Authorities haven’t released the name of a man who was found fatally stabbed last week in an alleyway in Northeast San Antonio.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s office is waiting to notify the man’s relatives before releasing his identity.
The operator of a street sweeper found the man on Oct. 18 around 2:45 a.m. after spotting the body in an alley in the 5300 block of Walzem Road, according to a police report.
The Bexar County medical examiner ruled the cause of death was sharp and blunt force injuries.
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Wednesday, October 28, 2009
State cuts hit Alexandria streets
State aid cuts to Alexandria are hitting the streets.
At Monday night’s meeting, the Alexandria City Council approved an engineering contract for next year’s local street overlay projects, which if not for the aid cuts, should have been done this year.
The city, according to engineer Tim Schoonhoven, is “doing a triage” on street work, spending money only on streets that are in good enough shape to save.
Expenses to other roads are limited to pothole repair.
The city has about 125 blocks of streets that are in too poor condition to overlay, Schoonhoven said. Those sections of street will have to be shifted to the “complete reconstruction” list, which is growing longer every year.
Reconstructing a road can cost up to seven times as much as resurfacing, Schoonhoven said.
Ideally, the city should be budgeting $300,000 toward street overlay projects every year, noted Mayor Dan Ness. But because of state aid cuts that began in 2003, the city trimmed the street repair budget to $100,000 and doesn’t have anything budgeted for 2010.
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At Monday night’s meeting, the Alexandria City Council approved an engineering contract for next year’s local street overlay projects, which if not for the aid cuts, should have been done this year.
The city, according to engineer Tim Schoonhoven, is “doing a triage” on street work, spending money only on streets that are in good enough shape to save.
Expenses to other roads are limited to pothole repair.
The city has about 125 blocks of streets that are in too poor condition to overlay, Schoonhoven said. Those sections of street will have to be shifted to the “complete reconstruction” list, which is growing longer every year.
Reconstructing a road can cost up to seven times as much as resurfacing, Schoonhoven said.
Ideally, the city should be budgeting $300,000 toward street overlay projects every year, noted Mayor Dan Ness. But because of state aid cuts that began in 2003, the city trimmed the street repair budget to $100,000 and doesn’t have anything budgeted for 2010.
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Police Charge Street Sweeper Who Struck Student
The accident report is out and Coral Gables Police have charged a street sweeper with failure to yield to a pedestrian after critically injuring a University of Miami in the early morning hours last month.
20-year-old University of Miami student Bianca Milov remains hospitalized at Jackson Memorial Hospital after being struck just after 1 a.m., Friday September 11th. Milov, originally of Livingston, New Jersey was struck at the 4000 block of Aurora Street.
After striking the victim, the report says that the operator of the street sweeper truck, Jose L. Santiesteban, continued northbound on Aurora Street for approximately 153 feet before stopping. An alarm went off alerting him that there was an obstruction underneath the truck that wasn't allowing the street-sweeper to properly function. That is when he found the victim.
The report also states that the initial statements that Santiesteban made at the time of the crash were false. It states that he, "was eastbound on Altara Avenue and made a turn to north Aurora Street to sweep the area and was travelling about 10 miles per hour. Mr. Santiesteban advised that a pedestrian was crossing the road, not doing 'good' and fell down. Mr. Santiesteban then felt a bump." That's when they say he stopped the truck and eventually the sweeping mechanism.
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20-year-old University of Miami student Bianca Milov remains hospitalized at Jackson Memorial Hospital after being struck just after 1 a.m., Friday September 11th. Milov, originally of Livingston, New Jersey was struck at the 4000 block of Aurora Street.
After striking the victim, the report says that the operator of the street sweeper truck, Jose L. Santiesteban, continued northbound on Aurora Street for approximately 153 feet before stopping. An alarm went off alerting him that there was an obstruction underneath the truck that wasn't allowing the street-sweeper to properly function. That is when he found the victim.
The report also states that the initial statements that Santiesteban made at the time of the crash were false. It states that he, "was eastbound on Altara Avenue and made a turn to north Aurora Street to sweep the area and was travelling about 10 miles per hour. Mr. Santiesteban advised that a pedestrian was crossing the road, not doing 'good' and fell down. Mr. Santiesteban then felt a bump." That's when they say he stopped the truck and eventually the sweeping mechanism.
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Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Crash with street sweeper claims one life
Investigators and accident reconstruction teams are piecing together the cause of a fatal crash on Colorado 470 Oct. 24.
