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LONDON (AP) Britains government is in talks with French firm EDF Energy over the construction of a 20 billion-pound ($26.8 billion) nuclear power plant in eastern England.

Officials said Monday that negotiations are taking place over the Sizewell C site in Suffolk, which could generate 3.2 gigawatts of electricity enough to provide 7% of the countrys energy demands.

Any deal would need to be approved on areas such as value for money and affordability, and Business Secretary Alok Sharma said the talks with EDF are not a green light for construction to begin.

What we will be doing is looking to see whether we can reach an investment decision in this Parliament on that particular project, he told the BBC. We will only do so if this delivers value for money for taxpayers and consumers.

EDF says its eight existing nuclear power stations in the U.K. generate around a fifth of the countrys electricity.

The statement confirming the talks came as the government outlined its plans to cut emissions and expand clean energy. Officials say that, in total, the plans will support 220,000 jobs in the next decade.

Todays plan establishes a decisive and permanent shift away from our dependence on fossil fuels, towards cleaner energy sources that will put our country at the forefront of the global green industrial revolution, Sharma said.

The document outlines plans to develop offshore wind turbines, accelerate the rollout of electric vehicle charging points, improve energy efficiency in homes and move away from fossil fuel boilers.

Link:
UK in talks with EDF over nuclear plant construction - Associated Press

Matt Soergel|Florida Times-Union

The year 2020 has been a disaster in most of the world, so it's easy, perhaps understandable, to see why many Floridians have moved on from a close-to-home catastrophefrom the year before the global pandemic.

But, say a couple of 29-year-olds, don't forget Hurricane Dorian and the incredible damage it inflicted on parts of the Bahamas in September 2019.

There's still an overwhelmingneed there, said Danny Moroney, who leads Hope Fleet (hopefleet.org),a young nonprofit Christian relief group, based in Sarasota,that'strying to keep attention on the Bahamas.

The Bahamas have been forgotten, he said. As a place thats normally deemed paradise, this has been their toughest year. And people [elsewhere] had already moved on to the next thing, then: coronavirus.

Though slowed by the pandemic, Hope Fleet has been using its own sailboat and the boats of other volunteers headed to the Bahamas to take supplies to the islands, with a focus on rebuilding and helping children.

Photos: Scenes of Dorian devastation in Bahamas

Moroney's group found an early supporter in Kenny Roberts, pastor of a small Jacksonville church, whowas born and raised in the Bahamaswhere his family goes back generations. He has family and friends who almost died in Dorian, and who told him that for days after there were still bodies strewn about in the rubble.

"Life kind of moves on for everybody else, but not to those affected," Roberts said. "Talking to family members and friends who live there, its going to be many years before things get back to normal.

Dorian was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Bahamas, aslow-moving storm that mowed through the island nation in early September,bringing 185-mph Category 5 winds and a massive storm surge to Great Abaco and Grand Bahama islands.

The official death toll in the Bahamas was 74, though more than 200 people went missing. Thousands of buildings were destroyed and many people were left homeless.

Roberts grew up on the tiny island of Spanish Wells, 2 miles long, half a mile wide, just off the coast of Eleuthera. Surrounded by reefs, it survived Dorian fairly well.

Roberts'father was a lobster fisherman, like many of the men there, and as a young teen he would join him on the water when school was out.

Hes lost his Bahamian accent, though it comes back easily on telephone calls or visits back home. Growing up on Spanish Wells was often idyllic: It was like a small, fairly well-off town, he says, a place of unlocked doors surrounded by water, where everyone knew everyone else.

You grow up with no real needs, in a beautiful place, Roberts said.

There was not a wide range of opportunities there though, so at 16 he came to Trinity Baptist College in Jacksonville. That's where he met his wife, Jenna, who had grown up on the Westside.

In January 2019, Roberts became pastor at 150-member MissionWay Church on Old St. Augustine Road, south of Interstate 295. It's website ismissionwaychurch.org.

Our church is smaller and we dont have a ton of resources, he said. We're not even one of Hope Fleet's biggest supporters because we dont have the means to be, but our heart is there: How can we help?

Great need: Tourism economy gutted

MissionWay has sent donations, including some to make sure Hope Fleets sailboat got needed repairs for its first relief voyage. Its also collected supplies and sent money so families with very little would have food and gifts for Christmas.

If things get back to normal, Roberts said, he would like to send church members over on the sailboat, people who could work construction and teach Bible classes to children.

