Walkerton, Ind. It is an exciting day at Walkerton Elementary School as they celebrate a new addition. Monday, they are having a dedication ceremony for their new Moderate Room playground. The dedication starts at 6:15 p.m. at the school. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony and light refreshments.

The new playground may look like your typical jungle gym but it also serves another purpose.

We have students with autism, down syndrome and a variety of intellectual disabilities, explains Moderate Room teacher Lisa Rizek.

This playground still has your typical activities like swings, a sand box, spinning and more, but to these kids those everyday activities mean more than just fun.

The playground was designed to have a place for children to play that is safe, but also to provide sensory input that is necessary for certainly attending and also to work on muscles, building core strength, posturing, and also to develop fine motor skills, continues Rizek.

Plus, it burns off energy. Something Rizek says is essential so these kids can calm down and focus on classroom work.

Some of our children are even learning play skills necessary to play with other children in large groups, says Rizek.

The teachers first thought it would be loud, for their classrooms, and they have realized that there are not that many students out there, at the most 7 or 8, says Walekrton Elementary School Principal Tim Davis.

Now, this specialty playground is something not every school has. In fact, it's considered a luxury item. With the help of the Walkerton community they were able to get this $15,000 playground built and thanks to extra help from volunteers, install it in just 10 months.

Again, I am thankful to be in a great corporation like John Glenn School Corporation and that we have the ability to really provide for our students what they need to be successful in the classroom and throughout their lives, says Rizek

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New playground caters to kids with special needs

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(CBS) Bears kicker Robbie Gould has downplayed the locker roomcommotion between arguing players that was easily audible through double doors for the media to hear after Chicagos ugly 27-14 loss to Miami on Sunday at Soldier Field.

Receiver Brandon Marshall got into it with quarterback Jay Cutler and Gould as well, according to reports. Gould didnt confirm that he and Marshall had an argument, saying the two have a great relationship and attributing the hoopla to emotions running high after the Bears dropped to 3-4, a record Marshall admitted was unacceptable.

I wouldnt give this any more attention than this needs, Gould said in an interview with the Spiegel and Mannelly Show on Monday morning. Everyones trying to make a story out of something that wasnt really that big of a deal.

What happened in the locker room wasnt anything thats out of the ordinary, wasnt anything thats different that happens in other teams situations. To be honest with you, its just a matter of people trying to find a story because we lost. There wasnt anyone called out. There wasnt a situation that was over the top. Theres nothing I would read into this.

Everyones frustrated, everyone wants to win.

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Robbie Gould: Locker Room Hoopla Wasnt Out Of The Ordinary

By EMAD MASROOR

Today, actress Ashley Malloy will perform the stage play My Name is Rachel Corrie in the Memorial Room of Willard Straight Hall. As people across the world continue to stand in solidarity with Palestinians, especially after the relentless two-month-long pummeling of Gaza this summer, Cornellians would do well to remember the life of Rachel Corrie.

Rachel Corrie was an American college student who went to Gaza in 2003 as part of a senior-year assignment to connect her hometown Olympia, Washington with Rafah in the Gaza strip in a sister cities project. While in Gaza, she was an active part of the International Solidarity Movement and engaged in nonviolent resistance against the Israeli military. On March 16, 2003, as she stood in the way of a Palestinian home being demolished, Rachel was crushed to death by an IDF Bulldozer.

In many ways, the story of Rachel Corries death symbolizes every story of Israeli aggression. The facts, as always, were simple: The Israeli army killed Rachel Corrie. To this day, Israel continues to try and weave a story that somehow makes it look better than it was, with excuses such as The operator didnt see her, or she put herself in a dangerous situation and so on. None of these statements, however, can mask the fact that her death was a cold-blooded murder committed with impunity.

This impunity has been the hallmark of Israels relationship with the Palestinian people across decades. These past few months saw a brutal campaign that killed more than 2,000 Palestinians; children were ultimately the targets of attacks on the beach and in playgrounds, the wounded were targeted in ambulances and inside hospitals, families were obliterated in the safety of their homes. And, yet, the IDF found ways to sell even this story to the media, claiming that the massive operation was somehow an expression of Israels right to defend itself. Many in Israel lauded the use of warning missiles that would knock on the roof of homes before the more deadly strike, as proof of their commitment to humane methods of war. Flyers asking residents to leave were dropped over neighborhoods before they were bombed, conveniently criminalizing entire communities already living under one of the harshest blockades in recent times.

But even if words like occupation, blockade and open-air prison mean nothing to you, the comparative death toll (2,104 Palestinian, 72 Israeli) speaks for itself. When you defend acts like Operation Protective Edge, you defend mass murder.