Christopher T. Chialtas, 40, was driving east in the right lane of C-470 about 4:15 a.m. in a black 2007 Dodge Charger. He had passed the Broadway exit.
The right lane was closed for construction, and an orange 1996 Eli Pelican street sweeper, driven by Donald F. Pacheco, 37 of Pueblo, was in the construction zone.
Chialtas hit the street sweeper with his Charger, knocking Pacheco out of the sweeper’s cab. Chialtas continued driving through the construction zone, hitting several pieces of equipment before stopping.
Chialtas died at Littleton Adventist Medical Center.
Pacheco was taken to Littleton Adventist with serious injuries.
Investigators consider alcohol a contributing factor in the crash. Neither driver was using a seat belt.
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Christopher T. Chialtas, 40, was driving east in the right lane of C-470 about 4:15 a.m. in a black 2007 Dodge Charger. He had passed the Broadway exit.
The right lane was closed for construction, and an orange 1996 Eli Pelican street sweeper, driven by Donald F. Pacheco, 37 of Pueblo, was in the construction zone.
Chialtas hit the street sweeper with his Charger, knocking Pacheco out of the sweeper’s cab. Chialtas continued driving through the construction zone, hitting several pieces of equipment before stopping.
Chialtas died at Littleton Adventist Medical Center.
Pacheco was taken to Littleton Adventist with serious injuries.
Investigators consider alcohol a contributing factor in the crash. Neither driver was using a seat belt.
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Friday, October 23, 2009
Man Still Recovering From Downtown Attack
PORTLAND, Ore. -- A man who recently moved to southwest Washington said he was brutally attacked and left unconscious on the sidewalk of a downtown Portland street recently.
Kevin Boatman said he was sightseeing at a park when two men approached him and offered to show him around downtown Portland. He said he foolishly let them into his car and spent the afternoon of Sept. 28 driving around the city.
Late that night, Boatman said, he was dropping the men off near Northwest Sixth Avenue and Glisan Street when one of them dealt a hard blow to the side of his head.
"I remember hitting the ground and looking up and it was very hazy and just seeing a dark figure," Boatman said.
Boatman said the men stole all the money in his wallet and left with his car. Meanwhile, Boatman was left unconscious and face down on the sidewalk. A street sweeper found him the next morning and called for help.
"I was outraged. I was in shock," Boatman said. "I remember thinking that I couldn't believe something like this could happen to me."
A brace remained wrapped around Boatman's neck Wednesday night. He suffered a skull fracture, bleeding in his brain and injuries to his eye and nose. He admits his biggest mistake was to trust two strangers. He hopes others learn from his lesson.
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Kevin Boatman said he was sightseeing at a park when two men approached him and offered to show him around downtown Portland. He said he foolishly let them into his car and spent the afternoon of Sept. 28 driving around the city.
Late that night, Boatman said, he was dropping the men off near Northwest Sixth Avenue and Glisan Street when one of them dealt a hard blow to the side of his head.
"I remember hitting the ground and looking up and it was very hazy and just seeing a dark figure," Boatman said.
Boatman said the men stole all the money in his wallet and left with his car. Meanwhile, Boatman was left unconscious and face down on the sidewalk. A street sweeper found him the next morning and called for help.
"I was outraged. I was in shock," Boatman said. "I remember thinking that I couldn't believe something like this could happen to me."
A brace remained wrapped around Boatman's neck Wednesday night. He suffered a skull fracture, bleeding in his brain and injuries to his eye and nose. He admits his biggest mistake was to trust two strangers. He hopes others learn from his lesson.
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Thursday, October 22, 2009
Elgin mechanic dies in accident
A 37-year-old man died Tuesday evening after he became stuck in the compressor of a street sweeping vehicle in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, officials said.
The man was identified by the Cook County medical examiner's office as Brian Miller, of the 100 block of Nancy Avenue in Park Forest. He was pronounced dead at 12:23 a.m. at the scene, an autopsy is scheduled for later today.
Miller was a mechanic at Elgin Sweeping Services Inc, at 1015 W. Pershing Rd., officials said. Officials said he was working on a truck.
Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Amina Greer said the man was found unresponsive after the accident which occurred at 10:10 p.m. Greer said the man became trapped inside the compressor of a street sweeping truck in the lot of the facility.
A call to the company was not returned.
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The man was identified by the Cook County medical examiner's office as Brian Miller, of the 100 block of Nancy Avenue in Park Forest. He was pronounced dead at 12:23 a.m. at the scene, an autopsy is scheduled for later today.
