Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

April 29, 2014 Updated Apr 29, 2014 at 6:06 PM CDT

EAST PEORIA, Ill. -- A traveling advocacy group says in-home sprinkler systems can save your home and your life.

They backed that up statement in dramatic fashion on Tuesday.

Common Voices and the Fire Sprinkler Association celebrated Fire Safety Day on Tuesday afternoon in East Peoria.

The groups placed two model living rooms side by side, one with a sprinkler system.

Both rooms were fully engulfed seconds after the fire started but the room with the sprinkler system was quickly extinguished.

Still, some homeowners worry the system is too expensive.

"When you put a sprinkler system in a new home and you advertise it over a 30 year mortgage, it's less than a dollar a day, said Bob Tinucci, Illinois Regional Manager of the Fire Sprinkle Association. This is a simple system to build life safety into the home. It's no different that auto manufacturers requiring airbags and seat belts."

Ninety-four communities in Illinois mandate sprinklers be installed in all new construction.

Organizers of Tuesdays event hope more cities in central Illinois adopt that rule.

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Group hosts sprinkler demonstration for Fire Safety Day

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) April 29, 2014

Los Angeles landscaping company, Neighborhood Gardening, now offers sprinkler system installation services to area homeowners and businesses. In contrast to manual watering methods, automatic sprinkler watering requires no special attention once installed and configured. This service allows more area clients to keep their lawns, gardens and landscaping plants healthy throughout the year. With plenty of experience designing and installing these systems, Neighborhood Gardening is an efficient choice for creation and maintenance of a hands-free successful landscape.

About Neighborhood Gardening Services Los Angeles

Neighborhood Gardening, Los Angeles landscaping company, has been offering client-focused landscape services since 2009. In addition to installing sprinkler systems in Los Angeles area, Neighborhood Gardening professionals offer deck construction, design of landscapes and hardscapes, installation and repair of irrigation systems, placement of sod and artificial grass in Los Angeles and several other services. With this broad selection of options performed on budget and on time consistently, hundreds of clients in Los Angeles rely on the company for regular installation and maintenance of commercial and residential lawns and gardens throughout the year.

The dry climate of Southern California presents certain challenges to property owners who want a lush, attractive landscape that onlookers will love. During long summer days of intense sunshine, multiple water sessions may be necessary to sustain trees, shrubs and flowers. Unfortunately, watering by hand can result in wasting water or overwatering an entire garden or parts of it. Using the professional sprinkler system installation services of Neighborhood Gardening ensures that sprinklers are selected and configured optimally for lower water bills and protection from property damage.

A variety of systems can be chosen by clients who use Los Angeles landscaping company Neighborhood Gardening. For example, above-ground or below-ground systems may be best depending on certain conditions. For larger areas of grass, oscillating sprinklers may be recommended. Pulsating types are a more affordable option ideal for rounded sections of vegetation. For the lowest cost when watering smaller lawns, stationary sprinklers can be ideal. Neighborhood Gardening technicians analyze every lawn to determine the ideal product and system design for the best results. With any type of system, property values are likely to increase, making sprinkler systems sound investments for virtually any home or business that requires regular watering.

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Los Angeles Landscaping Company, Neighborhood Gardening, Now Offers Sprinkler System Installation Services

Rachio's Iro smart sprinkler controller Rachio

Spring is here, homeowners, and that means that it's time to start thinking about your yard again. Lucky for you, lawn care startup Rachio wants to help. Its Iro smart sprinkler controller is designed to simplify scheduling and save you money.

Iro connects to your home Wi-Fi and can be controlled from anywhere via smartphone app. Prices start at $249 for an 8-zone controller and go up to $299 for a 16-zone controller. It looks a little like the Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide detector -- definitely an improvement on current sprinkler controller design.

Iro says that setup can be completed in just three steps. Remove your existing irrigation controller, install Iro in its place, and download the Iro app on your Android or iOS device. Not only will it schedule like your old system, it will also use Wi-Fi to monitor local weather and adjust itself accordingly. A 100 percent chance of rain? Iro won't let your sprinklers run. The idea is that you will save money without having to spend as much time tracking the forecast. What a beautiful thought.

The Iro app Rachio

Iro will even send you reports detailing your monthly water usage. And if you lose your Wi-Fi connection for any reason, Iro will notify you that it has lost its signal and continue to operate using the last schedule you programmed. It isn't equipped with a backup battery, though, so it won't work during a power outage. Iro units are available for pre-order now, and the first shipment is expected to go out in early May.

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Iro smart controller seeks to simplify your home sprinkler setup

DES MOINES, Iowa (PRWEB) April 29, 2014

Brad Van Weelden Co., a general contractor with a diverse offering of roofing, siding and alternative exterior home improvement services here and throughout Iowa, has been recognized as a 2014 Better Business Bureau Integrity Award Winner by the Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Iowa, Quad Cities and Siouxland Region.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) Integrity Awards were created in 1993 to publicly recognize organizations and businesses for dealing fairly, honestly and ethically in the marketplace. Trust, reliability and ethics are among characteristics sought by the BBB in terms of establishing criteria for the awards with application materials judged by an independent panel of community volunteers.

