) will take place at Sunset Bowl.
• The Street Fair will take place Saturday morning, Sept. 10. Registrations are being accepted now!
Warren County ranked second only to Albany County in annual business formation growth, according to the Center for Economic Growth.
An analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data recently published by CEG shows that 13,743 businesses in the eight-county Capital Region filed for an Employer Identification Number with the International Revenue Service in 2021.
That is a 45% year-to-year increase.
EDC Warren County believes that the county’s growth can, partially, be attributed to the increased desire to maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life. This has been coveted since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
John Wheatley, vice president of EDC Warren County, said in a news release that the balance is not possible if businesses and the people who work for them don’t have broadband access.
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KENDALLVILLE — A session of guitar lessons for adults will begin Monday, May 23, and continue weekly through June 27.
The beginner’s course will meet from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., followed by an intermediate course from 6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. The cost is $20 per person per class.
The beginner class introduces basic guitar skills to players with no prior experience. The intermediate course is designed to pursue guitar skills beyond the first-position chords. In both courses, emphasis is placed on learning guitar skills by playing music of the students’ choice.
ROME CITY — Rome City Alumni invites all graduates, former teachers and any students who attended Rome City School to its 129th annual gathering on Saturday, June 25, at Sylvan Cellars Event Center, Northport Road.
Classmates and friends will register and visit on the patio between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Snacks will be provided, and other food may be purchased on site. Supportive donations for expenses are appreciated.
Chicken barbecue to benefit DAV
KENDALLVILLE — Disabled American Veterans will sell barbecue chicken Saturday at the parking lot at U.S. 6 and S.R. 3 in Kendallville. Chicken will be sold from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. or until sold out.
4-H club to sell pork burgers
ALBION — Jefferson Township 4-H Clubs will host a pork burger sandwich fundraiser on Friday, May 27, at the stoplight in Albion from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Proceeds from this event will help go towards club expenses for 2022.
Prices are $4 for a sandwich and $6 for a full meal.
The Susquehanna Valley is known for its beautiful scenery, but the various geographic features in the area support a wide variety of recreational activities.
Increasing interest in outdoor recreation is one of the reasons the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership is hosting the 2022 Outdoor Expo on June 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m, at Shikellamy State Park. The demonstrations and displays will take place in the Marina section of the park on ____ Island. However, anyone attending who has never visited Shikellamy Lookout, should do so before you leave the area. The view of the West and North Branches of the Susquehanna River provides an incredible view of the valley.
John Zaktansky of the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Assoc, Inc., one of the sponsors of the Expo, said Shikellamy State Park was chosen because it’s a central location along the Susquehanna River — and within Pennsylvania. “So, we thought it’d be the perfect place to bring [the outdoor] community together,” said John Zaktansky of Susquehanna Riverkeepers.
“With the onset of the pandemic,” said Alana Jajko, Director of Communications and Outreach for SGP, “we saw a lot of new folks outside hiking, biking, kayaking.” She continued by explaining that, with so many new recreational opportunities, there is a need for displays, educational exhibits and presentations. Jayjko assures both novices and experts in a sport, that they’ll find something helpful or of interest at the Expo.
SGP is planning an event similar to those held in many other states. Until now, Pennsylvania has gone without one on this scale. To date, more than 50 exhibitors…
In this episode of the UnCapped podcast, host Chris Sands talks with Ethan Barbee, founder of Barrel Culture Brewing and Blending in Durham, North Carolina, about the upcoming Barrel Culture Invitational that is happening on Oct. 15. Tickets go on sale at 11 a.m. May 5.
UnCapped: Let’s dive into the details of the Barrel Culture Invitational. When does it take place?
Ethan Barbee: It’ll be Oct. 15, noon to 5. We’re not doing a VIP; there’s just one ticket to purchase, where everybody gets five hours. We want everybody to feel like it’s a VIP experience. You get the same access to the same beers.
UnCapped: The way you have everything laid out, it never felt crowded, and there really weren’t any lines where you had to wait to get beer. Normally, I’m a huge advocate for VIP hour because once there’s general admission, it’s miserable. But it never hit that point at the invitational last year.
Barbee: I think we’re lucky enough that we have such a large space, we can spread around and do some things to alleviate that congestion. This year even more, we’re adding a parking lot that we can use to add even more people. Part of the idea of adding more tickets was we wanted to keep that sam feel. We felt like there was room for us to grow a little bit because of what you just said: It never felt too crowded or you were waiting too long for a beer. We have an opportunity to fit more people in there, and that’s what we want to do — get as many people in there drinking the amazing beer from the amazing breweries we have coming.
UnCapped: Will the disc golf course be open?
Barbee: That’s hard to say. We’ve had to stall a little bit because of a negotiation with our landlord and the landowner. I do think there’s an opportunity for us to get that done in the next four to five months.
UnCapped: It’s a sport where the popularity just seems to keep growing and growing.
Barbee: It really is because it’s such an easy thing that basically anyone can do. You have all of these courses around here. We have a million public courses that are free to play — so you can go to Play It Again Sports and get three discs for under $20, and you’re playing disc golf. You go out to a free course, walk in and get some exercise and have some fun. I’ve picked it up a lot this year. Tyler White — who does all of our social media and artwork and labels, and he’s the head man for the festival, as well — he’s a really good player. He has a nine-hole course in his backyard.
