Most of approximately 1,000 displaced Bedford County residents were allowed to return to their homes this weekend after a train derailed last week and caught fire.

Tests on air quality led the railroad companyCSX, an incident management team and environmental specialists to decide that it was safe to reduce the evacuation zone to a limited area immediately surrounding the derailment site in Hyndman, about 100 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, a CSX spokesman said Saturday.

The remaining evacuation zone affecting about 30 homes is intended only to protect residents from the impact of site restoration activity, which would involve "heavy truck traffic, movement of derailed cars and other noisy, disruptive activity 24 hours per day," the company said.

Thirty-two cars, some containing hazardous materials, derailed Wednesday morning as a train with five locomotives and 178 rail cars was heading from Chicago to Selkirk, New York. Cars containing liquefied petroleum gas and sulfur caught fire. One house was sheared in half and a garage caught fire. No injuries were reported. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

CSX said liquefied petroleum gas, molten sulfur and asphalt spilled from derailed tank cars and caught fire, and nonhazardous soybean mill and calcium phosphate also spilled but weren't affected by the fire. The company said examination of "a highly sensitive air-quality sample" analyzed by an American Industrial Hygiene Association-accredited lab and other tests prompted officials to decide it was safe for residents to return home.

"It is highly unlikely that there will be any long-term health effects from this event," CSX said. The company said, however, that people with asthma, heart disease, lung disease and those who are elderly, pregnant or infants might be more sensitive and should consult with doctors if necessary. There was no indication that city or well water was affected, CSX said.

CSX said it would be setting up an outreach center at the HOPE for Hyndman Charter School to allow compensation for affected residents and reimbursement of related expenses such as lost earnings. Residents were asked to bring driver's license or other identification, proof of residency, receipts for expenses and proof of lost earnings.

Gov. Tom Wolf said his administration would work closely with CSX and federal and local officials "to ensure the safety and well-being of the residents in the days ahead.

"I want to thank the residents of Hyndman Borough for their patience as CSX worked to resolve this incident with assistance from many first responders and officials from various agencies," he said in a statement.

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Residents Allowed Home After Hyndman Train Derailment - 90.5 WESA

Kim Hasty Sunday Life editor @hastykim

Gallons of fresh paint, solid new floors, gleaming appliances, state-of-the-art technological touches. So much thought and effort went into updating this stately two-story Colonial which sits in amazingly tranquil fashion just off busy Bragg Boulevard.

And yet, the real key to making this extensive renovation sing is the blue-eyed, curly-haired little pixie bouncing, twirling and dancing from one room to the next.

Four-year-old Remy Barrington's perpetual exuberance even manages to outshine all the new stainless, granite and mood lighting.

You have to think her late great-grandparents would approve.

Carl Adam Barrington Sr. built this home on Barrington Circle in 1946 after returning from serving in the Navy in World War II and opening a law practice that would endure for 25 years. He and his wife Pat went on to serve as the welcoming hosts for years of Christmas Eve dinners, Easter egg hunts and energetic grandchildren.

"My best childhood memories were of coming to this house for holidays,'' said Fayetteville lawyer Adam Barrington.

Adam shared the stories of the Norman Rockwell-worthy gatherings with his wife of 10 years, Beth, including how his grandfather would gather the grandchildren around the fireplace on Christmas Eve, then rap on the mantel to call forth the imaginary character "Ragbag.''

"Ragbag lived in the attic,'' Adam Barrington said. "He was as big as a horse, but lived in a peanut shell. Anything we grandchildren would ask he would discount by saying, 'Aw, horse feathers.' I loved it.''

The elder Barrington died in 1994. Pat Barrington continued to live in the home until she died in 2009. An uncle lived here until his death in 2014, but the house sat vacant for over three years.

By then, it had fallen into disrepair. Yet, the young family was game.

"I knew it had a lot of potential,'' said Beth Barrington, a mental health counselor. "It had good bones.''

And all those good memories.

"Obviously, there was the sentimental factor,'' Adam said.

But bringing the home back to life would take 15 months of work for the family and Johnny Cain Builders, including knocking down walls to create an open floor plan that flows from kitchen to living area.

"We love to entertain, so we wanted a big island in the kitchen,'' Adam Barrington said. "But people didn't have big kitchens back then. They had formal dining rooms and living rooms.''

