Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

The Tennessee Department of Transportation will halt all construction related lane closures on Tennessee roadways beginning at midnight on Thursday, December 23, 2021, through 6:00 a.m. on Monday, January 3, 2022 for the holiday travel period.

DISTRICT 27

CUMBERLAND COUNTY SR-28 (US-127) bridge construction and paving from north of I-40 (LM 17.8) to near Potato Farm Road (LM 22.7): Construction signs and erosion control measures have been installed. The contractor continues grading activities which will include embankment fill, storm drain installation, and the placement of graded solid rock. Temporary lane closures and/or periodic traffic stoppages may be necessary on Thursday December 23rd. Utility relocations for gas, water, sewer, and electric are in progress. Motorists should use caution while traveling through the work zone and be aware of reduced speed zones.

[Jones Bros. Contractors, LLC/Bradley/CNV009]

CUMBERLAND COUNTY SR-462 from SR-28 (US-127N / LM 3.1) to SR-298 (Genesis Road / LM 4.6) in Crossville: Construction signs and erosion control measures have been installed. Utility relocation activities for gas and sewer are in progress. Construction activities may require temporary lane closures and/or traffic stoppages on Thursday December 23rd. Motorists should use caution while traveling through the work zone and be aware of reduced speeds on Interstate Drive.

[Rogers Group, Inc./Bradley/CNV010]

DEKALB COUNTY SR-26 (US-70) grading, drainage, and construction of retaining walls and paving from near SR-53 (LM 2) to near SR-96 (LM 6.1): The contractor continues roadside grading operations, installing erosion control measures, and water, gas, and electric line relocation. Motorists are advised to use caution and be alert to all construction signage while traveling through the work zone.

[Twin K Construction/James/CNV012]

DEKALB AND WARREN COUNTY SR-56 construction of bridges and paving from south of Warren-Dekalb county line (LM 24.5) to East Bryant St. (LM 2.9): The contractor will continue installing concrete box culverts and drainage structures. Grade work, bridge work, paving operations, and utility work on the new roadway alignment are ongoing. Traffic has been shifted onto the detour between SR-288 and Old Blue Springs Road for the contractor to complete grade work in the area. Traffic shifts in Smithville will remain from South College Street to the end of project to allow contractor to complete work. There is a temporary diversion for Ferrell Rd, and one remains in place for Williams Road to allow contractor to construct new alignment. Motorists should use caution in this area while flaggers are present to direct traffic. The speed limit has been reduced to 45 mph in the construction zone. Motorists should use caution through this area.

[Jones Bros. Contractors, LLC/Harris/CNT011]

PUTNAM COUNTY SR-24 (US-70N) slide repair near LM 30.1: The contractor has installed barrier rail and will continue retaining wall construction. Traffic will be reduced to one lane and controlled by temporary traffic signals at each end of the project. Motorists should be prepared to stop when traveling through the work zone.

[Rogers Group, Inc./James/CNU359]

DISTRICT 28

BLEDSOE COUNTY SR-30 bridge repair over the Sequatchie River (LM 10.36): The contractor will be working on SR-30 on the bridge over the Sequatchie River. Both lanes are open to traffic but will have intermittent lane closures controlled by flaggers. Motorists are encouraged to use caution when traveling through the area.

[Jamison Construction, LLC/Voiles/CNV003]

CANNON AND WARREN COUNTY SR-1 (US-70S) bridge repair and paving from east of Lincoln Lane (LM 11) in Cannon County to Robinson Road (LM 9.4) in Warren County: The contractor will be working on the shoulder of the road completing ADA ramps and sidewalks throughout the project.

[American Pavements, Inc./Harris/CNV075]

COFFEE COUNTY SR-2 (US-41) at SR-55 (McMinnville Highway) intersection improvements in Manchester (LM 14.65), and installation of interchange lighting on I-24 at the junction of SR-55 (LM 14.06 - LM 14.74): Project activities continue daily with various roadway construction activities being performed. Motorists should proceed with caution through the area and be aware of signage, personnel, and equipment.

[Rogers Group, Inc./Hussein/CNU006]

COFFEE COUNTY SR-2 (US-41) repair of bridge over Blue Spring Creek (LM 21.0): Construction work on this project continues. The roadway will be reduced to one lane and control with traffic signal. One lane will be open to traffic with the restriction of all wide loads, the maximum lane width is 12. Motorists should be alert to a new traffic pattern and encouraged to use caution and be alert to construction personnel and equipment. RESTRICTIONS: Restriction of all wide loads will remain in place until project is complete. The width of the open lane will only allow 12' of passage.

[Mid-State Construction Company, Inc./Hussein/CNV145]

GRUNDY COUNTY SR-56 slide repair between LM 26.3 and LM 26.6: The road will remain reduced to one lane controlled by a temporary traffic signal while the contractor completes slide repairs in the area. Motorists should use caution through this area.

