U.S. Airways recently announced, beginning May 5, it is going to charge $25 for a second checked bag. “We’re making these changes to offset record fuel prices and rising airline-related expenses,” the airline stated in a release.

At this year’s Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo), North American Technician Excellence (NATE) signed an agreement designed to give students advanced status in the UA when they graduate from schools accredited by PAHRA and that use the Industry Competency Exam (ICE).

Not sure about you, but I receive a ton of e-mails a day. Of course, 99.8 percent are worthless. I still have yet to find out why Dr. Mikel Georth would leave me funds in a secret bank in Chicken, Alaska.

I have to admit, the full-page ad is attractive, and especially with the headline “Amish man’s new miracle idea helps home heat bills hit rock bottom.” Another draw is a smaller headline within the ad: “How to get 2 free heaters.”

BIM. If you are not acclimated with the term or technology, now is the time - especially if your firm is up to creating lean and green buildings. (In truth, BIM is used for all construction.) BIM stands for Building Information Model and Building Information Modeling.

One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning? Bob Kaminsky can do far better than that. The owner of Air Tigers Inc. could be at a customer’s house in seconds flat. Only problem is he is not allowed to go such speed on the streets. Going over 100 miles per hour is only allowed on race tracks, where the contractor is getting quite a name for himself.

Albuquerque is not the easiest word to spell. Apparently, city officials are not easy to deal with, either. More than a few industry associations are challenging the city’s new Energy Conservation Code, scheduled to go into effect April 1. The code will mandate 15 SEER air conditioning and 90 percent AFUE equipment for all residential and commercial new construction, remodels, and replacements.

As consumer awareness has grown, duct cleaning companies have developed into full service HVAC inspection, maintenance, and restoration businesses. National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) members will continue to discuss ways of expanding at the association’s 2008 Annual Meeting and Exposition.

When it comes to the topic of green building, The NEWS turned to a couple of experts from the Mechanical Contractors Association (MCA) of Chicago for guidance, Dan Bulley and Stephen Lamb. Here are their answers to 10 questions that The NEWS posed.

As an HVACR contractor, you are crazy if you do not set foot in the green building movement. There are many, many outlets to become educated on the subject. You can start with two sources: Ferris State University (FSU) and the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA).