Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Discussion surrounding whether the 310-unit Laurel Park neighborhood will receive permission to be constructed in the East Fairfax Magisterial District continued during a Tuesday discussion amongst town officials and developers.

Earlier this month, the Town Council delayed voting on a rezoning request that would permit the construction of 135 single-family detached units and 175 attached dwelling units on a 60-acre lot off Laurel Street just south of the High Point subdivision. The matter was sent to a committee consisting of town officials for discussions regarding the developments parking and impact on the school system and traffic.

Stephen Plescow, one of the developers, noted that while the project has been in the works for over a year, the Nov. 24 committee meeting marked the first time it was informally discussed with the Town Council. During a presentation, Plescow specifically wanted to address issues broached earlier this month surrounding traffic, parking, schools and whether the project is generally appropriate for the town.

Regarding the latter, Plescow noted the towns comprehensive plan specifically states that the land should be used for a neo-traditional residential neighborhood. While the comprehensive plan allows for up to 24 homes per acre at the site, he explained that the developers desired something smaller in scale that is compatible with High Point.

Plescow noted that High Point homes have sold out and the proposal would help meet market demands as there is a lack of new housing in Culpeper.

For people that want to move into the area and also people that live here, and particularly people at High Point that want to move up, this provides an opportunity of more housingMove into a house that you can afford, build up your equity as your family grows, move up and buy a bigger house. We think Laurel Park is a great opportunity for people to do that, he said.

Plescow said market data shows that supply is drying up in Culpeper as both inventory and the amount of days homes stay on the market have decreased 70% over the last year. Additionally, he noted that active listings have decrease by 33%.

Why is this important? If theres a lack of supply and theres a huge demand, its going to drive prices upSo we need some more housing product to help balance out the market, he said.

While the development would help balance the market, Plescow said it would also generate notable income for the town. For example, sewer, water and electric service fees would amount to $6 million in town revenue. Additionally, he said the development would create a property tax base generating $650,000-plus annually in town and county real estate tax revenue.

The developers would also fund about $1.2 million worth of improvements at the intersection of Laurel Street and Orange Road, including the addition of left turn lanes entering and exiting Laurel Street. Other improvements, Plescow said, would help finish Laurel by widening the road while adding curb, gutter and storm drainage improvements.

Having learned from High Point parking issues, Plescow said the proposed development would have marked parking spaces on just one side of the street. About 200 parking spaces have been added to plans since earlier this month for a total of 1,466, which doubles the amount required by town ordinances. This means there would 4.7 parking spaces per house. Assuming nobody parks in garages, there would be 3.3 parking spaces per house.

During a public hearing earlier this month, some speakers said the developers should contribute to the community in more ways than just building homes. Plescow noted that the developers are offering a $46,500 donation to the Culpeper Police Department. Another $250,000 would be used to provide recreational opportunities in the neighborhood including open playfields, gazebos and walking trails. There would also be a large park on the propertys eastern edge and a series of smaller pocket parks.

In response to concerns that the development would overcrowd schools, Plescow said data from Loudon and Fauquier counties was used to estimate that the neighborhood would generate about 200 students. They would attend Peral Sample Elementary School, Floyd T. Binns Middle School and Eastern View High School.

At the end of Plescows presentation, council member Jamie Clancey expressed concerns regarding those estimates and said the town needs better statistics on how the neighborhood would impact schools. Other council members present agreed that more time is needed to further discuss the matter.

Plescow said the developers do not want to rush the project and are open to suggestions and ideas leading to the best possible outcome.

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Developers of proposed 310-home neighborhood address recently posed issues - Inside NoVA

Samaria Rice published a heartfelt Facebook post to mark the six-year anniversary of her son Tamir Rice's death.

On November 22, 2014, 12-year-old Tamir was shot twice by a white police officer, Timothy Loehmann, while playing with a plastic pellet gun by a recreation center in Cleveland, Ohio. The child died hours later.

In honor of her late son, Samaria founded The Tamir Rice Foundation in 2016 to provide children with "after-school programs in arts and culture," according to the foundation's website.

"As we honor Tamir Rice on his 6th death anniversary, I wanted to show how pain is turned into power: By loving my children and grandchildren unconditionally," Samaria wrote on Facebook on Sunday. She asked for $6 donations to the foundation "so we can continue to build our Afro-Centric Cultural Center to honor Tamir and support youth in Cleveland."

The Afro-Centric Cultural Center is the foundation's core initiative, serving as an "enriching space to keep children safe from unjust harm."

Samaria also shared photos of a gazebo, where she said Tamir "was assassinated by law enforcement."

"This is my forever lasting memory of my son Tamir," she wrote. "Thanks to my great friend Theaster Gates and the Rebuild Foundation for always supporting us and understanding our needs unconditionally. "

Gates, an artist, obtained the gazebo and stored it at his Stony Island Arts Bank museum in Chicago, Illinois, according to The Grio.

"Caring for this gazebo felt like my duty as a Black man," Gates told The Guardian last year.

Samaria has spoken openly about her personal journey mourning her son's death and told USA Today in June that "it's an empty feeling of loss when you don't have your puzzle complete."

"People ask me all the time, 'How are you standing up?'" she told the outlet. "I'm telling them I do know that it's through the grace of God."

Tamir's death sparked nationwide outrage as widely shared video footage of the shooting showed Loehmann shot the child within seconds of arriving at the scene.

After a weekslong trial, a grand jury in December 2015 did not charge Loehmann and his partner Frank Garmback for their actions that resulted in his death. In 2016, Tamir's family was given a $6 million settlement from the city in a federal lawsuit. A year later, Loehmann was terminated from the Cleveland Police Department for reasons unrelated to the shooting.

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Samaria Rice writes heartfelt post to honor her son Tamir - Insider - INSIDER

Pictured here are several trees from a previous years Community Night of Giving. (Leeanna Wilbur photo)

RANGELEY The Rangeley Rotary Club will be hosting its annual Community Night of Giving in a new way, bringing the Rangeley area community together in a safe and engaging way.

Since 2009, the Rotary Club has held a holiday fundraiser. First called the Festival of Trees, then dubbed the Community Night of Giving, this event raises funds for community members who may need a helping hand. This includes families who need help with school clothes or Christmas presents for their children, seniors who need heating assistance, cancer patients who could use some help with food and lodging when theyre receiving treatment, and others who need a hand.

This year the challenge was creating a safe, fun way to celebrate the holidays in the face of COVID-19.

Wednesday, Nov. 25, the Miracle Tree will be placed at the Gazebo at Haley Pond. This tree will represent hope for the community with the end of 2020 and the new light of 2021, according to Leeanna Wilbur.

Every day for 12 days, beginning Saturday, Nov. 28, a new tree will be placed outdoors in Rangeley. The trees are decorated by local businesses and represent the Twelve Days of Christmas. A clue will be posted on Facebook and shared with students at the Rangeley Lakes Regional School, encouraging families to get out walking or driving to search for the trees. The last tree will be revealed on Wednesday, Dec. 9.

Saturday, Dec. 12, a drawing will be held, raffling off the Twelve Days of Christmas trees. Tickets are $25 each, and 100% of the funds raised will be put into the Rotarys community fund. In addition, for $500, a class at RLRS may be sponsored; each child in the class will get an entry in the drawing for a tree of their choice.

In previous years, the trees were inside and businesses could add items to the trees such as gift cards, goodie baskets or products. However, to keep things COVID safe, the trees will all be outdoors. Businesses can attach laminated notes to their trees with any items that may be included, and the winner of each tree will take the tree, the stand and any items attached to the tree.

Classes may be sponsored multiple times, and folks can collaborate to sponsor a class.

Leeanna Wilbur reported Thursday, Nov. 18, that they had raised $7,400 and seven classes had been sponsored, before the event had even started.

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The Twelve Days of Christmas with Rangeley - The Original Irregular

As part of the Trees Are Life initiative in conjunction with the Town of Warwick Shade Tree Commissioner and the Warwick Valley Gardeners, the Village of Warwick Department of Public Works along with the Shade Tree Commissioner, Robert Scheuermann is thrilled to announce that several trees have been planted in the Village of Warwick.

Although Arbor Day celebrations did not formally occur this year, the Village continues its important tree planting as part of its Tree City activities. The Village has been an active participant in the Tree City Program for 36 years.

The following trees have been planted recently in the Village of Warwick: four Hornbeam Trees in the Stanley-Deming Park Gazebo and five Gold Rush, Dawn Redwood Trees at the Roger Metzger Arboretum.

In the upcoming weeks the following trees will be planted: two Red Point Maple Trees on Park Ave., a Flowering Cherry Tree on 10-12 Main St. and a Yellowwood Tree at the Hallowed Ground located at the corner of Galloway Rd. and Forester Ave.

A crew from the Village of Warwick Dept. of Public Works plant one of several trees as part of the Trees Are Life initiative in conjunction with the Shade Tree Commissions in the Village and Town & the Warwick Valley Gardeners.

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'Trees Are Life': Trees Planted in Village of Warwick - wvdispatch.com

POMPEY, N.Y. In 1978, Bob Manikheim and his wife, Joyce, were living in a development in Fayetteville.

It seemed like the houses were just two feet apart, he joked. We wanted more space.

He found it.

He bought two acres of property out on Cazenovia Road in Pompey and then, through what Manikheim calls happenstance, he acquired eight more contiguous lots around it for a grand total of 60 acres.

He called the land there rough and bad and likened it to a swamp with many dead trees.

But he was more than up to the task, joking that the work allowed to relieve stress on the weekends.

It took a long time to coral all the water and open it up, he said.

He dug several crystal-clear ponds, built a gazebo, and planted hundreds of new spruce trees.

His family gathered around him, occupying three homes on his property. He called it his family compound.

But things change.

In 2008, and some family moving on, he wanted to build a new home there. One that was quiet and private and took advantage of the beautiful countryside.

His new three-bedroom, three-bathroom house is at the end of a 2,000-foot driveway.

It is not really a driveway, he joked. It is a street!

Manikheim modestly says the home was meant to be functional and to look pretty good.

The home was built to be open and easy to move around in. He says he and his wife can live easily on just the ground floor.

The floor plan is open, and the home has high ceilings and many windows.

We went overboard with windows, he said, adding that there was no sense to do all this work outdoors and not enjoy it.

The kitchen is a special favorite for him.

He enjoys having breakfast in the dining area and looking out at the wildlife, like deer, raccoon, foxes and every bird you can think of.

Everyday someone new walks by, he said.

The kitchen, great room, with its many windows and beautiful gas fireplace, and master bedroom all have access to the deck which runs the entire length of the front of the house.

The property is an outdoors lovers paradise.

It feels like you are in the country there, Manikheim said. You think you are someplace else when you visit.

Hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, and ATV riding are all possible there.

The swimmers pond has been stocked with bass, has its own private beach, and is grated for both young and more experienced swimmers. A pond house with a bathroom, sink and refrigerator is where his children had parties while growing up.

A wildlife pond is stocked with minnows, which attract birds like blue heron and are used to feed the bass in the other pond.

After all these years there, he feels the property is too much for someone his age.

Manikheim says it is bittersweet to leave the property after all the work he has done there.

Anyone moving in will have the knowledge of knowing we did things right.

He and his wife plan to remain in the area and help their children with the new breweries they are opening, Seneca Street Brewery and Erie Canal Brewing Company.

(NOTE: Manikheim is selling the home and the entire 39 acres for one price but is willing to sell the house and just 13 acres for a lower price.)

For more information about this property, please contact realtors Sophia Sorrentino Benjamin, of Weichert Realtors of the Bollinger Group, or Allen Olmsted, of Canaan Realty. Their information is below.

THE DETAILS

Address: 8417 Cazenovia Road, Manlius, N.Y. 13104

Price: $1,100,000 (This price is for the house and all 39 acres. The owners will sell the house and 13 acres the home is on for $965,000. The mortgage figure is for 39-acre option.)

Size: 4,723 square feet

Acreage: 39 acres

Monthly Mortgage: $3,714 (based on this weeks national average rate of 3.01 percent, according to Freddie Mac, for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a 20 percent down payment. Fees and points not included.)

Taxes: $21,447 (Based on assessed value of $529,400)

Built: 2008

School District: Fayetteville-Manlius

Kitchen: The kitchen is really big and really open. It features plenty natural all hickory cabinets, oak flooring and granite counter and splashboard. It has a large island, two ovens, a six-burner stove with griddle and a large refrigerator. Bob and Joyce Manikheim enjoy breakfast in the dining area surrounded by windows which looks out onto the gazebo and gardens. They watch the wildlife from there.

Living areas: The home was built to be open and functional. Visitors arrive in the large front foyer which has built-in display shelves, recessed and decorative lighting and two large closets. The living room has high cathedral ceilings and a large stone fireplace with gas logs. The large floor-to-ceiling windows let in tons of natural light and has views of the Mickey Mouse pond and waterfall. There is a den/office which could be made into a fourth bedroom. A downstairs living area has a second stone gas fireplace and built-in bookshelves. It is mainly used as a Television room. It has radiant heated floors. There is a convenient laundry room.

Master bedroom: The master bedroom has all oak flooring and recessed lighting. It has a huge walk-in closet with built-in shelves and center island dresser. It has many windows and access to the deck. There three bedrooms in the house.

Master bathroom: The master bath has two sinks and granite counters. There is a small hair and makeup studio for Joyce. The tile floor has radiant heat in it. The very large shower unit has extra jets. The two other full bathrooms have bathtubs.

Outdoors: The home is located on 39 acres of property set well off the road. Visitors arrive at a 2,000-foot driveway. Manikheim has done over 38 years of landscaping there, including grooming trails, opening fields, planting spruce trees, and digging several ponds. There are hiking and cross-country ski trails. The Swimming Pond is stocked with bass and has its own beach. It was grated for young and old swimmers. It is about 13 feet deep at its deepest point. The children would have parties there with a cute pond house there with air-conditioning, refrigerator, microwave, and bathroom. The area is private and has security lighting. The property also includes two metal pole barns and a three-bay attached garage. A breezeway to the garage is heated and has air-conditioning.

Location: The owner likes to say that the property is like a trip to the country but centrally located. It is two miles from the village of Manlius, four miles to Fayetteville and 13 to Syracuse. Owner says he is a half-mile away from bank, shopping, food, and Urgent Care.

Agent: Sophia Sorrentino Benjamin

Weichert Realtors, The Bollinger Group

Address: 7137 East Genesee Street, Fayetteville, N.Y. 13066

Phone: (315) 657-4466

Email: sophia@thebollingergroup.net

Agent: Allen Olmsted

Canaan Realty

Address: 8645 East Seneca Turnpike, Manlius, N.Y. 13104

Phone: (315) 682-4500

Email: Allen@nyland.forsale

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See our real estate transactions database

If you know of a beautiful or interesting house currently up for sale, please consider sending a nomination for it to be featured as a future House of the Week. Send an email with the listing to home@syracuse.com.

Do you know of any older homes in Central New York which have fallen on hard times but have a lot of potential should they be restored to their original grandeur? A fixer-upper with a lot of potential? Consider nominating them to our new feature, Save this Home, in which we will spotlight grand houses of the past around Central New York that need to be saved. Send nominations to home@syracuse.com.

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House of the Week: Set on 39 acres, custom-built Pompey home is like a visit to the country - syracuse.com

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A new holiday experience is coming to Redding.

The Garden of Lights opens the day after Thanksgiving at Turtle Bay's McConnell Botanical Gardens with the promise of a million colorful lights strung from shrubs and trees, glimmering in the night.

"It's a walking experience where you go through each section. You look at the lights and enjoy them, and slowly move as a group," said Seth McGaha, spokesman for Turtle Bay Exploration Park.

Where to get takeout: These Redding restaurants are open on Thanksgiving Day

"It's thrilling for kids and adults alike to walk through and see all the animations and the music. It's a really great experience," McGaha said.

An employee night Thursday offered a peek of what the public will be able to see from Nov. 27 to Dec. 27.

Redding news roundup: Shasta College's annual tree, holiday plant sale opens online

Visitors will entera holiday village where food and campfires are situatedbefore they take aone-way path that meanders through 10 acres of festive lights.

The highlights are a Candy Cane Causeway with a scent of peppermint in the air and nearly 200 feet of light tunnels. There's also an illuminated gazebo with a bench where people were taking holiday photos duringThursday's rehearsal.

The Garden of Lights at Turtle Bays McConnell Arboretum debuts Nov. 27, the Friday after Thanksgiving. For tickets, go to Reddinggardenoflights.org. Redding Record Searchlight

McGaha said masks are required when people enter but are optional the rest of the way in the garden for household groups, who are also asked to socially distance.