The need is great: The Bahamas tourism-based economy was gutted by the storm, and then came the coronavirus, which hit a country whose government, he said, was ill-prepared to handle it.

On the hardest-hit islands, though, the pandemic isnt the biggest problem.

In Abaco, COVID is barely even a blip on the radar of these people,because everything else in their lives is more urgent and significant right now, Roberts said. Thats not to downplay COVID or its effects, just to emphasize how difficult things are there now.

Hope Fleet's Moroney said it's frustrating not being able to make a significant dent in the massiveneed in the Bahamas. But it's still worth trying.

He reached out to MissionWay as soon as the hurricane passed. They were the first church, he said, to donate to his group.

Since then hes found other willing helpers, even though coronavirus-related travel restrictions kept travelers from the Bahamas until recently.

At age 15, Moroney began workingto bring supplies to childrens homes and orphanages in Jamaica, where his mother is from. He was motivated by his trips there, seeing deep poverty right next to beautiful resorts.

Hope Fleet became a nonprofit in March 2019 and was gearing up to bring aid to Cuba when Dorian hit the Bahamas. Their efforts quickly shifted.

Key to their work is the Shooting Star, an older 40-foot sailboat they boughtat a significant discountfor $10,000.

They load it at Pompano Beach and sail it, with little to no gas needed, to Freeport, where many hurricane evacuees have settled. Theyve focused their work there.

Lets do one thing really well rather than a bunch of little things not too well, Moroney said.

The group enlists other boaters who are headed that way, loading them with supplies as well. Boaters really want to help; they just dont have the time to vet different organizations, to find supplies, he said.

For example, Hope Fleet once got a call from a 156-foot yacht that was ready to go, ready to help. They loaded it with donated mattresses and bedding, and it sailed east.

There's still far more that needs to be done, but that effort was a success.

A family there told us, For the first time in months our babies arent sleeping on the ground, Moroney said. All of its worth it for that one family, who now has something to put their heads on.

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Jacksonville church and Sarasota nonprofit: Don't forget the need in the Bahamas - The Florida Times-Union

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GRANITE FALLS, NC (December 16, 2020) Jessie Odell Bowman was born on December 28th, 1919 to Cordia Brown Bowman and Earl H Bowman in the Bethlehem community in Alexander County. Jessie was born to deaf parents and had to work at an early age to help with the financial burden of raising four children during the depression. Jessie earned $30.00 per month in the C.C. Camp where he land mapped 4 counties. Jessie served for 2 years and sent most of his money to his family.

In 1940, Jessie met Sadie Jane Clark on the railroad tracks in Sawmills and they were married 5 months later on February 22, 1941. They eventually bought a home on Dudley Ave in Granite Falls for $800. On December 5th, 1943, their first child, Nancy Sandra Bowman was born.

Jessie was drafted into the Army serving with the 87th Infantry Division in Europe during World War II. His main job was a mortar operator and marched in front of the troops to clear the way. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge; walked across France; and he was in Plauen Germany when the war ended. In 2013, the Ambassador of France presented Jessie the French Medal of Honor, in Raleigh, NC. The Governor of North Carolina, Pat McCrory, attended the ceremony and spoke to the honorees and thanked them for their service. That was one of Jessies most cherished medals.

Jessie decided to become a barber and attended Barber College in Winston Salem in 1945 and worked for Astor Peelers Barber Shop. In 1948, they decided to move to Bluefield, West Virginia to work as a foreman of a strip mine for Blythe Brothers Construction Co. While living in West Virginia, Sadie became pregnant with their second child, Deborah Anne Bowman, born on February 28th, 1950. They stayed in West Virginia until 1952.

When the family moved back to Granite Falls, Jessie bought and operated Central Barber Shop, where he worked full time until he retired from barbering. The barber shop was a busy, thriving business, where they offered a large walk-in type shower for 25 cents. In 1952, the price of a hair cut was 50 cents for children under 12 and 75 cents for older children and adults. Shaves were 50 cents and about 10% of the older men wanted shaves because they did not have hot water in their homes. When haircuts reached $1.25, Jessie had to buy a new cash register as the old register would only ring up $1.00.

Dale and Lisa Clark joined the Bowman family in 1971, as a result of Sadies brother passing away. The courts were going to place the two young children in an orphanage and Sadie could not stand the thought of this happening. They both lived with the Bowman family until they graduated from high school. Lisa was legally adopted and became the youngest Bowman daughter.

