A woman was transported to a hospital Wednesday after her car crashed through the fence surrounding the Loudoun County courthouse in downtown Leesburg, according to the Loudoun County Sheriffs Office.

The accident occurred shortly after 1:45 p.m., when the driver of the 2014 Subaru, which was emerging from an alleyway along East Market Street in Leesburg, traveled across the road, struck a Leesburg government work truck and then crashed through the fence surrounding the courthouse lawn, authorities said. The vehicle continued across the lawn and eventually came to a stop after entering the portico surrounding the courthouse entrance, according to the sheriffs office.

The gate surrounding the lawn was knocked down where the car traveled through, but there appeared to be no structural damage to the courthouse building itself, authorities said.

The driver was taken to a local hospital for treatment and is expected to fully recover, authorities said.

Loudoun County sheriff spokeswoman Liz Mills said it appeared that the incident was caused by a medical condition.

Caitlin Gibson is a local news and features writer for The Washington Post.

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Car crashes onto Loudoun County Courthouse property

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Prodding the new Republican Congress from a conservative state, President Barack Obama on Wednesday urged GOP lawmakers to work with him on an agenda that helps the middle class and insisted they offer better alternatives if they disagree with his ideas. "Tell me how we get to yes," he declared.

On his first stop in Idaho as president, Obama pitched the proposals he outlined Tuesday night in his State of the Union address and called on politicians to move beyond their party labels to find common ground.

Speaking to a crowd of 6,600 people at Boise State University, Obama said he can achieve success late in his presidency just like the school did in its overtime victory in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.

"I don't need to remind you that big things happen late in the fourth quarter," he said.

Obama acknowledged that his economic proposals to pay for free community college initiatives and middle-class tax breaks with tax increases on the rich face Republican opposition. "I could tell from their body language," he said, recalling the reaction to his State of the Union speech.

"They should put forward some alternative proposals," he continued. "I want to hear specifically from them how they intend to help kids pay for college. It is perfectly fair for them to say we have a better way to meet these national priorities. But if they do they have to show what those ideas are."

A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said in response that Obama isn't living in reality.

"Republicans are saying 'yes' to good, common-sense jobs bills, and they'll soon be sitting on the president's desk," said the spokesman, Cory Fritz.

From Idaho, Obama stops in Kansas, another state that typically backs Republicans. White House officials say Obama deliberately chose conservative states for his first stops following the annual address to Congress.

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Obama pitches his economic plan to conservatives in Idaho

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Prodding the new Republican Congress from a conservative state, President Barack Obama on Wednesday urged GOP lawmakers to work with him on an agenda that helps the middle class and insisted they offer better alternatives if they disagree with his ideas. "Tell me how we get to yes," he declared.

On his first stop in Idaho as president, Obama pitched the proposals he outlined Tuesday night in his State of the Union address and called on politicians to move beyond their party labels to find common ground.

Speaking to a crowd of 6,600 people at Boise State University, Obama said he can achieve success late in his presidency just like the school did in its overtime victory in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.

"I don't need to remind you that big things happen late in the fourth quarter," he said.

Obama acknowledged that his economic proposals to pay for free community college initiatives and middle-class tax breaks with tax increases on the rich face Republican opposition. "I could tell from their body language," he said, recalling the reaction to his State of the Union speech.

"They should put forward some alternative proposals," he continued. "I want to hear specifically from them how they intend to help kids pay for college. It is perfectly fair for them to say we have a better way to meet these national priorities. But if they do they have to show what those ideas are."

A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said in response that Obama isn't living in reality.

"Republicans are saying 'yes' to good, common-sense jobs bills, and they'll soon be sitting on the president's desk," said the spokesman, Cory Fritz.

From Idaho, Obama stops in Kansas, another state that typically backs Republicans. White House officials say Obama deliberately chose conservative states for his first stops following the annual address to Congress.

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Obama pitches economic plan to conservatives in Idaho

Everyone wants their property to look good. For a home owner, there is a lot of pride in knowing that your home and lawn looks beautiful and well-kept. If you own a business, the appearance of your building and property is the first impression that your customers get; you need to make sure the image you portray is a professional one. However landscaping and lawn work can be time-consuming, and it definitely includes some hard work. Even if you wanted to do the work, you may not have the time available. Thats where we come in! We can handle just about any task related to your lawn and landscaping. In fact, one of the things our customers love is that we are a one-stop shop some of our services include:

Tree removal Call us when the unexpected happens a storm blows a tree down, or an old tree is in danger of falling due to damage or just old age. This is a procedure that requires skills, experience and the right equipment.

