Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

By Rick Rouan, The Columbus Dispatch Published 11:45 a.m. ET Dec. 14, 2019 | Updated 11:47 a.m. ET Dec. 14, 2019

The vast majority of Ohios county boards of elections havent installed the digital burglar alarm Secretary of State Frank LaRose says helped his office detect a hack attempt of his offices website on Election Day.

With less than two months to go before the deadline LaRose imposed to install the so-called Albert systems, just 13 out of Ohios 88 county boards of elections have operational alarms. The remaining 75 have until Jan. 31.

Ross County Board of Elections Director Sarah Williamson said they have already completed some parts of the directive, and have contracted with BSSI out of Lancaster to complete the rest by the January Deadline.

The most important consequence is not being prepared, LaRose said Friday after the start of a daylong security conference for county elections officials in Columbus. This is too important to take lightly.

Even with the threat of digital attacks, LaRose said Ohio elections are secure. None of Ohios elections equipment used to cast or tally ballots is connected to the Internet. Doing so would violate Ohio law.

In June, LaRose issued a security directive to county boards instructing them to install the alarms, conduct assessments and training on physical and cybersecurity and change email systems, among other security measures.

So far, 52 counties have completed half of the security directives instructions, and all of them have requested security support from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

LaRose said he is optimistic about the prospects of the boards meeting the Jan. 31 deadline now that they are past the November election. That drew nervous laughter from the assembled elections officials.

The Election Day 2019 hack attempt came from the Russian company OKPay Investment Company but was traced to Panama, according to the secretary of states office.

LaRose has called the attack on his offices website unsophisticated, but on Friday he said that it was different from the typical carpet bomb hacks that search for security holes. Instead, it specifically targeted the voter registration form on his website and the voter lookup tool that is used frequently on Election Day to find polling places and determine what is on the ballot.

The goal of those sorts of attacks is to undermine the credibility of elections in the minds of voters and make the average voter wonder if its worth it to go to the polls, he said.

We know that the threat is very real, LaRose said. We know that the threat comes from a variety of sources that these sources include state actors, that these sources include people with motivations such as financial reward or notoriety or fame.

The state hopes to combat some of what LaRose called dedicated and well-resourced opponents with the launch of a cyber reserve under the Ohio National Guard created with the passage of an election security bill earlier this year.

The cyber reserve will operate similarly to the military reservists in the National Guard, with regular training and mobilization initiated by Gov. Mike DeWine. The state is recruiting cyber professionals around the state to be part of the first cyber reserve teams, which should be up and running by the end of January, said Major General John Harris, adjutant general of the Ohio National Guard.

The goal of the reservists will be to mitigate consequences of a cyber-attack and to return systems that have been attacked to working order, Harris said. They will be available for hacks of any government entity, not just elections boards.

In a room full of elections officials in jackets, ties, and dresses, Harris said he made the conscious decision to dawn military fatigues, as he always does when discussing cybersecurity, to make a point about the digital war that is being waged.

Policy around the digital fight is lagging, he said. He compared the current way the government addresses cybersecurity to a military group under attack that just keeps building thicker walls rather than mounting an offensive.

"We dont think about the digital battlefield and the importance of the digital battlefield. We are engaged today in a pretty significant digital fight, Harris said. "It is truly a persistent fight and one we're engaged in every single day."

Gazette reporter Justin Reutter contributed to this report.

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Few Ohio county boards of elections have adopted digital alarm used to detect hacks - Chillicothe Gazette

A BRADFORD family have been left angry and frustrated after a straightforward bathroom replacement has dragged on for more than six weeks.

They claim they were left with no working toilet or shower for days in their Idle home and they say installers damaged pipework and left a mess in other rooms.

Even when the 4,500 Wickes bathroom was installed correctly, they claim they have been left waiting for more than a week for the finishing touches to be done because they say a plumber keeps cancelling visits.

Miss Abid says her, her mums and her brothers health have suffered and she has had to take numerous days off work to wait in for workmen who she says either dont arrive on time or dont turn up at all.

She said: Its been appalling.

It should have been a straightforward installation but its been horrendous.

Ive been signed off sick for anxiety for a week. Ive suffered from tension, stress and chest pains.

Im now constantly trying to shift my work days.

I want to warn other people.

The saga started on November 4 when a Wickes work crew arrived to fit the new bathroom.

But before long Miss Abid claims she noticed that they werent covering carpets properly, they were making themselves at home in rooms she said they should not have been in, shifting furniture around in her bedroom and stacking tools and equipment in cupboards.

She raised a complaint and talked to managers but then she said the team walked off the job after about a week when she mistakenly thought they were drinking alcohol rather than energy drinks, leaving most of the bathroom unfinished.

She said the family were left with no washing facilities and had to use the facilities of friends and family.

She said she was then put off several times about when the work would be finished.

Miss Abid, who has a history of anxiety, said the delay not only affected her but put more work onto her team at work.

She claims Wickes let her down with many fake promises and assurances.

Finally after two weeks there was some progress with the bathroom and the family had a working toilet and sink but a lot of work had still to be done.

But then the leak started which she said seeped through the walls and dripped downstairs, causing water damage to the carpet as well as the living room door and walls.

