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Pastor Bill Wiebe has been head of the congregation at the Port Rowan Community Church in downtown Port Rowan for 16 years. He says the accidental excavation of a 19th-century gravesite on church property Tuesday was a surprise and remains a mystery. Monte Sonnenbergjpg, SR

PORT ROWAN Accidently digging up a grave is always disturbing.

So it was Tuesday in downtown Port Rowan when a crew installing water mains at the corner of Bay Street and Church Street inadvertently excavated bones that proved to be human.

A construction crew digging at a local church unearthed the remains, Const. Ed Sanchuk of the Norfolk OPP said in a news release Wednesday.

The Norfolk OPP crime unit continued to investigate and determined that the remains located in a casket are historical in nature and appeared to be a burial site.

No foul play is suspected and this incident is not being treated as suspicious.

The remains were found on property belonging to the Port Rowan Community Church. A date stone embedded in the front of the brick building says it was known as the Baptist Chapel at the time of its construction in 1856.

At the scene Wednesday, Pastor Bill Wiebe says the discovery would not have been a surprise had the remains been located on the south side of the church.

Wiebe said the old Baptist cemetery was south of the building but was relocated over time as the congregation sold off lots for properties that, today, front onto Bay Street between the church and Wolven Street.

As it happened, the grave discovered this week was excavated to the north of the church across the street from the Port Rowan post office. That, Wiebe said, adds an element of mystery.

The records of the church were destroyed in a fire in 1906, said Wiebe, who, with wife Lorraine, has served as the pastoral family at the Community Church for 16 years.

All we have is a written oral history. Thats what we rely on pre-1906. History tells us that people too poor for a funeral wouldve been buried on site. This wouldve all been farmland 150 years ago.

Wiebe added that the oral histories gathered after the 1906 fire do not mention burial grounds to the north of the church. The fact the body was interred in an east-west direction tells Wiebe it was a Christian burial.

The excavation occurred at a time of turmoil in downtown Port Rowan.

The London firm J-AAR Excavating is replacing iron water mains at several locations in the core that prematurely failed due to improper installation 30 years ago. The graves discovery is part of this work.

Overseeing installation is Vallee Consulting Engineers, Architects and Planners of Simcoe. A foreman in downtown Port Rowan Tuesday declined to comment.

It is too early to say what will become of the remains. Norfolk OPP are in contact with the office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario, forensic anthropologists, and Norfolk officials along with Pastor Wiebe.

From a spiritual standpoint, Wiebe says there are no consequences he can think of regarding the innocent disturbing of a grave, as opposed, he added, to the conscious act of grave robbing.

The scriptures tell us that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, he said.

Excavators in urban areas of Norfolk have uncovered 19th-century gravesites before.

In the late 1980s, an excavating crew removing an in-ground fuel tank at a former service station on James Street in Delhi uncovered a portion of a forgotten cemetery from the days when Delhi was known as Fredericksburg. The graves were located on the east side of James Street immediately south of Church Street East.

MSonnenberg@postmedia.com

See more here:
Construction crew unearths human remains - The Beacon Herald

AVONDALE Thirty-three years ago, local leaders were asked to look 50 years into the future and make predictions about Chicago and society as part of a time capsule project for ComEds 100th anniversary.

This summer, a construction worker found the time capsule much earlier than expected and the predictions arent looking too accurate, though we have 17 years to change that.

In one, ad agency founder Harold E. Kuttner predicted by 2037 we will no longer have bigotry, anti-semitism or discrimination of any kind in our country.

In another, local pastor John S. Quinn of St. Andrew Catholic Church said by 2037 he expects the Catholic church to allow women and married men to be priests, and to adapt its doctrines to scientific discoveries.

The country is battling a growing wave of bigotry, anti-semitism and discrimination, with hate crimes on the rise.

And women and married men are still excluded from priesthood in the Catholic church despite repeated calls for change.

SCROLL FOR PHOTOS OF TIME CAPSULE ITEMS

The construction worker found the letters and all of the other artifacts in the time capsule at the end of July on the ComEd headquarters site at 3500 N. California Ave.

Crews are demolishing the 90-year-old building because the company built a new headquarters. ComEds new, $58 million headquarters complete with a public STEM education area opened on the same site in February.

