Smart & Savvy

Beat the flu by getting vaccinated now if you have not already done so, health officials say. The numbers of people who get sick from seasonal influenza usually increase in December, peak in February, and new infections continue into spring. Currently, influenza is at very low levels locally and the seasonal outbreak has not yet begun.

Electric Vehicle Plug-ins are now available at Sea-Tac Airport. The pilot program includes six spaces located on the fifth floor of main terminal parking garage that will provide free electric charging.

The spaces will be first come, first served and standard parking rates will apply. The electrical charging while you are away will be free of charge.

Ready for winter? The Washington State Department of Transportation recommends that people know the weather forecast, maintain their car and install proper tires. Another tip: To help out traffic on city streets clean out gutters and street drains that could clog with leaves and create urban flooding.

Vehicles and deer can be a lethal combination. As the weather gets colder, deer and other wildlife migrate from the mountains and motorists face greater risk of collisions when animals dart across roads and highways.

More deer-vehicle accidents occur between October and December than any other time of the year.

Christmas trees are popping up in Bellevue homes. Here’s how to keep those needles from falling into your carpet after the season.

Get a disposable plastic drop cloth and cut a small hole in the center. Push the trunk through the hole before putting the tree in the stand. Then set the tree up, as usual. Cut a small slit to add water, when needed, and fold the excess plastic up under the tree skirt. When it’s time to remove the tree, unfold the plastic and bring all four corners up to the treetop.

The Better Business Bureau is now giving letter grades to local businesses ranging from A+ to F. The letter grade system replaces a less-detailed scale of “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory.”

You can research the grades of more than 10,000 local businesses by reviewing BBB Reliability Reports, which are available online and free of charge at www.bbb.org. In addition to noting the business’s letter grade, BBB Reliability Reports also include details about integrity and performance, such as the number of complaints a business has received.

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