Its been two years, but the sanitizing kiln that will provide a local foundation with more mattresses for people in need of bedding is finally here. Keith Moneymaker and Amy Sexauer can barely contain their excitement.

Moneymaker, the second-generation owner of Sweet Dreams Mattresses and More in Southern Pines and Sanford, established the Dreams 4 All Foundation in 2016. Sexauer, the executive director, is a military veteran who joined the organization in the summer of 2019.

The local nonprofit has delivered new or reused/sanitized mattresses to families facing economic hardship or adversity and fire departments across the area. To date, it has assisted more than 3,000 families and organizations, including local fire stations, Habitat for Humanity of the N.C. Sandhills, Tambra Place, Bethany House, Friend to Friend, and Samaritan Colony, among others.

Moneymaker and Sexauer have also pledged to give every Ukrainian refugee arriving in North Carolina a bed. If you are operating a business in your community, the first thing you need to consider is what you are doing for that community, Moneymaker said.

While both know this is potentially an expensive pledge, they feel confident we can do it with our customers and supporters, Moneymaker said. While the mattresses will be donated, Dreams 4 All will be purchasing frames, box springs and coordinating all deliveries across the state. The nonprofit is hoping to raise $100,000 for the effort from anyone that feels called to give a dollar or a thousand or any other amount.

This new kiln does not look like the normal pottery sealer. It looks more like the back of a delivery truck covered in aluminum foil.

Keith Moneymaker (l) with Corey Lane and Amy Sexauer with her daughter inside the giant kiln at the Sweet Dreams warehouse in Aberdeen. Ted Fitzgerald/The Pilot

Regardless of appearance, it does the job. The mattress inspector, the fire inspector, the building inspector, the gas installation people and the kiln company representative all concurred on Friday.

Moneymaker hopes that this kiln will now allow his nonprofit to stockpile clean mattresses for when they are needed most.

Prior to the arrival of the kiln, Dreams 4 All was not able to provide large numbers of sanitized mattresses all at once or as quickly as needed. Sexauers team had to send the mattresses away individually for the sanitization process.

Moneymaker has shared his nonprofit model with mattress retailers, where these businesses can join Dreams 4 All as affiliate partners.

The idea is they will be able to do what Ive done here, he said. Im teaching them how to give back to their own communities.

Sexauer believes the sincerity of this nonprofit has translated to others wanting to get on board.

We have leaned into our relationships to help and ask for support, she said. Our authenticity for helping people has been obvious.

Moneymaker agrees. Ive found the more I give, the more mattresses I sell. What you give comes back tenfold. It is a beautiful, well-balanced business charity model.

Dreams 4 All has also partnered with several large mattress companies, including Tempur- Pedic, Sealy, and Stearns & Foster.

On Thursday and Friday, the first Dreams 4 All National Summit takes place with meetings, discussions and planning with the hopes that other mattress businesses across the country will participate in the process of accepting used mattresses. The guest speaker is Mike Erwin, executive director of Team RWB, a health and wellness organization focused on veterans. Afterward, attendees will participate in a large mattress delivery to Samaritan Colony in Rockingham, a nonprofit residential treatment facility helping men and soon women struggling with substance abuse problems in the Sandhills area.

Moneymaker shared what he believes is the simple secret of the success he has seen with this non-profit process. This model is better for the community and the environment, improving culture and morale, enhancing support networks, all the while building businesses.

To learn more about Dreams 4 All Foundations work in the Sandhills or to make a donation, contact Dreams4All17@gmail.com or (910) 992-6382.

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Heating Up With New Kiln, the Kindness of Clean Used Bedding Grows - The Pilot

Tenants living in well-insulated homes in Germany will have to shoulder the lions share of their CO2 costs for heating, while the burden in inefficient buildings will fall on landlords, reports Clean Energy Wire.

The less CO2 a building emits, the higher the proportion tenants should pay, according to a tiered model agreed by the ministries of justice, buildings and the economy.

The German government said the split is socially fair and will boost emissions reductions in the building sector, which is lagging behind in the countrys energy transition.

Landlords have an incentive to invest in energy-efficient renovations. Tenants remain motivated to reduce their own energy consumption, said buildings minister Klara Geywitz.

