BURLINGTON, N.C. The State Attorney Generals Office continues to investigate the Burlington remodeling company that shut its doors last week.

Dozens of customers in the state tell FOX8 they paid American Kitchen thousands of dollars for kitchen renovations that are not complete.

The state is checking into whether the company simply went out of business or broke the law.

AG Public Information OfficerNoelle Talley suggests customers doing home repairs try to pay as little as possible before the work starts.

We recommend that people not pay more than 10 percent up front.

They also suggest signing a contract that allows the customer to pay as work is completed or finished. If a contractor claims to need a lot of money up front for supplies and materials, it may be a sign that he has poor credit or is in bad financial shape, according to home repair improvement advice from the Attorney General.

The North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors provides information on their website, too. It advises consumers to get 2-3 estimates for work. They encourage homeownerscheck their website to make sure workers are properly licensed.

Sears Home Improvement Products Area Production Manager Jason Stutts says its always helpful to choose a company thats been in business for several years.

Reputable companies will be up front with you on anything you have questions about. And spell it out in writing. They dont necessarily ask for you to buy that night. That can be an indicator of high pressure, he pointed out. Also think about- is the company going to be around later when you may needservice on down the road? Both Stutts and Talley point out, paying with a credit card can offer more fraud protection versus using cash or personal check.

Home repair issues ranked fifth on the Attorney Generals list of top consumer complaints last year.

Read more here:
Following American Kitchen problems, tips to hire the right contractor

A Tacoma man is renovating a formerly run-down office building on the corner of South 9th and J streets. Photo taken June 26, 2014.

KATHLEEN COOPER Staff writer Buy Photo

A local man is breathing new life into a run-down office building in Tacomas Hilltop neighborhood.

The Hilltop has a lot of potential, owner Jim Sheridan said Thursday. Along with other private investors, Sheridan bought the building at 919 S. Ninth St. this spring. Its been vacant for years, the target of vandals and wire thieves.

Most recently the roof had started to collapse.

For a before view of the building, click here for a look through Google Street View.

Sheridan doesnt have a tenant yet, but he began construction with the goal of landing one who is interested in the renovated space.

Most owners of vacant buildings dont put money into repairs until they have a tenant and the accompanying revenue stream that allows them to secure a loan. Sheridan wasnt up for that strategy. He has put on a new roof, taken the building down to the studs and installed new wiring, plumbing and air systems. Outside will have additional brick and stucco, as well as new landscaping. He estimates by the end of the renovations hell have spent $150,000.

The inside will be shell space until he has a tenant.

I wanted to take the bull by the horns and try to attract those tenants. I dont see how it can work any other way, he said. Sheridan, 44, has lived in the area since the 1990s, when he moved here while serving in the Army. He also owns Events on Sixth, a 90-year-old former Baptist church at 2520 Sixth Ave. that he renovated in 2011-2012.

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Tacoma man is renovating a rundown office building in the Hilltop neighborhood

Roofers are working right now to replace the last of the nearly 190-year-old coverings on Thomas Jeffersons academical village.

Crews from Charlottesvilles W.A. Lynch Roofing Co. are replacing the slate roofing on the East Range Rooms just off the University of Virginias lawn. Most of the slate dates back to the 1830s.

The gable roof is already a replacement built over top of Jeffersons original flat roof, which leaked.

The structure for the 1830s gable roof is in 80 percent good condition. We're going to have to do some cistering, some splicing in places around chimneys where we have leakage. But, it's mostly in good condition. Of course, underneath that is Jefferson's original serrated flat roof system still in place, said Jody Lahendro, UVA historic preservation architect.

The roof work above the student Range Rooms is expected to finish before the start of classes in August.