In 1970, Reverend Claude Dick, at the First Baptist Church in Granite Falls, urged Jessie to start a deaf ministry. Jessie accepted the calling and worked part-time at the barber shop until he sold it in 1986. Jessie resigned as the Minister of the Deaf at the First Baptist Church and began pursuing getting the deaf their own church. In 1986, he founded and organized the First Baptist Church for Deaf, a mission church sponsored by Winklers Grove Baptist Church and Mountain View Baptist Church. In 1989, with much monetary support and free labor from many different organizations, churches and individuals, Jessies dream became a reality and his deaf congregation had their own church located on Airport Road in Hickory. This was the first deaf church in North Carolina and soon the church membership grew to over 100.

Jessie traveled to Sorocaba Brazil in 1990, and started a much needed deaf ministry, as well as helping to build a chapel at an orphanage. Then in 1992, Jessie returned to Sorocaba for a revival, preaching at many different churches. Because of his unfailing love for his fellow human beings and all his charitable acts of kindness, he touched so many deaf and hearing lives, Jessie was nominated and won the 1993 Jefferson Award. This award is given by WBTV in Charlotte for outstanding community service.

Jessie retired from the ministry several times; God was not done with him because there was still work to be done. He served as interim pastor to the First Baptist in Morganton and several times at the deaf church in Hickory.

Without the support and love from his wife, Sadie, Jessie stated that he could never have had the success in business and especially in the deaf ministry. In 1995, during open heart surgery, Sadie had a stroke and was paralyzed and unable to speak. Sadie remained at home until her death in January, 2007 and they were married for 66 years.

Nancy Bowman, Deborah & Art Dlugos and Lisa & Mark Lowman all reside in Grace Chapel. Jessie has two grandchildren, Chastan Dlugos Shields & Willie Matthew Starnes along with four great grandchildren, Carson, Baileigh, Grace Shields and Willie Gabriel Starnes.

Jessie remained in his home until he passed with his daughters by his side, Sunday December 13th, 2020. Oh what a great man he was!

We will be receiving family and friends Saturday, December 19th, 1-3pm at the First Baptist Church Granite Falls Life Center. His funeral service will be Sunday at 1:00pm at the First Baptist Church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Caldwell County Hospice and Palliative Care, 902 Kirkwood St., Lenoir, NC 28645, First Baptist Church, Granite Falls, 12 Crestview St., Granite Falls, NC and or Campaign for the National Museum of the U.S. Army, P.O. Box 96281, Washington, DC, 20090-6281.

Bass-Smith Funeral Home is serving the family.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Jessie Odell Bowman please visit the Bass-Smith Funeral Home Tribute Store.

To visit Jessies obituary on the Bass-Smith Funeral Home website click here.

Obituary written by the family.

Jessie Bowman smiling in the above photo taken during World War II. (click on photo to view a larger image)

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Jessie Bowman, WWII Veteran, member of the Greatest Generation, longtime barber and beloved father, passes away - Caldwell Journal

Crews are expected back on site by the end of the month, Evans said.

Construction started in 2018 and was scheduled to be done in January, 2020, according to BC Housing.

Construction was halted months ago due to what Evans alleged were challenges with the prior builder JBR Construction.

I cant really go into the details, because its before the courts. We terminated because of a default, Evans said.

Theres currently more than $3.2 million in liens against the property and a pair of civil lawsuits launched against JBR Construction from their subcontractors.

BC Housing confirmed the United Church is borrowing $32.5 million from its loan facility to finish the project, which is an estimated 60 per cent complete.

Evans said both primary construction contracts for the revamped Brechin United Church site were awarded following a mandated bidding process to access BC Housing loans.

Its been a major disruption for us, we certainly didnt want the building sitting for this long period, but we managed to work through this with BC Housing.

The affordable housing development at the Brechin United Church site is geared toward people with average incomes ranging between $50,000 and $100,000.

ian@nanamonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes

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Work to finally resume at large affordable housing project on Nanaimo's Brechin United Church property - Nanaimo News NOW

The call to save the San Sebastin Basilica in Quiapo, Manila is starting to gain traction again on social media as heritage advocates and concerned citizens voice out concerns over the looming threat faced by one of the countrys most important architectural treasures.

The construction of a 31-story condominiumthe University Home Rectoright behind San Sebastian caught media attention three years ago. Interest over its adverse effect on the churchs structure was revived recently after reports that construction of the said high rise has been underway amid the pandemic. Photographs of the said development were shared to ANCX by the San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Foundation, Inc.

