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LOUISVILLE, Ky. The Miller Transportation bus was idling in the parking lot at noon Thursday as Scotty Davenport reached into his car and stuffed things into an already-full duffle bag. A couple shirts were squeezed in. A belt went in the side compartment.

The journey of a coaching lifetime was about to begin.

Think of all the years in that gym, Davenport says, cocking his head toward Knights Hall a few feet away. Think of all the hoursaround the clock sometimes, literally. And think of where were going now.

Davenport paused, blue eyes sparkling above his maroon mask. It can be done, he says. It can.

Where the Bellarmine University Knights are going now is Cameron Indoor Stadium. Their first game as an NCAA Division I basketball program will be Friday night against none other than the Duke Blue Devils. After decades at the Division II level playing in nondescript, Great Lakes Valley Conference gyms around the Midwest, the DI baptism will come in the games cathedral.

Bellarmine is one of four 2020 additions to D-I, alongside Tarleton State, UC San Diego and Dixie State. That swells the ranks to 357. But only one of the newcomers is opening like this, finding an opponent suitably grand to match the ambition that got Bellarmine here.

Bellarmine University's men's basketball team prepares for its first season of Division I basketball.

Matt Stone/Courier Journal-Imagn Content Services, LLC

The school is new to Division I, but Davenport is nothe was an assistant to Hall of Famers Denny Crum and Rick Pitino at Louisville before getting the Bellarmine head-coaching job in 2005. Davenport put his connections to work when constructing the teams original schedule.

In July, the opener was going to be on different sacred ground in the sport: UCLAs Pauley Pavilion. Davenport arranged that through Bruins coach Mick Cronin, who also was on Pitinos staff at Louisville in the early 2000s. The second game was Duke, a matchup that came to be with the help of assistant coach Nolan Smithhis late father, Derek, was a standout for Louisville when Davenport was a walk-on junior varsity player in the early 1980s. A trip to Gonzaga also was on the slate.

But as everyone in college hoops knows, summer schedules became as disposable as cocktail napkins. Everything was torn apart and has been pieced back together. As recently as Wednesday morning, Davenport was still hoping the game against Duke was on for Friday, with a second game in Cameron Sunday against Howard.

To Bellarmines elation, the schedule held.

As the sun crept into the morning sky Thursday, Davenport went out for his daily run. The 62-year-old logged four miles around the Crescent Hill reservoir, puffing clouds of breath into the 27-degree air, as his mind raced. When he got to the office, Davenport wrote a thank you note to Mike Krzyzewski for scheduling the game, hoping to hand-deliver it Friday.

Then the Knights practiced Thursday morning in their own gym before embarking on the eight-hour bus ride to Durham. (They opted not to fly to minimize contact with the outside world and keep their team healthy.) After practice, Davenport read his team a text he received from a retired Louisville Metro Police officer, George Rodman, whose son and fellow officer, Nick, was killed in the line of duty in 2017:

Coach D, in this crazy world, life experiences are invaluable. When you experience a tragic loss youre always searching for a ray of sunshine in life. Please tell the team theyre more than basketball players, they are the ray of sunshine that helps us put one foot in front of the other. They give us something to be excited about! We will be watching and cheering. Have a great year!

Scotty Davenport couldnt get through reading it to his team without tears.

Bellarmine men's basketball head coach Scott Davenport watches a recent practice.

Matt Stone/Courier Journal-Imagn Content Services, LLC

If the baptism is Friday, conception came in June 2019. Thats when the small Catholic college in the Highlands neighborhood of Louisville was announced as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference. (Davenport received a congratulatory call then from Pitino, who touted him for the Bellarmine job.) Official delivery date was July 1, 2020, when school president Susan Donovan hit send on the paperwork to NCAA offices.

On that day, the Birth of a Program, Davenport walked into a darkened Knights Hall, sat down in Section 208 and cried.

The winningest coach in Bellarmine history took over a program coming off five straight losing seasons and by year four had the Knights in the Division II tournament sweet sixteen. In 2011, Bellarmine won the D-II national championship, then made three subsequent Final Fours. Davenport built the thing, and July 1 was the emotional payoff.

The coach doesnt just wear his emotions on his sleeve; he wears them on his trousers, his collar, his forehead everywhere. North Carolina coach Roy Williams has declared himself the corniest man in college basketball, but he better make room for the new guy. The guy whose ring tone on his phone is One Shining Moment. The Louisville lifer who will tell stories for hours about growing up here and wanting to make his hometown proud.

If a guy like me can get right here, right now, he says, anyone can.

Davenport lived at 1508 Central Avenue, just a few blocks from Churchill Downs, in Louisvilles gritty South End. (There are few things he loves more than holding court in the mornings of Kentucky Derby week in the Churchill barn area.) His father, Lawrence, died of a heart attack on Halloween when Scotty was 9 years old. Raised by his mom, Evelyn, who had a sixth-grade education and worked for 43 years as a hair stylist, he rode the city bus to junior high. He was not blessed with abundant athletic talent, but had an unquenchable love of basketball and played at Iroquois High School.

That quickly channeled him into coaching after college. The first job was as a graduate assistant to Crum, then as an assistant coach for one season at Virginia Commonwealth, then back home as the head coach at Ballard High School.

In his first two seasons, Ballard was part of two epic state championship games. The Bruins, led by sophomore and future NBA star Allan Houston, lost the 1987 title in overtime to Clay County, a rural school from deep in Appalachia led by future Kentucky guard Richie Farmer. In the 1988 rematch, Ballard withstood a 51-point barrage from Farmer to gain revenge.

The second game garnered national attention and brought ESPNs Scholastic Sports America show to town to cover it. The fresh-faced reporter on the story for ESPN: Chris Fowler, the current face of college football for the network. After Ballard won, Davenport cajoled Fowler into joining the victory party at Gerstles Tavern, and convinced the owner to keep the place open all night.

Crum brought Davenport back to his staff in the mid-1990s, and Pitino wisely chose to keep him on staff for institutional memory when he took over in 2001. But that job came with one condition: Davenport had to lose weight. Pitinos famous preoccupation with his players conditioning didnt stop when it came to his staff.

Think of all the things your dad never got to see you do, Pitino said to Davenport before putting him on a workout regimen.

At the time, Davenport weighed 249 pounds. Within a year, hed lost 78. Hes kept the weight off ever since.

As with most Pitino staffers, there was always a chance for upward mobility. When Bellarmine opened, Davenport jumped at the chance to be a college head coach in his hometown. He set the same hard-work expectation for his players that had guided his life, and told them that meeting expectations might require some extra hours.

The back door [to the gym], Davenport says, if you yank it hard enough, sometimes it opens. And the ball rack, I set it right by the office door for a reason. I can tell if theyve been used.

The wins piled up, and Bellarmine found its niche in a basketball-mad city preoccupied by rival powers Kentucky and Louisville. The Knights were Switzerland. And a fun Switzerland at that.

Everyone in this town can argue every day about red and blue, and one side hating the other, Davenport says. But they can all like us. Two guys sitting in an office arguing all day can say, Lets go watch Bellarmine, and eat popcorn together and cheer for the same team.

