Now that he has someone else to worry about, George Clooney isnt leaving anything to chance.

The Gravity star, 53, and his wife,Amal,are having a panic room installed in their Berkshire, England, mansion, reports Us Weekly.

Itll be fireproof, bomb-proof and attack-resistant, a source close to the couple told the magazine.

The addition is just one part of the renovations to the 17th-century manor, where thecoupleoptedto spend their first two weeks as husband and wifeinstead of going ona traditional honeymoon.

And no, its not his rabid fans Clooney is worried about, but rather the people whomight come after his wife, a famed human rights lawyer and activistwho hasrepresented controversial clientsincludingWikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Amal has high-profile clients in controversial cases, the insider explains of the need for Mrs. Clooney, 37, to have protection. She needs to be secure.

Panic rooms are secure locations within residences meant for protectionin case of a home invasion or attack.

A fortified, residential bunker was the focal point of David Finchers 2002 movie Panic Room, which starred Jodie Foster and a young Kristen Stewart.

See the article here:
George and Amal adding panic room to English mansion

Two board game connoisseurs are offering a new type of entertainment in which participants are locked in a room for an hour, working together to escape.

On Feb. 12, Ethan Rodriguez-Torrent 13 and Max Sutter 11 opened Escape New Haven on 111 Whitney Ave. The room escape challenge has teams of two to nine people who attempt to solve a series of brain teasers in order to break out of the room as Sutter and Rodriguez-Torrent monitor the team and administer clues via a computer from a separate control room. Puzzles and hints can include anything within the room: Furniture, books, coded messages and locks could all be the key to escaping or a red herring.

We take a team of people, we stick them in a scenario, we close the door behind them and say, You have 60 minutes to escape. Go, said Rodriguez-Torrent.

Room escape games have been surfacing in the past year across the country, opening in Washington, D.C., New Jersey and New York City over the past few months. They derive from a sub-genre of video games, exemplified by the online escape game, Crimson Room, in which players find items in a room that provide clues on how to escape.

Non-virtual escape gaming began in Japan in 2007, and the trend began spreading to the east coast of the U.S. in early 2014. Rodriguez-Torrent first had the idea to bring the concept to New Haven after playing at a room escape venue in New York City.

I liked the concept, said Rodriguez-Torrent. I started brainstorming about how to do it better.

Sutter and Rodriguez-Torrent started a prototype of the game last summer and found that their friends enjoyed the challenge. They subsequently decided to expand it into a business. Since opening the escape room, the duo has had to add new weekend time slots to accommodate growing demand. Slots often fill up weeks in advance, said Rodriguez-Torrent.

According to one team of Yale graduates, Escape New Havens scenarios are mental challenges.

It makes you paranoid, said Alexandra Nasser 12 after semi-successfully completing the puzzle with her friends. And you learn to let go of your ideas.

Nasser said her team escaped the room but broke an object in the room in the process.

Here is the original post:
Room escape challenge comes to New Haven

Pune, Feb 17:

Air-conditioning and refrigeration major Blue Star Ltd is planning to nearly treble its installed annual capacity for room air conditioners in the next two years. It currently stands at three lakh units per annum.

For this, it is setting up a new plant, its eighth in the country that will have an added capacity to make around half-a-million air conditioners, in addition to freezers and components for backward integration.

By 2018, we expect nearly half of our air conditioning and refrigeration business to come from room air-conditioners, B Thiagarajan, Executive Director and President, AC&R Products Business, said. The current share stands at around 33 per cent.

Blue Star will invest approximately Rs 150 crore in the new plant, and the location near a port in the southern part of India will be firmed up by October. The new plant is scheduled to go on stream in two years.

Thiagarajan said that the new factory will enable raising the level of localisation from 50-60 per cent currently to 75 per cent.

The company, which entered the residential room air conditioner segment in 2011, has seen this segment now contributing to 70 per cent of overall room AC sales. Also, over half of these sales currently come from the non-tier-I towns and cities.

