GIBSON CITY A new obstetrics department at Gibson Area Hospital is intended to create a more intimate and personalized environment for mothers and their babies.

"Its a special time and we want to make it as positive as possible," said Dawn Merkle, the department's director.

The new unit, built in what had been a 10,000-square-foot empty shell on the second floor above the emergency department and some added space, is part of a $6 million expansion and renovation project that began in fall 2012. The addition will open when the state certifies it.

The new department has five private labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum rooms, which will allow expectant mothers to stay in the same room for their entire hospital stay. There also is a Caesarean-section operating room that is housed at the end of the second floor of the wing.

The new rooms feature infant care centers in which physicians and nurses can complete baby care without taking the baby from the room.

The new wing also features up-to-date remote monitoring technology, and one room also features a labor tub, which offers natural pain relief option during labor.

Each room is equipped with an in-room refrigerator, flat-screen television, Wi-Fi, and a foldout bed and linens for fathers.

While many of the rural hospitals have closed their obstetrics departments because of a lack of doctors trained in that specialty, Gibson Area Hospital has been able to expand because it has eight family physicians practicing there, said Rob Schmitt, CEO of Gibson Area Hospital and Health Services.

The remainder of the second floor houses six new private rooms, which will be used primarily for patients receiving hip and knee replacements and for some general surgery patients.

Those new private rooms feature bathrooms with showers, bathroom and room doors that open in and out, bedside medicine scanning and charting and communication boards.

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Personalized environment is key to new OB room at Gibson

SLOAN, Iowa | WinnaVegas Casino Resort unveiled its spacious new poker room last week.

At some point, it likely will be the only legalized game in town for poker players, said officials with the tribal casino, located just west of Sloan, Iowa.

The Argosy Sioux City riverboat casino has long had a poker room. But the floating casino is fighting for its life. An Iowa judge is expected to decide this month whether the boat must comply with a state order to close because it longer holds a state gaming license.

The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City is scheduled to open Aug. 1. While the downtown casino's 30,000-square-foot casino floor will offer a variety of table games, poker won't be among them.

WinnaVegas marketing director Travis Morgan said the hopes to draw more players with eight new poker tables -- double the previous number.

"We recognized there is a poker boom still going on," Morgan said. "Is it as big as it was eight years ago ... ? Probably not, but it's still very, very big."

The new poker room, located in a former slot machine area, will not only allow more players to compete at the same time, but also permit the casino to add more games, such as Omaha, Texas Hold 'Em, and Seven Card Stud, Morgan said.

WinnaVegas also expects to add more poker tournaments with large cash purses.

John Blackhawk, chairman of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, which owns and operates the casino, said one goal is to become a stop on such industry tournaments as the World Poker Tour.

A large tournament, Blackhawk said, would help attract thousands of visitors to the casino. For such a large tournament, the casino could set up additional tables in its new 2,500-seat events center.

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Expanded poker room opens at WinnaVegas

By Linda Mckay

Published: 03:12 EST, 5 July 2014 | Updated: 03:12 EST, 5 July 2014

I am have just recently taken in a lodger and need to know whether I have to register for the rent-a-room scheme to avoid paying tax.

I have Paye employment and live in east London in a small 2-bed property.

The house does also have a driveway so I am also considering offering this for rental too. If the income I take from the lodger is under the limit for rent a room, can I rent the drive too without tax implications?

I would appreciate the help of your experts. SR via email

Driving profits: Income from a lodger can be free of tax - but what about money you make renting out your driveway?

Linda McKay of This is Money replies: Those who live near the centre of large cities or close by a railway station may consider renting their driveway for income as parking costs have driven motorists to look for cheaper places to leave a vehicle either while at work or at weekends.

There is tax relief for individuals to rent rooms in their homes to lodgers, but does this extend to driveways?

Original post:
Do I need to register my lodger with the rent-a-room scheme - and can I rent out my driveway and use the same tax break?

Hialeah Park Racing and Casino officials announced an "immediate and ongoing expansion" this week that will cost $60 million and be completed by the end of 2015.

President John J. Brunetti said plans include expansion and enhancement of the poker room, renovations to the Fountain Terrace outdoor entertainment venue and the eventual addition of 235 slots.

