Collin Creek Mall is undergoing a $1 billion redevelopment project that is expected to transform the property into a mixed-use destination. (Liesbeth Powers/Community Impact Newspaper)

Here are five notable stories from the past few days of DFW coverage, on coronavirus relief, school districts and more.

Frisco parks department helping people play at home and in public

Play Frisco, the citys parks and recreation department, is working to keep people engaged amid the pandemic both at city parks, which remain open with social distancing guidelines in place, and in their own homes with online programs and content.

MAP: Richardson ISD to reduce frequency of grab-and-go meal service starting April 20

Richardson ISD is rolling back its meal service program for students to three days a week instead of five beginning April 20.

McKinney ISD's music education program earns national recognition

McKinney ISD has been named to the 2020 Best Communities for Music Education list by the National Association of Music Merchants.

United Way of Denton County disburses $118,425 of COVID-19 Relief Fund to help struggling residents

United Way of Denton County has disbursed $118,425 from its COVID-19 Relief Fund to help Denton County residents who are struggling financially due to the pandemic.

'We're on schedule': Demolition continues at Collin Creek Mall amid coronavirus shutdowns

Demolition continues at Collin Creek Mall despite the economic impact of coronavirus restrictions, according to the developers.

Anna Herod, Daniel Houston, Makenzie Plusnick, Miranda Jaimes and William C. Wadsack contributed to this report.

Read the rest here:
Collin Creek Mall demolition continues, and four other DFW-area stories - Community Impact Newspaper

The better question is do we really need a Demolition Man sequel, but thats kind of a silly question in an era where reboots and sequels have become the norm and the answer would be of course from anyone that remembers the original movie. Ive seen the original movie, as have a lot of people, but the consensus on whether or not it deserves a sequel is still unknown since teh first movie was fine for its time and had a lot of action that was enjoyable, but it was also kind of a goofy movie in some ways too. One big thing that Cody Hamman of Joblo is getting after though is that it would appear the movie has a bit of predictive power much like a few other movies and TV shows have throughout the years. People love to pick up on these cues since it is a little eerie how some things that are predicted in movies tend to happen in real life. This time around however there are notable differences since Arnold Schwarzenegger didnt become president in real life, though he did become the governor of California. Also, there was no massive earthquake that devastated California to such a degree that cities had to merge in order to create a new society, thankfully. The whole no-contact thing thats so prevalent in the movie however is an unfortunate side effect that some have witnessed and been living with thanks to the coronavirus, so the predictive nature of the movie is coming into play as some might want to think. Within the next decade however its hard to think that well be doing air high-fives and having VR sex for fear of contracting any unwanted diseases. Plus, growing babies in a lab just doesnt sound like something that a lot of people would get on board with.

Movies set in the future are typically a lot of fun since they tend to predict certain outcomes based on habitual behavior and trends of the day and how they could possibly expand in the years to come, but rarely are they ever really worth using as predictors when it comes to stating how life will be at some point in the future. After all, according to a lot of futuristic movies we were supposed to have flying cars, suspended highways, time travel, and various other wondrous inventions by now that havent been seen since movie magic is fanciful and fun but its not realistic and likely as not it would be extremely costly. Think of what a flying car would cost right now and what it might take to actually earn the permission to operate one. The Demolition Man was a nice jump into a future where cryogenics are seen as the pacifistic and kind way to store the worst of the worst instead of locking them away for life and possibly executing them for their crimes. Those that are against the death penalty usually have their reasons, and sometimes theyre right, but stacking people like ice cubes and later on learning that theyre still awake while in hibernation sounds even more inhumane than sticking a needle in their arm. Some prisoners might even prefer the needle if they were to realize that theyd be spending their time in prison literally in the ice.

One reason Id say that a Demolition Man sequel isnt needed is that the movie did end on a pretty good note with Spartan and Huxley appearing as though they might be an item, Edgar Friendly and his people were topside once again and about to integrate with everyone, and things were about to go back to the way they were pre-Cocteau, as in back to the normal that we know today. The one thing with a utopia is that as a reality its not bound to work and as an ideal its like a shifting tide, its different for everyone and very few people are ever going to fully agree on one ideal for everyone. Trying to create such a place is next to impossible since it would mean creating a world thats bound to encapsulate everyones likes and none of their dislikes, which isnt possible since the likes of some are the dislikes of others. See how that works? Michael Shermer of The Week has a more in-depth explanation of this idea. As far as a sequel goes for Demolition Man though one would have to think about who the main bad guy would be, since there would need to be one, and why in the world theyd start causing trouble. Obviously Spartan would still be around to do his thing, but as weve seen in the latest Rambo movie, Stallone is getting kind of old to do all the same action sequences he used to do so readily. A sequel would also need to cover a lot of bases between the last movie and now, and of course, the three seashells thing would need to be explained. You thought I would leave that out, didnt you?

Read the original post:
Are We Going to See a Demolition Man Sequel? - TVOvermind

Photo by Jason Hope

While much of the world is on hold right now due to the coronavirus pandemic, demolition has begun on an iconic part of the University of Kentucky campus. The Kirwan-Blanding dormitory complex is finally being dismantled after sitting vacant for over four years.

Some pictures from Jason Hope on Facebook:

Photo by Jason Hope

Photo by Jason Hope

Photo by Jason Hope

UK friends- just when you thought the world couldnt be more upside down, they started to demolish South Campus.

