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Pennsylvania school cancels classes due to sleepwalking student
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A middle school in Pennsylvania canceled classes after a student sleepwalked into the building on Wednesday morning. - photo by Herb Scribner
A middle school in Pennsylvania canceled classes after a student sleepwalked into the building on Wednesday morning.

According to the Associated Press, the seventh-grade student called 911 at about 2:30 a.m. to inform police that he had sleepwalked into Wendover Middle School, which sits in Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania.

Police said the student entered the school through a window.

It appears he went through a screen in the window and got himself in the school. He was in the school about 15 minutes, trooper Stephan Limani, of Pennsylvania State Police, told KDKA-TV. He believes he was sleepwalking and went to the school.

On Wednesday, the Hempfield Area School District canceled classes amid security concerns. Police swept through the building throughout the day.

Classes resumed on Thursday, according to the AP.

Police said the incident isnt related to a separate arrest earlier this week when a student allegedly threatened to shoot another student.

A couple days prior, we did have a male student verbally threaten a female student, saying he was going to shoot her, Limani said.

According to Fox News, the student accused of making the threat was arrested and sent to Westmoreland County Juvenile Detention Center.

The school will continue to increase security as it investigates why the sleepwalking student entered the building.

In light of the recent events, an added police presence will be at Wendover Middle School tomorrow and counselors will be available to talk with students regarding school violence and safety, as needed, Superintendent Tammy W. Wolicki said in a statement. Additionally, the PA State Police have indicated that they are striving to have an added presence at all district schools. This provides an opportunity for students to see law enforcement within the schools and to promote a sense of safety.
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New Medicare cards are in the mail and scammers are on the prowl
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun mailing new Medicare Health Insurance ID cards. The program no longer uses Social Security numbers to identify people. - photo by Lois M Collins
The federal government is beginning to send out new ID cards to the 58 million Americans who benefit from Medicare. But since many of the people who will receive them don't know they're coming or why, scammers are already gearing up to take advantage.

An AARP survey shows as many as three-fourths of Americans 65 and older have no idea the cards are coming, so some individuals may be duped with claims that they're supposed to pay a fee or provide personal information that will be used, instead, to defraud them.

The new cards are the first reissue in years, and the most striking part of the redesign is that the cards no longer carry the beneficiary's Social Security number. Congress mandated the removal of that number as an identifier for Medicare beneficiaries by next April. Instead, the card has a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier number, an 11-digit combination of numbers and letters.

The new Medicare cards are now being mailed out in batches, starting with the Eastern seaboard and moving west. Most Medicare beneficiaries will receive their cards over the next six months, as long as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has their correct mailing address. Once the cards are in hand, people can share the new identification number with their health care providers. During a transition period, either card is valid.

The old cards, which used Social Security numbers as the personal identification number, should be destroyed.

AARP recently launched an education campaign to warn consumers about scams related to the new Medicare cards.

The membership organization's "Fraud Watch" consultant, Frank Abagnale reformed con man, scammer and the subject of the movie and book "Catch Me If You Can" tells senior citizens the only time they need to carry the actual Medicare card is to health care appointments. Otherwise, it should be left in a safe place. If they want to carry one in their wallet or purse, he says, make a copy and black out the first seven numbers.

Since the cards were announced, scammers have already:

  • Called seniors and asked for their bank account information so that money on their old card could be returned. There is no money on the old card and CMS never asks for personal information over the phone.
  • Offered to send the new card after Medicare beneficiaries pay a $25 fee to cover expenses related to the card. The card is free.
  • Said the card will be mailed out as soon as the older person verifies his or her Social Security number, mailing address and other personal information. CMS already knows the beneficiary's Social Security number and it's no longer being used in conjunction with health care.
AARP and the Federal Trade Commission will hold a free online seminar about the cards and the fraud attempts they have spawned on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. EDT. Register at: www.aarp.org/FraudWebinar. CMS also offers a "frequently asked questions" guide to the new cards.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network says consumers can sign up for its Watchdog Alert emails that deliver breaking scam information, or call a free helpline at 877-908-3360 to speak with volunteers trained in fraud counseling. Abagnale also hosts a weekly podcast for AARP, called The Perfect Scam.
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