Miller was a mechanic at Elgin Sweeping Services Inc, at 1015 W. Pershing Rd., officials said. Officials said he was working on a truck.
Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Amina Greer said the man was found unresponsive after the accident which occurred at 10:10 p.m. Greer said the man became trapped inside the compressor of a street sweeping truck in the lot of the facility.
A call to the company was not returned.
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Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Exeter DPW workers honor fallen colleague
EXETER — In honor of crew member, Rick Ouimette, who died earlier this year, the Exeter Department of Public Works and Highway Department has placed a memorial decal on his beloved street-sweeper.
Ouimette, who also plowed Exeter's streets in the winter, was the primary operator of the town's street-sweeper. He died suddenly on May 2, after suffering a stroke. Ouimette served the town for 34 years.
"We miss him. We miss him bad," said Highway Superintendent Jay Perkins. "He was so attached to this sweeper. It was his thing."
Among his wife Janice and his Mustang, the street-sweeper was a source of pride and love to Ouimette, who would clean it after every use and would know if someone other than himself even took a seat in the machine, Perkins said.
Knowing how much the street-sweeper meant to Ouimette, the highway crew honored him permanently. A decal on the back of the machine reads "In Memory of 'Rick' Ouimette, 34 Years of Dedicated Service."
"Rick loved his job. He loved this machine," Perkins said. "He always kept it personalized and clean inside."
Ouimette was buried with the sweeper's key chain and a picture of the machine, Perkins said.
The four-year-old, state-of-the-art street-sweeper is used year-round to clean the town's 65 miles of road, in keeping with environmental regulations. It replaced an older mechanical machine that could only be used during the summer months, Perkins said.
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Ouimette, who also plowed Exeter's streets in the winter, was the primary operator of the town's street-sweeper. He died suddenly on May 2, after suffering a stroke. Ouimette served the town for 34 years.
"We miss him. We miss him bad," said Highway Superintendent Jay Perkins. "He was so attached to this sweeper. It was his thing."
Among his wife Janice and his Mustang, the street-sweeper was a source of pride and love to Ouimette, who would clean it after every use and would know if someone other than himself even took a seat in the machine, Perkins said.
Knowing how much the street-sweeper meant to Ouimette, the highway crew honored him permanently. A decal on the back of the machine reads "In Memory of 'Rick' Ouimette, 34 Years of Dedicated Service."
"Rick loved his job. He loved this machine," Perkins said. "He always kept it personalized and clean inside."
Ouimette was buried with the sweeper's key chain and a picture of the machine, Perkins said.
The four-year-old, state-of-the-art street-sweeper is used year-round to clean the town's 65 miles of road, in keeping with environmental regulations. It replaced an older mechanical machine that could only be used during the summer months, Perkins said.
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Monday, October 19, 2009
Truck driver dies in street-sweeper smash
A truck driver has died after colliding with a street-sweeper south-west of Melbourne.
The semi-trailer was travelling along the Princes Highway about 3.15am when it collided with the street-sweeper near the Little River exit, a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.
Police believe the truck exploded on impact. The vehicle was burning in bushes next to the freeway when emergency crews arrived.
The 52-year-old male truck driver from Hoppers Crossing died at the scene, the spokeswoman said.
The male street-sweeper driver, believed to be in his 50s, was taken to The Alfred hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police will prepare a report for the Coroner.
Meanwhile, a 19-year-old woman has been killed in a car crash in Melbourne's north-west last night.
Police believe a silver Holden station wagon lost control, rolled and collided into a tree on Rees Road in Sunbury about 10.55pm.
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The semi-trailer was travelling along the Princes Highway about 3.15am when it collided with the street-sweeper near the Little River exit, a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.
Police believe the truck exploded on impact. The vehicle was burning in bushes next to the freeway when emergency crews arrived.
The 52-year-old male truck driver from Hoppers Crossing died at the scene, the spokeswoman said.
The male street-sweeper driver, believed to be in his 50s, was taken to The Alfred hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police will prepare a report for the Coroner.
Meanwhile, a 19-year-old woman has been killed in a car crash in Melbourne's north-west last night.
Police believe a silver Holden station wagon lost control, rolled and collided into a tree on Rees Road in Sunbury about 10.55pm.
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Freeway truck explosion leaves driver dead
olice have dragged a man clear of truck fire that has left another man dead near Geelong.
The injured man was driving a street sweeper along the Princes Freeway, when a truck ran into the back of it and exploded early this morning.