Posted by Jason Hope onThursday, April 16, 2020

The two 23-story towers and eight surrounding low-rise buildings were built in the 1960s and sit on 14 acres.Demolition is expected to cost $15 million ($10 million from an internal loan, $5 million from private funding), which pales in comparison to the $126 million estimate to renovate the buildings to modern standards.

A map of the area, per the Herald-Leader:

Once the complex is demolished which could take 12-15 months UK will use the area for a new 500-bed dormitory and large green space. If approved, the goal is to have the dormitory ready for the 2022-23 school year.

Feel free to share your favorite Kirwan-Blanding memories below.

Here is the original post:
LOOK: Demolition of the Kirwan-Blanding complex has begun - kentuckysportsradio.com

Saying those seeking to raze a derelict greenhouse followed the process outlined in a local ordinance, New Canaans town building official last week told members of an appointed municipal body that he wouldnt enforce their request to re-notice the structure.

The disused and damaged greenhouse at the New Canaan Nature Center is to be demolished. Credit: Michael Dinan

According to some members of the Historical Review Committee, the sign affixed to a ca.-1900 greenhouse at the New Canaan Nature Center failed to meet a requirement that it be posted in a conspicuous location of the property on which the structure is situated and that its visible from the nearest public street or other accessway adjoining the property.

Committee member Ed Vollmer said during the appointed bodys April 16 meeting that there are people who are unhappy with what is going on and the destruction of the greenhouse because it is considered a historic building.

Under local ordinance, if a letter objecting to a planned demolition is received within 15 days of publication of the notice in a newspaper, then the Committee may decide to impose a delay period of up to 90 days. In this case, however, the Nature Centers notice was published Feb. 6, meaning the objection period expired Feb. 21four days before a New Canaan woman filed her letter, which was therefore rejected by Town Building Official Brian Platz.

Vollmer said the Committees review and opportunity to impose a delay should have been triggered.

Our job is basically to recognize this and to agree or not agree with the individual but not to have a chance to do this is very upsetting, he said at the meeting, held via videoconference. It is upsetting because that is what our purview is. So the fact that it was signed property is fine, but we did not have an opportunity to weigh in on it. And this is getting slipped into the cracks and is there no way to redeem or review this? Is there any way we can go back and what authority can we go to, to deal with it? We would like to see an opportunity for people in town to make a choice.

Platz noted that he is the enforcement agent for the Committee as well as the demolition delay ordinance, saying, It is my position that unless you can demonstrate to me a clear violation of the provisions of the ordinance, then you do not get a second bite at the apple.

Even so, the Committee voted 5-0 in favor of a motion made by Secretary Rose Rothbart that the signage at the Nature Center was not in compliance with the ordinance and requesting that additional signage be posted on Oenoke Ridge.

Platz said, I will not enforce that, and the following exchange ensued:

Rothbart: You wont enforce what the ordinance says?

Platz: I will enforce what the ordinance says. The ordinance doesnt say two signs. You can change the ordinance moving forward but you cant do that retroactively for this application.

Rothbart: But can we request that for the town?

Platz: You can request whatever you want, but I am not enforcing it.

In addition to Rothbart and Vollmer, those voting in favor of the motion included Chair Mark Markiewicz, Andrew Melillo and Marty Skrelunas.

Platz noted that even if the applicantin this case, the town itself, as the Nature Center is situated on town propertydid re-post demolition notices on Oenoke Ridge, that wouldnt trigger the opportunity for any delay period, because the objection period lapsed.

Committee members said they would recommend changes to the ordinance to the Town Council Bylaws & Ordinances Committee. Specifically, the Committee said it would seek to flesh out the definition of conspicuous in the ordinance and consider a requirement for on-street signs where the structures to be demolished are on interior lots.

The physical sign itself is one of three ways that residents are notified of an intention to demolish a structure, under local law. Notice must be published in a print newspaper, and those seeking formal notice of any such application may sign up to be notified by certified mail from the town.

Yet the Committee also said theres a problem with that form of notice. Specifically, Rothbart said that she didnt receive a notice by certified mail even though shes on the list.

Platz noted that what the local ordinance and State Demolition Code specifically require is confirmation that such notices are mailed, not proof of return receipt, as Rothbart described.

Certified mail is just a confirmation from the Post Office, he said. You do not have to sign for certified mail, that is return receipt.

Though the Committee voted unanimously in favor of the motion regarding a second sign, not every member agreed that the applicant in the case of the greenhouse had run afoul of the ordinance.

For example, when Rothbart said the sign on the greenhouse was the absolute opposite definition of conspicuous, Melillo noted that the language is meant to preempt an attempt to hide such a sign behind a tree or under vines (which this one wasnt), and that the ordinance says it must be visible from a public road or other accessway.

The sign was right in front of the building, he said, adding, Its not being purposely hidden.

Read the original:
'I Will Not Enforce That': Committee, Building Official at Odds Over Demolition Notice - New Canaanite

District 47 - West TN - NorthernCARROLL COUNTY, SR-22A: Bridge repair in Huntingdon over Brier Creek at LM 0.34 and over CSX Railroad at LM 3.10.Restrictions: Monday, March 9, 2020: SR 22A will be reduced to one lane traffic with a traffic signal system.

DYER COUNTY, SR-20 (US-412): The resurfacing on SR 20 from US 51 (SR 3) to the Crockett County Line will cause temporary lane closures throughout the project.