The Garden of Lights is locatedon the north side of the Sundial Bridge at 844 Sundial Bridge Drive.

For out-of-towners, the nearby Sheraton Redding Hotel is offering overnight packages.

McGaha recommends guests buy tickets online at Redding Garden of Lightsto receive a $5 discount. Children up to 5 years old are free and there's various prices for adults with discounts for Turtle Bay members.

Two people walk through an illuminated tunnel in the Garden of Lights at Turtle Bay's McConnell Botanical Gardens during employee night on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020.(Photo: Mike Chapman/Record Searchlight)

More: #ReddingTurkeyTrot 2020 goes virtual: What you need to know

Mike Chapman is a reporter and photographerfor the Record Searchlight in Redding, Calif. His newspaper career spans Yreka andEureka in Northern California and Bellingham, Wash. Follow him onTwitter@mikechapman_RS.Subscribe today!

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Redding Garden of Lights a sparkling show of holiday colors, sounds: What you need to know - Record Searchlight

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) The holiday season is here and as if things werent hectic enough, they are about to go up a notch.

Cities already tend to see an uptick in package thefts during the holiday season, but with the coronavirus pandemic causing online shopping and food ordering to skyrocket, it may be even worse this year.

People say theyre not just worried about porch pirates stealing their packages, but also their meals. Richmond native, Marquis Whitted, said he ordered food from a restaurant through Grub Hub on Wednesday. When he went to get his food from his front door it wasnt there.

I received the notification that my food arrived, Whitted said. And to my surprise when I walked outside to get it, nothing was there.

Whitted says he feels blessed to have a job and a roof over his head in the middle of a pandemic. But he wants to know what happens when someone is expecting to feed their family with that order.

I ordered another meal from somewhere else but can everyone do that?, he said. People work hard every day to provide for their families. Its not right for someone to take that away from them, especially around right around the holidays.

Ashley Garlick, a part-owner of The Lily Pad off Brook Road in Henrico County, deals with all the food delivery businesses like GrubHub, Door Dash and UberEats everyday.

She said the pandemic has turned life upside down for so many people across central Virginia but she says that doesnt make it okay to steal.

So much is going on in the world right now, Garlick said. But someone is expecting that food, someone has paid for that food.

She said if a situation like Whitteds happened to a customer at her business, she would ensure the customer that they would help fix the issue.

Ive had to call corporate for other reasons and Im not oppose to doing it again if I had to, said Garlick.

Richmond Police told 8News that package theft has increased from the same period last year.

Theyre concerned thefts will likely continue to rise at a rate higher than in previous years due to the pandemic.

However, RPD is hoping the public can help them in stopping the criminals.

What were hoping is that neighbors talk to their neighbors and community groups and get out the word to people, Richmond Police Department Lt. David Naoroz said. If you can have your packages delivered to a lockbox some of the delivery services offer lockbox services.

Lt. Naoroz said doorbell cameras are also an option in keeping an eye on your package and the porch pirates.

That will certainly notify you if somebodys up on the porch, but then it doesnt necessarily secure your package, Lt. Naoroz said. If any of that stuff is kind of witnessed or people see any of those suspicious activities, we really ask them to give us a call.

And as for Whitted, he said although getting his food stolen wasnt anything life or death, he wants the community to be aware that its happening.

Look, there are more important things going on in the world right now, he said. But I just want people to pay attention and stay vigilant when they are ordering anything to their homes.

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Porch pirates are snatching more than your Christmas gifts this year - 8News

As far as odd and strangely entertaining crashes go, this one is completely unhinged (sorry not sorry for going there). An Audi crashed into a porch and drove off with the front door.

As the tweet below, from the WYP Roads Policing Unit, reveals, the Audi first crashed into another vehicle and then into somebodys porch. The impact was severe enough to unhinge the front door and ram it into the windshield of the Audi, but the driver still drove like this for a while longer before stopping. Even though hed clearly been hit not to mention that he was no longer able to see anything through the windshield.

Driver collided with a vehicle, then the front porch of a house - before then continuing to drive for several meters with front door attached to car. Driver arrested suspected unfit through drink/drugs, the tweet says. Its been tagged #Fatal4, a nationwide campaign meant to raise awareness on the most common motoring offenses, including speeding and DUI.