What few people ever saw comingincluding Davenportwas Division I status. Lacrosse actually paved the way, moving to D-I in 2005. Given the basketball programs prowess, the school gradually started envisioning the entire athletic program joining the big-time.

Sitting in Section 208 on July 1, Davenport had one more reason to be emotional. A few feet away was a plaque honoring his late mother, who sat there in her wheelchair in later years for home games. If Lawrence and Evelyn could have seen him then

Bellarmine men's basketball head coach Scott Davenport smiles while talking with his team during a recent practice.

Matt Stone/Courier Journal-Imagn Content Services, LLC

On July 5, Bellarmine welcomed its first Division I basketball team back to campus. They had physicals, checked players into dorms, and had a meeting on COVID-19 protocols. Then Davenport herded all the players into Section 208 for a quick talk.

The theme: privilege and opportunity.

What about those Cincinnati soccer players? he asks, referencing a program that had just been eliminated. You think theyd like to be you? What about all the players that came before you here? You get a chance to win the first Division I game in school history, and when that happens Im going to shake the other coachs hand and then sprint to watch you.

You feel lucky now? Nobody in the history of this place is going to do what you get to do.

Davenport asks the veteran players who their opening opponent was in 2019.

Northwoods, comes the response.

Oh! He shoots back. This year its UCLA.

(Or was.)

Then he asks who the second opponent was in 2019.

Saginaw Valley.

Oh! This year its Duke.

The players dispersed to play pickup, while Davenport went into his office. He and his wife, Sharon, had spent the previous night at Costco buying snacks for the locker room, laying out practice gear, putting new name plates on the lockers. At a D-I startup, the head coachs duty list is long.

These guys left here last spring disappointed they didnt get to play in the D-II tournament, Davenport says. They come back staring UCLA and Duke in the face. You think things changed in your life in the pandemic? Ill see you and raise you one.

That was in the swelter of a Louisville July. By early December, when it was time to get on the bus and actually stare Duke in the face, everyone was wearing coatseveryone but Davenport, bustling around the parking lot in a T-shirt that said, RISE.

A son of Louisvilles gritty South End has risen, and brought a basketball program with him. Next stop is the first stop in a newborn Division I basketball programs slightly miraculous journey: Cameron Indoor Stadium.

See the article here:
The Rise of the Bellarmine Knights: How a Rick Pitino Disciple Built a Division I Basketball Program in His Hometown - Sports Illustrated

Amazons Lord of the Ringsseries just announced their second wave of casting and we are excited by the twenty (yes, 20!) new additions to the epic series set in Middle Earths second age. These actors join the first group announced in January of this year. With alumni from beloved series likes Spartacus and Westworld, the list is seriously impressive, and it also includes some new faces you havent heard of.

Firstly, the folks we know: At the top of the list is Cynthia Addai-Robinson, who I absolutely adored in Starzs Spartacus series and who also played Amanda Waller on Arrow. Another Spartacus alum, Simon Merrells, who played Ceasar on the series, is also joining the cast. Sir Lenny Henry is a well-established British actor and comedian who co-founded Comic Relief and was seen in Broadchurch andHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Peter Mullan, who has impressed genre audience on Westworld and more recently on Netflixs Cursed is also joining the cast, and I cant think of a better actor to play a corrupt king of men, though Im just guessing there.

Other established names joining the cast are: Maxim Baldry (Years and Years), Maxine Cunliffe (Power Rangers Megaforce), Trystan Gravelle (A Discovery of Witches), Thusitha Jayasundera (Broadchurch), Fabian McCallum (You, Me & The Apocalypse), Geoff Morrell (Grassroots), Lloyd Owen (Apollo 18), Augustus Prew (The Morning Show), Peter Tait (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, as an Orc), Alex Tarrant (The Other Side of Heaven 2: Fire of Faith), Benjamin Walker (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) and Sara Zwangobani (Home and Away)

The new batch also includes several New Zealands actors and relative newcomers for American audiences: Ian Blackburn, Leon Wadham, Kip Chapman, Anthony Crumwho we will see in Amazons upcoming series The Wilds.

What I love about this casting list isnt just that its clearly a group of talented actors, but that it is inclusive and diverse. We have actors who provide a wonderfully wide range of representation, which is something we really didnt get in the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings films.

The series will be set in Middle Earths second age, when Sauron was still hanging around with mortals pretending to be just a nice friend, and when the Island of Nmenor hadnt yet been cast into the sea (again, thanks to corruption from Sauron). So yes, theres totally a chance one of the announced actors is playing hot Sauron. This series promises to be an epic (and maybe even more adult?) story, and we cant wait to return to Middle Earth.

(via Entertainment Weekly, image: New Line Cinema)

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Amazon's Lord of the Rings Series Adds TWENTY New Cast Members - The Mary Sue

Parkour organizers are opposing the sports addition to the 2024 Olympics over a sport governance dispute with some intriguing parallels to swimming.

Parkour Earth is a group that organizes the sport of parkour, or free-running, on an international level. The groups site says it was established by an agreement of six national parkour federations in the summer of 2017. Parkour Earth describes itself as the International Federation for Parkour/Freerunning.

But Parkour Earth has been publicly critical of what it calls a hostile takeover of parkour by the international governing body for gymnastics: FIG. This AP story from 2018 details the conflict, in which FIG recognized parkour as a new discipline within gymnastics and scheduled a parkour world championship event. FIG has now begun lobbying the International Olympic Committee to get parkour added as an Olympic sport for the 2024 Olympics.

But parkour practitioners have complained about the gymnastics federations maneuvers, arguing that the gymnastics body was trying to co-opt the sport of parkour to make money off of a younger fan base.

They are completely whitewashing our sport, its integrity, its history, its lineage, its authenticity, said Parkour Earth headEugene Minoguein that 2018 story. They want to codify it, they want to monetize it. Its about money, about influence, about power, about control. Its about having a seat at the table.

The AP reports this week that Parkour Earth has urged the International Olympic Committee to reject parkours addition to the Olympics, criticizing FIGs encroachment and misappropriation of our sport.

Why am I reading about a parkour dispute on a swimming news website, one might wonder? Aside from the Olympic connection (the IOC is finalizing its program for the 2024 Olympics this week, and additions of new sports or new events within a sport are all somewhat interdependent), the parkour debate comes as swimming explores its own debate about who owns a sport on the international stage.

FINA has governed swimming on an international level since 1908. But criticism and corruption allegations leveled at that organization have come to a head recently with the introduction of the International Swimming League, which runs its meets outside of the FINA umbrella.

Established international federations like FINA or FIG (established in 1881) have accumulated enough size and power to make it difficult for smaller, less-established governing bodies like Parkour Earth to operate. Early in the International Swimming Leagues formation, FINA leaned on its authority over Olympic swimming to threaten two-year bans on athletes who competed in meets not approved by FINA among them, the Energy for Swim 2018 meet put together by the same organizers who were working to launch the ISL.