The time capsule was installed in 1987 at ComEds centennial party, a grand event with a performance by Lane Techs marching band, a helicopter landing and a car show, said John Maxson, a longtime ComEd employee who organized the party.

In the weeks leading up to the party, the time capsule was filled with memorabilia from ComEd employees, everything from 1987 coins to 1987 issues of Life magazine, as well as letters from local leaders.

The goal was to surprise and delight whoever stumbled across the box decades later, Maxson said.

At the party, officials placed the time capsule near an 8-foot-tall art deco eagle sculpture, thinking itd be found at least 50 years later, in 2037.

Maxson said he was surprised when he got a call in July and learned the time capsule had already been found.

I was like, Oh my gosh, already? I really had not thought about when it would be found. I thought it would be way in the future, Maxson said.

I didnt know what way in the future meant, but at the time we thought of the office there, at California and Addison, as being one of the pyramids or something we thought this was something that was a permanent asset of the company.

But Maxson noted the past 33 years probably saw more change than [ComEds] first 100 years.

Its unfathomable how technology and the company has changed in such a short period of time, he said.

Back in 1987, ComEd relied on natural gas and coal to generate electricity, whereas today natural gas is its main source. Technicians had to bring drawings with them when going out to fix or install power lines because there was no GPS. Meter readings were done manually; today, theyre automated.

Those are only a few examples of the technological advancements made in just a few decades, said Maxson, who worked for ComEd for 32 years.

I remember [thinking] it would be a different world when its found, but I had no idea it would be such a short period of time, he said.

As for the 2037 predictions: Weve got 17 more years to eliminate bigotry and make the capsules vision for the future a reality.

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Original post:
Time Capsule From 1987 Found In Avondale Building: 'Unfathomable' How Technology Changed But Social Progress Lagging - Block Club Chicago

Road construction to fix delays on one road have created new problems on another one, leaving many drivers on Highway 101 in the Greer area frustrated. A driver reached out to us frustrated with their morning and afternoon commute. Well, apparently she is not the only driver frustrated because SCDOT says they have received several complaints. SCDOT officials said they are working on a solution. Drivers are seeing backs up in the areas of from Memorial Drive Extension to Pine Drive sometimes. We did some digging and found some answers for why this is happening. This stretch of road has been on SCDOTs radar since 2016. "We have monitored the intersection, and then in 2018 based on the crash data we had at the time for safety reasons it was necessary to have a 3-way stop there to stop the major collision we were having there," said Brandon Wilson, the traffic engineer for District 3.This helped traffic from Milford Church Road enter onto Highway 101 but now it is causing backups for drivers on Highway 101. SCDOT officials said that is partly because of Gross Meadow Bridge being closed. It was deemed unsafe after an inspection so SCDOT had to close it. "Unfortunately, what that has done is pushed a lot of vehicles over to 101 and to that intersection," Wilson said.SCDOT is looking at whether or not to repair or completely replace the bridge. It is going to be a while before the bridge is fixed, officials said. So, engineers say they are not going to wait on the bridge to be fixed to hope that also fixes the congestion issues on Highway 101. "We are actively working on the intersection working to come up with a solution there to work that out then once the bridge opens back up it will just work even better," Wilson said.SCDOT officials said they are looking at several options including adding a traffic signal or replacing the three-way stop with flashers but it will probably be early next year before they get anything in the works.If there is something slowing down your commute or something you think is dangerous, we want to know about it. Send an email with details to this email address, newstips@wyff4.com, so we can work to get to the bottom of the issue.

Road construction to fix delays on one road have created new problems on another one, leaving many drivers on Highway 101 in the Greer area frustrated.

A driver reached out to us frustrated with their morning and afternoon commute.

Well, apparently she is not the only driver frustrated because SCDOT says they have received several complaints. SCDOT officials said they are working on a solution.

Drivers are seeing backs up in the areas of from Memorial Drive Extension to Pine Drive sometimes.

We did some digging and found some answers for why this is happening.

This stretch of road has been on SCDOTs radar since 2016.

"We have monitored the intersection, and then in 2018 based on the crash data we had at the time for safety reasons it was necessary to have a 3-way stop there to stop the major collision we were having there," said Brandon Wilson, the traffic engineer for District 3.

