By Jason Garcia and Sara K. Clarke, Orlando Sentinel

Universal Orlando this morning will hold a small grand-opening celebration for its newest ride, "Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem," in Universal Studios Florida.

It's the last of several new additions Orlando's big theme parks have introduced ahead of the busy summer rush.

SeaWorld Orlando in the spring added "TurtleTrek," and its limited-admission sibling park Discovery Cove on Friday officially opened "Freshwater Oasis." And Walt Disney World has opened "Storybook Circus," part of its broader Fantasyland expansion in the Magic Kingdom, which includes an expanded"Dumbo" ride and a new children's water-play area.

There is still another big addition to come later this year: the "Fantasyland Forest" phase of Disney's Fantasyland expansion, which will include a Little Mermaid-themed ride and a Beauty and the Beast-themed restaurant.

Rosen adds free Internet

Rosen Hotels & Resorts has announced plans to drop its daily fee for web access and offer free Internet at its three local convention hotels.

Guest at the Rosen Shingle Creek, Rosen Centre and Rosen Plaza will be able to access wireless and hard-wired Internet in guest rooms and public areas starting July 4. The hotel previously charged $9.95 for a 24-hour period of Internet access.

The hotel said it is making the change because travelers today are "even more reliant on their smartphones, iPads, tablets and laptops for work or play." In addition to business travelers who need Internet access to work, people on vacation are using the Internet for last-minute planning and research on attractions, the company said.

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Theme parks open summer attractions

Northeast Ohio residents are urged to take special precautions during the unusually dry summer weather, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry.

Dried grasses, weeds, leaves and crops are providing fuel for wildfires.

Homeowners, farmers and woodland owners should be especially cautious during this dry period, Gregg Maxfield, northern region supervisor for the ODNR Division of Forestry, said. Much of the small fuels that carry wildfire are tinder dry and will stay this way through the summer unless we have moisture for new growth. High temperatures, low humidity and wind are not in our favor.

Residents can take measures to prevent accidental wildfires. These include avoiding burning trash and debris, keeping grass trimmed, not discarding cigarettes and other smoking materials outside, postponing fireworks and not having open cooking fires or campfires.

The ODNR Division of Forestry works to promote the wise use and sustainable management of Ohios public and private woodlands. To learn more about Ohios woodlands, visit http://www.ohiodnr.com/forestry.

Cuffs and collars

One late spring day, Champaign County Wildlife Officer Jeff Tipton was working sport fishing enforcement at Kiser Lake State Park. He had watched a family fish for a while and then went to check their fishing licenses. Officer Tipton was checking the husband, while the wife and little girl were down the bank.

The man also had his wifes fishing license. Out of the corner his eye he could see the wife running towards him. When she got to them, she ripped her fishing license out of her husbands hand, pushed it into Officer Tiptons face, and said, I am SO glad that you are checking my fishing license! She explained that she had spent hard earned money on the license and was excited that she got to show it to someone. Officer Tipton explained to her that people arent usually quite so happy to see him.

Busted!

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Watercraft participated in Operation Dry Water, a nationwide crackdown to remove impaired boaters from public waterways June 22-24.

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Outdoors Insider, with Dale Sunderlin: ODNR urges burn caution

LAS VEGAS (FOX5) -

If you've gotten work done on your home without obtaining the necessary permits or submitting it for inspection, now is the time to come clean, penalty-free.

From July 1 through September 30, homeowners who have skirted the rules are encouraged to participate in an amnesty program.

Homeowners in unincorporated Clark County will pay normal fees for permits, inspections and plan reviews, but will not be charged penalties.

Fees for residential-related construction projects range from $150 to $400. The Building Department's Permit Application Center is located at 4701 W. Russell Road.

"This initiative gives homeowners the opportunity to come forward to address and resolve any repair work in their home that requires permits and inspections," said Clark County Commission Chair Susan Brager. "The goal of the program is to not penalize homeowners but to ensure that any repair or remodeling work done at their residence is safe and built to code."