Overseeding After a few years, grass does not grow as quickly and vibrantly as it once did. Thats where overseeding comes in it allows for new growth that is thicker, and the grass also becomes more resistant to disease.

Fence repair and installation If you have a fence that has some problem areas, or if you need a replacement fence or a brand new fence, we will be happy to help with that.

Lawn leveling Most lawns are not perfectly level. This may become more obvious over time. If you have some ridges or valleys, we can get that fixed.

Shrub care Regular care of your shrubs and other landscaped plants means they will not only be healthy, but they will also make your home look great.

Stump grinding This is the last step in a tree removal. We can grind a stump down to below ground level, and with a section of sod, it will look like there was never a tree there.

Landscape maintenance Why spend your weekend working on your landscaping? Leave it to the pros you can spend your time relaxing, and knowing that your property will look wonderful.

Landscape flowers We are very familiar with flowers used in landscaping we can work with you on the various varieties so that you get the ones that work best for your location.

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Moyer Lawn Care | Okc Lawn Care| Edmond Landscaping

The Calloway County Sheriffs Office reported that it handled several wrecks this past weekend. The first came on Friday night with a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 641 North and Charlie Miller Road.

CCSO said a vehicle driven by Howard Wyatt was westbound on Charlie Miller, while another vehicle driven by Lenora Robertson was southbound on 641.

The CCSO reported witnesses said Wyatts vehicle was attempting to cross 641 when it was struck by Robertsons vehicle.

Robertson and two passengers in her vehicle were taken to Murray-Calloway County Hospital for treatment of reported injuries.

Another accident happened Saturday afternoon at the intersection of KY Hwy. 80 and Van Cleave Road. CCSO said Jodi Stone of Murray was southbound on Van Cleave and had stopped at 80, but did not see a vehicle driven by Connie Birdsong coming eastbound on 80. Stone then drove through the intersection, colliding with Birdsongs vehicle.

A third vehicle driven by Sarah Parker was northbound on Van Cleave and stopped at the 80 intersection and received damage from debris, it was reported.

The CCSO said Birdsong and a passenger from her vehicle received injuries and were taken to MCCH.

Two more wrecks followed on Sunday. CCSO said the first of these was reported just after 3 p.m., on KY Hwy. 121 North.

CCSO said Lawrence Briggs of Mayfield was eastbound when the passenger-side tires of his vehicle dropped off of the roadway, then struck a mailbox, a driveway culvert and a gate before entering a residential lawn and striking another mailbox and a small tree before coming to rest on the lawn.

The CCSO said Briggs and a passenger were taken to MCCH to be treated for injuries.

Continued here:
CCSO reports working four wrecks over weekend

Councils across the country are imposing water restrictions as dry weather begins to bite, but Auckland is unlikely to have to follow suit, despite a continuing spell of sweltering summer days.

Watercares Acting Chief Operations Officer, Shayne Cunis, says that while levels in the citys supply lakes are below the average for this time of year, Watercares system has sufficient flexibility to ensure ongoing security of supply to all areas serviced by the metropolitan network, which stretches from Orewa to Pukekohe.

Mr Cunis says Aucklanders deserve a large share of the credit for the lack of water restrictions, with the citys inhabitants using less water per head than anyone else in the country.

"However, with little if any relief expected from the current dry weather conditions, its important people continue to think about how they are using water, and whether they could do so more efficiently."

Thirty years ago, Aucklanders used more than 400 litres of water per person per day. By 2004, this had reduced to 298 Litres per person per day. In 2011, Watercare set itself the challenge of further reducing consumption to 253 litres per person per day by 2025.

"Currently, we are five litres per day ahead of the target line, and Aucklands per capita water use is the lowest in New Zealand, says Mr Cunis.

"And Watercare is keen to do whatever we can to maintain that rate of improvement.

