While no one can deny COVID-19 overtook 2020, there were other stories of note during this most unusual year that bear mention.

Here are our Top 10 non-COVID stories in no particular order:

Stanwood High School

Scenes from construction work at the Stanwood High School campus on Friday, Oct. 25, 2019.

The largest construction job in city history is nearly complete.The $147.5 million Stanwood High School campus project remained on schedule and on budget in 2020. The 44,000-square-foot Church Creek Campus building opened in early September home of Lincoln Hill High School, Lincoln Academy and Saratoga School, a parent partnership homeschool program. To the east, crews are working on the new artificial turf baseball and softball fields. Continuing east, the new Stanwood High School is largely complete. Crews began the move-in process in December, and the building is ready to host students when allowed. Next is demolition of the old high school to make way for a parking lot and a new practice field.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view outside the main entrance on the north side.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view inside looking north out at the main entrance.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view of the common area.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view of hallways.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view of hallways.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view inside the gym.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view inside the performing arts center.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view inside the performing arts center.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view inside.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view at the maintenance building.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view of the common area.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view outside the south side.

Scenes from the Church Creek Campus construction. A view outside the Saratoga School wing.

Scenes from the Church Creek Campus construction. A view inside the Saratoga School wing.

Scenes from the Church Creek Campus construction. A view of the south side of the Lincoln Hill wing.

Scenes from the Church Creek Campus construction. A view inside the gym.

Scenes from the Church Creek Campus construction. A view outside the gym.

Scenes from the Church Creek Campus construction. A view inside the Lincoln Hill commons.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view outside the main entrance on the north side.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view inside looking north out at the main entrance.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view of the common area.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view of hallways.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view of hallways.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view inside the gym.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view inside the performing arts center.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view inside the performing arts center.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view inside.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view at the maintenance building.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view of the common area.

Scenes from the Stanwood High School building construction. A view outside the south side.

Scenes from the Church Creek Campus construction. A view outside the Saratoga School wing.

Scenes from the Church Creek Campus construction. A view inside the Saratoga School wing.

Scenes from the Church Creek Campus construction. A view of the south side of the Lincoln Hill wing.

Scenes from the Church Creek Campus construction. A view inside the gym.

Scenes from the Church Creek Campus construction. A view outside the gym.

Scenes from the Church Creek Campus construction. A view inside the Lincoln Hill commons.

New mayor, police chief

Stanwood Mayor Leonard Kelley speaks at theState of City event on Jan. 9, 2020.

In January, Rob Martin became Stanwoods new police chief, as Chief Norm Link became bureau chief of administration services for the Snohomish County Sheriffs Office. Then in July, longtime Stanwood Mayor Leonard Kelley abruptly resigned due to health reasons. The councilchose councilwoman Elizabeth Callaghan to replace him. Kelley, who had served as mayor since 2013, wrote in his resignation letter: "This decision comes with a heavy heart, but I am grateful for the time I got to serve the city of Stanwood. Callaghan, 33, became the youngest mayor in city history and Stanwoods second woman to be mayor. Current council member Dianne White was the first.

Stanwood-Camano growth

Aerial photos of the Stanwood-Camano area on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019.

Our coverage of the areas steady growth ranks among our most-read articles of the year at SCnews.com. The area has seen signs of new development for several years running, but in 2020 many large housing developments started construction. Housing tracts of 91 homes and 97 homes are underway, featuring a mix of single-family detached, duplex and multifamily housing. Additionally, a smattering of smaller housing development plans dot the Stanwood area, collectively adding up to more than 100 new homes. It isn't just houses being built. At least 126 apartment units are going into the Stanwood Camano Village shopping uptown complex at 72nd Avenue and Highway 532. More are planned in years to come. The city progressed on many infrastructure projects to support exponential growth. A new water tower was installed, and the wastewater treatment facility got a monitoring system. The city has worked on overall sewer improvements, including a large sewer main down 72nd Avenue that reroutes effluent using gravity and removes a lift station. Recreation and flood protection double up as Irvine Slough Stormwater Separation project protects downtown with a berm and water controls with Port Susan Trail on top.

Park plans moved from design into contracts and construction this year with drainage and field improvements for Heritage Park. Church Creek Park got new playground equipment. Hamilton Park plans are underway, although the boat launch was postponed for 2021. Viking Way adds a new east-west route between business centers. Snohomish County PUD is building a new, updated electrical substation with increased capacity out of the floodplain southwest of Pioneer Highway and 72nd Avenue. On Camano, officials recently cut the ribbon on the new $5.6 million Island County Administration Building. Meanwhile, the real estate market in the area remains hot with low inventory, high demand and rising prices.

Flooding

Scenes from Silvana on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020, after the Stillaguamish River flooded.

Some of the worst flooding in several years happened in January 2020. The Stillaguamish River crested above flood stage several times in winter, cutting off parts of the lower valley for a few days. The Stillaguamish spilled its banks three separate times in January cresting at 17 feet, 14.5 feet and 19.44 feet. Flood stage in Arlington, the nearest flood gauge, is 14 feet. By Feb. 1, after the river reached 19.44 feet the 10th highest mark on record, according to the National Weather Service flood waters slowly crept through the lower valley, covering farmland from Silvana to the mouth of the river. Many roads were submerged and a few cars were swept off the road. FEMA had threatened to put all of Island County on probation because out of 130 property owners cited, 14 remained out of compliance with National Flood Insurance program standards. The county got an extension and helped more residents comply. Separately, the Washington Coastal Resilience Project and a Sea Level Rise Strategy Study have worked with Island County on new strategic planning tools to help shoreline property owners manage rising sea levels. Just a few weeks ago, king tides surged around seaside homes in several areas on Camano Island, littering yards with logs and seaweed. Seawater coveredparts of Maple GroveRoad and made its wayinto several homes.

Black Lives Matter

Scenes from the Black Lives Matter silent march on Friday, June 12, 2020, through downtown Stanwood. It was part of a statewide day of action Friday to "honor and mourn the lives lost to police brutality and institutional racism." The quiet and peaceful march was capped with speeches at Heritage Park.