GIBSON COUNTY, SR-43 (US-45E):Monday, April 6 through Thursday, April 9, 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.: There will be temporary day time lane closures and nightly shoulder closure on SR 43 MM 6.7 to MM 6.9 near SR 187 (Graball Drive).

HENDERSON COUNTY (New Lexington By-Pass) : The grading, drainage, construction of bridges and retaining walls, signals and paving on US 412 (SR 459) from US 412 (SR 20) west of Lexington to near SR 22 south of Lexington. Motorists should watch for trucks entering and exiting the roadway.

HENRY COUNTY, SR-54: The grading, drainage, construction of bridges, retaining wall and paving on SR 54 from near Rison Street to near Smith Road. Motorists should watch for trucks entering and exiting the roadway. *Speed limit has been reduced to 35MPH.Restrictions: Monday, November 25, 2019: Bridge work on SR 54 at LM 12.02 (Bridge nearest Guthrie) is causing a 10 lane restriction. *Traffic has been shifted to Phase 3 of traffic control.

OBION COUNTY, Future I-69 (Phase 2): Grading, drainage, construction of eight bridges on future I-69 from south of US 51 (SR 3) to south of US 45W (SR 5) will cause possible lane closures throughout the project. *Speed limit is reduced to 45 MPH through the US 51 (SR 3) portion of the project. The southbound traffic has been switched to the northbound side on SR 3 throughout the work zone, for phase 2 construction.

Restrictions: Wednesday, November 6, 2019: SR 3 will have traffic in the outside lanes in both directions. Inside lanes will be closed for construction. Traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction with an 11 6 lane restriction.

OBION COUNTY, Future I-69 (Phase 3): Grading, drainage, construction of bridges and paving on future I-69 from west of SR 21 to US 51 (SR 3) will cause possible lane closures throughout the project.

Monday, July 29, 2019: SR 21 North from Clifford Rives Road to Lindenwood Road. The closure is expected for approximately 1 year to allow the construction of the overhead Bridge on the new portion of SR 21 along with the Road & Drainage of the I-69 mainline. Northbound traffic will detour from SR 21 East onto Clifford Rives Road, then North on Bethlehem Road, West onto Lindenwood Road before proceeding North on SR 21. Southbound traffic will be in reverse order. Detour routes are posted.

OBION COUNTY, SR-43 (US 45E): Repair of the bridges (right & left) on SR 43 over overflow will cause possible lane closures throughout the project.

Restrictions: Beginning on Friday, January 24, 2020: SR 43 traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction at the bridges over overflow with a 12 lane restriction and a 5 6 shoulder restriction.

WEAKLEY COUNTY, SR-43 and SR-372 (45E Business) interchange (Region 4 Concrete Repair):Monday, April 22 through Friday, April 29, 6:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.: There will be a full and partial closures for concrete pavement repairs for the on and off ramps at SR 43 to Business 45E (SR 372) and SR 22 and US 45E in Weakley County. Only one ramp or lane will be closed at a time. A detour will be posted.

LOOK AHEAD:Wednesday, April 29 through Wednesday, May 6, 6:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.: There will be a full and partial closures for concrete pavement repairs for the on and off ramps at SR 43 to Business 45E (SR 372) and SR 22 and US 45E in Weakley County. Only one ramp or lane will be closed at a time. A Detour will be posted.

TDOT Region IV On-Call Retrace:Monday, April 27, through Monday, May 4: There will be moving lane closures for the retrace of lines in Tipton County on SR 3 and SR 14.

District 48 - West TN Middle/SouthernHARDIN COUNTY, SR-128 (Non-TDOT Work):Wednesday, April 22 through April 24, 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.: There will be intermittent lane closures on SR 128 adjacent to the Pickwick Dam to install shoulder rock along the guardrail.

HAYWOOD COUNTY, SR-76 (TDOT Maintenance): Friday, April 24, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.: There will be a closure on SR 79 from Allen Station and Dr. Hess Rd. A detour will be in place.

HAYWOOD COUNTY, SR-19 (Brownsville Bypass): The construction of an I-Beam bridge along with grading, drainage, and paving may cause temporary lane closures on SR 19 (Brownsville Bypass) from east of SR 87 LM 11.12 to west of Windrow Rd. LM 14.73. One lane will remain. Motorists should watch for trucks entering and exiting the roadway. Speed limit is reduced to 45 MPH within the project limits. On February 17, 2019 Shaw Chapel Rd was closed, and a detour put in place.

HAYWOOD COUNTY, SR-179:Tuesday, April 28 and Wednesday, April 29: The roadway will be closed on SR 179 (Main Street) near Stanton, TN for railroad crossing work. Detour will be posted

HENDERSON COUNTY, SR-20: The resurfacing with hot in-place recycling on US 412 (SR 20) from Crucifer Road (LM 4.23) to near Sea Horse Drive (LM 10.99) will cause temporary lane closures.

HENDERSON COUNTY, SR-20: The resurfacing with hot in-place recycling on US 412 (SR 20) from east of SR 22 (LM 12.85) to near the Chesterfield By-Pass (LM 20.03), including bridge expansion joint repair and thin epoxy overlay causing temporary lane closures.

MADISON COUNTY, SR-1: The repair of a bridge on SR 1 near Spring Creek, TN (LM 28.99) along with grading, drainage, and paving will cause temporary lane closures.

Restrictions: On April 13, 2020 was an 11 width restriction and a temporary signal will be put in place. Motorists should watch for crews and equipment in the roadways.