A spokesperson for Wickes Customer Services said: The leak the customer is referring to is an existing leak in existing pipework. We have agreed to repair it for the customer as a gesture of goodwill.

The dry fit installation is complete and the customer has a fully working bathroom. Only thing left to do is fit a new doorstrip but not fitting it until the leaking pipe has been fixed.

This should be done tomorrow (December 12).

But Miss Abid claims the leak was not there before the work started, the doorstrip had only needed to be replaced because the existing one had been tiled over and the plumber did not turn up for the appointment.

She said: Not for the first time I am wishing we just kept the old bathroom and didnt fall for the glossy pictures in the Wickes bathroom brochure.

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Bradford family's six weeks of bathroom woe - Bradford Telegraph and Argus

Wewishwe had the problem of what to do with a spare room. With property prices as they are, and homes becoming ever more compact, having an extra room in the house is a bit of a luxury.

But what to do with it? Heres a few ideas

1. Home office(iStock/PA)

As laptops and Skype calls become the main tools of business, and more and more people are working from home, the home office has become less luxury more necessity.

Besides the obvious desk and chair, you might wish to invest in a filing system, and ensure access to an ample supply of sockets. Office wellbeing matters wherever youre working, so pick up some pot plants and take the time to decorate.

If there is one item not to skimp on, its your chair. Posture and comfort are paramount, and when hunched over a laptop all day, lack of back support bites hard.

2. Games room(iStock/PA)

A teenage dream its never too late to fulfil, a well-stocked games room will ensure your misspent youth continues long into adulthood.

The main thing to be conscious of is space. Pool tables are not only large, they need a perimeter of about 5ft for comfortable cuing, while ping pong tablesneed double their 9ft length for adequate movement at each end.

Table football is a little more compact, though be aware that vigorous play could send said football flying into any nearby screens.

3. Home gym(iStock/PA)

Manna from heaven for fitness freaks, and a perfect way to remove excuses during slovenly moments, home gyms consist of anything from kettlebells and yoga mats, to elaborate cardio and weights machines.

The most important thing is to get the flooring right, and we recommend a commercial-grade foam surface to maximise shock absorption and minimise sound. Never compromise on safety either.

As for accoutrements, full-length mirrors seem be near-mandatory, we strongly suggest a speaker system, and next-level gym bunnies could even pick up a water cooler.

4. Makeshift bar(iStock/PA)

A popular option for garages and shed conversions, theres no reason why your personal speakeasy for responsible drinking only shouldnt have a fully fledged spot inside the house.

The ingredients are fairly straightforward a tabletop (perhaps professionally installed), a plug-in mini-fridge on one side, and a set of bar stools on the other.Everyone knows whatreally makes a bar is row upon row of bottles obscuring the back wall, easily constructed with some IKEA shelving units and a trip to your local offie.

Ideally, make sure youre more than one wall away from any family bedrooms, or expect late night rabble-rousing to be extremely poorly received.

5. Walk-in wardrobe(iStock/PA)

Youll have to work with what youve got, but the best walk-in wardrobes are longer than they are wide, with clothes hung down each side, and a mirror at the end like a private miniature catwalk.

Make sure to build the room around your existing clothing slide racks if mostly shirts, shoe draws if overflowing with footwear and shove on a glass sliding door if youre willing to do a little extra work.Bear in mind that a walk-in wardrobe will not add value to your home compared to, for example, an extra bedroom or bathroom. It should be a passion project in a home youre likely to stay in.

6. Home cinema(iStock/PA)

There are definitely two tiers of home cinema. Tier one is little more than a wall-mounted widescreen TV, with large, reclining seats, and soft furnishings to soak up sound. This you can do on your own.

Tier two involves a high-quality projector and projection screen, a surround sound setup (five speakers minimum), ambient dimmer-switch lighting, and preferably sound insulation in the walls. This will require professional installation.

If you want rows of tilting seats, slushie machines, and groups of infuriatingly loud teenagers, youre entering tier three

7. Playroom(iStock/PA)

A boon for new and expectant parents that dont want to deal with the scatter of toddler toys in the lounge, playrooms are simple to construct, if rather less simple to keep clean. Consider playhouses, bean bags, vibrant splashes of colour.

Pick up a thick, furry rug to provide cushioning for top-heavy toddlers, throw in a cheap sofa bed for comfort and/or sleepovers, and line the walls with low-lying storage units for easy reach.

The best thing about the self-built playroom is that it requires no structural changes, so in a few years you might even get the room back.

8. Reading room(iStock/PA)

Theres something about throwing away books that feels strangely immoral, as though youre throwing away not just the pages but the knowledge they contain.

A reading room is all about aesthetic armchairs, over-the-shoulder reading lamps, the sort of coffee table youd find in a dentists waiting room covered with copies of Time Magazine. A thick carpet keeps things cosy as well as quiet, while bookcases should be floor-to-ceiling, and ideally rammed.For the full Dickensian feel, youd want ornate Victorian panelling and the bust of a Greek philosopher too, but we cant have everything.

9. Guest bedroom(iStock/PA)

We know, hardly the most original option, but theres a reason that spare sleeping quarters are a go-to for otherwise unattached rooms. Sociability aside, number of bedrooms is a major determinate factor in the valuation of a house, so a conversion can be financially savvy even if its never used.

