Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

WEIRTON - The Tri-State Home and Garden Show returned to the area Friday, just in time for the start of spring.

The third-annual event, sponsored this year by DeNoon Lumber, Weirton Medical Center and Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration, will continue today and Sunday at the Serbian-American Cultural Center in Weirton.

It is organized through a cooperative effort between the Weirton Area and Jefferson County chambers of commerce and coordinated by Beyond Marketing of Wheeling.

The activities kicked off Friday, with exhibits opening at 4 p.m. and a combined chamber Business After Hours. The Tri-State Home and Garden Show is free to the public and will be open today from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"With the predicted weather, we should have a terrific turnout," Lisa Conti, Weirton chamber board member, said, encouraging area residents to check things out this weekend. "It's a wonderful event for the community."

John Cucarese, a member of the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce board, agreed, saying in addition to finding tips for home improvement projects and gardening and landscaping, he finds the networking opportunities during trade shows and other local events beneficial.

"I always find them helpful for my business," he said, noting he had a booth set up for his New York Life agency.

With close to 90 vendors registered, organizers and sponsors said they were excited for the public to see what they have to offer.

"This is always a great show," Rob DiCiccio, of Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration, said. "We are honored and pleased to be a major sponsor."

Clay Croskey, of DeNoon Lumber, said the Tri-State Home and Garden Show provides an opportunity for them to meet potential customers and let them see what the business has to offer.

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Tri-State Home and Garden Show begins

The Prime Minister is being urged by senior ministers and advisers to hand over the Department of Health to the Lib Dems in what would be a bold political move.

In return, senior Tories are pressing for the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) - currently run by Vince Cable - to be led by a Conservative. This would, they argue, prevent the coalition effectively running two differing economic strategies.

Mr Cable, however, would be highly unlikely to relinquish his business brief without a fight. A major government shake-up is fraught with difficulty for the Prime Minister as Nick Clegg, his Lib Dem deputy, would have to agree to any changes affecting ministers from his own party.

Some Lib Dems would be likely to urge Mr Clegg not to accept what might look like a prize in the shape of the health department - because Mr Lansleys successor would have such a tricky task bedding in the reforms to the NHS in England, which include a bigger role for private sector companies.

The Lib Dems might also try to save Mr Clarke, who unlike most of his party takes a pro-Brussels stance and has also been accused of attempting to scupper the Prime Ministers reform agenda over replacing the Human Rights Act with a new British Bill of Rights.

Mr Clarke has been dubbed, tongue in cheek, the sixth Lib Dem in the cabinet - after Mr Clegg, Mr Cable, Danny Alexander, the Treasury Chief Secretary, Ed Davey, the Energy Secretary, and Michael Moore, the Scottish Secretary.

Up until now, the only Cabinet-level changes have solely affected one party. In May 2010, Mr Laws was replaced at the Treasury by Mr Alexander after facing censure over his taxpayer-funded expenses, while last month Chris Huhne quit as energy secretary to fight a charge of perverting the course of justice over a speeding offence. He was replaced by Mr Davey.

When Liam Fox quit as defence secretary last year in the wake of a row over his controversial links with his former adviser, Adam Werritty, his replacement was another Tory, Philip Hammond, in a move which saw Justine Greening enter the cabinet as Transport Secretary.

Many MPs on the Tory Right would like to see Mr Cameron use the opportunity to promote Chris Grayling into the cabinet. Mr Grayling, who is thought to be doing an effective job as employment minister, was shadow home secretary before the last general election.

Some Conservatives are privately encouraging the Prime Minister to replace Sayeeda Warsi as Tory chairman - possibly with Grant Shapps, currently the Housing Minister. However, they acknowledge that

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Health warning for Andrew Lansley as David Cameron plans early reshuffle

JUPITER, Fla. -- The sound off the bat is completely different from a year ago.

It's loud and it's forceful and it has a familiar ring to it. It's a sign that Hanley Ramirez seems to be back in a big way.

The Marlins' three-time All-Star once again is stinging the ball. On Saturday, he blistered his second home run of the Grapefruit League season, connecting on a two-run shot to left off Twins right-hander Carl Pavano in the fifth inning.

A ripped 227 pounds, Ramirez is off to a blazing Spring Training start, going 9-for-19 (.474) in his first eight games. If you count his opposite-field drive against the University of Miami on March 6 at Marlins Park, the newly converted third baseman has three blasts in the exhibition season.

"It's a big year for him," hitting coach Eduardo Perez said. "I think he's going to be again one of the top players in the league, and maybe the top player in the league. Health is huge. Environment is great, and he's being put into a situation to succeed. I've got to give him a lot of credit. He's learning a new position. He's embracing it. He's not letting that affect at all his offense, and we're seeing it now. Hopefully he can carry it into the season."

