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Memorial Weekend is just a few weeks away, and according to FOX 7 News, Texas now ranks eighth when it comes to the highest number of DUI fatalities in America.

Each day in the U.S., people drive drunk almost 300,000 times, but fewer than 4,000 are arrested, and with Memorial Day just a few short weeks away, the Austin Police Department is doing its best to deter motorists from getting behind the wheel when they’re intoxicated.

An average drunk driver has driven drunk 80 times before the first arrest, and researchers continue to cite Memorial Day weekend as one where deaths from drunk driving skyrocket and are “four times higher.”

As a result, between May 24th and June 10th, a No Refusal Weekend policy has been set in place. The initiative has been implemented every weekend in Austin so far this year, and the Austin Police Department cites it for “bringing down the number of fatalities caused by intoxication in Austin.”

Each year, Austin PD says, there are between 5,000 and 6,000 DWI arrests in the city. This No Refusal Weekend policy means that police officers can legally draw blood forcefully from drivers that will not agree to participate in a sobriety test.

While ValuePenguin says Austin’s DUI fatality rates are lower than Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, Fox 7 News also cited the numbers for DUI deaths in the previous two years.

“In 2016, there were 30 deaths. In 2017 – there were 24. This year (2018) APD couldn’t get us those numbers due to pending toxicology,” writes Destiny Chance.

Detective Michael Jennings, who is a member of the Austin Police Department’s DWI Unit, notes that the rates of those who drive under the influence of drugs are also increasing. He says that even if the drugs are prescribed legally, he says that the number of intoxication-related fatalities “needs to be zero,” which his force is working to reach every single day.

“I think a lot of times people aren’t making a conscious decision saying they’ll go out and hurt or kill somebody that’s not what it is. But I think they make bad decisions of getting in the car,” said Jennings.

Beth Powell, program director for the East Texas office of MADD, shares similar sentiments.

“A DUI is 100% preventable; it’s just a decision not to put your keys in the ignition and drive,” Powell recently told the Longview News-Journal. “It would be better to make someone frustrated or irritated by taking their keys, if you’re sober, than to be sorry that you didn’t.”

Due to an overwhelming opioid crisis throughout the nation, people are looking for answers. There are many like Marine veteran Jeff Harris who simply do not want to take prescription painkillers. Harris was among one of the first to sign up when the Providence, Rhode Island VA hospital started offering acupuncture for chronic pain.

“I don’t like taking pain medication. I don’t like the way it makes me feel,” he said. Harris also didn’t want to risk getting addicted to heavy-duty prescription painkillers, as many do. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, roughly 11.5 million Americans from the ages 12 and up misused prescription pain medicine in 2016 alone.

For this reason, Americans are now using acupuncture more than ever before. According to government surveys, one in 67 United States adults say they get acupuncture treatment every year. This number is up from the last decade, where it sat at one in 91 adults. Even though insurance only covers about a quart of the costs, the numbers are still rising.

Emmeline Edwards from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, which is a federal research agency, says that the military recognizes the need for new pain management methods. Her agency is working with the Department of Veterans Affairs to spend $81 million on research projects. The agency aims to study the effectiveness of many other treatments for pain that do not rely on the use of drugs.

Insurance companies are starting to recognize this apparent issue, and coverage is now starting to expand. California, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Rhode Island pay for acupuncture through their Medicaid insurance programs, as long as the treatment is for pain. Massachusetts and Oregon also cover acupuncture as a treatment for substance abuse. Although some scientist question the effectiveness of acupuncture, many are desperate for another solution that does not involve addictive painkillers because they are afraid of the current opioid crisis and becoming another statistic.

Ah, winter. The holidays are fun and all, but in many parts of the country, dealing with freezing temperatures, snow, and ice gets old fast. This time of year often brings the need for home repairs to the forefront, like furnace issues, frozen pipes, and poor insulation. And then, of course, there’s your roof.

To put it plainly, a lack of roof maintenance can turn into a major issue once the snow starts to fall. A tiny bit of fluffy snow won’t hurt your home, but even half a foot of wet snow could cause damage. Six inches of wet snow is equal, in terms of weight, to 38 inches of dry snow. Letting the white stuff build up can lead to water leaks under your shingles, ice dams, or even roof collapse.