(This article was published on February 17, 2015)

View original post here:
Blue Star plans to treble capacity of room air conditioners

By Diana Alba Soular

Las Cruces Sun-News dalba@lcsun-news.com

LAS CRUCES >> Parts and tools sat strewn across the surface of a pool table in Munson Senior Center late last week, as workers furiously disassembled its components.

Their activity sparked curiosity among the dozens of patrons who streamed in and out of the facility during the lunch hour for the city's senior meals program.

The mystery was soon solved, however, when seniors learned the billiards tables were being taken apart in preparation to be relocated to the building's newest addition: a 1,260-square-foot room on the building's north side. With the exception of a power generator that has yet to be installed outdoors, the room's construction marks the end of a $1.28 million renovation project that solved major problems in the building, located at 975 S. Mesquite St., city officials said.

ESA Construction superintendent Charlie Garcia looks over the project plans for the new addition in the Munson Center on Friday. (Robin Zielinski/ Sun-News)

Wayne Falcone, an oil painting instructor who teaches classes at Munson Senior Center, said he doesn't play pool himself. But it is a popular activity.

"This side of the building is always crowded; most people are waiting to play pool," he said. "It's going to be nice all the renovations once they get them set up."

Charlie Garcia, superintendent with ESA Construction, which carried out the renovation project, said city officials did a final "walk-through" for the room addition on Friday, making sure the last details were all finished.

"We're all done," he said. "Everything is working fine. They like what they see."

Read the rest here:
Munson Senior Center renovations wind to a close

St. Augustine, FL (PRWEB) February 17, 2015

The Bayfront Marin House, an award-winning bed and breakfast located in St. Augustine, Florida, has recently renovated one of their waterfront rooms. The new room, located on the inn's second floor, offers guests a tailored elegance that's "man-approved."

"We have found that it's oftentimes a woman who wants to spend time at a bed and breakfast," says inn owner Sandy Wieber. "We have designed our rooms to be comfortable for both women and men--men can have the privacy and style of a boutique hotel, and women can enjoy the intimate and romantic setting of our luxurious rooms."

The Governor White room is an elegant room, yet very man-friendly, with a 42" television, romantic wall-mounted fireplace, and impressive stone wall. In addition, the luxury bathroom includes a lovely shower with stone and glass tile, seamless glass doors, and multiple body jets.

"We have made a big investment in our rooms," says Wieber. "Luxurious, comfortable rooms that blend wonderful heritage features--like hardwood floors, very high ceilings, and interesting architectural features--with modern amenities like high end baths, the most comfortable mattresses, and current technology. We are committed to having the best rooms in St. Augustine, and our new Governor White room is a great addition to our roster."

Prices for the new room start at $209/night. Guests of the bed and breakfast are invited to the inn's daily hot southern breakfast, as well as their two-hour happy hour each night. In addition, the hotel offers the following complimentary amenities: free parking, wifi, bicycles, beach umbrellas, beach chairs, and a homemade dessert each night.

The Bayfront Marin House is an award-winning, waterfront bed and breakfast, with 15 rooms located in the historic district. They offer hot southern breakfasts daily, as well as a two-hour happy hour each night. Reservations can be made at http://www.bayfrontmarinhouse.com, or by calling 904.824.4301.

Read more here:
St. Augustine Bed and Breakfast Reveals Latest Renovations

For 13-year-old Layne Cole, who likes science, and above all math, a recent expansion to St. Marys Junior-Senior High School means a chance to do experiments in class and collaborate better with fellow students.

In January, Kaw Valley Unified School District 321 finished construction at this school, a project that cost together with an addition to St Marys Grade School completed in August about $2.4 million.

On a recent evening, Cole and her classmates offered guided tours for the public to view the changes to their school, which took about four years from the initial planning phases to completion.

We got these new desks that will improve our groups, the eighth-grader explained as she showed the room where she takes Algebra I, taught by Shannon Kent.

The desks in this room and others are wedge-shaped, rather than square, allowing the teachers to cluster them as needed into half circles that allow the students to face each other and the front of the classroom at the same time.

