Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

KENOSHA, Wis. A day later, the only thing clear about Venric Mark is that he no longer plays for Northwestern. He departed Camp Kenosha on Wednesday, much to the sadness of his teammates.

Its a family member our guys know and love, safety Ibraheim Campbell said.

Said quarterback Trevor Siemian: Were just praying for him and hoping everything works out.

The circumstances of his departure will remain murky until Mark addresses them. For a second day, he and family members did not respond to calls or text messages.

Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said he and Mark had a mutual discussion Tuesday night and Mark could have remained with the team. But it seems apparent Mark would have faced more discipline beyond the two-game suspension handed down to him in June for an unspecified violation of team rules.

Faced with the prospect of more punishment, the star tailback and return man opted to return home to Texas. Campbell said Mark told him he was going through some things at home and he needed to be closer to home. I told him we love him and whenever he is back in Chicago, he should hit some of us up.

Mark is one class shy of earning his Northwestern degree, and he can do that at another school and transfer the credit. Whether he also can play for the school as a scholarship athlete or walk-on is unclear.

Asked if he expects to get calls from schools inquiring about Mark, Fitzgerald replied: I hope so. Hes an outstanding football player and a terrific young man. Like I told him and his mom, well help him in any way we can. The challenge, quite frankly, is on him to speak up and reach out. We move on. The program moves on.

In that vein, Fitzgerald took the unusual step Thursday of announcing that four freshmen would play this fall, rather than being redshirted running backs Justin Jackson (Glenbard North) and Solomon Vault, defensive lineman Xavier Washington and superback Garrett Dickerson, younger brother of receiver Cam Dickerson.

Hes really athletic, a strong kid who blocks really well, Siemian said of the 6-foot-3, 250-pound younger Dickerson. They dont burn shirts for no reason, so the kid can play.

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Northwestern sheds little light on Venric Mark's exit

By Wendy A. Jordan August 14 at 11:00 AM

Two years ago, Diane Harris moved out of her longtime home and moved in with her daughter, Rachael, and Rachaels spouse, Wendy Harris. Now Rachael and Wendy have created a home of Dianes own under their roof in Springfield.

Because health issues made it unsafe for Diane, now 78, to live alone, Rachael and Wendy moved Diane into their guest room in 2012. But the split-level house had steps between rooms that were risky for Diane to negotiate, and the guest room was tight quarters for Diane, Wendy says.

The Harrises hired Moss Building and Design of Chantilly to build a 1,000-square-foot addition that incorporates a new kitchen and a great room as well as an in-law suite where Diane enjoys the comfort, privacy and personal touches of her old home, all without stairs.

The suite features a spacious bedroom-living area and an attractive bathroom equipped for safety and ease of use. The bathroom has a large, low-curb shower with ramp entry, a hand-held shower head, a built-in bench and stylish grab bars. Although it is close to the kitchen and great room, the suite has a door that provides nice privacy, Diane says. Doorways are wide for accessibility.

Furniture and collectibles from Dianes old house bring a sense of home and the familiar to her new space. There are bedroom and other furnishings, glassware, paintings and family photographs, decorative hats that belonged to her mother and a tall, antique corner cabinet positioned under a 10-foot-high ceiling section specially designed for it.

Diane loves ice cream, and now she can easily visit the kitchen for late-night ice cream snacks. The new kitchen includes a chair-height counter near the refrigerator and ice cream parlor chairs brought from her house. The suite and other new rooms are working really well, she said.

Demand for in-law suites is growing, says Rodney Harrell, an AARP senior policy adviser and housing expert. With baby boomers aging, the U.S. population of people 65 or older is expected to burgeon from 39.6 million in 2009 to about 72.1 million in 2030, according to federal Administration on Aging data. Thus, more families are looking to provide space in their homes for an elderly relative.

Joe and Janie Mack remodeled their house in Annandale recently to create an in-law suite for Janies mother, Dunny. She was happy as a clam in the suite, Joe says of his mother-in-law, who called it my castle. Dunny, who has since died, regretted only that she had not made the move sooner.

Michael Winn, owner of Winn Design + Build in Falls Church, handled the Mack project, adding an accessible first-floor bedroom and a bathroom suite next to a new family room that replaced a carport. All the new rooms are on one level, with flush thresholds and wide doorways between them. The sitting area of the suite is big enough for a couch and chair. It adjoins a porch, so that it has plenty of natural light and views of the yard where the Macks four children play.