Ultimately, organizers canceled that Energy for Swim event rather than forcing athletes to decide whether to withdraw or risk an Olympic ban. But the ISL did launch the following year and just wrapped up its second competitive season.

More:
Parkour Organizers Oppose The Sport's Addition To 2024 Olympics - SwimSwam

Chris Bowie|Boonville Daily News

The Prairie Home Panthers basketball team did something that many teams can only dream about last year.

Although the loss to Jamestown in the district championship game was disappointing to say the least, the Panthers still walked away with their second straight conference title.

Of course Prairie Home wasnt half bad in the win column last year, either. At 18-9 overall and 3-1 in the Cooper County Activities Conference, the Panthers look for a three-peat in 2020-21 with two returning starters and seven returning letterwinners under head coach Trever Huth.

Im really excited about coaching these boys again this year, Huth said. Ive had them for four years through baseball season and now two seasons of basketball and I think everyone is excited for the upcoming year. After winning the conference the last two years, we look forward to trying to repeat that long with another good season. I thought we played a tough schedule last year and really performed well throughout the season. This year we have a lot of seniors and juniors, that look to lead the team throughout the year.

Huth added that the Panthers will have over 10 guys that can go out there and give quality minutes every game. He said all 10 can shoot the ball and get to the basket when they want. With that, he said, the Panthers also have several kids that play defense really well and can shut down opponents on nights.

Im very excited to start this season with another competitive schedule that will prepare us for districts, stated Huth.

As for the CCAA conference, Huth said the favorite will be either Prairie Home or Jamestown. He said Jamestown will be a tough and long team to guard this season. They always play great basketball with very athletic kids and shooters around the floor, he said.

Other than Jamestown, Calvary Lutheran will be another tough team to go along with Higbee, who is always very well coached and doesnt make very many mistakes, Huth said. Our team will look to be at the top of the stack along with Jamestown, followed by Calvary Lutheran and Higbee.

If the Panthers are going to have success this season, Huth will have to have great seasons from his two returning starters in seniors Blane Petsel and Jason Burnett.

While earning all-conference first team last season for Prairie Home, Huth said Petsel is a very active player that will need to take a big step this year and be a leader for the Panthers. He likes to play high tempo with a lot of energy, Huth said. We look for him to play great defensive and hit his open shots. With Blane on the floor, we have a lot of options that will make us very versatile.

As for Burnett, he also played a significant amount of minutes last season for Prairie Home while averaging 13.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 1.7 spg. Burnett also finished the season shooting 51 percent from the field, 43 percent from the three-point arc and 65 percent from the foul line.

Huth said Burnett is a very good shooter that he will look to for leadership. We need Jason to score at a high level this year, Burnett said. He is a good defender that plays hard every minute he is on the floor.

Other players that will have to help out offensively and defensively this season for Prairie Home are seniors Ty Walker, Hunter Shuffield, Dillon Alpers and Ryan Small, junior Oliver Lock and sophomore Tripp Kendrick.

Huth said Walker is a player that will be very versatile this season for the Panthers. Hes big enough to and skilled enough to play in the post, Huth said. He also can stretch the floor to the three-point line with a great jump shot to match his post game. Ty has a lot of basketball smarts and uses it to his advantage really well.

As for Shuffield, Huth said Hunter is a player that comes to practice and works hard every day. He said Shuffield has a great mid-range jump shot to go along with a great drive game. He plays good defense, very quick on the floor and will look to him for some fast break points, Huth said.

As for Alpers, Huth said Dillon is a player that plays the game hard. He said Alpers plays a lot bigger than 6-0 on the floor. He rebounds the ball well to go along with great defense, Huth said. He will be another kid that we will look to run the floor to get some quick and easy layups.

As for Lock, Huth said Oliver will look to get a lot more varsity time this year. He said Lock shoots the ball very well and just plays the game the right way. Oliver runs the offense really well and plays good defense to back it up, Huth said.

As for Small, Huth said Ryan will be player to look at varsity time this year. He said Small gets the ball to the hole well. He is a long armed kid that blocks shots well on defense, Huth said. If he plays the way we think he can play, he will help us out a lot this year.

As for Kendrick, Huth said Tripp still has some learning to do but has come a long way from last year. We will need him to play well on the defensive side of the ball and make open shots on the offensive side, Huth said. Tripp is a big kid that we look to get a lot of rebounds and be a force in the paint.

Other key additions this season for Prairie Home are Payton Pitts, Layne Brandes, Landon Case, Grant Milne.

The Prairie Home Panthers basketball team will play three games in three days to start the season. After the December 2 game at Pilot Grove, the Panthers will play Green Ridge at Bunceton on December 3 and then closeout the week on December 4 on the road against Norborne.

View original post here:
Prairie Home boys like their chances of three-peating in the CCAA conference in 2020-21 - Boonville Daily News

Explore Pier Avenue

Stretching from Pacific Coast Highway to the Strand, Pier Avenue is the central artery of Hermosa Beach. Along this winding road youll find restaurants, cafes, bars, and boutique shops. Grab a parking space somewhere in the middle, and explore this eclectic street on foot.

Stars Antique Market, located in a historic building from 1917, is an iconic site along Pier Ave. Pop in to enjoy a range of vintage and antique goods from over 65 vendors. Our visit coincided with the holidays, and I enjoyed a large display of vintage ornaments and decorations at the front of the shop.

Java Man Coffee House opened shortly after Jason and I moved to Hermosa Beach, and it soon became my go-to spot for coffee and a muffin after my morning walk along the Strand. I was delighted to see that its still open and doing well. In addition to indoor seating, they also offer a large outdoor patio -- a great spot to watch life unfold along this bustling street.

You cant miss curious with its aqua blue exterior and festively decorated windows. But the inside is even better. I spent almost 30 minutes browsing their fun collection of gifts, books, puzzles, and cards. Clearly, the owners Andrew and Bryce have a great sense of humor.

At the base of Pier Ave. is Pier Plaza, a pedestrian-only street full of restaurants and bars. In the evenings and weekends, this part of town has a party vibe. But tucked in between all the restaurants is Spyder Surf II, a fun store selling casual clothes for men, women, and children. Their main store on Pacific Coast Highway has been selling surfboards, snowboards, and related gear since 1978.

View original post here:
The Best Things To Do In Beautiful Hermosa Beach, Plus Where To Eat And Stay - TravelAwaits

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If you blinked, you missed most of the 2020 NBA offseason action.

In a little over a week, we saw rosters revamped by the draft, trades and free-agent signings. And while not every team operated with the relentless transactional fury of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who swung deals with 10 organizations, it was still easy to come out of the experience feeling as dazed as Trevor Ariza, who shuttled between four teams in a matter of hours.

These offseason grades will assess how each organization did with the resources it had at its disposal, keeping in mind that not everyone had cap space, high draft picks or useful trade chips. There's no curve here, but we'll acknowledge each team's varying goals and positions in the league hierarchy as we evaluate their work.

In some cases, win-now moves made sense. In others...not so much.

We'll be tough but fair, though judging by the plethora of high marks we'll see, it seems like several teams used the lengthy hiatus from March to July to get their plans in order.

Then again, maybe the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets could have used a few more weeks.