The 18-year-old male driver of an Audi suffered head injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment for the injuries which are not thought to be serious, a West Yorkshire Police spokesman revealed some time later. Inquiries remain ongoing.

Apparently, the driver of the Audi was the only one to be injured in the incident, and even his injuries are minor. All things considered, this could have ended so much worse than it did.

This means its ok to laugh at the mishap, which is exactly what Twitter is doing. Completely innocent. Looks like hes been framed, one user says. All those doors but still struggled to get out, adds another, while more ask the police if they knocked on the door when they arrived at the scene to arrest the irresponsible driver. Was a two door, now a 3 door car, says one user, while another declares this to be an open and shut case.

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An Unhinged Tale: Audi Crashes Into Porch, Drives Off With the Front Door - autoevolution

Tests of wastewater from across Maine have shown a steady increase in COVID-19 cases in recent months, offering additional, localized insight into the spread of the coronavirus.

Some Maine colleges, meanwhile, have successfully used the stuff flushed down the toilet to detect and isolate cases before they lead to larger outbreaks. St. Josephs College, for instance, has found infected-but-asymptomatic individuals on campus after following the virus trail to specific buildings.

The wastewater has given us the tip off, said Oliver Griswold, a spokesman for the small, private college in Standish. In both of the two outbreaks weve had, we heard from the wastewater first.

Still, it would take more frequent and robust screening to turn the states massive network of toilets into an early warning system for infection spikes.

Individuals infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 shed fragments or genetic markers of the virus in waste. While research suggests the amount of active or live virus in feces is low, laboratories can detect and then amplify active or inactive markers as another way to detect trends before they begin showing up in the daily case counts.

This is allowing us to get a finger on the pulse of whats going on in the community, said Yolanda Brooks, an assistant professor of biology at St. Josephs College whose team has been testing samples from the Portland Water District, Yarmouth and the campus community.

The Portland Water District has been collecting weekly samples from its East End treatment plant in Portland and its Westbrook/Gorham facility for COVID-19 testing since July. Test results show levels of virus materials increasing starting in September and spiking in late-October. That correlates with surging case numbers within surrounding communities in recent weeks as Maine has seen the highest rates of infections and deaths since the pandemic arrived in Maine in March.

Traces of the virus in samples from the Westbrook/Gorham treatment plant, for instance, increased by a magnitude of 10 between Sept. 1 and Nov. 3. While Brooks said federal officials caution against estimating the number of infections in an area based on wastewater results, she noted that Westbrook/Gorham had just a handful of cases on Sept. 1 and roughly 50 as of last week.

It does confirm a correlation, said Brooks, who has a doctorate in microbiology and a background in studying fecal pollution.

Other towns in Maine, including Yarmouth and Augusta, also have contracted with St. Josephs College or a national lab to conduct testing.

St. Josephs internal testing program, meanwhile, illustrates the enormous potential for wastewater monitoring.

Because St. Josephs has its own wastewater treatment system serving a relatively small population, staff have been able to use the testing results to zero in on clusters of cases in individual buildings.

The process begins by collecting a series of samples from each of the three wastewater lift stations that serve different sections of campus. By analyzing those results, Brooks and her colleagues can see whether levels of the viruss genetic markers have changed since the previous tests and, in the event of an increase, order building-level testing in that zone.

The college can then test individuals residing or working in buildings that have elevated levels of the virus markers. The vast majority of the students infected with COVID-19, to date, were asymptomatic but potentially contagious, so wastewater testing enabled college health officials to find and isolate them, said Griswold, the colleges spokesman.

The early warning piece of it has given the whole campus a sense of we are going to know early what is going on campus, Griswold said. Whereas if you are just doing individual testing, you are going to know only when you have a problem, not before you have a problem.

St. Josephs College has had 15 confirmed cases during the past two weeks, prompting administrators to transition all students to remote learning and send them home early this week before the Thanksgiving break.

Three campuses of the University of Maine System Orono, Fort Kent and the University of Southern Maine also have been testing wastewater for COVID-19 since September. More recently, the UMaine lab where the test is done recently started analyzing wastewater from the town of Orono and is working with the University of New England in Biddeford on testing.

