How to get free insurance from the vendors that work for you as well as tips on how to avoid becoming an insurance company of last resort.

Use these techniques to minimize risk at jobsites and prevent the bringing home of hazardous materials.

Agency updates tool for evaluating homes in National Flood Insurance Program.

An appraisal clause proves a useful tool as claims become more often contested.

Indictment says members of the Bloods used threats of violence against other restoration firms and insurance adjusters. 

The challenge for restorers now becomes who pays as many homeowners in the area lack insurance. 

The Mold Remediation Registration Act (SB 1087) aims to protect residents from the health risks associated with mold exposure in water-damaged buildings.

Tips for getting the most out of your business meetings.

It is time again for KnowHow’s monthly Case Study! This month we learn Tony Scott’s Formula for a Sustainable Workforce: Curiosity, Care, and Commitment.

Company culture is important for any business; we look at the crucial role it plays in the restoration and remediation industry. 

Learn how building a strong team culture, investing in leadership development, and planning for the future can set your restoration business up for long-term success.

Over the past decade, the restoration industry has witnessed a significant shift from large franchises to a more diverse mix of independent companies. 

Discover how Clemson’s head football coach Dabo Swinney leads with integrity, values team-first mentality, and builds a culture of accountability—principles that can transform your business leadership approach and drive long-term success.

The restoration industry, despite its rapid growth, faces a leadership crisis. Burnout, the influx of younger generations with different motivations, and a backlog of urgent tasks have left many asking: Who will lead tomorrow?

The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) is seeking volunteers from the User category to join the consensus body for the revision of the IICRC S300 Standard for Professional Upholstery Cleaning. Users of professional upholstery cleaning services are encouraged to apply by contacting IICRC Standards.

BluSky Restoration Contractors hosted its 14th annual "Clays for Kids" fundraiser, raising $15,000 for CASA of Larimer County.

BluSky Restoration Contractors, LLC, raised $150,000 for ALS research through its seventh annual Rakers Classic charity golf tournament, an event inspired by Lyle Rakers, an employee diagnosed with a rare form of ALS in 2017, which has become a cornerstone of the Lyle Rakers Charitable Foundation.

BELFOR Franchise Group announces the launch of the Claims Partnership Program, offering customized training for property claims professionals. This program aims to address the gap created by retiring veterans and new entrants in the claims industry.

Nothing surpasses ClO2 for deodorization and disinfection. ClO2 physically changes the chemical make up of germs and odor-causing compounds and then breaks down leaving no harmful residue.

Formovie has announced the upgrade to the popular Formovie Theater UST laser TV, the Theater Premium, with enhanced brightness and improved performance and features.

Nearly six decades after he dropped out, Ciro Scala went back to City College, earned two degrees and started a workshop program to help first-generation college students navigate some of the same kinds of challenges that sidetracked his hopes for a college degree.

Crystal Hana Kim says the Korean War is so deeply ingrained in her family's history--but so remote for Americans today--that it became the driving force for her to become a writer.

CSI and Graduate Center professor Ava Chin uncovers her family's remarkable history and reveals the deeper history of exclusion that defined the Chinese American experience for a century in "Mott Street."

A conversation about CUNY's ambitions for the coming years with Rachel Stephenson and Cathy N. Davidson of the new Office of Transformation.

116-24 : List of Deliverable Canadian Government Bond Issues for the LGB, CGB, CGF and CGZ Futures Contracts

117-24 : Updated List of Fines for Minor Violations

120-24 : Hearing before the Disciplinary Committee of Bourse de Montréal Inc. - National Bank Financial Inc.

124-24 : Hearing before the Disciplinary Committee - Marex Capital Markets Inc.

128-24 : List of Deliverable Canadian Government Bond Issues for the LGB, CGB, CGF and CGZ Futures Contracts

A nice refresher on vehicle safety and added safety measures to implement while in the job.

BluSky Restoration Contractors announces new partnership with the Aresty Institute of Executive Education.

Episode 1 of Unlocking Training Success with Lisa Lavender gives advice on improving the impact of training and development in your company.

Episode 2 of Unlocking Training Success with Lisa Lavender gives advice on training intervention, and taking your restoration company to new heights.