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Notable Additions: Danilo Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kris Dunn, Rajon Rondo, Tony Snell, Onyeka Okongwu

Notable Subtractions: Dewayne Dedmon, Jeff Teague, DeAndre' Bembry, Vince Carter

Notable Re-Signings: None

The Atlanta Hawks weren't stingy with their cap space, handing 32-year-old Danilo Gallinari a three-year, $61.5 million deal and following that with a $72 million offer sheet for Bogdan Bogdanovic.If short-term improvement was the goal, Atlanta achieved it.

A partial guarantee on the third year of Gallo's deal offers the Hawks protection against the veteran's decline. If Gallinari ages poorly, Atlanta can get out from under the last year of his contract for a nominal fee.

Rajon Rondo addresses the playmaking void that opened whenever Trae Young sat last seasonthough at far too high a price (two years, $15 million)and Kris Dunn is an ideal defense-first fit in the backcourt. Throw in Tony Snell and Onyeka Okongwu, and the Hawks have essentially added six rotation pieces.

It's fair to worry that Atlanta spent too aggressively in ways that might compromise long-term flexibility and, ultimately, lower the franchise's ceiling. But the Hawks also wisely held off on a big extension for John Collins and could flip him for future assets to offset their recent win-now expenditures.

Snatching Okongwu with the sixth pick could also go down as a draft success. There's a nonzero chance he winds up the best big in the 2020 class, and his versatility makes him a clean fit in the modern game.

In all, the Hawks paid handsomely to improve. The playoffs aren't just a goal; they should be the expectation.

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Notable Additions: Tristan Thompson, Jeff Teague, Aaron Nesmith, Payton Pritchard

Notable Subtractions: Gordon Hayward, Enes Kanter, Brad Wanamaker

Notable Re-signings: Jayson Tatum

Under no circumstances should the Boston Celtics have met the market rates set by the Charlotte Hornets for Gordon Hayward, who opted out of his $34.2 million 2020-21 salary to sign a four-year, $120 million agreement with Charlotte.

That said, if the Celtics could have pulled off a sign-and-trade with the Indiana Pacers for Myles Turner and Doug McDermott, asGary Washburn of the Boston Globereported was being discussed, that's a glaring missed opportunity. Now Hayward's gone, and Boston has nothing to show for it but a slightly lower tax payment.

Tristan Thompson and Jeff Teague are decent rotation options, though the former might be overpaid at the full mid-level exception (MLE), while the latter looked close to his NBA expiration date last season. Turner would have been an ideal fit in the starting five andbonuswould have given Boston the kind of mid-tier matching salary it could use in a future trade for a superstar.

The only reason Boston ekes out an average grade: Jayson Tatum is locked up at the full max after signing a rookie-scale extension that could be worth up to $195 million. It was tempting to dock the Celtics a half-grade for failing to get Tatum on a full five-year deal; he managed to negotiate a player option on that fifth season.

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Notable Additions: Bruce Brown, Landry Shamet, Jeff Green

Notable Subtractions: Garrett Temple, Dzanan Musa

Notable Re-signings: Joe Harris

No spectacular additions here, as the Brooklyn Nets seem justifiably content with a healthy Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving constituting their major offseason talent infusion.

Bruce Brown can defend (and not shoot), while Landry Shamet can shoot (andmaybe defend a little) on the guard line. Those two give Brooklyn some lineup versatility, and both fit with the KD-Kyrie core.

Joe Harris' eye-popping $75 million deal showcases the price of shooting while also underscoring governor Joe Tsai's willingness to spend. Nobody would have batted an eye if Brooklyn had decided that four-year contract was too rich for a player who, in the absolute best-case scenario, profiles as a third option. But the Nets ponied up for an elite sniper, and their status as fringe contenders gets a boost because of it.

There's still probably a blockbuster trade to be made (looking at you, James Harden) that would significantly alter the roster and force a regrading. For now, the Nets' offseason looks pretty averagewith a little boost thrown in for having the guts to pay Harris like a star.

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Notable Additions:LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward, Vernon Carey Jr., Nick Richards, Grant Riller

Notable Subtractions:Dwayne Bacon, Nicolas Batum (waived), Willy Hernangomez

Notable Re-signings:Bismack Biyombo

The Charlotte Hornets looked at last season's 23-42 record, whichoversold the team's qualitywhen measured against its net rating, and decided they were one player away from...something.

Thirty wins? The eighth seed in the East? A shot at the play-in tournament?

It's hard to say.

An easier task: labeling Hayward's four-year, $120 million contract as one of the most ill-advised signings of the past several years. Hayward, a fine player, figures to top out at "quality second option on a winner" over the life of this new deal, which will take him through his age-33 season. Price in age-related decline, the lack of proven help around him and an alarming recent injury history, and you've got all the ingredients for a disastrous deal.

The Hornets should know something about that, as they may have towaive and stretch the last one of those they signed, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. To make room for Hayward, Charlottecould be forced to spread thefinal year of Nicolas Batum's albatross contract over the next three years. That would amount to $9 million in dead money on the cap in each of the next three years.

On the plus side in that scenario, Batum doesn't have to be on the Hornets anymore. He gets an A for the offseason.

If you're high on LaMelo Ball and believe he's got superstar upside, there's hope. But it's faint.

The Hornets broke the bank for an aging former star who might be good enough to nudge them toward .500. This offseason might as well become the playbook for how to stay mired in sub-mediocrity forever.

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Notable Additions:Patrick Williams, Devon Dotson, Garrett Temple

Notable Subtractions:Kris Dunn, Shaquille Harrison

Notable Re-signings:Denzel Valentine (qualifying offer)

It was surprising to see the Chicago Bulls prioritize Denzel Valentine, who got a qualifying offer, over Kris Dunn and Shaquille Harrison, who didn't. The latter two are among the league's best backcourt defenders, and Dunn even proved he could handle duties as a de facto small forward last season.

Valentine, often injured, doesn't have a standout skill. But he's a more balanced talent than either of the guards Chicago kicked to the curb. Versatility is apparently a point of emphasis for the new front office led by Arturas Karnisovas, perK.C. Johnsonof NBC Sports Chicago.

Patrick Williams rocketed up everyone's draft board the nearer we drew to Nov. 18, but it was still unexpected to see the Bulls take him at No. 4. Outside the top three picks, the 2020 draft was viewed as something of a crapshoot, though, so it's difficult to be too critical.

Devon Dotson is an intriguing undrafted free agent. Arguably the best player on the Kansas Jayhawks, who finished the truncated 2019-2020 NCAA season ranked No. 1 in the country, Dotson is a blur in the open floor and a dynamic scorer at the point. If he carves out a rotation role, the decision to move on from Dunn and Harrison will make a lot more sense.

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Notable Additions: Isaac Okoro, JaVale McGee, Damyean Dotson

Notable Subtractions: Tristan Thompson

Notable Re-signings:Matthew Dellavedova

When Andre Drummond opted in for $28.7 million last week, the Cleveland Cavaliers' cap space disappeared. That was a foreseeable outcome, though, so it's not like Cleveland's grand plans for free agency were dashed unexpectedly.

