As Polish wolf families grow bigger and theres not enough space for new ones, the younger wolves are forced to migrate away. Ronald Wittek/PAP/EPA

New research conducted by the Warsaw University maps the DNA of the Polish wolf population and presents their dynamic expansion west.

After seven years of work and analysis of over 2,300 samples of wolf excrement, urine, and fur and tissue fragments from dead wolves, the scientists can not only distinguish three main groups within the species, but also where they migrate.

To add a broader geographical context, they cooperated with researcher from Lithuania, Belarus, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

With detailed knowledge of the areas wolves inhabit, scientists can propose measures to protect them.Isster17/ Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license

The results, published in Scientific Reports, shows that the Polish wolf population can be divided into Carpathian, Baltic and Central European groups, as well as smaller ones in the areas of Roztocze, Janowskie and Solska forests.

It is estimated, that the Polish wolf population has between 1,500 and 2,500 species. As wolves are crucial to ecosystems, naturally regulating the populations of other animals, their presence is highly sought after.

Unlike in most of Central Europe, the Polish wolf population wasnt hunted down during the 19th and 20th century. Now the canines are returning to forests all over Europe, travelling from Poland to as far as Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium.

Prof. Robert Mysajek from the Warsaw Universitys Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology gathered and genetically analysed excrements, urine, hair and fragments of tissues from dead individuals from all over Poland.Nauka w Polsce

As Polish wolf families grow bigger and theres not enough space for new ones, the younger wolves are forced to migrate away, keeping the population stable.

The packs can be as big as 20 wolves, though usually they are much smaller, including one canine family a male and a female, their cubs and sometimes younger wolves from previous litters.

The two packs in Wigry National Park (WPN) are a good example of this phenomenon. With their numbers falling since 2015 to less than ten, this year brought the happy news of little cubs being born.

After seven years of work and analysis of over 2,300 samples, the scientists can not only distinguish three main groups within the species, but also where they migrate.Scientific Reports

Maciej Romaski from the WPNs Research and Education Laboratory told PAP: In the spring, eight wolves were born in two families, four in each, but we do not know how many of them survived, because the mortality rate among young wolves is high.

While six-month-old wolves are already quite big, they arent yet independent. The young ones still do not accompany their parents in their wanderings in the forest, and they spend most of their time in hiding places.

Once other animals, such as deer, foxes and boars are aware of the wolves presence, they become more cautious leading to eating more and letting the flora recover. In addition, wolves tend to kill the sick and weaker animals, strengthening the populations in the long run.

A month ago a young cub found on the side of the road after being hit by a car was reunited with his mom, thanks to the DNA mapping of Polish canines.Orodek Rehabilitacji Mysikrlik Na Pomoc Dzikim Zwierztom/Facebook

The research on Polish wolves genome proved not just theoretical, but a life-saver too. A month ago a young cub found on the side of the road after being hit by a car was reunited with his mom, thanks to the DNA mapping of Polish canines.

After a month of recuperation at the Mysikrlik Rehabilitation Centre and Wilk (Wolf) Nature Association, the young one was set free.

If he was released on his own, theres little chance the wolf cub would survive without the support of his pack.

In the future, these findings can be used to help preserve the wolf species.

Dr. Sabina Nowak from the Wilk (Wolf) Nature Association said that thanks to their research making recommendations for the protection of particular subpopulations of the wolf will be much easier.Research gate

With detailed knowledge of the areas they inhabit, scientists can propose measures to protect them.

Dr. Sabina Nowak, Wilk (Wolf) Nature Associations President and member of Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe said: The European Commission has long recommended the introduction of transboundary plans for species conservation, taking into account the extent of individual subpopulations.

Thanks to our analyses the work on recommendations for the protection of particular subpopulations of the wolf will be much easier.

To read more about wolf research go HERE and HERE.

