Dec. 23, 2013, 10:08 p.m.

DIP your toes into this Ballarats first ever water spray park is open.

Water world: Ballarat City councillor John Philips, mayor Joshua Morris and Mackenna Naylor, 7, try out the new water spray park. PICTURE: KATE HEALY

DIP your toes into this Ballarats first ever water spray park is open.

Perfect for what is promised to be another scorching summer, the self-service water spray park at Midlands Reserve is set to cool plenty of people over the coming months, a perfect alternative since the closure of the Wendouree pool.

City of Ballarat mayor Joshua Morris said the park was a great form of aquatic fun.

We are expecting it to be hugely popular in that its a great way to cool down, its fun and its safe, Cr Morris said.

Its the modern-day equivalent of the sprinkler on the front lawn.

The park features water cannons, fountains, high-pressure jets, and gentle play areas for younger children, while a waterfall is expected to open next week.

Environmentally friendly and safe, the water park re-circulates all used water and uses the same level of water treatment as an outdoor pool.

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Ballarat spray park a cool place to play

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Most popular Lawn Treatment Austin TX - Video

by TINA SHIVELY / KVUE News and Photojournalist KENNETH NULL and KVUE.com Staff

kvue.com

Posted on December 20, 2013 at 8:55 AM

Updated today at 9:01 AM

AUSTIN -- Construction will begin on the West Lawn of Auditorium Shores on Friday, Dec. 20, according to the Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD).

The AuditoriumShores Improvement Project will close different sections of the park temporarily during various phases of construction. During the phase of construction to begin Friday, the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail will remain open, but there will be a few trail detours.

"It is desperately in need of improvement and more importantly than that, it solves the problem of safety which is very real out there. The collision of dogs and cyclist and runners is something that happens on a daily basis, and something needs to be done about it," Executive Director of the Austin Parks Foundation ColinWallace said.

But not everyone agrees.

"What happened with the community involvement in this? I think I'm plugged in and I didn't hear anything about it. There has been no concern for the public opinion. No vetting. On the contrary, there's been a back room treatment of this issue," Teresa Quay said.

The park improvements are part of a parnership project between PARD, C3 Presents and the Austin Parks Foundation.

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Auditorium Shores construction to begin Friday

Tuesday, December 17, 2013 Last updated: Tuesday December 17, 2013, 4:43 PM

GLEN ROCK A Fair Lawn man is facing aggravated assault charges after allegedly spitting blood on a borough patrolman during a traffic stop on Route 208, authorities said.

Edward Guy, 31, was a passenger in a mini-van police pulled over just after 2 a.m. on Monday. The driver stopped near Goffle Road after a brief pursuit, officials said, and cooperated with police, but Guy allegedly did not.

He started yelling and swearing at officers, who summoned for back-up when Guy later refused to exit the vehicle, authorities said. Officers from Hawthorne and Ridgewood responded within minutes.

Guy, who was described by the driver as extremely intoxicated, was forcibly removed from the car by police, who handcuffed him and placed him in the back of a squad car. The officers later noticed Guy was trying to kick out the vehicles windows, authorities said. Later, he spit at police as they put his legs in shackles, officials said.

Guy was transported to Bergen County Regional Medical Center, where he continued to resist officers, attempted to overturn a stretcher he was strapped to, and tried kicking a nurse, authorities said.

One of the officers Guy managed to spit blood on was taken to The Valley Hospital for a blood workup and preliminary treatment. Word on the officers condition was not available Tuesday afternoon.

Guy is being held at Bergen County Jail on $50,000 bail. He is due in court Jan. 7 on two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, as well as charges of resisting arrest, obstructing an official government function and two separate motor vehicle passenger safety violations.

Email: harrisc@northjersey.com

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Fair Lawn man accused of spitting blood on police officer after Glen Rock traffic stop

SPICEWOOD BEACH, Texas (KXAN) - For two years, the only water residents of Spicewood Beach could use had to be trucked in. But that could end in a few weeks. A new water treatment plant there could soon revitalize the lakefront community.

Kenneth Saire spent Monday working on his Christmas decorations. But as the holiday nears, he'd prefer to spruce up other parts of his home.

"You know, wash your car, water your lawn, you can't do none of that,"he said. "You can't water your flowers."

Saire has been living in Spicewood Beach for 20 years, the last two under the tight Stage 4 water restrictions where water can be used for showers, cooking and little else.