UnCapped: That’s dedication.
Barbee: Yeah, and it’s not a putting course. He’s got a couple acres back there. It’s very nice, but it’s a lot of work, too. That’s something we know — once we do it, it’s still a lot of work to maintain to keep going. But I think you’re right about the market for that. There’s just so many people playing now. So you add that into being at a brewery — it’s like things that go hand in hand. It feels like disc golf and craft beers are neighbors, to some extent, in this world.
UnCapped: I bet I can prove you wrong on your statement “anyone can do it.”
Barbee: Well, I didn’t say anyone could do it well. I can hit trees all day with discs. I’m really good at that.
Hutchinson Police Services reported the following incidents:
APRIL 1: At 3:35 p.m., officers responded to a two-vehicle crash in the area of Adams Street Northeast and Fourth Avenue Northeast. A 2017 Chevrolet Silvarado driven by James Anthony Navratil, 30, of Hutchinson was northbound and stopped at the red traffic light. A 2014 IC Corporation 3000 School Bus driven by Paula Sue Eyman, 64, of Norwood Young America was westbound on Fourth Avenue Northeast and turned northbound onto Adams Street Northeast when the front end struck the rear of the Chevrolet Silverado. The bus had 19 passengers at the time. There were no injuries or tows. No citations were issued. The bus sustained minimal to no damage. The Chevrolet Silverado sustained moderate damage but was functional.
APRIL 11: At 8:57 a.m., officers responded to a report of damage in the concession area at Veteran’s Memorial Field Ball Park. Damage was caused to the door frame and hinges in what appeared to be an attempt to break into the concession area. No items were reported missing. Damage is estimated at $500. There are no suspects at this time.
APRIL 18: At 10:57 a.m., officers responded to a report of theft on the 1100 block of Adams Street Southeast. A 12-foot tandem axel aluminum trailer was taken sometime between the afternoon of April 16 and the early morning of April 18. The trailer is valued at $7,320. There are no suspects. This is an ongoing investigation.
APRIL 20: At 11:46 a.m., officers responded to a two-vehicle crash in the area of the 100 block of Summerset Lane Southeast. A 2020 Ford Transit Cargo Van owned by Herrmann Inc. was aprked on the road, partly blocking a driveway. A 2019 GMC Acadia driven by Merrill Luther Johnson, 89, of Hutchinson backed into the van. There were no injuries or tows. Both vehicles sustained minor damage. No citations were issued.
APRIL 22: At 1:30 p.m., officers responded to a driving complaint in the area of Casey’s General Store on 510 State Highway 7 East. During a traffic stop, Daric Dennis Rossenau, 38, of Atwater was taken into custody. He has been charged with: felony fifth-degree controlled substance possession, second-degree driving while impaired and gross misdemeanor refusal to submit to chemical test. He was taken to McLeod County Jail.
At 9:39 p.m., officers responded to a car vs. deer crash in the area of 640 Highway 7 East. The vehicle was southbound on State Highway 7 when a deer ran out in front of it. The driver and passenger were not injured. The vehicle sustained minor damage. The deer suffered irreparable injuries.
APRIL 23: At 8:07 p.m., officers responded to a report of package theft on the 400 block of High Street Northeast. A man reported a package containing two discs for disc golf was taken from his front door. A neighbor said they saw the package outside the door that day. When the man arrived home the package was gone. The total value of the missing items is $100. There are no suspects at this time.
McLeod County Attorney’s Office
McLeod County Attorney’s Office reported the following:
Brittney Nussbaum, 24, of Hutchinson entered a plea of guilty to one felony count of meth crimes involving children for an offense that occurred on or about Sept. 24, 2020. Judge Maher stayed the imposition of sentence and placed the defendant on probation for three years. The conditions of probation are that the defendant serve 55 days in McLeod County Jail, complete a chemical dependency evaluation and follow its recommendations, have no use or possession of alcohol or non-prescription drugs and pay a surcharge of $85.
Michael McKittrick, 37, of Glencoe entered a plea of guilty to one gross misdemeanor count of driving while impaired for an offense that occurred on or about Aug. 10, 2021. Judge Maher stayed the imposition of sentence and placed the defendant on probation for two years. The conditions of probation are that the defendant serve 10 days in McLeod County Jail, serve 10 days of sentence to service work/community work service, complete a chemical dependency evaluation and follow its recommendations, attend a victim impact panel and pay a fine and surcharge of $500.
Kevin Byrd-Solseth, 32, of St. Paul entered a plea of guilty to two felony counts of assault for an offense that occurred on or about June 26, 2021. Judge Maher ordered the defendant to serve 17 months in prison, pay restitution in the amount of $1,312, and pay a surcharge of $85.
In a second file, Byrd-Solseth entered a plea of guilty to one felony count of fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle and one felony count of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle for an offense that occurred on or about Dec.11, 2020. Judge Maher ordered the defendant to serve 21 months in prison, pay restitution in the amount of