Everything is awesomeagain.

The artist behindLower Hutt's Legoretaining wall put paint to concrete for the first time in months following a holiday and some "sick leave".

A rainbow stripe over the face of one of the Lego characters on the wall at the foot of the Wainuiomata hillwas added on Sunday eveningsignalling the return of the artist known as Block Vandal.

The artist, who does not want his identity revealed,had not added to the wall since December having gone on holiday and then brokenhis collarbone in a cycling accident.

READ MORE:*Lego Batman and Wyld Style among victims of Lower Hutt vandalism attack*Artist on a mission to transform concrete slabs into cheerful Lego art*Boon Street Art Festival enhances Hamilton's arts credentials one wall at a time

"It feels good to be contributing to the community again."

He'dreceiveda few messagesover summerfrompeople asking about his absenceandsaid everyonehad been very supportive.

MATTHEW TSO/STUFF

Street artist Block Vandal made his latest addition to the Wanuiomata Lego wall on Sunday evening after three months of holidays and 'sick leave'.

The latest addition was a nod to the rainbow community during pride month.

"The projecthas always been about our people. It's just to acknowledgediversityin ourcommunity - everyone deserves love."

Over a dozencharacters feature on the wall includingLego Batman, Deadpool andWyldstyle.

KEVIN STENT/STUFF

Block Vandal has been transforming the blocks in a retaining wall at the foot of Wainuiomata Hill into Lego heads since last year. The wall now features about a dozen characters.

Block Vandal said he had plenty of time on hisfurlough to develop some new ideas for the wall and would continue to scan social media for suggestions.

Havingmissedall the prime painting weather over summer hewas keen to make up for lost time.

He was unsure if his ambitionto paint one concrete blockeachweek wasoverlyambitious with a nigglycollarbone but would be doing his best to bring colour back into people's lives.

* Block Vandal's work can be seen onhis instagram accountblock_vandal_.

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Lego head street artist back in action after falling of his bike - Stuff.co.nz

KNOWLTON One of the eastbound lanes of Interstate 80 was closed through the Delaware Water Gap on Tuesday with a dozen-person crew doing inspections and repairs, said a local official.

Knowlton Mayor Adele Starrs, who has been vocal in seeking full disclosure from the state about its rockfall mitigation plans for about a mile of the highway, said she drove through the area on Tuesday, saw the closure and work crews, and stopped to question a supervisor on the scene.

He said they were inspecting and doing minor repairs, Starrs said. Im not sure it takes 12 people to make minor repairs.

Over the past two weeks, pictures have been posted on Facebook and published in local newspapers showing possible erosion under a retaining wall which is part of the structure that holds the travel lanes of the highway as it moves through an area known as the S-curves.

In that same area NJ DOT has proposed building fences and other barriers, as well as cut back a part of Mount Tammany, to lessen the chances of rocks falling from the peak which rises about 1,200 feet above the highway.

Mount Tammany forms the New Jersey side of the Delaware Water Gap, a nationally recognized natural wonder and which lends its name to a unit of the National Park Service straddling the Delaware River which flows through the gap. The Pennsylvania side of the gap is known as Mount Minsi.

During an open house last summer a resident claims she gave a DOT representative photos of the erosion under the wall.

Starrs said Tuesday that the town now has documentation that the woman also forwarded a letter with the photos attached to DOT officials in July.

Another set of photos taken in late Februrary was posted on the Facebook page of the I80CoalitionDWG, a citizens group that formed last year to also get information from DOT and recruit citizens who are experts in the field, to look at the states reasoning and data on the rockfall mitigation project.

With the publication of the pictures early last week, DOT sent responses to the New Jersey Herald, as well as organizers of the Facebook page and township officials in Knowlton and Hardwick.

While the responses came from differing offices within the department, the wording was identical and that DOT NJDOT appreciates residents bringing potential safety concerns to the attention of the Department, and of the specific concerns, Our inspectors conducted an initial evaluation of the structure and found the erosion poses no short-term safety concerns at this time, but the condition does need repair.