"All you can smell is chlorine," he added. "You let it sit for five minutes and it finally clears up, but nobody drinks it hardly in the neighborhood."

Corix, the company that operates the water utilities in Spicewood Beach, has spent the last two years trucking water into the community. But the company says that could be coming to an end after they installed two large treatment units.

The company says the units will prepare about 330 gallons of Lake Travis water a minute. But Sairs isn't buying that story quite yet.

"I'll believe it when I can turn up my tap and wash my car, stuff like that," he said, "then I'll believe it."

Corix says water prices in the community should stay steady for about a year after the units start running.

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Water to return to Spicewood Beach

Md. woman displays holiday spirit with 277 Christmas trees inside her home Md. woman displays holiday spirit with 277 Christmas trees inside her home

Updated: Monday, December 16 2013 8:09 PM EST2013-12-17 01:09:07 GMT

She doesn't sell tickets. In fact, hardly anyone even knows it's there. But a Maryland woman is putting on quite a holiday show and it's all inside her house. You might say Renetta Zanco's love of Christmas has snowballed. She has a lot of Christmas trees. 277 trees to be exact.

She doesn't sell tickets. In fact, hardly anyone even knows it's there. But a Maryland woman is putting on quite a holiday show and it's all inside her house. You might say Renetta Zanco's love of Christmas has snowballed. She has a lot of Christmas trees. 277 trees to be exact.

Updated: Monday, December 16 2013 8:21 AM EST2013-12-16 13:21:49 GMT

The last remaining Australian combat troops in Afghanistan were headed home on Monday, as Australia's military involvement in the 12-year-old conflict draws to a close. The final group of Australia's combat soldiers in Afghanistan pulled out on Sunday, coinciding with the closure of the international military base at Tarin Kowt in Uruzgan province, Australia's main base in the country, Defense Minister David Johnston said. Around 400 of the 1,550 Australian military personnel in...

The last remaining Australian combat troops in Afghanistan were headed home on Monday, as Australia's military involvement in the 12-year-old conflict draws to a close. The final group of Australia's combat soldiers in Afghanistan pulled out on Sunday, coinciding with the closure of the international military base at Tarin Kowt in Uruzgan province, Australia's main base in the country, Defense Minister David Johnston said. Around 400 of the 1,550 Australian military personnel in...

Synthetic marijuana is believed to have sickened 221 people in Colorado during a monthlong outbreak this year, according to a federal report released Thursday.

Synthetic marijuana is believed to have sickened 221 people in Colorado during a monthlong outbreak this year, according to a federal report released Thursday.

Updated: Friday, December 13 2013 7:52 PM EST2013-12-14 00:52:42 GMT

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Chris Brown's probation revoked over DC arrest

Crews in Fair Lawn and Fort Lee worked on three separate water main breaks throughout Sunday.

In Fort Lee, a break on Horizon Road affected traffic and water pressure in the Horizon Houses cooperative apartments. Officials were still working to fix it at around 8 p.m. Sunday, Sgt. Matthew Hintze said. He didnt have a timetable for when repairs might be completed.

Fair Lawn saw two unrelated breaks on Sunday, one on Morlot Avenue and the other on George Street, near Westmoreland School, water treatment specialist Dan Belinsky said.

On Morlot Avenue, about 50 homes and businesses were under a precautionary boil water alert as crews put a piece of pipe in, Belinsky said. At 8 p.m., crews were almost finished with repairs.

On George Street, Belinsky said the work will probably be completed Monday. The break did not affect any structures, he said.

Water main breaks are typical as the temperature drops, Belinksy said, especially in sub-freezing weather.

It happens all over, he said. Its usually out of sight, out of mind.

Email: dazio@northjersey.com

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Crews work to repair Fort Lee, Fair Lawn water main breaks

A 24-year-old Lebanon man has been jailed on assault charges after a domestic dispute with his girlfriend, police said.

Nelson Rodriguez was arraigned on charges of aggravated assault, simple assault and terroristic threats and placed in county prison on $75,000 bail, police said Friday.

Police were dispatched to the 600 block of Chestnut Street at 12:18 p.m. Dec. 5 for a domestic dispute. Rodriguez's girlfriend, who was not identified, told police Rodriguez held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her. She told police she cut her hand when she tried to grab the knife.

