Latest news with #JohnCarson
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
'Manage what the good Lord gave us'
FAIRMONT — While capturing rainwater to water plants is nice, the City of Fairmont's stormwater crews are handing out 25 rain barrels for a much deeper reason. 'The thought is getting water to infiltrate into the ground, which lowers the amount of water that's going into the streams, which lowers erosion, so there's less sediment and silt in the stream,' John Carson, the City's Water Utility Manager, said. 'It's about cleaning up the streams and watching hot spots like the salt sheds and stuff.' City officials will hold a seminar May 30 in Palatine Park to educate residents about the importance of keeping rainwater from flowing into the river and managing pollution. At the event, officials will also hand out rain barrels to residents for the purpose of diverting rainfall from their gutter downspouts into the barrels. Mike Bragg, the city's wet weather manager, said the event is usually well attended and all the barrels are taken by the end of the seminar. 'It's first, come first served,' Bragg said. 'I've got 25 barrels. Come up into it if you want to. You've got people calling and registering ahead. If you want to give me a call and I'll reserve your barrel for you. If you just show up and I've got barrels left over, we'll put your name on the list and hand them out.' The rain barrel program is part of managing an MS-4, or Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection defines an MS-4 as a water conveyance or system of conveyances that are owned by a state, city, town, village or public entity that discharges to the waters of the US. It's designed to collect or convey stormwater and is not a combined sewer and not part of a sewage treatment plan. The point of MS-4 systems is to prevent stormwater from washing harmful pollution into waterways. Carson showed a before and after photo of the Monongahela River prior to when the city started work to clean it up. Carson said the water was absolutely disgusting. After a stormwater management program was developed for the waterway, fish could live in it again. 'The theory of it is, it helps eliminate water discharging into the streams and things so you can conserve that water and give the homeowners the ability to store water instead of using city potable water to water their plants and gardens with,' Carson said. Carson added the amount of water the barrels retains is little, but it's a good opportunity for public outreach and education. Keeping the river's water quality clean is important to the city. 'What Fairmont's trying to do with a lot of investments into our parks and our recreation, we're really trying to add access to river points. Thinks like kayak drops or fishing piers, especially as we're developing the rail trail along the riverside,' Communications Manager David Kirk said. 'Little things like this where we can inform people on keeping the rivers and streams clean, it creates an environment more conducive to these broader things of river recreation we're trying to tap into in Fairmont.' Above all, no one likes a dirty river. Or dead fish and fishing is fun, relaxing sport. 'You guys who like to fish, you understand the importance of clean streams,' Carson said. 'We're here to manage what the good Lord gave us in this area and make it clean. That's what we're here for.'
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
'Manage what the good Lord gave us'
FAIRMONT — While capturing rainwater to water plants is nice, the City of Fairmont's stormwater crews are handing out 25 rain barrels for a much deeper reason. 'The thought is getting water to infiltrate into the ground, which lowers the amount of water that's going into the streams, which lowers erosion, so there's less sediment and silt in the stream,' John Carson, the City's Water Utility Manager, said. 'It's about cleaning up the streams and watching hot spots like the salt sheds and stuff.' City officials will hold a seminar May 30 in Palatine Park to educate residents about the importance of keeping rainwater from flowing into the river and managing pollution. At the event, officials will also hand out rain barrels to residents for the purpose of diverting rainfall from their gutter downspouts into the barrels. Mike Bragg, the city's wet weather manager, said the event is usually well attended and all the barrels are taken by the end of the seminar. 'It's first, come first served,' Bragg said. 'I've got 25 barrels. Come up into it if you want to. You've got people calling and registering ahead. If you want to give me a call and I'll reserve your barrel for you. If you just show up and I've got barrels left over, we'll put your name on the list and hand them out.' The rain barrel program is part of managing an MS-4, or Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection defines an MS-4 as a water conveyance or system of conveyances that are owned by a state, city, town, village or public entity that discharges to the waters of the US. It's designed to collect or convey stormwater and is not a combined sewer and not part of a sewage treatment plan. The point of MS-4 systems is to prevent stormwater from washing harmful pollution into waterways. Carson showed a before and after photo of the Monongahela River prior to when the city started work to clean it up. Carson said the water was absolutely disgusting. After a stormwater management program was developed for the waterway, fish could live in it again. 'The theory of it is, it helps eliminate water discharging into the streams and things so you can conserve that water and give the homeowners the ability to store water instead of using city potable water to water their plants and gardens with,' Carson said. Carson added the amount of water the barrels retains is little, but it's a good opportunity for public outreach and education. Keeping the river's water quality clean is important to the city. 'What Fairmont's trying to do with a lot of investments into our parks and our recreation, we're really trying to add access to river points. Thinks like kayak drops or fishing piers, especially as we're developing the rail trail along the riverside,' Communications Manager David Kirk said. 'Little things like this where we can inform people on keeping the rivers and streams clean, it creates an environment more conducive to these broader things of river recreation we're trying to tap into in Fairmont.' Above all, no one likes a dirty river. Or dead fish and fishing is fun, relaxing sport. 'You guys who like to fish, you understand the importance of clean streams,' Carson said. 'We're here to manage what the good Lord gave us in this area and make it clean. That's what we're here for.'
