Houston and Little York firefighters tap out a large big rig fire along the North Freeway near Greens Road on Thursday, May 21, 2020.

Houston and Little York firefighters tap out a large big rig fire along the North Freeway near Greens Road on Thursday, May 21, 2020.

Photo: Jay R. Jordan / Houston Chronicle

Houston and Little York firefighters tap out a large big rig fire along the North Freeway near Greens Road on Thursday, May 21, 2020.

Houston and Little York firefighters tap out a large big rig fire along the North Freeway near Greens Road on Thursday, May 21, 2020.

Big rig bursts into flames along North Freeway, driver burned

The driver of a big rig was badly burned Thursday afternoon when his truck caught fire along the North Freeway.

An Atlas moving truck was northbound on Interstate 45 near Greens Road around 2:50 p.m. when witnesses say the trailer began to sway. The driver tried to exit the freeway but crashed into the retaining wall along the exit ramp, which is when the cab burst into flames.

OFFICER IN RECOVERY: Houston ISD police officer injured after crash near downtown

A witness who works nearby said the cab was burning for some time before the driver managed to escape on his own.

Firefighters got the fire under control quickly. No one else was injured, according to a Houston Fire Department spokesperson.

A few northbound lanes of I-45 as well as the entire northbound feeder remained closed as of 4 p.m.

Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com

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Big rig bursts into flames along North Freeway, driver burned - Chron

Its become a routine for Cori Criswell to grab his tape measure and level to survey the edge of his house and yard in the wake of a storm just to see what might have changed.

Hesobserving the strip of land that separates his house and a creek below, whichhe worries is steadily receding towards his foundation.

I think its probably going to happen pretty soon under theright conditions, said Criswell.

The latest news from around North Texas.

Its a problem he said started a few years after his fianc BobbiSnider bought the house on Edgebrook drive in 2006.

Snider had noticed city crews digging up the creeksembankment to locate an abandoned utility line.

The next time it rained, she said she realized all of thevines, bushes and trees that had been ripped away in the process were nowallowing the soil to wash away.

"It's a domino effect. You messed up this land, and now it's soft and every time it rains it goes downstream, said Bobbi Snider.

But accordingto the City of Garland, the responsibility rests with the homeowners.

They said in a statement, Our Engineers determined thatremoving the foliage was not the cause of damage or erosion to the citizensretaining wall.

Still, Snider said she saw crews out there three times attempting to stop the erosion with sandbags and netting in the months and years that immediately proceeded the removal of the foliage.

The city responded, The Citys work was done to keeperosion from causing damage to public property in particular, the cul-de-sac.

Even so the city had crews investigate the problem andestimate the cost of repairs, which they said would total more than $205,000.

The city does offer a 50/50 cost-sharing program to help homeowners with fixing erosion problems. But in Criswell and Sniders case, they said the cost to repair would be more than 50% of the propertys value.

So with time working against them, Criswell and Snider said there only options now are to pay or prepare for a legal fight.

"I would just like them to step up to the plate and acknowledge that they destroyed the homeostasis of that land and caused all of this and just fix it. You know, just fix it, said Snider.

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Garland Couple Battles City Over Erosion They Say Threatens Home - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

In the beginning, Charleston built a wall.

For the first century of its existence, the community first known as Charles Town fortified itself with barriers, moats and bridges, and cannons perched atop it all.

The protections for the small settlement at the confluence of the Cooper and Ashley rivers were meant to keep out the French and Spanish. Later, the denizens tried to repel the British monarchy that had launched the whole affair. The city could not exist without protection, and, for years, that was what its leaders most often spent money on.

But in its 350th year, the city is considering this old strategy for a different enemy: the rising sea that threatens to one day swallow it whole.

The proposal, laid out at the end of last month in a lengthy report by the Army Corps of Engineers, would create an 8-mile perimeter around the city's core peninsula, slicing through the marshlands that blossom out from the water's edge or following the paths of streets on higher ground. It would make the city's tallest seawall 3 feet higher, and the Army Corps says the project should fend off the water for 50 years.

The Corps has been clear, as have others who have studied flood threats on the peninsula. When the wall of water pushed by a hurricane comes, there are few other options to stop it than a wall of your own.

The porous coastline, with many rivers threading in and out of the estuary, welcomes the surging ocean at so many points that it would be too costly and complicated to create a gate system. And the peninsula itself, filled in over decades with dirt or sawdust or even trash, is already seeing increased tidal flooding as sea level rise slowly reclaims former creekbeds.

And so the city is left with a question: Does it defend its position once again, or start planning to leave?

On Friday, Feb. 22, 2019, historians tried to determine the path of an early city wall where these bricks were exposed during the construction of a new hotel at East Bay and Cumberland streets. They are believed to date to that early wall because of the bricks' bright red color and the stark whiteness of the mortar. File/Staff

"Im not going to be the mayor of Charleston that calls for the retreat," Mayor John Tecklenburg said. "Im not going to head for the hills."

The Corps' proposal includes pumps and a wavebreak at the peninsula's southern tip, as well. At $1.75 billion, it would by far be the most costly flood control project ever in South Carolina's Lowcountry. Many people expect the actual cost paid out years into the future if Congress approves it will be higher.

Some worry about whether the city will ever find its $600 million share, particularly as the spread of the novel coronavirus saps municipal budgets. Or they ask if this particular project, which only deals with one type of flooding, will distract from efforts to do work elsewhere.

And it's still not even clear what the wall would look like or where its exact path will lie. The path could change to some degree even up to the point of construction new technology might make it easier to build in places thought impossible before, or an archaeological discovery might re-route it.

The wall is designed to protect against hurricanes, and it's a gamble, every season whether one strikes. But it would likely have to fend off the more consistent threat of sea level rise, as well.

Dale Morris helped author the recent Dutch Dialogues report that used approaches from the Netherlands to study nature-based flooding solutions in Charleston. He said the peninsula will eventually need some sort of persistent barrier if living and working there is going to stay viable.

In the time since Charleston built its first wall, the city imported more enslaved people than anywhere else in North America; endured two wars; survived deadly bouts of yellow fever and Spanish flu; transformed into a tourist destination; birthed one of the country's earliest preservation movements; and eventually expanded far beyond the peninsula, west of the Ashley River and onto three nearby islands.

In many people's eyes, the peninsula's historic legacy makes it essential to protect. And beyond that history, the peninsula is the beating heart of a growing region.

It boasts a renowned dining scene, serves as the center of a tourism destination that brings 7 million visitors a year, and houses key medical institutions, including the only five-star Veterans Affairs medical center in the Southeast.

Rob Young, who runs Western Carolina University's Center for the Study of Developed Shorelines, has long been critical of other Corps projects, like beach-building that spits sand in front of oceanfront homes.

But as sea level rise worsens, he said, compelling cases can be made for protecting some areas. The peninsula's historic value may make it one of them.