Its also one of the most straightforward bed, carpet, closet, curtains, and youre open for business.

More here:
9 ways to make the most of a spare room - Irish Examiner

Weve been running a series of Roborock articles over the past few weeks as the company has been offering some decent sales on their robot vacuum devices. One of those devices is the Roborock S5 Max. Weve partnered with Roborock to bring you a review of their latest robot vacuum and tell you whether or not its worth your investment.

The truth of it all is that not everyone will want a robot vacuum and not everyone will be able to even use one. There are several factors you have to take into account before buying a robot vacuum from Roborock or any other manufacturer. The major factor is, the Roborock S5 Max will not pick up your floors for you. If youre going to buy a robot vacuum, you have to learn to keep things off your floors in order for it to do its job.

Robot vacuums like the Roborock S5 Max have come a long way with technology like LiDAR mapping and no go zones, but they lack the arms to actually pick up objects from your floor. So, if youre really bad at basic pick up, then a robot vacuum may not be for you. The other factor is, you just dont think a robot vacuum is worth your time. In your case, Im probably not going to change your mind, but feel free to read our full Roborock S5 Max review.

The Roborock S5 Max has the following features and specifications:

The Roborock S5 Max has your typical round robot vacuum look which has only slightly changed over the years. Theres absolutely nothing wrong with the design as it has held up and is still going strong. Aesthetically, I prefer the white version more than the black version as it hides dust, fingerprints, and dirt better than the black one.

On top of the Roborock S5 Max, youll find the spinny LiDAR device. This is where the guts of the LiDAR system are housed, and this is how the S5 Max sees its environment. The home button and power button are also on top of the unit in easy view and providing easy access.

The top also has a flip-up panel that reveals the dust bin, a cleaning brush, the reset button, and the Wi-Fi indicator. Around the perimeter of the Roborock S5 Max are its sensors, fans, and the water tank, which also holds the mopping pad under it.

Turning the Roborock S5 Max over, youll find its sturdy and stout wheels which are very well made. The third swivel wheel is what the robot uses to pivot and move itself about your floors. There is also a side brush located on the bottom, though its more of a soft rubber bristle than a normal brush.

The roller brush and spades are located on the bottom as well and are easily accessible for cleaning. The whole unit has a decent weight to it. Its not heavy by any means, but it is also not light. It has a solid build quality and all of the materials used feel very good and robust, nothing feels cheap on the Roborock S5 Max.

The included battery charging unit is also a great improvement over other vacuums Ive tried. First off, its slim and does not take up much floor space like some others Ive used. It stays out of the way. The cable is a decent length but not overly thick and has a large, normal plug. The thinness of the unit and size of the plug make it really nice to tuck away.

Overall, the Roborock S5 Max has a design that is not unfamiliar but is also still very much current. The design also highlights the basic controls and is very easy to manage.

Robot vacuums have become very simple to use over the years and the Roborock S5 Max is one of the easiest. You will need to download the Mi Home app on your Android or iPhone to connect and get to cleaning. We will go over the app and software in the next section.

Once you have the app connected and your new robot vacuum is cleaning your floors for you, theres little else that needs to be done. Of course, as we mentioned, youll need to be sure to keep your floors picked up of obstacles and large debris. The S5 Max can do a lot of things, but picking up your dirty clothes and childrens toys arent within its capabilities. For it to do its job well, you need to get things picked up.

Once you have the floor cleared, its as simple as hitting clean, choosing a no-go zone or mopping zone if youre going to mop. After cleaning is done, you just open the top, remove the dust bin by the locking tab, empty and replace the bin. The rollers under the Roborock S5 Max are also very easy to clean. The included cleaning brush comes with an integrated razor blade that allows you to cut strands of hair or other materials caught in the rollers.

Overall, the Roborock S5 Max is pretty easy to use and very easy to clean up. The roller on the bottom is so easy to disassemble and reassemble that you dont mind at all cleaning it after just a few runs.

The Roborock S5 Max is controlled through the Mi Home app that is available for both Android and iOS. One thing to note is that you will need to make sure your iPhone or Android is operating on a Wi-Fi network that is on the 2.4GHz band. The Roborock S5 Max will not work on 5GHz networks. If you have an older router, youre likely just fine. If you have a newer router, most of them are dual-band routers so youll need to be sure youre on the 2.4GHz band. If your network is set to choose the band itself, it may not work.

When you open the app, youll probably need to create an account to continue. Once you have that done youll tap the + button and add a device. Choose the home appliance tab and then find the Roborock S5 Max on the list and choose it. The app will then walk you through setting up the S5 Max on your 2.4GHz network. It is important that your phone is on the network youll be using to connect the robot too. Once connected, youre ready to start using the app.

You can also connect Google Assistant and Alexa to your Mi account allowing you to ask Google or Alexa to start the Roborock S5 Max cleaning or mopping cycles. This is totally optional and does not need to be done for the robot to work properly. I didnt find it too much of a problem just grabbing my phone, opening the app, and tapping the clean button.

The app allows you to set your mop and no-go zones on the LiDAR map that the robot generates after its first run. I would recommend letting the S5 Max have a few runs in vacuum mode to give you a few maps to work with. The LiDAR map runs in real-time as well so you can watch the robot map out the environment and see where it is cleaning. Its actually pretty fun to watch the map populate before your eyes.