To qualify for a 2014 BBB Integrity Award, eligible businesses that were nominated by a client, of at least three years in age and in good standing with the BBB were asked to submit a narrative along with supportive documentation related to their marketing and communications practices, reputation in the industry and community, and relations with customers, vendors, suppliers and employees.

We are both excited and honored to receive this award, said Brad Van Weelden Co. President Brad Van Weelden, who accepted the award on behalf of his company during a BBB awards ceremony, Thursday, April 24, at the Downtown Des Moines Marriott Hotel.

Our staff and crews were humbled to learn that we were nominated by a customer for a 2014 BBB Integrity Award. We feel like this award validates our ongoing commitment to our clients and our community. We've always been proud of our A+ rating with the BBB, and we've worked hard to maintain a professional reputation while dealing respectfully with our clients, vendors, and employees.

About Brad Van Weelden Co.

Brad Van Weelden Co. is a Des Moines, Iowa-based general contractor with 17 years of qualified experience in all aspects of the exterior home improvement industry. Recommendations and word-of-mouth reviews are at the heart of Brad Van Weelden Co., which utilizes best practices during the marketing and bidding processes while employing electronic client-surveying tools to ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction at the completion of every job. Brad Van Weelden Co. maintains trusted relationships with leading manufacturers and stays up to date on the latest trends in the modern installation of roofing systems, siding systems, windows, doors, decks, gutters and more.

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Des Moines General Contractor Brad Van Weelden Co. Named a 2014 Better Business Bureau Integrity Award Winner

Austin Mahone Sheds Tear Over Being Unfollowed By Selena Gomez on Twitter
Austin Mahone is REALLY upset about Selena Gomez unfollowing him on Twitter."I was sad when she wasn #39;t following me, I shed one single tear!" Austin said in an interview.

By: hollywoodbackstage

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Austin Mahone Sheds Tear Over Being Unfollowed By Selena Gomez on Twitter - Video

A Public Affair Analyst Sheds Light on Issues Brought up at the National Conference
A Public Affair Analyst Invited to Shed Light on Issues Brought up at the National Conference.

By: Silverbird Television

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A Public Affair Analyst Sheds Light on Issues Brought up at the National Conference - Video

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Greg Johnson: Little Pigeon River's cleanup a long time coming

For Andrew Alexander, president of the Red Roof Inn budget hotel chain,a $24 strip of electrical outlets proved to be the killer room addition.

That wasnt the only change Alexander made as part of a sweeping renovation following the companys default nearly five years ago. At dozens of Red Roof Inn locations, the company ripped up carpet and installed faux-wood flooring, replaced old countertops with granite surfaces, changed out the sinks, switched to larger flat-screen televisions and higher-quality beds, and began doling out free snack boxes to guests. The cost to upgrade each room runs as high as$10,000and nowhere has the return on investment been better than those inexpensive power strips fitted on nightstands. Can you imagine all those people in fancy hotel rooms crawling around the floor looking for a plug? says a bemused Alexander, a former corporate attorney. Everyone travels with their gadgets.

The Red Roof Plus+ concept debuted at 31 properties this spring, with nine more upgrades planned by yearend. Ultimately, the chain expects to have as many as one-quarter of its 360 properties converted to the new design. The privately held company says the new rooms cost an average daily rate of $72, or 8 percent above pre-renovation rates, and the upgrades have led to increased occupancy of about seven additional rooms per night at the revamped properties.

The average daily hotel room rate across the U.S. was $112 in the first quarter, according to lodging research firm STR, almost twice Red Roof Inns average room rate. Theres a limit to how far upmarket the brand will go. We are not about amenity creep, Alexander says. We are not about throwing things at our customers that they dont want.

Across the budget hotel sector, however, amenities are on the rise, from free Wi-Fi to nicer pillows. Since the 2008 financial crisis decimated the hospitality industry, budget chains such as Wyndham Worldwide (WYN)s Days Inn and Super 8 and Choice Hotels International (CHH)s Quality and Comfort Inn brands have been making strategic investments aimed at boosting room rates without alienating their core customers: families on vacation, truckers, small-business travelers, and the self-employed. The trend is being driven by travelers who insist that a hoteleven at the budget endoffer the comforts of home, says Red Roof Inns chief marketing officer, Marina MacDonald.

That has led to some blurring of the lines between budget and midrange brands, such as Hilton Worldwide Holdings (HLT) Hampton Inn and La Quinta Inns & Suites (LQ). It has also left economy to a hodgepodge of brands with varying levels of consistency, Alexander says,creating a new opportunity for Red Roof Inn. You want consistency of quality, and our competitors are not delivering that.