See original here:
Fascinating new research sheds light on unknown secrets of Polish wolf packs - The First News

University of Louisville Alumna Deedee Cummings (98, 04) believes literacy is a fundamental human right. As the author of 11 diverse picture books, poetry books and workbooks, she knows people who read develop deeper empathy for one another.

She recently gained national headlines for a very special Christmas book, written with her very own children in mind.

As a mom, I could not find a story about Santa that featured a main character who looked like my own kids, Cummings said in a press release issued by Blue Cottage Agency. After much research, In The Nick of Time is quite possibly the first published book where a little brown boy helps Santa Claus save Christmas.

Cummings is extremely involved in community service and often presents stories that reflect the lives of those often not portrayed in the media.

It is so important for my children to also feel special and wanted and needed, and like Santa could trustor call on them too, Cummings said. This story is beautiful and filled with messages all children need to hear about poverty, gratitude and service to others.

Cummings encourages the children she works with to write as a way to process emotions and express themselves. She has presented on multiple topics around the country, promotes reading through various programs, and founded the Louisville Book Festival.

For the complete story, visit UofLalumni.org.

Continued here:
Alumna sheds light on diversity in holiday book - uoflnews.com

COMMENTARY

The Patriots offense has been ugly for a while now, but initially that didnt appear to be a product of the quarterback play. If anything, it looked like the struggles wouldve been even mightier, and the result even more grotesque, had a lesser slinger than Tom Brady been standing behind center.

And that may yet be true. The saving grace for the Pats has been the offenses general ability to protect the ball, and perhaps a different quarterback wouldve complicated things with a few careless mistakes.

But after he uncharacteristically missed a few open throws last week, and played a factor in letting the Bengals linger into the third quarter, its time to wonder with Brady. Is he a shell of his former self, as the Globe suggested this week? Is it an injury, maybe to his elbow? Or is it just a result of whats surrounding him when he enters the huddle?

Ultimately, the answer may be one that dictates how the Patriots handle the pending free agent in the coming months and while theres more to the equation, obviously, when those negotiations do happen, the numbers are going to give New England all the power.

Almost across the board, the stats suggest a decline from the greatest of all time, looking at them in the context of his own high standards and compared to his contemporaries. Heres a look at (TB)12 number-based facts of particular note:

Brady completed just 45.9 percent of his passes the first time the Pats faced the Bills, and what was an outlier early in the season has become a trend. He enters Sundays game on a streak of five straight performances in which hes failed to complete better than 56 percent of his throws. (The league average is 63.8 percent this season, for what its worth.)

Before this stretch, Brady had never gone more than three weeks in a row with a completion rate so low. He slumped through a three-week drought in 2015, but that was the only time it had happened since 2006. In fact, from 2009-18, there was only one other instance where it happened in even two consecutive weeks.

Brady began the year having never had more than six games in a season in which he completed 56 percent of his passes or less, but through 14 contests hes experienced it seven times. Fortunately for the Patriots, theyre 5-2 in those games. Through 2018, they were 30-27 in regular-season games when Brady failed to complete better than 56 percent of his throws.

Counting the playoffs, Bradys career winning percentage when his completion percentage is 56 or lower was .530 (35-31) before this season. When he was north of 56 percent, it was 83.5 percent (202-40). Further, before being true in half his games this season, it was true for Brady in just 21 percent of his career contests.

According to the NFLs Next Gen Stats, the expectation for Bradys throws is that he should have a 63.9 percent completion rate. That dip of 3.8 percent from expected is third-worst among passers whove tried at least 200 passes, slotting him between Gardner Minshew and Baker Mayfield. It should be noted, though, that its not just the QB. The Pats 21 drops rank third in the league, and he is also among the league leaders in throwaways after a play breaks down.

On average, Brady has had 2.74 seconds to throw this season. Thats 12th-fewest among passers with at least 200 attempts, but according to the NFL its the most time hes had from snap to throw since the league began tracking it in 2016. Thats true, despite the fact Bradys target is on average 7.5 yards down field, decreased from nine yards in 20

Bradys passer rating of 86.5 is his lowest for a full season since 2003 and by the end of the weekend it could be tracking to the lowest of his career. Thats a distinction dubiously held for now by the 85.7 he posted in 2002. And its not just subpar per his own Canton standards. It ranks 20th in the league this season among qualifying quarterbacks.

