Burst Pipes Flood Homes in Whitley

Two flats in Windermere Road, Whitley, were flooded when a frozen pipe burst early this afternoon.

Firefighters say it is important to make sure pipes are insulated and keep the heating running even if you go away to avoid pipes freezing.

A crew from Dee Road fire station was called to the maisonette shortly after midday by the people living in the downstairs flat. The occupants of the upstairs flat were not at home so firefighters had to wait for police to force entry before they could get in.

Watch manager Andy Balfour said around 75 per cent of the upstairs flat had been damaged by the flood while 40 per cent of the downstairs one was affected.

The crew isolated the water to the maisonette by switching off the supply to it at the mains.

Watch manager Balfour said: "The best thing for people to do to avoid pipes freezing is to make sure they have all their pipes lagged.

"If people go away for any length of time it's worse to turn off your heating completely. I know people want to save but it doesn't take long for a building to cool down when it's not occupied and that can lead to pipes freezing and bursting.

"People should also make a note of what they have to do to shut off the water to their houses or flats and check if they've got the key or whatever tools they need."

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Fire Damages Duplex in Rochester

City firefighters this morning battled a house fire in northeast Rochester.

Firefighters were called to 86 Forester St. about 8:30 a.m. Several residents were inside the 2 ½-story duplex and escaped safely before firefighters arrived at the scene, said Deputy Fire Chief Martin McMillan. No injuries were reported.

Firefighters arrived to find flames and smoke rising from the rear of the duplex, he said. The fire flashed over in that area, causing the windows to blow out, he said.

The right side of the house — 86 Forester — sustained heavy fire and smoke damage and is not livable, McMillan said. The other side of the duplex— 88 Forester — had smoke damage, he said. It was not immediately clear if residents of that side of the house will be displaced.

Fifteen people including seven adults and eight children lived in the house, he said. The American Red Cross of Greater Rochester was called to the scene.

McMillan said it appeared the fire started in 86 Forester. Firefighters are investigating, to determine the cause.

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2/6/12 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 36. West wind between 8 and 14 mph.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 48. Northwest wind between 7 and 13 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 30. North wind between 6 and 8 mph.

Wednesday: A chance of light snow after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39. Northeast wind around 6 mph becoming west. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Wednesday Night: A chance of light snow, mainly before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. West wind between 3 and 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 42.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 32.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 46.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 29.

Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 36.

Saturday Night: A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday: A chance of snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 33. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy and blustery, with a low around 24.

Monday: Sunny and breezy, with a high near 35.

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Pipe Burst Floods Maryland Senate Offices

An old pipe burst in the William S. James Senate office building Monday afternoon, flooding a slew of offices and prompting the Department of General Services to temporarily shutter the building.

Thirty-five of the state's 47 senators have offices in the building, and staff members were moving equipment out of offices on the fourth floor Monday afternoon. The pipe failed on the west side of the fourth floor, where many GOP members have their offices.Sam Cook, a director at the Department of General Services, said the building will reopen Tuesday morning. Three senate offices took the brunt of the damage and will be closed for a longer period of time.

Cook said that a 3-inch water pipe connected to the building's sprinkler system rusted out and ripped open around 1:30 p.m. Monday afternoon. "Most of the damage was just ceiling tiles dropped and the floor is wet," Cook said. He said there was a restoration company on site Monday evening.

The Georgian-style James building, built in 1938, is the older of the two Senate office buildings. Most of it is set aside for individual senators’ offices, while the hearing rooms and committee offices are in the Thomas V. Mike MillerBuilding.

Sen. James N. Robey, a Democrat from Howard County, said his first floor office was spared, but he saw the leak. "It was like a waterfall coming down the elevator shaft," he said. He noted that his socks were wet from walking around the building.

Robey said the pipe that burst was part of the sprinkler system, and was told that the building had to be evacuated since the fire suppression system was no longer functioning.

The Maryland General Assembly began its annual 90-day session last Wednesday. Lawmakers are expected back inAnnapolis Monday evening for a session that starts at 8 p.m.

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Parents of Elementary School Students Still Worried About Mold

Several months after Knox County Schools addressed a mold issue at Shannondale Elementary, parents say children are still getting sick.

Following storms in 2011, a tree fell and damaged one classroom in a Shannondale portable building. According to a timeline of information from Knox County Schools, sometime after repairs were completed, the school discovered water damage in the sub-flooring of the classroom, leading to the formation of mold on a portion of the sub-floor.

Since September, the district has taken a number of actions to fix the problem.

At a meeting Tuesday night, Superintendent Dr. Jim McIntyre told parents current air samples show a safeenvironment for classroom use.

"We take issues of school safety and school security very seriously. We want to make sure we have a safe, healthy learning environment for our kids," said Dr. McIntyre.

Knox County Schools also consulted with the Knox County Health Department, which conducted an investigation into the mold findings. The report concluded "no unusual mold exposures to students."

However, several parents say children continue to suffer from headaches, bloody noses and breathing problems.

Wendy Buchheit has two children who attend Shannondale. She says her children's symptoms lessened while they were home during Christmas break, but returned with the start of the new semester.

She says the data collected by the school system isn't accurate enough.

"I hope they will ask the parents to document the symptoms so that we can prove to them that we do still have sick children," she said.

School officials listened to parents for nearly two hours about the issue. Dr. McIntyre said he takes issues of school safety andsecurity very seriously, and will consider further actions.

"We want to make sure every school in our system is a safe, healthy, inviting learning environment for our students so they can be successful academically," he said.

"We'll continue to take those issues seriously. We'll continue to look carefully and assess the situation and take appropriate action if necessary."

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Fire Damages Homes in St Helens

Columbia River Fire & Rescue had a busy weekend responding to a house fire in Rainier and another house fire in St. Helens the following day.

Shortly after 4 a.m. on Jan. 28, crews were dispatched to a house fire at 710 B St., in Rainier. On arrival, crews found a fire in the wall and floor on the second story of the home.

All occupants of the home, which is owned by Everett Thorn of Hillsboro, were found safe outside upon arrival. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire and check the home for extension using a thermal imaging camera.

The occupants of the home are the Curt Wyatt family.

The cause of the fire appears to be combustible materials placed too close to the chimney.

Damage to the home is estimated at $15,000 to the home and $12,500 to the contents. The total value of the home is $230,000 and the value of the contents is $100,000. The home is insured.

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2/1/12 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. North wind between 5 and 11 mph.

Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 47. North wind between 3 and 9 mph.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30. North wind around 8 mph.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 47. North wind between 8 and 11 mph.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 32. North wind around 6 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 46.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 27.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 43.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 32.

Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 48.

Monday Night: A chance of rain. Cloudy, with a low around 38. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 48.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 32.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 41.

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