AISD and Xcel Energy are working together to find ways to use less power for an even greater output for campuses across Amarillo. /Marissa Lucero

AMARILLO, TEXAS -- A check presented to the Amarillo Independent School District (AISD) for more than $181,000 as an incentive to find ways to use less energy.

AISD and Xcel Energy are working together to find ways to use less power for an even greater output in campuses across Amarillo, and new high efficiency units seem to be the answer. This past summer the district spent $3.9 million replacing more than 500 heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.Another $100,000 to replace lighting units in itsschools.

"They can save a lot of kilowatt hours across the year something like 700,000 kilowatt hours," Xcel Spokesperson Wes Reeves said.

AISD made upgrades to 18 different campuses in Amarillo; some received new HVAC systems, some new lighting systems and others received a combination of the two. AISD Chief Financial Officer Les Hoyt said voters in May 2013 passed the bond program that included the replacement of the HVAC systems. The funds to replace the lighting units are being figured into the districts budget.

"The initial reasons for the HVAC replacements were because they were getting old," Hoyt said. "They were becoming a maintenance issue and some of the parts were becoming obsolete."

According to Hoyt the district plans to spend nearly $17 million total in HVAC replacements, while saving up to $10,000 each month onthe current electricity bill.

"We're trying to get the most efficient lighting and HVAC systems into our school, but it's taking years to do it," Hoyt said.

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AISD receives rebate check from Xcel Energy

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compiled by Leslie Krowchenko DCNN Correspondent

NEWTOWN

Theft

A sign for a window cleaning company doing work at the home was stolen, Oct. 13, from the front lawn of a house on Gregory Lane.

Malicious Mischief

A mailbox toppled at a home on Fairview Avenue, Oct. 13, was found at the intersection with Pomona Avenue.

Retail Theft

Charges of retail theft were filed against a 27-year-old Chester woman and 36-year-old Philadelphia woman in connection with an incident, 7:30p.m., Sept. 13, in Acme, Newtown Square Shopping Center, said police. The women, who had a small child with them, placed 20 cans of baby formula and 16 razor cartridges in a bag and left the store without attempting payment, according to the report. The merchandise was valued at $854.

MARPLE

Rings Missing Continued...

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Newtown and Marple police activity for the week of Oct. 21-28

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Tree Removal Demo
We remove this tall pine tree from a residential area making sure the path it would take was free from other trees and homes.

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Tree Removal Demo - Video

CARTER LAKE Before a discussion on whether he used city funds to remove a tree from his property, Carter Lake Mayor Gerald Waltrip pulled out his checkbook.

The gesture came two months after a payment issued to Omaha-based Professional Tree Services for the removal of a tree near the mayors house at 1912 Lagoon Drive in Carter Lake.

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Who should pay for tree removal by Carter Lake mayor's property?

Vernon Hills officials are about halfway done removing ash trees along public streets, and are now looking at how to get private property owners to remove potentially sick trees.

Local governments around Detroit, Mich., first noticed the Asian-based emerald ash borer in 2002. The bug grows inside ash trees, cutting off the flow of nutrition until the insect matures and leaves or until the tree dies. The bugs were accidentally transplanted through international travels.

There were about 3,600 ash trees living on public land along the streets in Vernon Hills before the bug made its way to Illinois. Private contractors and crews from public works began removing trees last year to prevent branches or entire trees from falling on cars or pedestrians.

All ash trees along public roads will be removed and replaced with non-ash trees by 2016. By then, Vernon Hills will have spent between $1 million and $1.2 million.

Village officials talked Oct. 7 about how to encourage or force private property owners to remove ash trees. Nothing was approved, but trustees gave their employees plenty to research over the next few months.

Assistant Village Manager Joe Carey cited a regional study that says private properties, combined, can have up to five times more ash trees than on public land, which means Vernon Hills could have 18,000 ash trees on private property.

Carey said a lot of nearby towns are sending letters to homeowners and corporations advising them of liabilities related to having sick trees on their property. He suggested taking the same approach.

Youre entering a whole new world when you go on private property, Village Attorney Robert Kenney warned trustees as the discussion progressed.

Mayor Roger Byrne, who works for an insurance company, said in most cases where a tree falls on a neighbors home or car, the victims file claims on their own homeowners insurance instead of trying to sue.

However, an insurance company might refuse to pay if that neighbor knew the tree was infected and chose not to remove it, Byrne said. That could lead to a lot of friction among neighbors, he concluded.

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Vernon Hills looking at ash tree removal on private land

Cases heard at Coventry Magistrates Court on Friday, September 26, included:

Kyle Copson, 28, of Jasmine Place, Stoke Aldermoor, admitted breaching a restraining order, stealing make-up worth 65.94 from Boots, and breaching a suspended sentence. He was given a 12-month community order with 100 hours unpaid work, and told to pay 65.94 compensation.