"One of the things I've always wished we were able to do in the United States is look at the coast as a whole and decide where it makes sense to spend federal dollars," Young said.

Beach nourishment projects are some of the most common Army Corps of Engineers work on the Atlantic Coast. Here, a pipe spits a slurry of sand and water back onto eroding Folly Beach on Tuesday, July 31, 2018.File/Staff

Right now, the landscape of federal protection is a free-for-all, with some places regularly awarded millions and others little at all. Young said he's never been able to parse why funding lands in some areas and not others.

The Corps also has a $98 billion backlog in projects that have already been drawn up. Like Charleston, several localities are in the midst of studies, including Nashville, Tenn.; Miami; and the Florida Keys. Local leaders in Norfolk, Va., have already approved their plan, which similarly includes 8 miles of surge wall and a mile-long levee, but it hasn't been funded by the feds yet.

In the next decade, even more places will probably get in line. But to get that federal share, Charleston must put up its own cash, and $600 million is just an estimate; the project cost as a whole is likely to grow, Young said.

Protecting the peninsula also makes sense, not only because of its cultural value, but because it helps float the tax base of the city, said Dana Beach, retired founder of the Coastal Conservation League. The League is a conservation and environmental advocacy group, and has been a key voice in many large infrastructure decisions in the Lowcountry.

There's a destabilizing future looming: the more flooding degrades commerce and land values there, he said, the harder it will be to raise local funds for any flood work.

But Beach was ultimately optimistic about finding the money for the work before that tipping point. State and federal interests, he said, have rallied before behind big-ticket items like the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge and harbor excavation.

Few people, so far, are rejecting the Corps' proposal out of hand.

Susan Lyons, a leader of flooding advocacy group Groundswell, said she's still undecided on whether the project is a good idea. There's varying opinions inside the group, which consists of many downtown homeowners who have grappled with flooding for years.

Lyons said she's heard many people by default accepting that the plan will move forward, despite some reservations. She said there's a social pressure in the city not to rock the boat.

Influential leaders like the mayor and Historic Charleston Foundation are so far supporting the plan.

"It's an option, walking away (from the peninsula), but it's not being a team player," Lyons said. "In Charleston, you have to be a team player. ... I think people who are operating inside our culture know that."

Lyons wonders how this project might distract from other work around the city to deal with flooding. She said it's not clear how it fits into Charleston's overall strategy, including the Dutch Dialogues.

The High Battery was hit by waves as Tropical Storm Irma hit Charleston's peninsula in 2017. File/Brad Nettles/Staff

The Dialogues were a wide-ranging inquiry into living with water, an exercise that has been conducted in only a few cities around the country. Charleston city officials took a trip to the Netherlands as part of the process. In addition to a barrier around the peninsula, the final report suggested elevating flood-prone roads and intersections, creating spaces to help retain flooding rainfall, and separating the drainage systems that evacuate water from the area's central spine of high ground and slowly sinking land on the perimeter.

Kris King is the executive director of the Preservation Society of Charleston, an advocacy group foundedin 1920 that's dedicated to protecting the historic cityscape. Another open question, he said, is how the wall would change the feel of the city.

City officials want to beautify the barrier and create a pedestrian path on it, similar to The Battery sea wall that runs along the peninsula's southern tip. But King emphasized that the breakwater proposed for south of the city has been modeled at 4 feet higher than the barrier, possibly obstructing views of the water beyond.

"We need to not just accept it because its being offered up," King said. "We need to really understand this thing and ask the hard questions."

Morris, who helped lead the Dialogues effort, said the wall does mesh with the ultimate suggestion that the peninsula will need a barrier. But there are opportunities beyond the Corps' first draft, he said, to improve the design so the city might be able to store more rainwater.

That is one of the chief concerns of virtually everyone chewing over the proposal: Will it trap flooding rains inside the city?

The Corps says its five proposed pump stations would help drain water from inside the perimeter before it collects. But the engineering group is only tasked with offsetting any problems it creates, Morris said, not improving the already soggy situation.

Placing the barrier farther into the marsh on the Ashley River side, he said, would allow more storage space for rain to run off.

As for whether the wall would distract from other projects, Matt Fountain, who manages Charleston's drainage projects, said the city's dedicated fund for that work will not help pay for a wall.

For the wall to work, the underground tunnels, pipes and flood-stopping valves Charleston is already planning have to come to fruition. The Corps report says its design depends on these efforts working in tandem, including the massive underground tunnel system called Calhoun West. But that project is more a twinkle in project planners' eyes than reality, with no funding or schedule laid out yet.

Fountain's department is in the process of prioritizing which of the many smaller flood projects across the city should be completed first. A standard to do so will be presented to city council at the end of the summer.

Separately, residents of the peninsula are waging their own wars against the water.

Those who live in the lowest spots have constructed sandbag walls around their homes; staked out the best place to move a car when the waters start rising; in one case, demolished a flood-prone house altogether; and in the most expensive proposition,elevated their homes on pilings and cement.

They are fighting a tide that city officials estimate will rise 2 to 3 feet in the next 50 years. That might seem like a long way away, but natural cycles rarely change on a smooth upward trajectory. Last year, the city saw a record-smashing 89 tidal floods, which could be a severe blip in the trend, or could mean the city is on a more accelerated path than previously thought.

Only time will tell.

Bernard Mansheim's brick-and-stucco home on Water Street is in the process of being raised, hoisted into the air as 90 steel piles are driven deep underground to form a new foundation. The 450-ton house, built in 1857, has been swamped with a foot of water by passing cyclones two times in the past five years.

Mansheim, an infectious disease specialist, said that hoisting the house up 8 feet seemed like the only option to stay in the neighborhood. At its finished height, the home will be higher than the wall, and the whole process will take the better part of two years to complete.

Finishing a surge barrier around the city, he suspected, could take decades; his initial reaction is that the project is too costly and too lengthy to ever get done, especially as the coronavirus pandemic scrambles the economy. He also held a dim view of whether the wall could hold off sea rise over the long term.

"I'm as committed as the next person to maintaining the beauty and charm of this city," he said. "I just am very pessimistic about the 50- and 100-year future of the entire East Coast, much less Charleston. "

Market Street is flooded during 8-foot tidal flooding in Charleston Harbor on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, in Charleston. File/Andrew J. Whitaker/Staff

Facing this challenge is also the quieter, less obvious contingent: those who are planning to sell and leave.

Lyons, who lives in the peninsula's often-flooded southwest corner, said she's commonly heard some residents say they'll sell their home before flooding gets too severe to do so. Some are already trying it.

She sees it as a tricky proposition.

"I don't know that any of those people have a crystal ball, and if you think it's getting bad, so does everybody else," she said.

Mansheim said home sellers in his neighborhood are regularly asked if they've flooded, and buyers flee when they hear the history.

"I think the reality is that most people (with flood-prone homes) are to some extent paralyzed," he said. "They don't know quite what to do, and I think they're hoping they don't suffer the damage they did last year or the year before."