One possible cause of the undercutting of the wall might be the roads drainage system with outlet pipes contained in several locations in the wall. Water drains off the face of the cliffs and is directed by channels into several culverts which travel under the highway.

Over the years, lanes of the highway have been closed because of water overflowing the drains and onto the road.

Also talked about as a cause for the erosion is flooding on the Delaware River. The wall sits atop the north bank, several feet above the river.

The latest historic crest of the river 13th on the list of top floods was in late January 2018, when the river flowed at 20.08 feet at Tocks River, about four miles upstream from the gap, where flood stage is 21 feet.

In 2011, there were four flood events with higher floods with the highest on record in 1955, before the interstate was completed. The second highest reading of 33.87 feet was in 2006.

The I80CoalitionDWG is also sponsoring a petition signature drive on Change.org and by Tuesday had about 2,300 names toward its goal of 2,500 signatures.

The petition is aimed at getting DOT to stop the rockfall mitigation project until all other alternatives have been thoroughly studied.

The Knowlton and Hardwick township committees, as well as other citizens groups, are also demanding that a formal, long-form Environmental Impact Statement be completed before further work is done, other than fixing current damage to the highway system.

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DOT doing inspections, repairs on I-80 in Delaware Water Gap - Pocono Record

Published: 15:04 Updated: 15:05 Friday 28 February 2020

A busy road in Whalley is to benefit from repairs to its retaining wall.

Accrington Road in Whalley will see major rebuilding of masonry sections and repairs to its pointing on the retaining wall.

Similar work will also be done on the A56 at Lowerford and Foulridge, in Pendle, and Bacup Road and Accrington Road in Burnley.

Lancashire County Council has been awarded an extra 3.16m. for road repairs following a successful funding bid to government.

Following the council's budget meeting earlier this month where an extra 5m. was committed to keeping Lancashire's roads in good repair, it brings the total investment for highway infrastructure in the coming year to around 48m. The work will be carried out over the next two years, with the county council contributing a further 800,000 towards the retaining wall repairs, totalling 3.96m.

The county council is one of 32 UK councils awarded a share of the 93.4m. Local Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund.

County Coun. Keith Iddon, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "The task of maintaining our highways is about more than just repairing road surfaces, and includes ensuring vital structures such as retaining walls are in good condition. They are essential to keeping routes open, particularly in East Lancashire where the hilly geography means there are a huge number of walls and bridges supporting our roads. Repairs can be expensive as the work is complex, and the locations can be difficult to access, so I'm very pleased that our bid has been successful, allowing us to safeguard these important structures for many years to come."

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Repairs to retaining wall on major Whalley road to go ahead - Clitheroe Advertiser

A driver of an SUV was seriously injured after he stopped in the middle of I-75 on Monday and set off a chain-reaction collision.

The white Jeep Cherokee came to a stop in the northbound lanes with hazard lights flashing just south of the I-285 interchange in Cobb County, authorities said in a news release. It was hit from behind by a silver Nissan Sentra about 11:30 p.m.

The crash forced the Nissan to the right, where it crashed into the retaining wall on the right shoulder before coming to a stop in the right emergency lane, Cobb County police spokesman Sgt. Wayne Delk said.

The impact pushed the Jeep forward in the third lane from the center, where it was hit again by a gray Ford F-150, according to traffic investigators.

The driver of the Nissan was not injured. The Fords driver was taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital with injuries that are not considered life-threatening, but the Jeeps driver was seriously injured, Delk said.

He was identified as 30-year-old Jordan Witherspoon of Derby, Kansas. He was also taken to Kennestone, and an update on his condition was not provided Wednesday.

The crash remains under investigation, Delk said. Anyone with information is asked to call770-499-3987.

Please return to AJC.com for updates.

