Environment

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Richmond American Homes is building 20 single-family homes on half-acre sites at Townsend Manor in Clinton. The Daniela model, with 2,706 square feet, is priced from $359,990.

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The living room has a wood-burning fireplace and a wall of windows facing the backyard. It has high ceilings and cove lighting.

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**FILE** Fallen maple leaves carpet a lawn across the street from the First Baptist Church of Kingfield, Maine, on Sept. 30, 2011. As trees start showing autumn's golden, orange and red hues, nature lovers aren't the only ones taking note: Scientists are watching trees and making note of time that leaves change and drop as they seek to determine climate change's impact. (Associated Press)

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In this frame grab image taken from WCBS-TV, survivors cling to the bottom of a helicopter after it inverted following a crash in the East River in New York on Oct. 4, 2011. (Associated Press/WCBS-TV)

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"In the same way that the 'world arrogance' is present near our sea borders, we will have a powerful presence near the U.S. sea borders." — Rear Adm. Habilbollah Sayyari, Iran's navy chief

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High school students chant slogans outside the Greek Parliament during a protest in central Athens on Oct. 4, 2011. (Associated Press)

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Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett in Pittsburgh on Monday said his plan for the state's natural-gas boom would let counties impose a fee on drilling to help pay to regulate it and fix any environmental damage. (Associated Press)

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Storm victims keep themselves dry in a boat and on the steps of a flooded basketball court that serves as an evacuation center as flooding continues for the fourth day Sunday in Bulacan province north of Manila. Back-to-back typhoons left at least 59 people dead in the northern Philippines. (Associated Press)

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Residents evacuate to safer grounds as massive flooding continues for the second day Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011, at Calumpit township, Bulacan province north of Manila, Philippines. Typhoon Nalgae, the second typhoon in a week to hit the rain-soaked northern Philippines, added misery to thousands of people, some of whom are still perched on rooftops while several other Asian nations also reeled from flooding. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

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Dan Lemieux, manager of the Washington Monument inspection project, holds a 10-pound, dictionary-size chunk of marble his team removed from the monument while checking for damage from the Aug. 23 earthquake. (Associated Press)

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English tourists get off a bus at the Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks in Montpelier, Vt. The visitors said the damage from Tropical Storm Irene wasn't a concern, noting that they've seen ongoing repairs to the roads. "It's good to see that it's being done so quickly," tourist Barry Edwards said. (Associated Press)

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The volume of water being moved by a fountain will dictate the size pump needed. The sound of a fountain can mask traffic noises.

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Homeowners should be aware that ponds with fish may attract other wildlife, such as raccoons, hawks and blue herons.

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The kitchen has hardwood flooring and granite counters. There is pendant lighting above the center island, which has room for seating.

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The center-island kitchen in the Sycamore model features 42-inch cabinets and stainless steel appliances.

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Stanley Martin Homes is building 209 single-family homes on half-acre sites at Selma Estates in Leesburg. The Sycamore model, with 3,281 to 6,448 square feet, is priced from $549,990.

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Dan Gach (left), Erik Shon (center) and Emma Cardini inspect the exterior of the Washington Monument for damage caused by last month's earthquake on Sept. 28, 2011. (Associated Press)

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Lt. Greg Dypsky (foreground) and Fireman Steve Muccino (center), members of the Rescue Squad 3 Collapse Task Force, search through the mock rubble of a fallen building in search of survivors and bodies at RFK Stadium on Wednesday. Government agencies and their nongovernment partners simulated a response to a Category 2 hurricane strike. (T.J. Kirkpatrick/The Washington Times)

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From left: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton; Gary Mead, executive associate director for Enforcement and Removal Operations; ICE Deputy Director Kumar Kibble and James Dinkins, executive associate director of Homeland Security Investigations, take part in a news conference to announce results of ICE-led enforcement targeting at-large criminal aliens on Sept. 28, 2011, in Washington. (Associated Press)