The national movement to push for racial justice and equality, spurred by killings of Black men and women by police, spread to Stanwood in late spring. Similar demonstrations popped up in all 50 states. In Stanwood, the movement started with one person: Mercedes Gonzales, a high school student who wanted to speak out against inequality. Were such a small town; we could make a difference and inspire other small towns to do so, Gonzales said in early June. When I first moved here, I was afraid of backlash. Now I see that there are a lot of good people in this town.

Soon, about 30 to 50 peaceful protesters gathered regularly at the corner of Highway 532 and 92nd Avenue in Stanwood to wave signs. In late June, about 240 people quietly walked through downtown Stanwood as part of a statewide day of action. Im thankful for everyone who played a part and came out to show that we could do something to make Stanwood a safe place for people of color. I had no idea it would get so big, but Im grateful, Gonzales said after the march.

Stanwood athletes win state awards

Chanel Siva reacts after winning the girls 235-pound title match during the Mat Classic state wrestling championships Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020, at the Tacoma Dome.

Stanwood High School wrestlers brought home state hardware. Chanel Siva, who also advanced to the state wrestling tournament all four years, won her second consecutive state title in February. She is always mentally prepared, physically prepared, Spartan girls wrestling coach Todd Freeman said. She has within her that drive that desire that shes not going to let anyone beat her. The Spartan boys wrestling team placed fourth in state as a team the highest placing in school history.Siva was the second Spartan to win back-to-back state titles during last school year; swimmer Jetlynn Hau had claimeda second consecutive state title in the 100 yard breaststrokein November 2019. Both Siva and Hau shared the SpartanFemale Athlete of the Year award, given in a virtual ceremony in June.

Environmental developments

Scenes from the Kristoferson Farm on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020.

Several acres of land around the Stanwood-Camano area were preserved and restored in 2020, many with the goal of helping endangered wild salmon species. In Port Susan Bay, the mouth of Martha Creek was transformed into a more habitable area for young salmon. The Nature Conservancy plans to invest $450,000 to continue its restoration efforts on 150 acres of its 4,122 acre Port Susan Bay Preserve at the mouth of the Stillaguamish River. In October, Leque Island restoration celebrated one year since breaching its aging dikes. The preliminary results show native grasses are returning, many more bird species are visiting and new channels are being formed, helping to unlock more fish habitat.

A Bellingham company recently moved into the former Twin City Foods building (at right) in Stanwood, bringing a handful of jobs with the potential for many more.

Twin City Foods

A new tenantmoved into Stanwoods largest empty building, bringing a handful of jobs with a potential for many more. Bellingham Cold Storage leased the 200,000-square-foot warehouse and packaging facility with plans to store millions of pounds of frozen and refrigerated food, company officials announced. While BCS already employs a few warehouse workers in Stanwood, the company plans to lease up to three spaces in the building to separate food-processing businesses, which could employ between 20 and 200 workers depending on the product. The facility had been shuttered since Twin City Foods closed in June 2018.

A barred owl sits on a power line on Camano Island in fall 2019.

Natural hazards

Meanwhile, scientists say that oceans are rising and shoreline homes are threatened with more storms pushing waves further inland, beaches disappearing and bluffs eroding. On the anniversary of the Mount St. Helens May 1980 eruption, filmmaker Michael Lienau of Camano Island described how he was on the mountain immediately after the eruption when it blew a second time. He survived and made a living of documenting disasters. He said our biggest threat here is the 700-mile Cascadia Subduction Zone, where the oceanic plate is forced with great pressure under the continental plate just off the coast from Vancouver Island, B.C., to northern California. Scientists found evidence that giant earthquakes have ripped along the entire subduction zone simultaneously, from one end to the other, causing land to buckle and sink or rise every few hundred years. The last one in 1700 sent a huge tidal wave to Japan. We are in the window of a time when a major earthquake could be unleashed at any minute, he said. Its not a matter of if; its a matter of when.

Election enthusiasm

Lots and lots and lots of people cast ballots in the 2020 General Election. In total, 54,289 of Island Countys 63,212 registered voters participated, setting record voter turnout at 85.88%. In Snohomish County, 441,921 of the 518,878 registered voters cast a ballot second only to the 2016 general election. Despite the massive turnout, several area races had extremely close finishes. All of the state 10th Legislative District races and an Island County Commissioner race were decided by just a few hundred votes.

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2020 in review: In a year dominated by pandemic, many other events unfolded - goskagit.com

Valerie Myers|Erie Times-News

Crystals installed on Times Square New Year's ball

Workers have installed nearly 200 glittering Waterford crystal triangles on Times Square's New Year's Eve ball in preparation for a pandemic-limited celebration. (Dec. 28)

AP

"It doesn't require liquor, after all, to assure the success of a New Year's celebration, as thousands of Erieites proved Friday night."

The pronouncement by the Erie Dispatch Herald on Jan. 1, 1921, after the first New Year's Eve ofProhibitionseemed half-hearted.

But for Erieites in that new year, the continuing prohibition against alcohol was one of just a few clouds on the horizon.

The city was in the midst of abuilding boom.

Women had voted for the first timein the November presidential election,helping to elect Warren Harding.

Army aviators had flown 9,000 miles from New York to Nome, Alaska, in 111 hours over three months and one week, blazingthe way for morepostal air service routes.

And the first World War and the even more lethal influenza pandemic were memories.

For construction workers, postal customers and the city's first female election clerks and inspectors, at least,prospects for the new year were bright.

On New Year's Eve 1920 and New Year's Day 1921, Erie residents celebrated, kicking up their heels in "8,000 square feet of dancing space" at Harden's Dancing Academy at 114 East 10th St., according to the Erie Daily Times.

They also took in midnight matinees, including"Peaceful Valley" at the originalStrand theater at Ninth and State streets, and playedcheckers, card games and dominoes at the Erie Board of Commerce rooms in the Penn Buildingat Eighth and State streets.

