Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Flood waters have receded in the southern part of Jefferson County, but dozens of homeowners have been left with basements that need cleaned out.

More than 3 inches of rain Wednesday morning caused Short Creek to come out of its banks in Adena and Dillonvale. Flood waters covered streets in both communities and sent water into basements.

John Parker, county Emergency Management Agency director, said about 70 homes had basement flooding. Volunteer fire departments from Jefferson and Harrison counties worked throughout the day to pump water out of basements.

The American Red Cross Jefferson County Chapter provided cleanup kits to residents in Adena and Dillonvale and also sent its cantina to provide food and beverages for the firefighter.

Adena firefighter, in addition to pumping out residents' basements, had to deal with flood waters in its fire station.

Parker said crews now will concentrate on cleaning up debris left by the flood waters. A contractor has been hired to remove a private bridge that fell into a creek near Glen Robins on county Road 1.

Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla said Dillonvale was the hardest hit. He said one basement had 5 feet of water. But the sheriff said it could have been worse if not for efforts to clean trees and other debris out of creeks in the past several years.

"Whenever we had the creeks cleaned out, that helped out a lot," Abdalla said.

"It always could have been worse. Now it is just the cleanup," the sheriff said.

The county health department offered advice for homeowners with water wells or cisterns that may have come in contact with flood waters.

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Southern end of county cleaning up

Its incumbent on developers to make sure whatever site preparation work they do is compliant, says Nanaimos mayor in the wake of the city levying its third tree removal fine this year.

The City of Nanaimo issued a $10,000 fine to Maplewood Properties after an investigation found the company cleared a site on Kenworth Road knowingly contrary to city bylaws.

It was the third time this year the city has taken enforcement action on a company for tree removal. The city fined Windley Contracting Ltd. $10,500 for removing 20 trees from a watercourse leave strip on Songbird Place and encroaching into the watercourse setback, while Carlo Construction Ltd. was fined $11,325 for the unauthorized removal of trees on Reynolds Road and starting work on city streets without a permit.

All of the companies have claimed communication issues with city staff, according to city manager Ted Swabey, who said its something of which they are conscious.

The municipality ultimately holds property owners responsible for ensuring work is compliant with city requirements, although it also reports the majority of development in the area moves ahead with necessary approvals and permits in place.

Before anyone starts removing trees, they must realize there is the potential for contravening bylaws, Ruttan said. So I encourage developers and builders when they are involved in site preparation that they take the time to assess what work will be done and if it requires the removal of existing trees, that somebody review the bylaws and make sure they are in conformance before they go ahead and take the trees down.

Maplewood Properties plans to dispute its fine.

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Onus on developers to ensure compliance with tree-cutting bylaw

The Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond, London. Photo: Noel Foster

Actors campaigning in support of the Orange Tree Theatre have accused Arts Council England of failing to engage with the theatre community, after they received a standard, almost pro forma letter from ACE in response to their concerns about the removal of the venues funding.

Equitys west and south-west London branch chair Andrew Macbean, who is leading the campaign in support of the Richmond upon Thames venue, labelled the funding bodys attitude as a serious concern.

He said that ACE had failed to explain why it had chosen to remove its financial support: Your words lack any real drive or passion to help the theatre I am incredulous you are content to let the chance to have a constructive discussion with significant representation of the industry pass you by.

Macbeans concerns were echoed by Equity general secretary Christine Payne, who said she was surprised at the lack of detail in ACEs response in the face of such strength of feeling and said she believed the branch was right to press this further.

Macbean wrote to ACE last month urging the body to explain its decision to remove Orange Tree Theatres entire, annual 380,000 grant from next year. The letter was signed by around 800 theatremakers, including David Tennant, Simon Russell Beale, Penelope Wilton and Derek Jacobi.

It has since gained further support from some 150 actors and others working in the industry including playwright Howard Brenton, Liverpool and Everyman Theatre artistic director Gemma Bodinetz and actors John Lithgow and Martin Shaw.

Arts council chair Peter Bazalgette responded, saying the amount of money applied for by organisations to ACEs funding programme considerably exceeded the available budget.

He said: Where organisations were unsuccessful in their applications to [this programme], it is by no means the end of our funding relationship with them.

Bazalgette added that ACE was committed to working with Orange Tree Theatre artistic director Paul Miller to help him and the organisation realise its ambition and retain the strong support it has from local audiences.

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News: Actors accuse arts council of massive error over Orange Tree

by Catherine Holland

azfamily.com

Posted on August 21, 2014 at 9:25 AM

Updated today at 9:29 AM

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- One person was hurt in an apartment fire, but the good news is that the building's sprinkler system did its job.