But putting a wall around those homes could create a false sense of security. Andy Keeler, who studies climate change adaptation at Eastern Carolina University, said protection often encourages re-investment because it creates the perception that all the risk has disappeared. In effect, it's still there, but has the potential to burst in catastrophically rather than slowly creep up.

In modeling Keeler has done, "the more you protect, the longer you stay and the bigger the crash is" when the protection is overwhelmed.

Without protection, its unclear when many people would get the same idea to abandon ship. The Army Corps has offered only a limited view of the damages that could happen in 2075 without a wall. Half of the peninsula's historic structures, half of its police stations, and 42 percent of its medical facilities would flood in a storm event that raises the sea to the height of Charleston's highest existing sea wall.

Keelersaid one opportunity to re-think comes in a major disaster, when residents are faced with rebuilding again.

Indeed, in some other South Carolina communities, successive storms have encouraged some to seek an exit. But in other cases, the federal safety net that kicks into gear after a disaster can actually stimulate modern development, as Hurricane Hugo did in the Charleston region decades ago.

All of these decisions are made on an individual level, one by one, as flooding victims consider their financial situation, their neighbors' choices and their attachment to home. It's what academics would call "unmanaged retreat," or the messy interplay of members of communities making their moves separately.

There's also "managed retreat," or government policy that dictates people to move. Most plans for this type of retreat don't get implemented in the United States, but one example are the buyouts mostly funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. These pay to tear down oft-flooded homes and leave the land clear after.

Most of the places where Charleston has practiced this strategy are far afield of what the wall would protect: west of the Ashley River and on James Island, the suburban sprawl that exploded out from the city center under the tenure of former Mayor Joe Riley.

Charleston entered this century with its outer limits expanding like a balloon. Not even two decades in, news developments are flooding out older ones, and the edges of the city are beginning to collapse in on themselves.

Charleston started with a wall, but it grew with dirt.

Fill dirt, that is. Private landowners and the city government itself hauled in whatever was available to raise low-lying lots. The city needed buildable land, but there was concern in the 1700s and early 1800s that persistently wet spots would create "miasmas," or noxious, illness-inducing vapors, said architectural historian Christina Butler, who has authored a book on the city's drainage.

It was tough going. Attempts starting in 1785 to extend East Bay Street south to the eventual southern tip of the peninsula washed out more than once when hurricanes blew through.

But the 19th century's attitude of urban improvement and control of nature pushed the work forward, and White Point Garden was opened, along with the High Battery. By the early 1900s, Charleston sold the lots it filled along Murray Boulevard to finance the expansion there, creating what has become some of the most vulnerable and priceyreal estate in the city today.

Together, the work created a promenade at the southern tip of the city that's still a popular place to stroll today, lined with columned mansions and prim gardens locked behind wrought-iron gates. White Point Garden features a gazebo and lawn shaded by stately, twisted live oaks.

But the engineering behind that beauty is reaching its limits. The Low Battery, essentially a retaining wall along Murray Boulevard, is being lifted right now to account for higher tides.

Construction crews work on the Low Battery wall project that involves building up the century-old seawall along Murray Boulevard between Tradd and Ashley streets on Friday, May 8, 2020, in Charleston. File/Grace Beahm Alford/Staff

Norm Levine, director of the Lowcountry Hazards Institute at the College of Charleston, said the project, like much work to adapt to rising sea levels, buys time to lessen the future effects of climate change.But that work to curb carbon emissions that heat the Earth has to continue regardless.

"All of this is a stopgap if climate change isn't slowed," he said.

It's a stopgap, too, in defending from the worst-case scenario for hurricane damage.

The wall would not be tall enough to stop the peak surge from a storm like Hurricane Hugo in 1989. The cyclone was the worst in modern memory along South Carolina's coast, but hurricanes can have wildly different effects across the same coastline. The wall would defend against the tides that landed in Charleston, but not the worst part of the storm, which landed to the north.

Designs are usually planned around the last disaster, not the next one, said Hermann Fritz, a civil engineering professor at Georgia Tech.

Case in point, he said, is the complex network of levees around New Orleans. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina seemed to spare the city of a direct hit, but surge rushed over some of the smaller levees along the lake east of the city. The system was built after a direct hit from Hurricane Betsy in 1965, and was meant to stave off a 200-year storm 40 years later, it failed.

Ultimately, Charleston may have to weather its next storm without any wall, even if the community rallies around it.

Congress, several people said, might not be motivated to fund it until after disaster strikes the city.

Continued here:
Charleston faces an existential choice: Wall off the rising ocean or retreat to high ground - Charleston Post Courier

MORRIS, Minn. The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is the crown jewel for horticulture research gardens in Minnesota. But the University of Minnesota has horticulture research happening around the state. One of these easily-accessible research gardens is at the West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC) just outside of the city of Morris.

While the Horticulture Display Garden at Morris is a center for research, it also provides education to the public, and is a colorful place to walk around and get ideas for a home garden. The centers All American Selections trial and display gardens are a unique feature.

All America Selections (AAS) was founded in 1932 to run impartial trials of new flowers and vegetables which were not yet on the market. Horticulture Scientist Steve Poppe coordinates the horticulture research at WCROC and is an AAS judge.

To become an AAS winner and have their stamp of approval, the plant has to have superior performance through the North American continent, Poppe said. The plant breeding companies introduce these as a promising selection. It has no name right now. We look at these plants over one growing season.

Poppe is a flower judge. He said they put the selection in a plot with one to three comparison varieties named varieties which have proven performance and are on the market.

We look at them every week or ten days, taking a lot of flower data: flowering ability, disease resistance, plant habit, and so forth. Then we hand in the results in early November, theyre compiled, and winners are selected.

There are more winners some years than others. In addition to the AAS Trial Garden, the Horticulture Garden also has an AAS Display Garden of both flower and vegetable winners from previous years.

While Poppe is a judge for AAS trials, those arent the only flowers getting trials at the Morris research gardens.

We trial about 400-plus different varieties, working with 15 or so plant breeding companies that want to trial their flowers with the U of M, he said.

The Horticulture Display Garden is a research site which is intended to benefit the public as well as plant breeders.

When I first started, we had flowers but they were planted in rows, Poppe said. In the 1990s we started to make changes to make it more aesthetically pleasing; and to display plants so the public could learn and be educated from our displays, how they might use those flowers, shrubs, perennials or whatever else they have in their own home or garden. Thats why we try to label everything, and there are brochures out there

The Display Garden is actually a collection of gardens. At the WCROC website you will find descriptions of the Heritage Garden, Meditation Garden, Shade Garden, Tropical Garden, Water Garden even a Childrens Garden.

Not only is the Horticulture Display Garden intended for the public, Poppe said the public has played a significant role in making it the attractive garden that it is. There are structures and benches scattered throughout, and Poppe said all of them have been donated by supporters of the garden. Contributors have also added to the gardens themselves. The Shade Garden is an example.