A new Restoration Industry Management degree program is set to shape the future of the restoration industry by addressing the critical need for skilled professionals and preparing the next generation of leaders.

Learn how to effectively plan and execute mobilization efforts for hurricane CAT responses. This step-by-step guide covers everything from organizing logistics and securing financing to gathering equipment and managing labor.

Selecting a projector for a DIY golf simulator is different than picking one for home theater or gaming. Here's what you need to know, along with a few expert projector recommendations.

Pace was appointed and won in an election against Jim Dillenbeck last night.

The post New schools, more bus drivers and improved reading scores are among Chuck Pace’s priorities for his next year on Albemarle County School Board appeared first on Charlottesville Tomorrow.

https://www.abc27.com/investigators/shawns-law-york-county-mom-fights-for-tougher-penalties-against-those-who-encourage-others-to-take-their-own-life/?fbclid=IwAR2vuraueQvuG0cAOXMuLd8uw9zWUIqA4Kbvm61m3x4aE_UIOM1ewT_WBfU

We talk with Cumberland County District Attorney Sean McCormack about the efforts to fight human trafficking. https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1732753579746685324?s=20   https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1732765713054470239?s=20   https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1732766219596435926?s=20   https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1732775470393889221?s=20 Facebook ? Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/v/hieNMkimGABgrjaS/?mibextid=d6eG65   ? Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/v/5pnu4uYDr4DXCvJc/?mibextid=d6eG65   ? Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/v/qH2GGUt8zv8SKdX3/?mibextid=d6eG65        

We talked with Jay DeFruscio, the Chief Operating Officer for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Schools, about the huge benefit provided by the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program. Here are three of the postings we shared on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/o9mfCwioL8PfuHa8/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/8Hbz7PVfKdKSFrWM/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/d83WFnKC8ZZ4oQAi/?mibextid=WC7FNe    

Here are some of our postings for Monday’s PA March for Life. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/KNZfyjbgaMeFPfj3/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/gp5xVu7y8kxW49kv/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/YpxiCotA4v22Q7tb/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/uNFWLVKh3vcTHH7u/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/ZJmyUxQnDzEUQs1N/?mibextid=WC7FNe  

The PA Senate returned to the Capitol for full sessions and committee meetings. The Bishop of Harrisburg, Timothy Senior gave the opening prayer on Tuesday. That is in the first of our Facebook posts offered here. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/gji9z8diELbaWi5E/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/JLLp8LZNLFuBAyrH/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/XRs363N9Mvpog1pe/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/wGTgGutdEcf6vX6V/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/JRyWvi2KkipabkwQ/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/3aBxFaPwQxATNBJj/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/L7H8rK475qyztwnM/?mibextid=WC7FNe

From the USCCB – June 4, 2018 – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the case of Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The case involves a Christian baker named Jack Phillips who declined in 2012 to create a custom wedding cake for a same-sex ceremony. State officials sought to compel Phillips to create such cakes under Colorado’s public accommodations law. The Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in favor of Phillips under the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Chairman of the Committee for Religious Liberty, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., of Philadelphia, Chairman of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, and Bishop James D. Conley of Lincoln, Chairman of the Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), issued the following joint statement: “Today’s decision confirms that people of faith should not suffer discrimination on account of their deeply held religious beliefs, but instead should be respected by government officials. This extends to creative professionals, such as Jack Phillips, who seek to serve the Lord in every aspect of their daily lives. In a pluralistic society like ours, true tolerance allows people with different viewpoints to be free to live out their beliefs, even if those beliefs are unpopular with the government.” The USCCB filed an amicus curiae brief supporting Masterpiece Cakeshop, which can be found here: http://www.usccb.org/about/general-counsel/amicus-briefs/upload/16-111-tsac-USCCB.pdf.        

