Posted by - April 1, 2023 - Posted in: Uncategorized - Permalink
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Location of Rhode Island within the United States
United States hard rock band Great White has filed a settlement offer of US$1 million to families of victims of the Station nightclub fire. 100 people died including band guitarist Ty Longley and over 200 were injured in the February 2003 disaster in Rhode Island.
The fire started when band manager Daniel Bichele ignited pyrotechnics towards the beginning of a concert by Great White at the club. Cheap packing foam had been used as soundproofing material to surround the stage, and this ignited. Great White were never charged, but Bichele was given a 15-year sentence with 11 of those suspended in 2006 for 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter, to which he pleaded guilty. He was paroled in March this year.
The settlement offer would need to be approved by each of the over 300 plaintiffs, as well as the federal judge. It would add to $175 million already offered by dozens of defendants in the case. No money has been handed out to any of the claimants as yet, and a law professor from Duke University has been hired to develop a formula that will determine how much each party is entitled to.
The fire was the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in US history.
The biggest investment most people will ever make is their home. The last thing a homeowner wants to hear is that they will need to have work done on the property. By being proactive and keeping on eye on their roof, homeowners and business owners will know when to call for Roofing Repairs in Hendersonville. This short guide will help them learn more about their roof.
When looking for any signs of trouble in a roof, the age of the roof must be considered. Roofs generally last anywhere from 20 to 25 years. Anything beyond that is a sign a new one is needed. Knowing if the roof was ever removed and covered with another layer of shingles is another warning sign as well as if there are many shingles missing or if the gutters are loaded with shingle granules.
Check for Leaks
The primary role of a roof is to keep the elements out of a house, so that a leaky roof can be a major cause of concern for any homeowner. It is wise for anybody who owns a home to be diligent in checking for leaks. When a leak goes undetected for too long, it can cause damage inside the home as well as cause mold to form. This would require Roofing Repairs in Hendersonville to be a necessity. Leaks can also damage wallboard or ceilings, both of which can be costly and time-consuming to repair.
A Solid Roof Will Keep a Business Running
Commercial buildings usually have a much different roofing system than residential properties. These structures usually have flat roofs with a rolled surface, generally made of rubber. These types of roofs have to be maintained very carefully, as they can retain snow and water. While flat roofs do indeed drain, it happens in a less-efficient manner than pitched roofs. Commercial roofing systems tend to last longer when maintained properly.
Deal With a Local Leader
Customers in Tennessee want to find a roofer with over 100 years of experience. Log onto Heparmer.com to see an example of a company that provides expert roof repairs, installation, and maintenance to keep roofs in premium condition. The only use the highest quality materials and advanced techniques to satisfy their customers.
Posted by - March 30, 2023 - Posted in: Uncategorized - Permalink
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Chinese officials have said that their country’s exports surged last December to edge out Germany as the world’s biggest exporter.
The official Xinhua news agency reported today that figures from the General Administration for Customs showed that exports jumped 17.7% in December from a year earlier. Over the whole of 2009 total Chinese exports reached US$1.2 trillion, above Germany’s forecast $1.17 trillion.
Huang Guohua, a statistics official with the customs administration, said the December exports rebound was an important turning point for China’s export sector. He commented that the jump was an indication that exporters have emerged from their downslide.
“We can say that China’s export enterprises have completely emerged from their all-time low in exports,” he said.
However, although China overtook Germany in exports, China’s total foreign trade — both exports and imports — fell 13.9% last year.
Over 1,600 volunteers registered to help build approximately 65,000 of the 500,000 sandbags to create dikes 20.5 feet (6 metres) high to protect the City of Winnipeg, Manitoba in the war against the Red River of the North flood.
The height of the river is expected to be Thursday, and predictions are that it will be less than Flood of the Century of 1997. There is no precipitation in the forecast, and snow in the province should be melted by the end of the week.
“The fear right now is we have to get that ice out of the river. The Amphibex [Excavators] are still working and breaking the ice apart, and everyday we buy with the warm weather and the current, it is thinning the ice down a bit, so when it does start to move, the better chance it’ll move right out into the lake,” said Paul Guyder, the emergency coordinator for the RMs of St. Andrews and St. Clements.