We call it the Ken Anderson Shade Garden, Poppe said. Family and friends of Ken Anderson, who passed away many years ago, helped create that garden in his memory. There are a lot of hostas in there that were part of his breeding program, plus a lot of the other hostas out there in the trade that are well-established and hardy for our area.

We work with families to create gardens to honor them or in someones memory. We work with the family on the design and put in their favorite flowers, shrubs, trees, whatever else, and they give us a financial contribution.

The Display Garden, with all of its themed gardens, takes an army to care for it, Poppe said. He has three other full-time or part-time people who help him with the education, marketing and development. During the growing season, there are eight full-time students a couple of which might have internships related to research projects. Between 30 and 40 volunteers fill out the work force.

The latest renovation is the main entrance of the Garden.

As Poppe described it, The old retaining wall structure was removed, and new hardscapes, benches, and concrete planters were installed. Since this area is located near blacktop pavement, it is typically hot and dry, and therefore an ideal location to showcase plants and perennials that do well under hot and dry growing conditions.

There is an ongoing project on the west side of the Garden. In 2008 they completed the Pomme de Terre overlook of the Pomme de Terre River valley.

We are completely renovating 17 acres, Poppe said. Its a three-year project to be completed in 2021. Theres a trail that goes to the Pomme de Terre city park, and to the University of Minnesota-Morris campus that has a great connection with trails. Were going to establish that with pollinator-friendly forbes and grasses. Then well have information kiosks, wayside shelters to again give homeowners an idea of what they can do in their back yard or farm, how they can enhance for pollinator-friendly plants.

That again brings out the purpose of the Horticulture Display Garden at WCROC to do research which ultimately benefits the public. To that end they have monthly programs in their Come Grow with Us series. But one can learn simply by visiting the Garden, which is free and open dawn to dusk daily. Not interested in learning? The Garden is a place to refresh ones spirit simply by strolling around.

If you cant get to Morris, the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences has 10 research facilities around the state. Check them out at https://www.cfans.umn.edu/research/roc-centers. To see more about the Horticulture Display Garden at WCROC go to https://wcroc.cfans.umn.edu/public-gardens.

As much as they look forward to your visit, the Horticulture Display Garden is not currently open. Here is their statement: The current state of the country has been unlike anything we've seen or experienced before. Universityleadership is providing us with guidance and support as we navigate through the COVID-19 crisis. To protect the health and safety of our employees and the public, the West Central Research and Outreach Center is functioning under reduced operations. This means our office building and grounds are closed to the public, including the Horticulture Display Garden. We are diligently working to determine the next steps for the coming weeks and months. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.

For updates, consult https://wcroc.cfans.umn.edu/news/covid19.

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Display gardens are a combination of beauty and research - thelandonline.com

SportsPulse: NASCAR driver Gray Gaulding details the strict precautions the sport is taking as it looks to return to action this weekend. USA TODAY

After two months devoid of any sports competition because of the COVID-19 pandemic, NASCAR returns to the track for live racing to give sports a shot in the arm.

Darlington Raceway will host its 117th Cup Series race on Sunday, marking the first NASCAR event since the coronavirus interrupted the 2020 schedule in early March.

Johnny Mantz, a little-known driver from Long Beach, California, won the first Cup race at Darlington on Sept. 4, 1950.

Mantz would finish 76th out of a record field of 82 cars the following year and never raced at Darlington again, but his victory in 1950 set the stage for 70 years of racing at the track knows as "The Lady in Black" and Too Tough to Tame.

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Following are some of the more memorable moments at the famed speedway Darlington, South Carolina:

On Sept. 6, 1965, local favorite Cale Yarborough sailed over the wall after bumping Sam McQuaig while attempting a pass in the Southern 500. Yarborough, driving a 1965 Ford, emerged from the wreckage without a scratch and told reporters hed sailed through the air like an astronaut.

On that same race day in 1965, Fred Lorenzen and Darel Dieringer combined to lead 256 of the first 325 laps. But Ned Jarrett came on strong late and wound up winning by the widest margin in the history of NASCAR 14 laps. Jarrett prevailed in a battle of attrition as only 15 of the 44 cars that started the race were able to finish and Jarrett claimed his 12th of 13 victories that season.

The closest race in NASCAR Cup Series history unfolded on March 16, 2003, at Darlington. Ricky Craven led only one lap, but won by battling Kurt Busch in a final-lap, bump-and-grind for the ages, edging Busch by two one-thousandths of a second. The slim margin of victory has since been matched, but the drama that unfolded in the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 will live forever in fans minds. It was OK to lose because of the respect we had for each other on the track, Busch said.

Ricky Craven, right, crosses the finish ahead of Kurt Busch to win the NASCAR Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 Sunday, March 16, 2003, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C.(Photo: Alison Sidlo, AP)

On May 11, 1968, David Pearson stepped into the winners circle for the first time at Darlington, but it would be far from his last trip there as the Spartanburg driver would go on to post a record 10 NASCAR Cup victories at Darlington Raceway during his Hall of Fame career. Pearson won $13,900 for his win in the Rebel 400.

Cale Yarborough, a driver from nearby Timmonsville, held off Pearson on Sept. 2, 1968, to win for the first time at Darlington, referring to it as the happiest day of my life. Yarborough led the Southern 500 for 169 of 364 laps in his 1968 Mercury.

SportsPulse: Up and coming driver Gray Gaulding details what makes NASCAR races special and why you should be pumped for its return this weekend. He also shares a special career announcement with our own Ralphie Aversa. USA TODAY

Carl Edwards posted his first and only victory at Darlington by winning the Southern 500 on Sept. 6, 2015, coming from two laps down to claim the win, prevailing after a record 18 cautions.I guess we made it Carlington for a couple of minutes, Edwards said after his crew taped over part of the letter D along Darlingtons retaining wall.

Regan Smith claimed the first and only NASCAR Cup Series victory of his career by outlasting Carl Edwards by less than two-tenths of a second in the Southern 500 on May 7, 2011. This is no knock against Talladega at all, Smith said. But I would trade in a lot of Talladega wins for one win in the Southern 500.

Regan Smith celebrates after winning the SHOWTIME Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in 2011. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

In one of the most hotly contested Cup races at Darlington, Darrell Waltrip nipped Richard Petty and pole sitter Donnie Allison in the Rebel 500 on April 8, 1979. It was one of Waltrips seven victories that season and one of his five career triumphs at The Lady In Black.

The $1 million bonus was reserved for any driver who could win three of the crown jewel events of the NASCAR Cup Series season, and Bill Elliott became the first to capitalize on Sept. 1, 1985. The immensely popular Elliott, who already had claimed victories at Daytona and Talladega that season, won the pole at 156.641 mph, setting the stage for a memorable late-race duel with Cale Yarborough, which Elliott won by .6 seconds.