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Driver seriously injured after stopping on I-75 in Cobb - Atlanta Journal Constitution

From massive dredging and beach renourishment in Oak Bluffs and Edgartown to renovations at the Gay Head Cliffs overlook, a number of public works improvement projects are under way around the Island this winter.

North Bluff in Oak Bluffs has a brand new beach. Aaron Wilson

All are being paid for with a variety of public and private funds, including state grants, Community Preservation Act monies and private donations.

On the Beach Road running between Edgartown and Oak Bluffs, piping and heavy equipment associated with dredging have been in evidence for months, as a two-town project to suck sand from Sengekontacket and replenish eroded beachfronts takes place.

The major project includes work on both ends of the north-facing coastline.

In Edgartown, sand dredged from Sengekontacket using the town-owned dredge has been sold to Oak Bluffs for its beachfront needs; more sand will be used to stave off ongoing erosion at Fuller street beach.

Meanwhile, Oak Bluffs obtained funding last year for a wide-ranging beach restoration project from the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program. The $2.7 million project, which includes a $689,000 contribution from the town, has included renourishing beach areas along Seaview avenue and the North Bluff, where a new seawall and boardwalk are already in place.

Final phases of the project will include the installation of new groins, and future phases will include refurbishment work on the Farm Pond culvert and jetties that line the entrance to the Oak Bluffs harbor.

Farther west, in Menemsha construction began early this month on a pedestrian path that will run along Basin Road, leading to beach. The path is aimed at better walking safety for pedestrians and beach-goers in summer, when the historic fishing village is jammed with tourists, residents and fishermen.

The idea was to improve safety around that corner. In the summertime its a choke point for pedestrians, and cars, and a lot of people felt it was dangerous, said town administrator Tim Carroll. We dont have sidewalks, so were just trying to make a little bit of room.

The new path will feature a crushed stone and shell walk in addition to a low stone retaining wall. The project is being paid for mostly by private donors, Mr. Carroll said. About $27,000 will come from taxpayers.

Funding was approved at a special town meeting in November 2018. Property owners who are abutters have donated easements, Mr. Carroll said. The work is being done by Merry and Sons Inc., and John Keene Excavation Inc.

[The path] is a small part of the discussion that has been going on for five-plus years, Mr. Carroll said. The so-called Menemsha corridor plan, commissioned by the town and the Marthas Vineyard Commission in 2017, outlined many renovations to make roads safer and ease the flow of traffic congestion to the village.

New sidewalk under construction on Basin Road in Menemsha. Albert O. Fischer 3rd

Other proposed improvements for Menemsha, including a VTA bus turnaround by the comfort station, parking lot changes and a boardwalk over the dunes, failed to pass muster with voters.

It was different for the small pedestrian walkway.

This is the one part of the project that has seen no opposition at all, Mr. Carroll said. Even the online chat groups are saying nice things, which in this day and age is rare.

The path runs across the road from the former Harbor Craft Shop, which will reopen this spring as the Ruel Gallery.

Next door, the Menemsha Bite has been vacant for almost two years. On the other side of the harbor, the Menemsha Market stands boarded up and vacant following a fire at this time last year. Chilmark building inspector Lenny Jason said the market will not reopen this summer.

Work has been under way in the harbor too, including maintenance dredging and the replacement of freshwater lines and new decking on the transient yacht dock.

Harbor master Ryan Rossi said the electrical issues that have plagued crab corner, a shallow wading area near the jetty, have been pinpointed. A light current that was turning up in the water was finally traced to a faulty ground.

The [warning] signs will stay up this summer, Mr. Rossi said, but he believes the problem has been solved.

This is all just . . . to make sure everything runs smooth during the summer, he said. Its all going very well.

In Aquinnah, a major upgrade near the scenic Gay Head Cliffs will include a new viewing platform and other improvements around the Circle and shops. The $220,000 project will be paid for by a combination of Community Preservation Act funds and money from private donors. Derrill Bazzy, chairman of the town community preservation committee, said the upgrade has been long overdue.