While roof collapse is certainly the most serious problem, ice dams can be disastrous, too. When snow melts and refreezes, it has no place to go — and that’s when ice dams form. Because ice dam formations can actually lead to both water leakage and eventual roof collapse, it’s key that these issues be removed before any long-term damage occurs.

Your best bet for snow and ice removal is to hire a professional. It’s a lot safer and you won’t risk damaging your home in the process. While professional snow removal doesn’t come cheap, many homeowners find it’s worth it. You still need to be careful when hiring professionals, though. The construction industry eliminated more than 40% of its workforce between 2006 and 2011, an action that impacted contractors, roofers, and other professionals. While good roofers may be easier to come by these days, there may be bad ones looking to take advantage. More demand means more opportunities. In Pennsylvania, there have been reports that some contractors are working illegally without state registration. This means there’s no guarantee that these roofers have insurance or are even qualified to do the job. And that leads homeowners vulnerable not only to financial fraud but to safety risks. To avoid this from happening to you, you should always check your contractor’s ratings on the Better Business Bureau website, ask for proof of insurance, and do a bit of Googling to look for bad reviews.

If you’re determined to DIY, there are some affordable options. Roof rakes cost anywhere from $30 to $50 a pop and can help remove heavy snow pile-ups. However, use them with caution; with very heavy snowfall, you could be removing a substantial amount of snow and may not know where it’ll land on your property. RoofMelt tablets can help, too. Just toss some on your roof and wait for the ice to melt. However, experts caution that homeowners should refrain from getting on their roofs themselves to remove the ice and snow, and that they should never put salt on the roof to melt the ice.

Overall, if you spot any cracks in your walls, spot a lot of ice buildup on your roofs or in your gutters, or are simply dealing with the aftermath of a big storm (typically, more than six inches of snow), call in the professionals. Saving a few bucks isn’t worth putting your safety or your home’s structural integrity at risk.

IndieDwell, a company based in Boise, Idaho, is repurposing abandoned shipping containers as homes for the eccentric consumer.

Since steel shipping containers typically have a 25-year lifespan when being used to transport goods, they are the perfect pre-packaged shell for affordable housing. Or that’s what IndieDwell CEO Scott Flynn believes.

“We want to change people’s perceptions,” U.S, News reports Flynn saying about the container’s aesthetic. “They have one idea of what it looks like, and we want to show them the reality is something different.”

The company currently has their sights set on building 60 homes each year and eventually graduating to 2,000 if, as they optimistically believe, the idea catches on.

These containers are not the only old shipment technology that’s getting a tune-up. An old steam engine locomotive will be coming home to Topeka, Kansas where it will be restored.

The Coalition for Sustainable Rail is raising funds to bring this old train home, assess the status of its engine which was built in 1937, and ultimately make the necessary repairs.

Topeka residents are excited, and consider the train a part of their history.

“I’m excited to keep it in Topeka,” U.S. News reports president of CSR, Davidson Ward saying . “It has some significant history with that town. It ran to Topeka many times during its career.”

Today, trains are largely used for commercial transportation of goods, as opposed to public transportation.

Rather ironically, one of the three most valuable items trains regularly transport is the automobile. The other two are electronics and machinery.

Like long-haul truckers, freight trains also need to be weighed for theft prevention assurances. Due to how railways are designed, however, weigh in motion systems are used, so the train does not need to stop for any reason.

Load cells are used in freight weigh stations and on railways, and they typically can measure the weight within a .03-1% margin of error. A number of other metrics are used to capture true weight for weigh in motion systems in addition to these.

The train coming home to Topeka has no need for these bells and whistles, except for the bell and whistle used to signal everybody to climb aboard.

As shipping and freight technology continues to advance, old locomotives could become a distant memory of the past. Or, as Flynn is doing with his shipment containers, they could take on a new life by being repurposed as something completely different.

The plan, for now, is to teach children and history buffs about the train, according to Bette Allen, President of Great Overland Station in Topeka.

“It’ll be exciting,” she said, imagining the sight of happy children learning about the train, “Just to stand up next to those wheels is something.”