Some splurged on "oyster on half shell mignonette, supreme of salmon trout leopold, plum pudding with English sauce" and more for $1.75 at the Reed House hotel on Perry Square.

And almost everywhere, "eagle eyed enforcers of the laws," according to the Dispatch, looked for demon rum, and mostly found "a rushing business in coca cola and grape juice highballs."

All in all, "by the statements of police and hotel proprietors and the revelers themselves, it was the most dry and good humored New Year's Eve that Erie has known since its village days."

Others greeted the new year at church, many at marathon services.Pastors of Erie's six Methodist churches exchanged pulpits, "which permitted each of the six ministers to give a fifteen or twenty minute address at the church of each of his colleagues" in services that began at 9 p.m. and continued untilone minute past midnight.

"Interspersed between the speeches were music, social features and devotional services," the Dispatchreported.

Services at Erie's Scandinavian churches weren't so long and maybe weren'tso social, by the tone of their advertisementin the Erie Daily Times:

"Suppose that this should be your last New Year season, how would you spend it? We suggest attendance at a good church service," including the "union services" of the Swedish Evangelical Mission Church and Swedish Baptist Church, at the Mission Church at East 10th and German streets.

At the city's half-dozen theaters, plots were heading toward a denouementwhen churches let out just after midnight:

"At most downtown movie houses, the operator was on the fourth reel of the feature film when 1921 rolled in," said the Dispatch, "and at Park Opera House, Mutt and Jeff had not quite gotten through their experiences at the race track."

The newspaper described what New Year's Eve looked like downtown:

"There was little action during the early hours of the evening. Streets were traveled by no more than ordinary traffic. But after 8:30 pedestrians increased in number. An hour later most of them were in church or in restaurants or in theaters, and State Street was lonesome again.

"At midnight, it livened up, and taxi cabs, private machines and extra streetcars appeared in increased numbers to serve the merry makers. When during the next hour the theater crowds streamed out," traffic increased again for a time and "restaurant proprietors rubbed their hands in satisfaction.

"And after that the lights went out and the people went home and no one bothered about the New Year anymore until long after dawn."

Ongoing construction and improving public health were good reasons for New Year's cheer.

Building permits issued in 1920 were for projects valued at $3.7 million, or the equivalent of $48.1 million today, for the construction of properties that would become city landmarks: Lovell Manufacturing Company, built for $375,000; the original East High School, $228,760; the Lawrence Hotel, $226,000; and the Boston Store, $225,000.

Other construction ongoing in 1921 would include the completion of the Pennsylvania National Guard Armory at East Sixth and Parade streets.The building's cornerstone had been laid in a public ceremony on Dec. 18, 1920.

City Bureau of Highways and Engineering chief Theodore Eichhorn, in his annual report, also looked forward to completion of the Mill Creek Tube, construction of the new and long-awaited Union depot, and lower State Street paving.

As the construction projects continued and construction jobs increased, public health improved.

The 1918-19 Spanish influenza pandemic was over, but scarlet fever and diphtheria had followed. By New Year's 1921, the number of cases was dropping.

"Contagious diseases showed a remarkable decline when the health office opened this morning compared with the number of diseases in the city last week," the Times reported Jan. 3, 1921. "Last week there were 66 cases of diphtheria under quarantine, while this morning there were only 36. ... At the same time there were 26 cases of scarlet fever under quarantine last week, while this morning there were only 19."

It was reason for optimism, but there also was controversy ahead.

If Erieites were mainly "dry and good humored"on New Year's Eve 1920, they weren't well pleased with Prohibition, which had begun that year.

A headline in the Erie Daily Times on New Year's Eve groused, Happy New Year,says dry boss. How can it be happy?

"Dry boss" John Kramer pledged to step up enforcement of federal liquor laws in the new year.

"It's going to be a long, lean year for the booze hounds," Kramer said.

It also would be an uphill fight.

While thousands of Erieites were dry that New Year's Eve, as the Dispatch reported, the paper conceded that alcohol was still available "to add to the festivity of such an occasion, as conclusively demonstrated by at least a few hundred of other Erieites."

Some even operated thriving bootlegging businesses until Prohibition's repeal in 1933.

And when it came to law and order in the city, there were more issues.Erie residents and Erienewspapers were clamoring for aninvestigation and shakeup of the city police department.

"Opinion of those familiar with police affairs indicates conditions in the department are rotten ... Ugly stories regarding neglect of duty, loafing, protection of crime and grafting are being told ... A disinterested tribunal must sit in judgement and go to the bottom of this nasty mess," according to a whopping headline in the Erie Daily Times on Dec. 1, 1920.

And after the headline: "Clean house in the police department.

"If half of the rumors whichare heard on the street are true, the police department is in such a sorry mess of disorganization, double-crossing, incompetency, inattention to duty, loafing and grafting" that an investigation isrequired for taxpayers to have confidence in the department.

An investigation, the paper said, also would determine who would run the department, Chief Bill Detzel or Mayor Miles Kitts. The paper cast its vote in describing the mayor as "playingpolitics 365 days a year."

The Dispatch may have had a different view. The paper on Jan. 2, 1921, reported on a "shoot to kill" order issued by Detzel, to be obeyed by his officers "if a crook attempts to get away from them." Some Erie City Council members, the newspaper reported, felt that "crime epidemic" or not, firing shots should be a last resort.

The police department made changes, Detzel continued as chiefand Kitts served out his term, not stepping down until 1924.

Even with those issues, optimism tipped the scales as 1921 began and as a 1920 favorite continued. The serialized "When a Girl Marries," chapter 685, resumed in the Erie Daily Times on Jan. 3.

Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@timesnews.com.

More: Its an Erie County history mystery

More: Abandoned as newborn, Corry man traces his parents

More: Forgotten Corry hospital served unwed mothers

See more here:
100 years ago: Revisiting a Roaring '20s-, Prohibition-style New Year's Eve in Erie - GoErie.com

SALISBURY A public hearing will be held during the Rowan County Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday regarding plans to create a consolidated human services agency.