The new system will ensure that an outdated heating system and leaky windows will translate into higher CO2 costs for landlords because tenants have less options to reduce consumption in this scenario, said Robert Habeck, Germanys economy and climate minister.

Conversely, a landlord who has renovated the building well in terms of energy efficiency can also apportion the costs because it now falls on the tenants to save energy, he added.

On average, the splitting mechanism will save tenants between 12 and 72 per year, according to price comparison website verivox, reported Tagesspiegel.

Consumer advocacy groups welcomed the agreement but criticised it because it will only start applying as of next year.

Since the beginning of 2021, Germany has applied a carbon price in the building sector for CO2 emissions caused by the combustion of fossil fuels in order to make the switch to climate-friendly alternatives more attractive.

A tonne of emissions currently costs 30, leading to additional heating costs of 130 to 190 per year in an average flat, but the price is set to rise to 55 by 2025.

As long as the distribution of costs remains an unsolved issue, landlords can pass them on in full to tenants, which is highly controversial in a country where a relatively high proportion of people do not own their home.

The move has been criticised by environmental NGO Environment Action Germany (DUH), which said the split was a win for landlords.

What seems fair at first sight is a cleverly packaged proposal to continue to leave the main burden of the CO2 price on the tenants, tweeted Elisabeth Staudt of DUH.

While heating costs are soaring, landlords continue to charge the CO2 price on their tenants.

Especially in view of the current crisis situation, it is incomprehensible why tenants still have to wait until the beginning of 2023 for relief, highlighted Barbara Metz, director of DUH.

According to her, landlords should carry the full burden of CO2 pricing, as they are the ones who have the ability to conduct renovations and heating system change to lower the CO2 emissions of buildings.

Particularly absurd: even tenants in the worst [CO2-emission performing] building classes have to contribute to the CO2 price, she added.

The German model to price CO2 in heating may have ramifications in the EU as well, where the European Commission has proposed an EU-wide carbon price on heating and road transport fuels.

The German government supports the Commissions proposal but raised doubts about creating a social climate fund (SCF) to alleviate the burden on the poorest citizens, noting that the move would require renegotiating the EUs long-term budget.

At a meeting in Brussels on Monday (20 December), EU environment ministers criticised the European Commissions proposal for a social climate fund that would support vulnerable households through the energy transition. Their motives, however, diverged widely.

[Edited by Frdric Simon. Additional reporting from Clean Energy Wires Sren Amelang]

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Germany splits carbon tax for heating between landlords and tenants - EURACTIV

MIAMI (CBSMiami) A warm, breezy day ahead with highs in the upper 80s. The rain chance remains low but a stray shower will be possible.

Due to the building breeze, there is a moderate risk of rip currents at the beach and small craft should exercise caution.

Wednesday night will be mild and muggy with lows in the mid to upper 70s.

(CBS4)

Thursday will feel more like summer as highs soar to the low 90s as the winds shift out of the Southwest. Some areas may tie or break some records. The CBS4 Weather team is forecasting a high of 93 degrees in Miami which ties the current record of 93 set back in 1956.

(CBS4)

With the high humidity, it will feel more like the upper 90s. The rain chance increases due to the heating of the day and an approaching front. Showers and some storms will be possible around midday through the afternoon.

Friday will not be as hot as well see more clouds and the potential for spotty showers. Highs will be in the low 80s and closer to our normal high of 83 degrees.

(CBS4)

Once a cold front clears, cooler and drier air will move in just in time for the weekend. Well enjoy lower humidity and plenty of pleasant sunshine. Lows drop to the low 60s Saturday morning and highs in the upper 70s. It will likely be cooler by Sunday morning with some inland areas possibly falling to the upper 50s and highs in the upper 70s.

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Miami Weather: Warm & Breezy, Near Record Heat Later This Week - CBS Miami

In political circles, the final fewdays of thefirst quarter in a statewide election year brings fundraising emails fast and furious.

And some aren't quite as carefully crafted asa campaign mailer or news release.

Past Nellie Gorbeasolicitationsdescribed Gov. Dan McKee as the"appointed" governor, which isn't quite right.Their point was that McKee had not been elected governor, but his constitutionally prescribed elevation fromlieutenant governor to governor did not involve beingappointedbyanyone.