After an injury-plagued 2011, Ramirez is striving to return to the form that made him one of the elite players in the National League.

"That's what I'm aiming for, that's what we're doing in Spring Training, to get ready for the season," the 28-year-old slugger said.

What Ramirez didn't talk about much a year ago is the pain he experienced on a daily basis. He doesn't want to make any excuses for his worst pro season, in which he finished with a .243 batting average, 10 home runs and 45 RBIs in 92 games.

In assessing his down year, much was made over the fact he missed the final two months due to a left shoulder injury, which required surgery in September.

Before the shoulder dislodged against the Mets at Citi Field in early August, Ramirez previously was dealing with some back issues.

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Healthy Hanley looking like his old self again

California has slashed public university budgets, yet construction is booming at campuses statewide. The University of California system has $8.9 billion in building projects under way at its 10 campuses and five medical centers, including about $200 million at UC Merced.

With less money to operate the new buildings once they're finished, universities are straining maintenance and energy budgets. At least one new UC campus building is sitting empty because the university can't afford to run it.

University officials say all this construction was in the pipeline before the 2008 economic downturn squeezed state spending for higher education. Some is being paid for by part of a $10.4 billion bond voters approved in 2006, from which more than $3 billion went to public higher education.

Some is being underwritten by private donations, government research grants and student fees. About $1 billion came from bonds issued in 2009 under the federal stimulus program which the universities will have to repay and $325 million in bonds the UC system issued that year on its own.

More importantly, these officials say, the money for construction is kept in strictly separate capital, not operating, accounts. It can't be used for expenses such as salaries or enrollment.

Cost to taxpayers

David Kline, spokesman for the California Taxpayers Association, said that by insisting on continuing to build in spite of the financial downturn, the universities are missing the point.

The cost of construction is ultimately bankrolled by taxpayers, Kline said. That's because California's public universities and colleges are paying $1.1 billion a year in interest on those construction bonds, the legislative analyst's office reported in August.

"People discuss bond money as if it's free money that isn't coming out of the taxpayers' pockets, and that's exactly where it is coming from," Kline said.

The universities also have to clean, light, heat, cool and maintain these new buildings, the burden of which comes out of operating budgets that were cut by $1.4 billion this year, including $650 million at UC.

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California colleges plow ahead with construction

ESSEXVILLE An office fire Saturday night damaged an Essexville building belonging to the construction company Quality Built Buildings and Diversified Environmental.

The blue two-story building is located at 300 Atlantic St. and both businesses are owned by Tom Vermeesh.

Im speechless, Vermeesh said after arriving on the scene of the fire.

According to Vermeesh the building contained a garage, a bathroom and two offices, one upstairs and one downstairs. He confirmed the fire occurred in the office portion. Both the firefighters and Vermeesh also confirmed it did not spread to the garage with Vermeesh adding no one was in the building at the time of the fire.

Five engines from Bay City Fire Rescue and Essexvilles Hampton Township Fire Department responded to the fire. Assistant Chief Robert Phillips said firefighters were on the scene within five minutes of first call from the buildings neighbors about it and had the fire extinguished within 40 minutes of arriving. Phillips added the interior office portion of the building had suffered substantial damage but that the building itself remained structurally sound.

According to Phillips the cause of the fire remains unknown at this time. He said an official investigation into the fire is going to be handled by the fire marshal and the county sheriff.

Vermeeshs employee Ken Vink was with Vermeesh on the scene Saturday night. Vink said he is in the building almost everyday for business reasons and confirmed he had been in the building earlier in the day before the fire. He noted that at that time the building had smelled like gasoline but added this is normal because of the garage and the vehicle maintenance that is done within it.

The garage contained a pickup truck, a boom lift and a Bobcat skid loader at the time of the fire. After firefighters opened the buildings garage doors none of the vehicles appeared to be damaged.

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Fire damages Essexville construction company

Photo by Joy Lewis

Doris Kinney holds the last brick made by her father, William "Edgar" Williams, at the Abilene Brick Co. The plant closed in 1980.

Photo by Joy Lewis

photos by Joy Lewis/Reporter-News Paul Smith has spent the past eight years collecting and researching bricks made in West Texas. He keeps his treasure trove of bricks, more than 400, in his garage.

It was one of Abilene's earliest businesses and churned out the bricks that built many of the local structures still standing today. However, traveling to the site of the former Abilene Brick Co., it might be difficult to recognize it as a piece of Abilene history.

North of town, the enormous clay mines are filled with trash now the site of landfills. One original office structure stands but is now a topless bar called the Chitchat Club. Another brickmaking structure also stands but now serves as a ballroom for dance lessons and events.

However, looking at an aerial map of the site, Abilene residents Doris Kinney and Paul A. Smith can point out enough remnants of history to put together a picture of what the brick plant looked like in its prime.