On March 29, 1987, Dale Earnhardt passed Bill Elliott on the final lap to win the TransSouth 500 when Elliott ran out of gas on the final lap. It was one of 11 victories posted that season by Earnhardt, who sped to nine career victories at Darlington, including three consecutive wins over the 1989 and 1990 seasons.

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10 memorable NASCAR moments in the history of Darlington Raceway - USA TODAY

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala/Una, June 2

Sports facilities at the district level are not being put to use, resulting in wastage of funds. The facilities at Una and Dharamsala are a clear illustration of the fact.

In Una, a swimming pool was constructed in the Indira Gandhi Stadium during the stint of the Congress, in power from 2003-07. More than Rs 1 crore was spent on construction of swimming pool. However, in the last more than 8 years now, the pool has not been put to use.

Sources here said the District Sports and Youth Welfare Department tried to outsource the management of swimming pool. However, even the private party could not operate it, allegedly due to some technical fault in the construction. Sources here said the swimming pool loses water very quickly after filling, due to which, the private firm that was handed over the operations of the pool also gave it up.

Officials in the Department of Sports and Youth Welfare, said they did not have funds to operate the swimming pool. Sportsmen in Una have demanded an inquiry into construction of the swimming pool. Recently, the Director Sports visited the area and sources here said he had asked the officials to prepare a proposal for making the swimming pool operational. Una also recently got a second astroturf hockey stadium. The stadium can host even international matches. However, while designing the stadium, the authorities did not construct any visitors gallery near the hockey stadium. The stadium also got damaged after the retaining wall alongside fell in the hockey stadium.

The Director Sports had ordered an inquiry into construction of the astroturf and collapse of the retaining wall. Deepak Thakur, an international hockey player from Una district, had raised questions regarding the quality of construction of the astroturf. Dharamsala got the first synthetic athletic track of Himachal about three years ago.

The rest is here:
Sports facilities not being put to optimum use - The Tribune

Per TDOT Specifications, there will be no temporary lane closures permitted on interstates or state routes beginning at noon on Friday, May 22 - 6:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 26 in observance of Memorial Day Holiday

District 47 - West TN - Northern

CARROLL COUNTY, SR-22A: Bridge repair in Huntingdon over Brier Creek at LM 0.34 and over CSX Railroad at LM 3.10.

Restrictions: Monday, March 9, 2020: SR 22A was reduced to one lane traffic with a traffic signal system.

CARROLL COUNTY, SR 1 (US 70): The resurfacing on U.S. 70 (S.R. 1) from S.R. 22 at Court Square to Rosser Circle will cause temporary lane closures throughout the project.

DYER COUNTY, I-155 and US 412 interchange:

Wednesday, May 20 and Thursday, May 21, 6:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m., and Friday, May 22, 6:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.: There will be partial closures for concrete pavement repairs at the interchange of I-155 and US 412 in Dyer County. Work will be taking place on the westbound I-155 off ramp to US 412 eastbound.

Tuesday, May 26 and Wednesday, May 27, 6:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.: There will be a full and partial closures for concrete pavement repairs at the interchange of I-155 and US 412 in Dyer County. Work will be taking place on the westbound I-155 off ramp to US 412 eastbound. A Detour will be posted.

LOOK AHEAD:Wednesday, May 27 through Wednesday, June 3, 6:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.: There will be full and partial closures for concrete pavement repairs at the interchange of I-155 and US 412 in Dyer County. Work will be taking place on the westbound I-155 off ramp to US 412 eastbound. A Detour will be posted.

DYER COUNTY, SR-3 (US-51): The repair of bridges on US 51 (SR 3) over SR 211 (LM 11.99) in Dyersburg will cause temporary lane closures throughout the project.

DYER COUNTY, SR-20 (US-412): The resurfacing on SR 20 from US 51 (SR 3) to the Crockett County Line will cause temporary lane closures throughout the project.

HENDERSON COUNTY (New Lexington By-Pass): The grading, drainage, construction of bridges and retaining walls, signals and paving on US 412 (SR 459) from US 412 (SR 20) west of Lexington to near SR 22 south of Lexington. Motorists should watch for trucks entering and exiting the roadway.

HENRY COUNTY, SR-54: The grading, drainage, construction of bridges, retaining wall and paving on SR 54 from near Rison Street to near Smith Road. Motorists should watch for trucks entering and exiting the roadway. *Speed limit has been reduced to 35MPH.

Restrictions: Monday, November 25, 2019: Bridge work on SR 54 at LM 12.02 (Bridge nearest Guthrie) is causing a 10 lane restriction. *Traffic has been shifted to Phase 3 of traffic control.

OBION COUNTY, Future I-69 (Phase 2): Grading, drainage, construction of eight bridges on future I-69 from south of US 51 (SR 3) to south of US 45W (SR 5) will cause possible lane closures throughout the project. *Speed limit is reduced to 45 MPH through the US 51 (SR 3) portion of the project. The southbound traffic has been switched to the northbound side on SR 3 throughout the work zone, for phase 2 construction.

Restrictions: Wednesday, November 6, 2019: SR 3 will have traffic in the outside lanes in both directions. Inside lanes will be closed for construction. Traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction with an 11 6 lane restriction.

OBION COUNTY, Future I-69 (Phase 3): Grading, drainage, construction of bridges and paving on future I-69 from west of SR 21 to US 51 (SR 3) will cause possible lane closures throughout the project.

Monday, July 29, 2019: SR 21 North from Clifford Rives Road to Lindenwood Road. The closure is expected for approximately 1 year to allow the construction of the overhead Bridge on the new portion of SR 21 along with the Road & Drainage of the I-69 mainline. Northbound traffic will detour from SR 21 East onto Clifford Rives Road, then North on Bethlehem Road, West onto Lindenwood Road before proceeding North on SR 21. Southbound traffic will be in reverse order. Detour routes are posted.

OBION COUNTY, SR-43 (US 45E): Repair of the bridges (right & left) on SR 43 over overflow will cause possible lane closures throughout the project.

Restrictions: Beginning on Friday, January 24, 2020: SR 43 traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction at the bridges over overflow with a 12 lane restriction and a 5 6 shoulder restriction.

WEAKLEY COUNTY, SR-43 and SR-372 (45E Business) interchange (Region 4 Concrete Repair):

Wednesday, May 20 and Thursday, May 21, 6:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m., and Friday, May 22, 6:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.: There will be a full and partial closures for concrete pavement repairs for the on and off ramps at SR-43 to Business 45E (SR 372) and SR 22 and US 45E in Weakley County. Only one ramp or lane will be closed at a time. A Detour will be posted.

Tuesday, May 26 and Wednesday, May 27, 6:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.: There will be a full and partial closures for concrete pavement repairs for the on and off ramps at SR 43 to Business 45E (SR 372) and SR 22 and US 45E in Weakley County. Only one ramp or lane will be closed at a time. A Detour will be posted.