Occupying the three spots ahead of him are Philip Rivers, Jameis Winston, and Kyler Murray. Thats two guys who could lose their starting jobs before next season, plus a rookie, and combined theyve thrown 52 interceptions (against 68 touchdowns).

In 2008, ESPN introduced its own QBR statistic, which is essentially a modified version of passer rating that tries to factor in more of the in-game circumstances to evaluate a quarterbacks performance and value. Since then, Brady has never finished a season with a QBR worse than 62.1. This year hes at 50.1, leaving quite a gap between him and the leader, Lamar Jackson, the MVP frontrunner whos at 80.2.

A defense as good as New Englands hasnt left the Pats in many positions where theyre scrambling, but with two weeks to go Brady has led zero fourth-quarter comebacks, and zero game-winning fourth-quarter drives. If that holds through Week 17, itll be the first season since 2004 that he finishes without at least one of each. That year he put together one game-winning possession, but it didnt require a comeback.

Is Brady locking in too much on Julian Edelman? Edelmans 140 targets comprise more than a quarter of the balls the quarterback has thrown this season, and are 53 more than the next-closest Patriot. For comparisons sake, in Bradys two MVP seasons, the target leaders were Brandon Cooks (19.5 percent in 2017, nine more targets than Rob Gronkowski) and Randy Moss (27.3 percent in 2007, 15 more than Wes Welker). Those dont suggest hes overusing Edelman at least when Edelman is healthy enough to be a viable option.

Entering Sunday at 3.7 per tote, this is on track to be the ninth time in Bradys 18 seasons as the Pats primary starter that the team averages fewer than four yards per carry. (Interestingly, the teams most efficient rushing season since 2001 came in 2008, when Brady missed all but half a quarter.)Historically, though, there hasnt appeared to be much correlation between the Pats running problems and the teams success. Four of the seven previous seasons in which theyve picked up fewer than four yards per rush, theyve won the Super Bowl. Also included in the mix are a season in which Brady led the league in passing yardage (2005), another when he led the league in touchdown passes (2015), and five in which hes been voted to the Pro Bowl.

Perhaps related to the lack of a running game, Brady is second across the NFL in passing attempts, with his 551 trailing Winston by three for the lead. Despite this, hes just seventh in completions, ninth in first downs, and tied for 12th in touchdown passes. Only 3.8 percent of his passes have resulted in touchdowns, tied with Kyle Allen and Mitchell Trubisky for 23rd in the league.

Brady does rank ninth in the league in passing yards, and theres a surprising list of guys hes ahead of with 3,565 Kirk Cousins (3,481), Jimmy Garoppolo (3,445), Carson Wentz (3,431), Lamar Jackson (2,889) among those whove also played 14 games.

As it relates specifically to these final two regular-season tilts, much is made of Bradys relative struggles against the Dolphins but his career numbers against Miami are strikingly similar to what hes produced against Buffalo. Per football-reference hes faced each 34 times, and Bradys average game against the Dolphins is 20-of-32 for 234 yards, 1.9 touchdowns, and 0.8 interceptions; against the Bills, its 21-of-33 for 247 yards, two touchdowns, and 0.7 interceptions.

Original post:
12 Tom Brady stats that shed light on his 2019 season - Boston.com

Wanda, a six-year-old house cat once gravely overweight, will be ringing in year 2020 new and improved and quite a bit leaner after a year of healthy eating and exercise, thanks to a Prince George veterinarian.

This year was one of great transformation for Wanda, who was adopted by Dr. Jennifer McLachlan, a veterinarian at Ospika Animal Hospital, in December of last year after being surrendered to the Prince George Human Society due to complications from her diabetes.

