LONDON, ONT. -- He isn't a first responder, but in the moments after a building collapse in London, Ont. he became - the - first responder.

With concrete crashing down around him, and the building making a "rumbling" sound like he's never heard before, Roland Kovacs didn't think to run.

Kovacs, 32, is a supervisor for Rix Metal Works in London, Ont.

He was in the basket of a boom lift on the first floor of 555 Teeple Terrace when the building collapsed from the fourth floor to the main floor below him while concrete was being poured on Friday.

"One guy was so close to me, he was yelling, 'Help, help,'" says Kovacs, who sat down for an exclusive interview with CTV News London.

"I just couldn't leave, and I started throwing rocks."

In cell phone video from moments after the collapse, Kovacs is the man on the right wearing a black shirt. He is frantically trying to rescue a man trapped under the rubble.

"I am not trying to be a hero but when someone is crying for help, I have to check, I couldn't leave them screaming," he says.

He has watched the video many times, and can even pin point on the recording the exact moment when he discovered a fellow construction worker under the steel and debris.

"Get a grinder," he yells on the video before eventually getting the buried man's head in his hands.

Roland Kovacs, right is seen digging through rubble inside a partially collapsed building in London, Ont. on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. (Source: Javier Carnton)

"I was telling him please hold on, (first responders) are coming. I could hear the sirens coming," recounts Kovacs. "I had his head in my hands and his head was split and bleeding all over. Those are horrific pictures. His head was only moving in the concrete, and I again told him to hold on."

The man was conscious, but struggling saying, "Please wipe my eyes, there is concrete in my eyes in can't see," according to Kovacs.

"I told him to close your eyes, I'm going to wipe it. Firefighters got there and stepped in, and they tried to tell me leave the building."

Kovacs relayed to the firefighters that he had the man and continued to help. He aided firefighters get supports under the steel, but when more team members arrived, he had to leave the building.

He was told by police that the man he was helping is alive, and hopes at some point in the future to give him and his family a hug.

A memorial at 555 Teeple Terrace, where part of a building under construction collapsed, is seen in London, Ont. on Monday, Dec. 14, 2020. (Brent Lale / CTV News)

The memories of the horrific day are fresh, and he says he hasn't slept well since.

He currently is off work dealing with the stress, and has only been back to the job site to deliver flowers to the memorial.

Kovacs understands that he and many others that day are lucky to be alive. He says he didn't know victims Henry Harder or John Martens, but he says he can feel their families' pain.

"Unfortunately two young guys lost their life," says Kovacs. "I have a five-year-old son and another older boy at home. I have family, a wife and uncle, and I just got lucky. Unfortunately not everyone got lucky that day. I pray for those families [to] get some peace one day."

Henry Harder, 26, left, and 21-year-old John Martens. (Source: H.A. Kebbel Funeral Home)

First funeral held for collapse victim

A funeral was held Tuesday for 26-year-old Henry Harder at the Lighthouse Gospel Church in Port Burwell, Ont.

He leaves behind a wife and three-week-old daughter.

Pastor John Dyck described him as a friend, son, father and husband, and thanked first responders for their efforts to help the victims.

He also explained how Harder and his three brothers were working to pour concrete when the collapse happened.

"Henry Harder along with another young man, John Martens, was also one of the construction workers who died in this tragic accident. At this time we dont understand the reasons. We have unanswered questions why. Why Henry."

The funeral for 21-year-old John Martens is being held at the same church on Thursday at 2 p.m. and also being livestreamed.

GoFundMe campaigns for the Harder family and to support all workers impacted by the collapse had raised more than $200,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.

Five others were being treated in hospital for injuries sustained in Friday's collapse on Teeple Terrace.

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'The whole building was shaking, rumbling': Worker recounts collapse and efforts to save those trapped - CTV News London

The Minnesota Historical Society is pleased to announce the newest recipients of 38 historical and cultural heritage large grants (over $10,000) in 25 counties, totaling $3,578,731 in FY2021. The grants, awarded once each fiscal year, are made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund of the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.

Grant applications were recommended for funding by the Historic Resources Advisory Committee (HRAC), a volunteer panel made up of citizens from around the state. The MNHS Executive Council approved the recommendations on October 22, 2020.

Minnesota Historical andCultural Heritage Grantlarge grant recipients

Aitkin County Historical Society, Aitkin, $49,940 To provide better organization of the museum collections, allowing for greater public access to the communitys historic resources.

Sylvan Township, Pillager, $129,980 To write an archaeological and historical literature review of Camp Ripley Sentinel Landscape.

Chippewa County Historical Society, Montevideo, $20,000 To hire a qualified architect to conduct a condition assessment of the 1901 Swensson Farm House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

North House Folk School, Grand Marais, $22,000 To hire a qualified consultant to develop a Historic Structure Report that will help preserve the 1907 Jim Scott Fish House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Caponi Art Park, Eagan, $42,380 To hire a qualified conservator to restore the sculpture Pompeii by Anthony Caponi, a significant object in the museums collections.