MADISON COUNTY, SR-186 (US 45 Bypass) and I-40: Interchange improvements on SR 186 (US 45) north and southbound from the I-40 ramps to Old Hickory Blvd for paving and construction of retaining walls. Widening of I-40 from just east of Exit 79 to just east of Exit 82.

Thursday, April 23 and Friday, April 24, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: SR 5 (Highland Avenue) will have intermittent left and right lane closures both north and southbound from Vann Drive to the Carriage House/Ridgecrest intersection for bridge demolition activities.

Friday, April 24, 8:00 p.m. through Monday, April 27, 6:00 a.m.: Close and detour Highland Ave. (Hwy 45) north and south bound from Ridgecrest Rd. to Vann Dr. for construction activities. I-40 Traffic will not be affected at Exit 82.

Saturday, April 25, 6:00 a.m.7:00 p.m.: Closure of I-40 eastbound right lane including on and off ramps for Exit 80 for removal and placement of barrier rail.

Monday, April 27 through Wednesday, April 29, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: SR 5 (Highland Avenue) will have intermittent left and right lane closures both north and southbound from Vann Drive to the Carriage House/Ridgecrest intersection for bridge demolition activities.

LOOK AHEAD:Thursday, April 30 and Friday, May 1, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: SR 5 (Highland Avenue) will have intermittent left and right lane closures both north and southbound from Vann Drive to the Carriage House/Ridgecrest intersection for bridge demolition activities.

Monday, May 4 through Wednesday, May 6, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: SR 5 (Highland Avenue) will have intermittent left and right lane closures both north and southbound from Vann Drive to the Carriage House/Ridgecrest intersection for bridge demolition activities.

MADISON COUNTY, SR-198: The construction of a concrete box bridge on SR 198 over Bear Creek (LM 8.65) along with grading, drainage, and paving will cause temporary lane closures.

Restrictions: On April 29, 2019 there was an 11 width restriction and a temporary signal put in place. Motorists should watch for crews and equipment in the roadways. WEATHER PERMITTING.

MADISON COUNTY, SR-198 Non-TDOT Work):Wednesday, April 22, 8:00 a.m. through Friday, April 24, 5:00 p.m.: There will be a closure on SR 198 in Madison County from Hwy 70 to Mifflin Road for utility work. A detour will be posted.

TDOT District 48 MAINTENANCE:Wednesday, April 22 through Wednesday, April 29, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: There will be possible lane closures at various locations in Region IV in order to repair pavement on an as needed basis.

TDOT District 47 and 48 On-Call Guardrail/Concrete Barrier Rail Repair:Wednesday, April 22 through Wednesday, April 29: There are no scheduled closures.

District 49 - West TN Southwest

FAYETTE COUNTY, I-40: Resurfacing of I-40 from MM 35.0 to MM 43.0; Bridge Repair on I-40E over Wilder Creek at MM 34.5

LOOK AHEAD:

Friday, May 1, 8:00 p.m. through Monday, May 4, 6:00 a.m.: I-40 east bound at MM 34.5 will have a lane closure of the left lane for bridge repair activities over Wilder Creek. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in eastbound direction with a 12 0 lane restriction.

WEATHER PERMITTING. May 8-10 will serve as a backup.

Friday, May 1, through Tuesday, May 5, 8:00 p.m.6:00 a.m.: I-40 will have intermittent left and right lane closures both eastbound and westbound from MM 35.0 to MM 43.0.

Speed limit will be reduced to 60 MPH during active closures.

FAYETTE COUNTY, SR-196:Thursday, April 23 and Friday, April 24: The roadway will be closed on SR 196 (Main Street) near Gallaway, TN for railroad crossing work.

HAYWOOD AND SHELBY COUNTIES, VARIOUS INTERSTATES AND SR-4:Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: There will lane closures on I-40 (Haywood County) east and westbound at MM 48.2, I-55 (Shelby County) north and south bound at MM 2.2 and MM 9.2, and SR 4 (Shelby County) north and southbound at MM 3.2 to take grade and cross slope measurements to evaluate sites for possible future weigh-in-motion (WIM) locations.

LAUDERDALE COUNTY, SR-371: The repair of bridge over Cane Creek will cause a lane closure with temporary traffic signal near Pipkin Rd.

SHELBY COUNTY, SR-4 (Lamar Avenue) & SR 175 (Shelby Drive):Monday, April 27 through Friday, May 1, then Monday May 4, through Wednesday May 6,

9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: There will be a temporary lane closure on SR 4 (Lamar Avenue) north of SR 175 (Shelby Drive) to drill geotechnical borings. Work will begin in the northbound lanes Monday thru Thursday (4/27 to 4/30) and then switch to southbound lanes for the remainder of the requested shutdown time.

SHELBY COUNTY, SR-14: The grading, drainage, construction of concrete Bulb-Tee and I-beam bridges, signals and paving on SR 14 from east of Old Covington Pike to SR 385 will cause possible lane closures throughout the project. *Speed limit has been reduced to 45 MPH.

SHELBY COUNTY, SR-14: Construction on SR 14 for a widening project from SR 385 to east of Kerrville Rosemark Rd. There will be possible temporary lane closures throughout the project. *Speed limit has been reduced to 45 MPH.

TIPTON COUNTY, SR-3 (US-51): Resurfacing on SR-3 (US-51) from Winn Avenue to Hope Street

Thursday, April 23 through Wednesday, April 29, 8:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.:

There will be intermittent lane closures on north and southbound SR 3 (US-51) from Winn Avenue to Hope Street (MM 15.0MM 19.0) for curb ramp installation and resurfacing. Weather Permitting.