Rachel Corries parents sued the state of Israel for a symbolic one U.S. Dollar. After almost ten years, an Israeli civilian court upheld the military investigation in 2003 which had concluded that the Israeli government was not responsible for her death. Indeed, one soldier even said later, Maybe she was hiding in there, implying that Rachel had been responsible for her own death. In what moral logic can the victim of a murder be responsible for her own death? Yet the chilling fact is not that this happened once, but that Palestinians continue to be blamed for their own deaths every day. For example, once a house has been hit by a warning missile, the IDF treats those inside as combatants for refusing to leave their homes. A writer in the Wall Street Journal goes as far as to make the ludicrous claim that to qualify as a civilian, one has to do more than simply look the part. According to this logic, all Palestinians are by definition combatants unless they abjectly submit their lives and dignity to Israel and somehow qualify as civilian, whatever that means.

Israel committed an act of aggression, with the (no doubt profitable) complicity of a multi-national corporation. (Caterpillar, by the way, continues to provide Israel with military bulldozers whose very purpose is to demolish homes. It also provides construction machines used on Cornells campus). The United States looked the other way. And instead of getting justice, the victim was blamed for it. A massive public relations campaign from the Israeli government then did its best to cover up for these crimes. This pattern as played out with the death of Rachel Corrie or Operation Protective Edge is not the exception but the rule.

Meanwhile, the conditions under which Rachel died the virtual inability of Palestinians to build homes on their own land have only gotten worse. The only democracy in the Middle East has demolished more than 27,000 Palestinian homes, businesses, livestock facilities and other structures in the Occupied Palestinian Territories since 1967. A third of the structures in East Jerusalem are awaiting demolition orders, even as Jewish-only settlements continue to be added to the municipalitys limits. This number is in addition to the hundreds of entire villages and neighborhoods which were emptied of their residents in the more overt form of ethnic cleansing carried out in 1948. According to the Israeli Committee on House Demolitions, more than 94 percent of Palestinian permit applications in recent years for East Jerusalem or Area C (60 percent) of the West Bank have been denied by Israel.

What is most inspiring about Rachel Corrie is that she took the leap from awareness to action. Many of us know exactly what is going on in Israel-Palestine and yet fail to act. The Palestinian people have suffered far too long for mere words or abstract dialogue to make any difference. Instead, we must work in solidarity with the people living under occupation and apartheid just as Rachel Corrie did in order to support indigenous resistance to modern colonialism. For a start, we as consumers in American society or as members of the Cornell community can begin by honoring the call from Palestinian civil society to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel until it complies with human rights and international law.

Originally posted here:
GUEST ROOM: Remembering Rachel Corrie

Room additions are a fun and unique way to increase the visual appearance, functionality, and value of your home. During our in home consultation, our experts aim to best educate our customers on the many options that are available and to eventually plan and budget an addition that best fits your needs. Promotion applies to any addition over 450 Sq. Ft. at ground level. $99 Sq. Ft. Room Addition Promotion- What is included:

What is excluded existing utilities relocation, city fees, interior finish, high ceiling and interior remodeling, demolition, plumbing. ( available for additional cost ) Extended Picture Gallery for Room Additions

