diff --git a/app/models/campaign.rb b/app/models/campaign.rb
index b446d829..e9c3e13b 100644
--- a/app/models/campaign.rb
+++ b/app/models/campaign.rb
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ def expiration_date_cannot_be_in_the_past
   end
 
   def payments_can_be_activated
-      if self.production_flag && !Settings.find_by_id(1).payments_activated?
+      if self.production_flag && !Settings.first.payments_activated?
         errors.add(:base, "cannot activate payments")
       end
   end
diff --git a/app/views/layouts/application.html.erb b/app/views/layouts/application.html.erb
index 756f19aa..52dd19a1 100644
--- a/app/views/layouts/application.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/layouts/application.html.erb
@@ -20,13 +20,10 @@
     <%= render 'layouts/social_js' %>
     <%= render 'layouts/navbar' %>
     <%= render 'theme/views/header' %>
-    <% flash.to_hash().slice(:success, :info, :notice, :error).each do |key, value| %>
+    <% flash.to_hash().slice(:success, :info, :notice, :error, :alert).each do |key, value| %>
       <% if !value.blank? %><div class="alert alert-<%= key %>"><%= value %></div><% end %>
     <% end %>
     <div id="main">
-      <% if alert %>
-        	<p class="admin-alert alert alert-error"><%= alert %></p>
-	  <% end %>
       <%= yield %>
     </div>
     <%= render 'theme/views/footer' %>
diff --git a/lib/tasks/sync_payments.rake b/lib/tasks/sync_payments.rake
index fb8b557d..cbcabc80 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/sync_payments.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/sync_payments.rake
@@ -9,12 +9,12 @@ namespace :ch do
     campaign = Campaign.find_by_ct_campaign_id(ENV['CAMPAIGN_ID'])
     if campaign
       puts "Synching payments for #{campaign.name} (#{ENV['CAMPAIGN_ID']})"
-      campaign.production_flag ? Crowdtilt.production(Settings.find_by_id(1)) : Crowdtilt.sandbox
+      campaign.production_flag ? Crowdtilt.production(Settings.first) : Crowdtilt.sandbox
       begin
         response = Crowdtilt.get("campaigns/#{campaign.ct_campaign_id}/payments?page=1&per_page=100")
       rescue => exception
         puts exception.message and abort
-      end
+      end      
       ct_payments = response['payments']
       pages = response['pagination']['total_pages']