The 52-year-old truck driver died at the scene.
Sergeant Mario Didulica says it is not clear why the crash happened.
"We haven't been able to speak to the driver of the street sweeper, he's been taken to the Alfred in the back of an ambulance," he said.
"We know he's got a broken leg, but non-life threatening injuries, and we haven't had a chance to speak to him yet, so the investigation's ongoing as to what's caused it."
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The injured man was driving a street sweeper along the Princes Freeway, when a truck ran into the back of it and exploded early this morning.
The 52-year-old truck driver died at the scene.
Sergeant Mario Didulica says it is not clear why the crash happened.
"We haven't been able to speak to the driver of the street sweeper, he's been taken to the Alfred in the back of an ambulance," he said.
"We know he's got a broken leg, but non-life threatening injuries, and we haven't had a chance to speak to him yet, so the investigation's ongoing as to what's caused it."
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$52,000 for woman who sued over injuries
NEWPORT BEACH – Newport Beach officials have agreed to pay $52,000 to a woman who sued the city claiming that a city employee driving a street sweeper caused an accident that left her with serious injuries.
Melissa Anne Lundquist blamed the city for the May 9, 2008 wreck on Pacific Coast Highway at Crystal Heights Road in which her Toyota Rav-4 apparently collided with the sweeper.
Lundquist had sought more than $10 million but accepted far less in the settlement signed Sept. 23. City officials have not responded to a request for details about the accident.
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Melissa Anne Lundquist blamed the city for the May 9, 2008 wreck on Pacific Coast Highway at Crystal Heights Road in which her Toyota Rav-4 apparently collided with the sweeper.
Lundquist had sought more than $10 million but accepted far less in the settlement signed Sept. 23. City officials have not responded to a request for details about the accident.
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Friday, October 16, 2009
D.C.’s Sweepercam—Or Should We Say “Sweeperscam?
Finding parking in Kent Boese’s stomping grounds in the Park View/Petworth region often involves some trolling. Boese, however, had a lucky streak on a certain stretch of Park Place NW—his go-to spot. “The space is in front of my neighbors, and we get along well,” says Boese, adding that he liked to park there because it helped protect the neighbor’s curbside garden.
But last fall, something went wrong at his fallback parking space. A letter from the city informing him his car had been photographed there by D.C.’s newest surveillance snitch, Sweepercam, a ticketing camera hoisted to the city’s street sweepers. Boese’s 2002 Dodge Dakota had been parked in the way during a street cleaning. To Boese’s relief, the letter was just a warning, a dry run of sorts for Sweepercam.
Boese knew the city had rigged expensive cameras equipped with license plate recognition software to some of its street sweeper fleet. What he didn’t know was why he’d gotten the warning. Park Place had no signs indicating street sweeping hours—it hadn’t, he recollected, for the year and half he’d been camping his vehicle there. Boese says he called the Department of Public Works (DPW) to let them know their robocop was on the fritz.
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But last fall, something went wrong at his fallback parking space. A letter from the city informing him his car had been photographed there by D.C.’s newest surveillance snitch, Sweepercam, a ticketing camera hoisted to the city’s street sweepers. Boese’s 2002 Dodge Dakota had been parked in the way during a street cleaning. To Boese’s relief, the letter was just a warning, a dry run of sorts for Sweepercam.
Boese knew the city had rigged expensive cameras equipped with license plate recognition software to some of its street sweeper fleet. What he didn’t know was why he’d gotten the warning. Park Place had no signs indicating street sweeping hours—it hadn’t, he recollected, for the year and half he’d been camping his vehicle there. Boese says he called the Department of Public Works (DPW) to let them know their robocop was on the fritz.
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Street sweeper, track hoe beat out bridge repair
Citizens will have to suffer with the detour on Main Street a little longer. City officials spent nearly an hour Tuesday evening deciding whether to purchase street equipment or to repair the bridge intersecting Main Street and Highway 45 Alternate before opting to purchase $840,000 worth of equipment. According to Jasper Pittman, Ward 5 selectman, the money for the purchases is the result of the sale of city bonds and must be used for road or street repair.
“We have $1.9 million to use however we see fit,” said Mayor Scott Ross. “We can use it all on equipment or all on the streets or any combination.”
Rod Bobo, selectman Ward 1, suggested the board revisit the list of equipment and postpone the purchase of any items not absolutely necessary at this time. Bobo asked a second time which items the city could “do without” before Randy Jones, chief administrative officer responded.