The all-metal church is the first and only one of its kind in the Philippines. Completed in 1891, the Neo-Gothic structure was built through an international collaboration. It was designed by a Spanish architect, with inputs reportedly from the builder of the Eiffel Tower, Gustave Eiffel. Belgian engineers oversaw its erection. A Frenchman was in charge of its flooring. And invaluable assistance from local laborers and craftsmen contributed to the churchs completion.

The interiors were handpainted to look like stone, with wall paintings of statues and saints done by the Academia de Dibujo, Pintura y Arte, headed by Lorenzo Rocha, a multi-awarded painter. The basilicas walls and ceiling also feature the work of turn-of-the-century artists Isabelo Tampinco and Felix Martinez. This historical marvel was declared a National Historical Landmark in 1973 and a National Cultural Treasure in 2011.

The construction of the condominium was the subject of a recent editorial by journalist and arts and culture critic Lito Zulueta of theInquirer,who was reminded of a statement made by Manila Mayor Isko Moreno when he assumed office in 2019. According to an Inquirer story, the mayor said he will protect the citys heritage landmarks against photobombers, the term used for the heavily criticized 49-story Torre de Manila in Ermita now marring the skyline of the Luneta Park. The skyscraper was erected during the term of Moreno predecessor, Mayor Erap Estrada.

In a story ANCX published in 2018,renowned anthropologist Dr. Fernando Nakpil-Zialcita had strong words on the development. Its a Godzilla tower rising from hell, he said. It will really overshadow the church.Mawawalan ng dignidad ang simbahan.

He said the construction of a high rise behind it will ruin the basilicas chances of being designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We want San Sebastian on the UNESCO list because we want to bring more prestige to the country, more tourists, Dr. Zialcita pointed out. Masisirabecause UNESCO is very strict about its siting. The church has to be admired in its majesty, if youre going to construct any tall buildingeven a building taller than the San Sebastian Churchwala na.

Attorney Mark Evidente, Heritage Director and President of the Heritage Conservation Society explained that the settings add to the significance of heritage sites like San Sebastian. If the settings are compromised, the value of cultural landmarks is diminished, he noted.

The foundations executive director, Tina Paterno, said that the developer needs to study the impact of its foundations on nearby structures.Any impact would hit the basilica hard, she said. Construction diggings may affect the structural integrity of the church, says Zuluetas editorial.

Even more tangible than a possible UNESCO recognition is the impact of the construction to the lives of the people in the quaint neighborhood.

In an interview with Bandila in 2018,Paul Iturralde, who owns one of the old, historic houses near the lot where the residential tower is to be constructed, cited the reasons they wrote a letter of protest regarding the construction of the high-rise to then-Mayor Estrada.

The residents pointed out the immense traffic it will cause to the single-lane, one-way motorist barangay road. They also said it will weaken the foundation of old houses in the area due to the excavations. Also, the dust, dirt and toxic waste discharges from the construction can jeopardize the health of the residents. Back then, Summithome Realty Corporation hasnt been issued a building permit yet for the said project.

In an October 2020 statement, the foundation and the Augustinian Recollect Order jointly uphold to protect the basilica and the community that it serves.Their main goal, the foundation wrote, is to get urgent clarifications from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), and the National Museum of the Philippines based on a clearance they issued the condominium developer on 16 July 2019. Individual letters were sent on 28 September 2020 to the Chairpersons of NCCA and NHCP, and the Director General of the National Musuem.

The guidelines of this clearance must be followed with respect to the constructions proximity to San Sebastian Basilica, recognized as a National Cultural Treasure and National Historical Landmark, the foundation pointed out.

Through the request for clarification, they hope to find out how [the agencies] assessed the possible effects of the buildings design and construction activities on the architectural and structural integrity of San Sebastian Basilica and the surrounding houses.

This focus on the protection of architectural and structural integrity of the Basilica and houses is important because they directly affect the lives of residents. It is important to determine if the condominiums construction is a threat to peoples homes, and if there is a possibility of displacing families. At the heart of this issue is the safety of the community, which guides the decisions made by the team alongside the data of our engineers and architects, the letter said.

The foundation, who says it has been currently working with local stakeholders, their technical consultants, and legal counsel, has yet to release an update on the previously posted statement.

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Why we need to save the San Sebastian Church, according to experts - ABS-CBN News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First funeral held for collapse victim

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Minnesota Historical andCultural Heritage Grantlarge grant recipients

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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