Dakota County, Hastings, $125,000 To hire qualified consultants to fabricate 30 interpretive panels that tell the story of the stockyards of South St. Paul.

Dakota County Historical Society, South St. Paul, $33,600 To hire a qualified consultant to write an exhibit design plan for Dakota County Historical Societys George Daniels exhibit, which will include an expansion on racial history in the county.

Dodge County, Mantorville, $49,800 To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the Wasioja Seminary Ruins, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Dodge County Historical Society, Mantorville, $74,800 To hire qualified professionals to repair various areas of the Bourdon House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, Red Wing, $100,000 To hire a qualified consultant to develop a Historic Structure Report that will help preserve Tower View, built between 1915-1922 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis, $150,000 To hire qualified professionals to repair the veranda of the 1908 Turnblad Mansion, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Farmer-Labor Education Committee, Minneapolis, $78,772 To hire qualified professionals to produce a documentary on the history of the Farmer-Labor movement in Minnesota.

Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, $54,947 To provide better organization of the museums archival collections, allowing for greater public access to the communitys historic resources.

Regents of the University of Minnesota (U of M Libraries), Minneapolis, $108,278 To hire a qualified professional to process environmental history in the archival collections held by the University of Minnesota Archives.

Houston County, Caledonia, $71,510 To hire qualified professionals to repair the main entry steps on the 1883 Houston County Courthouse, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

City of Coleraine, Coleraine, $122,096 To hire qualified professionals to repair the roof and masonry on the 1910 Coleraine City Hall, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Lake of the Woods County Historical Society, Baudette, $43,260 To hire a qualified consultant to write an exhibit plan for Lake of the Woods County Historical Society.

City of Tracy, Tracy, $15,000 To hire qualified consultants to evaluate historic buildings in the City of Tracy for possible inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

Mower County Historical Society, Austin, $59,738 To hire a qualified consultant to conduct a cultural landscape study of the Grand Meadow Chert Quarry.

Murray County, Slayton, $23,700 To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Omaha Turntable, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Murray County, Slayton, $114,766 To hire qualified professionals to repair masonry and stairs at the 1891 Dinehart Holt House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Nobles County, Worthington, $198,301 To hire qualified technicians to upgrade the Worthington Armorys heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to bring it into compliance with museum standards.

Nobles County Historical Society, Worthington, $29,151 To hire a qualified consultant to write an interpretive plan for Nobles County Historical Society.

Olmsted County Historical Society, Rochester, $159,164 To hire qualified technicians to upgrade the History Center of Olmsted Countys lighting system.

City of Sandstone, Sandstone, $80,100 To contract with qualified professionals to prepare a Cultural Landscape Report for the Kettle River Sandstone Company Quarry, listed in the National Register of Historic Places and now known as Robinson Park.

Reclaim Community, Jasper, $51,300 To hire a qualified consultant to develop architectural drawings for reuse of Bauman Hall, built in 1908 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Christ Lutheran Church on Capitol Hill, St. Paul, $61,000 To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church, listed in the National Register of Historic Places and now known as Christ Lutheran Church on Capitol Hill.

Minnesota Museum of American Art, St. Paul, $57,248 To hire qualified professionals to research the museums collections in preparation for an upcoming exhibit on how immigrant artists shaped Minnesota history through visual art and creative exchange.

Ramsey County Historical Society, St. Paul, $116,102 To digitize a large collection of St. Paul building permits and ledgers, allowing for greater public access to these historic resources.

Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul, $193,013 To hire qualified archaeologists to conduct field work and collection processing of the Pedersen Archaeological Site in Lincoln County.

City of Belview, Belview, $217,000 To hire qualified professionals to replace the roof on the 1901 Odeon Theatre, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour, Faribault, $257,565 To hire qualified professionals to replace the sanctuary roof on the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Norwegian-American Historical Association, Northfield, $87,169 To digitize a collection of O.E. Rolvaags archival documents, allowing for greater public access to these historic resources.

St. Olaf College, Northfield, $107,452 Archival Processing: To hire qualified professionals to process three archival collections related to musical and broadcast stories held by St. Olaf College.

St. Olaf College, Northfield, $97,344 To provide better organization of St. Olaf Colleges archival materials, allowing for greater public access to the communitys historic resources.

Armory Arts and Music Center, Duluth, $20,000 To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the re-roofing of the 1915 Armory Arts and Music Center, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

St. Louis County Historical Society, Duluth, $149,942 To provide better organization of the museum collections, allowing for greater public access to the communitys historic resources.

Sinclair Lewis Foundation, Sauk Centre, $160,442 To hire qualified professionals to repair areas of the Sinclair Lewis Boyhood Home and Carriage House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places and a National Historic Landmark.

Winona County Historical Society, Winona, $105,215 To catalog and digitize vulnerable, essential, and less accessible images in the WCHS photograph and negative collection and to rehouse a significant amount of the material, allowing for greater public access to this historic research.

City of Canby, Canby, $39,000 To hire qualified professionals to repair the 1939 Historic Canby Theatre, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

About Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants

The Minnesota Historical Society received a legislative appropriation of $12.85 million for the 2020-2021 biennium for the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage (Legacy) Grants: $5,846,000 for FY2020 and $7,004,000 for FY2021.