“We can do without them all,” Jones said. “I am not being facetious, but if we don't purchase the street sweeper, we won't need the chassis for it and so on.”
Ross strongly suggested the city purchase the equipment because of the “reverse bid” process used.
“We saved a lot of money purchasing the equipment this way,” Ross said. “We will save some more by doing the road work the same way. As it stands now, we have saved about $120,000 we can put toward the bridge.”
The purchase of the street sweeper raised more issues when Bill Haughton, city purchasing agent, recommended the purchase of an Elgin street sweeper, which does not meet the specifications set forth by the city.
Charles Collins, Ward 3 selectman, pointed out the Elgin did not sweep in reverse as the specification required. Haughton said he and Jones thought the $14,000 saving would be more beneficial than the ability to sweep in reverse.
The selectmen accepted the recommendation to purchase the Elgin and the rest of the equipment totaling $840,000, hoping to find a grant to help fund the bridge repair.
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“We have $1.9 million to use however we see fit,” said Mayor Scott Ross. “We can use it all on equipment or all on the streets or any combination.”
Rod Bobo, selectman Ward 1, suggested the board revisit the list of equipment and postpone the purchase of any items not absolutely necessary at this time. Bobo asked a second time which items the city could “do without” before Randy Jones, chief administrative officer responded.
“We can do without them all,” Jones said. “I am not being facetious, but if we don't purchase the street sweeper, we won't need the chassis for it and so on.”
Ross strongly suggested the city purchase the equipment because of the “reverse bid” process used.
“We saved a lot of money purchasing the equipment this way,” Ross said. “We will save some more by doing the road work the same way. As it stands now, we have saved about $120,000 we can put toward the bridge.”
The purchase of the street sweeper raised more issues when Bill Haughton, city purchasing agent, recommended the purchase of an Elgin street sweeper, which does not meet the specifications set forth by the city.
Charles Collins, Ward 3 selectman, pointed out the Elgin did not sweep in reverse as the specification required. Haughton said he and Jones thought the $14,000 saving would be more beneficial than the ability to sweep in reverse.
The selectmen accepted the recommendation to purchase the Elgin and the rest of the equipment totaling $840,000, hoping to find a grant to help fund the bridge repair.
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Tuesday, October 13, 2009
NAPSA President Shares Thoughts for the Sweeping Market
Carl Barton, president of Aardvark Sweeping Service, Memphis, TN, is well into his first year as president of the North American Power Sweeping Association (NAPSA), and part of what he hopes to do during his term is instill in other contract sweepers some of what Aardvark Sweeping does on a daily basis.
"Very few companies help the sweeping industry by expanding their category," Barton says. "Most people chase work by lowering their price and then we all end up fighting over the same little anthill.
"At Aardvark Sweeping we don't look at the sweeping business that way. We look at our market and we see there's pavement all over the place and it all needs to be swept. Now, the owners and managers of that pavement might not realize it needs to be swept and that's where our job comes in. We talk with them and try to educate them on what sweeping can do for them and in that way we not only obtain new customers but we're expanding the market. We're not interested in fighting over the same little anthill."
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"Very few companies help the sweeping industry by expanding their category," Barton says. "Most people chase work by lowering their price and then we all end up fighting over the same little anthill.
"At Aardvark Sweeping we don't look at the sweeping business that way. We look at our market and we see there's pavement all over the place and it all needs to be swept. Now, the owners and managers of that pavement might not realize it needs to be swept and that's where our job comes in. We talk with them and try to educate them on what sweeping can do for them and in that way we not only obtain new customers but we're expanding the market. We're not interested in fighting over the same little anthill."
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Monday, October 12, 2009
Street sweeper taken for joyride in Fargo
FARGO – Someone took a street sweeper for a joyride overnight and crashed it into a tree in a north Fargo yard, police say.
Authorities received a report at about 2:45 a.m. that a sweeper with its lights flashing was in a yard close to a house in the 800 block of 13th Avenue North.
Police are questioning two men who were located in the area, but it’s unknown if they’re connected to the incident, Sgt. Mark Lykken said. One of the men, a 30-year-old from Texas, was arrested for consuming alcohol in public, he said.
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Authorities received a report at about 2:45 a.m. that a sweeper with its lights flashing was in a yard close to a house in the 800 block of 13th Avenue North.
Police are questioning two men who were located in the area, but it’s unknown if they’re connected to the incident, Sgt. Mark Lykken said. One of the men, a 30-year-old from Texas, was arrested for consuming alcohol in public, he said.