Everybody knows conversation hearts — those tiny and colorful message-covered candies that people seem to either love or hate. But as the candy corn of the winter season, these polarizing indulgences have certainly earned themselves a reputation worth conversing about. In fact, experts estimate that more than 8 billion conversation hearts will be sold throughout this Valentine’s Day season.

But that’s not all. Americans are also expected to spend about $1.7 billion on Valentine’s candy, and this year, conversation hearts may very well be dominating the Valentine’s candy conversation.

“There are choices to be made and people who study such things say that, nationally, conversation hearts last year pulled ahead of the traditional heart-shaped boxes of chocolate candy in total sales. Conversation hearts are those small, pastel hearts that say “Be Mine” or, more enigmatically, “Dare Ya.” These days they are as apt to say “Tweet Me” or “Text Me,” writes Matt Campbell on The Kansas City Star.

But this trend isn’t nationally unanimous; it largely depends on which state you’re in. Of all states, Missouri seems to have the most love for conversations hearts. Other states, such as Iowa, have a preference for chocolate candies like M and M’s. Alabama, surprisingly, favors the cousins of conversation hearts — candy necklaces.

These findings aren’t based on a random survey, either. They’re based on 10 full years of specific candy sales data from CandyStore.com, which even has an interactive map in place to browse other states’ first, second, and third favorite V-day candies.

According to a 2014 Mass Merchant Study, 16% of unplanned purchases were due to a display noticed while shopping. But during the insatiable Valentine’s Day rush, the candy aisle practically empties itself — especially those tiny yet ever-so-sweet conversation hearts.

Clair Robins from the CandyStore blog says it best:

“There’s a new king in town, and it doesn’t come in a heart-shaped box.”

Dental care can get very expensive, and unfortunately that means that many people go without seeing the dentist as often as they should, or even at all. In fact, the number of children in the United States that go without dental care is up to 1 in 5. Fortunately, health care workers and activists around the country are passionate enough to try and solve this problem.

Just look to Dane County, Wisconsin, where a Boys and Girls club just opened a new dental clinic this January. This clinic is run by More Smiles Wisconsin, “a nonprofit organization offering low-cost dental services in south central Wisconsin,” according to the Cap Times. The dental care situation in Wisconsin seems a little bleak. More Smiles Wisconsin tells us that almost one third of the population of Wisconsin does not regularly visit a dentist.

This is why More Smiles and the Boys and Girls club are working tirelessly to provide critical dental care to young people in the area. This new location is actually the second clinic to be opened by More Smiles Wisconsin. After five years of planning, the organization was finally able to get a grant from Delta Dental, which turned their dreams into a reality.

More Smiles and their Boys and Girls Club clinics recognize how costly dental care can be, especially for those from low income families. To help these families, they accept insurance plans like Medicaid and Badgercare to provide care for those that do not have private health or dental insurance. In addition, they do not turn anyone away for their lack of ability to pay for the services they need. They even have serviced a homeless patient at their new clinic already.

More Smiles Wisconsin is hoping to open up a third clinic to service those on the north side of the county soon. Eventually, they would like to expand to the surrounding counties and even move out to the rural areas. Before they can do that, however, they are looking for more volunteers and donations to be able to grow their generous services.

These workers are, quite literally, bringing smiles to children’s faces.

Florida legislatures have revived a bill, SB 150, that could potentially terminate the requirement that Florida drivers must obtain $10,000 mandatory personal injury protection coverage.

For nearly half a century, the no-fault state has required motorists to buy the $10,000 of personal injury coverage under the Personal Injury Protection (PIP) system in order to cover a driver’s or passenger’s own injuries, regardless of who is at fault.

Efforts have increased in Tallahassee to replace the no-fault system with a tort-based system. The bill is sponsored by Senator Tom Lee.

“I’m trying to make sure we don’t raise premiums on Floridians, but at the same token that we protect as many options for consumers to get medical care in the event of an accident,” Lee said. “It’s a balancing act.”