It happened just after 10 p.m. at 90th Street and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, just west of the Loop 101 Pima Freeway. Firefighters arrived to find the fire mostly contained to the third-floor unit where it started.

With the head start that the sprinkler system gave them, crews easily kept the flames from spreading to other apartments.

Because of the size of the apartment complex, firefighters from both Scottsdale and Phoenix responded.

One resident suffered minor injuries and was taken to Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Hospital.

"Neighbors heard the smoke alarm go off," Jay Ducote of the Scottsdale Fire Department said. "So just a reminder to always check the batteries of your smoke detectors for that first notification when there's smoke in the house."

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1 injured in apartment fire in Scottsdale

Dylan Zylstra spends a good deal of time in the weight room, especially in the off-season that starts almost as soon as the regular seasonends. (Full-size photo)(All photos)

There are days when Dylan Zylstra asks himself, Wouldnt it be awesome to just go toclass?

Just class, nothing else. No endless sessions in the film room, no lifting heavy plates in the weight room and the dining room. No getting knocked on his butt atpractice.

And definitely no bear crawls in an overheated gym room at 11 p.m. inFebruary.

In other words, nofootball.

Noway.

As painful and miserable as it can get sometimes, the feeling of running through the tunnel on Saturday gets you through almost anything, said Zylstra, a senior defensive lineman at EasternWashington.

And when the cheeringends?

Pretty soon, Im going to be looking for a job, and I think Im going to have an edge because I know to work hard, Zylstrasaid.

And smart. Somehow, for going on five years, the 22-year-old Zylstra has balanced a 40-hour-a-week football season with a full class load, a girlfriend, a social life and a black lab named Asher who loves to go pheasanthunting.

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EWU defensive lineman Dylan Zylstra understands the commitment needed to playing college football - Thu, 21 Aug 2014 PST

There are few things as delicate as a bats ear. Thin, dark brown skin is stretched over fragile cartilage. In certain light, they are nearly translucent. The inside ridges look like a washboard for a dolls house.

I know this because I nursed an injured baby bat back to health. I got a close look at the dainty, cavernous ears, miniature teeth and fuzzy body of our local long-eared myotis bat.

It had been a week of nocturnal activity. Two bats had perished in our overhead fan above the bed. Ill spare you the details on that. The next night, I was startled by a fluffy ball careening across my bathroom floor. The bats movements were jerky; he pivoted on clawed feet, spreading his wings wide across the tiles.

I wrapped him in a towel and put him outside, hoping hed fly off into the night. But the next morning, he was still there, nestled between the deck and the house siding.

After consulting the internet, Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and Islands Sounder resident wildlife expert Cali Bagby, I filled a dropper with water and tried to rehydrate him. He eagerly opened his tiny mouth, gulping down drop after drop. The rows of tiny teeth and his miniscule pink tongue were incredible.

After transporting him to the branches of a nearby tree, at the recommendation of Wolf Hollow, we hoped for the best. Incredibly, he was gone the next day. I like to think he is patrolling the night sky near our house.

The experience brought up a lot of questions and concerns. Facebook comments ranged from Install a bat house to Does a vampire live with you? to Contact the health department immediately; rabies are a concern.

After talking with the county health department, it turns out I probably shouldnt have been handling the bat, but the risk of rabies is low.

If you find a bat that is not doing well and is around people, it could have rabies, said County Environmental Health Specialist Gary Covington. In the summer, we get maybe an average of one possible victim per month. It is generally from presumed exposure after finding a bat in sleeping quarters. But weve never had any people in San Juan County turn up with a positive rabies infection.

Low risk of rabies

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Mysterious, good, bad? Bats unveiled

BY SCOTT DORSETT Daily Light Photographer

A man in his early 50s was found deceased on a roof of a home near Waxahachie Global High School Wednesday afternoon.

BY SCOTT DORSETT Daily Light Photographer

A man in his early 50s was found deceased on a roof of a home near Waxahachie Global High School Wednesday afternoon.Once firefighters reached the roof, they anchored a rope on either side of the house to lower the man down on a backboard. The process took about an hour.

Posted: Wednesday, August 20, 2014 5:13 pm | Updated: 5:55 pm, Wed Aug 20, 2014.

Plumber dies on Waxahachie rooftop BY SHELLY CONLON Daily Light Digital News Editor Waxahachie Newspapers Inc.