[Dement Construction Company, LLC/Harris/CNU355]

DISTRICT 29

BRADLEY COUNTY SR-60 widening from the 4-lane north of I-75 (LM 17.2) to SR-306 (LM19.9): During this reporting period, the contractor will be mobilizing equipment to the project site and will begin clearing operations and installation of erosion control measures. Brief, intermittent lane closures are possible on SR-60 during daylight hours as this work occurs. Motorists are advised to reduce speed in the work zone, watch for flaggers assisting with traffic control and for trucks entering/leaving the highway.

[Summers-Taylor, Inc./Wagner/CNV130]

BRADLEY COUNTY I-75 at Exit 33 (SR-308, Lauderdale Highway) bridge work and ramp upgrades: There are lane shifts in both directions from MM 31 to MM 33. The lanes will be reduced to two 11-foot lanes as work continues on this project.

[Wright Brothers Construction Company, Inc./Curtis/CNV124]

HAMILTON COUNTY I-24 interchange improvement at SR-2 (US-11, US-41, US-72, Broad Street) and SR-58 (Market Street): During this reporting period, the contractor will be working on new bridge construction, retaining wall construction, and new ramp construction. Intermittent land closures are possible on Market Street (SR-58) and Broad Street (SR-2) for utility and storm drainage work. Chestnut street is closed at the I-24 underpass and will remain closed until the construction of bridge #2 is complete. Detour routes are posted.

[Wright Brothers Construction Company, Inc./Wagner/CNU011]

HAMILTON COUNTY SR-317 (Apison Pike) improvement project from SR-321 (Ooltewah-Ringgold Road) to east of Layton Lane: A portion of Tucker Road from Spalding Drive to 5400 Tucker Road will remain closed through 12/29/21 to allow for grading and utility operations. One lane of Spalding Drive will remain closed through 12/29/21 with the use of a temporary traffic signal.

[Wright Brothers Construction Company, Inc./Osbonlighter/CNT336]

HAMILTON COUNTY SR-319 (Amnicola Highway) bridge repair over SR-153: The contractor will be performing bridge repair operations on the Amnicola (SR-319) bridge over SR-153. During this project, SR-319 will have lane closures in place & SR-153 may have lane closures as well. During repair operations at least one lane of traffic will remain open in all directions.

[Mid-State Construction Company, Inc./Osbonlighter/CNV053]

HAMILTON COUNTY The construction of an S.I.A. to VW: The contractor will be grading and installing signals & lighting on S.I.A. route connecting Ferdinand Piech Way & Volkswagen Dr. Also, the connecting roundabout will be under construction. **The roadway is not open to traffic**. The traveling public should be alert to the entrance and exit of construction vehicles from the jobsite onto the connecting roadways. Flaggers may be onsite directing traffic. The traveling public should be cautious when traveling through the new traffic pattern, as well as construction workers on site. Motorists are encouraged to follow the 30-mph speed limit that is posted for the area.

[Talley Construction Company, Inc./Osbonlighter/CNU221]

POLK COUNTY SR-40 (US-64) bridge over the Ocoee River: During this reporting period, the contractor will be working on the construction of portions of the new bridge and the relocation of water lines. Brief intermittent lane closures are possible on US-64 (SR-40) Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM as the contractor works to relocate utility lines on the project. Motorists are asked to reduce speed in the work zone and watch for trucks entering/leaving the highway.

[Charles Blalock and Sons, Inc./Wagner/DB1802]

RHEA COUNTY The grading, drainage, construction of bridges, paving and signals on a S.I.A. route serving Nokian Tyres: Construction activity at the Nokian Tyres SIA project continues just North of Dayton, TN. The traveling public should be alert to construction vehicles entering and exiting the site. SR-29 traffic has been moved back in its normal traffic pattern.

[Dement Construction Company, LLC/Curtis/CNU014]

REGION WIDE

REGION 2 preventative and unscheduled maintenance of Chattanooga SmartWay Intelligent Transportation System: The contractor may have short term shoulder and/or lane closures to perform preventative or unscheduled maintenance to the local SmartWay Intelligent Transportation System. At least one travel lane will always remain open to traffic. Flaggers will assist with traffic control as needed.

[NABCO Electric Company, Inc./Osbonlighter/CNT354]

REGION 2 TDOT Maintenance drainage work: There will be possible short-term lane and shoulder closures at various locations in Region 2 in order to clean rock and debris from ditches on an as-needed basis. One lane will be maintained at all times.

[TDOT Operations/Maintenance/R2MAINT]

REGION 2 TDOT Maintenance pothole repair and pavement patching: There will be possible short-term emergency lane closures at various locations in Region 2 in order to repair potholes and patch pavement on an as-needed basis. Depending on location and severity these repairs may be done during the day or at night. In addition to performing the work, regional Operations crews will also provide traffic control.

[TDOT Operations/Maintenance/R2MAINT]

REGION 2 TDOT mowing operations: There will be possible short-term lane closures at various locations on interstates and state routes in Region 2 in order to perform mowing activities on an as-needed basis. In addition to performing the work, regional Operations crews will also provide traffic control.