Map of the Red River of the North drainage basin, with the Red River highlighted.Image: Kmusser.
“I feel that we’ve done everything humanly possible to get ready,” said Gary Doer, Premier of Manitoba, “But … there are fallibilities with human behaviour. We can take every preventative measure as human beings possible and we can still get Mother Nature proving again she is superior.”
Communities with ring diking will partially or fully close their dikes at the beginning of the week. Provincial officials are considering opening the Red River Floodway gates around mid-week before ice is fully melted.
Ice jams could cause flooding within the city, however opening the gates could spare neighbourhood flooding when the river rises to the estimated 6.3 meters (20.7 feet) height. The province does have back up plans for dealing with ice jams within the city if they do occur. The unpredictability of ice jams and the ensuing water level rise may cause neighbourhood flooding. The city is raising dikes where the river has jammed with ice in the past such as on tight curves and past bridges. Likewise there are excavators and backhoes positioned at these points.
Vulnerable neighbourhoods on the river banks have been reinforced with sandbag dikes at vulnerable areas from the massive volunteer effort over the weekend. Guyader feels no more extra volunteers are needed, however volunteers are still being asked to leave their names and number in case of unpredicted need. Existing personnel will assess roads, and help with clean up.
Former Premier, Dufferin Roblin, brought forward the floodway as a protection for Winnipeg residents and economy following the 1950 Red River Flood. The Red River floodway, “Duff’s Ditch” was finally finished in 1968, and its floodway gates have been opened 20 times saving Winnipeg from an estimated CA$10 billion in damages. The floodway expansion began in 2005 at a price of $665 million.
Polish and Chinese experts have come to survey the Red River Floodway, and Dennis Walaker, mayor of Fargo, North Dakota recognises the need for Red River flood defences down river. “Every town that you drive by from the Canadian line up to Winnipeg is either elevated or ring-diked,” said Walaker.
A business model can be defined as the way in which you use minimum resources to get the best possible output and create maximum value for the customer. While this may sound like corporate gibberish, it has a lot of substance to it. As business has evolved, newer business models are coming in each day. Those businesspeople that educate themselves and quickly adapt to these models become successful. And, these models are not restricted to modern, high-technology businesses.
They are finding their way into the most traditional business, like wholesaling. However, education is important. Experimenting with a new business model without understanding its pros and cons can be really expensive for a businessperson. It is precisely for this reason that eSources reviews are gaining popularity. Here are some ways in which eSources reviews can help you adapt to the newer models:
Buying From the Source: This is a good old mantra followed by corporate bigwigs like Wal-Mart on their route to success. But, until lately, this was a pipe dream for a retailer of small scale. Manufacturers would not entertain their requests. But, with advances in technology as the dropshipping model came into being, intermediaries started being eliminated. Even the biggest manufacturers find it easy to sell to traditional mom-and-pop stores. Esources reviews can give you a database of such manufacturers, enabling you to make your own everyday low pricing a reality.
Cutting Transportation Costs: The transportation supply chain was also plagued with intermediaries. When your supplier contacted the logistics company, they were dealing with only the front office. At the back end, there were small entrepreneurs who were actually delivering the services for much less. They were paying the logistics company only to market their services. Esources reviews do this job for free. Now, you can find transporters for much less and save costs that were unnecessarily passed on to the customer.
Cutting Inventory Costs: Another offshoot of the dropshipping model is that you do not have to pay inventory management costs. Not only do these costs block your profits, they also lead to a negative cash cycle, which is known for the failure of most start-up businesses. Esources reviews give you access to the database of best dropshippers, enabling your business to implement this newer model to cut costs successfully.
Bridging the Information Gap: Esources opinions are not only posted by laymen or retailers. There are many expert consultants that advertise on eSources. They are also very active on eSources reviews. You therefore get access to qualified experts who have studied the models in much more detail and can help you implement them better.
To sum it up, education is important before you invest in implementing newer models in your business. Esources reviews are an inexpensive way to find the relevant information. It is also easy and convenient to use.
What makes eSources the best pick is the sheer number of people who subscribe to it. Such wide choice is unparalleled in the wholesaling world.