The Cavs' big move came in the draft, as Isaac Okoro fits into a hole on the wing and should quickly become one of the team's top defensive weapons. Rookies take time, but Okoro's athleticism and effort should offer immediate help. If he hones his jumper and adds a little more to his off-the-dribble game, he's got a chance to be a high-end wing starter for a long time.

But let's not get carried away with comparisons to Jimmy Butler just yet.

Damyean Dotson should have gotten more interest around the league, and the New York Knicks would have done well to prioritize keeping him. Their loss is Cleveland's gain. The 6'5" guard is a solid shooter on the catch at 36.1 percent for his career.

Cleveland didn't have the opportunity to get much done this offseason, so the relative lack of activity doesn't result in a poor grade. Whatever improvement happens with the team this year will come organicallynot via splashy acquisitions.

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Notable Additions: Josh Richardson, James Johnson, Wes Iwundu, Josh Green, Tyrell Terry, Tyler Bey

Notable Subtractions: Seth Curry, Delon Wright, Justin Jackson

Notable Re-signings: Willie Cauley-Stein, Trey Burke

The Dallas Mavericks needed wing defenders, and they got them.

Josh Richardson should thrive as a shutdown option who won't be pressed into quite so many offensive responsibilities with the Mavs. He wasn't his best self with the Philadelphia 76ers, but he should be in a role that fits his game more cleanly.

Losing Seth Curry in the Richardson trade stings, but the latter's deal will likely come off the books (via a player option) after this season, a bonus for a Mavs team committed to preserving 2021 cap space.

Speaking of which, there can be no doubt the Mavericks have big dreams for next offseason. The Delon Wright salary dump was another clear indication of the team's aimsas was the James Johnson acquisition. The veteran forward's contract expires, you guessed it, after 2020-21.

Rookie Tyrell Terry could offer much of the shooting Curry did for a fraction of the price, and Trey Burke's return after a stellar showing down the stretch last year further bolsters the guard rotation. Draftee Josh Green is another ready-to-play option with serious defensive potential.

Dallas got better where it needed toon defenseand simultaneously increased its future flexibility. That's a tough two-step to pull off.

8 of 30

Notable Additions: Facundo Campazzo, JaMychal Green, Zeke Nnaji, R.J. Hampton, Isaiah Hartenstein

Notable Subtractions: Jerami Grant, Mason Plumlee, Torrey Craig

Notable Re-signings: Paul Millsap

It was tempting to knock the Denver Nuggets down to the C range, but we can't fault them for failing to compete with the foolish spending of other teams. Of course, it has to be noted that Denver reportedly matchedthe Detroit Pistons' gross overpay for Jerami Grant.

Grant was critical to the Nuggets' rotation, a key defensive component and a starter after a strong postseason showing. But they should count themselves lucky that Grant preferred Detroit's three-year, $60 million offer to theirs. That's just too much for a quality defender who can't create any of his own offense.

It should go without saying that the Nuggets were wise to also let the Pistons blow their cash on a ridiculous $25 million deal for Mason Plumlee. That absurd outlay will be studied by puzzled salary-cap scholars for decades.

Facundo Campazzo will dazzle with his passing and aggression at the point, and R.J. Hampton still has a bit of that top-prospect shine on him. He's a high-variance pick at No. 24, but Denver has had good recent luck with celebrated amateurs who slip in the draft for one reason or another. See: Porter Jr., Michael.

In feel-good news, Paul Millsap will return to the rotation. It's not ideal that Denver may need him to play a larger role at 35 than he did at 34, but that's where the Grant and Plumlee departures leave the team.

Denver may have taken a small step backward, but it still profiles as a contender. More than ever, its fate depends on Porter's rise and Jamal Murray's ability to play like a superstar for a full season.

9 of 30

Notable Additions: Jerami Grant, Mason Plumlee, Jahlil Okafor, Josh Jackson, Delon Wright, Rodney McGruder, Killian Hayes, Isaiah Stewart, Saddiq Bey

Notable Subtractions: Christian Wood, Langston Galloway, Bruce Brown, Luke Kennard, Tony Snell, Khyri Thomas

Notable Re-signings: None

Charlotte's deal with Hayward is the most damaging long-term agreement signed this offseason, but Detroit's three-year, $25 million pact with Mason Plumlee might be the most ridiculous.

In what world is a non-stretch center worth nearly the full MLE? Christian Wood would have only cost another $5 million per season. The mind reels.

Grant's contract is also a significant overpay, especially because Detroit has nowhere near the playmaking Denver did. Defensively, Grant will be fine. But he's not a get-your-own offense player, and the Pistons' decision to add 17 new centers will only cramp spacing, further limiting Grant's ability to contribute as a dependent scorer.

Worst of all, Detroit swung more than one deal, adding Dewayne Dedmon and Zhaire Smith, for the express purpose of waiving and stretching those salariesall so it could fit Plumlee and Grant into space.

Credit Detroit for being active, and for snagging Killian Hayes at No. 7. But, holy smokes, did the Pistons ever botch this offseason.

10 of 30

Notable Additions: Kelly Oubre Jr., Kent Bazemore, Brad Wanamaker, James Wiseman, Nico Mannion

Notable Subtractions: Ky Bowman

Notable Re-signings: None

The Golden State Warriors had no control over the worst part of their offseason. Klay Thompson's torn Achilles, suffered on the eve of the draft, was the gut punch felt 'round the world.

While it wasn't always a certainty that the Dubs would use their $17.2 million traded player exception (TPE), the Thompson injury upped the odds. Kelly Oubre Jr. won't replace Thompson's production, but the 24-year-old brings necessary youth, transition verve and defensive activity. Presumably a starter, Oubre is about as much as the Warriors could have hoped for with that TPE.

Old pal Kent Bazemore is back, and he'll also provide much needed two-way play in the wing rotation. He and Brad Wanamaker are terrific gets at a minimal cost, and the Warriors still have their taxpayer MLE and a $9.3 million disabled-player exception in the war chest for midseason moves or buyout candidates.

Finally, though everyone agreed the 2020 draft was as uncertain as they come, James Wiseman feels like the right pick. He profiles as a potential starter right away, and his off-the-charts athleticism should make him useful as a paint protector and lob threat. If his skills develop quickly, we could see the Warriors trust him to space the floor and survive in a more switch-heavy defensive scheme.

The 7'1" David Robinson clone (just talking physical aesthetics) gives Golden State its best chance at a superstar bridge to the post-Stephen Curry era.

Read the original here:
Grading Every NBA Team's Offseason so Far - Bleacher Report

Masaaki Yuasa's Japan Sinks: 2020might've been a letdown, but the director also oversaw one of 2020's success stories, the delightfully addictive and highly memedKeep Your Hands Off Eizouken!Based on the manga bySumito Owara, it's the story of three female students and their passion project. When main protagonist Midori Asakusa, a talented artist with a boundless imagination and a knack for drawing incredible landscapes, meets a young model named Tsubame Mizusaki, an equally talented artist who prefers drawing the human form, sparks fly. Seeing a business opportunity, Asakusa'sinfinitely more sensible best friend, Sayaka Kanamori, suggests that they team up and create their very own anime.Their school already has an anime club, however, so the girls decide to start a motion picture club ("Eizouken" in Japanese) as cover for their ambitious project.