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For an aging parent, an in-law suite can provide a home within a home

EXCLUSIVE Single mother of 5 uses texts to convince thief to return stolen van Single mother of 5 uses texts to convince thief to return stolen van

Updated: Wednesday, August 13 2014 9:37 PM EDT2014-08-14 01:37:50 GMT

A woman used text messages to convince a thief to give her back her stolen van.

A woman used text messages to convince a thief to give her back her stolen van.

Updated: Wednesday, August 13 2014 10:26 PM EDT2014-08-14 02:26:55 GMT

On Aug. 4, the first day Toledo's water was declared safe again, a major act of kindness was seen in a Maumee Kroger store.

On Aug. 4, the first day Toledo's water was declared safe again, a major act of kindness was seen in a Maumee Kroger store.

Updated: Wednesday, August 6 2014 3:15 PM EDT2014-08-06 19:15:09 GMT

Mother Emily Staley and father Richard Staley can be seen kissing and holding their daughter, Monroe, in the black and white images.

Mother Emily Staley and father Richard Staley can be seen kissing and holding their daughter, Monroe, in the black and white images.

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White Castle to begin construction next week in Cape Girardeau

SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, OH (Toledo News Now) -

The owner of Hot Head Burritos in Springfield Township says he is worried he will lose customers because of the McCord underpass construction project.

"There's kids that work here, that they'll lose hours. There are people that we supply and do business with, there is a ripple effect of that economics that it's untold what will happen. We don't know yet," said owner Chuck Salmon.

His regulars that work nearby are also concerned.

"We have a lot of employees that are coming across the tracks for lunch and a lot of the restaurants that are here across the street, so it is going to be difficult when the project does get started," said Bob Krist, who works nearby.

"There will be an impact on McCord Road," said Theresa Pollick with the Ohio Department of Transportation. "Obviously when we are constructing an underpass, that is going to involve the closure of this road."

That's why a public meeting was held to answer questions and tell people when closures are expected to happen.

"We are looking at just lane restrictions on McCord Road while we are doing construction for this year, but next year we'll get into the timing of the closures, which it looks like it is going to be some time for McCord Road early next year in the spring," said Pollick.

To sign up for the Ohio Department of Transportation's email list click here. You can also get updates from OHGo.com.

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Restaurant owner worried about McCord underpass project affecting business

CHICAGOMorningside Group and Crossroads Development Partners broke ground yesterday on NorthShore 770, a mixed-use luxury apartment complex and retail center in suburban Northbrook that the co-developers say will be the first-of-its-kind in the area. The project will combine 347 mid-rise rental apartments and more than 100,000-square-feet of retail outlets, including a Marianos grocery store, Panera Bread, PNC Bank, Chipotle and many others. And the developers say this type of project should become more popular in the future.

Our number one demographic is the empty nester, David Strosberg, president and managing principal of the Chicago-based Morningside Group, tells GlobeSt.com. And one of the things these residents value most these days is the chance to live in a walkable area. The Marianos will be less than a block away, and anyone who wants a coffee and croissant in the morning can walk over to Panera in a few minutes.

If you draw a 3-mile radius around our property, he adds, it takes in the most affluent communities in the Chicago area, and the developers expect that many residents will have other homes, perhaps in the Sunbelt, and only spend a few months out of the year in Northbrook. Grandparents who live at NorthShore 770, for example, can visit their families that live nearby without the expense and trouble that comes with owning and maintaining a single-family home.

Located at 770 Skokie Blvd. on the corner of Dundee Rd., the site is close to popular attractions like Ravinia and the Chicago Botanic Garden. The developers plan to open the retail component in summer 2015 and the apartments in winter 2016.

Strosberg hopes to attract many other groups besides the older empty nesters. Our number two demographic is divorced dads; we think there are a lot of them on the North Shore that want to remain close to their kids. Furthermore, he expects that the young professionals who work in the many corporate headquarters in the region will also find the communitys convenient lifestyle quite appealing.

Upon completion, the midrise building will feature two landscaped courtyards; a heated outdoor pool and sundeck; bocce ball court; secure dog park; outdoor lounges with free WiFi; putting green and golf simulator; four outdoor fire pits; eight semi-private cabanas with 10 stainless steel barbeque stations; theater room with wet bar and free movie and television streaming service; business center and conference room; fitness center with yoga and Pilates studio space; and a community room.

