Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Kendall Morris, WBIR 12 a.m. EST November 13, 2014

2 workers rescued from 69th-floor scaffold at One WTC(Photo: Visit Knoxville)

(WBIR- Downtown Knoxville) Window washers gave the Sunsphere a cleaning this week.

Rex Richardson, assistant to the owner of Apex Window Cleaning, said it's one of the most difficult buildings their team washes.

"It's a challenge," Richardson said. "This one's much more difficult than any other building we do by a long shot."

The crew finished up Wednesday afternoon after national news broke about two window washers left dangling for two hours from the 69th floor of One World Trade Center before firefighters rescued them.

RELATED: 2 workers rescued from 69th-floor scaffold at One WTC

Shane Thornton, a window cleaner, said safety is a top priority for their team, especially when cleaning the curved surfaces of the Sunsphere.

"I was a little scared," Thornton said. "It was different than any other buildings that I've done. I've done higher, but I've never done a circle before, a sphere."

Thornton said the Apex employees use ropes to repel down the sides of buildings, which he said is safer than the swing stage or scaffolding that was used in the New York incident. He said the ropes can handle a lot more weight than what most of the employees weigh, and there is a primary line and a safety line.

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Window washers brave cleaning the Sunsphere

(RNN) First responders have rescued both men from the window cleaning crew who were trapped and hanging precariously from 1 World Trade Center in New York. The two window washers are not injured, and suffered only mild hypothermia.

Firefighters cut a hole into a window at the bottom of where the scaffolding was hanging, which is still hanging from one cable around the 68th floor on the south facing side of the building.

"Firefighters went to the roof and the 68th floor. From the roof, they dropped rope down to secure - additionally secure the members that were the workers on the scaffold. They dropped a radio down, so they could communicate and they began cutting the glass," said Daniel Nigro, FNDY commissioner.

The FDNY had difficulty cutting the window because of the thickness of the glass; the windows had three layers of glass.

The workers were clipped into the basket, so they did not fall when the cable snapped.

The two window washers had trouble at about 12:45 p.m. ET. Initially, rescuers thought a cable had broken, but it had not. It's unclear why slack developed in cables on one side of the basket.

The Fire Department of New York tweeted "Man all hands 1 World Trade Center, high rise (World Trade Center) scaffolding emergency." Not only are officials concerned about the safety of the workers, but the building's security.

The area around the building was closed off during the rescue, and the September 11 memorial was closed.

Rescuers began to send another scaffolding from the top of the building down to the workers, with the concern that the cables don't tangle with the stranded rig. However, now that the two men are safely inside, that scaffolding has been removed.

The two men were on the perilously hanging basket for about an hour and a half.

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2 window washers stranded, hanging perilously at 1 World Trade Center

(RNN) First responders have rescued both men from the window cleaning crew who were trapped and hanging precariously from 1 World Trade Center in New York. The two window washers are not injured, and suffered only mild hypothermia.

Firefighters cut a hole into a window at the bottom of where the scaffolding was hanging, which is still hanging from one cable around the 68th floor on the south facing side of the building.

"Firefighters went to the roof and the 68th floor. From the roof, they dropped rope down to secure - additionally secure the members that were the workers on the scaffold. They dropped a radio down, so they could communicate and they began cutting the glass," said Daniel Nigro, FNDY commissioner.

The FDNY had difficulty cutting the window because of the thickness of the glass; the windows had three layers of glass.

The workers were clipped into the basket, so they did not fall when the cable snapped.

The two window washers had trouble at about 12:45 p.m. ET. Initially, rescuers thought a cable had broken, but it had not. It's unclear why slack developed in cables on one side of the basket.

The Fire Department of New York tweeted "Man all hands 1 World Trade Center, high rise (World Trade Center) scaffolding emergency." Not only are officials concerned about the safety of the workers, but the building's security.

The area around the building was closed off during the rescue, and the September 11 memorial was closed.

Rescuers began to send another scaffolding from the top of the building down to the workers, with the concern that the cables don't tangle with the stranded rig. However, now that the two men are safely inside, that scaffolding has been removed.