From its catchy opening song (getting "Easy Breezy" by rap duo Chelmico out of your head is a legitimate challenge) to the free-flowing animation from the team at Yuasa's studioScience SARU, this show is 12 episodes of unbridled joy. "There are a few anime that pop-up every few years that are life affirmingly wonderful, and Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! is definitely one of them," Forbessaid in its review, calling the series"a love letter to anime as a whole" on account of Midori's obsession withFuture Boy Conan,aseminal early series from Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki.

See the original post here:
The best anime of 2020 - Looper

Chelan County

Gailanne Molver, 627 Chelan Ranch Road, Chelan, $96,871, single-family residence

Curtis L. and Colleen M. Foster, 750 First Creek Road, Chelan, $245,698, single-family residence

Real Homes, 356 Margaux Loop, Malaga, $150,619, single-family residence

Real Homes, 374 Margaux Loop, Malaga, $239,938, single-family residence

Real Homes, 371 Margaux Loop, Malaga, $247,272, single-family residence

Central Washington Health Services Association, 1201 S. Miller St., $472,000, dialysis department renovations

Michael G. and Maureen A. Poirier, 1900 Cumbo Court, $307,459, single-family residence

Justin Clare, 1245 Ninth St., $1,800, residential remodel

Nikolay and Natalya Zhuk, 150 Pine Crest Place, Manson, $7,000, single-family residenceaddition/alteration

First Presbyterian Church of Wenatchee, 1400 S. Miller St., $335,255, commons addition and entry canopy

Zufall Investments LLC, 1111 N. Mission St. Unit A, no valuation, one wall sign

Marco and Victoria Ramirez, 601 Highland Drive, no valuation, removal of outdoor shed

MJ Neal Associates, 975 Summit Blvd., Manson, no valuation, residential mechanical

Jeffrey and Brigid Chvilicek, 1209 Orchard Ave., $25,000, kitchen remodel

Rookard Custom Pool LLC, 585 Burnett Ranch Lane, Chelan, no valuation, pool/spa

Chelan County Fire District No. 1, 731 N. Wenatchee Ave., no valuation, one wall sign

Jacinto Bedolla et al, 448-A Wilson St., $94,434, single family housing

Rachel Cooper, 132 N. Franklin Ave., $30,000, main floor remodel, front porch enclosure, finish basement

Gabriel Scott and Jason Midkiff, 825 First St., no valuation, gas line and one appliance

Donald W. Murray, 1143 Appleland Drive, $10,000, converting gas to electric furnace

Victor E. and Brenda J. Flint, 1217 Red Apple Road, $13,000, HVAC replacement

Evgeny G. Kozhevnikov et al, 2570 Emerson Acres Road, Manson, $3,000, dock

Lopez Design LLC, 8414 Entiat River Road, Entiat, $289,789, single-family residenceaddition/alteration

Lolos Construction LLC, 920 Loop Ave., Manson, $312,051, single-family residence

Forte Architects Inc., 115 Bella Lane, Manson, $613,959, single-family residence

Parsons Rentals LLC, 15 S. Mission St., no valuation, one wall sign

Dreger Security LLC, 151 S. Worthen St., $9,550, HVAC replacement

Omgayatri LLC, 1004 N. Wenatchee Ave., $8,000, fire damage repair

Stemilt Growers LLC, 3607 Highway 97A, no valuation, fuel line replacement

Micky R. and Amy L. Jennings, 109 S. Franklin Ave., no valuation, residential backflow

Jerry L. and Tracy M. Bishop, 1288 Homesteader Lane, Chelan, $383,429, single-family residence

Jerry L. and Tracy M. Bishop, 1288 Homesteader Lane, Chelan, no valuation, accessory dwelling unit

Anderson Residential Design, 2619 Larch Drive, Leavenworth, $217,326, single-family residence addition/alteration

600 Mission LLC, 600 S. Mission St., $219,093, new office building

Chris Loeken et al, 1207B N. Wenatchee Ave., $16,500, interior remodel

Alturas Mission Village LLC, 212 Fifth St. Suite 9A, no valuation, one wall-mounted sign

Kellogg Valley North Properties LLC et al, 1304 N. Miller St. Unit E, no valuation, one wall sign

Tanya M. Chavez, 1646 Ridgeview Lane, $150,000, manufactured home replacement

Central Development Inc., 23505 Highway 97A, Chelan, $224,928, single-family residence

Real Homes, 443 Margaux Loop Unit A and B, Malaga, $362,527, duplex

Lexar Homes Wenatchee, 142 Manzanita Drive, Manson, $295,665, single-family residence

Lopez Design LLC, 86 Bonham Lane, Leavenworth, $213,611, single-family residence

James B. and Mary R. Painter, 12225 Camp 12 Road, Leavenworth, no valuation, residential mechanical

Joseph and Maya P. Grantham, 114 N. Miller St., $4,405, roof covering stairway to basement

James L. Duck, 1917 Second St., $21,148, covered patio and deck

Jason and Tara J. Breidert, 1511 Pershing St., $29,473, office and bedroom addition

Lowes Company Inc., 1200 Walla Walla Ave., $80,474, roof top unit replacement

Central Washington Health Services Association, 933 Red Apple Road, $22,700, gas package RTU

Ariel Oquist and Hector Vazquez, 1607 A Maiden Lane, $2,500, replace footings and rotten wood on existing deck

Michael P. and Leanne M. Emerson, 8213 Williams Canyon Road, Cashmere, no valuation, residential mechanical

Larry and Shelly M. Lowe, 22584 Alpine Hills Road, Leavenworth, $45,319, single-family residence addition/alteration

Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council, 1585 Crescent St., $20,895, reroof three buildings

Taylor A. and Andrew D. Smoke et al, 520 Pearl St., no valuation, egress window

Eva Martinez, 1207 Brown St., $15,000, HVAC replacement

Samuel R. Wentzel and Cassandra M. Wentzel, 17635 High Mountain Meadows Road, Leavenworth, $334,277, single-family residence

Andrew J. Schauer, 25 Owl Lane, $135,240, accessory structure

Real Homes, 180 Margaux Loop, Malaga, $247,135, single-family residence

Real Homes, 195 Margaux Loop, Malaga, $150,571, single-family residence

Gunnar and Heidi Ildhuso, 278 Wapato Way, Manson, no valuation, demolition

Gunnar and Heidi Ildhuso, 590 Highway 150, Manson, no valuation, demolition

Gunnar and Heidi Ildhuso, 94 Wapato Point Parkway, Manson, no valuation, demolition

Michael Wheat, 935 River Rock Lane, Chelan Falls, no valuation, single-family residence

Jeffrey B. and Laura K. Bede, 262 Hawks Ridge Road, Chelan, $470,829, single-family residence

Jeffrey B. and Laura K. Bede, 262 Hawks Ridge Road, Chelan, $108,917, accessory structure