District 48 - West TN Middle/SouthernHAYWOOD COUNTY, SR-19 (Brownsville Bypass): The construction of an I-Beam bridge along with grading, drainage, and paving may cause temporary lane closures on SR 19 (Brownsville Bypass) from east of SR 87 LM 11.12 to west of Windrow Rd. LM 14.73. One lane will remain. Motorists should watch for trucks entering and exiting the roadway. Speed limit is reduced to 45 MPH within the project limits. On February 17, 2019 Shaw Chapel Rd was closed, and a detour put in place.

HENDERSON COUNTY, I-40: Wednesday, May 20, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.: There will be temporary lane closures on I-40 east and west bound at MM 95-126 for pothole repair.

HENDERSON COUNTY, I-40: Thursday, May 21, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.: There will be temporary lane closures on I-40 eastbound at MM 116 for bridge repair.

HENDERSON COUNTY, SR-20: The resurfacing with hot in-place recycling on US 412 (SR 20) from Crucifer Road to near Sea Horse Drive will cause temporary lane closures daily.

HENDERSON COUNTY, SR-20: The resurfacing with hot in-place recycling on US 412 (SR 20) from east of SR 22 (LM 12.85) to near the Chesterfield By-Pass (LM 20.03), including bridge expansion joint repair and thin epoxy overlay will cause temporary lane closures daily.

MADISON COUNTY, SR-1: The repair of a bridge on SR 1 near Spring Creek, TN (LM 28.99) along with grading, drainage, and paving will cause temporary lane closures.

Restrictions: On April 13, 2020 there was an 11 width restriction and a temporary signal put in place. Motorists should watch for crews and equipment in the roadways.

MADISON COUNTY, I-40: Resurfacing from the Madison/Haywood County line to just west of Lower Brownsville Rd.

Wednesday, May 20 through Thursday, May 21, 6:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. and Friday, May 22, 6:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.: Speed limit is reduced to 60 MPH during active closures. There will be daytime temporary inside and outside lane closures on

I-40 eastbound from LM 0.00 (MM 67.1) to LM 7.30 (MM 74.4) for OGFC paving operations. (Time contingent on lower ADT and minimal queueing. Wednesday, May 20 and Thursday, May 21, 7:00 p.m.- 6:00 a.m. if traffic starts to increase.) WEATHER PERMITTING

Tuesday, May 26 through Wednesday, May 27, 6:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.: Speed limit is reduced to 60 MPH during active closures. There will be daytime temporary inside and outside lane closures on I-40 eastbound from LM 0.00 (MM 67.1) to LM 7.30 (MM 74.4) for OGFC paving operations. (Time contingent on lower ADT and minimal queueing. Tuesday, May 26 and Wednesday, May 27, 7:00 p.m.- 6:00 a.m. if traffic starts to increase.) WEATHER PERMITTING

LOOK AHEAD:

Wednesday, May 27 through Wednesday, June 3, 6:00 a.m.- 10:00 p.m.: There will be daytime temporary inside and outside lane closures on I-40 East bound from LM 0.00 (MM 67.1) to LM 7.30 (MM 74.4) for OGFC Paving operations.

MADISON COUNTY, SR-186 (US 45 Bypass) and I-40: Interchange improvements on SR 186 (US 45) north and southbound from the I-40 ramps to Old Hickory Blvd for paving and construction of retaining walls. Widening of I-40 from just east of Exit 79 to just east of Exit 82.

Thursday, May 21, 9:00 a.m.3:00 p.m.: SR 5 (Highland Avenue) will have intermittent left and right lane closures both north and southbound from Vann Drive to the Carriage House/Ridgecrest intersection for bridge construction activities.

Tuesday, May 26 and Wednesday, May 27, 9:00 a.m.3:00 p.m.: SR 5 (Highland Avenue) will have intermittent left and right lane closures both north and southbound from Vann Drive to the Carriage House/Ridgecrest intersection for bridge construction activities.

LOOK AHEAD:

Thursday, May 28 and Friday, May 29, 9:00 a.m.3:00 p.m.: SR 5 (Highland Avenue) will have intermittent left and right lane closures both north and southbound from Vann Drive to the Carriage House/Ridgecrest intersection for bridge construction activities.

Friday, May 29, 8:00 p.m. through Sunday, May 31, 8:00 p.m.: Close I-40 eastbound and westbound off ramps as well as the westbound on ramp at Exit 82 to install storm drainage across the ramp. The ramps will be closed one at a time. WEATHER PERMITTING

Monday, June 1 through Wednesday, June 3, 9:00 a.m.3:00 p.m.: SR 5 (Highland Avenue) will have intermittent left and right lane closures both north and southbound from Vann Drive to the Carriage House/Ridgecrest intersection for bridge construction activities.

MADISON COUNTY, SR-198: The construction of a concrete box bridge on SR 198 over Bear Creek (LM 8.65) along with grading, drainage, and paving will cause temporary lane closures.

Restrictions: On April 29, 2019 there was an 11 width restriction and a temporary signal put in place. Motorists should watch for crews and equipment in the roadways.

MCNAIRY, SR-15 (US 64): The resurfacing with hot in-place recycling on SR 15 (US 64) from the Selmer city limits to near North SR 224, including bridge repair will cause intermittent lane closures daily.

TDOT District 48 MAINTENANCE:

Wednesday, May 20, Thursday, May 21, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., and Friday, May 22, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.: There will be possible lane closures at various locations in Region IV in order to repair pavement on an as needed basis.

Tuesday, May 26 and Wednesday, May 27, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: There will be possible lane closures at various locations in Region IV in order to repair pavement on an as needed basis.

TDOT District 47 and 48 On-Call Guardrail/Concrete Barrier Rail Repair:

Wednesday, May 20 and Thursday, May 21, 8:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.: There will be night time lane closures at the following various locations to repair damaged guardrail. THP will assist with traffic control. Weather Permitting.

I-40, Haywood, Madison, Henderson, Carroll, Decatur, and Benton counties east and westbound (MM 43.30 to MM 134.60)

Tuesday, May 26 and Wednesday, May 27, 8:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.: There will be night time lane closures at the following various locations to repair damaged guardrail. THP will assist with traffic control. Weather Permitting.

I-40, Haywood, Madison, Henderson, Carroll, Decatur, and Benton counties east and westbound (MM 43.30 to MM 134.60)

District 49 - West TN Southwest

FAYETTE COUNTY, I-40: Resurfacing of I-40 from MM 35.0 to MM 43.0; Bridge Repair on I-40E over Wilder Creek at MM 34.5.

Thursday, May 21, Tuesday, May 26, and Wednesday, May 27, 6:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.: I-40 will have intermittent lane closures east and westbound from MM 35.0 to MM 43.0 for resurfacing activities. Speed limit will be reduced to 60 MPH during active closures. Time contingent on lower ADT and minimal queueing. If traffic starts to increase, 8:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.) WEATHER PERMITTING.