Besides the obvious functions from the app, you also get battery levels as well as a calculation of area the vacuum has cleaned. It even keeps logs of the times and dates it cleaned and how long each cleaning took. The first few cleanings will likely be longer than the rest as the vacuum learns your homes layout.

Overall, the app is dead simple to use. The only thing some users may have a problem is with the network. Some users may be clueless on how to make sure theyre using the 2.4GHz band and not the 5GHz band. Still, once youre connected, the app and software do most of the heavy lifting. Basically, set it and forget it.

The Roborock S5 Max is hands-down the best performing robot vacuum that I have reviewed. Its mapping performance alone is worth the price of admission as this thing literally never got lost under chairs or corners. I have reviewed other robot vacuums that seemed to fall into a black hole when they got under tables and chairs. The Roborock S5 Max seems to have no issues whatsoever navigating under, around, and out of things. I only had to rescue it a few times when it went under our Christmas tree and got stuck on some books under the tree.

Another great feature that makes this vacuum worth buying is its zoning capability. You can draw a box around the areas of your home you want the robot to mop and it will only mop in those areas. This is helpful when you have a home that has both hardwood and carpets. Its nice not having to worry about getting your carpets wet. The mopping feature is activated when you install the mop head on the back end of the Roborock S5 Max. The water tank is big enough to do a few mopping sessions with no problem.

The mopping zone feature also works without the mop head installed. In this case, the Roborock will see the boxes you draw as no-go zones and will not vacuum in those areas. This is super helpful for things like, well, Christmas trees. To keep the vacuum from going under the tree, just draw a box around the tree on the map and it will not touch that area. Problem solved.

The suction power of the Roborock S5 Max is also impressive. It pulls up dirt and dust which our US$400 upright vacuum does not. Whats even more impressive is that the S5 Max knows the difference between carpet and hardwood. When it senses it is on the carpet, it increases the suction power and decreases on the hardwood.

The Roborock S5 Max also has advanced fall protection sensors so it knows when its near steps or a drop-off. The only time it fell down our stairs was when we accidentally left something too close to the top step. The Roborock S5 Max caught the edge of the bag we left near the top and sucked some of the bag up, but the weight of the bag brought the vacuum down. Had we not left that bag there, it would have been just fine.

Battery life is also very good on the Roborock S5 Max. We have a split level home, and we had Roborock cleaning only one level, as the other level is the family living area and we have 4 kids who arent always efficient in keeping their things picked up. The Roborock S5 Max easily cleaned our one level in an average of 40-minutes and had about 60% battery left in the tank. It finds its own way back to the charger, so you never have to worry about forgetting to charge it.

Now that we have all of the highs out of the way, there are a few lows, though I wouldnt call them deal-breaker lows. Heres the thing. The Roborock S5 Max is designed to maintain your home to a certain extent, but its not intended to be a deep cleaning machine. Youre still going to need to sweep out the corners of your home and get some edges. I mean, the thing is round and not square, so getting into corners isnt a strong point.

I think if you go into buying the Roborock S5 Max knowing that you still have to put some effort into maintaining your home, then youll have a stellar experience. If youre going in thinking this robot is going to do it all for you, then you wont be happy. Theres nothing on the market that will keep your floors clean if you cant pick up after yourself.

Overall, the performance of the Roborock S5 Max is the best Ive seen on a robot vacuum period. Of course, there are plenty of alternatives I have not tested, but until I do, the Roborock S5 Max takes the cake.

The MSRP on the Roborock S5 Max robot vacuum is US$599.99 and there is a coupon worth US$60 on Amazon right now. Currently, you could potentially save up to US$100 on the S5 Max on Amazon if you look around. This price point is a pretty standard price for a robot vacuum, but I think the S5 Max offers up some other great features and performs better than many other vacuums. There is certainly a ton of value here.

Ive said it before, robot vacuums arent for everyone. But for those who are looking for such a device, the Roborock S5 Max is the best robot vacuum weve tested and it gives you a great bang for your buck. Its for this reason the Roborock S5 Max gets a Top Pick from us.

Roborock S5 MaxUS$599.99

Last Updated on December 17, 2019

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Roborock S5 Max review: Easily the best robot vacuum we've used to date - Techaeris

Driveways Nottingham is offering the lowest priced quote in the Nottinghamshire area for driveways services. Driveways Nottingham is the most professional company in Nottingham for driveway services, taking care of commercial and residential customers.

For every job, Driveways Nottingham ensures the highest quality of work. The team has many years of experience working with a variety of materials like natural stone, tarmac, and much more. You can contact them directly for further information about this.

A few examples of some of their work includes driveways, car parks, patios, and more of which can be found online on their website.

Driveways Nottingham is proud of the top-notch services they provide to residents in the Nottinghamshire area. Driveways Nottingham have a list compiled online of these services, some of which include the following; concrete driveways, resin bonded gravel driveways, driveway surfacing, patterned concrete, gravel driveways, and the rest of their services can be found online.

If you would like to view a sample of their work for one of these services that you may require, or read more about these services, you can find them all on their website.