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Friday, October 9, 2009
Crookston Committee recommends full approval of purchases
Crookston -
The city Finance Committee on Wednesday recommended full City Council approval of numerous purchases that are already accounted for in the budget, but in some cases are somewhat more expensive than previously estimated.
Here's a rundown:
• The city will get $25,794 on a trade-in of its current, 12-year-old street sweeper and pay $131,929 for a new one from Sanitation Products of Fargo. Public Works Director Pat Kelly said he typically tries to replace the street sweeper every 10 years, but with the tight budget has been trying to stretch some things. The central garage fund factored $120,000 for the new sweeper, but the fund will be able to absorb the additional cost, he said.
Council member Wayne Melbye asked if there was a possibility of buying a street sweeper that's equipped with a vacuum to suck up leaves. Kelly said one could be purchased, but it would cost about twice as much.
• The city will purchase a new dehumidifier for the water plant. The capital budget, via the water fund, estimated a $50,000 cost, but the low bid, from Grove Mechanical of Crookston, is $60,552. The Water Department Enterprise Fund will cover the additional cost. "We don't have a lot of experience with equipment like this, so $50,000 was kind of our best shot at a guess," Kelly said.
The city tried to get by previously with a smaller dehumidifier at the water plant, but Kelly said condensation and corrosion on pipes is still a problem in the spring, summer and fall. The goal is to let the bigger unit improve things, he said, and then repaint the pipes.
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The city Finance Committee on Wednesday recommended full City Council approval of numerous purchases that are already accounted for in the budget, but in some cases are somewhat more expensive than previously estimated.
Here's a rundown:
• The city will get $25,794 on a trade-in of its current, 12-year-old street sweeper and pay $131,929 for a new one from Sanitation Products of Fargo. Public Works Director Pat Kelly said he typically tries to replace the street sweeper every 10 years, but with the tight budget has been trying to stretch some things. The central garage fund factored $120,000 for the new sweeper, but the fund will be able to absorb the additional cost, he said.
Council member Wayne Melbye asked if there was a possibility of buying a street sweeper that's equipped with a vacuum to suck up leaves. Kelly said one could be purchased, but it would cost about twice as much.
• The city will purchase a new dehumidifier for the water plant. The capital budget, via the water fund, estimated a $50,000 cost, but the low bid, from Grove Mechanical of Crookston, is $60,552. The Water Department Enterprise Fund will cover the additional cost. "We don't have a lot of experience with equipment like this, so $50,000 was kind of our best shot at a guess," Kelly said.
The city tried to get by previously with a smaller dehumidifier at the water plant, but Kelly said condensation and corrosion on pipes is still a problem in the spring, summer and fall. The goal is to let the bigger unit improve things, he said, and then repaint the pipes.
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Thursday, October 8, 2009
Compost Ready To Scoop
FAYETTEVILLE — Organic compost is ready for sale at the Fayetteville Solid Waste and Recycling Division.
The garden compost — screened to remove large sticks and other items for a finer product — is available to Fayetteville residents. The cost is $20 per scoop.
For now, residents are allowed one 2-cubic-yard scoop, which is roughly 1,000 pounds, recycling officials said.
As an aside, officials said that each year the city experiences large volumes of leaf waste at this time of year. Many residents have asked the city to remove the leaves with the city's street sweeper.
"The city of Fayetteville does not remove leaves curbside with the use of the city's street sweeper as this equipment was not designed to collect and remove leaves for yard waste disposal," Brian Pugh, waste reduction coordinator for Fayetteville Solid Waste and Recycling, said in a statement.
Further, it's illegal for the city to dispose of yard waste in landfills, Pugh added.
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The garden compost — screened to remove large sticks and other items for a finer product — is available to Fayetteville residents. The cost is $20 per scoop.
For now, residents are allowed one 2-cubic-yard scoop, which is roughly 1,000 pounds, recycling officials said.
As an aside, officials said that each year the city experiences large volumes of leaf waste at this time of year. Many residents have asked the city to remove the leaves with the city's street sweeper.
"The city of Fayetteville does not remove leaves curbside with the use of the city's street sweeper as this equipment was not designed to collect and remove leaves for yard waste disposal," Brian Pugh, waste reduction coordinator for Fayetteville Solid Waste and Recycling, said in a statement.
Further, it's illegal for the city to dispose of yard waste in landfills, Pugh added.