LOOK AHEAD:

Friday, May 29, 8:00 p.m. through Monday, June 1, 6:00 a.m.: I-40east bound at MM 34.5 will have a lane closure of the left lane for bridge repair activities over Wilder Creek.

FAYETTE COUNTY, I-40: Maintenance patching from MM 27.0 to MM 35.0

Wednesday, May 20 & Thursday, May 21, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: I-40 will have intermittent lane closures westbound from MM 27.0 to MM 35.0 for maintenance patching operations.

LAUDERDALE COUNTY, SR-371: The repair of bridge over Cane Creek will cause a lane closure with temporary traffic signal near Pipkin Rd.

SHELBY COUNTY, I-40: The concrete repair using hot applied fiber reinforced polymer patching material on I-40 from MM 2.2 to MM 5.0.

Tuesday, May 26, 8:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.: There will be intermittent lane closures on I-40 east and westbound from Levee Road to Hollywood Street to perform full and partial depth concrete pavement work. Weather Permitting.

LOOK AHEAD:

Wednesday, May 27, through Tuesday, June 2, 8:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.: INTERMITTENT There will be lane closures on I-40 east and westbound from Hollywood Street to Levee Road to perform full and partial depth concrete pavement work. Weather Permitting.

SHELBY COUNTY, SR-3: Resurfacing on SR-3 (Union Ave) from Bellevue Blvd (MM 9.9) to BB King Blvd (MM 11.7).

LOOK AHEAD:

Sunday, May 31 through Wednesday, June 3, 9:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.: There will be intermittent lane closures with one lane to remain open in each direction for construction of ADA ramps and asphalt paving operations.

SHELBY COUNTY, SR-14: Resurfacing on SR-14 from the Mississippi State Line (MM 0.0) to SR-175 (MM 3.0)

Tuesday, May 26 and Wednesday, May 27, 6:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.: There will be temporary lane closures on SR-14 (Third Street) north and southbound for resurfacing and curb ramp activities. One lane will remain open in each direction.

SHELBY COUNTY, SR-14: The grading, drainage, construction of concrete Bulb-Tee and I-beam bridges, signals and paving on SR 14 from east of Old Covington Pike to SR 385 will cause possible lane closures throughout the project. *Speed limit has been reduced to 45 MPH.

SHELBY COUNTY, SR-14: Construction on SR 14 for a widening project from SR 385 to east of Kerrville Rosemark Rd. There will be possible temporary lane closures throughout the project. *Speed limit has been reduced to 45 MPH.

TIPTON COUNTY, SR-3 (US-51): Resurfacing on SR 3 (US 51) from Winn Avenue to Hope Street

Thursday, May 21, Tuesday, May 26, and Wednesday, May 27, 6:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.: There will be intermittent lane closures on north and southbound SR 3 (US 51) from Winn Avenue to Hope Street (MM 15.0MM 19.0) for resurfacing. Time contingent on lower ADT and minimal queueing. If traffic starts to increase, 8:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.) Weather Permitting.

TDOT District 49 MAINTENANCE:

Thursday, May 21, Tuesday, May 26, and Wednesday, May 27, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: There will be possible lane closures on all interstates and state routes in District 49 for routine maintenance activities on an as needed basis.

Friday, May 22, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.: There will be possible lane closures on all interstates and state routes in District 49 for routine maintenance activities on an as needed basis.

TDOT On-Call Striping and Retrace:

Wednesday, May 20, Thursday, May 21, 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Friday, May 22, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 26 and Wednesday, May 27, 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: There will be moving lane closures for retracing of lines in Shelby County on various State Routes.

TDOT District 49 On-Call Guardrail/Concrete Barrier Rail Repair:

Wednesday, May 20, Thursday, May 21, and Tuesday, May 26, 8:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.: There will be night time lane closures at various locations on SR-3 (Shelby, Tipton, and Lauderdale Counties), SR-385 (Shelby County), I-40 (Fayette and Shelby Counties), I-269 (Shelby and Fayette Counties), I-55 and I-240. One lane will be CLOSED to repair damaged guardrail. THP will assist with traffic control. Weather

Wednesday, May 20, Thursday, May 21 and Tuesday, May 26, 8:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.: The following ramps will be closed to repair damaged guardrail: THP will assist with traffic control. Weather Permitting.

I-55 northbound on ramp from EXIT 12C Metal Museum Drive

I-55 southbound EXIT 6B to I-240 Westbound

I-55 southbound EXIT 9 to Mallory Ave

I-240 westbound EXIT 25A to I-55 southbound

I-240 eastbound EXIT 28B South Parkway westbound

I-240 westbound EXIT 30 to Union Ave westbound

I-240 eastbound EXIT 23A to northbound Airways

Thursday, May 14, Tuesday, May 26, and Wednesday, May 27, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: There will be day time lane closures at various locations in Lauderdale County SR-3; Tipton County on SR-3, SR-59, SR-206, and SR-178; Fayette County on SR-86 and SR-196; and Shelby County on SR-204 and SR-388 to repair damaged guardrail. One lane will be CLOSED in each direction to repair damaged guardrail. If weather prohibits, the repairs will be performed on the next available day. Flagmen will be used where necessary. THP will assist with traffic control. Weather Permitting.

LOOK AHEAD

Wednesday, May 27 through Tuesday, June 2, 8:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.: The following ramps will be closed to repair damaged guardrail: THP will assist with traffic control. Weather Permitting

I-55 northbound on ramp from EXIT 12C Metal Museum Drive

I-55 southbound EXIT 6B to I-240 Westbound

I-55 southbound EXIT 9 to Mallory Ave

I-240 westbound EXIT 25A to I-55 southbound

I-240 westbound EXIT 30 to Union Ave westbound

I-240 eastbound EXIT 23A to northbound Airways

I-240 eastbound EXIT 28B South Parkway westbound

Excerpt from:
West Tennessee Weekly Construction May 20-27, 2020 - tn.gov

CLICK ON THE ARROWS AT THE SIDES OF THE PHOTO TO SEE MORE IMAGES

The slope to the west of the Hillside Drive location of The Home Depot will keep moving for the foreseeable future, according to a Thompson Rivers University geology professor who has for years used the area as a field-trip aide to show students what unstable ground looks like.

Last week, the big-box hardware store was forced to evacuate and close for days after ground instability led to movement in a support column on the southwest corner of the building.

Now back up and running, the affected section of the store remains closed and support jacks have been installed beneath the impacted columns and beams.

In nature, naturally, hills want to be eroded, TRU geology professor Dr. Nancy Van Wagoner told KTW.

So, you take things from high spots and move them to low spots. Thats what is happening.

Van Wagoner said the slope on the eastern edge of Kenna Cartwright Park was altered when The Home Depot store was built more than 15 years ago.

The outlet opened in June 2003.