As mentioned, Driveways Nottingham provide a superb range of services, from driveway design to paving installations. The team is happy to meet and discuss their available services and what they do every week when on a contracting job.

Driveways Nottingham also offer patio enclosure with surfacing in any material listed above. Or if you would like to request a particular material, the team is happy to accommodate you. This is because the team of professionals at Driveways have experience with all types of materials so that you will be in good hands.

Also, Driveways Nottingham offers an Asphalt Contractor, who serves all of NG1 to NG90 Postcodes. With that, it must be mentioned that the driveway company is well known for its excellent work with clients, particularly in these areas, due to their hard work and reliability.

Finally, one other popular service offered by Driveways Nottingham is their bound or bond bonded service. The professionals take care of this by fixing your surface if its not uninformed or if its not attractive, and they do this by using the resin to bound and bond your driveway, whichever service you require, resin Driveways Nottingham can take care of it.

Whats even better about this service, is that Driveways Nottingham offer the lowest priced quotes in Nottingham, so, if you decide to request a quote first before you go ahead with the job, you will be pleasantly surprised with the price. Not only that, but you will end up with a clean and tidy driveway that looks fantastic and is durable too.

Driveways Nottingham have been in the business for 30 years, which is one reason why you should choose them. They do not require a deposit upfront, and they will only request full payment after the work is completed and you approve of the quality of the job done.

So, if youre looking for great prices and a high standard of work in the Nottinghamshire area, then contact Driveways Nottingham today on 0115 697 1400. Driveways Nottingham have a range of all our driveway services to choose from, and if you would like to hear from some of their clients, there are many testimonials online that you can check out. You can find these at https://www.drivewaysnottingham.org.uk and view their superb work.

Source:https://thenewsfront.com/driveways-nottingham-offer-the-lowest-priced-quote-in-the-nottinghamshire-area/

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Driveways Nottingham Offer The Lowest Priced Quote in the Nottinghamshire area - The News Front

Public Affairs show with Gary Rabine, CEO [Rabine Group] airs this week in Chicago, Rockford and Aurora, See airing schedule, below

Jeff Berkowitz: JB [and many of the Dems] want to raise your income tax with the progressive income tax. Property taxes, are they high in IL? Workers' comp. insurance, is that high in IL? Are those the kind of things that might drive you out of IL?

Gary Rabine: You mention are they high? High would be to me, higher than the average... but when you are the highest, that's ridiculous, that's crazy high, that's where we're at in IL, we're off our rockers high!

*********

Gary Rabine [CEO, Rabine Group]: Gov. Pritzker said to me, "Gary, you built all your businesses here, your family is all here, you're never gonna go anywhere, I mean, that's exactly how he said it... and God Bless him, if he really believes that that's the case, but that can't be the case, I can't risk...

*********

Gary Rabine: If I were born with a few billion dollars, I might be the same way as JB Pritzker, I might be trading businesses. Heck, it's a lot cheaper. All my businesses that I have, these small and mid-sized businesses, I am paying income tax for all profit because I am S corp. and LLCs. JB, he's trading businesses, so he's paying capital gains tax, half of what I am.

*************

Tonight's Rockford edition of Public Affairs features Gary Rabine, CEO of the Rabine Group and advocate for Free Enterprise. It airs at 8:30 pm, Cable Ch. 17, in Rockford and surrounding suburbs. The program, featuring Rabine and a discussion of growing businesses, IL and Nat'l politics and capitalism, also airs:

--in Chicago this Saturday morning, 10:28 am, Cable Ch. 21 (CAN TV) and Sunday morning, 9:58 am, Cable Ch. 19 (CAN TV)

-- in Aurora this coming Saturday and Monday night, 6 pm, Cable Ch. 10, aka Aurora Community Television and ACTV-10

Rabine discusses with host Jeff Berkowitz how he began, after graduating from high school, a driveway paving business that was transformed, over time, into a group of major companies that have been a source of hope, growth and aopportunity for his employees and improved choices for his customers, both in and out of Illinois.

Rabine and Berkowitz discuss and debate, among other issues, some of Gov. Pritzker fiscal plans, IL pension reform, Pritzker's proposed IL progressive income tax and Democratic Party Presidential Primary candidates and President Trump.

Rabine also discusses what is necessary for IL to become more competitive in business.

You can also watch 24/7 the program featuring Ditch Digger CEO Gary Rabine by clicking here

**************************

Jeff Berkowitz: ...[W]hat's your elevator pitch?

Gary Rabine[CEO, Rabine Group]: One of the most important things ... is how I differentiate myself... So first ... we give away ... the best engineering we can find in the world when it comes to pavement, stormwater and structural engineering for roofing, we... say "Here's our engineers, use them how you like to help you plan your properties"...we did that originally through boots on the ground, but today we do that using drones, satellite imagery and artificial intelligence.

*******

Gary Rabine [CEO, Rabine Group]: Gov. Pritzker said to me, "Gary, you built all your businesses here, your family is all here, you're never gonna go anywhere, I mean, that's exactly how he said it... and God Bless him, if he really believes that that's the case, but that can't be the case, I can't risk the lives & jobs we are talking about, I can't risk all these jobs just because I want to be here- right?