At 30 pounds, Wanda was so overweight she couldnt groom herself and struggled to walk due to her wrists sinking from carrying the extra fat, the hospital said in a Facebook post at the time.

She was only able to take a few steps at a time and her joints were terrible overextended due to the extreme weight they were under.

But McLachlan, who has been known to take in geriatric animals including another diabetic cat named Chubby Chicken Burger, built a special walker to help Wanda move more easily. The feline was also placed on a strict diet to help maintain her muscle while she shed the pounds.

In an update on Wandas weight loss posted on Facebook last week, the animal hospital happily announced the cat has lost nearly 10 pounds, or one-third of her body weight.

While Wanda is certainly not an athlete, she is now able to move around the house on her own and can go down the stairs, the animal hospital said. She has started to show some personality and its clear to everyone that she is feeling so much better!

The average domestic cat weighs from seven to 25 pounds, depending on the breed.

@ashwadhwani[emailprotected]Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Go here to see the original:
VIDEO: Wanda, a severely overweight cat, sheds 10 pounds with help from BC vet - Coast Mountain News

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Md. (WDVM) About 135,000 children are adopted in the United States each year. Many of them, who have only experienced traumatic situations, are forced to start over with new faces and new homes.

For Washington County residents, Paul and Rodi Kadin, they have fostered children for over 20 years. They say, not being able to start a family of their own is when their journey began.

If I cant get pregnant and when I do, I lose them right away. Maybe this just isnt the right route I am supposed to have. When I was a child I had said I wanted to adopt and so who knows why all these things come to us, Rodi said.

The couple went through extensive training to become foster parents and more. They decided to also be a part of respite care.

We got a call on a Monday about an 11-year-old child that needed a place to stay for a couple of weeks because they had a long term family that went on vacation. So Wednesday Rodi gets the call, and the social worker says oh I didnt read the file its a twin can you take both girls, so it went from an 11- year-old to two eleven-year-olds and their sister. So we went from one child to a family of three girls, Paul said.

After fostering 18 children, they started their own adoption journey. They adopted a little girl names Sharlana at the age of four. The Kadins say, interracial adoption needs more positive light.

Were in a white community, and we were very open to our black child, Rodi said, holding back tears.

Sharlana, known by her peers as Eve, is now 26 years old. She graduated from the University of Maryland and works full time. She says after living a traumatized life with an abusive father, her mother did what was best and gave her up for adoption. Eve says having white parents never bothered her, but it followed her as she grew up.

Its so interesting telling people, Im adopted and I have white parents, they say oh my gosh youre adopted with white parents? In the black society they would be like why would they want to adopt a black child, so of course, growing up I have to say it was difficult trying to fit in because I always felt like I was I between, Eve said.

Eve also says, there will be one day when an adopted child asks their parents why they chose them.

She starts crying on the phone and she said, honestly its not because of your race, I didnt see the color I saw a child that needed a loving home, Eve said.

Eve explained that its people like the Kadins that make life worth living. She says she doesnt know where she would be today if Paul and Rodi, her mom and dad, werent in her life.

I thank them so much for adopting me, and giving me things that I only could have dreamed of as a child and loved me for not my race but my soul and everything, Eve said, holding back tears of joy.

Sharlana says she wants to start her own homeless foundation, to help other people just like her.

See the rest here:
A Boonsboro couple that spent their lives fostering children shed light on interracial adoption - WDVM 25

By ELIZABETH LEPRO

TOWN OF DELAWARE, NY Ed Sykes gave the last aye of his eight-year tenure as supervisor of the Town of Delaware Wednesday, December 11, agreeing with all but one of the town board members to accept a $680,000 bid for a new highway salt shed.

The current Delaware highway barn is in dire condition, Sykes said, citing flooding and holes in the roof. This is the second time the town has sent the project to bid, hoping the price would be lower.

If we went back and said were going to bid it again, I dont know that it would be any different using the same set of specs, Sykes said.