[TDOT/Maintenance/R2MAINT]

RESTRICTIONS

COFFEE COUNTY SR-2 (US-41) repair of bridge over Blue Spring Creek (LM 21.0): The restriction of all wide loads will remain in place until project is complete. The width of the open lane will only allow for 12' of passage.

Motorists are encouraged to use caution and obey reduced speed limits in all TDOT work zones, regardless of lane closure activity.

Information in this report is provided to the Department of Transportation by the contractors. Most work is weather dependent and subject to change due to inclement weather. All times are local.

From your desktop or mobile device, get the latest construction activity and live streaming SmartWay traffic cameras at http://www.TNSmartWay.com/Traffic. Travelers can also dial 511 from any land-line or cellular phone for travel information, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/TN511 for statewide travel or Chattanooga area alerts @Chattanooga511 or any of TDOT's other Twitter pages. As always, drivers are reminded to use all motorist information tools wisely and Know Before You Go! by checking travel conditions before leaving for your destination. Drivers should never tweet, text, or talk on a cell phone while behind the wheel.

In 2016, the Tennessee Department of Transportation lost three workers in the line of duty. All three were struck by passing motorists. Those tragedies bring the total number of TDOT lives lost to 112. We don't want to lose another member of our TDOT family. We're asking you to WORK WITH US. To learn more, go to the website at https://www.tn.gov/tdot/work-with-us/.

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Original post:
Roadway Activity Report for parts of East and Middle Tennessee (December 23 - 29, 2021) - tn.gov

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) A Minnesota man was sentenced Tuesday to three years probation after pleading guilty to assaulting a Minnesota state trooper earlier this year following a drunken driving crash in the Twin Cities.

The Hennepin County Attorneys Office announced that Matthew Cleve, 39, of Zimmerman, was sentenced to 366 days in prison stayed and three years probation. According to prosecutors, Cleve will need to abstain from any alcohol or drug use during his probation, submit to random drug testing and attend a DWI victim panel.

If Cleve violates his probation, he faces time behind bars.

RELATED: Let The Gun Go: Good Samaritan Helps Subdue Man Assaulting Minnesota State Trooper

Matthew Cleve (credit: Hennepin County)

Cleve pleaded guilty on Nov. 1 of fourth-degree aggravated assault on a peace officer, attempting to disarm a peace officer, and DWI. According to a criminal complaint, Cleve drank and drove on Jan. 3 and crashed his car into a retaining wall on Highway 252 in Brooklyn Center.

A state trooper responding to the crash asked Cleve not to walk away from the scene, but Cleve ignored him. When the trooper tried to stop Cleve, he punched the trooper in the face, pulled him to the ground and tried to take his gun.

A good Samaritan named Vincent Williams intervened and pulled Cleve off the trooper. Eventually, they subdued Cleve and got him in handcuffs.

According to prosecutors, Cleve has three previous DWI convictions. At the time of the January crash, his drivers license was canceled.

See the original post here:
Man Gets Probation For Punching Trooper Who Responded To Drunken Driving Crash - CBS Minnesota

RARE Opportunity To Own A Single Family On One Of The Islands Most Desirable Streets & Sought- After Neighborhoods!!! Nestled On A Quiet Street, Situated On a Large (40x 115) Ft Lot. Conveniently Located Close To The Bike Path, Bird Sanctuary, Airport Diner, Golf Course, & Only A Few Short Blocks To The Beach & End Of The Boardwalk At 23rd Street. Come See This The Beautiful Home & You Will Be Pleasantly Surprised With All Of The Room (Approx. 2034 Sq. ft.) This Is A MUST SEE. Homes On This Street Don't Come Up For Sale Very Often And When They Do, They Don't Last!! Interior Features: 3 Spacious Bedroom, 2.5 Baths, Including Upgraded Master Bath W/ Large Custom Tile Shower, Tile Floors, New Vanity W/ Granite Counter Top & Huge Jacuzzi Tub. Large Walk-In Closet & Walk- Up Attic Making Easy Access & Great For Storage. Bright & Airy Open Concept Kitchen W/ Corian Counter Top & Tile Flooring. Desirable Layout For Entertaining Family & Friends, With 2 Living Areas, 2 Dining Areas & Expansive Great Room W/ Cathedral Ceilings. Exterior Features: AMAZING Curb Appeal! Pristine Lawn W/ Beautiful Vinyl Garden Arbor & Landscaping, Maintenance Free Siding, Custom Flower-Box Accents & Paver Retaining Wall, NEW ROOF (2020), New HVAC Condenser Unit ( 2013) Custom Paver Upper Deck And Lower Patio Area, Vinyl Privacy Fence, Sprinkler Sys., Outside Storage Shed & Parking For 3 Cars. Ideal Size & Location Make This The Perfect Primary Home Or 2nd Home. Priced To Sell, Call For More Details

Go here to read the rest:
3 Bedroom Home in Ocean City - $1,099,900 - Press of Atlantic City

Posted on December 23, 2021

A worker on the construction site at Belmont where a previously collapsed wall is being rebuilt with the help of BRAGSA

The Roads Buildings and General Services Authority is said to be helping in the construction of a wall at Belmont, after the collapse of the original wall damaged the roadway, making it near impassable.