TDOT District 49 MAINTENANCE:Thursday, April 23 through Wednesday, April 29, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: There will be possible lane closures on all interstates and state routes in District 49 for routine maintenance activities on an as needed basis.

TDOT District 49 On-Call Guardrail/Concrete Barrier Rail Repair:

Wednesday, April 22 through Tuesday, April 28, 8:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.: There will be night time lane closures at various locations on SR 3 (Shelby, Tipton, and Lauderdale Counties), SR 385 (Shelby County), SR 15 (Shelby County), SR 175, SR 14 (Shelby and Tipton County), I-40 (Fayette and Shelby Counties), I-269 (Shelby and Fayette Counties), I-55 and I-240. One lane will be CLOSED to repair damaged guardrail.

Wednesday, April 22 through Tuesday, April 28, 8:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.: The following ramps will be closed to repair damaged guardrail: THP will assist with traffic control. Weather Permitting.

I-40 westbound EXIT 18 on ramp from SR 15 (US 64)

I-55 northbound on ramp from EXIT 12C Metal Museum Drive

I-240 westbound EXIT 25A to I-55 southbound

I-240 eastbound EXIT 28B South Parkway westbound

I-240 eastbound EXIT 23A to northbound Airways

SR 14 northbound Exit to Raleigh-Millington

Thursday, April 23 through Wednesday, April 29, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: There will be day time lane closures at various locations in Tipton County on SR 14, SR 59, SR 206, and SR 178; Fayette County on SR 86; and Shelby County on SR 204 and SR 388 to repair damaged guardrail. One lane will be CLOSED in each direction to repair damaged guardrail. Flagmen will be used where necessary. THP will assist with traffic control. Weather Permitting.

LOOK AHEAD

Wednesday, April 29 through Tuesday, May 5, 8:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.: The following ramps will be closed to repair damaged guardrail: THP will assist with traffic control. Weather Permitting

I-40 westbound EXIT 18 on ramp from SR 15 (US 64)

I-55 northbound on ramp from EXIT 12C Metal Museum Drive

I-240 westbound EXIT 25A to I-55 southbound

I-240 eastbound EXIT 28B South Parkway westbound

I-240 eastbound EXIT 23A to northbound Airways

SR 14 northbound Exit to Raleigh-Millington

TDOT District 49 On-Call Signing on various Interstates and state routes

Wednesday, April 22 through Tuesday, April 28, 8:00 p.m.6:00 a.m.: There will be nighttime lane closures at various locations on I-40 east and westbound in Shelby, Fayette, Madison, Henderson, and Benton Counties; I-240 east and westbound, MM 23.0MM 30.9; SR 385 east and westbound, MM 0.00MM 49.0; I-269 northbound in Shelby County, MM 0.000.6; I-155 northbound in Dyer County, MM15.015.4; SR5 northbound in Madison County, MM 0.000.4; and SR 3 southbound in Obion County, MM 29.429.6. One lane will be CLOSED. THP will assist with traffic control. Weather Permitting.

Thursday, April 23 through Wednesday, April 29, 9:00 a.m.3:00 p.m.: There will be daytime shoulder closures at various locations on I-40 east and westbound in Shelby, Fayette, Madison, Henderson, and Benton Counties; I-240 east and westbound, MM 23.0MM 30.9; SR 385 east and westbound, MM 0.00MM 49.0; I-269 northbound in Shelby County, MM 0.000.6; I-155 northbound in Dyer County, MM15.015.4; SR 5 northbound in Madison County, MM 0.000.4; and SR 3 southbound in Obion County, MM 29.429.6. THP will assist with traffic control. Weather Permitting.

NON-TDOT/City of Memphis work

SHELBY COUNTY, I-40: Memphis Cook Convention Center

Monday, October 7, 2019, 6:00 a.m. through Sunday, May 31, 2020: On October 7, 2019 the exit ramp from I-40 eastbound (Exit 1, Front Street) was fully closed for upgrades to the Memphis Cook Convention Center. The ramp split to Riverside Dr. will remain open. Traffic will be controlled by signage and traffic barrels. Drivers should exercise caution when approaching and traveling through work zones.

From your desktop or mobile device, get the latest construction activity and live streaming SmartWay traffic cameras at http://www.TNSmartWay.com/Traffic. Travelers can also dial 511 from any land-line or cellular phone for travel information, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/TN511 for statewide travel or for West Tennessee follow https://twitter.com/NicLawrenceTDOT.

As always, drivers are reminded to use all motorist information tools wisely and Know Before You Go! by checking travel conditions before leaving for your destination. Drivers should never tweet, text or talk on a cell phone while behind the wheel.

In 2016, the Tennessee Department of Transportation lost three workers in the line of duty. All three were struck by passing motorists. Those tragedies bring the total number of TDOT lives lost to 112. We dont want to lose another member of our TDOT family. Were asking you to WORK WITH US. Click on the WORK WITH US logo to learn more.

Excerpt from:
West Tennessee Weekly Construction April 22-29, 2020 - tn.gov

Colorado snow plow on the Colorado Midland R.R., Hagerman Pass ,1899. William Henry Jackson, Courtesy of the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

Whenever the white stuff starts falling, we grab those phones and cameras and start snapping those awesome snow shots. If we can get our dogs or kiddos in there, well, all the better. There's just something we have to capture forever about a Colorado landscape covered in snow.