The move would give the board of commissioners and the county manager more authority over both the Health Department and the Department of Veterans Services.

All were doing is bringing the Health Department and Veterans Services consolidated underneath the county managers purview, County Commissioner Judy Klusman said.

The move to explore consolidating human service agencies came after a request from Vice Chairman Jim Greene, who expressed concern months ago about a lack of communication between commissioners and the Environmental Health Department, which is housed under the Health Department.

At a meeting in September, County Manager Aaron Church presented commissioners with several plans to consolidate human service agencies.

Currently, the Health Department is governed primarily by the Board of Health, of which Klusman is a current member. Under the proposed new structure, the Health Department and Department of Veterans Services would be combined and would be under the direct control of a newly-created position: human services director.

The human services director would be appointed by and report directly to Church. Klusman said that the new position would likely be filled by a current county employee.

Even though the Board of Health would lose governing power under the potential change in structure, Klusman said that the board would still be an integral part of the process and would continue to advise the Board of Commissioners and Church on health-related matters.

Klusman said that more details about the consolidation will be ironed out after the public hearing and commissioners will likely take action on the proposal at its second meeting in January.

The Rowan County Board of Commissioners meeting will take place on Monday at 3 p.m. in the J. Newton Cohen Sr. Room on the second floor of the Rowan County Administration Building. The meeting can be joined virtually at https://bit.ly/rowanboc0104 with password 010421 or by phone at: 602-753-0140, 720-928-9299, 213-338-8477.

In other meeting business:

A public hearing will be held regarding Eric Dixon Sr. and Leona F. Dixons property at the 8200 block of Statesville Boulevard. On behalf of Rowan Clearing Partners LLC, Mitch Wilson is requesting a rezoning of the property from rural residential to commercial, business and industrial to allow the placement of Gupton Land Clearings company office, workshop and storage area.

A public hearing will be held regarding a request from Nengtou Vue for the rezoning of approximately 21.07 acres of his 68.9-acre parcel located at 5900 block of Wildwood Road from manufactured home park to rural agricultural.

A public hearing will be held to consider a request from Steinman Storage to amend its existing 7.78 acre-conditional zoning district, which is currently zoned commercial, business and industrial. Steinman Storage wishes to add two additional storage buildings totaling 22,000 square-feet and additional outdoor storage behind its existing structures. The property is located at 4290 Long Ferry Road.

Commissioners will consider authorizing County Manager Aaron Church to sign the application for approval of engineering plans to build a chemical booster station. The chemical booster station is set to be installed on Long Ferry Road and will improve lead levels in the drinking water for residents in the northeastern part of the county. Hazen and Sawyer is the engineering firm that is being contracted to build the booster station.

The Board of Commissioners will consider scheduling a public hearing for Jan. 19 to consider a request from the countys animal services staff to create an ordinance prohibiting feeding animal carcasses to domestic animals in public view.

Commissioners will consider awarding a bid to J.D. Goodrum, a Cornelius-based general contractor, for the construction phase of the glideslope replacement project at the Mid-Carolina Regional Airport. The project was approved and a grant was awarded by the North Carolina Department of Transportation in 2018. The project will cost $491,001.28.

Commissioners will receive an update on Coronavirus Relief Funds spending and will consider approving the CRF expenditure report to be filed with the state by Jan. 8.

The board will consider a request to grant an easement to Duke Energy for the installation and required servicing of utility equipment associated with the proposed construction project to build a dog wing at the Rowan County Animal Services Facility.

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Public hearing on consolidation of human services to be held during commissioners meeting - Salisbury Post - Salisbury Post

Written By: Marlene Osteen | Issue: 2021/01 Winter

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For 125 years, the historic Episcopal Church of the Incarnation has been watching over Main Street, delighting passerbyes with its Carpenter Gothic architecture and lovely garden spaces.

But over the years as the beloved structure was enlarged and buildings added, the presentation of the building to Main Street had become confusing multiple staircases distracted from an open and welcoming space and the Church lacked a central front door to welcome visitors and friends.

And as the Church and the community grew and attendance swelled, the need to expand the capacity of the Sanctuary became more pressing.

Three years ago, Reverend Bentley Manning and the Vestry at Incarnation identified the need to enhance the facility and expand the seating in the sanctuary. Then, in 2018 a parish family offered a generous donation for the development of a master plan resulting in a capital campaign, entitled Glorious Vision with a $6,000,000 goal. An Architectural Committee appointed by the Vestry, began work on a unified plan.

The scope of the project is three-fold:

To illuminate the vision of God given in Christ through the beauty of worship where our hearts are lifted heavenward with the configuration of architectural elements to create a more sacred atmosphere, literally opening our doors to the community with the creation of a formal entry into the Sanctuary, adding windows to the new entry and the rear of the Sanctuary, allowing the worship space to be washed in light. At the same time, painters, blacksmiths and wood carvers are working to fill the Sanctuary with beauty.

To Invite: By modifying the interior of our Sanctuary so that we may accommodate more persons in worship, adding 70 to 80 seats to avoid the need for overflow spaces, making the entire campus ADA compliant, and updating lamps and windows for more energy efficiency because caring for creation is important to us. A new spire holding four cast iron bells will be erected as a beacon of Gods Sanctuary and welcome and a call to worship.

To inspire: We will share this vision of God in our ministries, our outreach, our educational offerings, and through lives transformed by Christ.

Reverend Manning recognizes that, Now more than ever, theres a need to be together in community and in worship and fellowship; something we perhaps once took for granted.

He is grateful for the timing that has allowed this project to be undertaken and expressed his thank you to Highlanders and visitors for their grace and fortitude during the construction.

While work is under way the original chapel remains open. For more information or to contribute, visit gloriousvision.org.

