Free Republic

I just don't want this to happen to anyone else ... Traci Parker left Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego on Tuesday after an eight-day stay. She was forced to undergo surgery for a severe infection after what should have been a routine dental visit. ... her doctor didn't listen to her concerns. "It's been really hard on me," Parker said. "If I had not gotten treated when I did, I could have gotten septic." Her ordeal started back on August 3 when she went in for the first of two appointments to get a crown. She was in pain...

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is one of the deep-blue cities that’s been priding itself in leading the charge against climate change for years now. Back in 2016, they decided to establish a position as an early adopter of electric vehicle technology on a large scale to reduce their carbon footprint. The city purchased 25 electric buses from a company called Protera at a staggering price tag of nearly one million dollars apiece and put them into operation. But barely four years later, every one of the buses had been pulled from service and is deemed unusable. What went so horribly wrong to...

SEPTA riders are candid about what they see on buses, subways and the Market-Frankford elevated line. And some of them say what they have seen has made them reluctant to ride right now — which is a huge problem for a transit agency that gets hundreds of thousands of people to work daily. “Dirty trash. I’ve seen empty needles,” said Charles Williams of West Philadelphia. “It was filth everywhere”, said Mona Scruggs of Northeast Philadelphia. “I had to buy a newspaper every day, just so I could sit on the newspaper, because I didn’t want to sit on the seat.”...

The accident happened at around 9 a.m. in the plant in Jiangbei District of Ningbo City, causing some buildings to collapse, the city's fire department said.

He was rescued from the septic tank, hosed off by the Keystone Fire Department....

Authorities in the northwestern Lower Peninsula are considering whether to levy a tax on septic tank owners to cover unexpected losses at a $7.8 million plant that treats their sewage. The Grand Traverse County Board of Public Works is to meet today to consider recommendations of a committee that spend three months studying the issue. The meeting is set for 9 a.m. at the Garfield Township hall, south of Traverse City. Participants include supervisors from those townships that guaranteed the bonds sold to build the Grand Traverse County Septage Treatment Facility.

Michigan Tax Alert: Senate Bill 45 Take Action! Michigan Tax Alert: Your state senator just proposed a tax increase! Bill Number: SB 45 Bill Sponsors: Sen. Patty Birkholz (R-24), Sen. Jason Allen (R-37), Sen. John Pappageorge (R-13), Sen. Roger Kahn (R-32) This bill creates a new government bureaucracy to oversee the ongoing inspections of septic tanks. Home and business owners would be responsible to pay the fee for these inspections. The cost of new construction would also increase as a result of the additional fee. The taxpayer would also be on the hook to pay for the newly created On-site...

One by one on Monday, rural landowners condemned the state’s proposed septic system rules during hearings in Santa Rosa and excoriated state officials for what they viewed as trespassing on their property rights. “The state deserves a beating on this one,” said Rich Middleton of rural Sebastopol. “This smells like a bad government idea that was created by city folks.” About 1,100 people attended a 4-hour afternoon hearing of the state Water Resources Control Board at the Wells Fargo Center. An evening session drew another 550 people. Of 44 people who spoke during the first hearing, only one demonstrated any...

After hearing from rural residents and environmentalists alike, water officials say they will rewrite proposed new state regulations on septic systems. The State Water Resources Control Board said Friday that it will redraft the regulations. "The State Water Board is sensitive to the concerns raised at the public workshops, and the regulations will be revised following consideration of the public comments, as appropriate," the board said in announcing the changes. As a result, a public hearing on the proposed regulations, originally scheduled for Feb. 9 in Sacramento, has been postponed "until further notice," the board said. It has also extended...

As expected, the Fresno Unified School District board room was jammed last Thursday as the State Water Resources Control Board conducted a workshop/hearing on proposed septic and well system regulations. The room holds 149 people and the crowd was so big, folks were sitting in the aisles and standing against the wall. Speaker after speaker -- including three Madera County officials -- criticized either the proposals or the process. The crowd was at times hostile to the Water Board representatives, who did a good job of keeping their cool. At other times, speakers elicited roars of laughter or shouts of...

Stunned that several hundred homeowners turned out for a public hearing that had to be canceled because of overcrowding, state water officials said Wednesday they will reschedule the session and probably extend the deadline for comments. Sonoma County fire inspectors told hearing officers for the State Water Resources Control Board to call off Tuesday night’s meeting when the 400-seat Harry Merlo theater at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts swelled beyond capacity. People filled the aisles, crowded the lobby and backed up traffic on Highway 101 and Old Redwood Highway. “We are disappointed that the authorities shut us down,...

DES MOINES, Iowa — Christmas Eve stunk for Robert Schoff. The 77-year-old Des Moines man got stuck in his septic tank. "It wasn't good, I'll tell you what," Schoff told the Des Moines Register. "It was the worst Christmas Eve I've ever had." Schoff's holiday adventure started Monday when he dug a hole and reached inside to find a clog. He lost his balance and became wedged in the opening of the tank.

Seeking ways to avoid stressing a delicate septic system.

AUSTRALIA must beware the rise of the "religious right" in politics, American Christian activist Jim Wallis has told a Melbourne audience. Mr Wallis said religious faith would be the most influential force in Australian politics for the next decade, but the country was in danger of allowing the religious right to dominate. "It is clear from … the abortion debate and the rise of Family First that Australia, like many countries, is witnessing a new religious force that could change the political landscape," he said. Mr Wallis is in Melbourne to launch the Australian edition of his book God's Politics:...

Recently, I made the following comment regarding a posting by Wretchard at Belmont Club. When citizens become the slayers of their brethren the commonality of a unifying culture has ended. Two cultures with opposing values exists in one space at war with one another. In such a case, the culture that is most consistent with its values, regardless of right, will ultimately prevail. The Left has seen to it that one side remains confused while the other remains insulated... one denigrated while the other defended. I submit that the BBC and MSM have become every bit as motivating to butchers...