A retaining wall on the western edge of the stores parking lot was constructed to hold back the hill, but Van Wagoner said an underground fault has created problems that are evident along nearby trails in Kenna Cartwright Park.

When you undercut the slope, you really need to do something to retain it, she said.

Van Wagoner and her husband, Steve, who also teaches geology at TRU, have been taking students to the slope west of The Home Depot for years, pointing out geological characteristics like cracks in the earth and heaving paths prominent features they say change on a regular basis.

On May 12, The Home Depots Kamloops store was evacuated and closed. Hand-written signs posted on a barricade erected at the parking lot entrance said the cause was unstable ground.

We have engaged structural engineers and teams to ascertain the current situation, one sign read.

Due to structural concerns as a result of ground movement near our store, we are temporarily closing for the near future for the health and safety of our associates and customers, read the other.

The store reopened on May 16, but the southwest contractors entrance remains closed, as does the tool rental section, located near those doors.

An employee of The Home Depot, who was not authorized to speak on the record, told KTW the plan is to shutter the store for an extended period to address the issues in a fulsome manner. The worker said scheduling that work is being complicated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Steps to ensure the safety of The Home Depot have been taken for years in Kenna Cartwright Park, but the problem is not going away.

The issue is most problematic each spring, when snowmelt and rain make the ground wet.

Van Wagoner compared it to building a sand castle. A little bit of water will help the material stay together, but too much can be catastrophic sloppy sand will flatten out.

The problem slope adjacent to The Home Depot is glacial till, Van Wagoner said poorly consolidated material left behind by prehistoric glaciers.

Fifty-five million years ago, an active volcano sat where Kenna Cartwright Park is today, Van Wagoner said, describing it as more active than eruptions in present-day Hawaii.

The glacial till rests up against the volcanic material. When it gets wet, Van Wagoner said, a fault forces material down and toward the store within the slope, buckling up underneath The Home Depots parking lot and, potentially, the building itself.

West of The Home Depot, red metal pipes stick out of the ground in Kenna Cartwright Park. They are used by engineers to measure the slopes water level. On the retaining wall in the stores parking lot, white plastic piping collects water through perforated lines drilled into the hill. It is all an expensive effort to keep the slope where it is.

The problem is not an uncommon one in Kamloops, but Van Wagoner said it usually happens in residential neighbourhoods where slopes are prevalent Juniper Ridge, Aberdeen and Batchelor Heights, among others.

Landslides are a major issue for us here, she said. It depends on the rainfall, it depends on a lot of things that are going on, but these things can change.

According to Van Wagoner, Mother Nature is trying to claw back the slope that was altered when The Home Depot was built in 2003. But, she said, shes confident engineers will be able to figure it out and keep the building safe for the time being.

Im sure the engineers are looking carefully to remediate the situation, Van Wagoner said.

But, if people were to go away, eventually that retaining wall would go away and this glacial till would slide and go back to what we call an angle of repose a very stable slope.

See the original post:
Sliding slope near The Home Depot a lesson in unstable earth - Kamloops This Week

The East Somerset Railway has announced that refurbishment and construction work on their Museum building and platform has been completed.

Outside, contractors, Wells Roofing have done a fantastic job of restoring the roof & chimney, and platform two surfacing were both finished just before the COVID-19 update.

Resurfacing work was completed in time to allow the volunteers to fit station items like lamps, along with building a retaining wall before the first weekend of passenger trains back in March.

Inside the museum building, extensive repairs or replacement has taken place on the many of floors, ceilings and electrics throughout the building, bring them up to date and fit for services for many more years.

The waiting room requires more attention, with a window needing replacement and new supporting beam to be manufactured.

Walls and ceilings are having wallpaper and paint removed to assess their conditions before redecoration can begin.

For more information or to support the East Somerset Railway, please visit their website here.

RailAdvent PlusGet image downloads, Prints and Streaming VideoNews HomepageFor the Latest Railway NewsRailAdvent Online ShopFramed Prints, DVDs / Blu-Rays and moreLocoStop CommunityCome and share your railway picturesMainline Steam InfoUpcoming mainline steam tours/loco movements

Go here to read the rest:
East Somerset Railway Cranmore Station and Museum Work Finished - RailAdvent - Railway News

ITHACA, N.Y. (WHCU) Bids for the East State Street retaining wall project are now being received by the City of Ithacas Controller.

The City provided the following news release with more details:

Sealed Bids for the East State Street Retaining Wall project located in the City of Ithaca, New York will be received by the office of the City Controller at 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, NY until June 2, 2020 at 2:00 PM. The bids will then be opened and read aloud through a Microsoft Teams videoconference. Contractors will receive an email invitation to the videoconference, but must contact Paul Presutti and Tim Logue (see below) in order to receive the invitation. After the bid opening (within 24 hours), the bid tabulation will be emailed to bidders, posted on the City website, and can be made available upon request.

The proposed project provides for the construction of a new retaining wall to replace the existing deteriorating retaining wall along at the west end of the project. The proposed wall will include drilled soldier piles socketed into rock with tie-back anchors. At the east end of the project a new micropile wall will be constructed in front of the existing wall. The project will also include new sidewalk and pedestrian railing. The project is a Unit Price contract including a Base Bid.

BIDS SHALL BE SUBMITTED IN A SEALED ENVELOPE, ENTITLED: EAST STATE STREET RETAINING WALL BID.

Each bid shall be accompanied by a deposit in the amount of: Five Percent (5%) of the Total Gross Sum Bid in the form of a Certified Check, Bank Draft, or Bid Bond. Cash will not be acceptable as a deposit. Bid deposits of all unsuccessful bidders shall be returned promptly upon execution of the contract with the successful bidder.

Copies of the contract documents, listed in the Table of Contents and the List of Contract Documents, may be downloaded and printed from the Citys website at: http://www.cityofithaca.org/bids

Documents may be examined from the website, as well as at the following locations:

City of Ithaca, Engineers Office, 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, NY 14850Erdman Anthony, 145 Culver Road, Rochester, New York 14620Amendments can only be accomplished by means of Addenda issued by the City of Ithaca or its designee. Written questions should be addressed to Paul Presutti, P.E., of Erdman Anthony at presuttipj@erdmananthony.com and copied to Tim Logue at timlo@cityofithaca.org. Questions must be received by 5:00 on May 25, 2020.

The City reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any informality or technicality in any bid in the interest of the Owner. Attention of Bidders is particularly called to the requirements for ensuring that employees, applicants for employment, and contractors are not discriminated against; refer to the Contract Documents for additional information. A DBE participation goal of 3% is required as part of this contract. Each Bidder submitting a Bid to the Owner shall execute and attach thereto, the Certification regarding Equal Employment Opportunity. Although the Bidder is not required to attach such Certification by proposed sub-contractors to his Bid, the Bidder is here advised of this requirement so that appropriate action can be taken to prevent subsequent delay in sub-contract awards.

Continue reading here:
City of Ithaca accepting bids on retaining wall project - whcuradio.com