Many of these luxury amenities arent even available in downtown Chicagos newest apartment towers," Srosberg says. "Nothing of this scale has been attempted in the suburbs before. In addition, there has not been any significant multifamily rental construction within that three-mile radius in a very long time. NorthShore 770 is sure to be the most in-demand luxury apartment development in the area.

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Sub. Developers Looking for Empty Nesters

Corner-cutting, cost savings a 'pattern of behaviour,' mining consultant alleges.

Fly-over view of aftermath of tailings pond breach at Mount Polley mine. The same owner, Imperial metals, owns Red Chris mine, where same contractor built tailings pond. Source: Cariboo Regional District.

Imperial Metals Corporation is facing fresh scrutiny of its other major mines across British Columbia in the wake of the Mount Polley dam breach.

Last Monday, the impoundment dam near Likely, B.C. collapsed, dumping 14.5 million cubic metres of tailings into the watershed. Reports have since revealed the firm was warned about dam safety and dangerous tailings levels by employees, their blockade near the Red Chris site near Iskut, B.C. (roughly 500 kilometres northwest of Smithers) by members of Tahltan nation launched on Aug. 8.

The Red Chris impoundment is contained by an earthen dam reportedly similar to the one at Mount Polley, and is designed by the same United Kingdom-based company, AMEC, which took over engineering at the Mount Polley site in 2011 before the tailings dam was raised in height to accommodate rising levels of waste.

One mining consultant familiar with the design and plans for the company's Red Chris project said that the problems weren't just at the Mount Polley site, but asked that his identity not be published due to fears it could hurt his chances of being employed in the industry.

At Red Chris mine, he alleged, the company resisted calls to install a protective lining material across the bottom of the tailings pond or some other measure to reduce tailings leaching from the pond, as recommended by local First Nations, and said the company has not done many of the tests recommended in a 2013 report on the risk of leaks. In addition, he alleged the company has tried to cut costs when it comes to modeling software around impoundment leaks, leading to inadequate data.

He alleged there is pattern that boils down to a lack of "proven contingencies" at Red Chris, a term denoting the actions taken triggered by "undesirable outcomes at the mine site."

"These are what would appear were missing at Mount Polley too," he said. "They don't want them because once you have a proven contingency, then you have a trigger, once you have a trigger then you need monitoring. It all costs them a lot of money."

In addition, the consultant argued, "There's a pattern of behaviour around trying to achieve the least-cost monitoring... They want to get the least onerous monitoring conditions in their permit as possible."

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Imperial Metals Faces Scrutiny over Other Mines' Safety (in News)

DADE CITY City commissioners will offer some financial relief to a resident who unwittingly paid a plumber to repair 10 feet of a city-owned sewer line main near her home.

Juliann Hale paid A.C. Plumbing $1,275 in June to fix the break, which caused a sewage backup in her Southview Avenue home. She subsequently learned that the city was responsible for the line and would have repaired it at no cost to her.

Hale asked the city to reimburse the amount she paid the plumbing company. Last month, the city gave her $250 the amount public works director Gordon Onderdonk said it would have cost the city in materials to fix the break. Through Commissioner Jimmy Shive, Hale asked the commission to consider covering the remaining amount, or at least half of it.

Commissioners agreed Tuesday to pay Hale $387.50 half the bill, minus the $250 Hale has already received. Commissioner Bill Dennis initially balked at the payout, saying it wasn't the city's fault the plumber did not consult the public works department before taking on the work, but eventually joined the other commissioners in agreeing to help Hale.

The repair work involved cutting into a sidewalk to dig up the main line, replacing 10 feet of it, and repairing the sidewalk. Onderdonk said he did not believe Hale was the victim of a scam, but of a "snafu" in which the plumber erroneously believed the resident was responsible for the repair.

Mayor Camille Hernandez questioned whether the city needs to make an effort to educate area plumbers about city-owned water and sewer lines. City Manager Billy Poe did not believe such an effort is necessary.

"Ninety-nine percent of plumbers know better," said Poe.

Dade City to assist with plumbing repair bill 08/14/14 [Last modified: Thursday, August 14, 2014 11:44am]

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Dade City to assist with plumbing repair bill

DIY Pest Control: Fleas | The Dollar Stretcher
We hate to see our pets scratch and suffer with fleas. But what can you do to eliminate them? And, is there a way to do it without nasty chemicals? To find out we #39;ve invited William Slade,...