This helped traffic from Milford Church Road enter onto Highway 101 but now it is causing backups for drivers on Highway 101.

SCDOT officials said that is partly because of Gross Meadow Bridge being closed. It was deemed unsafe after an inspection so SCDOT had to close it.

"Unfortunately, what that has done is pushed a lot of vehicles over to 101 and to that intersection," Wilson said.

SCDOT is looking at whether or not to repair or completely replace the bridge.

It is going to be a while before the bridge is fixed, officials said.

So, engineers say they are not going to wait on the bridge to be fixed to hope that also fixes the congestion issues on Highway 101.

"We are actively working on the intersection working to come up with a solution there to work that out then once the bridge opens back up it will just work even better," Wilson said.

SCDOT officials said they are looking at several options including adding a traffic signal or replacing the three-way stop with flashers but it will probably be early next year before they get anything in the works.

If there is something slowing down your commute or something you think is dangerous, we want to know about it. Send an email with details to this email address, newstips@wyff4.com, so we can work to get to the bottom of the issue.

Read more from the original source:
Traffic Tuesday: Construction delays on Highway 101 lead to frustration on other road - WYFF4 Greenville

Tony Bolick|The Courier-TribuneAsheboro Police Reports

Recent reports

Oct. 12: Asheboro Police responded to Wendys, East Dixie Drive, Asheboro, in reference to a larceny.

Oct. 13: The manager of The Salvation Army Thrift Store, East Dixie Drive, Asheboro, reported the theft of a bicycle valued at $50.

Oct. 13: CedricJumar Cassidy reported the theft of work equipment from his work truck parked at a construction site, North Fayetteville Street, Asheboro.

Oct. 13: Barbara Eleanor Funkey, Elwood Stout Street, Asheboro, reported a larceny at her residence.

Oct. 13: Jennifer Nixon Damron, Old Liberty Road, Asheboro, reported a possible larceny at her residence.

Oct. 13: Asheboro Police responded to Workout Anytime, East Dixie Drive, Asheboro, in reference to a larceny.

Recent charges

Emmanuel D. Jones: 23, 1009 S. Church St., Apt. 12, Asheboro, simple possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, open container.

Stanley Jean Lerebours: 29, 1002 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Greensboro, probation violation.

Chris Elvin McNeill: 38, 73444 Union Grove Church Road, Seagrove, possession of heroin.

Recent reports

Oct. 8: Kimberly M. Blake, Beechwood Court, Asheboro, reported the theft from her residence of $710 in clothing, $435 in shoes, a bag valued at $575, jewelry valued at $252, a cell phone valued at $600, toiletries valued at $67, a pillow valued at $25 and a drill valued at $20.

Oct. 7: Brian E. Pearman reported a check stolen from his business located on NC 62, Trinity.

Oct. 10: Douglas Eckland reported the theft of a Kubota BX23S tractor valued at $25,000 from a construction site on Tobacco Road, Trinity.

Oct. 13: Tyler G. Smith, US 220 S, Asheboro, reported the theft from his motor vehicle of a cell phone valued at $500 and $300 in damage to his vehicle.

Recent charges

Donald Robert Lynch: 54, 2958 Spencer Road, Archdale, communicating threats, assault and battery.

David Anthony Powell: 52, 4546 River Oaks Drive, Randleman, bill of indictment.

Denise Saunders Powell : 56, 4546 River Oaks Drive, Randleman, bill of indictment.

Donald Lee Stiles: 56, 5117 Elmont St., Archdale, possession of a stolen firearm.

Cody William Toler: 33, 5240 Ridge Road, Trinity, court/receive active sentence.

Heather Leigh Davis: 36, 3141 Nance Country Road, Climax, second-degree trespass.

Joshua Michael Wood: 37, 1840 Dennis St., Asheboro, electronic house arrest.

Nicholas Joseph Davis: 31, 3499 NC 42 South, Asheboro, true bill of indictment.

William Ray Carpenter Jr. : 42, 4328 Briarcliff Road, Thomasville, two counts financial card fraud.

James Carroll Chriscoe: 52, 1656 Jericho Road, Asheboro, second-degree trespass.