Those machines will be installed in the other half of the existing grandstand. Hialeah had remade half of the grandstand in order to open its current area, which houses 839 slots.

The poker room will grow from 25 tables to 37. Brunetti cited the recent closing of Studz Poker Club at Calder as a reason to start now. Studz closed as collateral damage in an agreement that allowed Gulfstream Park to take over racing at Calder, which will run only 40 dates a year at the Miami Gardens track.

"We believe this is the perfect time to increase the size and amenities of the poker room," Brunetti said, adding that Hialeah also will expand the dining facilities and sports bar in the poker room area.

The outdoor bar, lounge and entertainment venue at Fountain Terrace located outside the south entrance of the casino will get an overhead covering because the heat shoos away daytime business. Officials said the covering will help with night-time events as well.

Also in the plans are a simulcasting theater, where fans can bet on horses, dogs and jai-alai from around the country.

"The Brunetti family remains committed to the long term goal of revitalizing this iconic landmark and returning Hialeah Park The "Grand Dame" to her past glory," Vice President Randall Smith said.

Hialeah Park Chairman John J. Brunetti Sr. repeated Hialeah Park's goal to see thoroughbred horse racing return. For now, the track offers only quarterhorses, which sprint for about 25 seconds down the straightaway. It's not much, but it's enough to make them eligible to offer slots and poker.

Hialeah opened its slots in August and averages more than $5 million per month in revenues, about the same as Casino Miami Jai-Alai, but about $1 million per month less than Calder Race Course and Magic City Casino in Miami-Dade. But it led the four in poker revenues, crossing $600,000, barely surpassing Magic City and well ahead of Casino Miami and Calder.

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Hialeah Park announces $60M expansion

Alpharetta remodeling |room addition | new basement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhTx7EZLb5Y http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKS_IF3bDoM Alpharetta remodeling |room addition | new basement We provide the fine...

By: Mike Leonard

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Alpharetta remodeling |room addition | new basement - Video

Bexley Ohio Room Addition
On this project the client wanted a family room addition with a European flavored fireplace, an outside sitting patio area tied into the addition.

By: NJWconstruction

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Bexley Ohio Room Addition - Video

When SEASPAR Executive Director Susan Friend looks at the area and out the windows of the new dedicated space the special recreation organization has at the Lisle Park District Recreation Center, she throws her arms out wide and smiles. "Wow," she says as much for herself as for others to hear.

"We needed more space to continue to meet the communities' needs, and Lisle stepped up," Friend said.

Within the 2,000-square-foot space, the South East Association for Special Parks and Recreation has a great multipurpose room and its first multisensory room.

Large windows open to views of Lisle Community Park. With the space having its own entrance and adjacent parking, it is easy to see why Friend is thrilled with the opportunities the facility offers SEASPAR and its ongoing service to individuals with special needs.

"We are truly excited about this facility," Friend said.

SEASPAR's mission statement is to "enable participants to discover abilities, achieve potential and realize dreams."

The first thing checked off SEASPAR's wish list to help with that mission was the installation of a multisensory room it calls Wonders.

"We had a dream of creating a sensory room for folks with autism (and) other sensory integration problems and (it) is proving to be effective for people with dementia," Friend said.

The SEASPAR staff researched many features before undertaking the project for Wonders. Generous donations were set aside waiting for the creation of the unique multisensory room.

Now a reality, the room may be tailored to different opportunities. Muted white walls allow fiber optical tubes to add bubbles of color. Projected on the floor, a high-tech image of a pool ripples when a child dips their toe into the scene, or leaves wave when a hand passes through the almost-magical illusion.

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SEASPAR brings special recreation programs to Lisle rec center

Screen Porch Window Options | Charlotte NC (704) 791-4381
http://Porch-Life.com Screened in Porches in the Charlotte NC area are a wonderful addition to any home when the pollen and dirt aren #39;t flying and the rain isn #39;t driving in on your furniture...