The most common projects on residential properties done without necessary permits include garage conversions, room additions, patio covers and water heater installations.

Copyright 2012 KVVU (KVVU Broadcasting Corporation). All rights reserved.

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County announces construction amnesty program

The city of Fort Pierce may be taking a trip into the future by taking a trip into the past.

Returning to a time when more bicycles not to mention more horses than automobiles were used for transportation in the downtown area, the city is encouraging more bicycle use by creating facilities to store and repair bikes.

And, in a high-tech innovation, the stations also will be solar-powered so riders can monitor their riding.

Earlier this month, city commissioners approved the expenditure of $20,500 from more than $225,000 in available transportation impact fees to finance the bicycle stations. Efforts to secure a $10,000 grant for the project fell through.

The city will install bike racks, long-term storage lockers, repair stations with tools and tire pumps, mobility trackers and covered parking in the City Hall parking garage and along the downtown waterfront. Facilities will be placed at the three entrances to the parking garage and to the west and south of the marina building and along a fence adjoining marina slips.

The free facilities will include solar-powered monitoring stations where bicyclists can scan registered radio-frequency identification tags attached to their bicycle wheels. Bicyclists can get the tags from the city's Planning Department and log on to a website to view their travel statistics, including distance traveled, calories burned, pounds of carbon dioxide emissions reduced and gallons of gas saved.

Earlier this year, the city installed a similar facility at the Police Athletic League Park on 21st Street.

By encouraging bicycle traffic, city officials hope to reduce the automobile traffic and parking problems in the downtown area on Saturday mornings during the weekly downtown farmers market.

The new bicycle facilities also are expected to complement the city's transportation alternatives in conjunction with a potential Amtrak passenger station proposed in the downtown area.

With the move to more bicycle traffic, a remaining issue will be assuring those who bicycle to and from the facilities that they can do so safely. That's an issue that will have to be carefully monitored if the new additions to downtown are to be successful.

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Editorial: City of Fort Pierce takes a step into the future with installation of bicycle stations downtown

Abbottstown Borough's new stormwater management ordinance will be ready for adoption within the next few months and will include an exemption for any building of less than 800 square feet.

The new stormwater ordinance that is under consideration in Abbottstown is a variation of the one suggested by Adams County, said borough engineer Chad Clabaugh.

Adoption of a stricter stormwater ordinance is required by the state, said Clabaugh, but each municipality can set exemptions so that property owners are not required to have full stormwater management studies completed on smaller projects.

If the borough did not include a square footage exemption with its new stormwater plan, said Clabaugh, then each and every plan would be required to be prepared by a stormwater management engineer and then be reviewed by the borough engineer.

"The reason we are recommending that exemption is because a two-car garage can be built under 800 square feet," said Clabaugh. "This would allow borough property owners to use a simplified approach for those types of plans and save them a lot of money."

For example, said Clabaugh, a property owner wanting to build a new shed under 800 square feet would only need to fill out an application at the borough office and present the borough with a simple plan showing the location of the intended building, and that it is under the exemption size.

Residents can buy aerial views of their lots for $7 at the Adams County Office of Planning

Clabaugh said that notes on each building on a property will be kept on file indefinitely at the borough office because the exemptions pertain to the total cumulative impervious surface, not just a single project.

"Anytime a property owner is adding to a building and it will exceed the 800 square feet, then they will need to have a stormwater management plan for that project," said Clabaugh.

Clabaugh presented council and the borough solicitor with copies of the proposed stormwater management document. Council directed solicitor Guy Beneventano to review the document and make suggestions for any additions, such as the types of fines that would be included for violations.

Continued here:
Abbotstown stormwater rules to change

There's no actual porch at The Front Porch, the Southern-inspired eatery in Bernal Heights known for its deep-fried... lots of things. Instead, you are greeted on the sidewalk to an outdoor dining setup unlike one we've ever seen: a line of benches facing a trellis, which covers a handful of small tables among a mishmash of houseplants, rocking chairs and strung lights. It may take you a few minutes to notice that the whole space is a converted driveway and garage, cozied up next to a seemingly residential staircase. The eclectic abundance is inviting, and it all feels somewhat neighborly -- if your neighbor is the kind of person who parks salvaged chairs outside her house to relax in and sip iced tea (or a Bloody Mary). It's during brunch service (10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday) that the makeshift "porch" really shines, particularly on a sunny day when the indoor area of stuffed leather booths and low ceilings seems far too dim.