The house, originally 2,200 square feet, is now about 2,500 square feet and sits on about an acre lot. Mature hardwood trees remain, along with new sod, but gone are the 14 pine trees that were threatening to fall. A red door with frosted glass welcomes visitors, as do the gas fixtures that frame the door with soft lighting.

Inside, a 14-foot granite-top island spans nearly the length of the kitchen and includes a commercial-grade gas stove and open cooking surface. Lights underneath the new kitchen cabinets not only add soft illumination, but also delight Remy in their ability to be changed to a rainbow of colors on a whim. The walls are painted a soft neutral gray throughout the home, and the floors are constructed of engineered, hand-scraped birch. The Barringtons added technological touches that include a refrigerator that offers recipes and a daily planner, and a voice-activated device that allows for everything from music to turning the lights off and on.

A gas fire pit is the center of the covered outdoor living space out back, where the Barringtons opted to put their well-loved leather pieces to good use instead of typical outdoor furniture.

They were finally able to move into the home in June, where they are now able to start making memories of their own with their little girl.

"God willing, she'll get married and have kids of her own and bring her kids here,'' Adam Barrington said. "And I'm sure there'll be a Ragbag sighting or two.''

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Restoration of 1946 two-story Colonial a labor of love - Fayetteville Observer

Photo: Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media

Restoration Hardware unveils teen design gallery

GREENWICH Many a selfie has been taken from the furry orb chair near the entrance of Restoration Hardwares recently opened gallery for teenagers.

That might as well serve as a seal of approval for the new space, according to Restoration Hardwares Greenwich galleries leader Heather Knox.

This summer, Restoration Hardware's Baby and Child gallery located at 264 Greenwich Ave., partially revamped the store to include designs for teens. Within a few weeks, the Baby & Child section was consolidated so it fills just half of the space, while RH Teen was rolled out in the other half.

Like all of Restoration Hardwares galleries, RH Teen in Greenwich is meant to serve as design inspiration, Knox said. So teenagers interacting with the new space by encouraging their parents to visit with them and snapping photos of themselves inside prove the gallery is fulfilling its mission, she said.

It made sense to make Greenwich an early adopter of RH Teen, Knox said, as many customers have said theyre happy to have a teen-specific design gallery. The layout of RH Teen is important to inspiring creativity, she added while guiding visitors through pocket rooms showing vignettes of girls bedrooms and study areas. They represent an eclectic mix of items from Tibetan and Mongolian furs to faux antler decor and sparkling white orb chandeliers.

Teenage girls drawn to these styles are glamorous but understated, Knox said, describing the style as Bohemian and beachy with distinct natural elements.

The girls spaces flow into pocket rooms showing off boys bedrooms and studies. Given Greenwichs reputation for producing athletes, its sporty style appeal to many customers, she said.

On a recent weekday afternoon, several mothers browsed catalogs and bedding swatches at the back of the store in its design atelier while several boys and girls roamed the rooms nooks. One visitor told his mom that he wanted one of Restoration Hardwares bunkbeds, and it would fit perfectly in his room. Since its opening, both male and female teenagers have visited the gallery in roughly equal proportions, Knox said.

Greenwich joins a handful of locations around the county to incorporate the brands teen offerings. Others include Atlanta, Chicago and Denver, but this is the only one within the tri-state area for now.

RH Teen marks a relatively new venture for the brand, and its expected to help with its growth, Restoration Hardwares chairman and CEO Gary Friedman said in statement announcing its first quarter results in June.

Last year was, the first full year of many new business initiatives such as RH Modern, RH Teen, RH Hospitality, the redesign of our RH Interiors Source Book, the roll out of Design Ateliers across our retail Galleries, and the addition of Waterworks, Friedman said in the statement. All of these new initiatives are expected to contribute to growth in 2017 and beyond. ...While 2016 was a year of transformation and transition, 2017 will be a year of execution, architecture, and cash.

Contact the writer at mbennett@greenwichtime.com; Twitter @Macaela_

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Restoration Hardware unveils teen design gallery - GreenwichTime - Greenwich Time

GROTON -- When Gov. George S. Boutwell built his home in 1851, a second-floor window looked out past the unpaved Main Street to the Worcester and Nashua Railroad.