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Glorious Vision: The Episcopal Church of the Incarnation | Highlands NC - The Laurel Magazine of Highlands NC and Cashiers NC

LAURENS. S.C. Regan Freeman had spent more than a year organizing a project to tell the story of a Black South Carolina pastor who reached out to Ku Klux Klan members who wanted him dead because of his race.

Freeman thought he knew the story well. Then came a tweet that led to two gray storage tubs of some of the most racist newspapers, flyers, posters, photographs and other material he had ever seen.

That brought Rev. David Kennedy's struggles as well as his patience, love and caring for all men even those with evil in their hearts into sharper focus for Freeman, who is working to turn what was once a store filled with racist merchandise into a diversity center and museum on racial reconciliation.

Courtesy The Echo Project

Freeman was born three months after the Redneck Shop and World's Only Klan Museum, adorned with Confederate flags and a swastika on a back wall, opened in 1996 in Laurens. He has raised more than $300,000 to renovate the historic Echo Theater, which was a segregated movie theater before housing the shop and a large meeting hall where dozens of hooded Klan members met in the back.

Freeman wants to collect the stories of Black people around Laurens whose ancestors struggled through slavery and segregation and maybe take on other projects like putting up historical markers at the site of each of the more than 150 known lynchings of Black people in the state.

There are so many stories out there that haven't been told or we haven't told completely," Freeman said.

And that led him to those gray plastic tubs.

In October, he replied to a tweet by a woman who now owns the land where Redneck Shop owner John Howard lived letting the Southern Poverty Law Center know she had a ton of his stuff.

The woman didn't respond, so Freeman drove up himself and after a unannounced visit, some negotiation and $500, he had decades of stuff marking Howard's racist life.

There are negatives of cross burnings. Posters of Adolph Hitler. A Klan Rally Instructions manual. A flyer called A Boat Ticket To Africa with horribly offensive Black caricatures and stereotypes. A business card Klan members would leave to intimidate Black families that said this was a social visit and don't make the next visit a business call."

This stuff isn't from 100 years ago. Some of it is maybe from the last decade or two," Freeman said. I think it is important to see it and see how deep this hate goes so you can see why we need to fight so hard to change."

Freeman plans to have historians at the University of South Carolina help him look through the items with an eye toward preservation and display the ones that best tell a story in exhibits at the theater.

A Klan member named Michael Burden, who was once considering killing Kennedy, sold the theater to the pastor in 1997 after Kennedy helped him out when he and Howard had a falling out. But Burden's deal let Howard keep leasing the theater for the Redneck Shop. Kennedy finally won a 15-year court fight and shut the shop down. The story became the movie Burden released earlier this year.

Now Freeman is leading the project to turn the old theater into Kennedy's dream of a community center where racial reconciliation and harmony is at the forefront.

We're hoping The Echo Project will become a place where every race could be respected a place where diversity is not only just talked about, but is celebrated through action," Kennedy said.

Freeman grew up in nearby Clinton, and while at the University of South Carolina, felt pulled to talk to Kennedy about his work. Kennedy asked him to lead the project and Freeman gave up a law firm job for his new calling.

This is a chance to tell a great story, Freeman said.

An architect and construction firm have been chosen, with work starting soon, and Freeman plans to relaunch the Echo Projects website to expand its reach.

To be a part of a project that can use architecture and inflict change at the same time is huge for me," MOA Architecture Founder Michael Allen said.

The first bit of work for the companies? Scraping off a Confederate flag sticker on the marquee for decades and replacing it with the project's name and website.

It needs to be the opposite of a dilapidated old building that stands as a shrine to hatred," said David Walker, manager for the project for Sodexos Construction and Infrastructure Services.

___

Follow Jeffrey Collins on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP.

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Work Begins To Turn SC Racist Store Into Racial Harmony Site - WFAE

In his closing remarks during the October 2019 Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Russell M. Nelson invited members of the church to prepare for 2020.

Nelson said: General conference next April will be different from any previous conference... I hope that every member and every family will prepare for a unique conference that will commemorate the very foundation of the restored gospel.

He was referring to the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Joseph Smiths First Vision wherein he testifies he saw God, the Father and Jesus Christ, his Son.

While Nelson said he had no notion that a worldwide pandemic would add to the unique conference, but it most certainly did. And, for the LDS Church, it was a unique year.

While the world has become familiar with people and activities being quarantined, closed or postponed, 2020 was anything but paused for the LDS Church.

Rather than slowed or halted, many of the church activities were accelerated.

New branding

In order for us to get through the pandemic and other chaos is the world, Nelson said members needed to pause and understand how an individual, personally hears their maker.

A new initiative by the church to help members recognize how they receive personal revelation, how they #HearHim, was introduced during the April Conference. Members were invited to take time to listen and develop a closer relationship with deity in 2020.

The April General Conference, for the first time, was held remotely, via several media platforms, due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Conference Center was closed and leadership meetings postponed.

With the worldwide pandemic still rampant in October, the fall Semiannual General Conference was also held remotely.

After mid-March The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, Orchestra at Temple Square and other performing groups were put on hiatus and prerecorded music by the choir was used for meetings and celebrations including the First Presidencys 2020 Christmas Devotional in December and the weekly broadcasts of Music and the spoken word.

Nelson also introduced a new symbol or logo for the church. This new symbol, a drawing of the Christus statue in an enclosed archway, is a continuation of the effort Nelson felt inspired to initiate in August 2018 to focus on the Churchs divinely revealed name.

Since that time, he said, the churchs leaders, departments, related entities, main website, members and many others now use the correct name of the Church.

We have gone to these extraordinary efforts because when we remove the Lords name from the name of His Church, we inadvertently remove Him as the central focus of our worship and our lives, Nelson said.

In-home church

The focus of worship for the church started changing in January 2019 when the church instigated a new home centered, church supported study program titled Come Follow Me.

Weekly worship in chapels came to a temporary halt in March, but the faiths culture of home-centered gospel study helped Latter-day Saints more easily adapt to worship and scripture study from home.

By summer, LDS Wards and Stakes were able to meet on a limited basis with portions of the meetings being available to watch at home via Zoom and by other media support.