Turns out, this is nothing new for the people of Colorado. Though they may not have had social media to share the snaps on, Coloradans have been taking pictures of the snow (and their dogs!) for over 100 years. Check out some of these really awesome historical pictures we found of Colorado's snowy past!

16th Street in winter, Denver, Colorado.Image credit Clark Blickensderfer, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

Snow Cut on Pike's Peak, May 17, 1900Image credit DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University from the album titled 'Tourist Album: Mexico, Arizona, California, Colorado and Utah.'

Courtesy of the Colorado State University Historic Photograph Collection, Fort Collins (Facebook)

The Colorado Snowsports Museum has shared several other amazing photos of people enjoying the snow in Colorado throughout the years:

And it's not just people who love the Colorado snow in these historic photos, even the doggos are getting in on the fun!

British Antarctic Expedition, image credit Herbert G. Ponting.Courtesy of Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

Three boys with pullcarts and a dog on a retaining wall, Charles S. Lillybridge, 1849-1935Courtesy of History Colorado Online Collection

Comment below with your favorite snow photofrom Colorado's storied past!

Here is the original post:
Historic Colorado: 100-Plus Years of Photographers Capturing Images of Snow, Dogs, and the Human Spirit - Our Community Now at Maryland

It may have been a while since youve been far past your house and neighborhood. But in March, just as the coronavirus spread began shutting things down, a couple of new, brightly-colored murals popped up see in downtown Austin.

The murals, both keyed to this years centenary celebration of 19th Amendment and womens right to vote, are a part of the Downtown Austin Alliance Foundations new Writing on The Walls program, an annual series of public art installations and events. And its a tale of three artists and two walls: internationally renowned street artist Shepard Fairey and Canadian artist Shandra Chevrier collaborated on the large-scale mural on the west side of the LINE Hotel downtown, while local artist Sad Lawson was chosen to transform the wall under the Lamar Boulevard underpass.

On the west side of the LINE Hotel, a new 12-story mural by famed street artist Shepard Fairey and Canadian pop painter Shandra Chevrier, is now the largest mural in Austin. Photo by Cody Bjornson

Molly Alexander, executive director of the foundation, a newly-formed offshoot of the Downtown Austin Alliance, says the focus of the Writing on the Walls program is to turn more of Austins public spaces, sidewalks and parks, which make up half of the land downtown, from transient places to conversation topics.

We spend so much time thinking about the transformation of the landscape in our city around tall buildings and density and I think sometimes we miss the opportunity to think about what the rest of our land looks like, to really make them special to people and meaningful, Alexander says.

They quickly found that finding walls could be a complicated process, Alexander says, balancing the wants and needs of the city with that of property owners and downtown residents while keeping in mind the wall as a potential canvas. A conversation with Susan Lambe, who leads the citys Art In Public Places Program, resulted in securing the Lamar wall for the project, where they wanted to help amplify a local artist due to the heavy-traffic of the spot.

[Susan said] if you could do one thing, get me that wall on Lamar because we cant seem to get it. I dont think anybody really knew who owned it or had the license for it. Its kind of complicated, Alexander says.

In short, they were able to find out that while the Union Pacific Railroad owned the wall, Gables Residential had a license agreement with the city that was created during the construction of the adjacent apartment complex in order to keep the retaining wall in tact. The Gables company loved the idea of a mural and gave approval readily.

Sad Lawsons mural now joins Data Tells A Story, an mural-based installation by Laurie Frick along the Lamar Blvd. underpass. Photo by Cody Bjornson

The new Lamar underpass mural greets Northbound drivers just before artist Laurie Fricks Data Tells A Story, offering an atypical sense of permanence compared to the lackluster tagging that for so long defined the wall. The images depicts three women of color the same figure in primary colors of red, blue and yellow surrounded by water lilies. Called Its Okay to Not Be Okay, the mural is by Austin artist Sad Lawson, who imagined a mural that touched on the overarching theme of the program womens empowerment and a topic she incorporates frequently in her work, mental health.

How can I illustrate somebody being empowered by all of their motions, not just the ones that are deemed okay or accepted? Lawson says.

After being approached by Carlos DeLuca of Station 16 Gallery in Quebec, Canada, who was working in a curatorial role with Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation, Lawson came up with a plan in ten days. Her mural was painted in early March and took around a week to complete.

Lawson has been living and making art in Austin for seven years and says while she still deals with social anxiety, connecting with local artist communities such as the Cherry Cola Dog collective at their weekly Art Will Save Us events helped her find her niche.

I was pushed by people asking When are you going to come out and live paint? because live painting really was the thing to do, Lawson says. It was a really easy and cool way for the people, not just artists, but the community, to come in and see how you work, who you are, what your style is and see you as a person.

She started participating in live art battles with the Cherry Cola Dog folks and performed at one of street art group sprATXs summer bashes, happening which helped her get used to painting quickly with an audience of curious strangers. Lawson says she was initially intimidated by the size of the Lamar wall having previously painted mostly small-scale murals, but she was confident in her abilities to paint and her support of the community.

I think when you have something very important to say or a message that you feel is really close to your heart, being able to put them in a public space, thats just fantastic, Lawson says.

While painting the mural, Lawson reports that passersby in cars honked, waved, and some even stopped to see what was going on. Regular Lamar commuters, myself included, were happy to see some TLC on such a historically misused site.