Blame for the collapse is being passed around but, road users say they are unhappy with the situation as they did not bargain for the inconvenience now being encountered given that this is the only access route to and from that part of the village.

Reports on the slippage of the road, leading inwards across from the Roses residence surfaced on December 10, and some villagers have shared what they think may have helped to undermine the retaining wall made worse by heavy rainfall in April.

One of the villagers, surname given as Jack, pointed to signs of breakage in the roadway before the volcanic eruptions. When the wall fell, empty oil drums were placed to guide road users which portion of the road to use.

A new retaining wall is currently under constuction, with the assistance of BRAGSA, but the work does not appear to be going at as fast a pace to satisfy users of the roadway.

No one at the Roads, Buildings and General Services Authority (BRAGSA), seemed willing to speak in an official capacity when contacted.

The Chief Engineer is currently on vacation; however, an employee of the Ministry of Works who asked not to be named said: I think the focus on recovery following the eruptions- and I work with the government, I know how stretched we have been since the eruptions working in shelters, moving packages, and other duties- would have taken attention away from what was happening right under our noses. I for one had completely forgotten this road was already breaking till it actually happened.

According to the employee, following the reports of the land slippage, an investigation was conducted which is guiding the rebuilding process.

Water tends to weaken the strength of the soil, and hence it makes it more susceptible to certain types of failure.

He said no one would want a repeat of this situation and so all possible precautions would be taken toward ensuring a proper job is done.

Visit link:
BRAGSA helping to rebuild collapsed wall at Belmont - Searchlight Newspaper

The Pittsburg Police Department reported that on Wednesday, just after 11:00 A.M. Officers responded to the report of a single car collision on East Leland Road near Gladstone Drive in the City of Pittsburg.

When officers arrived on scene, they found the driver, and solo occupant of the car, trapped inside the vehicle. The man was unconscious and suffering from head injuries.

Contra Costa Fire and AMR staff arrived on scene and began medically treating the man for his injuries. The man was later transported to an area hospital for additional medical treatment and is currently in critical, but stable condition.

During the investigation, it was determined the man was traveling east on East Leland Road from Loveridge Road. He was unable to negotiate to sweeping left turn approaching Gladstone Drive, causing the car to lose control and collide with a retaining wall and tree near the intersection.

The Pittsburg Police Department Traffic Unit responded to the scene and complete the investigation. The roadway was closed during the investigation, and reopened for traffic at 4:30 P.M.

According to Police Captain Steve Albanese, the driver is expected to survive.

No additional information is available at this time.

More here:
Pittsburg Police Say Driver Expected to Survive After Major Injury Crash on E Leland Road - EastCountyToday

SPRING BRANCH Deanna and Jasper Brown bought their 1.1-acre property in Mystic Shores right before the start of the pandemic. At the time, the backyard was little more than a narrow patch of ground dropping off steeply to a creek bed far below. It was almost entirely unusable.

The front yard was mostly dirt and rock, broken up by a handful of scraggly cedar trees and some cactus.

Wanting to expand their outdoor entertaining options, the couple, who both work for the city of Austin, tackled the backyard first in the spring of 2020 and then the front yard this summer. The result is a low-water landscape that looks native to the area with plenty of hardscape to create areas for entertaining.

I have a large, Hispanic family, including our three adult children and six grandkids, Deanna said. When they come, we take up the inside of the house and all the backyard, too. Well have music out here and show movies on the back wall of the house.

The new landscape features several types of gravel, limestone pavers, large stones and even larger boulders. But thanks to the mixing of textures and colors, the judicious use of native, flowering plants and the way the landscape designer took advantage of the lots natural elevation changes, the result is a warm and inviting yard.

On ExpressNews.com:Full renovation of this midcentury ranch home in San Antonios Northwood brought down walls and brought in charm

There are now multiple seating areas, including a fire pit area, a dining table, an area for bird watching and the porch off the back of the house. Much of the ground is covered in Mexican flagstone pavers set in winding courses with small bluish-black gravel, sometimes called shadow stone, filling the space between them.

We chose Mexican flagstone because it has a smoother surface and a cleaner look than the more jagged and rustic of Texas limestone, said the designer Cooper Henk, owner of Skyline Landscaping in New Braunfels. They also contrast nicely with the dark shadow stone.

The yard has several elevation changes, and Henk built thick, heavy stair steps using limestone waterfall rocks, which have an attractive rippled texture created by eons of water coursing over them. To help channel rainwater, he laid down 3- to 5-inch river rock in various shades of brown as a border along the concrete driveway and as flower bed edging.

The landscape of Deanna and Jasper Browns Spring Branch home is dominated by hardscape. But thanks to the mixing of stone textures and colors, and the judicious use of native, flowering plants, the home is warm and welcoming.

Each phase took Henk about three weeks to complete and all told used 150 tons of stone and cost about $44,000 all worth it, the Browns said.