Marcus Hibbert, 30, of Latham Road, Earlsdon, admitted breaching a suspended sentence by failing to attend unpaid work. He was jailed for four weeks.

Lee Carnall, 24, of Britannia Street, Hillfields, admitted stealing a TV and a laptop from CCS Waste Disposal. He was fined 110 and told to pay a 20 victim surcharge and 85 costs.

Drew Darcy, 23, of Aldrich Avenue, Tile Hill North, admitted drink-driving (82mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. Legal limit is 35mcg), driving with the wrong licence and no insurance, failing to stop after an accident, possessing cocaine and failing to report an accident. He was given a 12-month community order with 50 hours unpaid work and programme and supervision requirements, banned from driving for 18 months, and told to pay 300 compensation, a 60 victim surcharge and 85 costs.

Ben Loughrey, 22, of Holyhead Road, Coundon, admitted damaging a car park barrier worth 474.60 at The Lower Precinct. He was fined 75 and told to pay 474 compensation, a 20 victim surcharge and 85 costs.

Michael Twomey, 24, of Ansty Road, Wyken, admitted drink-driving (100mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. Legal limit is 80mg). He was fined 200, banned from driving for 15 months, and told to pay a 20 victim surcharge and 85 costs.

Stephen Hazell, 36, of Farren Road, Wyken, admitted breaching a suspended sentence by failing to attend an appointment. He was given a programme requirement for 16 days.

Michael Aubrey, 27, of Berners Close, Tile Hill, admitted stealing an iPhone5 worth 500, and failing to answer bail. He was given a 12-month community order with 100 hours unpaid work and supervision, and told to pay 50 compensation, a 60 victim surcharge and 145 costs.

Jerome Bromell, 23, of Freehold Street, Hillfields, admitted carrying a lock knife in public. He was given a 12-month community order with 120 hours unpaid work and supervision, and told to pay a 60 victim surcharge and 85 costs.

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Coventry Magistrates Court: Damaging car barrier at The Lower Precinct among cases heard

After returning from Europe, the homeowners arrived home eager to transform their master bath into a vision of the luxury they experienced on vacation. With a 1950s, California ranch-style home with which to work, designer Jimmy Reed of Rock Solid Tile stepped in to embody the glamorous holiday in their own home.

View this bath gallery here.

The 1958-dated California ranch was built in a style invented by architect Clifford May and made popular in post-World War II America. Although this type of building typically plays on California sunshine with floor-to-ceiling windows, this home still had a compartmentalized layout, a dark stall shower and low soffit ceilings in the bathroom.

The original layout was hardly a design, said Reed, but it was the norm in the 1950s and 1960s. With this in mind, the owner hoped to open up the space give it a spa retreat-type of atmosphere. After gutting the existing room, Reed expanded the bath to incorporate a new soaking tub and take advantage of the views of the Pacific Ocean. While the owners aesthetic preferences were for a modern spa, Reed wanted to combine that with my constant source of inspiration the beauty and movement of the Pacific Ocean, he explained.

Finished in blue lacquer, the floating vanity establishes a sense of lightness and echoes the nearby ocean. Wave-like, stainless steel handles add to the effect.

We wanted to do a floating vanity, but we also had to fit it between the tub deck and the shower area, explained Reed.

The team achieved the floating illusion by connecting the three areas with the vanity and framing it all with the same Calcutta gold Italian slab marble. Characterized by a white backdrop with streaks of gold and gray veining, the marble covers the shower bench, tub deck and countertops, as well as the room and shower floor. The owners are used to luxurious and exotic vacationing, and I think we were able to give them a little bit of a vacation right here in their home, said Reed. The openness and modern European crispness we achieved is quite reminiscent of their most recent journey.

Covering the wall behind the vanity and glass shower, an unusually narrow glass tile mosaic has an iridescent finish that gives it an electric appearance.

The [tile] is the most prominent and striking material we were able to use, said Reed. He designed the linear tiles that feature an irregular surface that creates the illusion of constant movement.

The combination of the special finish materials, the additional space that we were able to get and the new layout makes this a completely unique escape, he added. Source List:

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Staycation

A one-alarm fire in a Mesquite nursing home was quite the wake up call for some residents early this morning.

Around 5 a.m., a chair caught fire in one of the double occupancy rooms at the Edgewood Rehabilitation Center, setting off the sprinkler system and forcing staff to evacuate residents in nearby rooms.

Only two people reported minor injuries, fire officials said.

One person slipped and fell, and the other reported being in pain. Neither of those, however, appear to be fire-related, said Mesquite fire chief Kelly Turner.

The sprinkler system quickly extinguished the fire, but left behind a lot of water.

Theyre going to be cleaning up water for a while, Turner said.

He said the nursing home staff planned to move the two impacted residents to another room.

The nursing home, which is located at 1101 Windbell Drive, could not be reached for comment. Mesquite fire officials were still investigating what caused the fire.

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Fire causes minor damage inside Mesquite nursing home