Feedback from strangers was very overwhelming, people I didnt even know were thanking me for bringing some brightness to that area, Lawson says. Its a wall that was heavily tagged up and just didnt have consistent type of work. People would paint over the walls with a bunch of different colors, which is crazy, because when we were painting on the walls, the wall would give and, its kind of gross, but water would leak out of the wall. Paint was just packed on there.

The whole mural was completed in a week with the help of an assistant hired by Station 16 Gallery and some skilled female brush painters Lawson brought on. Lawson also participated in some programs at the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders.

The companion mural to Lawsons is a twelve-story monument featuring Wonder Woman breaking the chains of inequality. It towers over Congress Avenue on the west side of the LINE Hotel. Co-created by famed street artists Shepard Fairey and Canadian pop painter Shandra Chevrier, it is now the largest mural in Austin.

The new 12-story mural on the LINE Hotel in Austin is themed to the centenary celebration of the 19th Amendment and womens right to vote. Photo by Cody Bjornson

Negotiations between the LINE Hotel and Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation lasted about a year, Alexander said, adding that the LINE had a desire to connect its Austin property with its hotel in Los Angeles, which also features a large-scale mural by Fairey.

Partnering Fairey with Chevrier, who had never met, took some intentionality on the part project organizers. Both Fairey and Chevrier work heavily with multimedia and portraits. Chevrier headed up the design and Fairey worked with her to bring it to life.

Shepard was all in and recognized that we have to be careful with a white man taking center stage on something around women, Alexander says. But recognizing that if were to do this, we need to create an allyship because women and all voices have to be lifted up together.

While the longevity of street arts can be unpredictable, Alexander hopes the two new murals will last between five to ten years. The Writing On The Walls program will continue in the future and the team is actively searching for new walls downtown. But, like the rest of the world, they are on hold until COVID_19 subsides.

Lawson continues to make things during quarantine, including paintings and stickers, and tries to stay in touch with her audience. While she gained some of the public limelight with this project, she hopes leverage that to keep producing work and engaging with the community.

(My mural) is changing peoples daily routines, she says They have something different to look at and can see their space in a good way.

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New Downtown Austin Murals Nod to the 19th Amendment - Sightlines

Construction on the CrosstownLRT will stop for nothing not a pandemic, and certainly not a ravine filled with trees.

Over the past week, scores of trees lining Eglinton Avenue East have been cut down, to the dismay of Leaside residents.

When the clearing is complete sometime next week, 274 trees between Brentcliffe Avenue and Leslie Street will have been removed to make way for a retaining wall that will sit on the north side of Eglinton Avenue after it's been widened.

According to Leaside Residents Assocation(LRA) co-president Geoff Kettel, work first started on March 24, but "horrified neighbours" of Thursfield Crescent, whose properties line the ravine, intervened.

Before and after photos of the ravine after tree removal along Eglinton Avenue East. Photo via LRA.

"The LRA was contacted by Thursfield neighbours, who in addition to the epidemic-related stress that all of us are dealing with right now, were losing (and have now lost) the treed skyline, a big part of the 'peace and enjoyment'of their property," said Kettel.

Over a three-week break, Metrolinx and the LRA arranged a teleconference meetingand compiled a Q&A document for residents.

But Kettelsays the questions were only "partially answered", without proper explanation of the tree removal plan.

Nearly 300 trees are being cleared to make way for a retaining wall lining Eglinton Ave. Photo via City of Toronto.

The number of trees, which are being removed all the way up to residents' property lines, is "the minimum amount required to safely construct the retaining wall and perform associated grading works," said the City.

A Leaside resident named Susan, who lives in a condo on the other side of the street and has direct view of the construction site, calls the tree removal "a sad day".

"...I am going to miss the view I had from my balcony especially in the summer/fall," she said."It used to be beautiful trees and now it will be a huge retaining wall."

via Leaside resident Susan

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Almost 300 trees are being cut down in a Toronto neighbourhood and residents aren't happy - blogTO

A library in Sheffield is set to get a 50,000 repair job on an external retaining wall, only months after a previous repair.

Broomhill Library, in Taptonville Road, Sheffield, had a structural inspection on one of it's external walls in 2017 and a 20m section was repaired a year later.

But only eight months after the repair, parts of the wall collapsed into the library garden and it will now require a repair totalling 54,000.

Sheffield City Council will stump the bill for the repairs, as Broomhill Library is a co-delivered centre - provided in partnership between the Council and local volunteers.

The "probable cause" of the collapse was identified when structural engineers undertook investigations and a CCTV drainage survey of both the library and adjacent nursing home.

In a report, officers said: "We need to rebuild the collapsed section of the library garden wall, increase the structural integrity of the rebuilt section with new foundations and protect the historical stone features attached to the wall.

"Rebuilding it will improve the stability of the wall. Broomhill Library garden is of local historical significance and an active Friends Group is bidding for money to renovate the garden. The bids are likely to be negatively affected if the wall is not rebuilt."

The volunteer-led library had been hoping to restore it's historic garden, which has now been delayed by the collapse of the wall.

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More than 50,000 to be spent on repairing Sheffield library wall - ExaminerLive

Author Lorrie Moore once said, A short story is a love affair, a novel is a marriage. With Sunday Shorts, OprahMag.com invites you to join our own love affair with short fiction by reading original stories from some of our favorite writers.

Kristen Arnett's stories reside in the sweet spot between the morbid and the mordantly funny.