Boyer Mountain Door & Pool Inc., 300 Loop Ave., Manson, $22,800, accessory structure

Janet Mills, 1310 Castlerock Ave. Unit 2, $16,000, HVAC replacement

James and Lynda Woltring, 781 Queens Court, $12,000, HVAC replacement

Timothy A. Hibbard, 63 Corkscrew Lane, Manson, $277,654, accessory dwelling unit

BT Buildingworks, LLC, 22708 Saddle St., Leavenworth, $3,381, single-family residence addition/alteration

Robert A. and Debra Ann Neudorfer, 105 Meraki Lane, Manson, $14,249, single-family residence addition/alteration

Sirius Builders, 8015 Icicle Road, Leavenworth, $298,021, single-family residence

Tyler and Georgia Addington, 8011 Icicle Road, Leavenworth, no valuation, accessory dwelling unit

David T. Larson, 6001 Larson St., Cashmere, no valuation, residential mechanical

Roberts Construction LLC, 1023 Racine Springs Drive, $181,921, single-family residence

Trever and Heather Irelan, 65 Raptor Lane, Dryden, no valuation, demolition

Integrity Flooring and Contracting LLC, 10627 Titus Road, Leavenworth, no valuation, residential mechanical

Wells Fargo Bank, 301 N. Chelan Ave., no valuation, replace two rooftop signs

Stemilt Industrial Development LLC, 1610 N. Miller St., $225,000, bunker phase III

Lopez Design LLC, 12598 Shore St., Leavenworth, $110,595, accessory dwelling unit

Real Homes, 337 Margaux Loop, Malaga, $150,619, single-family residence

Western Ranch Buildings LLC, 3477 Allen Lane, Peshastin, $27,821, accessory structure

Ronald and Evelyn Weems, 193 Juniper Lane, $28,980, accessory structure addition/alteration

Real Homes, 355 Margaux Loop, Malaga, $222,030, single-family residence

Real Homes, 221 Margaux Loop, Malaga, $171,701, single-family residence

Todd M. Petersen Trust et al, Todd and Michelle Petersen Trustees, 270 Eagle Crest Road, Chelan, $559,963, single-family residence

Paula Holt, 389 McClosky Drive, Chelan, no valuation, mobile home

Prestigious Patios, LLC, 4205 April Drive, no valuation, pool/spa

Rookard Custom Pool, LLC, 511 Highpoint Lane, Chelan, no valuation, pool/spa

Martin and Martina Machacek, 12574 Shore St., Leavenworth, $14,490, accessory structure addition/alteration

Grette Associates LLC, 93 Parkhill Drive, Manson, $171,187, dock

Leo S. Miller, 60 Highway 150, Chelan, no valuation, demolition

Timothy J. and Kristen B. Miller, 45 Willow Point Road, Manson, no valuation, residential mechanical

Roberts Construction LLC, 1018 Racine Springs Drive, $226,979, single-family residence

Mervin D. Odaffer and Sara Bartrum Revocable Living Trust, 1513 Madison St., no valuation, install one new window

Jesus and Maria L. Veneros, 1039 Dakota St., $3,710, construct wall to create new bath/laundry room

Lopez Design LLC, 4655 Brisky Canyon Road, Cashmere, $304,193, single-family residence

Soehren Design and Development, 4458 Bardin James Road, Cashmere, $539,320, single-family residence

Lopez Design LLC, 18047 River Road, Leavenworth, $82,991, accessory structure addition/alteration

Rookard Custom Pool LLC, 3830 Crestview Road, no valuation, pool/spa

Link:
For the Record | Building permits | Business World | wenatcheeworld.com - wenatcheeworld.com

Editorial Independence

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More than 80 million Americans are having difficulty paying their bills during the COVID-19 recession, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey.

This financial insecurity extends to necessary household expenses like utility bills. As a result, many local governments and public utility companies have passed moratoriums on utility shutoffs, so that people can still have running water, electricity, and heat even if they fall behind on payments.

While somes states have been extending their COVID-19 moratoriums as the pandemic stretches on, utility shutoff moratoriums in Florida, Virginia, and other states have ended, leaving millions of working-class people holding the bag. And even if youre fortunate enough to be covered by a moratorium, it doesnt mean youre in the clear it only means your unpaid bills are deferred. This means that you could owe several months worth of water, electric, or gas bills, on top of getting those utilities shut off, when your state moratorium expires.

Heres what you should know about utility moratoriums, how they work, and what private and public programs you can tap into to help pay your bills. Plus, see below for a state-by-state list of public and private programs that can help you manage your utility bills.

A utility moratorium is a temporary suspension of shutoffs, meaning utility companies cant cut your access to electricity, water, gas, or electricity due to non-payment. Utility companies will often enact moratoriums in the winter or summer (depending on where you live) when the weather is too extreme to send out a technician. These moratoriums are either based on fluctuating temperatures or scheduled for certain months throughout the year.

Now state, county, and city governments and private utility companies have enacted utility shutoff moratoriums in response to historic unemployment numbers and COVID-19. Many of these programs have already expired or will expire soon, according to the Wall Street Journal. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA), which represents state administrators of the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), estimates that at the end of October, only 40% of the U.S. population was covered by a COVID-19 moratorium down from 57% in July.

The sheer number of people affected by COVID-19 threatens to overload the existing private and public programs that have alleviated financial struggle over utility bills, says Mark Wolfe, executive director of NEADA. Typically, 6 million households receive public energy assistance every year, but Wolfe expects that number to be much higher due to historic unemployment rates.

Moratoriums work as a band-aid solution for struggling households, but werent designed to solve or alleviate financial hardship. Moratoriums essentially delay payment, says Wolfe. Theyre not a grant.

That presents a problem for people experiencing financial insecurity. Say you lost your job at the beginning of the pandemic and havent been able to find work since. If you live in a place with winter utility moratoriums in place, then you wont be shut off but would accumulate debt along the way. If you dont get another job until the economy recovers, which could be next spring, you could have a years worth of energy bills, Wolfe says. Thats an awful lot of money for low-income families.

You can check if your locality or utility company is subject to a moratorium using these resources:

If youve fallen behind on utility bills or are struggling to make the payments each month, then youre likely eligible for programs available in your state or utility company.

If youre temporarily low income, its very likely youre eligible for assistance even if you dont have a shutoff notice, and even if youre paying your utility bills, Wolfe says. Dont wait until youre falling behind [to apply].

Many utility companies have enacted their own moratoriums on shutoffs in response to COVID-19, and many already have programs that provide assistance to low-income customers.

Check what your utility company has to offer, as they may be able to offer relief, says Jim Chilsen, managing communications director and spokesperson for Citizens Utility Board, a consumer advocacy group representing utility customers across Illinois.

In Illinois, for example, state officials, consumer advocates, and major utility companies such as Peoples Gas and ComEd came to an agreement that allowed families to get the financial assistance they needed with their energy bills no questions asked.