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Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Councilman might resign over parking ticket
HUNTINGTON BEACH – City Councilman Devin Dwyer is so angry about a parking ticket that he says he'll rip it up at tonight's council meeting and resign if street-sweeping rules aren't changed.
Dwyer, in his first term on the council, got the ticket today as he was running out of his downtown home to move his car for the street sweeper. The sweeper had already gone around his car and an officer was writing up the $41 ticket, he said.
Dwyer, who said he has about a dozen of these tickets, claims that if the city was truly looking out for the residents' best interests, the sweeper would come back and clean the space where the car was parked and the owner would not receive a citation.
"I'm enraged," he told the Register. "The practice of extorting funds out of us so they can pay for different things just drives me crazy. … If I can't get the change, then why am I even here?"
Police Chief Ken Small said the sweepers have a schedule to keep and wouldn't have time to accommodate the drivers.
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Dwyer, in his first term on the council, got the ticket today as he was running out of his downtown home to move his car for the street sweeper. The sweeper had already gone around his car and an officer was writing up the $41 ticket, he said.
Dwyer, who said he has about a dozen of these tickets, claims that if the city was truly looking out for the residents' best interests, the sweeper would come back and clean the space where the car was parked and the owner would not receive a citation.
"I'm enraged," he told the Register. "The practice of extorting funds out of us so they can pay for different things just drives me crazy. … If I can't get the change, then why am I even here?"
Police Chief Ken Small said the sweepers have a schedule to keep and wouldn't have time to accommodate the drivers.
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Lanes cleared after accidents jam morning commute
Traffic is slow for many commuters this morning after a multivehicle crash with "major injuries" on the 210 Freeway required a medical helicopter to land on the roadway not long after a big-rig carrying 5,000 pounds of broken glass overturned on the 5 Freeway, authorities said.
The crash on the eastbound 210 Freeway near Lake Avenue occurred at about 5:40 a.m. and at least three vehicles were involved, said California Highway Patrol Officer Francisco Villalobos. He said all the lanes on the eastbound side of the Foothill Freeway were closed when the helicopter landed and that two lanes remained closed. [Updated at 8:55 a.m.: All lanes of the 210 Freeway are now open, the CHP reports.]
Traffic was slow on the westbound commute all the way to California 57, about 15 miles away. Traffic also was slow on the westbound 10 Freeway as commuters sought to avoid the back-up on the 210, Villalobos said.
The 5 Freeway was reopened this morning after the big-rig carrying broken glass overturned. The crash scattered glass shards across the lanes and traffic was backed up for miles. The dump truck pulling two trailers containing the glass flipped over about 4:40 a.m. on the northbound 5 Freeway near the Broadway exit, covering the roadway with glass, Villalobos said. No injuries were reported. Authorities shut down all lanes while a sweeper truck moved the glass over to the right lanes.
Traffic was backed up about two miles into downtown L.A., and the southbound freeway also was backed up from drivers slowing down to look at the scene, Villalobos said. Three left lanes were reopened about an hour later. All lanes were reopened around 7:45.
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The crash on the eastbound 210 Freeway near Lake Avenue occurred at about 5:40 a.m. and at least three vehicles were involved, said California Highway Patrol Officer Francisco Villalobos. He said all the lanes on the eastbound side of the Foothill Freeway were closed when the helicopter landed and that two lanes remained closed. [Updated at 8:55 a.m.: All lanes of the 210 Freeway are now open, the CHP reports.]
Traffic was slow on the westbound commute all the way to California 57, about 15 miles away. Traffic also was slow on the westbound 10 Freeway as commuters sought to avoid the back-up on the 210, Villalobos said.
The 5 Freeway was reopened this morning after the big-rig carrying broken glass overturned. The crash scattered glass shards across the lanes and traffic was backed up for miles. The dump truck pulling two trailers containing the glass flipped over about 4:40 a.m. on the northbound 5 Freeway near the Broadway exit, covering the roadway with glass, Villalobos said. No injuries were reported. Authorities shut down all lanes while a sweeper truck moved the glass over to the right lanes.
Traffic was backed up about two miles into downtown L.A., and the southbound freeway also was backed up from drivers slowing down to look at the scene, Villalobos said. Three left lanes were reopened about an hour later. All lanes were reopened around 7:45.
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Monday, October 5, 2009
Names of those involved in accident released
Coldwater Township, Mich. - Those involved in the 10 a.m. Thursday accident at Marshall Road, south of Newton Road, in Branch County's Coldwater Township, have been identified.
