6 household items to throw away today

Submitted by Ronda Robinson, Fox 6 News Reporter

Thursday, May 9th, 2013, 6:27pm

BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC)- You may not think you need to throw away spices from your pantry, but if you've had them more than four years, toss them!

According to AARP.com, these are six items that should be thrown away today.

1. Take a good look at those plastic containers that are piled up on your shelves. If they have recycle codes 3 or 7 on them they may contain BPA, a hormone-disrupting chemical that leaches into food.

2. Purge your medicine cabinet of expired or unused medications. Do not flush them down the toilet or put them in the trash. Take them to official collection sites. Check the smarxtdisposal website for disposal ideas.

3. How long have you had that makeup? Bacteria that may cause infection can start to grow. You should only keep mascara for two to three months, lip gloss six months. Replace foundation after six months to a year.

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Study suggests good hygiene is one cause of allergies

Submitted by MyFoxAL Web Staff on Wednesday, May 8th, 10:53 pm

BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC)- A new study suggests a link between good hygiene might actually cause some children to develop allergies.

The JAMA Pediatrics study suggests that children's immune systems aren't being trained to recognize and fight off certain irritants in the air. The study says American-born children are 14 percent more likely to develop allergies than those born outside the U.S. It says several factors may be to blame, including being too clean.

"Having clean drinking water, not having to deal with some of the things that third world countries have to deal with is a good thing. Whether or not we're becoming too extreme may be some to increase in allergic incidents in the children of our country and even adults," Dr. Maxcie Sikora of the Alabama Allergy and Asthma Center said.

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Comparison of procedure costs at various Ala. hospitals

Submitted by Jonathan Hardison, Fox 6 News Reporter

Wednesday, May 8th, 2013, 9:01pm

Comparison of procedure costs at various Ala. hospitals

BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC)- Today we got our first-ever comprehensive look at what hospitals around the country charge for different procedures, and the newly-released data shows some big gaps in what different hospitals in our area charge for the same procedure.

Hospitals protect this cost information like KFC protects its recipe, but as part of the healthcare overhaul, the government today released thousands of pages of documents showing what hospitals charge Medicare and Medicaid for different procedures.

Before we show you the data, there are a couple of important things to remember.

These costs are what the hospitals charge the government, not what they charge healthcare insurance companies who often negotiate deep discounts as part of their contracts.

And as you'll see, there is a big difference between what a hospital charges and what the government ends up actually paying.

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Family of missing Ga. man asks for public's help

Submitted by Brianne Britzius, Fox 6 Digital Producer

Wednesday, May 8th, 2013, 6:05pm

Nicholas Bower. Source: Talladega County Sheriff's Office

TALLADEGA COUNTY, AL (WBRC)- The family of a missing Georgia man last seen at the Talladega Superspeedway is asking for the public's help.

Nicholas Bower, 27 of Villa Rica, Ga., was last seen around 11 p.m. May 4. His family, friends and law enforcement appeared together Wednesday at a press conference to ask the public for help in finding Bower.

Bower's girlfriend Jennifer Boesch says they were camping in the South Park area of the Superspeedway. Boesch says she last saw Bower around 11 p.m. and that she woke up around 12:30 a.m. and couldn't find him.

His family says it's just not like Bower to disappear without a trace.

"He just disappeared without a trace and it is not characteristic of him at all. He is very close to his family and he would've contacted somebody," Bridgette Chambers, Bower's sister, said.

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State panel reverses turkey season decision

Submitted by MyFoxAL Web Staff on Wednesday, May 8th, 3:30 pm

TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) - A state panel has reversed its decision to close fall turkey season in Alabama after hearing complaints from hunters.

The Daily Home of Talladega (http://bit.ly/ZNNJQv) reports that the Alabama Department of Conservation Advisory Board changed course during a public meeting at Joe Wheeler State Park.

The board's decision in March to eliminate the fall season in the six counties where it's allowed ruffled the feathers of turkey hunters across the state.

While the board agreed to allow turkey hunting in the fall, it didn't vote to open the fall turkey season back to the original dates. Instead, members are giving turkey hunters one week to hunt turkeys in November and another week in December.

The fall turkey season previously was open from Nov. 21-Jan. 1 each year.

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Georgia man, 27, last seen camping at Talladega Superspeedway

Submitted by Melynda Sides, Digital Content Producer

Tuesday, May 7th, 2013, 4:26pm

Nicholas Bower, 27, has been missing since 11 p.m. Saturday, May 4. He was last seen camping at the Talladega Superspeedway. Source: Talladega County Sheriff's Office

TALLADEGA, AL (WBRC)- A 27-year-old man from Georgia has been reported missing after being last seen at the Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday night.

The Talladega County Sheriff's Office says Nicholas Bower, from Villa Rica, GA, was camping with friends during the race weekend. He was last seen sitting in a lawn chair near his camp site in the South Park area around 11 p.m. May 4.

Bower is described as a white male, 6'4" and 185 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with the word "Fastenal" on the front and a black "Fastenal" hat with a mesh back. He works for the company "Fastenal" in Atlanta, GA. Officials say Bower could have also been wearing a gray North Face jacket.

Anyone with information about his location is asked to call the Talladega County Sheriff's Office at 256-362-6117.

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Tipping guide: Who, when, how much?

Submitted by Arielle Clay, Fox 6 News Reporter

Tuesday, May 7th, 2013, 1:19pm

BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC)- It's been around since the 17th century, so why is it that so many of us are still lost when it comes to tipping? Who gets one, when and how much?

"People that tip really well, that's one thing people should know, it changes that waiters day," waiter Stuart Bond said.

But just because tips make people in the service industry feel good and for some are what they depend on does not mean they will always see one.

"I look at tipping as you're in Vegas rolling dice. It's a crap shoot. I've had some tips when it's just 0," waiter Tony Taylor said.

In today's fast-paced world where there are more and more services offered at our fingertips, knowing when, who and how much to tip can be daunting.

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