Rodriguez fled from the house, but police apprehended him in the 1300 block of Church Street, police said.

public drunkenness >> Orpha Hearn, 31, Myerstown, was charged after an incident at 2:05 a.m. Dec. 7 near South Sixth and Walton streets, police said Friday.

retention of librARY PROPERTY >> Four people have been charged with failing to return library materials after they had been given 30 days notice, police said Friday. Charged were: Billy Jo Keyser, 37, Lebanon; Ines Franco, 32, Lebanon; Andrea Turner, 39, Lebanon; and Chrystal Watson, 25, North Cornwall Township.

theft of leased property >> Three people have been charged with obtaining property from Rent-A-Center, 745 E. Cumberland St., under a lease agreement, making initial payment and failing to make additional payments or return the property, police said Friday. Charged were: Ashley Wood, 26, Palmyra, television valued at $1,400; Andrea Cox, 43, Wernersville, television valued at $700; and Maria Santiago, no age listed, Lebanon, television and laptop computer valued at $3,000.

noise ordinance violation >> Luisa Ramirez, 22, Lebanon, was charged after an incident at 1:35 a.m. Monday at Brookside Apartments, police said.

defiant trespass >> Chelsea Hoover, 20, Lebanon, was charged with entering a property in the 600 block of North Ninth Street at 9:10 a.m. Oct. 24 after she had been notified against trespassing, police said Friday. She was also charged with criminal mischief, accused of causing damage to a door window at the home.

criminal mischief >> Alejandro Vazquez, 28, Lebanon, was charged with kicking and damaging a vehicle during a dispute with a neighbor in the 1000 block of Willow Street at 9:16 a.m. Dec. 3, police said Friday.

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Police blotter, 12/15

Topics: dysart, isaac regional council, water

Friday 9.20am: FOLLOWING a major failure at Dysart's Water Treatment Plant, full water supply is expected to be restored to residents within seven days.

Dysart residents have access to limited water supply, and are being reminded this water is for absolutely essential use only. Residents are encouraged to use potable water available at the Caltex garage first, to preserve critical water supply in the mains.

Dysart's reservoirs are currently very low and will gradually continue to fill as water trucks operate 24 hours a day to truck water from Saraji, Moranbah and Clermont.

Isaac Regional Council says the latest water quality results indicate water leaving the treatment plant is clear, with staff continuing to conduct in-house sampling every two to three hours to ensure water meets the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

"Council is closely monitoring Dysart's water treatment system following installation of the filtering agent 'green sand'," council said in a statement.

"Council will continue to supply additional water to Dysart residents until normal water supply is restored. The supply of bottled water remains at a limit of four litres per person, per day."

Dysart's council office will be open from 8.30am to 1pm on Saturday for residents to collect bottled water.

Residents can collect eight litres per person on Saturday as the office will be closed on Sunday. If you are unable to collect your water on the weekend you can collect your weekend water allocation on Friday.

Residents can continue to collect drinking water from council's Dysart office and the water truck located between Caltex and Sargents, on the corner of Carfax Road and Queen Elizabeth Drive from 8.30am tomorrow.

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Dysart water expected to be fully restored in seven days

AUSTIN, Texas He's known for coloring outside the lines in the staid U.S. Senate. Now children large and small can color in U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

Just in time for the holidays, St. Louis publisher Really Big Coloring Books Inc. is offering a coloring and activity book featuring the Texas tea party darling.

Company founder Wayne Bell said Thursday the book is already in its third printing after just six days. The first run of around 10,000 sold out in barely 24 hours, and the second went nearly as fast.

"At this point, I would almost call it a phenomenon," Bell said. "It's beyond us. We're just trying to catch up with the printing."

"U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz to the Future" is intended for "all ages." Cruz did not cooperate in its production.

The cover features the beaming senator pointing at a flourishing tea plant whose stalks are stenciled with "Ten Commandments" and "U.S. Constitution." It has leaves that include "Gun rights," ''Free Enterprise," and "Lower Taxes."

At the top is a leaf reading "White House," and the plant is growing on a lawn and root system that spell out "Grass Roots," a reference to Cruz's wild popularity with conservative activist groups.

Cruz only took office in January but is already frequently mentioned as a possible 2016 presidential contender.

He is an ardent supporter of the Second Amendment and the book shows him hunting. It also features Cruz's marathon, 21-hour speech on the Senate floor opposing the White House-backed health care law. It says of that effort: "A lot of the career establishment politicians are far too out of shape, old or overweight to even perform such a magnificent feat."

The book has pictures of him alone and with his wife Heidi and two young daughters. There are also excerpts of the Ten Commandments and Cruz trivia.

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Ted Cruz coloring book selling fast