Like many lawmakers in Harrisburg, State Rep. Jesse Topper (R-Bedford, Fulton and Franklin Cos.) will be keeping a close eye on budget talks at the Capitol.  The process started after Governor Wolf unveiled his budget proposal earlier this month. “It’s basically the Governor saying ‘this is my wish list,’” said Topper. “That’s the way I look at it. “ There’s a good chance that Topper and his Republican colleagues will have a different set of wishes. Topper said they will be looking at what is needed to run the government efficiently. “There’s always going to be disagreement on that number. It’s a negotiation,” he said. “But from my standpoint, I’m always going to be advocating for spending less money–being more efficient with what we have and not going back to the tax payers for their hard-earned money.” One of the programs that Topper will be pushing for is the Educational Improvement Tax Credit, or EITC for short. It enables businesses to get a tax credit for contributing to a scholarship organization, educational improvement organization or a pre-K scholarship organization. “This is a way that we can make sure that businesses who want to contribute to our Catholic schools—and private schools really, whether they are Catholic or not, that we can’t give direct dollars to directly through the state, this is a chance for them to be able to contribute to their communities and get tax deductions through that. It has been a widely successful program that has benefited both the communities and the businesses they serve in, as well as the schools. “ Topper sees a lot of support for not only keeping, but also increasing the EITC. “We’ve seen increases in the EITC since I’ve been here. Speaker Turzai has been leading the charge on that, as well as a former colleague of mine, Jimmy Christiana and Senator Regan when he was Representative Regan in the House. There’s a lot of bi-partisan support for increasing the EITC. “ Another issue that Topper will keep his eye is abortion. He is part of a staunch Pro-Life Caucus at the Capitol. Like many of his colleagues he was alarmed by what happened in New York with the new abortion law. “You’ve seen a lot of—even millennials,” Topper said, “who have come to understand that – I think technology has really made a difference, when you can see these children through ultrasounds…I knew what my kids looked like before they were born. That technology wasn’t available back in the time of Roe V. Wade.” “It just wasn’t something that people could look at and understand. Now they can. The science is on our side. And I think that’s one social and cultural issue that we’ve moved to our side, the pro-life movement.” And Topper joined his colleagues in adding re-assurance to pro-lifers in PA. “This is something I don’t expect to see in Pennsylvania under this legislature but we have to have an answer for it—as we talk about the value of life at conception, what these little children mean to us as a society and how we are going to protect them.”    

Associate Professor of Humanities Winston Chow from SMU’s School of Social Sciences has researched on the areas of urban vulnerability to climate change; sustainability in urban climatology; and perceptions of environmental and climate change in tourism. In recent years, he has published papers on the impact of weather extremes on urban resilience to hydro-climate hazards and trans-boundary variations of urban drought vulnerability and its impact on water resource management in Singapore and Johor, Malaysia. In this podcast, Associate Professor Chow will discuss the continued economic growth of a city by adopting sustainable urban development measures.

Assistant Professor Richard Crowley from SMU’s School of Accountancy examines financial accounting using both archival and analytical methods for his research. Much of his archival work deals with large sets of unstructured data using high-powered computing algorithms to address accounting issues that are otherwise infeasible to approach. He has recently written two research articles on using a machine learning technique to assess the content of companies’ disclosures. In this podcast, he discusses how fraud and misreporting can be detected by studying a company’s financial statement using a machine learning technique, and shares how companies disclose financial information on Twitter, and how feedback from investors and others can influence this.

Technology is playing an increasingly important role in improving the quality of care for the elderly, be it enhancing aged care patient experience, developing home-care for an ageing population, or automating clinical processes. Associate Professor Tan Hwee Pink from SMU’s School of Information Systems, together with his team, have extensive ground experience in developing and deploying senior-centric technologies, from previous research projects at SMU. They are now collaborating with NTUC Healthcare Co-operative Ltd, a key provider of community programmes for seniors in Singapore, to use smart technology to enhance the operational efficiency and productivity of NTUC Healthcare’s centres. In this podcast, he discusses the type of technologies deployed in the project with NTUC Healthcare, the preliminary results achieved, and the challenges faced.

Rapid urbanisation, coupled with the lack of coordination in the use of resources, such as taxis and security personnel, has negatively affected a wide array of quality-of-life metrics. These include waiting time in queues, response time for emergencies, and the number of traffic violations in cities. Using AI and Machine Learning methods, aggregation systems have been developed and adopted to improve the matching of resources and demand, thereby enhancing the efficiency of real-world transportation, emergency response and security systems. In this podcast, Associate Professor Pradeep Varakantham from the SMU School of Information Systems shares how AI can be used to improve transportation and security.