By: The Dollar Stretcher

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DIY Pest Control: Fleas | The Dollar Stretcher - Video

Utica, NY (PRWEB) August 15, 2014

Tinys Grill is saving $159 a month on its utility bill, while reducing its energy usage and environmental impact. By implementing energy-efficient interior and exterior lighting upgrades throughout the bar, dining room, kitchen, storage and outdoor areas of its Utica, NY location, Tinys Grill has reduced energy consumption by 17,194 kWh, which is equivalent to removing an estimated 18,913 pounds of carbon dioxide from the environment per year, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calculations. The lighting upgrades were completed by SmartWatt Energy via the National Grid Small Business Services Program.

When the owner of Tinys Grill, Joanne Gerace, contacted National Grid to inquire about their Small Business Services Program, SmartWatt came in to perform a complimentary energy audit of all interior and exterior lighting. SmartWatt then proposed a plan to replace the existing lighting systems with energy-efficient fluorescent and LED lighting fixtures throughout the restaurant. These lighting upgrades have not only substantially reduced the restaurants energy costs, but have also resulted in a rebate of $3,955, which according to National Grid, are expected to pay for themselves in only 16 months.

SmartWatt is the administrator and implementation contractor for National Grid's Small Business Services Program in Central, Northern, and the Mohawk Valley regions of upstate New York. The National Grid Small Business Services Program helps businesses with an average peak demand of 100 kW or less per month to conduct energy-efficient upgrade measures. Through this program, SmartWatt will provide a complimentary energy audit and National Grid will pay up to 70 percent of the installation costs completed by SmartWatt and finance the remaining amount interest-free for up to two years.

For more information on the National Grid Small Business Services Program or to schedule a free complimentary energy audit, call 1-800-332-3333 or visit http://www.nationalgridus.com/smallbusiness.

ABOUT SMARTWATT ENERGY, INC.

SmartWatt Energy is a unique energy-efficiency firm. It provides turnkey solutions for utilities, commercial, industrial and institutional clients and also develops proprietary software that streamlines internal workflow processes and provides comprehensive program reporting. SmartWatt Energys three divisions use cutting-edge technologies, design and processes to take on and solve their clients toughest sustainability challenges:

The Commercial, Industrial and Institutional Division works with end-use clients throughout the United States to design and install integrated energy-efficiency projects. Clients look to SmartWatt Energy to provide large-scale savings through turnkey energy auditing, engineering, project management and installation services. The Utility Division contracts directly with utilities to manage their commercial energy efficiency programs. SmartWatt Energys vertically integrated program delivery platform ensures utility program success and client satisfaction, because all elements of the utility program are handled by a talented, integrated, cross-functional team. The Software Development Division creates customized, proprietary software applications to increase efficiencies and provide added value to utilities and national accounts clients.

SmartWatt Energy has won an Inc. magazine Hire Power award and has twice been named one of the Fastest Growing Private Companies in the United States on the magazines annual 5000 list. For more information, visit http://www.smartwattinc.com.

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Tinys Grill of Utica, NY Takes Advantage of $3,955 in Utility Rebates with the National Grid Small Business Services ...

by Aderogba OBISESAN, Joel Olatunde AGOI

LAGOS, August 15, 2014 (AFP) - Kate, Bright and Happiness sat on the lawn of a Lagos brothel, sipping lager and chatting with men in groups of two or four. Business had been good, they said, until Ebola arrived.

"I have been in this business for two years but business has never been this slow," said Kate.

"I used to have an average of seven customers per day but I can hardly see four now since this Ebola disease came to town," the 25-year-old told AFP.

"Many of our customers are afraid to come to us for fear of contracting the disease. This Ebola wahala (problem) is really bad business. The government should do something about it."

With Ebola spread through the bodily fluids of an infected person, including sweat, the sex workers say they've been particularly badly hit by public fears.

"This disease is bad-o!" said 23-year-old Bright. "It is worse than HIV/AIDS. You can prevent HIV by using condoms but you can't do the same with Ebola.

"If care is not taken we will soon be driven out of business because nobody wants to die."

Bushmeat hit

Sex workers aren't the only ones in the informal economy -- in which an estimated three-quarters of Nigerians work -- who are feeling the effects of Ebola. Three people have died of the disease in Lagos, and more are expected.

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Lagos Ebola fears hit sex workers, informal traders