Grants are available for history and historic preservation projects in two funding tiers. Small grants of $10,000 or less are awarded quarterly. The next small grant application deadlines are January 8 and April 9, 2021. Large grants of more than $10,000 are offered once a year. All grants are administered through a competitive process using professional standards and criteria.

For more information on the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants program, including application deadlines, visit http://www.mnhs.org/preservation/legacy-grants. Applications are accepted only through the MNHS grants portal.

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More than $3.5 million in historical and cultural heritage large grants awarded to organizations statewide - Fillmore County Journal

With the monorail out of the way, The Boring Co wants to take its Teslas in tubes all over Sin City.

Public transportation is great. It's cheap, simple to use and ferries vast numbers of people with a relatively high degree of efficiency. The Boring Company's Las Vegas not-a-Hyperloop is more or less the polar opposite of that, which is why we were surprised to learn that Elon Musk's startup was trying to expand its operations there.

See, according to a report published Tuesday by The Verge, the proposed expansion comes on the heels of a bankruptcy filing by the Las Vegas Monorail. Previously, The Boring Company's agreement with the city of Las Vegas stated that it couldn't dig tunnels in any area that was then served by the monorail.

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The original Las Vegas Convention Center loop was initially set to open in January of 2021 for CES, but this little thing called the COVID-19 pandemic (not to mention the subsequent decision to hold CES remotely this year) threw a wrench in those plans.

In case you need a refresher, the Boring Company LVCC project has been continually downgraded from a high-tech, high-speed people moving system to Teslas in tubes. Seriously, it's currently being envisioned as a series of Models 3 and X being driven underground by human drivers. There is also a Model 3-based tram design in the works, but who knows if that will materialize?

Anyway, the new proposed loop will span the entire city. Construction will be funded primarily by Musk's company this time around, with casinos, hotels and other businesses chipping in for their own stations.

The Boring Company presented its proposal to the Las Vegas city council on Wednesday, with plans to present it to Clark County officials in February of 2021.

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The Boring Company wants to expand all over Las Vegas, report says - CNET

Mike Kramer|Pekin Daily Times

After Mike Smith of Marquette Heights was taken to OSF HealthCare St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria for treatment of COVID-19 complications earlier this month, his family decorated his house for Christmas in anticipation of his return home.

We didnt have any decorations up, said Smiths wife, Mary. Our kids helped get stuff out of the garage and decorated, because we thought he would come home.

Mike Smith passed away on the afternoon of Dec. 4 at the age of 64, without a chance to see the holiday dcor. Mary asserted that the family had been vigilant about physical distancing protocols and about wearing personal protective equipment. Noting that Smith contracted COVID-19 in spite of his precautions, she urged central Illinois residents to take the pandemic seriously and to adhere to public safety protocols.

Its not just about (your safety), she stated. Its about everyone else that youre around. Its about other people getting sick. Its the easiest thing to do... to wear the dang mask. I just dont understand why some people wont.

Smiths son, Brandon, said that he and his wifeJodiwere initially skeptical about the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic. Having the novel coronavirus make such a profound impact on his family appears to have eradicated that skepticism.

This is the hardest thing my family and I have ever had to go through, Brandon said. Regardless of what anybody thinks about COVID-19, its real. Nobody should have to go through this when there are precautions you can easily take to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Brandon added that his father was "a servant of God" in his capacity as a deacon at Christ Bible Church in Creve Coeur. But he was also, first and foremost, a servant of mankind.

His joy in life was serving people however he could, whether it was financially, physically or mentally, Brandon added. It could be through conversations with people he worked with at Caterpillar, or whether it was through helping people rebuild something at home or at church.

Smith apparently paid special attention to an exhortation from the biblical Book of Leviticus to love thy neighbor as thyself." Brandon remembered that he was involved in every church function, and Mary recalls that he was always conversing with one neighbor or another,always ready to respond to a call for help.

He loved the kids, Mary said. He fixed their bikes for them. He let them ride around on the carts we had in the yard. He was just that kind of guy. He wasnt the grumpy old neighbor. He was the guy all the kids wanted to come over and see. He liked everybody and everybody liked him.

Brandon recalled that a major driving force in Smiths life was his love for his five grandchildren. He may have found his own parents intervention in the discipline of his children frustrating, but Smith stepped enthusiastically into the role of grandfather-as-sanctuary when his turn came.

If we were misbehaving and about to get in trouble, my grandpa would call us over, Brandon said. Hed sit us on his lap and say Leave these kids alone. It made (our parents) so mad when we were growing up, and then (dad) had grandkids and he instantly turned into his dad.

Jodi believes that no role suited Smith better than that of adoring grandfather. He was ready to attend any function involving his grandchildren, and one of his chief pleasures was spending days off from work in their company.

He was at every dance recital, she stated. He was at every soccer game, every softball game, and every choir concert. He was always the proudest, biggest-smile-on-his-face grandpa. If there were something involving the kids, he would drop whatever he was doing to do whatever they wanted, even if it was something crazy.