About the Author: Esources opinions can help your business by helping avoid the mistakes made by others. To subscribe to Esources reviews, log onto
Posted by - March 26, 2023 - Posted in: Uncategorized - Permalink
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Marvin Schur, a 93-year-old man from Bay City, Michigan has died after the electric company limited his electric use due to his failure to pay over US$1,000 in past-due payments.
Bay City Electric Light & Power installed a power-limiting device on his home on January 13. The device would limit the amount of power the resident uses and would essentially shut it off if that limit is reached, or if the resident fails to pay the outstanding bill within 10 days of installation. In order for the electricity to be turned back on, the limiter must be reset by pushing a button.
Bay City power says that a warning, indicating that the power was to be turned off and a limiter installed, had been placed on Schur’s front door. Despite that, the company says that they are now “looking at our website and possibly doing an automated phone message. We obviously need to get the word out.”
The autopsy performed on Schur’s body concluded that he had died “a slow, painful death” caused by hypothermia. Dr. Kanu Virani, who performed the autopsy, explained: “Hypothermia shuts the whole system down, slowly. It’s not easy to die from hypothermia without first realizing your fingers and toes feel like they’re burning.”
It was less than 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 Centigrade) in Schur’s home when neighbors found Schur dead on January 17. Virani commented that it was his first time performing an autopsy on a body in which “the person froze to death indoors.”
“His furnace was not running – the insides of his windows were full of ice the morning we found him,” said George A. Pauwels Jr., who was with his wife when they found Schur’s body.
In Michigan it is illegal for a utility company to disconnect power to any home between November 1 and March 31 when a resident is over the age of 65. Limiters are also not supposed to be used during that time frame. However, municipally-owned electric utilities like the one in Bay City, are not regulated by the state. The Michigan state attorney general’s office has launched an investigation into the incident.
Residents around Schur’s home say he was hard of hearing, and the city states that the device’s function and operation were never explained to him. When word of the story got around, people from all over the United States began to call the city in anger.
“I’ve taken calls from Canada, Massachusetts, Texas, New York, Alabama – and that’s just the ones I can think of off the top of my head,” said Melody Roth of the city’s administrative office, who also added that people from all over are “calling all city departments, not just our office.”
Schur has no known children, and his wife had died several years prior to the incident.
Posted by - March 23, 2023 - Posted in: Uncategorized - Permalink
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Fluoride is added to drinking water in many regions in order to help prevent tooth decay.Image: Jenny Downing.
Calgary city council voted 10 to 3 on Wednesday to stop fluoridating their water supply. This overturns a previous plebiscite from 1989 to add the fluoride in an attempt to reduce tooth decay.
Opponents of water fluoridation claim that there could be unknown health effects of fluoride, and question its effectiveness in preventing tooth decay. They also claim that individuals should be able to decide for themselves whether or not to use fluoride. However, Alberta Health Services maintains that current evidence shows that fluoride is both safe, and beneficial to dental health.
It is estimated that no longer fluoridating the water supply could save Calgary’s city council C$750 thousand (€550 thousand) annually, as well as cutting a C$6 million (€4.3 million) upgrade to the fluoridation system.
Anticipating the need for heavy equipment trucking might not be your top priority. After all, it’s easy to think that you’ve got every part of your business covered. That is, until the time when you actually need it!
If, however, you find yourself face-to-face with one of these three situations, among others, it may be time to think of calling a reputable heavy equipment trucking service.
Hauling Construction Equipment
Got a big construction that requires heavy-duty vehicles? Chances are, you’re not going to want to drive that wheel loader across town! For one thing, it might be slow and unpleasant. For another, the fuel costs might get really high!
In this case, you’ll want to look for someone who provides heavy equipment trucking that is strong enough to get your construction stuff where it needs to be.
Setting Up Wind Turbines
If you want to establish a source of renewable energy, whether for your farm or a locality, one of your best options is the modern wind turbine. However, if you’ve never seen one before, these things are huge!
To help set them up, you just might require a heavy equipment trucking service for that big haul. This will allow you to make a long-term investment to ensure that you are able to get sustainable energy for years to come.