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Crews Replace Roofing on East Range Rooms at UVA

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) June 25, 2014

The Gecko Wireless Dimmer from Solid Apollo is an entirely new wireless dimmer design. No more switchboxes, wiring or extensive installation time is required to control your LED lighting project. The Gecko Dimmer has the function and appearance of a normal wall switch, but instead it simply sticks to the wall and pairs completely wirelessly with a hidden receiver for full LED lighting control. Strong double sided tape is included for quick and easy placement on a variety of flat surfaces.

Current low voltage wall-mounted LED dimmers require power hard wired to the dimmer, taking valuable time to cut an unsightly hole in the mounting surface, then run and attach wiring and complete the full installation to bring wall-mounted control to LED Lights. Depending on the type of mounting surface chosen, even more extensive modification to the wall, or specialized tools could be required to accurately prepare the surface. The solution is the Gecko Wireless Dimmer, which works similar to a normal wall switch, but without the need of complex wiring or difficult installation.

The CEO of Soild Apollo, Manuel Barquin, stated, The new Gecko is incredibly simple now you can have LED control on any flat surface. There are no more restrictions, you can now mount almost anywhere, even previously difficult to mount surfaces like brick, concrete or marble, the possibilities are endless!

The Gecko is finished in Ivory White with a beautiful glass surface, with full LED dimming control of two zones and includes a soft-on soft-off theatre style dimming control which turns the lights on or off slowly. Durable double sided tape is included with the Gecko Dimmer for quick yet strong surface mount and also includes screws for hard mount permanent installation.

The Gecko Wireless LED Dimmer is perfect for controlling up to two zones of single color LED lights. Stick or mount to a variety of flat surfaces, such as walls, ceilings, floors, undercabinets, on furniture, or even leave unmounted as a hand held remote. Solid Apollo also has a large selection of LED strip lights to pair with the Gecko, such as the Warm White High Brightness 43W LED Strip Light, for beautiful accent lighting thats also easy to stick and mount.

About SolidApollo.com: Solid Apollo manufactures and distributes a wide range of LED lighting products and solutions.

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Solid Apollos New Completely Wireless Gecko Dimmer Switch Brings Full LED Light Control Without Complex Wiring or ...

June 25, 2014 - Offering plug-and-play installation, single-port Model ES-U-2001-S incorporates automatic transmit and receive control for 2-wire RS485 half-duplex mode. ModelES-U-2001-STB has same features and functionality, but with 5-pin terminal block connector included which facilitates wiring process.Suitable for connection with either USB 1.1 or 2.0 hosts, adapters' high-speed serial ports are capable of data rates from 300921.6 kbps. Both have built-in termination and biasing mechanisms. EasySYNC, Ltd. 7235 NW Evergreen Parkway Suite 600 Hillsboro, OR, 97124-5803 USA Press release date: June 17, 2014

EasySYNC Ltd, a specialist in USB communications, has further strengthened its range of USB-to-RS422/RS485 adapters with the introduction of two brand new products which are not only highly cost effective but also extremely convenient to use. The ES-U-2001-S is a single port adapter which allows plug-and-play installation. Automatic transmit and receive control is incorporated for its 2-wire RS485 half-duplex mode. It is complimented by the ES-U-2001-STB adapter, which has the same features and functionality, but with a 5-pin terminal block connector included which facilitates the wiring process.

Suitable for connection with either USB 1.1 or 2.0 hosts, these adapters high speed serial ports are capable of dealing with data rates from 300kbit/s right up to 921.6kbit/s, with non-standard data rates supported. They both have built-in termination and biasing mechanisms. Their construction is such that opening of the chassis to set the RS422/RS485 operation modes can be avoided. Instead the upper panel can be slid open in order to gain access. The serial port on each adapter has electro-static discharge protection to a voltage of 10kV. LED indicators are incorporated - allowing the simple monitoring of the transmitter and receiver functions as well as the power source connection.

Both of these new EasySYNC adapters support Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows 2003, Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Linux operating systems. They are compliant with EN55022 Class B, EN55024, EN61000-3 and IEC 61000-4 standards. An operational temperature range of 0C to 55C is covered. The pricing for the ES-U-2001-S is $58.00, while pricing for the ES-U-2001-STB is $56.98 for single units.