According to Brandon, Smith had acquired a variety of skills that made his services as a handyman much in demand from both family and friends.

"He could do electrical work, Brandon said. "He could do construction. He could do plumbing or automotive (work). He could do literally a little bit of everything. Our answer was call Pops. Now, were going to have to dig a little deeper to fine-tune our own skills, find somebody we trustor spend a lot of time on YouTube watching how-to videos.

For Mary, the fact that Smith was such a people person made the isolated nature of his last hours all the more heartbreaking.

When Mike went to the hospital, they just whisked him out of the carand I didnt get to be with him ever again until the day he died, she said. It was awful. Thats the hardest thing: to think that he was lonely and afraid, and none of us could be there with him.

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Marquette Heights COVID-19 victim was adoring grandfather and always ready to help others - Pekin Daily Times

This isnt the first time Ive written about the need to keep the Wasatch Front from turning into San Francisco.

Its not that I have anything against cable cars, picturesque piers or the 49ers. Well never get those things in northern Utah, anyway. Its the home prices. You dont have to listen too hard to hear the clang, clang of them chugging relentlessly uphill.

But, to beat the cable car metaphor to death, were not keeping up with all the people who want to get on board. The result of this could be disastrous.

I have a son who lives in the Bay Area. He tells me about friends who are taking advantage of pandemic work-from-home rules to move away. Anecdotally, the most sought-after commodity there is a moving van. Often, the nearest available one for rent is in Reno, and it isnt cheap.

But while anyone living in the Bay Area still would consider the Wasatch Front a far cheaper alternative, most of the rest of the nation is a far better bargain. Regardless of how Utah cities are trying to address the problem, the housing market here keeps climbing.

For the record, as 2020 comes to a close, Salt Lake County homes still cost about $1 million less than those in San Francisco. Zillow reports a median-priced San Francisco home costs $1,403,197. In Salt Lake County its $425,122.

But heres an important difference: In San Francisco, that price dropped in 2020, although by a scant 0.3%. In Salt Lake County it rose by 10%, and Zillow predicts another 8.4% in 2021.

I should note that last year Zillow missed badly by predicting only a modest 4.2% rise in 2020. But it was natural to think things would slow down after prices rose 11.1% in 2019.

By now it should be clear. Neither pandemic, nor drought nor 5.7 earthquake will keep Utah from growing. But were not building fast enough to accommodate everyone.

A new research study by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute and the Salt Lake Chamber puts this in perspective. Over the last 11 years, Utah households have increased by 220,720, while dwelling units, or places to live, have increased by only 185,334. You dont have to be a math major to calculate that is a deficit of 35,386, or 16% less than what is needed.

When supply falls below demand, prices go up. Rents are rising by 5% to 7% across the Wasatch Front, despite what the study says is record apartment construction.

But the most important question is, where are those 35,386 families sleeping? The answers probably vary. Some may be doubling up with family or friends. Some may be homeless. Many are likely living in basement apartments or other units that never got approval from any city planning department. Where demand exists, markets find a way. But those ways arent always best for renters.

A year ago, I quoted two experts at the American Enterprise Institute who said local governments should abolish single-family zoning and instead allow more light touch density housing, defined as buildings housing two to four families each. The Gardner Policy Institute study mentions zoning as a solution, too, advocating for more high-density housing and allowing more basement apartments.

Some cities, such as Minneapolis, have abolished single-family zones altogether and are letting apartments go up even in single-family subdivisions. Thats a more radical solution whose main value may be to increase attendance at city council meetings.

As the Gardner study notes, zoning laws didnt exist until Los Angeles first adopted them in 1908. Utah came along in 1925. Given the current libertarian streak that exists in much of the West, Ive wondered whether todays politicians would have had the guts to establish them if those people hadnt already done so.

Of course, zoning laws do good things, such as keeping bars from popping up next to high schools or strip clubs from building next to a church.

Unfortunately, if theyre too restrictive, they can put the Wasatch Front on a path to becoming an inland San Francisco. The study says limited housing choices harm children, affecting their schools, social environment, health, and long-term economic opportunities.

Zoning isnt the only way to slow down this cable car. But its a big one. Given whats at stake, Utahs cities should use it, and anything else they can find, to keep a booming economy from turning into a housing nightmare.

Originally posted here:
Jay Evensen: Utah is still on the road to becoming San Francisco - Deseret News

The stairs are still standing on the site along Broadway, but the hotel the steps once led to is gone.

In March, the First Baptist Church of San Antonio bought a two-story hotel at 405 Broadway. Members of the congregation, invited to "cover the property in prayer," spray paintedscripture on the walls of the empty inn.

The last of those walls came down on Saturday as crews finished demolishing the hotel. First Baptist has no immediate plans for redeveloping the lot, according to spokesperson Mikel Allen.

READ ALSO:Skyline: New coworking space coming to North San Antonio

"We are in a very serious posture of just listening to God and listening to our neighbors, asking the right questions instead of just jumping ahead into building something," Allen said. "If we do build something on there we want it to be a benefit to the congregation but also the downtown community."