Over the next few years, the town changed. A public library opened in 1854. Boutwell was on the committee.

The town kept modernizing, adding schools, municipal buildings, electricity, natural gas, water, pavement.

The Boutwell House remained in the family until 1933. As all homes do, it evolved with the times. The family added electrical service and plumbing. The paint, floor covering and wallpaper choices likely changed.

A heating system was added and the woodshed turned into closets.

That woodshed allowed the second owner, the Groton Historical Society, to install a handicap-accessible bathroom recently.

Restoring old homes is a "balance between conservation and what we need to live with," said Al Collins. The board member and licensed general contractor was the project manager of a years-long restoration.

The first improvements, while expensive and necessary to preserve the building, are not visible to the casual eye. Two grants awarded in 2011 allowed work to begin.

Town Meeting approved $179,000 from Community Preservation Act funds. The Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund provided another $79,000.

The society did all the work that bedevils owners of homes old and not-so-new. Roof work, including soffits and sheathing, came first. Leaks had damaged the interior.

A sprinkler system kept subcontractors going back to the drawing board time and again. The required pipes should not intrude in the period rooms, Collins said.

Getting it done was "really was a balance of subcontractors and myself," he said.

Pipes went through walls and closets, even into the attic to remain out of sight.

"It did work out fairly well," he said, which may be an understatement. A visitor would have to look hard for the new infrastructure.

Sprinkler pipes are in the entry hall, but heating pipes were already there. The heads blend in with wall coverings and paint.

A ramp to the side porch also helped bring the building into the future, he said.

The rest of the house was brought back to other times in the past. When restoring a building that has been in use for over 150 years, there are many time periods to include, said Kara Fossey, Groton History Center consultant.

Much of the restoration revolves around renovations the Boutwell family did around the turn of the century, Collins said. That was about the time the town got water and electricity.

Period carpet, paint and wallpaper provide a background for the society's collection. One original gas chandelier was retrofitted for electricity and other light fixtures from the same period were installed.

While cleaning the rear chimney, Collins found pieces of a Hub wood cooking stove. He tracked a Hub down in a farmhouse in New Hampshire and, restored, it takes the central place in the kitchen.

A set kettle for washing clothes was donated by homeowners in town. There was a space for it in the kitchen, but the original from the Boutwell House was no longer there.

Money for the second phase of the work, redoing the interior and painting the outside, was given by an anonymous donor.

Collins planned carefully, coming in just under budget.

The town got about $5,000 back from the CPA grant it made to the society.

Collins waited until most of the work was done before ordering new storm windows that will be paid for by the donation. If the project had ran out of money, those could be installed later, he said.

A free open house will be held Saturday, Aug. 19, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Boutwell House, 172 Main St. In addition to seeing the house, visitors can enjoy a display about the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson and Boutwell's role in the process.

Follow Anne O'Connor on Twitter @a1oconnor.

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Every room in Groton's Boutwell House a window on history - Lowell Sun

VIDEO: Hope Restoration project... Also...

KINSTON, Lenoir County - The Hope Restoration project, which started in 2016 by giving those having a hard time finding jobs a chance to work on home for those in need, has expanded exponentially sine then.

Last spring, the project had four homes slated for restoration. Now, they've restored 25, with more on the way.

Lawrence Wilson, who works for the project, said this job has been all about second chances.

"I started doing drugs, I didn't have a place to stay, they gave me a place to stay at the Flint home to live in a fellowship program, the same as the church," Wilson said.

Hope Restoration founder Chris Jenkins said stories like Wilson's are why he started the program in the first place.

"We are trying to give employment support to folks who really need and have a hard a time being hired elsewhere," he said.

It's been a life-changer for those that end up living in the homes, too, like Jeff Richardson, who was one of the first to get a Hope Restoration home last year.

"That's the American Dream - you raise your family, and you know you own a house and you know that is one of big goals you know to own a house," Richardson said.

Jenkins started buying and restoring old homes in low-income neighborhoods in 2014 as a way of healing after his son's death. The 17-year-old committed suicide after battling a substance abuse addiction.

He's hopeful that this project can provide more stability for families and jobs for those on the path to recovery as a means of combating substance abuse. The goal is to be able to get to 45 homes and make the program financially self-sufficient.