Berkowitz: If you could persuade [those in control of] the IL State Government to change and start going in the other direction: [LEGISLATE] lower property taxes, lower income taxes, [Don't support] a progressive income tax, [ADOPT THE NEEDED REFORMS TO] lower workers compensation rates, would that be Nirvana for you?

From Public Affairs, taped on November 18, 2019 in the Chicago Loop offices of Residco

Filed under: Uncategorized

Tags: Aurora Community television, CAN TV, capitalism, Chicago Access Network TV, competing in a non-union state, Competing in a union state, Ditchdigger CEO, Fixing IL Business Climate, Gary Rabine, Governor Rauner, IL Business Climnate, IL pension reforms, IL progressive income tax, IL taxpayer funded abortion, IL workers' compensation reform, Impact of business regulations on IL job growth, impact of high IL income tax rates on IL jobs, Impact of high property taxes on IL job growth, impact of unions on IL employee welfare, impact of unions on IL job growth, Impact of unions on jobs in IL, Jeanne Ives, Jeff Berkowitz, paving large parking lots across the country, paving parking lots, Public Affairs, Rockford community access TV, SB 40 in Illinois, using drones and satellite imagery, Why IL Governor Rauner lost re-election

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Berkowitz w/CEO Rabine on IL's business environment & how to improve it; Airing in Chicago, Aurora & Rockford, Cable & Web - ChicagoNow

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. City officials do not plan on calling in private contractors to deal with snow this week.

Indianapolis Department of Public Works spokesperson, Ben Easley, says the department discussed the matter. They decided the conditions didnt call for private plow and salt truck drivers.

Our priority with DPW is taking care of those major thoroughfares, secondary streets, especially for emergency services and making sure that city services can continue, Easley said.

The department based the decision on a longstanding city policy that says DPW will call in private contractors if Indianapolis receives six inches of snow in a single weather event. The National Weather Service says Indianapolis received 7.4 inches of snow from Sunday night to Tuesday morning. However, the snow didnt fall all at once.

With this event, weve had two different waves of snow over the past couple days, Easley said. Theyre two different events. And the other thing to remember is pavement temperatures. So if the pavement is really warm, you may see the first couple inches that fall on the streets just melt immediately.

Easley said DPW also considers the conditions in the weather forecast after a snowfall when making the decision.

Because were seeing the sun come through, Easley said. Were seeing an area of dry weather throughout the rest of the week, that we hope that will take care of some of those residential areas and they can look forward to clearer streets in the next couple days here.

The last time Indianapolis called in private contractors for residential streets; about five years ago, it came at a cost of roughly $500,000.

Some neighborhoods hire their own private contractors to salt and plow their residential streets.

In the Irvington area, snow packed down and frozen into a solid layer of ice on the road. Jan Deferbrache, owner of The Magic Candle at the corner of Audubon and Bonner, said the icy streets were hurting her bottom line.

We lose business if they cant get here, Deferbrache said. Especially with senior citizens, and they cant get down through here.

Deferbrache said she wishes DPW would send salt trucks down her street. She and her neighbors understand theyre on their own to handle the slick conditions.

The neighborhood people who shovel, throw salt out and ride our cars back and forth in order to get it down enough so that customers and other people can get through, she said.

Down the street from the shop, Taylor Thornell was struggling to get his car from the icy street onto his driveway. He said he would love to see a city truck or contractor dropping salt near his house.

Makes it pretty tough, Thornell said. I mean the main streets right there, but it takes forever to get out to them.

Easley said they have discussed altering city policy about treating residential streets. For now, hes not able to give specifics.

As of Tuesday, DPW has a full callout of 80 drivers working on primary and secondary streets. Those routes will continue until 11:00 p.m.

After Tuesday, Easley said 24 trucks will continue to watch for trouble spots into Wednesday morning.

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Indy DPW: No plans to call in contractors to treat residential streets this week - FOX 59 Indianapolis

TROY The city of Troy wishes to provide the following guidelines on the citys winter weather treatment policies.

General overview

This information is intended to help residents and drivers understand the citys approach to dealing with typical winter storms. It is a general guideline only because each winter event is unique and must be attacked individually. Pre-treatment, plowing, and salting operations will be evaluated on an event-by-event basis, based on the type, temperature, severity, longevity, and timing of the winter event.

Every road in Troy is classified as either a primary, secondary, or tertiary (local) street. Primaries include main arteries, state routes, hills, bridges, and the streets immediately surrounding schools. Secondary roads connect primary roads to local residential streets. Local streets include residential roads, dead-end streets, and cul-de-sacs.

A map showing the roadway classifications can be found at http://www.troyohio.gov/DocumentCenter/View/737.

When possible, the city will pre-treat the streets with a liquid brine mix. It can only be applied on dry pavement or when the weather forecast does not anticipate rain before snowfall. Brine pre-treatment is only effective before a snow event and only for small storms forecast for one inch or less of accumulation. This treatment will also help alleviate larger snows from bonding to the road making it easier to plow. When the forecast allows, city crews may pre-treat local streets one or two days in advance of the forecasted event. Primaries will be pre-treated as close to the forecasted event as possible, to minimize the elimination of brine by heavy vehicular traffic.

Salting operations

Primary roads are the first priority for salting, which will occur any time the roads become icy and slick and when snow accumulation is less than three inches. Depending upon the road conditions and other factors, secondary and local streets will also be salted, either at the same time or directly after salting of primary roads is completed.