The First Baptist Church of San Antonio bought and demolished a two-story hotel at 405 Broadway.

That downtown community has changed dramatically in recent years as new residential and office spaces rise along the Broadway corridor.

First Baptist's red brick sanctuary, adjacent to the former hotel lot, was surrounded by houses when it was built in 1926. Homes gave way to industry over the years, but now residents are returning to the city's core.

"It's nice to see some of these abandoned buildings be revitalized and people living in them," Allen said. "We now have actual neighbors where we didn't for decades. It's going to be really nice to be a neighborhood church again."

Wolfson House, the stately blue building First Baptist uses for small events, now stands alone on the inn's block. From there, a short stroll reveals more of the major changes taking place on either side of Broadway and the street itself.

Here are some of the projects reshaping the Broadway corridor, from south to north:

Broadway St.

Broadway is currently closed from Brooklyn to 9th Street as part of a $45 million overhaul of the street. The project, scheduled to finish in 2024, will reconstruct curbs, sidewalks, driveway approaches and lighting along the corridor.

San Antonio Light

GrayStreet Partners is renovating 420 Broadway for office and retail space. The San Antonio Express-News is moving out of its historic building a block away and moving in to the Light building.

618 Broadway

James Shaw, managing partner of personal injury law firm Carabin Shaw, plans to restore the 1930s building, according to the San Antonio Business Journal. The project received design approval from the San Antonio Historic and Design Review Commission in September.

The Soto

Local developer Hixon Properties and the Cavender auto family built a six-story office building on the site of the former Cavender Cadillac dealership at 711 Broadway. The first large-scale mass timber project in Texas will have roughly 140,600 square feet of tenant space and ground-floor retail.

Maverick Dog Park

An off-leash dog park with areas for small and large dogs is currently under construction. Plans also call for a public restroom and new sidewalks and seating at the park.

An off-leash dog park with areas for small and large dogs is currently under construction at Maverick Park.

Flats at River North

The luxury apartment complex at 1011 Broadway offers units ranging from $1,200 per month for a studio to $3,375 per month for a three-bedroom. NRP Group partnered with the nonprofit San Antonio Housing Trust on the 280-unit project.

1603 Broadway

GrayStreet Partners is planning to build a 20-story tower at 1803 Broadway with ground-floor retail and restaurants, office space and the boutique W Hotel.

Broadway East

GrayStreet Partners plans to transform 20 acres in Government Hill into a blend of multifamily housing, retail and hospitality space, offices and outdoor plazas. The project is slated to cost $560 million and take 10 years to complete.

Oxbow

Silver Ventures constructed an eight-story building that will include a mix of office, retail, and restaurant space. Bank of America is leasing 66,000 square feet in the building, which will use geothermal power for heating and cooling.

Credit Human

Next door to Oxbow, Silver Ventures built a 12-story headquarters for Credit Human.The two buildings will share a plaza, fountain and park area.

Jefferson Bank

The bank plans to build a 13-story headquarters at 1900 Broadway with about 15,000 square feet of retail and 190,000 square feet of offices. Still Golden, a popular bar making way for the construction, will move into the new building.

Magnolia Heights

The mixed-use project at 5500 Broadway in Alamo Heights has completed construction with upscale apartments above Pure Barre and Westlake Dermatology.

7600 Broadway

Embrey Partners is building a mixed-use development with 216 luxury apartments and 53,000 square feet of office space on a triangle-shaped property just north of Alamo Heights. The company plans to move its headquarters there when construction is complete.

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Map: Demolished inn the latest sign of sweeping change along the Broadway corridor - mySA

The new Wyze Plug Outdoor includes two outlets and energy monitoring.

Today, the Wyze Plug Outdoor joins Wyze's growing line of affordable smart home products. Preorder pricing for the Wyze Plug Outdoor is just $10, with the cost rising to $11 for general sale in 2021. It won't wow you with its looks, but this ultra-affordable outdoor smart plug comes with a surprisingly long list of smart features you won't often find in even pricier plugs, like energy monitoring, individual outlet control and multiple automation options.

The Wyze Plug Outdoor includes two 15-amp outlets you can control independently. It's rated IP64 for protection against water and fine particles like dust. You can control the Plug Outdoor with physical buttons, voice control via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, or through the Wyze app for Android and iOS.

The Wyze Plug Outdoor tracks energy consumption in the Wyze app.

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You can also set the plug to run on various automations like dusk-to-dawn sensing, vacation mode, custom schedules and triggers based on other devices. Unlike most smart plugs, the Wyze Plug Outdoor includes energy monitoring. You'll be able to receive alerts when energy thresholds are exceeded and view consumption history in the Wyze app.

That $11 MSRP is an impressively low price for an outdoor smart plug. Heck, even indoor smart plugs that don't need weatherproofing or extra tough construction don't often dip that low. Similarly capable, dual-outlet plugs we've tested include the $30 TP-Link Kasa Smart Outdoor Plug (without energy monitoring) and the $35 iDevices Outdoor Switch with energy monitoring and HomeKit compatibility.