On ExpressNews.com: Historic San Antonio Alta Vista home renovated with new kitchen, artificial turf and new bathroom before arrival of new baby

Deanna said that lighting installed in the large oak trees that surround the backyard cast a soft, enchanting glow over everything. Its beautiful, like a full moon, she said.

But before any of the design work could start, Henk had to build up the backyard elevation by as much as 8 feet. The new yard now extends out from the house by about 25 feet.

Ive been doing this kind of landscaping for about six years, and I love this type of job, he said. We brought in clean fill rocks, dirt and aggregate to raise the ground level and got to do some beautiful work.

While most of the hardscape had to be brought in, Henk made use of the multitude of rocks already on the lot for several low rock walls on the slope for erosion control and used larger boulders in retaining walls and as walkway edging.

The fire pit surrounded by chairs is one of the many outdoor seating areas in the back of this Spring Branch Home.

You see that one there? he asked, pointing to a boulder measuring about 5 feet high and 4 feet wide. Moving something that large on a hillside, youre afraid its going to get away from you. Made things very interesting.

In the front of the house, he used large swaths of different colored stone, with long, sweeping borders between them, to dramatic effect. We wanted something as pretty in the front as it is in the back, Deanna said. And we didnt want it to look like something everyone else in the neighborhood had.

On ExpressNews.com: Century-old Fredericksburg house gets updated with two-story great room, attached guest house, even an elevator

Still, when Henk first suggested the design, Deanna had her doubts. I thought, mixing different colored rocks? Yikes, thats crazy, she said.

Henk said, I rarely say to a client, Trust me. But thats what I did.

The yard fronting the street is covered in 1 -inch washed limestone gravel, the white tying the landscape to the house while also contrasting nicely with the river rock browns and the bluish shadow stone Henk also used. These, in turn, highlight the wide strip of green grass that runs directly in front of the house.

When it rains the white rocks turn a different color, more grays, Deanna said. Its very pretty. I love it.

Several of the original mountain cedars, trimmed to look like trees, provide some vertical interest while still allowing the house be visible from the street. And the front yard is planted with a variety of native, drought-tolerant greenery, including red yucca, agave, muhly grass, several varieties of cactus, Texas sage, some succulents, garlic, rosemary and salvia.

Were seeing lots of hummingbirds and butterflies and all the birds you can name, Brown said. Its phenomenal. Were extremely happy.

rmarini@express-news.net | Twitter: @RichardMarini

More here:
Spring Branch homes total Texas Hill Country xeriscape landscape renovation created many outdoor entertainment areas - San Antonio Express-News

The program is allowing juniors and seniors to go to school while learning skills to prepare them for a career.

ABBEVILLE, Georgia(41NBC/WMGT) Students at Wilcox County High School are being prepared for the workforce through a program called Work-Based Learning.

The program is allowing juniors and seniors to go to school while learning skills to prepare them for a career. There are currently 45 students in the program.

Its a nationwide program and one of the things they encourage us to do is to try to promote our program by promoting our students, said Sharon Lavender. Each week a student is recognized.

Lavender says many students say the program is helping them think ahead for their next steps after graduation.

Jackson Chastain has been with the program for two years, and was recently recognized for his hard work at Ten Mile Creek Grading and Land Clearing.

Construction now a days everybody needs help sadly, but whenever I got in there it just kind of stuck, I was good at it, I had potential and I was willing to learn, so I stuck with the company and really and truly they stuck with me providing opportunities for me to learn and its just been a good job for me.

Chastain says he grew up surrounded by family who work in the construction industry. So when then the opportunity to work for his grandfathers company presented itself, he took it.

You got some folks who will do what theyre supposed to and not do anything after that, most of the time what I try to do is go above and beyond that by Ill do the job but then Ill actively look for something else to do.

Tim Conner, Assistant Principal of Wilcox High School says, Chastain is a hard worker.

Hes also a very intelligent A plus student and hes one of our outstanding kids here at school.

Wayne Bloodworth is the owner of the company and Chastains Grandfather. According to Bloodworth, Jackson has always loved construction from a young age.

In the vehicle when he was younger he was grandson, until we got to the job, at the job site he was an employee, he did what the other employees did to learn the ropes, said Bloodworth.

Chastain says his next step is to attend college to study Civil Engineering. He also plans on furthering his career in the company.

Original post:
Wilcox County Students recognized for work in the community - 41 NBC News

Requirements for a permit to install riprap and standards that limit the use to active shoreline erosion, along with ensuring the maintenance or restoration of natural shoreline vegetation will be more protective of those critical areas, said Dave Rush, Douglas County Land and Resource Management director.

Rush explained the zoning ordinance changes to the Douglas County commissioners at the Tuesday, Dec. 21 regular board meeting before they approved the amendments to the ordinance.

Rush said the Douglas County Planning Advisory Commission made a recommendation to adopt the amendments to address the issues related to land alteration adjacent to lakes and rivers, which can negatively impact water quality and habitat to important county water resources.

All but one member of the Planning Advisory Commission voted to recommend the approval of all the changes at their Dec. 14 meeting. Jeff Oberg voted against it, but noted it was the changes to the riprap amendments he had issues with.