Red Roof Inns sale by Accor in 2007 was among the last of the big buyout deals before the financial crisis, a $1.3 billion transaction led by Citigroup (C)sGlobal Special Situations Group. The chain collapsed into default two years later amid more than $350 million in debt payments it was unable to make. Its now owned by three real estate investment firms: Dune Capital Management, Five Mile Capital Partners, and Westmont Hospitality Group.

The Columbus (Ohio)-based company owns nearly half its properties and franchises the rest, a higher ratio than many of its budget rivals. Over time, as Red Roof Inn seeks to expand to 500 properties next year and 600 in subsequent years, it is likely to have more franchisees. The company also needs to add properties west of the Mississippi River, Alexander says, given its meagerfootprint there.

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Red Roof Inn and the Blurred Lines of Budget Hotels

Published: Tuesday, April 29, 2014 at 10:24 p.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, April 29, 2014 at 10:24 p.m.

Its scary when you or a family member needs to go to the emergency room. By next spring, residents living in northern New Hanover and eastern Pender counties will have greater peace of mind should a medical emergency occur. New Hanover Regional Medical Center broke ground Tuesday for a new, full-service emergency room near the county line.

It will be a welcome addition to the areas health care network. Access to good medical care is one of the many things people consider when they move or retire to an area. NHRMC regularly treats patients from a seven-county area, and as the population of the region grows, the hospital must keep up.

The hospital has grown over the years, from a single facility to buildings on several sites that specialize in orthopedics, cancer treatment, womens and childrens medical needs, psychiatric care and rehabilitation. New Hanover Regional owns Cape Fear Memorial Hospital and has management agreement to operate Pender Memorial Hospital.

Population growth in the Hampstead/Porters Neck/Scotts Hill area has created a need for a 24-hour emergency room to serve the area. Whether by ambulance or by personal car, its important to get to an emergency room quickly. It can be quite a drive from those and nearby communities to a full-fledged emergency room, and when you or a loved one needs help right now, the distance seems even longer.

A recent report by the nonprofit news organization Pro Publica found that wait times in New Hanover Regionals emergency room were longer than other hospitals in the region, although they were not too different from other hospitals with trauma centers, which treat critically injured patients. The main emergency department gets more than 80,000 visits per year, and Cape Fears smaller emergency room sees about 35,000 a year. Those numbers are only projected to grow.

The new emergency room should help reduce wait times by providing residents of northern New Hanover County and eastern Pender County a more convenient place to go with medical conditions that need immediate treatment. It also will create 50 new jobs, many of which will go to locally trained people.

The new facility will be next to the hospitals outpatient surgery clinic, Atlantic SurgiCenter, off Market Street just south of the Pender County line. Trauma patients and patients who need critical care will be taken to the main hospital off South 17th Street, but the new facility will be a fully operational ER with the means to stabilize patients before sending them to Wilmington.

The Porters Neck area has a privately run urgent care center that is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. It serves a need and will continue to do so; not all ailments or injuries need ER treatment, and having facilities that handle less critical medical problems takes the burden off already-busy emergency rooms.

The 30,000-square-foot building will cost about $15.1 million and is expected to open in June 2015.

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Editorial - New emergency facility will serve growing population

COTTONWOOD - In the 12 years since it was built, a lot has changed at Lakeview School. One of the biggest and most pressing changes, school officials said Sunday, is that student enrollment has started to outgrow the building. Lakeview's never needed a waiting list for preschool registration until now, Superintendent Chris Fenske said.

"It's a good problem to have, but at the same time we don't want to turn families away," Fenske said to an audience of about 50 area community members on Sunday night.

To help address those needs, the Lakeview School District is considering building a 27,000 square-foot addition to the school building, and remodeling several existing classrooms and offices. The building proposal will go before the public in a special election on May 13. Sunday's meeting was the first of three public information sessions the school district is holding before the vote.

One of the major features of the proposed building project would be an addition including preschool and elementary-level classrooms, a gymnasium and space for community education. More than 11,000 square feet of the existing school would also be remodeled, to offer expanded space for special education classrooms and reconfigured school offices.

The parking would also be expanded to allow more space for event parking, said Jeri Fink of architectural firm Wendel.

Under the proposed building plans, both the elementary and secondary school offices would be relocated closer to the school's main entrances. This would help staff screen visitors and provide better security for the school, Fink said.

If approved, the cost of the building addition would be paid for through a $7.98 million bond, with a term of 19.5 years, said a representative of financial consulting group Ehlers. The bond would mean a property tax increase for taxpayers in the school district. In one example, for a residential property valued at $100,000, it was estimated that property taxes would increase about $47 in 2015.

Speakers said it was more complicated to try and estimate the bond's tax impact on non-homestead agricultural land. However, a property tax calculator tool is available at the Lakeview School district website, along with other information on the proposed building addition.

Fenske said the proposed school addition is the end result of months of study, as well as input from community members who served on a building task force.

"The school board has been very clear that it wanted the process to include the community, be community-driven, and be transparent," Fenske said. The task force identified several priorities for a building project, including school security, adequate educational space, flexibility, and community use.

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Lakeview seeks elbow room in school addition vote