The brunch menu is similar to the dinner one, with Cajun and Creole classics from New Orleans guiding the theme. A few breakfast and lunch additions bring a morning slant to the line-up, such as the Country Breakfast ($9) with eggs, biscuits and your choice of meat, or the Po'Boy ($15), a homey sandwich filled with cornmeal-crusted shrimp, oysters or flounder.

Coffee, both regular hot and iced, is brewed with chicory, just like they do it at New Orleans' famous Cafe du Monde. For those sticking with typical brunch beverages, The Front Porch offers the regular suspects to choose from, like a mimosa ($6) or Bloody Mary ($8) -- and even a couple of surprises, such as red beer with spicy tomato juice ($6).

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The Front Porch Brunch: Prop Up Your Feet and Dig In

Wednesday, June 20, 2012 | 6:46 p.m. CDT; updated 6:56 p.m. CDT, Wednesday, June 20, 2012

COLUMBIA MU's College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources is looking at ways to prevent future accidents after a steer jumped a fence at an MU slaughterhouse Tuesday and injured one man.

John Brune, the father of the steer's owner, was in fair condition at 5:50 p.m. Wednesday at University Hospital after the runaway steer struck him at the Paquin Street side of the University Avenue Parking Garage. MU police later killed the steer.

Officials in the college of agriculture are still reviewing the incident but so far are considering adding to the physical structure of the slaughterhouse as well as adjusting some procedures to ensure better safety, MU spokesman Christian Basi said Wednesday afternoon.

"It should be noted, though, that our facility and the procedures that were being used at the time are in compliance," Basi said, "and everyone was carrying out their responsibilities in the proper manner when the steer escaped."

Supervising editor is Elizabeth Brixey.

Here's a map of the MU Abattoir, the official name of the MU slaughterhouse.

View Larger Map

Continue reading here:
MU agriculture college examining facility after steer escapes at slaughterhouse

NEW HAVEN Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc., a fast-growing company whose stock price has soared over the past five years, is returning to New Haven from Cheshire and adding hundreds of jobs, and promises to grow its workforce sharply in the next five years.

In exchange for moving more than 350 people now in Cheshire and adding between 200 and 300 employees by 2017, Alexion will be eligible for a state package worth up to $51 million in tax credits, a grant and a loan that will be partially or fully forgivable, depending on the hiring numbers.

Alexion will move into a new headquarters at a key location in the Elm City, near Yale-New Haven Hospital and the Yale School of Medicine, on College Street, on land now occupied by a below-grade highway spur.

A 426,000 square-foot building with street-level retail and a parking garage of at least 600 spaces, costing approximately $100 million, would open in June 2015 under the agreement. The developer is Winstanley Enterprises, whose largest office is across the street.

With Tuesday's announcement, Alexion becomes the fourth company in the governor's Governor Dannel P. Malloy's First Five program, designed to give large aid packages to businesses adding at least 200 jobs and it becomes a linchpin in New Haven Mayor John DeStefano's plans to redevelop the medical center area in a pedestrian-friendly way.

It is also part of the state's push to support the biotech industry, which Malloy is making into a signature issue. Alexion has entered the market with one drug so far, developed through biologics rather than chemicals, and has a pipeline of five other drug candidates, all designed to treat ultra-rare, life-threatening diseases.

"We need to build an industry we already have a foothold in," Malloy said Tuesday morning, as he announced Alexion's move and expansion.

Alexion was founded in New Haven's Science Park development 20 years ago by Dr. Leonard Bell, a Yale medical professor who is still the company's CEO. The company went public in 1997, and moved to Cheshire in 2000.