The area was so neglected, half of it was just asphalt and the rest was dirt, with poison ivy coming through the fences, Mr. Bazzy said. Once the decking goes in, we will be 90 per cent there.

He added: It will still feel like youre in the middle of an untouched part of the cliffs. It will continue to have a simple feel, but it will be a much better and safer place for visitors.

Future plans call for replanting the area with native species such as bayberry. New fencing will have less impact on the face of the cliff, Mr. Bazzy said.

The deadline is Memorial Day, and we seem to be on target, he said. I would consider it a hard deadline, thats when we start to get a lot of people coming up here.

Aaron Wilson contributed reporting.

Excerpt from:
Dredging and More: Public Works Projects Abound on Island - The Vineyard Gazette - Martha's Vineyard News

Latest news on the Belgrave Road landslip shared by Isle of Wight council press office, in their own words. Ed

The Isle of Wight have been continuing to undertake daily site inspections (twice daily during the two named storms) and monitoring of the wall movement and cracking both at the top of the terrace and the middle and lower sections.

Wire netting held wall collapse in placeThe heavy rainfall during the storms has resulted in the top section of the wall moving further downwards, with falling material coming to rest on the lower terrace.

However, the wire netting has worked effectively and contained the materials within the site.

No movement or deterioration was observed in the middle wall and no additional cracking or deterioration was observed in the lower wall above Esplanade Road.

No signs road is in any danger of collapsingThe current movement notwithstanding, we are keen to reassure residents that, contrary to some media reports, there are no signs that the road itself is substantially in any danger of collapsing.

While the wall continues to move, it remains unsafe and impractical for us to intervene until we can be certain the situation has stabilised further. However, we are continuing to look at what steps we might be able to take as soon as it becomes safe for us to do so.

Site being topographically monitoredA topographical survey of the site area was carried out last week which will assist us in this process.

This, together with the installation and initial survey of monitoring equipment, will enable us to undertake more detailed monitoring of the site and allow us to see when it has stabilised sufficiently for us to carry out a more thorough investigation on site.

Work cant pose risk to othersWe understand that residents will be keen for this situation to the rectified and the road reopened as soon as possible, but we must wait until we can be satisfied that any work on site will not pose a safety risk either to residents or to our workforce or affect the stability of the area.

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Belgrave Road landslip: Latest photos of retaining wall collapse - On The Wight

(WXYZ) There's new information tonight about that large piece of concrete that came crashing down from the retaining wall onto the Lodge freeway Friday night.

It happened in the southbound lanes near Outer Drive. The freeway is still closed Saturday night. Initially reported as a retaining wall collapse, on earlier Saturday MDOT described it as a solid concrete retaining wall cap.

Its about three feet tall and at least 200 feet in length that toppled from the top of the retaining wall and came crashing down onto the freeway Friday night narrowly missing oncoming traffic.

We started closing lanes on southbound M-10, but the freeway itself was not totally closed, says Diane Cross, a spokeswoman with MDOT.

That was at 8:15 p.m. 45 minutes before MDOT's planned freeway closure at 9 p.m.

On the service drive, we started working yesterday with whats called saw cutting, says Cross.

An investigation is looking into exactly what happened, but at the time of the saw cutting, around 8:15 p.m., for some reason the couple hundred foot long section of concrete toppled from the service drive to the freeway pavement bringing a worker to the ground with it.

That worker was taken to the hospital. His condition still unknown.

Making many wonder, could it happen again? Are these 60-year-old retaining walls safe to be driving by?

Because of the age of the walls, they are on an every 3 month inspection plus we have the inspectors out here now, says Cross.

The retaining wall is scheduled to be replaced in the spring. The work previously scheduled for this weekend was to reduce pressure on the retaining wall out of an abundance of caution.