Plowing operations

Plowing may begin once primary roads are generally covered by three or more inches of snow, regardless of the time of day or night of the event. Often, the city plows when there is less than three inches of accumulation due to the weight of the snow, severity of the event, speed at which snow is falling, etc. Please note that in the case of a major event (four or more inches of snow), plowing of local streets may be restricted to providing a single path, in order to provide two-way traffic on these streets.

Troy residents and business owners are reminded that City Codified Ordinances will require all property owners to not blow, shovel, or plow snow into city streets. Violators may receive a ticket and fine.

Property owners are also required to keep their sidewalks free and clear of ice and snow. In doing so, please be sure to do the following:

Shovel snow from driveways and place it to the right side (looking out the driveway to the street) of your driveway. This places the snow past the driveway, so snow plows will not plow the snow back into your driveway. The city cannot come back to plow out driveways.

Push the snow away from any fire hydrants and storm sewercatch basins. Keeping hydrants clear will greatly assist the Fire Department in the case of a fire, and the open catch basins allow melting snow to drain and not flood the streets.

Remove vehicles parked on the streets, so that plow trucks can plow to the curb and vehicles are not plowed in with snow.

For questions or comments regarding snow and ice removal, please contact the city of Troy Central Service and Maintenance Facility at 937-335-1914.

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It's crunch time for Indian Canyon Drive's conversion project in downtown Palm Springs and city staff said last month major road closures were expected this week.

But justa few days ago, they announced plans changedand traffic will now be able to flow through the project site, albeit at a slower pace.

This week's work involves paving and the city originally expected full closures that would change each day and require zero vehicles in areas under construction. Instead, workers will be working lane-by-lane and leave two open for traffic.

The lane closures will likely cover "several blocks at a time," Senior Civil Engineer Donn Uyeno said. The nearest alternate routes to the east are Avenida Caballeros and Sunrise Way.

Access will be available to businesses on Indian Canyon, but driveways will essentially be cut in half and "slightly larger than the width of a car," Uyeno added.

Business owners and their customers should plan ahead and look for other places to park.City staff has been referring everyone to the downtown parking structure or underground garage.

Traffic backs up on northbound Indian Canyon Drive at Alejo Road in Palm Springs on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019 as part of a conversation project. The road is being converted to a two-way street and paving is scheduled to last all week on Indian Canyon between Alejo and Camino Parocela.(Photo: Colin Atagi/The Desert Sun)

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Traffic news: Thanksgiving traffic congests Interstate 10 through San Gorgonio Pass

Paving may be scheduled to last only this week, but Indian Canyon willstill be a one-way road and the final conversion won't happen until the week of Jan. 5.

Twonorthbound lanes are being removed and one will be used for southbound traffic and the other will be converted into a center turnlane. Roadside parking will remain. Sidewalks will be adjusted, and traffic signals will be renovated or replaced as far north as Tachevah Drive so traffic flow can remain steady.

Work is scheduled from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. beginning Jan. 5, and a new section of the road will have two-way traffic by each morning, according to the city. Unless weather causes problems, adjustments are as scheduled:

Holiday travel begins later this week

Travel experts say Friday may be the day everyone begins hittingthe road for the holidays.

The busiest travel days by air are Dec. 21-23, but the entire travel period lasts through Jan. 1, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.

With unemployment at record lows and household net worth at record highs, more Americans and Southern Californians are feeling able to afford holiday vacations, said Filomena Andre, the Auto Clubs vice president for travel products and services.

Anaheim is a top destination on a national level, so roads in or near Orange County will likely be congested. Top destinations for Southern Californians include Las Vegas, San Diego, the Central Coast, Grand Canyon and Mexico.

Use that information when deciding where to travel for the rest of the month. You may just want to avoid those areas.

Desert Sun reporter Colin Atagi covers crime, public safetyandroadand highway safety. He can be reached at Colin.Atagi@desertsun.com or follow him at @tdscolinatagi.

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There's major work for Indian Canyon's conversion, but traffic has more room than expected - Desert Sun

"I truly believe the best things in life are a result of being bold and being real. Megan Rapinoe endorsing 2020 presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren.by Zinhle Essamuah

Published on 12/14/2019 at 7:00 PM

The House took ahistoric step forwardtoward the impeachment of President Donald Trump today, withthe Judiciary Committee approving the articles of impeachment and sending them to the House floor for a full vote next week. The committee vote took place this morning aftera ridiculous number of hours of debateover the past two days, wherein Republicans introduced a slew of amendments to try and slow the process and kill the charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.All of them failed. We know theres been a lot of procedural updates on impeachment that have been a little hard to follow, but this isthe final step before Trump is formally impeached, so its a major one.

The two articles were approved in a 23-17 vote, with Democrats voting for it and Republicans voting against it. Read the articles of impeachment against Trumphere.

Know This:Donald J. Trump is now only the fourth president in U.S. history to face impeachment for high crimes and misdemeanors.