You must call these utilities and let them know youre experiencing financial hardship, and then you can connect to see these consumer protections. All you need to say, Im struggling to pay my bills. No documented proof of hardship is required [in Illinois]. You can connect to the moratorium on disconnection, you can sign up for consumer-friendly payment programs, and also deposits will be waived, Chilsen says.

Keep in mind, though, that not all utilities will recognize your financial situation. Wolfe says that municipal utilities (owned by the government, as opposed to private investor-owned utility companies like Duke Energy and Florida Power & Light Company) and co-ops are often not covered by moratoriums and have been more aggressive in collections during the pandemic. However, its still worth getting on the phone and asking them what assistance theyre able to offer.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federal program that helps low-income families pay their energy bills specifically electric, gas, heating, and propane (water not included). Its a national assistance program administered independently by each state through block grants. Depending on the state, this program may be called LEAP, EAP, or another variant of LIHEAP.

Generally, 6 million households a year receive assistance from LIHEAP, but with the pandemic, Wolfe, whose organization NEADA represents LIHEAP administrators, expects that number to rise dramatically. Now were expecting millions of people, formerly middle class, eligible for assistance, he says.

Qualifications and application processes will differ for each state, but generally, the program helps people pay energy bills, deal with crises that affect heating and cooling in their homes (i.e., storms and natural disasters), make their homes more energy efficient, and repair old or broken heating and cooling systems.

Some states require whats called income and asset tests (which assess whether youre low income by specifying based on how much money you earn or possess) to qualify for LIHEAP. To be approved for the program, you must be low-income and states define this differently, but generally, its measured by how your income compares to the federal poverty level and median household income. Some states require more stringent documentation, such as pay stubs, proof of citizenship, permanent address, and employment statements, to back up the info provided in the application. And some only help with heating or cooling not both.

To apply to LIHEAP, youd need to go to your states local office and find out the qualifications, application process, and how much assistance youre eligible to receive (in the form of a one-time payment). There are three ways to find your local office:

Through the Department of Energy, the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) helps low-income families save money on their utility bills by making their homes more energy efficient. These renovations help conserve fuel through HVAC repairs and replacements, by adding insulation, by replacing refrigerators and lighting, and implementing other energy-saving changes. Generally, they wont repair your roof or fix your plumbing, because of the cost of those repairs.

Similar to LIHEAP, eligibility requirements will differ depending on the state you live in. So depending on where you live, your state may require household income or asset tests to determine if someone is low-income. Weatherization generally benefits homeowners, but renters can qualify if their landlords sign a consent form.

To apply to the Weatherization Assistance Program, contact your local WAP office.

In addition to LIHEAP and WAP, many states offer relief programs intended for low-income families struggling to pay utility bills. Heres a list of additional statewide public and private programs:

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See the article here:
Utility Bill Deferments Are Ending. Heres a State-by-State List of Programs That Can Help - NextAdvisor

By Dan Diehl

The commercial real estate industry endured a year unlike any other in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic left offices empty for months on end, prompting unprecedented scrutiny of filtration, controls, and each buildings ventilation effectiveness. Employees suddenly feared airborne transmission and questioned the safety of air quality and in-person work.

If you are a building owner, youre hearing new concerns from your tenants. Theyre worried about keeping their employees safe, healthy and productive and they want assurances that their office environment is not endangering their workers. In particular, your tenants are expressing pointed concerns about their buildings systems for ensuring indoor air quality (IAQ): What can we know about the air quality being delivered to our space? What IAQ safety strategies are being deployed by our building operator?

These questions are just the beginning and they range beyond COVID-19. The world has truly awakened to the importance of air quality, and its impact on building occupants. Of course, this air quality awareness was already happening the recent COGfx Study showed the impact of green buildings on cognitive function, for example, while the International WELL Building Institutes WELL Certification has emerged as the leading system for examining how the built environment impacts human health. Atop this existing momentum, COVID created a tidal wave of support for healthy buildings, and specifically for the IAQ concept.

Despite the new imperative around IAQ, many in the commercial real estate space remain undecided on whether (and how) to proceed. This is understandable up to a point. After all, who can say what the world will look like on January 1, 2021? Youre probably questioning the ROI from any spending you apply to IAQ improvements. Whether for COVID-related re-occupancy or longer-term IAQ goals, its hard to justify this investment, right?

Wrong. Why? Because of one reality: healthy buildings are here to stay.

Employees WILL return to the office; that much is a certainty. For one thing, most large enterprise organizations prefer their employees to work in-office. Likewise, most employees long for a return to normalcy and that means going to work, not combatting more Zoom fatigue.

COVID-19 is not the sole reason you should want to provide healthy buildings. Instead, this public health crisis serves a prime example for why you implement and maintain healthy buildings over time. One of the longer-term effects of this heightened awareness will be requiring building owners and operators to maintain and communicate healthy building parameters. This could even emerge as a standard lease requirement. As a building owner, this means you must implement holistic management solutions and know you are delivering healthy air to all tenants. The key is measuring, controlling, and communicating IAQ analytics based on multiple parameters and, in real time, directing more air when and where needed.

If youre getting nervous about the investment needed to install these systems, there is some good news. Last March, the U.S. Congress passed the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act), a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other provisions, this federal stimulus package delivers tax benefits for facility improvements.

Under the 2020 CARES Act, non-residential property owners may be able to write off up to 100% of qualifying facility improvements costs. The tax savings is realized through a bonus depreciation for certain qualified improvements made to the interior portion of a commercial building. These improvements include the following:

Air Quality as a Service (AQaaS) is another solution increasingly offered and sought after by the marketplace. It allows companies significantly lower upfront expenditures, making it easier and faster to deploy in existing buildings. In many cases, AQaaS solutions deliver sufficient HVAC efficiency gains that help adopting companies cover all or much of the cost of their IAQ improvement investments.

When employees do return to the office, building owners must demonstrate a healthy environment. This means being able to demonstrate to occupants that the solutions chosen for the building are in fact making improvements. Building owners cant just choose a technology that claims to kill COVID or improve air quality, check the box, and walk away.

The IAQ solution should continuously measure air quality parameters: CO2, particles, TVOCs, and dewpoint to ensure effectiveness. Ideally, IAQ analytics should be part of the platform, particularly to communicate IAQ first to operators so they can make necessary corrections. After all, you cant manage and control what you do not accurately measure. Todays smart, healthy buildings are data driven baseline levels and continuous analytics showing where you are and what strategies might need tweaking.

This is an accountability question. How healthy is your building? The answer to that question will determine your success in responding to this opportunity.

Based on what we experienced in the past year, its clear that you have three new realities: healthy buildings are here to stay, the technology exists to accurately measure and manage air quality and, perhaps most importantly, now is the time to act.

Diehl is CEO of Aircuity and has over 25 years of industry expertise across a wide variety of vertical markets and disciplines in commercial and light industrial building markets. Prior to Aircuity he led business development at Lutron Electronics, was a partner for six years with Synergy, and spent 11 years at Johnson Controls, Inc. Diehl earned a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland and has an MBA from Villanova University.

Read the original:
In Pursuit Of Healthy Indoor Air For Buildings, Tech Tools Will Help - Facility Executive Magazine