Rush told county commissioners that riprap is important for stabilization but that the county needs to protect more than just the lakeshore edge.

Public hearings on these issues were held on June 8 and Dec. 14 with little public comment, said Rush, adding that two township officials expressed support for the amendments.

Through conversations and feedback from state agencies, including the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, along with analysis of shoreland activity in the county, are other reasons changes are being made.

Rush said that the DNR has provided the county with a letter in support of the proposed changes.

Riprap, according to Rush, should only be used in situations where active erosion is occurring and not because homeowners like the clean look of it.

According to the amended ordinance, a shoreland alteration permit will be required within the shore impact zones and has to be done in accordance with applicable restrictions and standards for natural rock riprap where active erosion exists.

Rush said the county is not trying to prevent riprap and that rock and vegetation together can help stabilization.

We need to protect our resources that we have in our county, including our lakes, said Rush.

For clearing, grading and drainage permits, Rush said the changes will help address drainage problems before a project is completed. He said it is best to have a plan in place before any issues arise.

Land owners will have to apply for permits for these types of projects if the work is within 500 feet of protected waters, said Rush, and the work would disrupt more than 2,000 square feet of property.

We are not trying to over-permit, he said. If someone is already getting a permit for their project, they would not have to apply for this permit, too. People just have to meet the requirements. We are not trying to generate revenue. We are just trying to get ahead of issues that could arise.

Creation of a permit that requires a submission of detailed plans for clearing and grading will help Land and Resource Management staff ensure that lake water quality is protected and neighboring properties are not impacted by the construction with drainage issues, Rush told the commissioners.

The last proposed change will remove all mention of pervious pavement systems to bring the ordinance into compliance with the DNRs 2018 notice, said Rush.

The full amended ordinance can be found on the Douglas County website.

Douglas County commissioners approved the following other actions:

A letter of discontinuance of Prime Health medical plan, which will be effective as of Dec. 31, 2022.

Donations in the amount of $250 for the Douglas County Sheriffs Honor Guard from the Alexandria Rotary Club and the Minnesota Sheriffs Association.

An increase in civil process fees, which have not been raised in more than 15 years.

A resolution accepting the states opioid settlement agreement with pharmaceutical companies. If approved by all entities involved, the State of Minnesota could receive an estimated $296 billion, which would then be distributed.

The 2022 county ditch special assessments and loan adjustments.

A bid to Tradesmen Construction to build a visitor center at Lake Brophy County Park. The $1.8 million project will be paid for by Douglas County ($930,746) with a matching grant from the DNR ($930,746).

A resolution supporting a bike path along County Road 46. The resolution states that the county agrees to act as the sponsoring agency and that it is seeking Transportation Alternative Program funding. A resolution supporting maintenance of the bike path was also approved.

A contract with Waterfront Restorations for manual removal of weeds on a 100-foot by 250-foot area at Lake Brophy County Park beach. The cost is $13,500 for three removals and does not include weed disposal costs. The board chose the manual removal option over chemical treatment removal. The chemical option would have cost the county $1,800 for two treatments.

A donation from Lake Christina Church in the amount of $50 for Douglas County Social Services clients.

Amendments to the Douglas County Abatement Policy, which has been in place since 1990. Verbiage has been added to include that if an abatement exceeds $10,000, the county board will give notice within 20 days to the school board and other municipalities where the property is located.

Updates to the investment policy, which reflect the change in the county creating a separate finance department.

Excerpt from:
Permits now required in Douglas County for riprapping, clearing and grading projects - Echo Press

Charlene, whom they call Charlie, is six. This morning she scrutinized Lou, wrinkling her sunburned nose, and asked, Where are you going?

Short trip north, he said. Some fishing, a little duck hunting, maybe.

You dont have a gun, Charlie said. She watched him evenly, her long tangled hair raking the light.

Lou found himself avoiding her eyes. The others do, he said.

His little boy, Rolph, clung to him at the door. Pale and dark-hairedChristines coloring, her iridescent eyes. Its the strangest thing when Lou holds his son, as if their flesh were starting to fuse, so that letting go of him feels like tearing. He has a guilty awareness of loving Rolph more than Charlie. Is that wrong? Dont all men feel that way about their sonsor, at least, those lucky enough to have sons? Poor Tim Breezely!

There will be no fishing, no hunting. What Quinn divulged, that afternoon on Montgomery Street, as they drank and smoked their Parliaments and roared with laughter before driving their big cars home to their wives and kids, was that he knew of some bohemians who grew grass in the middle of a forest near Eureka. They welcomed visitors. We can go overnight on a weekend sometime, if you like, Quinn said.

They did.

How can I possibly know all this? I was only six, and stuck at home, despite my fervent wish to come alongI always wanted to go with my father, sensing early (or so it seems, looking back) that the only way to hold his attention was to stay in his presence. How can I presume to describe events that occurred in my absence in a forest that is now charred and exudes an odor like seared meat? How dare I invent across chasms of gender, age, and cultural context? Trust me, I would not dare. Every thought and twinge I record arises from concrete observation, although getting hold of that information was arguably more presumptuous than inventing it would have been. Pick your poisonif imagining isnt allowed, then we have to resort to gray grabs.