A 13-year-old boy was arrested and charged in connection with the murder of 18-year-old Tessa Majors, a student at Barnard College in New York City,according to local news reports. Law enforcement officials sayMajors was walking through a park near campus when a group of boys (four or five, according to witnesses) tried to rob her. She was stabbed at some point during the struggle and died in the hospital. The 13-year-old arrested was charged with second-degree felony murder, robbery, and criminal possession of a weapon, but will not be tried as an adult. His statement to investigators led them totwo other 14-year-old suspects potentially involved in the incident.Majors death has shocked and shaken the community at Barnard, a small, all-womens school in NYCs Morningside Heights neighborhood that is affiliated with Columbia University.The city is offering counseling to students and increasing law enforcement presence near the park.

Know This:Tessa Majors was originally from Virginia and was attending her first year at Barnard College. Students say she was interested in journalism and music.We are devastated by the senseless loss of our beautiful and talented Tess,her family said in a statement. We are thankful for the incredible outpouring of love and support we have received from across the country.

Major League Baseball and the Players Association announced big changes to the leagues drug abuse program.Minor league players will now be tested for addictive drugs like opioids and no longer tested for weed. Major league players on a 40-man roster are not tested for weed, but non-40 man roster players in the minor leagues were. The consequences for a positive weed test on a players first offense has been a suspension of 50 games and13 players were suspended in 2019. Now the league istreating cannabis use the same as alcohol use, where players could be disciplined for related misconduct.Opioids and cocaine were among a list of drugs added to the list of banned substances. If a player tests positive for one of these so-called drugs of abuse, they will be referred to a board of experts who will deliver a personalized drug treatment plan a significant shift in drug-testing policy from punishment and isolation to treatment and prevention.Players will also be required to undergo aneducation program on the dangers of opioid pain medications, as well as practical approaches to cannabis use. The new rules will be in effect during 2020 Spring Training."The opioid epidemic in our country is an issue of significant concern to Major League Baseball,"said MLB Deputy Commissioner & Chief Legal Officer Dan Halem. "It is our hope that this agreement which is based on principles of prevention, treatment, awareness and education will help protect the health and safety of our Players."

KnowThis:The change in drug policy comes afterAngels pitcher Tyler Skaggs died in July and was found to have fentanyl and opioids in his system. Fentanyl was not explicitly listed on the MLBs banned substances list at the time.

The Federal Communications Commission hasunanimously approved a planfor a 3-digit suicide prevention number: 988. The number will link callers to a network of already-operating crisis centers around the country. This network isnt new (you can access 100+ call centers by calling 1-800-273-TALK orchatting online), but the FCC says the number will"make it easier for Americans in crisis to access potentially life-saving resources."Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) applauded the FCCs moveon Twitterand urged Congress to move forward on thebipartisan billhe proposed in October, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act. The bill (with the same aim of setting up the 988 hotline) was co-sponsored by Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). The 988 number is not yet operational andwon't be available by text, but Lines for Life offers a text service you can access by texting 273TALK to 839863. All major phone providers have been asked to accommodate the 988 number within 18 months.

Know This:The U.S. suicide rate is up 33% since 1999,according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.It is the 10th leading cause of death in the country. If you or someone you know is in crisis, there are resources for you: Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or visitSpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.

Tomorrow marks seven years since the heartbreaking shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, in which 26victims were killed: 20 children (all ages 6 or 7) and six educators. The shooter (who also killed his mother before going to the school) carried30-round, high-capacity magazines and shot 154 bullets in less than 5 minutes that day.The tragedy shook the nation. President Barack Obama gave emotional remarks in anational addressfollowing the tragedy."The holidays have never been the same,Mark Barden, the father of one of the young victims, saidin remembrance of his son Daniel. I remember he used to run out onto the driveway, sometimes barefoot on the cold pavement, to give his cousins a big hug when they would arrive for the celebration. He loved his family more than anything. Barden is the founder ofSandy Hook Promise,which trains students and adults to know the signs of gun violence.Though this tragedy happened seven years ago,mass shootings involving high-capacity magazines have continued to plague the country, with gun reform advocates even releasinga 2018 yearbookhighlighting all the students lost to school shootings last year. Since then, survivors and advocates have published powerful PSAs (including a chillingback-to-school essentialsvideo, where kids highlight their bulletproof school items) and have pushed fornew legislation imploring Congress to move gun reform legislation forward. Years later, many parents of the victims remainovercome with palpable grief, andthe community continues to mournthe loss of these young lives. If the Sandy Hook children were alive, theyd be in junior high today.

Know This:Shockingly, thistragedy has been shadowed by far-right conspiracy theories and online trolls. Lenny Pozners 6-year-old son was killed in the shooting, and ever since,hes been the target of death threats fueled by far-right commentator Alex Jones conspiracy theorythat his son's murder was a hoax and that the event was fueled by crisis actors.Pozner and his family have relocated at least seven times as a result of the targeting. Heres what thegrieving father has to say.One last thing:The official UK election results are in,confirmingthat Prime Minister Boris Johnson has won a large majority.The leader of the opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, said late last night that he will resign his position early next year.Thanks for reading. Be kind to yourself this weekend, and well see you next week!

Zinhle Essamuah,KnowThis Host and Correspondent; Sari Soffer, Supervising Producer, NowThis; andVersha Sharma, Senior Correspondent, NowThis

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KnowThis: Why This Sport Won't Test Players For Weed Anymore - NowThis