The 2012 law required those involved in car accidents to seek treatment within 14 days after the crash, put a $2,500 cap on coverage for non-emergency injuries, eliminated acupuncturists and massage therapists from getting paid for medical coverage, and set additional requirements for those who visited a chiropractor. With three million people getting injured in car accidents in the U.S. every year, these requirements lead to a quick increase in expenses for those involved in accidents.

State Rep. Julio Gonzalez, R-Venice, and an orthopedic surgeon, explained that the House plan fails to ensure medical providers are compensated for treating injuries that occur from accidents. He wants to see reliability in reimbursement.

According to a 2016 actuarial study commissioned by the state, under the House bill, HB 19, drivers could save up to $1 billion collectively. These savings would be a net saving after expected premium increases for bodily-injury liability coverage. The House plan would require $25,000 a person and $50,000 an accident.

Of the 218 million people in the U.S. who had driver’s licenses in 2015, about 90% of Florida drivers already carry some level of BI coverage. The savings would come because they would no longer have to pay for PIP, whose premiums have increased by double digits in recent years.

According to a Senate staff analysis, drivers’ savings would dry up and overall premiums are expected to rise after SB 150 is implemented.

The Senate bill repeals PIP and requires bodily-injury liability coverage in amounts that are implemented gradually over several years. However, it also requires drivers to buy $5,000 of “medical payments” coverage regardless of how much health insurance drivers already have.

Mark Delegal, a lobbyist representing State Farm, claims this bill amounts to “PIP version 2.0” and is inefficient and costly.

Both the House bill and the Senate bill would end the lack of requirement of bodily-injury liability insurance, which covers injuries to others.

Florida drivers pay more than $1,200 in yearly car insurance premiums. Repeal supports have called PIP “a failed social experiment” and has caused drivers who already pay for health insurance to have to pay unnecessary expenses.

The proposal to repeal the no-fault law must still go before two more committees before reaching the Senate floor.

In Raleigh, North Carolina parents, teachers, and public school students are fighting back against too-big class sizes and lack of funding.

A recent rally that lasted nearly two hours in subfreezing temperatures hoped to raise awareness about an issue that could put school districts throughout the state in a difficult and unfair position of having to cut arts, physical education, and library programs.

The General Assembly passed a law in 2016 that set the average class size for kindergarten, first, second, and third grades to be no more than 17 students. Those who participated in the rally were upset that lawmakers had not provided school districts with the necessary funding to meet the lower goal.

Unfortunately, many schools in North Carolina, as well as other states, are facing issues within their school districts. Common issues include reducing class sizes, finding funds to hire more teachers, and focusing on diversity to make a school’s identity multinational in order to help students in the globalization of today’s society.

Expenses to meet these lower class sizes are a major concern. Charlotte-Mecklenburg school leaders announced that it could cost $23 million to hire the 353 more K-3 teachers needed to meet the desired class sizes. In Wake County, it would cost $24.6 million in order to hire 431 new teachers to reduce class sizes.

These costs would be in addition to other actions like increasing class sizes in grade four through 12 to be able to shift more teaching positions to lower grades, limiting how many students are allowed to go to certain schools, and combining children of different grades into the same class to have two classes share the same room.

Furthermore, some school districts have said that they may be required to lay off art, music, physical education, and computer science teachers in order to have the necessary funding to pay for teachers needed to teach kindergarten through third grade.

Governor Roy Cooper is urging the General Assembly to take the pressure off of the school districts and provide funding for the required smaller classes.

“I believe smaller class size can be a good idea, but we can’t force this on our schools without the funding to do it,” Cooper explained.

According to Senate Leader Phil Berger, Senate Republicans will be continuing to work with the school systems to provide parents clarification about what will happen next school year while ensuring taxpayers are getting the smaller class sizes they’ve paid for.

A recent study found a direct link between company culture and employee performance and retention. Additional data shows a link between company culture and profitability.

While it’s clear that company culture is important, there is a fine line between dictating a company culture and allowing it to develop naturally. Leaders who try to control too much risk stifling change while too little control can create a cultural vacuum.

The study confirms that organizational integrity in hand with a clear sense of belonging and purpose is crucial to a positive employee experience. Because of this, company culture needs to be consistent throughout.