For more information on these products go to: http://www.easysync-ltd.com/product/665/es-u-2001-s.html http://www.easysync-ltd.com/product/666/es-u-2001-stb.html

About EasySYNC Established in 2001, EasySYNC Ltd is a supplier of communications and instrumentation products with specialist expertise in serial connectivity solutions based on USB, CAN and RS232/RS422/RS485 interfaces. The companys product range includes USB serial adapters, USB-to-CANBus adapters, USB-to-RS232 adapters, USB-to-RS422 adapters, USB-to-RS485 adapters, USB-to-Ethernet converters, USB based oscilloscopes, data loggers and logic analysers. EasySYNC Ltd has sales offices in Europe and North America.

http://www.easysync-ltd.com

For further information and reader enquiries: Ross McGilvray, EasySYNC Ltd, Tel: +44 (0) 141 418 0181 E-mail: sales@easysync-ltd.com

Continued here:
USB-to-RS422/RS485 Adapters offer 10 kV ESD protection.

A mock cannabis factory was set ablaze today to show the risk that skunk farms pose to the public.

An area replicating a room in a house where a sophisticated cannabis farm had been set up was set ablaze this morning at Merseyside fire services training HQ in Kirkdale.

READ: 11 recent cannabis busts that made the headlines in Merseyside

The fire broke out as a result of dodgy wiring commonly used by drugs gangs to abstract electricity and bypass the electricity meter.

Flames tore quickly through the house and left it gutted within a matter of minutes.

The emergency services hoped the graphic demo will hit home the message that the public need to speak out about dangerous and illegal drug factories in the communities and stop criminal gangs profiting while putting innocent lives in danger.

Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Richardson from Merseyside Polices specialist cannabis dismantling team said: "Cannabis is not a harmless drug and its production is large in scale and large in profit here in Merseyside, as well as elsewhere in the country.

The quantities that it is being grown in here means it is rarely people doing it to feed their own casual habit - it is organised criminal gangs who are setting them up and controlling them. This is bringing associated problems such as violent crime and gun crime to the streets of our communities as these criminals seek to steal each other's crops and money.

GALLERY - Take a look at our pictures of the demonstration:

Mock cannabis factory set on fire

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WATCH: 'Cannabis factory' set on fire to demonstrate the risk skunk farms pose to public

Swing bridge plans go on show

9:51am Wednesday 25th June 2014 in Selby & Tadcaster

PLANS for major refurbishment to Selby swing bridge will be on display in the town next month.

The 14 million investment will be the biggest investment in the bridge since it was built in 1889, and will start on Friday, July 26, running until September.

The bridge will have steelwork repaired, sections of the bridge replaced and strengthened, a new coat of paint, repairs to the hydraulic system and track, and new walkways and steps for bridge operators.

Updates on rail service changes are expected soon, with buses replacing several rail services throughout the repairs.

The drop-in event will be on the ground floor of the site offices on Ousegate, Selby, from 10am to 7pm on Thursday, July 3, with members of the Network Rail team and staff from train operating companies on-hand to answer questions and discuss the road closures and changes to train services needed to complete the work.

For more information go to nationalrail.co.uk or phone 08457 484950.

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Swing bridge plans go on show

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a bone to pick with pedestrians. I can't tell you how many times I have begun to walk up a flight of stairs only to discover that someone is walking down the side that I am walking up. As a child, I learned that you walk up on the right and down on the left. Is that still the proper way to use stairs? And when you are on an escalator or one of those moving walkways in airports, aren't you supposed to go to the right if you are moving slowly or want to stand still and let fast movers go on the left? Please tell me that this is true and that I'm not crazy. -- Up the Stairs, Chicago

DEAR UP THE STAIRS: The standard in America is that whether you are walking up or down a flight of steps, your right hand should be able to hold onto the handrail on your right. As you are walking down a flight of stairs, for example, if someone is walking up the same flight of stairs, that person should be passing you on your left and, therefore, not causing a collision.