I got lucky; all four mens memories are stored in the Collective Consciousness, at least in partsurprising, given their ages, and downright miraculous in my fathers case. He died in 2006, ten years before Mandalas Own Your Unconscious was released. So how could my father have used it? Well, remember: the genius of Mandalas founder, Bix Bouton, lay in refining, compressing, and mass-producing, as a luscious, irresistible product, technology that already existed in crude form. Memory externalization had been whispered about in psychology departments since the early two-thousands, with faculty speculating about its potential to revolutionize trauma therapy. Wouldnt it help you to know what really happened ? What youve repressed ? Why does my mind (for example) wander persistently to a family party my parents took me to in San Francisco around the time this story takes place? I remember scrambling with a bunch of kids around the roots of an old tree, then being alone in someones attic beside a white wicker chair. Again and again: scrambling with those children, then alone in an unfamiliar attic. Or not alone, because who took me there, and why? What was happening while I looked at that chair? Ive wondered many times whether knowing the answers to those questions would have allowed me to live my life with less pain and more joy. But by the time one of my fathers caregivers told us about a psychology professor at Pomona College who was uploading peoples consciousnesses for an experimental project, I was too wary to participate. A gain is also a loss when it comes to technologymy fathers imploding recording empire had taught me that much. But my father had little to lose; hed had five strokes and was expiring before our eyes. He wanted in.

Rolph had been dead for years, and my other siblings were elsewhere. So it fell to me to greet the young professor, who wore red high-top sneakers, along with his two graduate students and a U-Haul full of equipment, early one morning at my fathers house. I parted the sparse remnants of my fathers surfer shag and fastened twelve electrodes to his head. Then he had to lie stillasleep, awake, it didnt matter and there wasnt much of a difference at that pointfor eleven hours. Id moved his hospital bed beside the pool so that he could hear his artificial waterfall. It seemed too intimate a process to let him undergo with strangers. I sat next to him for most of the time, holding his floppy hand while a wardrobe-size machine rumbled beside us. After eleven hours, the wardrobe contained a copy of my fathers consciousness in its entirety: every perception and sensation he had experienced, starting at the moment of his birth.

Its a lot bigger than a skull, I remarked as one of the graduate students wheeled over a hand truck to take it away. My father still wore the electrodes.

The brain is a miracle of compression, the professor said.

I have no memory of that exchange, by the way. I saw and heard it only when I reviewed that day from my fathers point of view. Looking out through his eyes, I noticedor, rather, he noticedmy short, uninteresting haircut and the middle-aged gut I was already starting to acquire, and I heard him wonder (but hear isnt the right word; we dont hear our thoughts aloud, exactly), How did that pretty little girl end up looking so ordinary ?

When Own Your Unconscious came out, in 2016, I was able to have the wardrobes contents copied into a luminous one-foot-square yellow Mandala Consciousness Cube. I chose yellow because it made me think of the sun, of my father swimming. Once his memories were in the Cube, I was finally able to view them. At first, the possibility of sharing them never crossed my mind; I didnt know it was possible. The Collective Consciousness wasnt a focus of early marketing for Mandala, whose slogans were Recover Your Memories and Know Your Knowledge. My fathers consciousness seemed like more than enoughoverwhelming, in factwhich may be why I began, with time, to crave other points of view. Sharing his was the price. As the legal custodian of my fathers consciousness, I authorized its anonymous release, in full, to the Collective. In exchange, Im able to use date and time, latitude and longitude, to search the anonymous memories of others who were present in those woods, on that day in 1965, without having to invent a thing.

Let us return to the men scrambling behind or (in my fathers case) alongside Quinn Davies, their guide. The introduction to grass took place at the trailhead, where Quinn passed around a small pipe, refilling it several times. Most people didnt get high on their first exposure. (This was good old-fashioned pot, mind you, full of stems and seeds, long before the days of hydroponic sinsemilla.) Quinn wanted to get this first smoke out of the way, to prime his palsBen Hobart in particularfor getting well and truly wasted later on.

A river flashes in and out of view far below, like a snake sliding among leaves. As the men climb, their stumbling and guffawing yield to huffing, wheezing, and struggle. All four smoke cigarettes, and none exercise the way we think of it now. Even Ben Hobart, one of those preternaturally fit guys who can eat anything, is breathing too hard for speech by the time they crest the hill and glimpse A-Frame, as the house is known. Tucked in a redwood clearing and built from the cleared redwood, A-Frame is the sort of whimsical structure that will become a clich of seventies California architecture. But, to these men, it looks like an apparition from a fairy tale: Is it real ? What kind of people live here ? Compounding the eeriness is Simon and Garfunkels Sound of Silence eking from hi-fi speakers facing outward on the redwood deck. A-Frames mastermind, Tor, has somehow managed to get electricity to a house in the middle of a forest, that is accessible only on foot.

Hello, darkness, my old friend...