Branson Marshall Culler: 20, 6925 Union Grove Church Road, Asheboro, true bill of indictment.

Catherine Alexis Dilldine: 21, 333 Hill St., Asheboro, cyberstalking threats.

Jerry Wayne Grice: 51, 5420 Edgar Road, Archdale, failure to return rental property.

Bonnie Dean Larimore: 59, 6819 Kerr Drive, Randleman, first-degree trespass, misdemeanor larceny.

Thomas Alton Lucas: 43, 2272 Woods Stream Lane, Asheboro, violation of 50B protective order.

Excerpt from:
Business-related thefts reported around Asheboro and the county - Asheboro Courier Tribune

Workers for Monadnock Construction prepare the foundation for the Catholic Charities Bishop Valero Residence in Astoria, Queens. (Photo: Bill Miller)

ASTORIA Construction of a new home for low-income people was about to start last spring in Queens, but the COVID-19 pandemic rattled all aspects of normalcy worldwide.

The Bishop Valero Residence, a project of Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens, is expected to add 102 badly-needed apartments for seniors and formerly homeless adults. Its located at 23-11 31st Road in Astoria, Queens.

Financing for this $62 million effort depended on several partners, including the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). The pandemic forced that agency to cut back on its budget by 40 percent for the rest of 2020, plus next year, according to David Downs, the deputy director of Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development Corporation.

The projects partners, realizing its importance, did not give up.

All the players chipped in to make the project work in the time frame we needed, Downs said. A lot of people had to make some concessions and be flexible.

For example, Downs said Catholic Charities and the city agreed to add more financing. The citys portion of the funding was key because it involved $3.1 million in low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC), which are expected to generate $30.8 million in equity over 15 years, nearly half of the money needed to build the project.

Other partners include Bank of America, Richman Housing Resources, and Barings, LLC. Dattner Architects designed the project and Monadnock Construction is the builder.

Although the projects closing was a few weeks late, construction started on time in June, which was a great relief, according to Downs.

We had our construction budget in place, but we could only guarantee costs through June, he said. Supply was a big concern for building materials like steel. So there was a lot of pressure on the team.

We had a calm exterior, but on the inside, we were very nervous.

Affordable Housing Shortage

The Progress of Peoples Development Corporation started making affordable housing in the 1970s serving families, formerly homeless people, senior citizens, and people with HIV.

The task has only gotten harder as New York Citys population swelled to about 8.6 million people, the biggest of all U.S. metropolitan areas. The citys expensive real estate market adds even more hurdles for land acquisition.

Tim McManus, vice president of Progress of Peoples Development Corporation, said a 2016 study showed there were 200,000 applicants for 20,000 affordable housing units in New York City.

Demand for senior affordable housing is a mess throughout the city, McManus said. We dont have numbers to suggest whats happened since COVID, but we know that number has grown.

The Bishop Valero Residence is the second affordable housing project from Catholic Charities to start in 2020. In January, ground broke on the eight-story, 135-unit Catholic Charities Loreto Apartments on Sackman Street in the Brownsville area of Brooklyn.

This site is the former address of Our Lady of Loreto Church, which was demolished in 2017. Nearby is the Catholic Charities Monsignor Anthony J. Barretta Apartments, which was opened in 2013 on the former site of Our Lady of Loreto School.

The Brownsville project began a few weeks before the pandemics onset in March and continued uninterrupted.

However, projects planned by other developers are not as fortunate, being stuck in a COVID-wrought financing limbo, adding to the frustration of advocates struggling with an existing shortage of affordable-housing citywide.

A lot of projects, McManus said, are still on the sidelines.

Build a Community

The six-story Bishop Valero Residence is expected to open in 2022 with nearly 85,000 square feet of space and environment-friendly features like solar panels.

Its located in a former parking lot for the existing Catherine Sheridan Senior Housing project, another property in the Progress of Peoples Development Corporations affordable-housing portfolio.

About 6,500 square feet are set aside for a ground-floor, 200-seat community center operated by Catholic Charities Neighborhood Services. Other amenities include a commercial kitchen serving hot meals, an exercise area, a computer lab, and a landscaped patio area.