A man in his early 50s was found deceased on a roof of a home near Waxahachie Global High School Wednesday afternoon.

Emergency responders were called to the 700 block of N. Gibson St. at about 1:30 p.m. and found the man dead on arrival. As of press time, a name had not been released because next of kin had not been notified.

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Plumber dies on Waxahachie rooftop

Its important to highlight that North Devon Council doesnt provide a pest control service. "

ANDY Cole, leader for environmental protection at North Devon Council, said: Rats are no more an issue here in North Devon than any other area. Figures also show there has been no recent increase in complaints to us about them.

Its important to highlight that North Devon Council doesnt provide a pest control service. So, if people see rats in or around their home or business, they are advised to either take pest control measures themselves or seek advice from a reputable pest control contractor.

Mr Cole said the council had a duty to investigate alleged infestations.

He said: We can ensure the home or business owner takes appropriate action. In these instances, people should phone 01271 388870 or email customerservices@northdevon..uk.

A statement on Torridge District Councils website gave advice on how people can reduce the risk of rat infestations.

It said: You can help yourself by ensuring that your premises are in good repair, making it difficult for rats to gain access and making sure air bricks are intact.

Remove any sources of food or water, clear areas, which may offer shelter or nesting materials such as piles of timber or any areas of your garden, which are overgrown.

Do not leave food out for the birds or other animals.

Click in the related content box for the main story

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Rats in Barnstaple: Councils pest control advice

By Taggart Houck | Aug 21, 2014

Georgetown A hearing on the proposed expansion of Fins on Route 1 drew five nearby residents.

Fins is seeking to expand into space previously occupied by a mattress store creating 40 additional interior seats. It has also asked to expand outside with a 614-square-foot patio with 40 exterior seats.

Residents from Beachaven and the local community protested the application, saying the outdoor expansion would be too noisy, especially late at night. The community, located immediately across the street from the restaurant off Parsonage Road, said the noise would not only be bothersome but would also have a negative impact on property value.

Owner of Fins Ale House Jeff Hamer presented his request for outdoor speakers on the patio. Providing background music, he said, is necessary for the restaurant's Route 1 location. He said the two speakers he would likely be using are eight inches each.

The idea is to be able to have a conversation outside, while sitting outside. Not to drown out the conversation, he said.

He said the patio and speakers would be necessary to compete with rival restaurants in the area, which already have patio areas and speakers, such as Big Fish Grill and Applebee's.

Attorney Adam Gerber of Dover, who represented Hamer at the hearing, passed out 572 letters received from patrons supporting the expansion of Fins.

Opponents noted each letter contained the same message with different signatures and addresses. Many letters displayed addresses in Lewes, Milton, Millsboro, and as far away as Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey. Only a few addresses in the stack read Rehoboth Beach.

Permanent Beachaven resident Wonda Mackiewicc testified she is concerned about noise. Mackiewicc said her condominium is in the building closest to Fins, and at night, she can hear employees talking behind the restaurant and customers slamming their car doors.

More here:
No decision on protested Fins expansion

There were stair railings missing, bare walls where art is supposed to be and contractors still in the building doing painting and other touch-up work.

But Olsson Associates' new corporate headquarters at 601 P St. is "99 percent" complete, President Brad Strittmatter said Thursday, and its 200 local employees will start their days in the new building on Monday.

Olsson partnered with Tetrad Development of Omaha to build the new four-story building on the southwest corner of Canopy and P streets.

When the project was announced last year, cost was estimated at about $17 million. Strittmatter said it may wind up being a bit higher. The building cost $10 million, and Olsson spent just over $4 million to build out and outfit its space. He estimated the costs of finishing remaining space at about $3 million to $5 million.

The engineering and design firm will occupy all of the second floor and most of the third, taking about 46,000 square feet of the 82,000 square feet available.

Olsson and Tetrad, who share ownership of the building, are hoping to attract an office tenant for the fourth floor and retail and office tenants to the first floor. Strittmatter said there has been some interest in the spaces but no signed deals as of yet.

Olsson's space is mostly banks of office cubicles with the occasional office and conference room sprinkled in.

It has a very modern feel, with partially exposed ceilings and large windows that let in a lot of natural light.

"From a design standpoint, that's good for employees," Strittmatter said. "It's very sustainable to have natural light."

The new space also has more employee amenities than the offices Olsson is leaving at 1111 Lincoln Mall, including a rooftop deck off the third floor that will be available not just to Olsson employees but also employees of other tenants in the building.

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Olsson Associates ready to move into Haymarket HQ