CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) - ??

Here is a list of road projects around the Heartland scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 15.

Butler County, MO

Southbound Route 67 will be reduced to one lane while crews perform bridge repairs. The bridge is located at the interchange of 158. Weather permitting, crews will be working on Tuesday, Oct. 14 and Wednesday, Oct. 15 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

North and southbound Route 67 will be reduced to one lane while contractor crews perform utility work. This section of road is located just north of the Route 60/67 Interchange. Weather permitting, crews will be working on Monday, Oct. 13 through Wednesday, Oct. 15 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Route W will be reduced to one lane as contractor crews perform utility work. This section of road is located in the area of Shadowbrook Drive. Weather permitting, crews will be working on Monday, Oct. 13 through Wednesday, Oct. 15 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Route 72 in Bollinger County will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform shoulders repairs. This section of roadway is located from Old Route 72 to Route B.

Existing lanes of Route 67 from CR 323 to Route 160/158 will be signed as Route C. The north end of Route C (existing Route 67) will remain closed for about two months as work is completed at the intersection of Route 67, Route C, and CR 323.

Cape Girardeau County, MO

Northbound Interstate 55 will be reduced to one lane as contractor crews perform pavement repairs. This section of road is located at the 96 mile marker underneath the Route K overpass. Weather permitting, crews will be working from Friday, Oct. 17 through Sunday, Oct. 19 from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily.

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Heartland road projects for 10/15

SCRANTON Pennsylvania American Water Company is pitting colleges and universities across the state against each other in a contest in which the environment is the big winner.

Its easy to spot all the water bottles students carry around on a college campus like the University of Scranton.

Some are refillable; many more are buying bottle after bottle.

It fills up and when youre done, it automatically stops.

But Pennsylvania American Water will install a specialized water fountain that refills bottles with cold drinking water at the school that wins the UTap Challenge. It could help save on the use of all those bottles.

The fountains keep track of how many plastic bottles are saved by filling up there.

In our building, in our facility, weve saved over 1,000 bottles just since we started using them, said Pennsylvania American Water official Susan Turcmanovich.

The University of Scranton is one of the schools in the running.

I think it would be wonderful because I drink a lot of water. Instead of always having to grab from the room, its easier to refill and not have to carry, like, seven at a time, said University of Scranton junior Kimberly Heinau.

At the campus store, bottles of water cost a $1.59, so not only could students be saving the environment, they can save some money, too.

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Power To Save: Colleges Compete To Save Water

MIDDLETOWN During a tour of city projects Wednesday, the state's top environmental official rode a lift to the roof of an old factory building in the north end to view arrays of solar panels producing power for new businesses inside.

Reaching the rooftop 35 feet in the air, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Robert J. Klee took out his smartphone and snapped a "selfie" with his host, Middletown Mayor Daniel Drew.

"This is amazing," Klee exclaimed, posting the image on Twitter.

A few minutes later, Klee and Drew, along with a dozen city and state officials, stared down into a 15-foot-deep pit beside Route 9, where crews are using oil-drilling technology to tunnel three miles to Cromwell so they can install pipe for the long-awaited hook-up with the Mattabassett District sewage treatment plant.

Klee's three-hour tour, aboard a city transit bus, also included a stop at a former Main Street gas station that is being cleaned-up for commercial development, and the "Trees of Honor" memorial, nearing completion at Veterans Park, to honor the 65 Connecticut soldiers killed in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The tour ended at Middletown's riverfront, where Gov. Dannel P. Malloy last week announced $2.6 million in state funding for environmental cleanup work that will launch riverfront redevelopment efforts.

"These projects are very exciting," said Klee, a Yale-trained lawyer who studied geology at Princeton. "What's happening in Middletown can serve as a model for other municipalities."

Klee's visit to Middletown was part of the agency's "commissioner in your community" program begun under Daniel C. Esty, whom Klee replaced in January. Klee was Esty's chief of staff.

It began with a presentation by Chris Nelson, who oversees the DEEP's recycling and waste-to-energy programs. Nelson said the state has set an ambitious goal of recycling 60 percent of its waste by 2024. It now recycles 28 percent of its waste.

The tour was led by Middletown's environmental specialist, Jim Sippery, who was joined by city Water and Sewer Director Guy Russo, Planning Director Michiel Wackers and Amy Vaillancourt, an environmental engineer, who is overseeing a number of city cleanups, including the former Steve's auto repair at 645 Main St.

See more here:
State Environmental Official Tours Middletown Development Sites

The Town Council clearly had no patience for a request from Low Mountain Construction for more time to complete the Avenue of the Fountains improvement project without penalty.

The project is under contract to be completed by Oct. 20.

But the contractor was seeking an additional 18 days (to Nov. 7) to complete the work.

The contract calls for a 180-day schedule for completion and every day beyond that costs the contractor $710 per day.

The council did vote to give an additional two days due to weather conditions, but members were clearly unimpressed by other issues raised by the contractor.

The contractor also cited delays in SRP getting power installed, and delays from two manufacturers in getting materials delivered such was water feature parts and light fixtures.