Both the UMaine and St. Josephs labs use a testing system developed by IDEXX Laboratories in Westbrook. The veterinary services company has also partnered with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to provide the equipment and materials used to conduct thousands of COVID-19 tests daily on nasal swabs collected from individuals.

Robert Wheeler, associate professor of microbiology who leads the testing effort from his Orono lab, said virus levels in wastewater have been rising since September but the increase has not been steady. Wheeler noted that the various campuses have had lower numbers of infections among students and staff than their surrounding communities.

The combination of sensitive testing technology and low virus prevalence rates allows them to detect slight changes.

If we dont have any known cases but we are seeing the virus in the wastewater, that is a disconnect and triggers a discussion about where to direct additional testing, Wheeler said.

Like Portland, UMaines testing is only done weekly, which limits the ability to quickly detect trends. Wheeler said his lab hopes to expand capacity this spring.

Ideally we would be testing all of these places every day, he said. The University of Maine doesnt quite have all of the resources to do that and the State of Maine hasnt provided those resources as of yet.

Scott Firmin, director of wastewater services at the Portland Water District, said it would be up to the member communities about whether to increase testing frequency. Tests cost $120 per weekly sample during the first, three-month period of the pilot project, but the district has since extended the agreement with St. Josephs College lab at $380 per sample.

With all of the focus on fragments of the virus in wastewater, Firmin stressed that drinking water is safe.

We use dual water treatments, ozone and ultraviolet light, that effectively inactivate viruses and kill pathogens, Firmin wrote in an email. COVID-19 is mainly thought to spread between people who are in close contact with one another, not through water, according to the CDC. The EPA states that the presence of the COVID-19 virus has not been detected in drinking-water supplies and based on current evidence the risk to water supplies is low.

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A wave of wild weather crossing Victoria, in the form of a trough that brought thunderstorms and substantial rainfall, damaged roofs and brought down fences and trees across Ballarat and some other parts of western Victoria.

The regional city's State Emergency Service (SES) unit was the second-busiest in the state as units responded to 402 jobs in 24 hours.

Ballarat SES controller Gordon Hicks said a "very focused weather event" affected a few streets in Alfredton, a suburb of Ballarat.

"We had a house that lost a few tiles off the roof, we also had another house that lost a fair proportion of its metal roof," he said.

"There were some smaller sheds in backyards that were picked up and moved around and parts of air conditioners on roofs that came off the roof and ended up in backyards of other properties.

"So there were quite a few properties affected by this weather event."

He said Ballarat saw similar damage from localised storms six or seven times each year.

"Ballarat get these fairly regularly, we're no stranger to these weather events," Mr Hicks said.

"These are very focused weather cells."

Deputy controller Olivia Lorkin said the period stretching from mid-morning Sunday through to Monday had been one of the busiest, and wettest, for the year.

"We've seen some particular storm cells in the Alfredton area, we've also seen some jobs out in Miners Rest, Creswick and also out in Warrenheip as well," she said.

"We've been out in isolated areas that have been most impacted by the storm cells and the rain and some of the flash flooding that's happened."

A resident of Canopy Street in the Ballarat suburb of Alfredton, Angela, said her neighbours described seeing a lightning strike hit one house this morning.

"About 5.30 [we heard] a massive gust of wind we described it like a truck just revving and revving out the front of our house, something I've never heard before," she said.

"It was over probably in about 60 seconds, maybe 2 minutes, it was really quick and really short.

"People have lost roofs off their houses, other houses completely lost their fences."

Bureau of Meteorology data shows more than 40mm of rain fell in Ballarat in the 24-hour time period to 9am this morning.

The Ballarat data from the city's aerodrome recorded a wind gust of 57 kilometres per hour late Sunday afternoon and gusts up to 35kph this morning.

During that time 30mm was recorded at Warrnambool, 28.4mm was recorded at Mortlake and 11mm at Ararat.

A supermarket in Ballarat East had to be evacuated late Sunday afternoon after water started leaking through the roof.

Meanwhile the Bacchus Marsh SES unit assisted with a rescue of an injured hiker at Lerderderg Gorge on Sunday afternoon just before the rain hit.

The team helped winch the hiker to safety before hiking through the pouring rain to respond to six more calls for help in the town for building damage and flooding.

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Storm cell picks up sheds, tears off section of roofs in Alfredton, Ballarat - ABC News