By: Porch-Life

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Screen Porch Window Options | Charlotte NC (704) 791-4381 - Video

July 2, 2014 - Facilitating connection of 4K display devices, DM-RMC-4K-100-C-1G in-wall DigitalMedia (DM) receiver and room controller provides signal interface and control solution for single HD or 4K display device as part of complete DM system. Single wire interface, designed for minimal visibility, connects unit to DM switcher or transmitter or to HDBaseT source for transporting video, audio, control, networking, and power signals. HDMI output, RS-232, and IR control ports are standard. Crestron Electronics, Inc. 101 Broadway Cresskill, NJ, 07626 USA Press release date: June 18, 2014

Provides a discreet, low-cost in-wall interface solution for a single 4K display device as part of a complete DM system; enables control through IR, RS-232 control ports or CEC

Las Vegas, NV Crestron is making it simple to conveniently connect 4K display devices in any room with its new in-wall single-gang box DM-RMC-4K-100-C-1G DigitalMedia (DM) Receiver and Room Controller. Crestron is demonstrating the industry-first device at InfoComm14 in Las Vegas, June 18 20.

Customers have been asking us for a low-cost 4K receiver solution that fits discreetly in a one-gang electrical box, said Justin Kennington, DigitalMedia Technology Manager. The DM-RMC-4K-100-C-1G fits the bill. It provides a virtually invisible one-wire interface, which is especially desirable in more sophisticated spaces to complement sleek, super-thin latest generation 4K displays.

4K and more in a one-gang box Fully HDBaseT compliant, the DM-RMC-4K-100-C-1G provides a simple signal interface and control solution for a single HD or 4K display device as part of a complete DM system. A single cable connects the DM-RMC-4K-100-C-1G to a DM switcher or transmitter, or to an HDBaseT source, transporting video, audio, control, networking, and power signals all through one category cable. A single HDMI output port supports video at resolutions up to 4K (4096x2160). The DM-RMC-4K-100-C-1G can be gang-mounted beside an Ethernet jack or an electrical outlet equipped with proper dividers.

Ideal for conference spaces The DM-RMC-4K-100-C-1G is highly adaptive to applications such as banquet halls, hotels, and convention centers with room divider systems. These spaces dont typically have displays and TVs permanently mounted. Multiple receivers can be mounted in the wall all around the room and in 4-deep floor boxes. Then you can just wheel in your 4K display and plug it in wherever and whenever its needed.

Embedded Device Control Every Crestron system is designed to deliver precision control and a seamless user experience. The DM-RMC-4K-100-C-1G includes built-in RS-232 and IR control ports to allow programmable control of the connected display device. It also provides an alternative to conventional control methods by harnessing the CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) signal embedded in HDMI. Through its connection to the control system, it also provides a gateway for controlling the display device right through the HDMI connection, potentially eliminating the need for any dedicated control wires or IR emitters.

Learn more To learn more about the new DM-RMC-4K-100-C-1G DM Receiver and Room Controller, visit Crestron booth C7008 at InfoComm14 in Las Vegas, June 18 20.

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For high res photos: http:// http://www.crestron.com/about/press_room/press_releases/ show_release.asp?press_release_id=1932

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DM 4K Receiver and Room Controller comes in single-gang box.

People visited a new section of East Morgan County Hospital, which has the walls up now. The project is scheduled to finish in December. (Dan Barker/ Fort Morgan Times)

Patients at East Morgan County Hospital and their families will have much more space in their rooms after an addition is completed.

The new wing will add almost 50 percent to the size of EMCH with an extra 32,000 square feet and much of that space will go into patient rooms, said CEO Linda Thorpe during a tour of the most recent stage of the work.

"It's an exciting time for us," Thorpe said.

It has gotten to the "dry wall walk through" stage, when walls are up and people can get a sense of the layout of rooms, nursing stations and other aspects of the new facilities, she said. The public was invited to see the progress on the $20 million addition.

Banner Health chipped in $9.5 million for the project, and The EMCH District paid the rest. This project has been in planning for the past three to five years, Thorpe said.

The project adds 19 single-patient rooms, a brand-new kitchen and dining facility, and a new lobby and waiting area. Also, the hospital will gain more than 100 parking spaces, she said.

Patient rooms will have all the state-of-the-art technology for care, plus spacious bathrooms and closets to keep possessions. Each patient room will have an added 80 square feet of room, which offers more place for family and friends to visit. They will include couches for visitors to use.

Rooms will also have large windows to let the sunlight in.

The current facility has patient rooms built in 1967, and are much smaller, but as health care changes and adopts more technology, rooms need to be different today.

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East Morgan County Hospital addition progressing