| Homes blend eco-friendliness, unique design
Theres been quite a buzz around town lately about energy and water conservation practices, and for years so-called green building has been a hit.
However a few homes in Truckee were built eco-friendly, not just to save heat and money, but because theyre just plain interesting.
One with the Earth
Sue and Jeff Cauhape have been living in their Tahoe Donner, earth berm home for 12 years. The couple maintains that, despite being for-the-most-part covered in dirt, their home is very bright and inviting.
Its not dark inside at all; we were surprised by how much light there was, Sue Cauhape said. We tried to sell it for two years, but I dont think a lot of people get the concept. Its odd, but weve been very comfortable here.
Comfort inside the home can be attributed to its thermal mass the walls absorb and retain heat, so the house requires neither heater nor air conditioner.
Normally Obscure Panel Pushed Into the Limelight
Attorney Michele Rosenfeld had just finished arguing the value of a back yard that lies in the path of the future intercounty connector when the 83-year-old man asked her to speak up. "Your voice is beautiful, but it's too low," Robert Hanson told her during the recent hearing at the Rockville courthouse. "We all have hearing aids, and they're turned up to the max, but I've heard about half of what you've said." .
America's moment of truth
George W Bush went up to Capitol Hill to deliver the eighth and final State of the Union address of a failed presidency already eclipsed by the intense contest to succeed him. His spinners might speak of Bush's final months as a 'sprint to the finish', but the ritual applause of Congress fooled no one, not even members of his own party. This is a deeply unpopular president hobbling into the sunset. All the Democrats can agree that he has been a disaster; all the Republicans can agree that they'd really rather not talk about him. The real excitement took place a few miles away, a few hours earlier, in a sports arena at Washington's American University. Before a young, multi-racial and delirious crowd, Barack Obama was being anointed as the new John F Kennedy. JFK was no saint, but a link to the legend can add lustre to any Democratic aspirant to the presidency.
Kids Huff Freon to Get High
CARBONDALE, Ill. - During these 'dog days of summer' air conditioning units are working overtime trying to keep homes and offices cooled down. But many of those air conditioning units are becoming the target of kids wanting to drain the freon gas from inside and inhale it, sometimes with deadly results. "They feel a euphoria, light-headiness and they may pass out. But it's that euphoria that they're going after. Unfortunately what these kids don't know is there is long term damage to the body from breathing in freon gas," said Doctor Donna Carney at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale. Authorities say the way the kids are using the gas to get high is by placing a plastic bag over their head. Then they fill the bag with freon gas. It's heavier than oxygen so it forces the oxygen out of the bag, leaving only the dangerous gas.
Bradley County Churches Get Extra Protection Due To Thefts
Sheriff Tim Gobble has placed rural Bradley County churches on "extra patrol" after recent thefts of outside heating/air conditioning units in the area.
The order means patrol deputies will make regular checks of those located in the patrol zone they are covering.
In recent weeks there have been thefts from at least six churches in Bradley and surrounding counties. Inside the units the thieves are able to extract copper tubing they can sell as scrap metal. Each theft brings a loss of at least $1,000, and in some cases the value of the unit is in the thousands of dollars.
Sheriff Gobble is asking the public to be on the lookout for suspicious activity and to not hesitate to call 9-1-1 if you see something out of the ordinary, especially on days and at times when services are not held.
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