"To that end, we run a proactive maintenance campaign that minimises the amount of water lost in our networks, we work closely with large commercial users to ensure they are operating as efficiently as possible, and we encourage householders to Be Waterwise."

Mr Cunis says Watercares metropolitan network draws water from dams in the Waitakere and Hunua ranges, an underground aquifer, and the Waikato River.

"We constantly alter the amount we take from each source to ensure we strike the right balance between minimising operating costs and ensuring security of supply," says Mr Cunis.

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Water restrictions unlikely for Auckland - Watercare

January 18, 2015 7:51 PM Share with others:

By Clarece Polke / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Just days after police charged McKeesport resident Ryan Williams with homicide for a fatal October fire, family members of the six victims organized a memorial service this evening to honor their loved ones.

Stuffed animals, toys, glass candles and rocks painted with the names of the victims covered the front steps and much of the lawn of the charred home at 310 Express Alley. More than 50 people gathered as several family members spoke out against the "act of hate" that killed Ronald Egenlauf, 55; Hope Jordan Egenlauf, 27; and children, Dominic Jordan, 7; Autumn Jordan, 6; Serenity Jakub, 3; and Victoria Jordan, 2.

"May the coward who chose to steal so much from so many people get the justice he deserves," said Emma Ackerman, aunt of Keith Egenlauf, who survived the fire but was critically injured.

Keith's mother, Laverne Egenlauf, said, months later, her family is still coping with the repercussions of the fire. Her son is still undergoing treatment for some of his burns, she said, and the family has struggled to find relief to cover his medical bills.

"At least we've got some kind of relief knowing that man is behind bars, but it still hurts," she said. "Every day, it hurts. Keith has nothing to come home to."

Family friend Kasey Cavanaugh, who lived just two blocks away from the Egenlaufs, said much of the small McKeesport neighborhood turned out to pay respects.

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McKeesport family gathers to honor victims of fire

Port Moody wants to find ways to battle the chafer beetle, but they won't renege on pesticide ban.

image credit: TURF TECHNICIAN

They're a tiny little bug that has caused a lot of damage but Port Moody isn't willing to budge on its pesticide ban to curb the spread of the chafer beetle.

At Tuesday's council meeting, Mayor Mike Clay, who said his own lawn has been torn up by the voracious critters and the raccoons and crows that like to feed on them provided a report with a recommendation that staff report back with options for minimizing the chafer beetle infestation, including pesticide bylaw exemptions.

"It concerned me that the pesticide bylaw prevents the use of two pesticides that have been shown to actually work," Clay said, noting it is important to deal with the matter quickly, before the beetle gestation period begins in April.

Clay's report notes that a large number of private and public grassed areas have been ripped up by the chafer beetle, most of which now require a complete sod removal, beetle treatment and replanting or sodding.

"The damage in landscape value in the city has been estimated to be several hundred thousand dollars," it adds.

But several councillors weren't keen on the idea of going back on the pesticide ban.

"This is a huge step backwards," said Coun. Meghan Lahti. "We're not being very progressive if the first step we go to is pesticides."

Coun. Zoe Royer called the chafer beetle an "epidemic in our community" and suggested there should be more information about the option of using nematodes as a natural remedy.

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Chafer beetle won't meet death by pesticides in Port Moody

Tracey Spicer Jan 18 2015 at 12:15 AM

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There is great joy to be had in staying at resorts designed specifically for children. I know that sounds like Special Subject: The Bleeding Obvious, but often, we drag them along to wherever we want to stay then berate them for behaving like well children!

At the Holiday Inn, you don't have to worry about how loud they are, whether there's anything they'll eat, or if they'll utter the phrase, "This is BORING".

The founder, Kemmons Wilson, created the company back in 1952, after discovering few hotel options for his family; it was the first to use the slogan, "Kids Stay & Eat Free".

Now, Nutrition Australia has created a revamped kids' menu for Holiday Inn hotels and resorts across Asia, the Middle East and Africa, to provide "a wider variety of healthy options for kids much more than just the standard burgers, pastas and chips", says Phil Broad, vice-president of food and beverage for the InterContinental Hotels Group.

We got a taste of this recently (pun intended!) at two of their properties in Phuket, Thailand. The buffet in Patong was one of the best I've ever seen, with a low bench for young children to get their own breakfast, and a cool room full of fresh fruit, veggie sticks, and sushi.