With $11 billion lost each year as a result of employee turnover, it’s more important than ever to ensure employees feel needed and happy with their jobs. With a strong company culture, employers can save money on recruiting and training costs.

Other studies show that there is also a correlation between a company’s culture and its profits. When employees feel a sense of purpose, there are more engaged in the business, which results in an increase in profits.

However, employers must take a thoughtful approach to developing a positive culture. While employers should not control every move, if they have no part of the development of culture, it may form into something they don’t want.

In order to develop a positive company culture, an employer should ensure all employees feel like they’re part of a team. Whether it’s within departments or geographically, employees should be encouraged to work in teams.

Additionally, all employees should be treated fairly. This means that people who are putting in real effort should get noticed by higher-up employees.

Fairness also boils down to things like time off and sick days. With 37% of families saying that vacations make them happy, employees should be given adequate time to do those types of things. Employees should not only be given time off, but they should be encouraged to take it. Burnt out employees do nothing but decrease productivity, and that’s not good for them or the company.

Along with time off, employees should be given opportunities to learn new things. With the implementation of development programs, training, and new technology, employees can be encouraged to learn something new. This not only keeps them engaged in the company but helps them grow personally as well.

And lastly, a great company culture includes the executives and managers. At large businesses, it can be difficult for executives to find time to really engage with their employers. However, when employees see their managers being productive and involved in the company, it makes them want to do the same.

Overall, the study confirmed when many employers already know: culture matters. With a poor culture, a company will continue to decrease profitability over time and continue to lose employees at a steady rate.

With the holidays coming up, everyone may feel a little bit tempted to nibble on some raw cookie dough while making yummy treats. However, you may want to think twice before you do it.

While most people are aware of the dangers of raw eggs, which may contain salmonella, recent research has found a new dangerous bacteria. A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that raw flour can carry E. coli, which can cause extreme intestinal problems when ingested. The bacteria are normally found in meats and other moist environments, but is proven to be found in raw flour as well.

The study reported a total of 56 cases of E. coli from December 21, 2015 to September 6, 2016 in 24 different states across the country. Only 17 of the victims needed to be hospitalized.

Despite this outbreak being over, researchers still want people to know that these types of bacteria can be found in raw flour and other foods.

So while many people don’t see the harm in tasting a bit of raw cookie dough, it can actually be quite dangerous. Unbaked, room-temperature cookie dough is dangerous because it’s at the perfect temperature for bacteria to grow. However, cold temperatures can stop harmful bacteria from growing. Because of this, the dough should be kept in a refrigerator below 40 degrees Fahrenheit or a freezer below zero degrees Fahrenheit.

“We’re not trying to ruin people’s holidays but we want them to be aware of the risks,” stated Samuel J. Crowe, the lead author of the study and an epidemiologist with the division of foodborne, waterborne and environmental diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told the New York Times.

Symptoms of an E. coli infection can include nausea, stomach pains, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and dehydration. Experts recommend that you see a doctor right away if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms after handling flour products.

In order to keep yourself, family, and guests safe from foodborne illnesses, experts recommend following these four safety food measures: clean, chill, separate, and cook.

Be sure to wash your hands before and after handling any food products. Additionally, it’s important to remember to wash all surfaces, like cutting boards, utensils, dishes, and countertops, that come in contact with food.

The refrigerator is a safe place to store foods before and after cooking. Additionally, it’s a great place to thaw frozen meat because it stays at a consistent temperature. Because not everybody can afford a $60,000 refrigerated trailer, make sure your fridge is cleaned out and has plenty of room to store all of your holiday food. It’s important to remember to never defrost food at room temperature to avoid allowing bacteria to grow.

When working with raw eggs, meat, poultry, and seafood, it’s important to keep them away from foods that don’t need to be cooked. Make sure different utensils and surfaces are used for each type of food. Keeping these foods separate will reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

The best way to tell if food is safely cooked is to use a food thermometer. Each food has its own safe temperature, which you should be aware of when cooking. When the food is hot enough to kill bacteria, that is when it’s safe to eat.

So remember, safety is key this holiday if you want to avoid getting sick. Stay away from raw cookie dough and see a doctor immediately if you think you’ve contracted a bacterial infection.