Woman charged 10K for tree removal
Detectives looking for suspects WPTV NewsChannel 5, Local News Coverage You Can Count On. South Florida, Palm Beach County, Treasure Coast breaking news, weather and traffic. ...
By: WPTV News | West Palm Beach Florida
Read more:
Woman charged 10K for tree removal - Video
When is a tree more than just a tree?
Perhaps when it's older than the state of Florida.
Last month, a developer approached Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan about plans to build an office and apartment complex on Constitution Green, the one-block park in downtown Orlando.
In the center of that park, which is just a few blocks from Lake Eola Park on Summerlin Avenue, is a 70-foot-tall live oak tree with limbs so long they touch the ground. It's listed on the city's "Significant Trees Map," and is estimated at being between 125 and 175 years old. Florida became a state in 1845.
Watch the video "Fly through the 175-year-old tree at Constitution Green."
When news of the possible development began trickling out on sites like Bungalower.com, the OrlandoWeekly.comand OrlandoSentinel.com, some residentsweren't happy about it and began a petition on Change.org.
As of today, almost5,900 people have signed the "Save Constitution Green Park" petition. A rally was held on March 21 as an effort to save the park.
The park is owned by the Carusos, a Central Florida citrus-growing family. The City of Orlando has leasedthe park from the family for $10for 10 years (or a $1-a-year)since the late 1980s. (The city, however, does pay taxes on the land and maintains it.)
The family or the City can terminate the lease with 30 days' notice.
City spokesperson Cassandra Lasfer told the Sentinel's David Breenin March: "We have no applications for development, no applicationsfor any tree removal, and no notice for formaltermination of lease."
Follow this link:
Fly through the 175-year-old tree at Constitution Green
After the emerald ash borer was discovered in Winona last April, its arrival led the city to make quick work of more than 100 ash trees on boulevards around the city, cut down in late 2014 to slow the spread of the pest.
Assistant city manager for public works Keith Nelson said the department is preparing to plant 100 new trees to take their place.
The tree plantings will be primarily oaks and disease-resistant elms, and the planting will likely begin and end in June.
Until then, Nelson said the department is taking site requests from property owners. Trees can be planted anywhere in Winona on public streets or boulevards.
Funding for the replanting comes from the city budget, in addition to a $25,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Transportation that the city received in late 2014.
No large treating or removal projects are on the public works departments to-do list for this year, but Nelson said primary retreating will happen next year, according to a management plan adopted in 2012. Trees that are treated with pesticide must be retreated every three years.
For ash trees on private property, property owners are required by city ordinance to remove infested trees promptly, and they are encouraged to treat or replace healthy ash trees.
The emerald ash borer was discovered in Minnesota in 2009 and has infested areas including Winona, Houston and Trempealeau counties and the Twin Cities metro region. Ash borer larvae live under the bark of an infested tree and kill the tree by boring through wood under the bark, cutting off circulation and depleting nutrients.
Several area counties are under quarantines, including Buffalo and Trempealeau counties in Wisconsin, and Winona, Houston and Olmsted counties in Minnesota.
There is no known way to kill the invasive pest. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is experimenting with several methods for limiting its spread.
Go here to read the rest:
City of Winona replanting in wake of ash tree removal
OLEAN Todd Fries of Southern Tier Tree Service was 50 feet in the air cutting near the top of a diseased maple tree Monday in Lincoln Park when a squirrel leaped out of the hollow tree and landed 20 feet away in a nearby tree.
It startled Fries but reminded him that there could be baby squirrels in the hollow of the tree. The adult squirrel that had scampered away watched from behind a branch of a nearby tree.
Fries had earlier removed a green squirrel house from the same tree, but nothing jumped out, and he didnt look to see if there were any baby squirrels inside before carefully lowering it to the ground.
After looking down into the hollow of the tree and spotting the baby squirrels amid pieces of shredded paper and plastic and a fair amount of sawdust Fries made a cut with the chainsaw about 2 feet from the top,
below where he estimated the baby squirrels were located.
Then he lifted the section of tree onto the bucket of the cherry picker and gently lowered it to the ground. He then hefted the log with the squirrels into his arms and carried it to the base of a nearby tree.
He parted the sawdust to reveal two of the baby squirrels with light coats of grey fur. Their eyes appeared to still be closed.
They made tiny squeaking noises. Fries, who presumably has seen his share of squirrels while trimming and removing trees over the years, said they were trying to contact their mother, who would return and take them to a safer place when no one was around.
The tree service has a contract with the city of Olean for tree trimming and removal of dangerous trees.
(Contact reporter Rick Miller at rmiller@oleantimesherald.com. Follow him on Twitter, @RMillerOTH)
Read more:
City tree cutter saves baby squirrels in Lincoln Park
The stretch of U.S. 68 leading into Maysville from the detention center at the intersection of Kentucky 11 to Forest Avenue is getting a make-over in more ways than one.
The section of roadway has been plagued by recurring potholes and a rough surface for several years and will be resurfaced starting in late April to early May. The project is one part of a reconstruction of U.S. 68 in Maysville, with the other section being reconstructed from Moody Drive to Kentucky 9.
In addition to the new roadway, this section of roadway will no longer be lined with pine trees on both sides. On Monday, road crews began the task of removing the trees, which were planted in the 1980s as a way to beautify the entrance to downtown Maysville.
On Tuesday, the trees were being cut down and then hoisted by a crane onto waiting trucks for removal.