Kinney and Smith are quite possibly the foremost experts on the Abilene Brick Co. their joint effort on digging up brick history has resulted in a brick collection and plans to write a book about the historic company.

Smith said his love of bricks started about eight years ago when he moved from the Chicago area to Abilene to accept a position at McMurry University as a professor of kinesiology and exercise science. Upon walking into his new home, he found three bricks sitting in the garage, the word "Abilene" pressed into the clay on each one.

"Being a transplant and proud of being a new Abilenian," he said, "I wanted to use them to decorate the sunroom, kind of bring some Western culture in there."

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Abilene brick collector's stash offers peek into history

Written by Amy England Saturday, 17 March 2012 13:53

I think its the perfect thing for someone like me, said Frances Thomas, one of the first residents of the Steelville Therapy Center at Gibbs Care Center. This facility is special and even more so now (with the addition of the new wing).

The therapy center held an open house event for the community on February 19 and opened for residents just three days later. Since that time, eight people have been admitted and four have already returned to their homes, fulfilling the new centers purpose. Its working very well, said Larry Howdeshell, Sr., assistant administrator of the facility. Its been very successful. It is serving the community as intended for people on their way from the hospital to their homes. The center is intended to provide care for those who need comprehensive short-term rehabilitation services close to home. It includes state-of-the-art equipment and access to skilled professional therapists. Thomas, who has served as an ombudsman (an intermediary between residents and staff) for the nursing home for 20 years, had total knee replacement surgery on February 28 and came to the therapy center in Steelville on March 2. I didnt want to be at home with just a nurse coming in to check on me, she said. Its good to be here where someone can check on me more often. Weve all come a long way together in learning how to make it work. She noted that she has her own schedule and that the center staff has worked with her to help her as she heals. And, she credits her stay at the therapy center with how quickly progress has been made. She believes that process has gone more quickly than would have been possible if she had gone directly home from the hospital. She loves to be around people and also feels that the camaraderie of having others around her has been helpful in the recovery process. Ive had the time of my life here, she said. I have loved meeting all the people. She likes the opportunity to sit in the sunroom that is part of the new wing or in the reception area that is graced with artwork sponsored by the Steelville Arts Council. Her family has joked with her that they cant seem to catch her in her room when theyve attempted to phone her. I said, Im not sitting in a room looking at the four walls waiting for a phone call, she said. They can call back. But she is thankful for the phone in her room and even asked her husband to bring her a phonebook so she could call on people while taking therapy there. All in all, she couldnt say enough good things about the new wing. Im so thrilled about it I just bubble over, she laughed. Its something that really is good. We have a beautiful place here, hopefully more people will take advantage of it.

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New wing at Gibbs is being put to use

Officials plan to extend sewer lines to Melzena and Adeline streets because of problems with some of the homes' septic tanks.

However, several residents told the township supervisors on Thursday that their septic tanks work just fine. They also don't want to shell out extra money to tap into the system and install grinder pumps, which reduce sewage to finely ground particles.

Gary Deily, who has lived on Melzena Street for 40 years, suggested residents could tap into a sewer line that uses one pump station for the entire street, similar to other areas of the township.

Deily and others are concerned that the grinder pumps might malfunction, leaving them with more problems.

"We want (municipal) sewerage," Deily said. "We just want the right kind of sewerage."

Township officials said a central pump isn't possible for that area because of the elevation and the proximity of the homes to the proposed sewer line.

The project is moving ahead now because the township recently succeeded in getting a $200,000 grant for the $250,000 project.

The township plans to seek additional grant funds in an effort to pay for the project and ease the financial burden on residents.

The township began seeking funding in 2007 after receiving a letter from the Allegheny County Health Department, which stated that, of 13 Melzena Street properties the department surveyed, three septic tanks were leaking to the surface and seven had site limitations that precluded repairs.

The health department requested that the township determine the feasibility and cost of extending public sewage lines to the area.

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Springdale Township sewer project troubles some residents

With spring just around the corner, streets in Mahanoy City will be swept during the next two weeks.

In addition, officials will walk through the borough to identify properties where owners will be told to clean porches and yards.

The borough has secured the use of the street sweeper from the Northern Schuylkill Council of Governments for the two weeks.

Parking will be prohibited on the streets scheduled to be swept from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day. Vehicles that are not moved on the scheduled days will be ticketed.

The parking restrictions for next week are:

n Monday - North side of Center Street, south side of Mahanoy Street.

n Tuesday - South sides of Center Street, D Street and 14th Street.

n Wednesday - North side of Mahanoy Street and both sides of Main Street.

n Thursday- North side of Market Street and south side of Pine Street.

n Friday - South side of Market Street and north side of Pine Street.

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Borough setting example with cleanup

16-03-2012 09:10 East Leesville Student Building "Phase 1"

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ACC EAST LEESVILLE - Video