Thursday, November 24, 2016
Gobbling up the deals Keeping it safe in the kitchen Austin Daily Herald
newsroom@austindailyherald.com
Last year, Austin lost two people to fire-related causes, one on Thanksgiving and one on Christmas. Across the state, 57 people died in 2015 in fires in Minnesota, the highest number of fire fatalities since 2002. The National Fire Protection Association reported 1,550 fires across the U.S. on Thanksgiving on 2013, which was up 230 percent from the average number of fires per day. Cooking equipment is the leading cause of home structure fires and associated civilian injuries, and it was the third leading cause of home fire deaths, according to the NFPA’s Fire Analysis & Research Division. Cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries. The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking. It’s important to be alert to prevent cooking fires. Here are some tips the NFPA gives for preventing fires: •Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stovetop so you can keep an eye on the food. •Stay in the home when cooking your turkey and check on it frequently. •Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot and kids should stay 3 feet away. •Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns. •Keep the floor clear so you don’t trip over kids, toys, pocketbooks or bags. •Keep knives out of the reach of children. •Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child. •Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children — up high in a locked cabinet. •Never leave children alone in room with a lit candle. •Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button. •Have activities that keep kids out of the kitchen during this busy time. Games, puzzles or books can keep them busy. Kids can get involved in Thanksgiving preparations with recipes that can be done outside the kitchen.
Shoppers form a line as they wait to check out their deals last year at Shopko. Herald file photos
Retailers outline Thanksgiving, Black Friday hours and deals By Nate Brinkman
nate.brinkman@austindailyherald.com
Soon after Austin residents begin to digest their Thanksgiving feasts, many will be heading to local retail stores to try their luck at striking a black Friday deal. Black Friday got it’s name because it is typically the day of the year in which retail stores get out of the red and into the black in terms of profit. For better or worse in recent years, black Friday shopping has become something of a tradition following the traditional Thanksgiving meals. For local retail stores, black Friday is an opportunity to make sales while enticing shoppers with prices that seem too-good-to-betrue. Here is a rundown of what some of the local stores have in
$20 mail-in rebate. There is also going to be 4K Ultra HD Proscan Sears 55- inch LED UHDTV for $299.99 This year, Austin’s Sears Home- after $50 mail-in rebate. town store will be open up from 6 They will also feature DVDs for to 10 p.m on Thanksgiving before $6.99 and assorted kitchen appliclosing it’s doors and reopening ances start at $4.99 following mailan hour early at 8 a.m. Friday on in rebates. Black Friday. Doorbuster sales this year will Walmart At Walmart, which is open 24 include mostly tools with a few larger package deals including hours a day, in-store Black Friday deals will begin at 6 p.m on appliance sets. Thanksgiving at various spots Shopko around the store. Shopko will kick-off its Black Customers will be able to shop Friday sales at 4 p.m. on Thursday the majority of Walmart’s Black and will go until 1 p.m. on Friday. Friday deals early at Walmart. Shopko will have more than 800 com beginning at 12:01 a.m. ET on doorbuster deals plus an addition- Thanksgiving morning. al 68 Wow Doorbusters including a Some of Walmart’s deals will 32-inch LED HDTV for $79.99 after include $1.96 movies, a $30 Sharpstore for the tradition:
Kicking off Christmas
Christmas in the City returns at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 25 in downtown Austin. See a full schedule of holiday activities on Pages 2-4. PICTURED RIGHT: Santa Claus stops to talk to Eastyn Gardner and his sister Payton Gardner of Rose Creek before helping at the 2015 Christmas in the City kickoff on Main Street.
er Image Video Drone and a $798 65-inch Samsung HDTV. The retailer’s Black Friday circular is available starting today through the Walmart app. “I said it before and I will say it again, we will win the season on price – on Black Friday, on Cyber Monday and every day before and after,” said Steve Bratspies, chief merchandising officer, Walmart U.S., in a press release. “That means delivering the Black Friday deals we’re known for in stores, online and on our app. And, we’ve secured significant availability of these items. We pride ourselves on not being the retailer who advertises a great price and then only has a few available.”
See DEALS, Page 6