In Mai Khao, kids can tick boxes on the menu to design their own pizza, sandwich, or salad perfect for fussy eaters. We also did a mum-and-kids cooking class, creating tom yum goong, green chicken curry and green papaya salad.

Each property was a water wonderland, with a plethora of pools, fountains and waterslides. Activities ranged from animal balloon making for the littlies, to table tennis comps for tweens, and Thai kickboxing for teens.

Oh wait. Apparently, I forgot the most important point. "They had free Wi-fi!" the kids squealed. Not so they could incessantly play their iPods: so they could face-time dada. With hubby working, I thought these resorts would be handy in proving extra sets of er hands.

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Where kids stay, play and eat (healthily) free

The current wastewater disposal system within the United States is flawed, costly and outdated. The core notions of a wastewater treatment plant the fact that we, for lack of a more specific word, dispose of our waste in perfectly treated, drinkable water, is absurd. Additionally, the fact that we use water, an extremely limited resource, to transport our waste is flawed. There is an extreme necessity to challenge the current system of wastewater treatment processes and additionally propose alternatives to said flawed system.

One huge problem introduced via modern wastewater treatment plants is the unnecessary loss of fertilizer feedstock which is what manufacturers to use to convert solid human waste to specific plant fertilizer. The fact that the waste is mixed with water, sent to the wastewater treatment plant and then stripped of the very waste that was put into it is crazy. From here, the treated water is again sent back to the toilets. This is unnecessary and wastes large amounts of energy used to clean the water.

Also, the ability to use the waste as potential fertilizer feedstock is lost. Newer, no-flow toilets dont use any water and therefore allow for the isolation of waste. This isolation of waste allows the implementation of certain fertilizer manufacture. So, the introduction of a waterless system allows for a cheap isolation of waste and paves a path for cheap fertilizer manufacture.

Yet another downfall of the wastewater treatment process is that it treats all water for the best possible case, which in our case is drinking. This means that water sent out of any wastewater treatment plant whether it be for drinking, lawn sprinklers, or even waste disposal is cleaned to a standard necessary for human consumption. This raises a gigantic red flag. We are wasting extreme amounts of energy by cleaning our toilet water to drinking water standards.

The problem here is that the wastewater treatment system doesnt differentiate the final location of the treated water. The current system in place cleans all the water to one acceptable standard because the piping system from the treatment plant to recreational use is imperfect. The piping system transfers all the treated, drinkable water to specific locations.

A recommended solution to this problem would be to introduce a treatment plant that treats certain percentages of water for certain uses. Obviously, drinking water and water for waste-disposal have different standards, and its extremely wasteful to treat water not for its intended use.

Treating certain percentages of water for specific uses is admittedly complicated and expensive. However, the initial cost of implementation would eventually save more money and more energy. An implementation of an idea this grand would also take time. What should be done is small-scale tweaks to the current piping and wastewater treatment frameworks.

A good place to start would be to introduce a subset to traditional wastewater treatment plants a treatment option that cleanses water to both drinking and waste-disposal standards. This will save the wastewater treatment plant energy (and ultimately money) as they arent over-treating a certain percentage of their water. From here, the differently treated water would be separately transported to the necessary locations and then distributed to the necessary locations. The water treated for waste disposal would be sent to each house and then subsequently distributed to the toilets. The drinking water, once at the house, would be sent to the sinks, faucets, etc. This implementation is a feasible engineering task, and would introduce a system with substantially reduced energy consumption.

The post-industrial revolution population boom necessitated a smarter and more efficient way of transporting and disposing waste. The solution to this problem was the wastewater treatment plant. One may find it strange, however, that we are still making tweaks to a system that was created almost 200 years ago. Maybe we are looking at the concept of waste negatively, when it should be viewed as a potential feedstock. Maybe we are crazy for using such a very limited resource water to help dispose of our waste. Maybe the entire framework of a wastewater treatment plant is wrong and outdated. Although this may not be true, it is still obvious that there are apparent problems with our current system.

BRENT LUND can be reached at brlund@ucdavis.edu

Excerpt from:
Sustainability in the Built Environment: The Downfalls of Our Current Wastewater Treatment System