3,400 Sq. Ft. New Construction Second Story Addition - Before building a 2nd story addition, there are a few things that need to be taken into consideration. Local codes must be thoroughly reviewed to make sure that it is possible to build a second floor addition to your home, laws may prohibit the building of second floors because they can create shade issues for neighboring homes, or they may impact the general aesthetics of the area. In any case, keep in mind that second story additions are always a little bit more expensive than a first floor addition due to additional reinforcements that need to be done and permits which must be attained. If you need help figuering out whether or not it is allowed to build a second story addition in your zoning, we will be glad to do the research for you at no cost or obligation. Requirements will usually differ depending on the type of home. For example, a second floor on a ranch style structure will create much more stress on the footings and foundation than some other styles of building. Because of this, footings and foundations are usually built much stronger and wider for two story buildings and some foundation work might need to be done before the addition can begin. 420 Sq. Ft. Garage Addition Master Bed Room Addition - this is one of our favorite type of addition as it normally involves a large number of different design factors, building a master bedroom suite does include some additional expense, some plumbing might need to be done in order to be able to add fixtures such as sinks, shower, bathtub, and toilet. The fixtures themselves can also increase the cost of the addition dramatically, especially if you choose fixtures such as a spa tub or a custom shower. However, these fixtures will also increase the value of your home, so more often than not, it is a worthy investment. 820 Sq. Ft. Room Addition and complete remodeling Bathroom Addition - When building a bathroom addition, it is important to review your existing homes plans to make sure that nothing will impede the room additions construction. We will need to make sure to check items such as the location of underground utilities, the drainage easements, septic tank and leach field if there is one. Although in some cases it is possible to move existing pipes, the location of all these items could impact the total cost of the addition. Family Room Addition- Building a home extension for the purpose of adding a family room is a great way to increase both the value and functionality of any home, a family room when designed correctly, can be the focal point of a home, it is a space where anything goes allowing flexibility unlike any other type of home addition. Adding a family room is normally cheaper than other kinds of additions since they dont usually require much work other than the basic foundation, framing, roof and finishing work. What is the average cost of a room additions in Los Angeles? The average room addition cost is anywhere between $100 to $130 per Sq. Ft., that being said, the cost of a typical room addition can obviously vary greatly depending on the quality of materials used and the purpose of the addition. If a bathroom or a kitchen is to be included in the addition then there are a number of additional expenses such as plumbing. The easiest way to calculate it is by starting with just a basic addition which is $99 per Sq. Ft. then start adding to it, so say we are going to build a 400 Sq. Ft. addition, thats going to be a total cost of approximately $40,000 plus city fees, if a kitchen is going to be added on then on average the cost would go up by an additional $15,000 $40,000 (Again, depending on the price of the materials used.) Keep in mind that home addition plans and blueprints are also an additional cost no matter the type of addition being built. So in conclusion, the average typical cost is anywhere between $100,000 to $130,000 for a 1,000 Sq. Ft. home addition, but the only way to get a more accurate estimate is to have a contractor survey the land on which the addition is intended to be built on and determine the all the necessary work that will need to be done in accordance to code.

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$99 Per Sq. Ft. Room Addition | Los Angeles (800) 671 5771

Sebastian, my tuxedo cat, dashed through the living room, with me in hot pursuit. He went into capture-and-conquer mode every time I used the feather duster. His fascination for it grew beyond merely taking it from me. Finding its newest hiding place had become one of his favorite pastimes.

I caught up with him by the sofa and grabbed the duster. "You can't have this." I sat on the sofa and dropped the tempting cleaning tool next to me.

He hopped up and swatted at the feathers.

"No." I shoved the duster under my sweatshirt. "I don't have time for this."

In addition to my regular house-cleaning chores, this was Halloween. I had to finish dusting, sweeping and mopping before I could set out the pumpkins, scarecrows and candy.

Sebastian flipped his tail expectantly.

I laughed and stroked his black and white forehead. "You understand every word, don't you, boy?"

I carried the duster, still hidden within my clothing, from room to room, searching for a nook or cranny my clever cat hadn't yet discovered.

"Aha. He'll never think to look in here." I glanced back into the living room. Sebastian sniffed and pawed at the sofa, where he had last seen his catch of the day. I tossed a couple of toys in his direction, hoping to distract him. It worked.

"Now," I said to myself, "time to finish my chores. Trick-or-treaters will be here before dusk."

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Trick or Treat

Inside the new London hedquarters of the GSMA, the international mobile operators' organisation, which has been designed by Engine Room, based at Martlesham Heath.

Sunday, October 19, 2014 1:00 PM

The GSMA, the London-based association representing mobile network operators worldwide, has moved into a new headquarters designed by Engine Room, the architecture and design group based near Ipswich.

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Engine Room, from Martlesham Heath, secured the project with initial designs that answered the GSMAs brief to develop a more flexible and agile working space.

Michael OHara, GSMA chief marketing officer: We are absolutely delighted with our new London Headquarters. Engine Room have exceeded all expectations and delivered an amazing environment for our staff.

In addition to being visually stimulating, our new offices accommodate many different workstyles and encourage greater collaboration across the entire organisation.

Patricia Bessey, Engine Room founder and director, said: Our goal was to create an inspirational space that draws on advanced technological cues from within the mobile industry and build an exciting, vibrant workplace for GSMA staff.

Based on the feedback that weve received from the GSMA, Id say that we hit the mark.

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Ipswich: Engine Room designs new London headquarters for mobile operators group GSMA

Updated: 10/18/2014 11:23 PM Created: 10/18/2014 10:37 PM WNYT.com By: Steve Flamisch

ALBANY At a private service on the College of Saint Rose campus, students prayed Saturday for the safe return of the freshman mathematics major who vanished earlier this week.

Connor Trapatsos, 17, of the Rochester suburb of Fairport, was isolating himself in his dorm room at Brubacher Hall in the weeks before his disappearance, his roommate told NewsChannel 13.