If the Wyze Plug Outdoor is as good as the Wyze Cam, it will be a best bet for smartening up your outdoor spaces. You can find out more about the Wyze Plug Outdoor on the Wyzewebsite.

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New Wyze Plug Outdoor is the cheapest outdoor smart plug yet - CNET

KINGSTON, R.I. Rev. Jan Gregory-Charpentier finds her new post as Kingston Congregational Churchs spiritual leader as both a coming home to roots of her family in Rhode Island and a place to help a congregation strengthen roots in community outreach.

Active in social justice and social-concern ministries throughout her life, the minister said she looks forward to how we can partner together, and with other local organizations, to be a force for justice, peace and wellness.

I have been charged to help this community stretch itself into partnering with the community around it, including the University of Rhode Island, community common causes and other social justice organizations and become bigger influence in the community, said the 58-year-old minister.

She arrives as the church celebrates the 200th anniversary of the construction of its iconic old New-England style spired church in Kingston Village, across from the Route 138 entrance to URI. After a 15-month process of evaluating 20 candidates, she was the favorite of a search committee and the church members.

She has 30 years of experience as an associate pastor and pastor, including the United Parish of Upton, Mass. and most recently, the First Congregational Church of Westbrook, Conn. She grew up in Lincoln, Mass., while her husband, Ron, grew up in Lincoln, R.I.

In a recent interview with The Independent, she laughed at the coincidence and said that moving to Rhode Island, where she, her husband, and three children frequently spent summer vacations in Point Judith, was a welcoming treat in life.

This was icing on the cake coming here to Kingston Congregational Church, said this daughter whose father was a minister and now retired after 40 years in the pulpit.

It could have been love at first sight for Kingston Congregational Church and this minister given shared desires for their futures.

The church was initially attractive to me in a number of ways, Gregory-Charpentier said. They were clear they were looking for spiritual leader wanting to put a lot of emphasis on creativity and scale.

The priorities of the church include working together for justice and mercy, strengthening inter- and intra-personal assets, caring for all creation and engaging in sacred stories and traditions, according to church officials.

I really wanted a congregation that has a track record of being engaged in the community, along with social justice issues, added Gregory-Charpentier, a graduate of Andover Newton Theological School that awarded her a masters degree in divinity.

She also holds a doctorate in ministry from Drew University of Theology, where her dissertation was entitled Mother May I? Clergywomens Experience of Mother and Ministry.

Looking back on her life, religion and community engagement, including social justice matters, were always important.

I knew I wanted to do something in line with my faith. I have always been a fairly religious, spiritual person. Im one of those persons who didnt stop going to church in high school and college, she said.

Pastoral counseling appealed to her through her both church-related work, community projects and studies for her graduate degrees. At the same time, though, she realized that teaching or other work outside direct ministry left her feeling disconnected from a calling in her heart.

I wanted to be part of a community, baptizing babies, burying parents, being with people, being part of the fabric of the community, she said.

Her connection to Kingston Congregationals needs was apparent as well to the search committee that recommended her to church members who chose her as the new minister. She started work about a month ago and preaches each Sunday for the churchs live online service.

Connie Fitzelle, search committee member, remarked, As I read over (Jans) profile, I was again impressed by her compassion, her leadership skills, her spirituality. She seems a perfect fit for our congregation. In Jan, you see the right person to lead us in the search for what God is calling us to become.

Defining that stronger community engagement is part of the work immediately ahead, said Gregory-Charpentier.

What the church knows it wantsis a visioning effort with the broad goals of being vibrant, she said, offering a few suggestions she may bring to the membership for discussion.

The church recently upgraded its kitchen to commercial standards to create a food ministry and a gathering place to open up to the community.

At least for me, Im more interested in that then having a ham and bean supper and charge 10 bucks and make some money for the church, she said about feeding the South Kingstown and other area people who havent enough food for their daily meals.

Helping the community in various ways is more important that strictly focusing on membership, she said, adding, Its about living the Gospel in real and effective ways.

For instance, the church has space that can be transformed into an area to provide quality, affordable child care for those in the community who need it and cannot afford it elsewhere, said Gregory-Charpentier.

She also wants to engage community leaders in defining that expanded vision of the churchs outreach. Where might we fit, with the resources we have, in a network of good in the community? she asked rhetorically.

During the hour-long interview with The Independent, her spiritual view of religion in the 21st Century emerged alongside these practical tasks of being minister.

That discussion focused on matters, regardless of faith, most important when supporting and fostering faith in people today as the quarter-century mark nears in the 21st Century following Jesus Christs birth.

First, she said, clergy need to understand, and help communities understand, that old structures and means of promoting faith and sustaining a faith community are crumbling, maybe necessarily, as the U.S. culture and world go through change.

Gregory-Charpentier described it as a new reformation that includes widespread deinstitutionalization and distrust of former sources of authority. Shared governance, rather than top-down dictates, is the approach on the horizon, she said.