Vice Mayor Cecil Yates noted that the delays started at the very beginning.

You were not the low bidder, Yates said. You issued a challenge (to the credentials of the low bidder) and that caused a two-week delay to the start.

Respectfully, I do not see a full crew working out there. I can see a little extension, but I have real issues.

One issue raised by the contractor was the extra time it took to have power delivered to the site. Development Services Director Paul Mood explained that weather priorities had delayed SRP in getting crews to the site to connect the power.

Original post:
Council unhappy with Avenue progress

A footbridge spans a completely dry river bed, Sept. 4, 2014 in Porterville, Calif. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)/JTA

Devorah Brous San Fernando Valley home is shaded by green trees, studded with 19 fruit trees and patrolled bya pair of affable chickens that strut around the backyard. But at the moment, she is eager to show a visitor her dying lawn.

Comparing the withering grass to a thriving orange tree a few feet away, Brous, the founding executive director of the Jewish environmental organization Netiya, says, Its survival of the fittest.

For Netiya Hebrew for planting and otherJewish environmental groups, Californias debilitating droughthas tiedtogether a number of issues that have been gaining prominence in the Jewish activist community:sustainability,social justice, and ethically and environmentally responsible food production.Their efforts range in size and scope.

In San Diego, the local branch of Hazon is having children paint rain barrels that will capture rainwater for irrigation as part of the environmental groupsSukkot festivities.

Meanwhile, in Pescadero, south of San Francisco, the environmental education group Wilderness Torah is hosting a panel discussion on water usage as part of its annual Sukkot on the Farm festival.After the panel, there will be a ceremony based on an ancient Temple rite in which the high priest would draw water from the spring and offer it at the altar in hopes of bringing seasonal rains.

Participants circling around a fountain willbless the waters of the world and call in the rain, said Suzannah Sosman, festivals manager for Wilderness Torah.

Last years Sukkot festival came amid a downpour; organizers are hoping for a similar result this year.

But themain thrust of the work of Jewish groups working on drought relief is water conservation, capture and reuse.

I dont think people are necessarily aware of how to save water other than turning off their faucets when theyre brushing their teeth, Sosman said.

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Amid drought, Jewish groups push conservation agenda

GLASTONBURY The patio overlook and handicapped accessible ramp at the new boathouse will be unavailable for the next few weeks as the town addresses drainage issues due to a high water table.

Town Manager Richard J. Johnson said Friday that geotechnical experts have recommended the town install additional below grade drainage to relieve groundwater pressure that is causing an area of the patio to sink.

"We have groundwater where we don't want it and will open up a trench to fix it," Johnson said of a project that will begin Monday. "It's something you wish was identified earlier. It's obviously something you don't want to continue."

The $12 million Riverfront Park expansion had its grand opening celebration a week ago. The project includes a boathouse/banquet facility, motorized boat launch, canoe and kayak launch, lighted basketball court, picnic pavilions, skating area, playgrounds a fountain and trails.

Although the rear patio and access to the upper portion of the boathouse will be closed, the remainder of the park is open to the public, Johnson said. He also noted that the boat launch will not be opened this fall as expected. The boat launch docks failed to meet the town's specifications and had to be re-ordered. The gaps between the docks were too wide and were considered a safety hazard.

"There was a potential for people to get hurt," Johnson said. "We will have them ready for the spring. These things are unfortunate, but these things are going to happen during a large construction project. It's not uncommon that you find things after construction.

"It's frustrating," he added. "You just hope for the best. We are responding and working our way through things."

Town Council Chairman Stewart "Chip" Beckett III said the news was "very disappointing."

"On the other hand, you are digging next to a river that was once an industrial area," he said of the location that was once an oil tank farm. "We aren't panicking. We aren't getting excited. It's just challenging when you are working along a riverbank and any number of things can go wrong."

Beckett said the news is disheartening especially after the "homerun" of Saturday's opening.

Read more here:
Officials Dealing With Drainage, Boat Launch Issues At New Riverfront Park

WEDNESDAY

Seniors on the Go, for members of the senior community, 9:45 a.m., Museum of Science and History, 1025 Museum Circle. Includes a look at what it takes to install an exhibit as team members put together the next traveling exhibit, Olysseys Shipwreck! Pirates & Treasure. $6. Reservations required. (904) 396-6674, ext. 225.

Brown Bag Lunch, noon, Amelia Island Museum of History, 233 S. Third St., Fernandina Beach. Speaker is Bill Birdsong, an amateur photographer, on Images of our Greenway. (904) 261-7378, ext. 102.

Red Bull Tee Time, 3:30-7:30 p.m., University of North Floridas Golf Complex. Features LPGA star Lexi Thompson, winner of the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship with demonstrations, an autograph session, discussion and question/answer session. Reservations, dustin.schumacher@us.redbul.com.

Art Walk themed Oktoberfest, 5-9 p.m., downtown restaurants, galleries and businesses. Features music, art and German culture. Includes Scott Jones School of Dance and live reggae music by JAHMEN at The Jacksonville Landing. for a map and venue schedules, iloveartwalk.com.