"The more in the neighborhood that own their home the better things are like crime rates and health rates and scholastic and performance and performance of their children," Jenkins said.

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Hope Restoration project changing lives on multiple fronts - WCTI12.com

Home Canning Tips From the Food Safety Blog A government blog recently published a number of tips for people interested in home canning this summer's produce. The blog lists vegetables with a low acid pHs that are not acidic enough to prevent the growth of botulinum bacteria. Some vegetables in this category include asparagus, green beans, [...]

Home Canning Tips From the Food Safety BlogA government blog recently published a number of tips for people interested in home canning this summer's produce. The blog lists vegetables with a low acid pHs that are not acidic enough to prevent the growth of botulinum bacteria. Some vegetables in this category include asparagus, green beans, and potatoes. The site also provides a list of medical conditions that individuals suffering from foodborne botulism exhibit. To learn more about home canning safety, click on https://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/2017/07/home-canning-and-botulism.html. I wonder if President Trump's budget provides funds for these types of blogs. Just saying.

Military Research Homes In On Vision and Hearing LossAccording to the website Armed with Science, a Defense Department science information site, DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, recently awarded five research grants to develop a high-resolution neural interface as well as to develop systems supporting sensory restoration. Sounds like Star Trek medicine to me. Brown and Columbia Universities as well as the University of California, Berkeley and two additional research facilities will focus on hearing and vision by linking these body functions with the brain to treat sensory loss. To learn more about this fascinating research project, surf over to http://science.dodlive.mil/2017/07/24/darpa-launches-program-that-could-one-day-treat-vision-hearing-loss/. The Pentagon supports this research as part of the Pentagon defense budget appropriation. Your federal taxes at work.

New Research Finds Rising and Shrinking Income Cities The website Wall St 24/7 recently published a list of 10 cities where personal incomes are shrinking the fastest. While some areas of the country are booming, cities such as Peoria, Ill. and New Bern, N. C. are now experiencing dropping personal incomes. The article mentions a number of causes for the decline. Drops in construction, as well as government payroll cutbacks, caused an average income drop of $1,000 in New Bern, N.C. The report also lists 10 cities where rising incomes are the norm. Merced, Calif., for example, experienced an income growth of 14.3 percent from 2008 to 2013. To learn more about income levels in these 20 cities, click on http://247wallst.com/special-report/2015/07/14/10-cities-where-incomes-are-growing-and-shrinking-the-fastest/2/.

Old Ironsides Restoration Nearly CompleteEvery school kid knows that the USS Constitution, a Revolutionary War vessel, is the oldest ship still commissioned in the U.S. Navy. The ship has now returned to its birth in Boston after a two-year restoration that included replacement of 100 hull planks with the required caulking as well as repair of the ship's rigging. To access a picture of the ship as well as the resulting account of the renovation, visit http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=101588. Some military hardware becomes icons for the nation. Any visit to Boston should include a visit to the Charlestown Navy Yard.

Cancer Patients With Inexpensive Health Plans May Be Denied Access To Top-Tier Cancer CentersConsumers who choose less expensive health insurance plans may forego access to top-tier physicians caused by a 'narrow network' health plan limitation. These 'narrow network' plans may systemically exclude treatments by NCI-affiliated physicians. This possible exclusion may adversely impact treatment of rare or difficult-to-treat cancers. To learn more about this health issue, click on https://medlineplus.gov/news/fullstory_167327.html. Just so you know.

A New Book Tells The Story of The Library Card CatalogA Library of Congress employee recently published a book on the history of the card catalog. According to author Peter Devereaux, the card catalog proved to be one of the most versatile and durable technologies in history. Devereaux relates the story of S. N. Cramer, a Sumerian historian who found a piece of a cuniform tablet about 2 inches by 1 inches that served as a clay library index card. Cramer found the tablet near the ruins of Nippur and dated the tablet to 2000 BCE. For those contemporary students used to looking up references on a library computer, this book provides a picture of how earlier societies organized information. To read the interview, click on http://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2017/07/inquiring-minds-the-unheralded-story-of-the-card-catalog/. And so it goes.

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Home Canning Tips; Researching Hearing, Sight Restoration ... - Wellsville Daily Reporter (blog)

BEAVER -- FirstEnergy Corp. has donated $10,000 to a local charity that provides food and home-repair services for military veterans and needy families.