Officials with the Kentucky Department of Highways District 9 Office in Flemingsburg said all trees marked with pink spray paint will be removed. The trees hang over the roadway, causing shading problems in the winter. The highway department also receives complaints from motorists about the low branches hitting vehicles.
ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. - Two home-improvement workers say they were deceived by a lie, and then attacked at gunpoint. Tina Deluna-Salazar and her husband told Rockdale County Sheriff's Deputies they had been laying tile at the home of Zachary Ellis. When Ellis asked them to return for more work, the couple says they agreed. However, when they arrived at his home, Deluna-Salazar says Ellis confronted them with a gun, unhappy with the work they had done.
Deluna-Salazar says they offered to fix the problems, but says Ellis tried to force them at gunpoint to return his money. The couple was able to escape the home and call 911. Deputies arrested Ellis when they arrived. According to a police report, Ellis told deputies it was actually Deluna-Salazar's husband who was demanding more money. He also told deputies he got his gun to get the couple out of his home. Despite that, Ellis also told deputies "he should have shot them, he really should have."
Ellis was arrested and now faces two counts of aggravated assault. He was booked into the Rockdale County Jail where he has since posted bond. Deluna-Salazar says this ordeal should be a warning to other home-improvement workers to never work alone at an unfamiliar job site.
View post:
Home improvement workers attacked in Conyers
CARROLLTOWN, CAMBRIA COUNTY - The State Fire Commissioner says someone in Pennsylvania dies in a fire every three days.
Now some people are looking at an old idea to save lives. Lawmakers are considering making it mandatory for all new homes to have sprinkler systems. Firefighters say it could save lives, but some people think it should be the builder's choice.
Monday night Chief Bob Illig and the Carrolltown Fire Department hosted several other companies from northern Cambria County to listen to a speaker from the National Fire Sprinkler Association. Ray Lonabaugh told the crowd that with modern building materials a house fire can reach flashover, where the flames are shooting out of the windows, in three or four minutes in stead of fifteen. And he thinks a sprinkler system could keep a fire small before it gets out of control.
Jim Brown with the Pennsylvania Builders Association says aspects of new home construction make them safer, and sprinkler systems less important. They'll put them in new homes for people, but they don't think sprinklers should be mandatory.
In 2009, sprinkler systems almost became mandatory for new homes. But now officials are looking at them again for the 2015 building code. And Brown says the Governor is in favor of them. Since they were brought up in 2009, Brown has asked every homebuilder in the design phase if they want a system and no one has said yes.
More here:
Home Sprinkler Systems Could Be Mandatory
Several residents at the Redstone Highlands senior community in North Huntingdon were greeted by firefighters and paramedics last week after a fire sprinkler was accidentally damaged and sprayed water into a second-floor apartment.
One of our maintenance men was painting a vacant apartment and broke a sprinkler head when he hit it with the roller he was using, said Linda Dickson, the facility's director of marketing and sales.
The incident occurred at about 7:30 a.m. on March 30.
The fire sprinkler system is set to automatically alert emergency personnel when it is activated, Dickson said.
They arrived amazingly fast literally in minutes and were able to stop the flow of water from the sprinkler, she said.
As a precaution, emergency personnel helped evacuate about 20 residents who live in area near the apartment where the sprinkler was damaged. After firefighters checked the building to make sure it was safe to occupy, most of the residents were allowed to return.
Although the flow of water was brief, it damaged the unit being painted, as well as four first-floor units below, Dickson said. Residents in the four damaged apartments that were occupied have been moved temporarily to empty units in the four-story complex, which has 95 senior apartments and 40 personal-care units.
The emergency workers and our employees were able to move their furniture and belongings to some empty apartments we have, she said. We're hoping to be able to get people back in their apartments within a week or two.
Most of the damage was isolated to ceilings and carpeting, said Dickson, adding that a restoration company was called in to handle cleanup and repairs. The four displaced residents are expected to be able to return to their apartments within the next two weeks, Dickson said.
Although the incident has created a minor inconvenience for some residents, Dickson said, the staff is viewing it in a positive light.
The rest is here:
Sprinkler mishap displaces Redstone senior home residents
North Country Storage Barns - TV Ad "Sheds"
TV Ad created by 4th Coast Productions http://www.4thcoastproductions.com.
By: 4thcoast
Read the original:
North Country Storage Barns - TV Ad "Sheds" - Video
A HOUSEHOLDER has been left devastated after his shed was destroyed in an arson attack.
Chris Holt, who moved into his rented cottage in Berkeley Road in Astley Bridge four weeks ago, was left stunned afterthe attack last night.
Police are now investigating the blaze, which also badly damaged his neighbour's shed just after 11.20pm on Monday.
Mr Holt was watching TV when he heard what he thought was rain outside.
When he went to investigate he saw a "huge orange light" filling his garden.
He said: "It was bright orange and I had no idea what was on fire.
"It's lucky really because if I had not have been off on Tuesday I would have been in bed and it could have spread a lot further in another few minutes.
"A couple of years ago the lady down the street had the same thing happen to her. Why would a bunch of kids be out that late?I hope it's not a vendetta."
Mr Holt, who works for E.on in Horwich, had moved from Bromley Cross.
He added: "I thought I had moved into a nice cottage with a lovely garden, and now it looks horrendous."
Go here to read the rest:
Sheds set ablaze in suspected arson attack