A recent fundraising email from Congressional candidate Sarah Morgenthau, using language echoing her launch video, says "My husband and I were married in our backyard in North Kingstown. Weve raised three amazing kids here." (The launch video does not include the word "here.")

Morgenthau's family lived in Washington, where she worked in the U.S. Commerce Department before moving to Rhode Island.

It is unclear exactly how much timeher children spentin Rhode Island and whether summering in a place is enough to be considered "raised" there.

"My family has owned a home here and paid taxes in [North Kingstown]for 40 years," Morgenthau wrote in an email when asked to clarify. "Carl and I were married in our backyard, our children were raised on RI beaches."

Election 2022 Updates: The latest news in the highest-profile 2022 races in Rhode Island

Political Scene: A rare opportunity crowds the race for Congress

Last Thursday, the final day of the first quarter,an email from Providence mayoral candidate Gonzalo Cuervo's campaign said its fundraising numbers"will be judged against our opponents including those who are raking in tens of thousands of dollars from special interests, municipal vendors, and lobbyists."

The night before, lobbyist Mark Ryan,law partner Tom Moses and former Mayor Angel Taveras hosted a fundraiser for Cuervo at the University Club with a $1,000 suggested donation.

Ryan, of course is a high-profilelobbyist at the State House. (Full disclosure: one of his clients is The Providence Journal.)

Related: RI candidates running for a seat and an office

Here's how Cuervo campaign manager Allan Reyes explains the message:

"Our email offered a contrast between our grassroots fundraising and our opponent raising large amounts of money from lobbyists and vendors," Reyes wrote in an email, referring to Brett Smiley. "In fact, he was fined by the state Ethics Commission for soliciting contributions from state vendors over which he exerted influence as Director of Administration in 2020. We would welcome a side-by-side comparison."

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Campaign emails heating up as the 1st quarter ends - The Providence Journal

Its been quite a while now that wide receiver Will Fuller has been connected to quarterback Deshaun Watson. The Notre Dame product spent a few years with Watson in Houston and has been linked to joining the Browns, ever since Watson was traded.

Even before that, it was a rumor that Fuller would land wherever Watson landed. According to Ben Allbright of KOA Colorado, the Browns are still going to try to sign the deep threat.

In the video above, you will see Allbright mention that the Browns are still going to sign Fuller, even though it is not done yet at this time.

They go sign Fuller eventually, which they are going to do, Allbright said.

Signing Fuller means that he would likely come in as the second or third option, depending on where Donovan Peoples-Jones fits in. The two will be the top receiving targets behind newly acquired Amari Cooper.

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Allbright mentioned that signing Fuller could mean that Jarvis Landrys role would be crystallized. Bringing back Landry while signing Fuller would not be easy, or ideal for any younger receiver on the roster.

While it hasnt happened yet, continue to watch Fuller to the Browns potentially happening. It makes sense with Watson at the helm.

Brandon Little is a writer for Sports Illustrateds Browns Digest website and you can follow him on Twitter here. You can follow Browns Digest on Twitter as well here.

Be sure to bookmark Browns Digest for everything you need Browns!

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Could WR Will Fuller to the Cleveland Browns be heating up? - Sports Illustrated

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Uptack Plumbing, Heating and Cooling of Haverhill and Stark & Cronk of Groveland are joining forcesbringing two, third-generation companies together.

As part of the arrangement, Stark & Cronks team, including Gregory W. Stark Jr., have moved to Uptacks building at 32 Rochambault St., Haverhill

Leonard Hall established Uptack in 1982 on Uptack Road in Groveland and moved the business in 1987 to its current, 5,000-square-foot location. Ed Davis joined the firm in 1986, adding larger commercial job coordination, planning and estimating.

Stark & Cronk was founded by Otto W. Stark, a steamfitter and oil burner technician, and Lawrence Larry Cronk, an oil burner technician and sheet metal worker. The business operated from 308 Main St., Groveland. They were joined by Gregory W. Stark Sr. in 1954. His son went to work there in 1976, becoming owner in 1990.

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Uptack Plumbing, Heating and Cooling of Haverhill and Groveland's Stark & Cronk Join Forces - WHAV News