That still continues as of the end of 2020.

It was the sacred ordinance of the Sacrament that became a major focal point for members of the church as they were able to have priesthood holders, either in the family or church representatives, provide the service in their homes. The experiences shared show members have developed a great appreciation for the Sacrament and what it represents in their lives.

Humanitarian aid

In January, with a global pandemic at her doorstep, Sister Sharon Eubank, director of Latter-day Saint Charities, and first counselor of the General Relief Society Presidency and her team started planning on how they could respond to basically everyones needs.

This is the first time responding to a global event, Eubank said. Everybody in the whole world is being affected.

Typically, Latter-day Saint Charities responds to individual disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons and volcanoes.

Never have those charities had to respond to the entire world at once, and Eubank said they had to look at the issue with a whole new set of eyes.

Perhaps the biggest question for Eubank was: How do you respond to, organize and assign and direct a global event from your living room? She has been required to work from home for the most part.

Eubank said there are 20 members of her team at church headquarters in Salt Lake City and they meet daily.

We are looking at technology to see what we can do, Eubank said. Its forcing us to do things in different ways.

Throughout the world, the church is divided into areas with General Authority Seventies over each area. They also have teams representing Latter-day Saint Charities that work with those leaders in each area of the world and report to Eubank.

Were giving 147% or more, Eubank said. There is nothing more pressing.

Throughout 2020, the LDS Church has donated cash and commodities to support more than 1,000 COVID-19 relief efforts around the globe this includes partnerships with Convoy of Hope, Feeding America, Partnership with Native Americans, the Salvation Army, the United Way and the World Food Programme.

Food donations also increased and were distributed nationwide in the United States. The church also responded to many natural disasters around the world, including wildfires in the western United States, hurricanes in the southern United States and Central America, and typhoons in the Philippines.

Part of the miracle that made all of this happen was the volunteer service by members rendered in all the locations and in activities such as making five million face masks and the canning the bumper crop of vegetables and fruit that gave the church a surplus of products in their storehouses and the ability to share more.

Temples

Perhaps one of, if not the hardest thing Nelson said he had to do was shut down 162 temples. These are considered the most important buildings in the church, they are called The House of the Lord.

Temples closed for a few months before a cautious and careful phased reopening began in May around the world. Temples are still in a phased reopening and are still unable to completely open as of Dec. 30.

Even with temples closed, temple work continued, not only with members doing family history, but with 21 temple groundbreaking ceremonies including one in September for the new Orem temple.

Nelson also announced the future construction of 14 more temples including new houses of the Lord in the United Arab Emirates and in Shanghai, Peoples Republic of China.

Adjustments to the temple ceremonies and temple clothing were also announced.

On Jan. 1, the Salt Lake Temple began a 4-year renovation, restoration and seismic fitting. The St. George Temple was already in process. The church announced it would be upgrading all of its legacy temples including Manti and Logan Temples in the future.

It appears that new temples no longer have the iconic Angel Moroni on the temple main spire throughout the world. The focus is not Moroni but on the purpose of the building, to bring all to Christ through sacred covenants.

In October, Nelson announced that Lindon Utah would also get new temple. Its location was announced just before Christmas at 800 East and Center Street.

Missionaries

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most missionaries were called back to their home countries in April, or asked to spend more time in isolation, but missionaries continue to share messages of Jesus Christ online.

Many missionaries whove temporarily returned home from their service due to the COVID-19 pandemic, faced a unique decision this spring.

In a letter from church leadership sent to missionaries on March 31, they learned that they had until Thursday, April 30, to decide between two options for resuming their missions.

The first option was to resume their missions as soon as conditions allow, with their original assignment or a temporary one, the letter says. The second option was to resume their missions during a set time window, within 12 to 18 months.

Those who return as soon as possible would keep their original release-from-service date, while those who return to service within 12 to 18 months would receive a new one.

Similar options were offered to missionaries who had received mission calls or completed online missionary training, the letter read.

Mission assignments, whether original or temporary, would be determined by the churchs Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, according to the letter.

In the meantime, the Provo Missionary Training Centers and other were closed and newly called missionaries were to study and train online at home.

As of the end of 2020, missionaries are still in transition and the Provo MTC is still closed.

Of note

Many other things took place during the year.

Before COVID-19 put a pause on global travel, several Apostles made in-person visits with Latter-day Saints and civic leaders in several places.

Elder David A. Bednar became the first Apostle to visit the African nation of Sudan, Elder Quentin L. Cook visited the Philippines, Elder Ulisses Soares traveled to Costa Rica and Guatemala, and Elder Ronald A. Rasband made a stop in South Africa. Other leaders made visits closer to home. President Dallin H. Oaks spoke to youth around the world in a broadcast originating from Temple Square, President Henry B. Eyring ministered in Idaho, President M. Russell Ballard spoke to students at Brigham Young University, and Elder D. Todd Christofferson visited New York.

The ministry has continued apace during COVID-19. From President Nelsons video message at the beginning of the pandemic to the First Presidencys Christmas devotional, Apostles have shared many digital messages with Latter-day Saints and others around the world.

Elder Bednar spoke at a religious freedom conference and at the G20 Interfaith Forum, according to church information.

The LDS Church made several adjustments and additions to the General Handbook and the handbook itself is now online and available to the public. Recent additions included sections on transgender members, clarifications on the Word of Wisdom, and a variety of other topics.

It was announced that in 2021 the entire handbook would be updated.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2021 the church would have three updated church magazines for adults, teens and children. The Liahona will be a worldwide edition for adults, For the Strength of Youth will be the teen magazine, and the updated Friend will serve children of the Primary.

A surprised music committee continued going through the thousands of hymn and prose entries for a new Hymnbook and Childrens Song Book that was previously announced and was hoping to be completed by the end of the year. That has not been put off with no publication date announced.