Take Back the Night March and Candlelight Vigil, to observe Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Awareness Fair, 6:30 p.m., University of North Floridas Student Union, Building 58, Osprey Plaza; cross-campus march, 7:30 p.m., Osprey Crossings Courtyard to the Student Union Plaza. Includes a speaker, survivor and author Lauren Makarov, a survivor speak-out and a candle-lighting ceremony honoring victims and survivors of intimate partner violence. Free. (904) 620-2528 or email womenctr@unf.edu.

The Vintage Players, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Clay County Headquarters Library, 1895 Town Center Blvd., Fleming Island. Features Bits and Pieces, a dramatic presenation of light-hearted skits, scenes and monologues. (904) 278-3722.

Man of LaMancha, meal 6:30 p.m., show 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; meal 11:15 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., show 1:15 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; meal 12:15 and 6:30 p.m., show 2 and 8 p.m. Sundays; Alhambra Theatre & Dining, 12000 Beach Blvd. Show runs through Oct. 12. Tickets start at $38. Reservations, (904) 641-1212 or alhambrajax.com.

David Gray, British singer/songwriter, 8 p.m., Florida Theatre, 128 E. Forysth St. $39.50-$59.50. (904) 355-2787 or floridatheatre.com.

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First Coast Happenings

CUMMING Plans to enhance the entrance to the new Forsyth County courthouse are taking shape as the county commission agreed Tuesday to fund to several projects.

Commissioners voted 5-0 to approve the design of several benches outside of the building, which is under construction in downtown Cumming.

The courthouse is part of a $100 million 1-cent sales tax-funded project that also includes a new detention center next door and two parking decks. The courthouse and jail are expected to open by mid-2015.

The five local Rotary Clubs have donated $25,000 for six granite benches, with the projected cost expected to come in under that.

The design for several metal public benches was also shown to the commission, but not put up for a vote. The number and cost of the street benches will be revisited later.

The commission unanimously approved a sculpture of Lady Justice with a 3-foot tall base to be placed outside the entrance.

One of the sculptors that was interested in the job was local, his name is Greg Johnson, said County Manager Doug Derrer. We decided to go with [him and] an 8-foot sculpture.

The Forsyth County Development Authority will contribute $50,000 from impact fees toward the statue, with any leftover funds from the benches going for the pedestal. The cost of the sculpture is $118,000.

The commission then voted 4-1, with Jim Boff opposed, to install infrastructure for a possible fountain with funding to range between $10,000 and $15,000 from the general contingency fund.

The infrastructure would need to be connected to a city of Cumming water line, and the fountain itself has not yet been approved.

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Benches, sculpture OKd for courthouse entrance

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) - ??

Here is a list of road projects around the Heartland scheduled for Friday, September 26.

Butler County, MO

Route 72 in Bollinger County will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform shoulders repairs. This section of roadway is located from Old Route 72 to Route B.

Existing lanes of Route 67 from CR 323 to Route 160/158 will be signed as Route C. The north end of Route C (existing Route 67) will remain closed for about two months as work is completed at the intersection of Route 67, Route C, and CR 323.

US 60 in Butler County will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews repair the shoulder. The section of roadway is located between US 67 and County Road 409. Weather permitting, work will take place Monday, Sept. 15 through Friday, Sept. 26 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cape Girardeau County, MO

Route EE will be closed while crews perform work on the railroad crossing. This section of road is located between Route 25 and County Road 264. Weather permitting, crews will be working on Friday, Sept. 12 and then again on Monday, Sept. 29 through Thursday, Oct. 2 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

MoDOT plans to replace the bridge on Route 61 over Hughes Creek - two miles from Route CC. Construction is set to begin in 2015.

Property owners adjacent to the bridge will have access to their properties. A marked detour is proposed here:

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Heartland road projects for 9/26

Patricia Villagomez sits on a bluff at the Moro Campground at Crystal Cove State Park, looking out at the crisp blue ocean and cars whizzing past on Coast Highway.

It wasnt easy to sleep the night before, with waves crashing so close. The Fullerton camper couldnt take her eyes off the moonlight on the ocean, or the stars bright in the sky.

We forget, living in the city, that this is a drive away, Villagomez said, pointing out the flowers surrounding her.

You think you have to go to Yosemite or the Sequoias or Big Bear to get away from it all, and you dont. Our State Parks are around the corner, and you dont even realize it.

The California State Parks system is celebrating its 150th anniversary. Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant Act in 1864, creating the nations first state park. Today, the California State Parks system includes about 1.4 million acres over more than 270 parks, with more than 280 miles of coastline, and 625 miles of lakes and rivers.

In places like Yosemite, large trees in vast forests are under the states jurisdiction. But here in Orange County, most state parks come in a different form: sandy beaches and plentiful surf.

Each has its own history.

BOLSA CHICA

In the 1950s, this place had a nickname: Tin Can Beach.

The beach earned the name because of the piles of trash discarded by oil and cannery workers who lived nearby in makeshift shacks, from the 1930s through the 50s.

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O.C. treasures: We've got sand and surf at our state parks