Faith communities are still relevant and vital, they just need to move in the direction of being relevant and vital in new ways. More and more people have no experience or interest in church and organized religion, the minister said.

Yet we in church and other faith traditions are still, in many ways operating on the premise that we are inherently interesting and attractive No need to reach out, people will find us if they want us, she said.

Gregory-Charpentier recalled a former parishioner, who had no previous background attending religious services, telling her how she would drive by the church and think to herself, How do you get in there? Finally, someone she knew invited her to attend.

We assume everyone knows you can just walk in any Sunday morning. Those assumptions dont bear up anymore. We are not peoples first answer to the question, What are you doing on Sunday? We need to stop scolding people for not attending something they have no interest in, she said.

Instead, church leaders and followers need to start getting out into the community to show our interest in being a good neighbor dedicated to the common good whether you come to our church or not, Gregory-Charpentier said.

In addition, she said clergy need to continue to help people connect to what is truly essential and unique in living a particular faith.

We are not just another nice social group to belong to. We follow the teaching and life of Jesus of Nazareth and have spiritual resources and practices that make our lives more free, joyful and generous, she said.

Spiritual community is different than other kinds of community in many ways. We are not bonded by our race, class, education, orientation, ethnicity or ability. We are united in deepening our connection to the Holy and our essential self and to our neighbor through love and service, the minister said.

And as these changes occur near the quarter mark of the 21st Century, clergy need to help people find the three things that every human being needs, she said.

They are: belonging to a community, becoming and living into each persons essential self, and understanding a connection to something bigger than the routine of everyday lives, Gregory-Charpentier said.

No matter your faith, or lack of it, every human needs those things. They are the essence of soul. Spiritual community and spiritual leaders exist to help people find those three things. Christian spiritual leaders pattern that faith journey on the way of Jesus, she said.

Looking to her own immediate future to bring meaning to these and other ideas, she said, Were at the very beginning of thinking about what our specific mission is in this time and place. Theres great potential here.

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Kingston Congregational Church finds its new leader | News - The Independent

This week in Mormon Land: Why Trumps loss may be a win for the global church

(Erin Schaff | The New York Times) President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House in Washington, on Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, 2020.

| Dec. 3, 2020, 3:18 p.m.

| Updated: Dec. 4, 2020, 2:34 a.m.

Is Trumps loss good for the church?

Did Donald Trumps presidency harm missionary efforts in Europe? Not so much. Blame increasing secularization and other factors for that.

Will his failed bid for reelection, nonetheless, help proselytizing there? Maybe, but in a roundabout way. Namely, by boosting the morale of the members, who will be less reticent to proclaim themselves as members of an American church.

Europeans, van Beek writes, judge American presidents on their performance in the international scene, and the promised return to political decency will restore something of the status of the USA and thus be beneficial to the church at large.

Misrepresentations on LGBTQ issues

(Salt Lake Tribune file photo) Protesters march outside of Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City in 2008.

The authors outline seven of these misrepresentations, including supposed teachings that: There are no gays in the church; that the church denies same-sex attraction is real; and that Latter-day Saint scripture preaches that those with homosexual tendencies are broken, damaged, sick or evil.

One of the biggest such falsehoods, they say, is that the only choice for gay members is between celibacy within the church, marked by loneliness, and love outside the faith.

This is only true if you link sex and love, Hess and Bennion write. Those who remain faithful can find fellowship, friendship and companionship with other Latter-day Saints, while awaiting a future marital relationship in the eternities.

The piece also challenges the idea that prophets have vacillated on LGBTQ issues and have even issued jolting reversals.

Such assumptions are a substantial overreach, they write. Left to the side is the possibility that these presiding leaders have been right all along and that the confusion and grappling reflect more of the inability of the public to see the consistency in their teaching and the wisdom of what they are saying.

This weeks podcast: Vaccines in church history

(Courtesy of University of Maryland School of Medicine via AP, File) This May 4, 2020, file photo provided by the University of Maryland School of Medicine, shows the first patient enrolled in Pfizer's COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine clinical trial at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore.

But besides the issue of who will get the vaccination first looms another question: Who will be willing to get it?

Debates about the value and efficacy of vaccines as well as the socioeconomics of those who will get them and those who wont have raged throughout the 20th century and into the 21st.

Such a debate took place in the early 1900s in Utah over the smallpox vaccine, dividing prominent community members, leaders and Latter-day Saints, including top church authorities and the editor of the church-owned Deseret News.

As Cater noted, in a quote often attributed to Mark Twain: History doesnt repeat itself, but it often rhymes.

From giving thanks to giving service

Church President Russell M. Nelson gave thanks this week for all those who, well, gave thanks.

Now, the 96-year-old church leader said, its time to give more than words.

As we enter the Christmas season and celebrate the living Christ, one of the most powerful ways we can show our gratitude is by serving his children, he added. Let us follow his example to Light the World by loving and serving others, one by one.

First Presidencys Yuletide message

(Photo courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) The Christus and the apostles in the Rome Italy Temple Visitors' Center.

The governing First Presidency harked to the true spirit of the season in its recently released Christmas message.