According to a release from the Branch County Sheriff's Office (BCSO), deputies arrived to find Timothy Hagaman, 41, and Tristy Remsing, 17, both of Coldwater, trapped in a 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier. They were complaining of injuries.
"(The) Coldwater Fire Department (CFD) arrived and extricated the subjects from the vehicle. Hagaman and Remsing were both taken to the Community Health Center of Branch County's Emergency Room," the BCSO release said.
The driver of the 1999 Freightliner Sweeper, John Krank, 59, of Kalamazoo, did not complain of any injuries.
The initial investigation revealed that Krank was sweeping the roadway southbound on Marshall, in turn causing dust. Hagaman's vehicle was headed south, failed to slow for the conditions and rear-ended the sweeper truck.
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According to a release from the Branch County Sheriff's Office (BCSO), deputies arrived to find Timothy Hagaman, 41, and Tristy Remsing, 17, both of Coldwater, trapped in a 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier. They were complaining of injuries.
"(The) Coldwater Fire Department (CFD) arrived and extricated the subjects from the vehicle. Hagaman and Remsing were both taken to the Community Health Center of Branch County's Emergency Room," the BCSO release said.
The driver of the 1999 Freightliner Sweeper, John Krank, 59, of Kalamazoo, did not complain of any injuries.
The initial investigation revealed that Krank was sweeping the roadway southbound on Marshall, in turn causing dust. Hagaman's vehicle was headed south, failed to slow for the conditions and rear-ended the sweeper truck.
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Friday, October 2, 2009
Joe Kershaw yelled fire, and it was
Submitted by Sweepnict
When seven-year-old Joe Kershaw yelled "Fire!" last week, he not only helped prevent someone from being injured, but he also saved the town of Tisbury some money.
Joe spotted flames shooting off the back of a street sweeper driving by his house in Vineyard Haven about 7:30 am on Monday, September 21, and alerted his parents, Kelly and J.T. Kershaw, who were walking ahead of him with his two-year-old brother, Mason.
Joe said when he first glanced at the street sweeper, for a moment he thought maybe the flames were coming from a coal-fired engine, and then quickly realized that didn't make sense. "That's when I saw it was on fire and started yelling," he said. His dad said the flames were shooting about four feet into the air.
After Joe's yells got his mother's attention, she waved at driver Mike Figueiredo. Unaware of the flames behind him, Mr. Figueiredo gave her a friendly wave back. Then he heard Joe, who kept on yelling "Fire." Mr. Figueiredo jumped out of the street sweeper as quickly as he could, without injury.
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When seven-year-old Joe Kershaw yelled "Fire!" last week, he not only helped prevent someone from being injured, but he also saved the town of Tisbury some money.
Joe spotted flames shooting off the back of a street sweeper driving by his house in Vineyard Haven about 7:30 am on Monday, September 21, and alerted his parents, Kelly and J.T. Kershaw, who were walking ahead of him with his two-year-old brother, Mason.
Joe said when he first glanced at the street sweeper, for a moment he thought maybe the flames were coming from a coal-fired engine, and then quickly realized that didn't make sense. "That's when I saw it was on fire and started yelling," he said. His dad said the flames were shooting about four feet into the air.
After Joe's yells got his mother's attention, she waved at driver Mike Figueiredo. Unaware of the flames behind him, Mr. Figueiredo gave her a friendly wave back. Then he heard Joe, who kept on yelling "Fire." Mr. Figueiredo jumped out of the street sweeper as quickly as he could, without injury.
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New SF Tax For Smokers To Help Clean Up City Streets
This morning, a fresh new ordinance went into effect: cigarette addicts now must pay 20 cents extra per pack "in order cover the costs of cleaning up discarded cigarette butts throughout the city." The very first tax of its kind in the U.S., KTVU says, "The fee will be collected from retailers and will go specifically to city departments that conduct street cleanup of cigarette butts."
Also, "[t]he mayor's office said that discarded cigarette butts account for a significant portion of the litter that has to be cleaned from sidewalks and gutters, and can leach toxins into the environment." He's also probably concerned for your health too. Or so you would be lead to believe.
This brings the price of an average pack of smokes of up to about $7.
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Also, "[t]he mayor's office said that discarded cigarette butts account for a significant portion of the litter that has to be cleaned from sidewalks and gutters, and can leach toxins into the environment." He's also probably concerned for your health too. Or so you would be lead to believe.
This brings the price of an average pack of smokes of up to about $7.
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