The towns engineering firm, Delaware Engineering secured $493,000 in grants for the shed from the state. That grant, said engineer Dave Ohman, comes with stipulations from the New York State Office of General Services (OGS) that make the project more expensive. Additionally, the shed will be 3,000 square feet with a 30-foot opening for machinery, larger than other nearby highway sheds.

Several people in the audience Wednesday questioned the high price tag, and the specs for the new design.

This isnt just a plain salt shed that several municipalities could have built, Ohman said, in response. In regards to the QIP [grant] money, you have to comply with the state Office of General Services requirements for the structure, so youre not going to build something that you could build in the Town of Fremont or you could build in the Town of Callicoon. This is something that has to go to a higher standard.

Though Al Steppich expressed his reluctance to accept the bid, Chris Hermann was the only nay vote. Ed Sykes said that no one has been willing to work with him on building the barn for less, which has forced him to rely on the grant.

After the vote, the town will move forward with the project under the direction of incoming supervisor Steve Lundgren.

Earlier in the evening, county manager Josh Potosek delivered a report on the 2020 tentative Sullivan County budget.

The county plans to appropriate $233,129,442 for the year, a $1,157,564 decrease from 2019. The county is planning a 1.59 percent tax-rate increase.

Also notable in the report is that the county is expecting $1,800,000 in revenue from room taxes this year, $2,650,000 in casino gaming and $49,000,000 in sales tax, all of which are increases from 2019.

Here are some other takeaways from Potoseks report:

Notably, the town is budgeting $500,000 to a homeless housing intake and processing center near the Department of Family Services on Community Lane in Liberty. This is something that deputy of the department William Moon has been advocating for in the last several years.

Harold Roeder, the representative from the Upper Delaware Council (UDC), also signed off on Wednesday. He has appeared diligently at the monthly meetings to offer reports on water.

Roeder made one last speech about inadequate state funding for the UDC Wednesdaythe agency has received the same funding since the 80sbut ended his tenure on a positive note.

Ive had the privilege of being the chair of the UDC three times in 22 years, Roeder said. And I just have to tell the people here and the board, I have been honored to represent this title and you people and all the supervisors that were here when I served I hope Ive been able to be of help to you.

Roeder received a round of applause from those gathered.

Sykes rounded up all the projects hes been involved in, including the new Callicoon Water District, working with the state agency regulations, the sewer project and this ongoing project of moving the highway department. He finished with a sentimental thought.

Its been my great privilege and honor to serve people in the Town of Delaware, Sykes said. It has also been my great honor and privilege to work with some really great people, including this board Everybody truly loves the town, and I thank you guys for that.

Read the original:
Sykes signs off, board moves forward with $680000 salt shed project - The River Reporter

While the holidays are fast approaching, that doesnt mean that work hasnt started on The Batman.

A new report has surfaced that construction is underway at Cardington Sheds in the U.K. for what is said to be a scene in The Batman centered around a cathedral.

The sheds, which are actually hangers, have a long history of being featured in movies. Christopher Nolan has used them in Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, and Inception. They have also served as the Rebel Base on Yavin 4 in both Star Wars: A New Hope and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Following on from the news that the Sheds were involved, the news turned to it being a funeral scene thanks to a posting by an extras agency. Action Feature Film has a huge funeral scene filming in Feb in Cardington Bedfordshire! The location matches up with where the Sheds are, as well as fitting in with the filming schedule of The Batman.

Considering the size of the sheds, dont be surprised if a lot more of the film is shot there. Well be keeping an eye out for sure.

With filming is expected to begin this winter, it looks as though everything is beginning to come together for the long-gestating film.

AlertMe

Here is the original post:
Matt Reeves' The Batman has begun setting up filming locations - Batman-News

CARSON Austin Ekeler didnt want any hints. He thought he knew the name of the Chargers home venue of the past three seasons.

They changed it to Dont tell me, the Chargers running back said. It used to be StubHub. Now its Divinity Health.

Chargers punter Ty Long had a better guess.