Originally posted here:
LDS Church keeps fast pace through pandemic of 2020 - Daily Herald

From reports by EYN staff

In skeletal information reaching us from Garkida, three churches were set ablaze, five people killed, and five people are missing in a Boko Haram attack, reported Zakariya Musa, head of media for Ekklesiyar Yanuwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). Garkida, a town in the Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State in northeast Nigeria, is the site of the founding of EYN and the place where the former Church of the Brethren mission in Nigeria began.

According to church officials the attackers invaded Garkida on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, Musa reported, burning several churches including EYN Ghung, EYN Sangere, and Living Faith Church Garkida. The Living faith Church was rebuilt after the Feb. 21 attack on Garkida when four churches were destroyed in similar attack, he wrote. The church said they spent Christmas Eve in the bush and that some houses were selectively burned. Also burned were road construction facilities on the Biu Road.

In another Christmas Eve attack, Pemi village was stormed by Boko Haram, Musa reported. According to church officials, seven people were killed, an EYN church and many houses were burnt, and one evangelist named Bulus Yakura was abducted. A church official who spoke on the phone from Mbalala in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, who was in the village the following morning on Dec. 25 for assessment, said people have fled Pemi village for their life. Many villagers in the areas of attack abandoned their villages on Christmas Eve after finishing all preparations for Christmas.

At least three more communities along the Biu Road were attacked the day after Christmas, Dec. 26. Musa reported: Three more churches and many houses are destroyed at Tashan Alade, Kirbitu, and Debiro towns. The destroyed churches include churches that were destroyed in 2014, which later were rebuilt by the Borno State Government. The renewed attacks are coming almost on a daily basis in different ways, resulting in killings, kidnapping, destruction of properties.

In a separate email Yuguda Z. Mdurvwa, who heads up EYNs Disaster Relief Ministry, reported that the EYN Dzur church on the outskirts of Garkida also was burned in the Christmas Eve attack. He added that drugs were looted from the Garkida General Hospital and other stores and food stuffs were looted. In addition to the five people who were killed, many sustained injuries, he wrote, and people slept in the mountains without celebrating Christmas.

Our hope is that Christ was born to save us from all these pains and give us peace, Mdurvwa wrote. Apart from the above insecurity, COVID-19 is surging in the second wave, Nigeria is recording above 1,000 per day. Despite our troubles, God is our comforter and our source of help.

Continue reading here:
EYN churches are attacked, at least 12 people are killed, a pastor/evangelist is among those abducted in violence on the day before and the day after...

Genna Contino|Herald-Journal

Though COVID-19 changed a lot of our original 2020 plans, one thing that continued to shine through the year was development in Spartanburg.

"Spartanburg is exploding, particularly downtown," County Councilman David Britt told the Spartanburg Herald-Journal. "This is the first time in 25 years, you've had apartments being built downtown."

Downtown revitalization: Spartanburg prides itself on a thriving downtown. But how did it get to where it is today?

As we head into 2021, many downtown apartments, multi-use, and government buildings will continue construction or finish up in the new year. Here's the latest on those projects.

1. County courthouse and city/county municipal complex

If you've driven down Daniel Morgan Avenue lately, you've probably seen the bigcrane and progress on the SpartanburgCounty courthouse project. The parking deck and nearby central energy plant will be completed by June 30, 2021, Britt said.

After the courthouse is complete, a new joint city/county municipal building will be built as part of the same project funded by a penny sales tax.

Britt said the courthouse and new municipal complex will be a good"adrenaline spurt for downtown merchants. It'll make it so much more walkable for our associates at the county and in the city. And it will be a big complex."

"The courthouse, when it's complete, it will be as big as the Montgomery Building."

Impact study: Joint Spartanburg courthouse, municipal complex project to bring nearly 2k jobs

2. Liberty Street Apartments

Construction is underway at the Liberty Street Apartments at 215 E. Daniel Morgan Ave. behind the downtown Spartanburg Marriott.

Developer Peter Collins of Tampa, Florida-based Forge Capital Partners said they're about 30 days behind schedule due to COVID-19 related issues and needing to excavate some old city infrastructure they found underground at the site.

"When you get a site as old as that, you know, some of that stuff is bound to happen, but there was quite a bit that we had to deal with there," Collins told the Herald-Journal.

Initial report: 200-unit downtown Spartanburg apartment complex eyes spring 2021 opening

3. Kennedy Street Apartments

In early December, 132 downtown Spartanburg apartments planned for the corner of Kennedy, Union, and Advent streets received preliminary Design Review Board approval in early December.

We can probably expect to see the apartment plans return to the Design Review Board in early 2021 for final approval, as developers are hoping for a late April or early May groundbreaking for the project. The project received mostly positive feedback from the Design Review Board members.

Read more: 132 downtown Spartanburg apartment units receive preliminary Design Review Board approval

4. Northside projects

The Northside Development Group has several projects in the works to keep an eye out for in 2021.

Dive deeper: Here's the latest on Northside Development Group's projects

5. Highland Transformation Plan

The Highland Transformation Plan was approved unanimously by the Spartanburg City Council on Nov. 23. The first project that the Highland Neighborhood will see pre-development of in the first year is the Cammie Claggett project.

"This project is a mixed-use area that creates a transition from SouthDaniel Morgan Avenue into the neighborhood through Highland Avenue," the transformation plan reads. "It will create a welcoming gateway into the community while providing a diversity of housing options for new and existing residents."

Urban renewal: Several Black communities were bulldozed in the '70s. Some want the city to apologize

6. The Danmor

The Danmor is a residential building planned for South Daniel Morgan Avenue that received preliminary approval from the city's Design Review Board in August.

August report: The Danmor moves from mixed-use to all residential

7. Former Mary H. Wright Elementary

The former Mary H. Wright Elementary School received final approval from the city councilfor arezoning and development agreement with Montgomery Development Group to transform the school into 53 apartment units, 11 of the units being workforce housing.

Opponents of the project can point to what happened in the past on the south side as reasons to be wary. In the 1970s, many Black-owned businesses and homes here were razed and lost forever with federal money intended for urban renewal.