The cap was always going to be removed, just not in this way. It was planned to be removed after the freeway shutdown. A nine-foot slope is being dug behind the retaining wall, also part of the initial plan but now also allowing for further inspection. Removing the dirt will remove pressure and allow crews to inspect the 35-foot steel rebars holding the wall up. Those rebars are anchored and encased in concrete.

Well be able to examine the other side of the walls as well and that will be part of the design done over the next couple months, says Cross. And then we will rebuild these walls in the spring.

The southbound lanes of M-10 are expected to reopen Monday. MDOT says the lanes will remain closed if inspectors feel there is a safety issue.

The service drive will be closed for the next few months.

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Safety of 60-year-old retaining walls questioned after cap collapse on SB Lodge - WXYZ

A request to Surf City officials from the owners of a home under construction to continue a retaining wall on the east side of their 18th Street property, or the west side of the oceanfront dune, will be directed to the borough engineer.

Christine Hannemann, borough clerk/administrator, said Michael Curcio and his wife, Julie, would work with Frank Little of Owen, Little and Associates of Beachwood to determine the right course of action for the project.

Michael Curcio reached out to borough officials in a Jan. 30 email asking for permission to continue the block retaining wall on the east side of the property and to replace the broken wooden wall currently in place. Curcio also said he and his wife would like to replace the current pavers with either all pavers or a small center area filled with stones and surrounded by a border of pavers. He also submitted landscape renderings and photos of what currently exists at the site.

When the Curcios received approval for their new home, they did so with the agreement that theyd dedicate 10 feet of their property to the borough to increase the width of Ocean Terrace, Michael Curcio said in his email.

Since the proposed work does not fall within a federally funded dune project footprint, approval is required only from the state or local authorities, according to Steve Rochette, public affairs officer, for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District.

Any individual who removes or alters dunes could also face charges from the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection. The DEP, as the non-federal sponsor, is responsible to operate and maintain the Long Beach Island beach replenishment project, which includes dunes and all other features of the project, according to the Army Corps.

The DEP has state aid agreements with municipalities that spell out state and legal regulations prohibiting the removal of any dunes in New Jersey, according to the Army Corps.

Removal or altering the dunes is definitely a violation, the Army Corps said recently in response to a question regarding the clear cutting of dune vegetation in Ship Bottom. NJDEP is in charge of enforcement, but local municipalities have brought cases against homeowners.

The matter of the clear cutting of dune vegetation is expected to be heard in Ship Bottom municipal court March 6. The case was adjourned Jan. 16, allowing the appropriate parties time to develop and submit a plan to restore dune vegetation.

Under Ship Bottom municipal code, dune restoration requires an application be made that includes a description of the activities to be performed, the equipment to be used and any other information the borough engineer deems necessary to properly review the proposed work. Restoration work cannot begin until a permit has been issued by the borough. The work must then begin within 10 days and be completed within 30 days unless otherwise approved by the governing body, according to municipal code.

At its Jan. 28 meeting, the Ship Bottom Borough Council unanimously introduced an ordinance that would, once adopted, beef up beach protection, including the removal of dune vegetation. The proposal calls for a maximum $2,000 fine for anyone violating or failing to comply with any provision of the boroughs beach protection and bulkheads law.

Its the maximum fine allowed, Kristy Davis, municipal clerk, said at the time.

Currently, the monetary fine is set at no more than $1,000 as well as the possibility of imprisonment for a term not to exceed 90 days or community service not to exceed 90 days, or a combination of the three as determined by the municipal judge. Imprisonment, community service and the discretion of the municipal judge remain the same in the proposed measure.

Mayor William Huelsenbeck said multiple tickets can be given on the same violation for each successive day the situation hasnt been remedied.

A public hearing on the proposed Ship Bottom ordinance is slated for Tuesday, Feb. 25, at borough hall, about 10 days before a clear cutting of dune vegetation at a new construction site on the oceanfront side of 17th Street is scheduled to be heard before Judge James Liguori.