It is outgrowing its three buildings in Cheshire, even after repeated additions. In the past five years, it has added about 150 workers there.

Bell, who graduated from Yale's medical school and lives in Woodbridge, said: "Moving here to New Haven is like a homecoming."

The rest is here:
Alexion Moving To New Haven, Adding Up To 300 Jobs

BAY CITY If it turns out the way he wants it to, Jordan Pries' new business, Electric Kitsch, should be anything but conventional.

The walls inside of the storefront at 917 Washington, formerly occupied by Bay Musical Arts Inc., are now painted a variety of colorful hues reminiscent of another era. "Open" signs made from vintage television sets stand ready to grace the front windows, and shelves are slowly filling with records and vintage items to prepare for the store's grand opening on Friday, June 22.

Pries, a 29-year-old Linwood resident, has been involved in the business of music for quite some time. For eight years, he worked at B's Music Shop in Mount Pleasant and gained experience working in the world of music retail. To him, opening his own business was the logical next step.

But Pries said he wants Electric Kitsch to be more than the average music or record store. In addition to offering a buy/sell/trade system for vinyl records, Pries has collected a variety of vintage instruments, electronics, clothes and other items from the 1950s through the 1980s to sell at Electric Kitsch so the people who come to his shop can have a unique experience.

"I want people to feel like they just walked up to the coolest garage sale ever, where everything is something they might want at garage sale prices," Pries said.

Pries is also planning to offer instrument and electronic repair services at the store.

Electric Kitsch is not the only business slated to open its doors in downtown Bay City in the coming weeks. The storefront at 915 Washington, the former location of the Bay Arts Council that is directly adjacent to the new home of Electric Kitsch, is going to house a shop called Urban Flowers and Found Objects that could open in June, Bay City Downtown Management Board and Development Authority Executive Director Candace Bales said. A new coffee shop, entitled ThunderBrew Coffee Company, also has plans to open its doors in the downtown at 521 Washington, she said.

Bales said it was nice to see plans for two businesses with an artsy and musical focus to move in next store to each other where there had been such a presence before the Bay Arts Council moved to a different location and Bay Musical Arts Inc. closed its doors. She said the businesses could attract similar clientele and likely will be unique additions to the community.

"We love the young professionals coming in with kind of funky stuff," Bales said. "You never know what's going to push buttons and bring in more people, but I get the feeling that those two next to each other will be a good thing."

An evening grand opening party for Electric Kitsch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday. The store's hours will be from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Pries said he also plans to open up the store during special weekend events in the downtown, including Bay City's First Thursdays and various festivals.

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New business in Bay City aims to be "the coolest garage sale ever"

UVU breaks ground on new student center

By Brielle Valyntn Alexander

June 18th, 2012 @ 6:06pm

OREM Utah Valley University students and staff should prepare for a groundbreaking improvement on campus.

Officials broke ground on the new Student Life Center and an imminent parking garage the morning of June 18. The Orem campus has heard rumors of a parking structure for many months now, but it has finally become a reality for the growing University. Both are student-funded projects and they promise to be a huge relief in more ways than one.

The six-story parking garage has been designed by GSBS Architects, and will have up to 450 stalls for students and visitors, located close to the library and campus ballroom, according to a press release.

The Student Life Center will pose as a student activity building, with the purpose of encouraging students to unwind from the stresses of college life. Its future amenities of this 175,000 square foot building will include wellness center, bowling alley, multimedia area, large gym for volleyball and soccer, dance and yoga studios, newspaper offices, student council chambers and a reflection center with views of the mountains and sky.

"The design of the building reflects the students' desires to provide a holistic approach for a center which benefits both the physical and spiritual," principal architect of GSBS Architects John Branson said.

Construction isn't such a foreign idea to Orem residents, but the results are certainly an improvement for the university and the community. UVU has already seen many changes in its structure, most recently the major facelift to the Pope Science Building, and the destruction of the Bunnell House, making way for these additions.

The project is expected to last until late 2013.

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UVU breaks ground on new student center