Dignity Health complex? Long said incorrectly.

Chargers defensive tackle Damion Square didnt hesitate. He knew the answer.

The Chargers played their home games this season at Dignity Health Sports Park. The only sports park in the NFL. The only soccer stadium in the NFL, and the only venue with less than 30,000 seats.

For three seasons, the Chargers home was one of a kind, but their time in Carson will come to an end Sunday against the Oakland Raiders. To many Chargers, the ending couldnt have come any sooner. Theyre ready to move to the new, shiny SoFi Stadium in Inglewood next season.

My real feeling Im kinda ready to get out of StubHub, to be honest, Ekeler said. Its small. Its cramped in the locker room. Its a good temporary spot, I guess.

Many Chargers shrugged when asked if theyll miss their temporary home with two names. It was StubHub Center before being renamed this year.

The Dig Yeah, we call it the Dig, Ekeler said after remembering the current name of the home venue. I havent said the name in a while. We havent had a home game in a while (before last weeks game).

In reality, the Chargers didnt have many home games in Carson. They were often booed because the opposing teams fans outnumbered the home fans by a wide margin. Its hard to get sentimental about a temporary venue with jeering crowds.

Theyll likely be booed again Sunday with the stands covered in silver and black to support the Raiders, the beloved former Los Angeles squad.

Im pretty excited for the new stadium to open up, Chargers right guard Michael Schofield said. Thats one way to say it. Its just been a very unique three seasons. Look at the game last week (against the Minnesota Vikings), 90 percent purple, maybe. Thats tough. Hopefully when we go to the new stadium its a lot better. Hopefully we have a decent fan base, a decent following.

Many Chargers fans took advantage of the high-priced demand on secondary ticket market websites and sold their tickets to people wanting to see their favorite team make a rare visit to Los Angeles. For more than two decades, there wasnt a pro football team in Los Angeles. Many football fans gravitated to other teams and likely wont change those allegiances any time soon just because the NFL returned to Los Angeles.

The Rams have also seen the visiting fans outnumber theirs at home, but not as often as the Chargers have, and its definitely not as noticeable at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with a seat capacity of 78,000.

Dignity Health Sports Park, which holds 27,000, provided arguably the best fan experience in the NFL, but it wasnt much of an experience for the Chargers.

My mom came to a couple games, Schofield said. She said its very, very intimate. Its perfect for fans. Its nice for fans because theres no bad seat. You can sit anywhere and see the whole thing.

From a fan perspective it was nice, it was just hard not having a true home-field advantage. That was the problem.

Chargers coach Anthony Lynn compared Dignity Health Sports Park to high school football stadiums in Texas. Long said it was similar to the stadiums in the Canadian Football League, where he played two seasons with the BC Lions before joining the Chargers this season.

Were going to miss the place, said Lynn, who had his introductory news conference in 2017 at the home of the L.A. Galaxy. You never are going to play someplace like that again, I believe, in that type of intimate environment. Well miss it, but were looking forward to going to our new home.

The Chargers lost their first three games in Carson before winning the final five home games of the 2017 season. They have an 11-10 home record there and are 14-9 on the road during that three-year span.

Perhaps the Chargers best memory in Carson came on a night they lost. Chargers fans packed the soccer venue during a prime-time game against the Baltimore Ravens last December. The Chargers came into the game with an 11-3 record, but the loss cost them the AFC West lead and the No. 1 seed in the conference.

We actually kinda had a fan base, Schofield said about last years game. I remember that night game. Wow, these fans are getting loud. This is kinda cool. A lot of it depends on us. If were doing well, people will show up. If were not, then its going to be like last week.

Square isnt sure if the ratio between home fans and road fans will change at the new stadium just because its bigger and tickets will be more affordable.

It was the same in San Diego, Square said. You just gotta stop paying attention to (the crowd). It is what it is when youre playing with the Chargers at this moment. Hopefully it changes. We just have to accept the circumstances and perform.