"He didn't really leave the room much, and it seemed like he was very withdrawn," freshman Tiernan Foley said. "He wasn't getting out of bed. He wasn't leaving at all. He didn't go to the dining hall."

Foley last saw Trapatsos on Wednesday morning. He reported the teen missing on Friday, noting that Trapatsos left his cell phone, keys, wallet, and prescription medication in the room.

"Within an hour, [authorities] were doing full sweeps," freshman Kaylee Nassiri said. "They searched my room, searched the closet, under the bed, as well as everybody in my hall."

In addition to searching St. Rose, UAlbany, and the surrounding neighborhood, authorities issued a NYS Missing College Student Notification to law enforcement agencies and hospitals statewide.

POLICE: FOUL PLAY NOT SUSPECTED

Investigators believe Trapatsos "decided to leave" for some reason, Deputy Chief Aran Mull of the NYS University Police Department told NewsChannel 13. Foul play is not suspected, he said.

Trapatsos may have been walking west on Route 5 or Route 20 toward Rochester, Mull said. Roadside messaging has been activated to notify the general public about his disappearance.

Read more here:
Roommate: Missing St. Rose student was withdrawn

Staff photo: Tony Bullocks Clovis-Carver Public Library Director Margaret Hinchee displays some of her favorites book Thursday from the Librarys Southwest room.

By Aubry Buzek Correspondent

In the Clovis-Carver Public Library, tucked down a long hallway just past the fireplace, is the Southwest Room.

In this quiet room one will find a desk, historic maps hanging on the walls and many shelves of books devoted to preserving the stories and voices of the region.

Its important to show how proud we are of the part of the world we live in, said Margaret Hinchee, the library director. And its nice to have it separated into this collection because then people wanting to research anything in the Southwest can just come in here.

Some of the expected titles in the room are related to cattle, railroads, travel guides and regional art, but this room also features books that preserve diverse voices and debate politically charged subjects such as border patrol, water politics and crime.

One intriguing title a library patron may stumble upon is by anthropologist Alice Marriott, written in 1953 The cow business is a damn fine business for men and mules, but its Hell on Horses and Women.

I think in addition to the history of the Southwest we have a commitment to the history of the founding of this part of the country, and I dont think people realize that our collection is that diverse, Hinchee said.

Some of the most frequently checked out books in the room are travel guides, picture books and tales of ghost towns, she said. But for her personally, a particular kind of book stands out.

One of the things that I have checked out of here are biographies of people who have traveled the Santa Fe Trail. And I think thats kind of fascinating, Hinchee said. I think I was a pioneer in a former life.

See the original post:
Librarys Southwest Room showcase of regional works

1. Ebola and malpractice tort reform:

As we all now know, the death of Dallas Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan was preceded by what might have been a fatal mistake made by emergency-room doctors or nurses at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. Although he showed up at the hospital complaining of Ebola-like symptoms and reportedly told a nurse that he had just arrived from Liberia, he was sent home with antibiotics.

That mistake has already sparked widespread speculation about a malpractice suit that Duncans family could bring against the hospital and its staff.

However, in addition to the conventional legal questions about whether Duncans family could prove that his release and the delay in his treatment caused his death, the family has another problem: the law governing malpractice cases in Texas.

As this Reuters report notes:

In other words, tort reform in Texas means you cant sue a doctor or nurse for making a mistake, even a stupid, fatal one. Or even one that might end up causing multiple fatalities if Duncan gave the virus to others after he was allowed to leave the emergency room.

For me, that makes this case a great way to take another look at tort reform, from lots of angles.

Would polling tell us that most people think the erring doctor or nurse should be able to be sued? Or would polling tell us that people think Texas legislators were right to protect doctors, nurses and their hospitals from legal harassment by reining in the trial lawyers?

Indeed, the facts of this case seem to present a fresh way to debate whether doctors or nurses, who make honest mistakes under pressure in an emergency room, should be shielded from suits. Because for every suit involving an awful mistake like this one, there could be more suits involving honest judgment calls that turn out to be wrong. Or even turn out to be right but are brought because the outcome was tragic and the lawyers think they can force a settlement?

Texas tort-reform law has been on the books since 2003. Has emergency-room care in the state declined in any noticeable way because, as the plaintiffs lawyers always claim in fighting tort reform, doctors know they are not nearly as likely to be held accountable in court?

Link:
Stories Id like to see

Mid Plains Construction of Grand Island was officially awarded the contract to build a 10-room addition to Engleman Elementary by the Grand Island school board Friday morning.

Mid Plains said it could complete the job for $2,640,650, which includes alternate additions of a fence and replacement security cameras for the existing building.

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School board awards contract for Engleman addition