We build buildings wed like to live in ourselves, Downs said.

Of the 102 units, 71 are designated for low-income senior citizens, while the other 31 are for formerly homeless seniors. All residents will have access to on-site social services.

We really are trying to put together a comprehensive model, providing not just for housing, but also social services to address the residents physical and social needs, McManus said.

Father Patrick Keating, deputy chief executive officer of Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens, explained that low-income tenants deserve safe homes, hopefully in the neighborhoods where theyve lived and near their longtime parishes.

What we try to do is build a community, Father Keating said. But its not just buildings; its a greater integration of bricks and mortar with services. All our programs are interconnected.

Father Keating credited Msgr. Alfred LoPinto, chief executive officer, for devising a holistic approach to integrating services.

The Church teaches the dignity of every single person, Father Keating said, and by providing a safe home, youre serving that person, which allows us to fulfill our ministry.

Go here to read the rest:
Catholic Charities Stays on Its Quest for Affordable Housing - The Tablet Catholic Newspaper

OK, pay attention at the back. Heres your maths question for today.

Dont worry if sums are not your strong point because it is one which I am sure most three-year-olds would be able to answer. It is what comes between three and five?

Contrary to what you might think its not four. At least according to the Japanese manufacturer Mazda its 30.

Now you may think some of the car makers in the Far East tend to do things a little differently but even thats taking it a bit far.

Apparently theres a simple explanation why theyve labelled their latest family-sized crossover/compact SUV the CX-30, which sits in the gap between the CX-3 and the larger CX-5.

The CX-4 name has already been given to a very similar car which is produced and sold exclusively in China by the joint venture FAW Mazda and so is not available for other markets.

In the overall scheme of things it doesnt really matter, except potential customers could be forgiven for being confused about what is being offered.

Actually it is good the number three is still there, because under the surface is the same platform that is the base for the excellent Mazda 3 hatchback which was voted both overall Scottish and Family Car of the Year in 2019.

It rides higher on the road than the hatch and is aimed at taking on the tough competition from the likes of the Seat Ateca, Skoda Karoq and Nissan Qashqai.

First off, it is a good-looking car with smooth, flowing lines, from the long sharp-nosed bonnet through to the stubby rear end with black plastic body moulding and extended wheel arches along the side.

The 790 option of soul red crystal metallic paint gave the test car strong presence in the street and attracted many admiring glances to the car, which I think has bags of character not commonly seen in many new models.

What is even more impressive though is the superb quality of the finish on the inside. The test car had fine light stone-coloured leather trim on the seats which looked far more expensive than the 200 option price although I was not so keen on the brown leather accents which seemed rather out of place in the otherwise tasteful interior.

The overall look is sophisticated and well away from the perceived plasticky image of some of the other Japanese brands. It reminded me more of the quality standard found in the current Volvo range, simple but effective design and first-class build quality.

The dash is dominated by an almost 9in-wide screen in the centre with all the functions accessed by a rotary dial between the seats, making it more accurate and easy to use while on the move than the alternative touchscreen.

The test car came with stacks of equipment including heated steering wheel, 12 speaker Bose surround sound audio and head-up display sensibly linked to the memory on the seats, which also recalled the settings for the door mirrors.

Cockpit space in the front is generous although it was a bit tighter in the back if you happen to be transporting a couple of six-footers and while the boot space is fine, some of the competition is larger.

There is a four-wheel-drive option but the test car was front-wheel-drive with a six-speed manual gearbox.

The clever bit was under the bonnet, where lies Mazdas revolutionary Skyactiv-X power unit, the worlds first petrol engine with compression ignition which combines the free-revving performance of a petrol engine with the fuel economy of a diesel. Like a diesel engine, the fuel and air mixture is ignited by squeezing it but uses a spark plug only as a way of starting the process. That gives greater control and reliability and torque is improved by 30%, fuel consumption is reduced by 20% and emissions are much lower too.

There is certainly no lack of power and over several hundred miles of mixed driving, it felt assured, well-behaved and happy to stretch its legs.

I enjoyed my time with the CX-30 and while on the face of it, the numbers may be a touch confusing, they certainly add up.