Getting Mining Equipment
Equipment for mining can be much less manageable than you expect it to be, given their size and weight. You might therefore need heavy equipment trucking to get it where it needs to go. After all, many approved mining areas are located outside of town and so chances are that you’ll need to haul them for a long ride when you need them.
There are, of course, numerous other situations where getting heavy equipment trucking is necessary. If you think you need it, you might want to give one such service a call to get an estimate for your needs.
Following the Pilkhana massacre which occurred February 25 and 26 leaving 74 dead and the inferno at the Bashundhara City shopping mall complex March 13 leaving seven dead, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said security measures are being tightened countrywide across Bangladesh.
Fire drills will be enacted at all key-point installations (KPI). Fire fighting systems will be examined by the fire brigade and the public works department (PWD) to ensure functionality. Security measures will be enhanced supplementing areas under private security such as at the Bashundhara City Complex.
The Fire Service and Civil Defence Department requires modernization and needs new equipment to fight fires past the sixth floor of buildings. The Fire Brigade says it needs turntable ladders, snorkels, foam-tenders, lighting units, emergency tenders, fireproof uniforms, and rescue ropes for fire fighting and rescue operations. Transportation to fires is also an issue due to narrow roads, low electrical wires and congestion.
The Bangladesh National Building Code requires fire fighting equipment installed in buildings over seven floors. This code is to be monitored by authorities to ensure compliance with the new guidelines and to make sure buildings are being maintained.
The Bashundhara City shopping mall, the largest mall in Bangladesh, burns in Dhaka.Image: User:Bellayet – Edward Apurba Singha.
The Bashundhara City Complex opened Monday for shoppers two days after Friday’s blaze. A probe is underway to determine the cause of the fire and to assess structural damage.
Loss of life was minimized as the blaze broke out on a Friday, the beginning of the weekend in Bangladesh, so offices in the upper floors were empty. The lower eight floors are used for shopping and the upper floors are all Bashundhara Group offices.
The mall is valued at Tk 7.0 billion (US$100 million). It is not known if the complex is covered by fire insurance.
It is estimated that it will take over two years to rebuild the area damaged by flames which were burned down to a skeleton. Bashundhara City’s technical advisor, Latifur Rahman, estimated damages at Tk 2.0 billion (US$29m).
Only one television cameraman has been allowed in to film the burnt area. None of the 2,500 shops, cinemas or cafes were burnt by the inferno. The seventh and eighth floors still experience smoke damage, and there was water damage to merchandise.
A three member committee is currently investigating the cause of the fire which will consist of Iqbal Khan Chowdhury, joint secretary of the ministry, representatives of the police, IGP Noor Muhammad, and fire brigade, Director General Abu Nayeem Md Shahidullah. The committee is required to report within the week with their findings. The forensics department is also sifting through the burnt remains.
The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industries has also formed a committee which has begun interviewing witnesses and recording their testimony alongside the government committee.
It has been discovered that 150 closed circuit cameras were not being used when the fire started. Another mystery is why the mall fire fighting system has been found unused.
Why the fire burnt so fiercely is a matter to think….These matters seem to be mysterious
“In the shopping mall there is an ultra-technology elevator which runs even without electricity but we have found that locked,” Iqbal Khan Chowdhury, joint secretary (Police) of the home ministry, said. “Why the fire burnt so fiercely is a matter to think. We have to see if there was any incendiary substance there. These matters seem to be mysterious.”
Mall management has been asked to submit substances and items which would have been in the upper floors when the fire started. The fire erupted on the 17th floor and spread quickly to the two floors above and engulfed the three floors below. The aerial ladders belonging to the Fire Service and Civil Defence reached as high as the 13th floor of the 21-storey building.
Videos have been sent to the United States (US) for examination to assist in determining the cause of the fire and to help in the damage assessment. Experts from the US are expected to arrive soon.
Firefighters were brought to the rooftop of the 20-storey tower by helicopter. The only fatality in this operation was Baki Billa, a firefighter of Bashundhara City firefighting department, who fell when climbing down a rope from a helicopter to the roof of the building. Three other firefighters made the transition safely. At this same time, the chief security officer was safely rescued by the Bangladesh Air Force helicopter, a Bell 212. Six security officers of the complex also lost their lives.