The two men were on the perilously hanging basket for about an hour and a half.

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2 window washers rescued from hanging perilously at 1 World Trade Center

Jake Pearson, The Associated Press Published Wednesday, November 12, 2014 1:22PM EST Last Updated Wednesday, November 12, 2014 10:45PM EST

NEW YORK -- Two window washers were trapped on a dangling scaffold nearly 70 stories up the new 1 World Trade Center tower for nearly two hours on Wednesday before firefighters sawed through a thick double-layered window to reach them.

The dramatic rescue, coming a little more than a week after the nation's tallest building officially opened, was followed by throngs of New Yorkers on the ground and many more around the world watching on live TV.

The window washers, Juan Lizama and Juan Lopez, were working on the lower Manhattan building's south side when one of the platform's four cables abruptly developed slack, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said. The open-topped platform tilted sharply and swayed slightly between the 68th and 69th floors, he said.

"It suddenly went from horizontal to nearly vertical," he said.

A fire department photo shot from inside the building shows the scaffold platform hanging precipitously, with the Statue of Liberty appearing tiny in the distance.

About 100 firefighters rushed to the skyscraper, some of them lowering ropes from the roof so the workers could secure themselves and a two-way radio for them to communicate, Nigro said. The workers, who have more than 20 years of experience between them, also were harnessed to the platform, and the building's owner said they had all the requisite safety gear and training.

Firefighters used diamond cutters to saw through part of a two-layered, inch-thick glass window on the 68th floor, which is still under construction. They shattered the glass in place, then carefully pulled the broken pieces into the building.

Firefighters also began inching another scaffold down the building as a backup rescue plan, but they were able to bring the workers to safety through the roughly 4-by-8-foot window hole.

"It was a fairly straightforward operation," said Battalion Chief Joseph Jardin, who oversees the fire department's special operations.

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Workers rescued from dangling WTC scaffolding

Last Updated Nov 12, 2014 4:25 PM EST

NEW YORK --Two window washers needed to be rescued after becoming trapped on scaffolding near the 68th floor of One World Trade Center Wednesday.

CBS New York reported the incident began at around 12:45 p.m. on the south side of the building. Initial reports suggest the washers were done cleaning the windows and were about to ascend to to the top of the tower when the cable that pulls the scaffold up became loose.

Images from the scene showed the scaffolding dangling at a precarious angle as emergency responders from the Police and Fire Departments along with the Port Authority tried to get to the workers.

Members of the FDNY cut through two layers of glass with a diamond saw and pulled the workers to safety around 2:10 p.m.

The FDNY was in communication with the workers throughout the entire ordeal, CBS2 reported.

Workers look out at a broken scaffolding that had stranded window washers earlier on the side of 1 World Trade Center in New York November 12, 2014.

REUTERS

The workers, identified by their employer, Upgrade Services, as Juan Lizama and Juan Lopez, were taken to a hospital with mild hypothermia, CBS Radio station 1010 WINS reported.

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High-rise rescue in NYC

The first hard freeze has hit Texoma. While you're preparing your home, appliances, and vehicles for the winter air you also need to prepare your water well systems.

There are a number of problems that can occur if you do not properly winterize your pumping system, those problems can start with parts of your system freezing up with water inside. If the pipes burst you could be faced with water flowing from your system down your streets.

However, the well's themselves are not at risk of freezing up because they are underground, but anything sticking out of the ground could possibly cost you if you do not take the right steps to prepare.

The first way to do it is turn off the power to your above ground equipment, pull the plugs and disconnect certain pipes where you can, said Michael Kussavage, Contracts and Operations Manager at AOC Environmental, Inc.

It's recommended to shut down your system for the season, until the warm weather returns. However, if you do want to leave your well up and running you need to make sure you winterize accordingly.

Your second option is you could leave it all together and everything operational, but you have to fully insulate it, said Kussavage. This means wrapping blankets and special tapes around all above ground equipment so the pipes don't freeze and burst.