Link:
ROAD TEST: Mazda's new family car adds up to a great choice - Press and Journal

Customers of SEMrush, an all-in-one advertising and marketing toolkit, now have entry to 2 new options that can enhance native web optimization administration. The Itemizing Administration software, which is obtainable as a part of the Premium service, makes it simpler for companies to spice up visibility, monitor evaluations and have interaction new prospects.

Organisations utilizing Itemizing Administration will discover that its a lot simpler to distribute enterprise information, with corporations in a position to share data routinely with greater than 80 enterprise directories within the US and over 40 in different international locations. Inside Itemizing Administration, corporations can edit all their data from one place and routinely distribute it to main search platforms, together with Amazon Alexa, Google and Bing. Info may even be voice search prepared.

Primarily based on buyer suggestions, utilizing Itemizing Administration can considerably scale back the time it takes for digital advertising and marketing companies to achieve their shoppers. Throughout only a two-month interval, healthcare-focused digital entrepreneurs WebServ used SEMrush to ship a 34 per cent uplift to their consumers Google My Enterprise (GMB) itemizing when it comes to discovery searches.

The largest additions to the Itemizing Administration software come within the type of two new extensions. The primary, Evaluation Administration, offers companies the chance to answer evaluations from GMB or Fb straight, with out having to go away the platform.

The second, an area rating heatmap, permits corporations to trace as much as 5 key phrases on a hyper-local scale, utilizing Google Maps to realize a greater understanding of their native rivals. The heatmap supplies a scan radius that permits companies to find out whether or not they wish to monitor on a smaller or bigger scale.

Its simple for companies to get carried away when theyre increasing and neglect their native prospects in pursuit of fast progress. The brand new options from SEMrush present a reminder that native success can nonetheless profit from an in depth web optimization technique.

Read more:
Roblox Players Have Spent Over $2 Billion on Mobile - Best gaming pro

Customers of SEMrush, an all-in-one advertising and marketing toolkit, now have entry to 2 new options that can enhance native web optimization administration. The Itemizing Administration software, which is obtainable as a part of the Premium service, makes it simpler for companies to spice up visibility, monitor evaluations and have interaction new prospects.

Organisations utilizing Itemizing Administration will discover that its a lot simpler to distribute enterprise information, with corporations in a position to share data routinely with greater than 80 enterprise directories within the US and over 40 in different international locations. Inside Itemizing Administration, corporations can edit all their data from one place and routinely distribute it to main search platforms, together with Amazon Alexa, Google and Bing. Info may even be voice search prepared.

Primarily based on buyer suggestions, utilizing Itemizing Administration can considerably scale back the time it takes for digital advertising and marketing companies to achieve their shoppers. Throughout only a two-month interval, healthcare-focused digital entrepreneurs WebServ used SEMrush to ship a 34 per cent uplift to their consumers Google My Enterprise (GMB) itemizing when it comes to discovery searches.

The largest additions to the Itemizing Administration software come within the type of two new extensions. The primary, Evaluation Administration, offers companies the chance to answer evaluations from GMB or Fb straight, with out having to go away the platform.

The second, an area rating heatmap, permits corporations to trace as much as 5 key phrases on a hyper-local scale, utilizing Google Maps to realize a greater understanding of their native rivals. The heatmap supplies a scan radius that permits companies to find out whether or not they wish to monitor on a smaller or bigger scale.

Its simple for companies to get carried away when theyre increasing and neglect their native prospects in pursuit of fast progress. The brand new options from SEMrush present a reminder that native success can nonetheless profit from an in depth web optimization technique.

More here:
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X 16-core monster could be the first Ryzen chip to hit 5GHz - Best gaming pro

Last year, the Chamber of Commerce, big businesss big lobby group, made a bit of a splash when it subtly changed its position on climate to distance itself from the rankest sort of climate denial it otherwise funds. This year, they continued their feint to the left,focusing on issue adsinstead of just electing Republicans, and even going so far as to support a handful of (pro-gas) Democratic politicians.

But as EDF recently pointed out, despite the Chamber hedging its bets with Democrats now (perits fired flack), its still working against climate action in court, where its siding with polluters and the Trump administration on the clean car standards.