Ekeler agrees with Square, but hes looking forward to playing in a true NFL stadium.

Theres something about that bigger stadium that feels like, OK, now Im on the big stage, Ekeler said. I feel like a Roman gladiator, a rock star, all that. Its just part of the experience.

There wasnt much of an experience for the Chargers in Carson, but they made it to the final game.

The rest is here:
Chargers wont shed a tear for final game in Carson - OCRegister

Family Features

Adding additional bathroom space to your home or renovating an outdated lavatory can improve your homes usability and increase its value, too. To get the most practical benefits and value out of your new space, there are several factors to consider.

Before you get started, take into account these considerations about the design and function of your new bathroom from the remodeling experts at the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.

Space: A primary consideration is the available footprint to create your new bath. This is often a concern as children reach their teen years and also with expanding families. If there arent enough bathrooms in the house, you may want to add another, or it may be that you simply need to improve the layout and features to make better use of the existing space. For example, if the bath will be shared by multiple members of the family, a separation of the sinks from the rest of the room may be helpful.

Features: Determining how you will use your bathroom dictates the features youll want to include. A guest or hall bath is likely to have far fewer features than a master bath but may share some similarities with a kids bathroom. First, youll need to make decisions about basics like lighting, the number of sinks and amount of counter space youll need.

If you like baths, youll need to decide between a tub and shower combination unit or separate facilities. With a separate tub, the style you prefer may guide your overall design. The aesthetic for a bathroom with a focal point like a claw-foot tub is likely different from a jetted tub.

Storage: Storage is one of the biggest concerns in any design, particularly in rooms as small as typical bathrooms. Carefully consider this aspect of the room during your pre-planning phase. To help determine how much space you need, make a list of all the items you need to store in the bathroom, including cleaning agents, toiletries, linens, first aid items and medications.

Its a good idea to also think about where in the room you would like to store each of these items. You may want some of the toiletries in the shower area, while others will be used near the sink or dressing area.

Sustainability: Many contemporary bathroom fixtures are designed with sustainability in mind, so you can manage your water usage while still enjoying a water-rich environment. You can find water-saving features on everything from toilets to shower heads to even sink faucets.

Accessibility: Applying universal design principles to your project can promote safety and increase your homes appeal to a wider range of buyers in the future. In the bathroom, you can improve safety by incorporating non-slip flooring surfaces and ensuring the space is well-lit.

Other ideas include adjusting counter and toilet heights to make bathrooms more accessible (wall-hung toilets should be approximately two inches higher). You could incorporate structural bracing around the tub, shower and toilet for grab bars. You might also consider a walk-in tub or stand-up shower with no threshold, levered handles for faucets and an adjustable showerhead.

Find more ideas and inspiration for your bathroom design at remodelingdoneright.com.

Continue reading here:
Make the most of your bathroom renovation - The Dallas Morning News

The Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades to the Health Department are done. The much-needed alterations included the relocation/removal of one wall, two doors and other modifications.

However, the cost of the work came in a little higher than expected, Health Director Shelly Schneider told the County Commission Monday morning. Commissioners approved covering the overage.

Weve made some drastic improvements for the nurses and for the vaccinations, she said. It has been wonderful for the Health Department and for the community.

This has helped work flow for the staff, she said. And, it has improved access and reduced wait times for the public.

C&K Construction of Great Bend was awarded the contract Aug. 26, and project is now complete, Schneider said. The department secured $12,500 in grants for the project, but during the course of the remodel, additions were made to the scope of work.

A final invoice has been submitted for payment by C&K with an additional cost of $5,006.60. Schneider said she was able to piece together funds from the myriad Kansas Department of Health and Environment grants her office receives each year to cover all but $3,136 of that, and there is room in her budget to cover the balance.

Commissioners said they saw the value in the remodeling. And, Chairwoman Jennifer Schartz said they appreciated her effort to find ways to pay for it.

Continue reading here:
Commission signs off on Health Department remodel - Great Bend Tribune