The true spirit of Christmas comes because of the Christ, wrote President Russell M. Nelson and his counselors, Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring. ...The true spirit of Christmas is in the call of Jesus to love one another.

The trio closed by inviting all to share the true spirit of Christmas this season by hearing him Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace and Light of the World.

(Francisco Kjolseth | Tribune file photo) Ardis E. Parshall, Mormon historian in Salt Lake City, surrounded by her books.

The Mormon History Association has established the Ardis E. Parshall Public History Award, a biennial honor that will bestow $1,000 on the producer of the best public history project in Mormon studies.

MHA members Heather and Kelly Stone suggested the idea and pledged a $5,000 matching grant toward a $10,000 endowment for the prize.

Walking and working against hunger

When it comes to raising awareness about world hunger, top female leaders in the church are walking the walk literally.

Sharon Eubank, first counselor in the Relief Societys general presidency joined by second counselor Reyna I. Aburto, Primary general President Joy D. Jones and her first counselor, Lisa L. Harkness recently took a hike, so to speak, in solidarity with the millions struggling across the globe to feed themselves and their families.

Those recipients were: the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; International Rescue Committee; U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants; Church World Service; HIAS; Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service; Episcopal Migration Ministries; Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC); and World Relief.

The assistance proved especially helpful during COVID-19.

Thats where the churchs humanitarian arm stepped in, with grants that supplied food and financial support this year to more than 10,600 refugees and immigrants through 142 offices nationwide.

(Photo courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)Zynab Adam, a former refugee originally from Sudan, organizes cleaning supplies and food for Utah Refugee Connection on Feb. 20, 2020, in Salt Lake City. The charity incentivizes local refugees to participate in educational courses that help them transition into their new communities. Latter-day Saints in Utah donated over $124,000 to the entity during the #LightTheWorld campaign.

But when might other big church events take place in 2021?

With the COVID-19 pandemic, please continue to follow local and First Presidency guidelines regarding gathering to participate in these events, the church states. Information regarding whether an event will be virtual only, broadcast times, languages and viewing times will be sent to local leaders before each broadcast.

Lights, cameras, but not as much action

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Shea family from Salt Lake City, McKell, Mikey Sammy, Avielle, Betsy and Scott take a selfie overlooking the Christmas lights on Temple Square, Friday, Nov. 27, 2020.

Thousands of Christmas lights decked the trees, paths, planters and plaza on downtown Salt Lake Citys Temple Square.

But due to COVID-19, visitors encouraged to mask up and space out were prevented from strolling the glistening grounds themselves. They had to view them instead from the surrounding sidewalks and roads.

On debut night, those measures diminished the picture-snapping crowds but didnt dampen the holiday mood.

The phased reopening of temples during the pandemic continues to move forward, with the occasional step back.

But five temples all in Canada that were in Phase 2 will retreat to Phase 1, providing only marriage sealings. Another 14 temples have paused operations due to local COVID-19 restrictions.

By Monday, 29 temples will be in Phase 1.

No temples have begun Phase 3, which would make all living and limited proxy ordinances available by appointment.

(Photo courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)A rendering of the planned Antofagasta Chile Temple at the groundbreaking ceremony of the temple on Friday, Nov. 27, 2020.

A socially distanced groundbreaking launched construction of Chiles third Latter-day Saint temple.

Chile is home to more than 602,000 members.

(Photo courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)Elder Juan Pablo Villar speaks at the groundbreaking of the Antofagasta Chile Temple on Friday, Nov. 27, 2020

The church teaches that we have a Heavenly Mother and Father and, though we dont know all the specific ways they spend their energy, we are taught that they spend a lot of energy being available to us, always ready to listen. (This is taught explicitly about God the Father, implicitly about God the Mother.) I think thats significant. And I think it reflects godliness when we make concerted efforts in our own lives to listen to each other.

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This week in Mormon Land: Why Trump's loss may be a win for the global church - Salt Lake Tribune

FLORAL PARK, QUEENS A Floral Park homeowner could be fined as much as $25,000 for doing illegal construction, after workers in the basement punctured a gas main that serves more than two dozen homes.

Inspectors with the NYC Department of Buildings slapped the homeowner on 260th Street with a violation for doing work without a permit and ordered all construction to be halted on the site, according to city records and an agency spokesperson.

If an administrative judge upholds that violation, the homeowner faces a maximum civil penalty of $25,000, Department of Buildings spokesperson Andrew Rudansky told Patch.

The homeowner could not be immediately reached for comment.

The Department of Buildings' investigation unfolded Wednesday after residents of 260th Street between Hillside Avenue and East Williston Avenue reported smelling gas.

Workers had performed structural, electrical wiring and gas plumbing work as part of a gut renovation of the single-family home all without obtaining required work permits, according to the Department of Buildings spokesperson.

Under the law, New York City owners homeowners have a responsibility to ensure their property complies with building codes and that all construction work on their property has the proper permits, the spokesperson said.

The agency is still investigating and may take additional enforcement measures.

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Queens Homeowner Cited For Construction That Punctured Gas Line - Patch.com