It is true that if you want to pass someone on a staircase, whether it is moving or not, you pass on the left, just as one does in a vehicle.

******

DEAR HARRIETTE: I just saw a nice posting on Facebook from an old friend, so I went to her page to look to see what she is up to. She is the mom of one of my friends, a woman probably in her late 60s. I was shocked to see that she had several pictures on her page of gun-wielding men who looked pretty scary. This is a woman I know through my church. She comes across as peace-loving and quiet. The pictures I saw were major testosterone images of men who looked like they were about to do battle. While I am not a member of the National Rifle Association, I get the idea that people have the right to bear arms. But I'm telling you that there was something creepy about these shots, especially coming from her. Should I ask her about them? I feel like I want to unfriend her. -- Social Media Disturbed, Washington, D.C.

DEAR SOCIAL MEDIA DISTURBED: Start by sending your friend a direct message on Facebook. Greet her kindly and then ask her why she has those pictures on her page. While it could be intentional, it could also be that someone posted them there and she may not know how to remove them. How deeply did you look into her photo stream? It could be that she is exposing pro-gun extremists at their worst to make a point.

Rather than passing judgment on this woman, inquire as to the rationale for the images on her page. I'm sure she will tell you, and then you can decide on your next steps accordingly.

(Lifestylist and author Harriette Cole is president and creative director of Harriette Cole Media. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

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Sense & Sensativity: Walker ready to move into the fast lane

Proponents of several local ballot issues celebrated on election night as three out of four measures had the majority support they needed to pass.

The Cabrillo Unified School District (CUSD) parcel tax, Measure B, which extends an existing parcel tax that was approved by voters as Measure E in June 2010 for an additional five years, passed with 70 percent voter support. A two-thirds majority was required.

The annual tax would remain at $150 per parcel and continue to go toward the maintenance of qualified teachers and small class sizes, keeping schools open, preserving academic programs and maintaining updated classroom computer technology.

On election night, a group of CUSD board directors, PTO members, parents, and students gathered at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company where the Measure B election camp tallied votes. By day's end, victory was in the air as the results came in with a solid two-thirds majority to win.

"I am excited that Measure B passed for a number of reasons," said Co-Chair for the Measure B campaign and Hatch Elementary PTO president Corrine Bucher. "First, it feels great to live in a community that can come together to pass a measure that touches all the students in the CUSD. Secondly, I have two children who will be coming up through Cunha and Half Moon High School, and this funding allows the District to keep the forward momentum it has been working so hard to create."

Measure B will take effect after the original measure expires at the end of June 2015.

Measure G, which would allow the Granada Sanitary District (GSD) to become a community services district and acquire parks and recreation powers by Oct. 1, passed with 58 percent of voters showing support for the measure.

Under Measure G, the Granada Sanitary District will continue to provide sewer and garbage service while potentially adding active recreational opportunities as well as benches and picnic tables on the Burnham Strip and the development of neighborhood parks along El Granada medians, on school district sites and within the county-owned Quarry Park and Mirada Surf.

GSD estimates sewer rates would increase $83 over the next five years by reorganizing into a community services district with parks control.

Measure F, which would make Half Moon Bay city officials get approval from voters before proceeding with a project to repair or replace the Main Street Bridge in downtown Half Moon Bay, passed with 65 percent of the vote.

See the original post here:
Coastside voters pass school parcel tax, measures F and G

Saw #39;s Tree Landscape Service (803) 553-6532
Saw #39;s Tree Landscape Service Columbia, SC, 29212 (803) 553-6532 Our company provides landscaping and tree services since 2009. Licensed, insured and bonded. Emergency service available. Call...

By: Jamie Combs

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Saw's Tree & Landscape Service (803) 553-6532 - Video