No one should be particularly surprised by this, as it tracks completely with theirbehavior last yearwhen, after their supposed change of heart on climate, they werestill filing motionswith polluters and by themselves to oppose the Clean Power Plan and defend the Trump administrations replacement the dangerously Orwellian-named Affordable Clean Energy rule.

Speaking of which, the D.C. circuit court recently heardargumentson the rule, and according to the experts whospoke with Dawn Reeves at InsideEPA, things arent looking good for the Trump administrations proposed rule. According to one of the half-dozen sources Reeves quotes, all three judges did not like the ACE rule, and said theres a high likelihood it would be struck down.

For less reading of the tea leaves and more of a straight read of the arguments presented over a grueling nine hour virtual hearing, PoliticoPROs Alex Guilln covered theseven big take-aways. Ranging from the authority the EPA has to regulate carbon dioxide at all and narrowly targeting coal plants, or by looking at the entire grid writ large, the facts that the rule would only reduce emissions by less than 1 percent, and had no minimum for acceptable levels of pollution for each states plan, appear to be looming large in the judges minds.

One judge, the recently Trump-appointed Justin Walker, was particularly incredulous that the ACE rule was so lacking in any sort of standard. I think thats really hard to wrap my head around. Were talking about a program to reduce air pollution and it doesnt even require you to consider how much pollution youre reducing?

That was likely a turning point in the case that one source described to Reeves. Initially, Walker started out wanting to be the champion for what [Trumps] EPA was doing, but when they sat up and realized ACE doesnt do anything, that its clearly a coal bailout, thats when he finally started really understanding it.

So if even the Trump appointee is sounding skeptical of how lax this proposed regulation is, thats certainly something!

That said,a second piece by Reeves at InsideEPApoints out that all this may end up being a moot point after November 3rd anyway.

Because if Biden wins, his administration would almost certainly scrap the ACE rule for something more appropriate and less created by polluters. If not, the Trump administration would likely appeal any adverse ruling from the district court up to the Supreme Court, putting the decision in the hands of a handful of judges appointed by Trump after having been cleared by the pro-polluter Federalist society.

See the original post:
Chamber of Commerce still committed to blocking climate change action - Red, Green, and Blue

Fall is a great time to tackle projects around the house.

The weather allows homeowners to make improvements to their homes' exteriors without worrying about extreme heat or cold, while interior projects like painting are made easier because homeowners can open the windows to allow for proper ventilation.

Fall also marks a great time to prepare for upcoming projects that can make winter work that much easier.

For example, fall is a great time to take stock of your gutters so you can address any issues before leaves begin to fall or the first snowstorm touches down.

Compromised gutters can contribute to water issues in basements and adversely affect a home's foundation if not addressed immediately, so it behooves homeowners to learn the signs that gutters are in need of repair or replacement.

Gutters were once installed predominantly with spikes. However, many industry professionals now install gutters with hanger brackets.

Why the change? Spikes loosen over time, leading to the gutters hanging off the home. That can contribute to serious issues if left untreated. Gutters hanging off the home need not necessarily be replaced, but rather secured to the home, ideally with hanger brackets instead of spikes.

Brackets hook into the front of the gutter and are then screwed into the fascia of a home. A professional who specializes in gutter repair can perform this task relatively quickly, and it's an inexpensive yet highly effective solution.

Gutters that are no longer fastened together can leak and contribute to issues that affect the home's foundation, siding and appearance.

Clogs and the accumulation of debris can cause gutters to separate because they are not designed to hold too much weight. Replacement of separated gutters may or may not be necessary depending on how big the problem is and the condition of the existing gutters.

If replacement is not necessary, separated gutters may be remedied by securing the joints, another relatively simple and inexpensive fix.

Paint that appears to be peeling off of your home may indicate that water is seeping over the edge of the gutter closest to your home. When that happens, water is coming down the side of the house, causing the paint to peel. In such instances, replacing the gutters is often necessary.

Not all signs of deteriorating gutters are outside a home. Many a homeowner has been flummoxed by flooding in their basements, and such flooding can be caused by aging, ineffective gutters.

That's because deteriorating gutters sometimes allow water to leak near the foundation of a home, contributing to basement flooding.

Excerpt from:
Signs your gutters are in need of repair - Reading Eagle