A hush of awe engulfs the men as they approach. Lou falls back, letting Quinn lead the way into a soaring cathedral of space whose vast triangular windows reach all the way to its pointed ceiling. The scent of redwood is overpowering. Quinn introduces Tor, an austere eminence in his forties with long prematurely white hair. Tors old lady, Bari, is a warmer zaftig presence. An assortment of young people mill about the main room and deck, showing no interest in the new arrivals.

This odd setup leaves our three newcomers unsure what to do with themselves. Lou, who cant tolerate feeling like a hanger-on, is abruptly angry with Quinn, who speaks quietly and privately with Tor. What the hell kind of greeting is this ? Nowadays, a man ill at ease in his surroundings will pull out his phone, request the Wi-Fi password, and rejoin a virtual sphere where his identity is instantly reaffirmed. Let us all take a moment to consider the isolation that was customary before these times arrived! The only possible escape for Lou and his friends involves retracing their steps through the forest without bread crumbs to guide them. So Lou paces around A-Frame in a way he cannot seem to help (though he feels its disruption), barking occasional questions at Tor, who sits aloft on a tall wooden chair that looks irritatingly thronelike: Nice place, Tor. What sort of work do you do? Mustve been hell getting pipes laid this far out.

Read more from the original source:
What the Forest Remembers, by Jennifer Egan - The New Yorker

Environmental and community groups have asked federal regulators to crack down on the city of Portland and the state of Oregon for allegedly dragging their feet on the cleanup of a prime piece of the citys waterfront.

We are writing to formally request that the EPA initiate formal enforcement action, reads a Dec. 7 letter to the Environmental Protection Agency, signed by the Audubon Society of Portland, Willamette Riverkeeper, the Portland Harbor Community Advisory Group, and the Portland Harbor Community Coalition.

WHERE:

The site in question is riverbed land adjacent to city-owned Cathedral Park, which sprawls across nearly 22 Willamette riverfront acres on either side of the St. Johns Bridge in North Portland.

It is part of the Superfund site in Portland Harbora swath of waterfront polluted by industrial chemicals.

Much of the property within the Superfund site is privately owned. Cathedral Park is one of the few places the public can access the Willamette within Portland Harbor.

The park includes a beach of sorts and a boat ramp.

WHAT:

The EPA named Portland Harbor a Superfund site in 2000, citing a century of industrial activity that left the river bottom and some adjacent uplands deeply contaminated. (The harbor comprises a nearly 10-mile stretch of the Willamette from Sauvie Island to the Broadway Bridge.)

The Superfund designation meant those responsible for the contamination (about 150 different entities) would have to clean it up. The glacially paced cleanup process reached a critical point in January 2017, when the EPA issued a 3,012-page record of decision and ordered those responsible for 17 different project areas within Portland Harbor to submit designs for cleaning up their messes.

The EPA gave the polluters, known as potentially responsible parties, two years to present designs.

Bob Sallinger, conservation director for the Audubon Society of Portland, says EPA got 13 responses; three zones are orphaned because the responsible parties are defunct.

There was only one area for which the responsible parties didnt submit a proposed design: Cathedral Park.

WHO:

Sallinger says his group and other interested parties met repeatedly with the city and state over the past two years to discuss what form the cleanup should take. But nothing happened.

Theyve had two years since the deadline, Sallinger says. Thats long enough.

Annie Von Burg, a manager at the citys Bureau of Environmental Services, which oversees the citys involvement in the Superfund process, says the city isnt to blame. Portland is eager to move forward with the cleanup process, she insists, but wants to make sure industrial polluters that operated on either side of Cathedral Park share in the cost.

Over the years, there have been many companies that have had operations at these two neighboring sites that are known to have contributed to this contamination, Von Burg says. We do not believe the public should have to pick up the whole tab for companies that should step up and meet their responsibilities.

Von Burg adds that the EPA has made sure that the process continues to move forward so the delay in submitting a design for the Cathedral Park wont impact the public.

State officials provide a similar explanation.

The state has done more than almost any other party to address its responsibilities for remedial design at the Portland Harbor Superfund Site, says Charles Boyle, a spokesman for Gov. Kate Brown. No responsible party stepped forward to perform design work at the Cathedral Park cleanup area.

Sallinger doesnt buy those stances, calling them completely unacceptable.

This is a public site, Sallinger says. The EPA process allows the city and the state to recover costs after the fact, if its determined somebody else is responsible.

WHATS NEXT:

Audubon and other groups now want the feds to force the public entities to act. One option would be for EPA to bring an enforcement action against the public entities. That could result in protracted litigation.

Another option: EPA could do the Cathedral Park cleanup itself and then bill responsible parties. Sallinger says thats not ideal, however, because EPA has no incentive to do more than the bare minimum, while public agencies could do whats best for Portland in the long term. He prefers that the city and state simply submit a cleanup plan.

This has already taken more than 20 years, Sallinger says. We want to see EPA step up and move things along.

An EPA spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Continued here:
Advocates Want the EPA to Force Portland to Clean Up a Key Stretch of the Willamette River - Willamette Week