But others are excited about the change. The $11 million redevelopment plan would be the largest investment in Spartanburg's south side in more than a decade.

Dive deeper: Addressing fears of gentrification, City Council approves Mary H. Wright apartments

8. Bon Haven apartments

The Bon Haven apartments on Spartanburg's north side are in the framing process and are expected to be completed by late summer of 2021, according to Mark Stuermann,the executive vice president of development at Arlington Properties, the project's developer.

"Were very pleased with the construction schedule," Stuermann told the Spartanburg Herald-Journal in October.

October report: Bon Haven apartments in Spartanburg on track for summer 2021 opening

9. Robert Smalls apartments

Robert Smalls at Midtowne Heights, the townhomes in which Norris Ridge residents are expected to relocate, are set to break ground in 2021.

Site prep work is underway and a groundbreaking event is expected to be planned in March or April of 2021.

The future of Norris Ridge: Robert Smalls townhomes set to break ground soon ahead of Norris Ridge relocation

Have a question about a project?Contact Genna at gcontino@shj.com or on Twitter @GennaContino.

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'Spartanburg is exploding': 9 development projects to keep an eye on in 2021 - Spartanburg Herald Journal

Small-business survival rates are rather grim. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 20% of small businesses nationwide fail within the first year, while nearly 50% have failed by their fifth year and only one-third of these endeavors are able to survive by their 10th year.

Wallauer Paint & Design is something of an anomaly. In 2021, the family owned and operated business will celebrate its 100th anniversary. According to company President Edward Klein, the secret to this longevity is no secret at all.

It really comes down to having a knowledgeable group of people that know their craft, as well as providing great customer service and relying on the word of mouth that this has to be the go-to place for home improvement locally, he said.

The company was started by paint salesman Clarence Wallauer as a single-store operation in White Plains. Klein noted that Wallauer not only survived the Great Depression, but managed to open a second location in 1935. Wallauer passed the ownership reins to his son-in-law Robert Duncan, who later passed it on to his son, Robert Duncan Jr., who brought it into the fourth generation with his daughters Debbie and Donna co-owning the business.

Today, Wallauer maintains a flagship store in White Plains and has 14 retail operations across Westchester and the Hudson Valley region. Its newest location opened in October in Nanuet when the company acquired the locally owned retailer Paley Paints. Unlike many independent operations that have been forced out of business due to competition from the big box retailers, Wallauer has met the challenge of the XL-sized competition by teaming with a major name in the painting industry.

A big part of our foundation comes off of our relationship with Benjamin Moore, Klein said. Weve been selling Benjamin Moore for the 100 years that weve been in business. Its the most sought-after brand. Theyre a fantastic partner. I worked there for 17 years and the CEO and myself are very, very close.

Klein added that Wallauer was the seventh largest Benjamin Moore dealer in North America and the availability of the brand has given the company a local advantage.

The painting contractors, first and foremost, come to us versus going to Home Depot or Lowes, he said.

Klein also noted that the Wallauer customers have longstanding relationships with the retail store teams, who are more than familiar with the inventory.

We have the true experts, he stated. Id say the average tenure of our employees was probably close to 20 years. Youre not dealing with somebody at minimum wage who maybe doesnt really know about the colors theyre selling youre talking to professionals who could match colors with an eye.

As the company prepares for its 100th year, it is still reeling from an unexpectedly hectic 99th year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Klein noted that with many people moored at home during the pandemic, a new wave of do-it-yourself home improvement projects helped keep Wallauers very busy.

Our consumer side of the business has boomed this year, he said. We added Ace Hardware to many of our stores and they have significantly benefited. A lot of Benjamin Moore and other different dealers did either curbside pickup or delivered, but they werent open for weeks or for a couple of months, but we kept the doors opened in all stores. A lot of people chose to come to us that possibly were going to Home Depot or Lowes because they didnt want to wait on those lines, and so weve added a lot of new customers, coupled with our core base.

Klein also noted that contractors whose work went on hold when the pandemic took root returned to the store in June when businesses began to reopen and stalled projects were suddenly back in motion.

Our painting contractors are a big part of our business, he said. We had a very, very strong year, I would say we had a record year, and thats coming off of a record year last year.

However, Klein admitted that the companys centennial celebrations will not be an immediate priority due to the ongoing public health crisis.

When I look back a year ago, we had all of these great ideas with events and everything else, he said about the 100th anniversary.

Its hard right now to say what we have scheduled as it pertains to events because weve got to get clearly through Covid. When we can, we are going to want to have an event its just a matter of how were going to be able to turn it on.

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Wallauer Paint & Design readies for its 100th anniversary - Westfair Online

Renovation of homes built before 1978 frequently disturbs lead-based paint (LBP) and poses significant health risks, particularly for children. For this reason, companies that perform or subcontract renovation services are required to provide very specific, written LBP warnings and education materials to residents. Failure to comply with these obligations can result in significant penalties for non-compliance. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforces these rules on all companies that perform renovations for compensation. This means that retail sellers of renovation products (e.g., windows or woodwork) can face EPA enforcement for noncompliance even where they subcontract installation to third parties.

On Dec. 17, U.S. EPA and the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a nationwide settlement with Home Depot related to home renovations that occurred between 2013 and 2019. The settlement resolves alleged violations of the EPAs Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule involving renovations performed by Home Depots contractors across the country on homes built before 1978. EPA identified hundreds of instances in which Home Depot failed to contract renovations or repairs with certified contractors, as well as instances in which Home Depot failed to establish, retain, or provide the required documentation to demonstrate compliance with the RRP Rule.

EPAs proposed settlement with Home Depot includes a $20.75 million penaltythe largest such penalty to-date under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

Compliance Lessons

Companies in the construction industry and beyond can learn several significant lessons from the Home Depot violations, including the importance of:

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$20 Million TSCA/Lead-Based Paint Penalty: Expensive Reminder to Manage and Audit Contractors Joint Regulatory Liabilities - JD Supra