According to superintendent Kerry Lacock, the district completed the grade school and junior-senior high expansions with a bank loan the district is repaying over a three-year period with local tax dollars reserved for capital construction and maintenance costs.

USD 321, a district of about 1,200 students, has one of the highest per-pupil property valuations in the state, related largely to a coal plant located within its boundaries. That means it doesnt qualify for state aid for construction expenditures.

The district added about 6,400 square feet to the grade school four first and second-grade classrooms, a teacher workroom and extra bathrooms. To the junior-senior high, it added about 12,400 square feet, including new special education facilities for the seventh through 12th grades, a science lab, three junior high classrooms, a junior high commons area, bathrooms, and a canopy-covered drive-up entrance.

The special education facilities include small rooms for breakout sessions, a sensory room to help students, including those with diagnoses on the autism spectrum, calm down a living area, a classroom, and a kitchen, laundry room and bathroom, all designed to be accessible for people with disabilities.

Cori Hare, a special education teacher, said the suite of special education rooms has improved the daily experiences of her students, and, she believes, is helping reduce absences and behavioral issues.

Excerpt from:
Kaw Valley expands St. Marys Junior-Senior High School

DUNMORE To solve a space crunch at the boroughs firehouse, officials are mulling a two-story addition to the back of the building.

The proposal would expand the firehouse into part of the employee parking lot shared with the Police Department and Borough Building, and the addition would overtake the former Department of Public Works garage, Dunmore officials said during a recent tour for The Sunday Times.

Firefighters see the proposed new design, paired with the nearly $1 million firetruck the borough will get within a year, as a more efficient setup that could slightly improve response times.

Hemmler & Camayd Architects developed some other renovation scenarios, but Councilman Salvatore Verrastro saw the addition as the option the borough could most likely afford with a $345,000 gaming grant awarded to Dunmore in January 2013.

Were waiting for pricing on it, Mr. Verrastro said. Its a big guess right now, but I think were going to be close.

If Dunmore can afford it, the addition would allow the Fire Department to reorganize its existing cramped headquarters shared by five firefighters and two medics during a typical shift, Assistant Chief Robert Dee said.

The Blakely Street building now features two garages, sleeping quarters where five beds are each spaced inches apart, a cramped day room where firefighters knees sometimes knock together when a group sits on two opposing couches, a single bathroom, a kitchen and a small office.

During middle-of-the-night emergencies, two firefighters typically exit the bedroom through a back door outside, race down stairs and a short path which both need to be repeatedly cleared throughout the night during poor winter weather to the garage.

Another pair of firefighters normally leave the bedroom from the indoor side toward the other garage to get supplementary emergency vehicles.

Dunmores new firetruck will be a combined pumper/vehicle rescue/ladder truck, and the plan for the addition calls for sleeping quarters that connect directly to the remodeled garage housing the three-in-one truck potentially cutting response times.

Original post:
Dunmore looking at addition on cramped firehouse

The University of Central Arkansas Board of Trustees will consider increasing room and board rates for the 2015-16 academic year at its 10 a.m. Friday meeting.

If approved, students could see a 2.5 percent increase to room rates and a 6.75 percent increase to board rates.

The overall room and board increase for 2015-16, based on double-occupancy and a total access meal plan, would be $2,991, an increase of 3.53 percent or $102 for per semester costs.

Double-occupancy room rates would increase by $41 each semester, from $1,630 to $1,671 in the 2015-16 school year. Single rooms would cost $2,496 instead of the current $2,435 semester rate.

Five of UCAs apartment options Bear Village, Torreyson, Erbach, 321 Western and Greek Village would see an increase of $49 per semester, from $1,949 to $1,998. Other apartment options such as Stadium Park and Oak Tree would see a slightly less increase of $46 per semester, from $1,839 to $1,885.

This increase is primarily related to the continuing effort to maintain and upgrade housing facilities, the agenda states. Recommended repairs to the residence halls and university-owned apartments exceed $17.5 million. Estimated net annual revenue generated from the proposed increase for the housing room rates is $325,000.

Prior to the finalized proposal, UCA considered a 4 percent increase in room rates. Initial rates were presented to the universitys Student Government Association in January for review.

With board rates, UCA will review its food service agreement with Aramark and potentially increase semester meal plan rates across all payment plans.

According to the board agenda, the board rate is set to increase 6.75 percent overall on average. Total access plans would jump from $1,259 to $1,320 for the 2015-16 academic year, an increase of 4.8 percent.

The higher average is based on larger increases in block plans to cover added amenities and to cover higher contract rates, the agenda states.

Read the original post:
UCA considers room, board rate hikes for students

On the show

Eun Kyung Kim TODAY

20 hours ago

TODAY contributing correspondent, and former first daughter, Jenna Bush Hager is back at the White House for an interview with Michelle Obama.

"The first lady has invited me back to take a look at a very bold, modern redo shes done of the Old Family Dining Room," Jenna said in a preview of an interview and tour that will air Wednesday on TODAY.

Its very modern. It looks fantastic, she said of the room, which has never previously been open to the public.

Here's a look at the Old Family Dining Room before the renovation:

The White House

And after:

Amanda Lucidon / The White House

Continue reading here:
Michelle Obama unveils 'bold' redo of family dining room with Jenna Bush Hager

Kansas City, Mo. (PRWEB) February 11, 2015

Hotel Phillips, a historic boutique hotel located in the heart of downtown Kansas City, unveiled its new guest room to the public, the Artist-in-Residence (AIR) Room, at the Hello Art 5th Anniversary Celebration on February 6, 2015. Each night the room is reserved, Hotel Phillips will donate a portion of the proceeds to Hello Art, a local arts organization offering fun and informative events that bring together all those in the local community who appreciate and want to support the arts.

The inspiration and design behind the AIR Room came from current Artist-in-Residence, Madeline Gallucci. During the month of January, Gallucci transformed a junior guest room suite into a brilliant piece of work, now called the AIR Room. The room serves as an inspiration to those who appreciate the arts community and the city. The room encompasses the local Kansas City vibe and atmosphere, incorporating Kansas City landmarks and visuals that make the city a great place to live, work and play.

Gerald Rappaport, general manager of the Hotel Phillips, calls the room a unique experience and says, We have always had a strong passion for supporting the local Kansas City arts community, and the AIR Room gives us a chance to further tell that story and share our rich art culture with hotel guests. The Hotel Phillips plays a central role in connecting visitors with the local arts community and encourages them to take notice of this local movement that is such a vibrant part of Kansas City.

Gallucci said she was inspired by sights in Kansas City such as reflections of the iconic Kansas City Power & Light sign, the pastel January sunsets, and the commotion of the streets on a Friday night.

I wanted to bring these experiences into the interior space and context of a hotel guest room. Ive strived to detail these romantic urban observations within my painting, and let hotel guests temporarily experience and live in this transitory space, making their own observations about the city and the art.

The AIR Room is just one component of Hotel Phillips Artist-in-Residence program. Now in the fourth year of the program, the Hotel Phillips annually selects a new artist to showcase his or her work at a studio inside the hotel, as well as throughout the hotel and within its award-winning restaurant, 12 Baltimore.

This initiative is just one of many arts-focused programs the Hotel Phillips supports. In addition to supporting and partnering with Hello Art, Hotel Phillips is also hosting several art workshops throughout the month of February which are open to the public. To view the full list of events, please visit Hotel Phillips website at http://bit.ly/HotelPhillipsArt.

Located in the epicenter of the local arts community, Hotel Phillips is proud to support local artists, musicians and arts organizations within Kansas City, and play a part in continuing to build upon the citys reputation as a leading arts community.

To book your stay in Hotel Phillips new AIR Room today, please visit the website at http://www.hotelphillips.com or call (877) 704-5341.

Read this article:
Hotel Phillips Unveils New Artist-In-Residence Room To Support Local Arts Organization, Hello Art