The best way is to install a well house, said Kussavage. It's basically a small little shed that goes over all your equipment.

Inside the shed you would put a little light bulb, or small heater. You would leave either of those in the shed during cold days. The heat that generates from those appliances would need to be strong enough to keep the temperatures inside from reaching the freezing mark.

Officials at AOC Environment, Inc said if you have any part of your well above ground you need to take those winterizing steps. If you have a well with all electrical wiring and pipes below ground, you will not have to winterize.

For more information on what you need to do to keep your water well from being harmed by the winter freezes you can contact Michael Kussavage at (940)692-8989, or you can head to the website http://www.aocenvironmental.com .

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Winterize Water Well

Plaza work could provide a look at development under citys new general plan

The former Kmart site has been completely empty since January 2014. The owner and city have been working closely to transform the faade for a number of new tenants. Photo: Jim Shilander

By Jim Shilander

While there is still a ways to go in the process, theres now a light at the end of the tunnel for new tenants and major improvements for the former Kmart Plaza on Camino de Estrella. And city staff says the citys new general plan potentially provides a greater backbone for similar developments in the future.

Work on the development could essentially transform the plaza into a bright new city gateway that exemplifies the citys signature architectural style.

The proposal, the initial phase of which was approved by the Planning Commission last month, would see the current facility, which was vacated by Kmart in January, be reworked into three separate stores, sharing variations of Spanish architectural style, with red-tile roofs and white stucco finishes. The three new tenants in the facility include Sports Authority, which will be housed in the section nearest Interstate 5, Stein Mart and grocer Sprouts, which will be located on the seaward portion of the building. The Sports Authority site will also include a copper dome, similar to the final project at Ralphs on El Camino Real. Sprouts will include a red tile roof tower that is reminiscent of the towers at the Miramar Theater.

The second phase of the project is scheduled to go before the planning commission at its next meeting, Nov. 12. The second phase tentatively includes work on all remaining buildings in the shopping center with the exception of Citibank. This includes the space formerly occupied by Big Lots, but also the buildings currently occupied by a number of businesses on the west side of the development. While the Big Lots facility will get a new tenant, the remainder of the buildings will all receivea white stucco facelift. Operating businesses should be able to remain open during the facade work.

The proposed look of the former Kmart plaza on Camino de Estrella incorporates familiar Spanish style features from other San Clemente buildings. Photo: Courtesy.

Changing Initial Plans

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A New Gateway

Video Evidence of Sprinkler System Working
19227 Quarry Lakes Ln - Video Evidence of Sprinkler System Working.

By: Joe Madigan

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Video Evidence of Sprinkler System Working - Video

Better prevention could have lessened an estimated $500,000 in damage from Tuesdays Dollar General fire in Silvis.

It would have made a great difference up there, said Assistant Silvis Fire Chief Steve Bein.

A restoration crew was trying to pick up the pieces on Wednesday at the Crosstown Shopping Center. Workers were clearing debris and securing the building just hours after a devastating fire.

Its pretty charred, said Property Manager Laurie Peters. It looks like pretty much all of the building got caught by the fire.

Thick smoke even startled firefighters on Tuesday. They worked high above and close to the ground. The fires timing and circumstances didnt help them.

Nobody was hurt. Shoppers and staffers made it out safely.

The fire worsened with paper products and other merchandise in the store. Plus, harm from something thats not inside.

There is no sprinkler system installed in this portion of the building, Peters said.

While the store had working smoke detectors that alerted employees to the fire, it did not have a sprinkler system.

While firefighters especially study the center of the building, whats not there could reveal a big part of the case.

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Lack of sprinkler system worsens Dollar General fire

Study Sheds Light On Why Your Cat Hates That Tutu
A study tracking the development of domesticated cats has found that genetically they #39;re not quite as domesticated as we thought. Follow Sebastian Martinez: http://www.twitter.com/sebastiansings...

By: Newsy Science

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Study Sheds Light On Why Your Cat Hates That Tutu - Video