North Wales Chronicle
09-05-2025
- General
- North Wales Chronicle
Caernarfon care home celebrates 80th anniversary of VE Day
Residents at Pendine Park's Bryn Seiont Newydd care home in Caernarfon, also enjoyed a rousing sing-song as they embraced the spirit of the 1940s and celebrated the anniversary of the end of World War II. Staff at Bryn Seiont Newydd decorated the lounge with bunting and Union Jack flags, and residents were greeted with a glass of beer or wine as they arrived to the sound of wartime music. Asked to cut the celebration cake retired engineer John Carson, 91, who lived in Llanberis before moving to Bryn Seiont said he vividly recalled VE Day. He said: "On VE Day there was a special tea and sports. I was a good runner in those days and I won several of the races and got a half crown (about 12p) for winning each one. 'That made me very happy." According to John, his father served in World War I, but as a train driver, he was in a reserved occupation on VE Day. He added: "He wasn't home but that wasn't unusual. He'd go to work and we didn't know when he'd be back. 'Air raids would cause his trains to be shunted into sidings and he'd have to wait for hours. There was a lot more certainty after the war ended." A smiling Ethna Williams waved her 80th anniversary flag as she sang her favourite songs from the 1940s. The 91-year-old, who was born in Dublin, spoke of her relief that the war had finally ended. Ethna, who lived in the Holyhead area for many years, said: "I remember feeling a sense of happiness flowing over me when I heard the news and went straight out to celebrate. "The war had gone on for a long time and there was no shame in going out that day." Enjoying his glass of beer, Peter Brierly said there was great excitement on VE Day. Peter, 92, from Criccieth, said he was at school in Manchester when news of the war ending came through. He said: "Someone heard the news on the radio and the news quickly spread and the teachers were very, very happy. They were smiling and crying at the same time. "That was the end of the school day and we went home and there were street parties everywhere. 'My older brother was in the Army and we thought he'd be home straight away but that didn't happen for several months," he said. Nia Davies Williams, Bryn Seiont Newydd's musician in residence, led the sing-song which included favourites such as A Long Way to Tipperary, Pack up your Troubles, Run, Rabbit Run and We'll Meet Again. She said: "VE Day is an incredibly important milestone for many of our residents, and we're keen to honour all those involved. 'It is important to remember VE Day, as the world would not be what it is today without the heroes of that time. "Reminiscence activities such as this are a great way for older people, and those living with dementia, to connect with those around them and help maintain a sense of identity."
CBS News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Colorado lawmakers want to increase penalties for careless driving
Lawmakers are debating a measure that would increase penalties for careless driving. The aim is to hold negligent drivers accountable. Senate Bill 25-281 changes the penalty for careless driving that causes the death of an individual from a class 1 misdemeanor traffic offense to a class 6 felony if the individual had a prior conviction of vehicular homicide, criminal negligent homicide with a motor vehicle, vehicular assault, or careless driving resulting in serious bodily injury. The mandated penalty of a class 6 felony would also apply if the negligent driver: drove without a valid license drove without a valid insurance policy had a prior conviction of DUI in the last 5 years has a revoked license The bill also mandates that an officer test the driver for drugs and alcohol as soon as possible to preserve related evidence. Class 6 felonies are the least serious category of felony crimes in Colorado. If convicted, a person could serve one year to 18 months, along with fines up to $100,000. If passed, the bill would take effect on April 1, 2027. The bill's prime sponsors are State senators Marc Snyder, a Democrat from Manitou Springs, and Republican State Senator John Carson from Highlands Ranch.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Careless driving penalties could be strengthened under proposed Colorado bill
DENVER (KDVR) — Parents fought back tears Wednesday at the state Capitol as they prepared to try and convince lawmakers to stiffen penalties for drivers who injure and kill people in crashes. The proposed bill would change the careless driving resulting in death classification from a misdemeanor to a class 6 felony. Maximum sentence of 1 year given to driver who ran red light, killing a 13-year-old The mother of 13-year-old Alex Mackiewicz says the driver who ran a red light and struck and killed her son in Highlands Ranch last year got off way too easily. That driver was sentenced to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. 'I received a lifetime sentence of constant misery, pain and nightmares until this day I have nightmares of receiving news that my son is dead over and over again,' Alex's mother, Victoria Cegielski, said. She was one of several relatives of people who have been killed by careless drivers who spoke on Wednesday. The mother of 17-year-old Magnus White, who was killed on his bike in Boulder, also spoke. 'If a person kills someone with a car and is charged with careless driving resulting in death, the penalty is the same as shoplifting. We put more value in stealing an iPhone or a North Face jacket than taking a life,' Magnus' mother, Jill White, said. The bill's sponsor says that under current law, careless driving causing serious bodily injury amounts to a class one misdemeanor traffic offense. The proposed bill would increase it to a class 6 felony if a death is involved. Senator John Carson is the bill's co-sponsor. 'We have an issue that's getting worse in our state, and we need to address it,' Senator John Carson said. Carson says that in the past, too many lawmakers felt that increasing penalties did not deter crime. Woman found guilty after hitting and killing 17-year-old Magnus White Too many laws, Carson said, have been weakened in Colorado and the Careless Driving bill is needed now, more than ever. Families are hoping the bill makes it out of committee and goes before the legislature for a vote. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
