The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/616296
A-10 Local Wednesday, December 16, 2015 The Press-Dispatch Making tree decorations Mrs. Walton assists Luke Sale, fourth grade student, with his decoration for the tree. Petersburg Elementary have Santa Hat day Petersburg Elementary had Santa Hat day on Tuesday. Third grade stu- dents in Mrs. Libbie Dedman's class are showing off their hats. Pictured are: Ryan Mosby, Eibhlin Teague, Brenton Fryrear, Jakob Newkirk and Conner Loveless. AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK AT WES Winslow Elementary School celebrated American Education Week Nov. 16 - 20. The theme this year was "Careers Under Construction." The school hallways and cafeteria were decorated to fit the theme. The students had a week filled with speakers from different career fields, fun classroom activities, spe- cial lunch menu, a costume parade and a Friday lunch with their family members. This week is eager- ly anticipated every year by the students – it has been a tradition at WES for many years. Above: Trooper Mike Davis demonstrates fingerprinting to the students using second grader Drayden as an example. He and Detective Trent Stinson spoke to the students about law enforcement and the Dept. of Natural Resources. Lindsey Williams' morning preschool class were bakers one day during AEW and baked a pan of cookies. Pictured are: Liam Poselwait, Ashley Cassitty, Logan Norris, Jaxlyn Lemond, Lindsey Wil- liams, Levi Reinhart, Zach Johnson and Noah Poselwait. Mary Jean Kellams speaks to the students about being a baker and bakery shop owner...and a for- mer kindergarten teacher. The fourth graders enjoyed seeing their former teacher IDHS tells Hoosiers to leave natural gas appliance work to pros As the winter months draw near, the Indiana De- partment of Homeland Se- curity is urging Hoosiers to hire trained profession- als to work on their natu- ral gas appliances. This reminder comes after the last two weeks have been especially deadly for Indi- ana, with four people losing their lives after trying to fix natural gas furnaces, water heaters or gas lines instead of hiring professionals. "We are not, by any means, picking on natu- ral gas," said Indiana State Fire Marshal James Gree- son. "We offer the same ad- vice regarding electricity, too. It's important to hire people who are trained, who know what safety is- sues to look for and who are aware of the latest codes, standards and equipment." For example, the U.S. Department of Energy re- ports that one in four fur- naces in the United States is more than 20 years old. All furnaces, but especial- ly older ones, require annu- al inspections to make sure there is no problem with the heat exchanger, which can lead to the release of deadly carbon monoxide into the home. In addition, many residential heating systems have old, uncoated brass flexible gas connec- tors, attaching the natural gas appliance to the natural gas supply piping. These have not been made for more than 25 years, but many are still in use. They should be re- placed by newer versions made from corrugated metal tubes. Moving a gas appliance can cause these connectors to break, re- sulting in a gas leak, fire or explosion. A profession- al plumber or heating and cooling or appliance repair contractor can inspect ap- pliances and, if necessary, safely replace the flexible gas connectors. Greeson offered addi- tional safety tips for the start of this heating sea- son. They include: • Checking the col- or of the natural gas appli- ance's pilot light. The flame should be blue. If it appears more orange or yellow, this is a good indicator of incom- plete combustion and a sign that the appliance needs service by a profession- al. Natural gas fireplace logs are the exception to the blue flame rule. These products are designed to burn yellow in order to achieve a more realistic ap- pearance to wood burning. But just like a wood-burn- ing fireplace, it is vital the damper is open at all times during operation; • Never using natural gas ranges or stoves for heating. This can cause a buildup of dangerous car- bon monoxide levels; • Thinking about the possibility of carbon mon- oxide poisoning if all mem- bers of the family appear to come down with flu- like symptoms at the same time. The symptoms of carbon monoxide poison- ing are similar to those of the flu – nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, confusion and fatigue. But influenza infec- tion patterns usually involve one family member getting sick and then three to five days later, another member of the family comes down with the flu. It's a real red flag if everyone gets sick at the same time; Greeson said newer nat- ural gas appliances often have safety features like shut-offs to control the es- cape of natural gas should the pilot light go out. The older models may not. "Natural gas is used by more than 50 percent of American households as their main heating source," Greeson said. "It is a clean fuel, efficient and safe. But like any appliances, we urge Hoosiers to hire trained professionals to check and maintain their appliances on a yearly basis." For more information, visit any local utility's web- site or visit GetPrepared. in.gov. Eagle Watch at Salamonie Interpretive Center, Feb. 13 and 14 This Valentine's Day take your sweetheart on a trip that won't be forgotten - to the largest document- ed winter eagle roost in In- diana. Eagle watches will be offered Feb. 13 and 14 through DNR's Upper Wa- bash Interpretive Services. Participants will meet at Salamonie Interpretive Center at 3 p.m. on both days, listen to a brief over- view of Indiana's bald ea- gles and then caravan to the roost. Participants should dress for the weather and bring binoculars, camer- as and spotting scopes if they have them. The event includes some walking on paved roads. Those who need the available handi- capped parking should re- quest it upon registration. Port-a-pots will be avail- able. Participants can leave the roosting site whenever they please. For more information and to register call (260) 468 -2127. Upper Wabash Interpre- tive Services (dnr.IN.gov/ uwis) is at 3691 S. New Holland Road, Andrews, 46702. To view all DNR news re- leases, see dnr.IN.gov.