Gina G. Scala

ggscala@thesandpaper.net

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Surf City Property Owners, Borough Engineer Working Together on Oceanfront Retaining Wall Request - The SandPaper

A greenish-yellow liquid flows through a retaining wall on I-696, triggering a lane closure Friday afternoon and haz-mat clean-up Friday night, Dec. 20, 2019.(Photo: MDOT)

Further tests at a Sanilac County property connected to the "green ooze" incident along I-696 in Oakland County have not turned up a significant risk to public health, said Jill Greenberg,Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy spokesperson.

"We're going to discuss what we found at the siteand any steps forward," she said.

In December, a green liquid flowed through a retaining wall on I-696 in Madison Heights, which lead to a lane closure, hazmat cleanup and scrutiny about where it came from. It was traced back to an electroplating facility owned by Gary Sayers. Sayerspleaded guilty to illegally storing hazardous materials at the metalplating business he inherited, and sentenced to a year in prison in Nov. 2019, the Detroit FreePress reported.

Authorities began looking into other properties owned by Sayers, including the Sanilac County property on Loree Road in Marion Township.A round of initial assessments in January 2020 found no contaminants posing a health risk.

On Feb. 10, the EGLE got an administrative inspection warrant for the Loree Road property. EGLE entered the house on the property and did not observe environmental issues of concern, Greenberg said.

EGLE used ground penetrating radar on the driveway, a section of land across a creek on the property that was cleared of trees and had disturbed earth and a site next to the house.

"We found really small anomalies, but nothing that would indicate that the barrels were buriedon site in those locations," Greenberg said.

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The team also used a metal detector, but did not detect metal in those areas, Greenberg said.

"We identified it as a minimal impact site," shesaid.

EGLE will meet to discuss whether any additional work will be done at the property.

"There's no other way to describe it other than he was an industrial hoarder," Greenberg said of Sayers.

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Jeremy Ervin covers environment, education and more. Contact him at (810) 989-6276 or jervin@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter@ErvinJeremy.

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No threat yet found at Marion Twp. site connected to - The Times Herald

TEXAS CITY

Police identified two people who died in a late Thursday night shooting as William Jack Maness, 39, and Lisa Maxine Fuhler, 45. The suspect in those homicides, who died in a vehicle while fleeing from police, was identified as Anthony Paul Doiron, 39.

Police found Maness and Fuhler dead in a mobile home park in Texas City shortly before Doiron died at the scene of a major accident in Webster, Texas City Police Department spokesman Cpl. Allen Bjerke said.

Doiron appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after fleeing from police in a vehicle, League City Police Department spokesman John Griffith said.

Doiron was a resident of Dickinson, Bjerke said.

League City police were pursuing Doiron at the request of Texas City police, after officers from that department found Maness and Fuhler dead at the Green Villa Mobile Home Park, 12250 FM 3436, inside trailer No. 3 at about 8:40 p.m., Bjerke said.

Maness and Fuhler lived at that address, according to the Galveston County Medical Examiners Office. The medical examiner hasnt released a cause of death, but police reported Maness and Fuhler were shot, Bjerke said.

Officers found information about a car the suspect was driving and a connection to a house in the 4900 block of Meadowlark St. in Dickinson, Bjerke said.

Police went to the address and saw the suspect in a vehicle, Bjerke said.

At about 9 p.m., the man fled from police in the vehicle north on I-45, Griffith said.

The driver of the vehicle fled through League City, where the car struck a retaining wall in the 20000 block of I-45 in Webster, according to information released by the League City Police Department on Thursday night. Officers secured the scene and found Doiron dead inside the vehicle from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Griffith said.

Police have not identified a motive for the incident, Bjerke said.

The Texas City Police Department is conducting a homicide investigation in Texas City while the Webster Police Department is investigating the accident.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Texas City Police Department at 409-948-2525.

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Three people who died in Thursday incident identified - Galveston County Daily News