Faith Restorations Inc., a Beaver-based charity, consists of volunteers who engage in home restoration and repair on homes owned by active-duty military members or veterans. The agency also provides a food pantry for needy families, as well as spiritual support for community members.

FirstEnergy officials said in a news release that the company recently donated $10,000 unsolicited to the company as part of its Christmas in July campaign. As part of that giving campaign, FirstEnergy distributed 12 monetary gifts to agencies within its service areas.

The company, which owns and operates the Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station and the Bruce Mansfield Power Plant, usually donates to a local agency around Christmas, as well.

In a news release, FirstEnergy Foundation President Dee Lowery said the decision was made to make monetary donations in the summertime, to better support the good work these organizations do year round in our service areas.

Those chosen were selected by FirstEnergy employees, who identified organizations in their geographic location that do extraordinary work to make our communities a better place to live and work, Lowery said. Were very pleased to provide these surprise grants to support ongoing investment in the quality of life in our service areas.

The FirstEnergy Foundation annually provides support to nonprofit, tax-exempt health and human service agencies, educational organizations, arts and cultural programs, and civic groups.

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FirstEnergy donates $10000 to Beaver charity - Timesonline.com

MONESSEN A nonprofit organization is building a new house in Monessen to help to stabilize a nice neighborhood in a city that is overwhelmed with blight.

The Homestead-based Mon Valley Initiative had crews assembling a modular house in the 900 block of Graham Avenue last month in an area where residents take pride in their properties, said Jason Togyer, spokesman for the group.

We want to preserve that, Togyer said. Thats a decent neighborhood. Its one of the reasons why were in there.

Crews from Structural Modulars Inc. of Strattanville, Clarion County, and Disaster Restoration Services of Trafford, Allegheny County, began assembling the house July 24.

The three-bedroom, two-story house was constructed on a lot where a frame house was demolished because of underground coal mine subsidence. The void was stabilized by the state Department of Environmental Protection before a heavy crane was brought to the site to help assemble the house.

The final construction will be completed by local crews by the end of this month, weather permitting, said Rick Dunn, senior construction manager for the initiative.

Its going to blend with the other houses in the neighborhood, Togyer said.

The house was constructed with money from the Optional County Affordable Housing Funds Act of 1992, with the specific goal to help stabilize communities and keep people in their homes, he said.

Its going to be a very nice house, Togyer said. We expect the house to sell for about $80,000 to $90,000.

The new owner will be expected to occupy the house.

For more information about this house or any home available for sale by the initiative, call Patrick Shattuck, real estate development and community outreach director, at 724-565-8040 or 412-464-4000.

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Mon Valley Initiative constructs new house in Monessen - Observer-Reporter

The former home of Miamis first black millionaire is falling apart but a local group is pushing for the restoration of the damaged building, which holds nearly 100 years of history.

The D.A. Dorsey House, located in Overtown, was owned by Dana Albert Dorsey, the son of former slaves who moved from South Georgia to Miami. Dorsey amassed a real estate empire, first owning Fisher Island then helping organize South Floridas first black bank and black-owned hotel.

"This is during a time that blacks weren't even allowed to share the same facilities- not just water fountains not just restaurants, hotels, but blacks were not even allowed to go to beaches," said Timothy A. Barber, executive director of the Black Archives History and Research Foundation of South Florida, the group seeking to restore the historical landmark.

Although Dorseys former home now has a damaged roof and beat-up walls, it was considered a mansion in the early 1900s, Barber said. The Black Archives believe Dorseys story could inspire future generations, which is why the organization is seeking to turn the historical landmark into a museum.

The group received a $150,000 grant from the City of Miami to restore the home, but need more funds in order to transform the structure.

"I see this as a personal mission to see this rebuilt," said Patricia Jennings-Braynon, chairperson of Black Archives and the Historic Lyric Theatre Board. "Because of the Black Archives the lyric theater has put Overtown back on the map."

If you would like to help by donating to the Black Archives, you can visit them at the Historic Lyric Theatre or make a donation on the organizations GoFundMe page.

Published at 7:05 AM EDT on Aug 3, 2017 | Updated at 9:00 AM EDT on Aug 3, 2017

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Local Group Wants To Restore Former Home Of First African American Millionaire - NBC 6 South Florida

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