Her New York Times bestselling debut novel, last year's Mostly Dead Things (out next week in paperback via Tin House Books), centers on the daughter of a taxidermist who inherits her father's business when he dies by suicide. Bereavement is surreal, and Arnett's fiction offsets profound loss with moments of levity. (Her gin-dry humor is no surprise for those who follow her on Twitter)

"Birds Surrendered and Rehomed," her story for OprahMag.com, tells the story of two relationshipsone past, one presentthrough the protagonist's relationship with her pet parrot, which she adopted with a former lover. It's a story that's queer in all the senses of that word, a compellingly peculiar tale of what we hold on to when loved ones leave us.

They hadn't planned to leave the bedroom window open, not all night, but the humidity in the house was like being smothered under a wet wool blanket. There were only a few inches from the bottom of the pane to the painted sill, barely enough room for a stale breeze to leak inside. Into the bedroom spilled neighborhood sounds and a plague of mosquitoes. The bugs landed and left raised red welts on their skin.

Idling car engines and cicada buzz riled the parrot, an African grey that passably mimicked human voice. The bird, Paloma, got irritable when their routine was disrupted and especially didnt like hearing noises at bedtime.

Fuck me, Miranda! it squawked. Please fuck me!

Shut up, Paloma. It was the fourth time Sidney said it that night and shed likely have to say it again. Ill put the blanket over your cage, I swear to God.

The AC broke that afternoon, buzzing loudly and perfuming the air with a thick, burnt aroma. Something about a cracked belt, according to the repairman, who said hed have to order replacement parts.

Sidney rolled to her side, her back toward the wall. She watched Eliana fan herself with her shirt. Can you imagine living here fifty years ago? People must have sweat off half their body weight. Florida. Its miserable.

I cant sleep, Eliana said. My feet are actually boiling. She whipped her legs out from under the thin sheet, the motion like kicking through a wave. It billowed and settled, hanging half off the bed and dragging on the floor. She stood up abruptly. We should have stayed at a hotel.

Please, dont open the window any wider. Itll only make it worse. Sidney drank from a sweaty glass of water that left a coppery taste at the back of her tongue. When she looked at it under the light, there were flakes suspended in the liquid, floating around like sea monkeys. We need to buy a new filter thingy for the water jug.

Eliana leaned into the opening of the window, lifting her shirt and fanning herself again. I gotta open it more. Just for a little while. She pushed at the pane, cranked it a couple inches higher. Im roasting.

Youll have to get back up and close it in a minute. I dont wanna get robbed tonight because you needed stagnant cholera air.

Fine. Its not like Im gonna sleep anyway.

Sidney sighed and closed her eyes.

I don't care, Im too hot, Eliana said. If anything touches me, Ill scream. She switched off the light and climbed back into bed. She yanked at the sheet, gripping wads of it in her fists and twisting. I feel like I want to hit something.

Well, dont.

I didnt say I was going to, just that I feel like it.

Overhead the ancient fan spun on the second highest speed, slow enough it wouldnt rattle the blades. Paloma scraped twice at the bars of her cage, and then jangled the bell rope that hung in its corner.

Please fuck me, Miranda! Please fuck me!

Paloma! Ill get the blanket. Sidney knew she wouldnt. It was too hot to put something over the parrots cage, even if the bird was being a pain in the ass.

Its disgusting in here. And the fans still too loud. Eliana opened her nightstand drawer and dug around inside. Im putting in ear plugs.

Get me some, too.

They lay parallel to each other, limbs radiating damp heat that forced them to opposite sides of the mattress. Sidney curled over toward the wall, pressing her cheek to the plaster. It was marginally cooler than her body. She fell asleep like that, neck kinked like she was hugging a boulder. The window stayed as it was.

Thered been problems with the parrot from the beginning. It groomed itself obsessively, plucking feathers until crusty patches dotted its wings. It hid rotted hunks of fruit under the furniture, attracting ants and roaches. Often the bird got angry and threw its seeds on the floor. If you walked through the bedroom in bare feet, you might wind up with a sunflower seed lodged between your toes.

The bird wasnt her idea. Sidney acquired him with her former partner, a woman named Miranda who was sixteen years her senior. Miranda had a short, gray bob and wore oversized sunglasses. Her wardrobe looked like a funeral service worker, so much black that she never had to worry about anything matching. She taught Humanities at the University and wrote a book about Pompeii that made it to the very bottom of the bestseller list.

Theirs was an unconventional relationship, but it worked. Sidney liked the stability of it, the domesticity of their routines. They bought a house together in an up-and-coming neighborhood, spent six months traveling Portugal, and then acquired the parrot.

It was a natural progression, according to Miranda, whod never been married and didnt want kids. Sidney wasnt so sure. Shed only ever owned a beta fish, a tiny scarlet-colored thing named Mister Charlie. Hed lived his short existence in algae and muck, trapped in a bowl stuffed in the corner of her childhood bedroom. Half the time she forgot he existed.

Youll like a parrot, Miranda had said, theyre very intelligent. She flipped open the newspaper to show Sidney the ad, circled in green pen, cattycorner to the crossword puzzle they always did together over scrambled eggs. Baby African Greys, a grand apiece. Certified. Ill take care of it. You wont have to do a thing.

Only if we get a boy, said Sidney. She had read an article in the New York Times that said female birds were more aggressive than males. I dont want it biting my finger off because it gets pissy.

Miranda agreed. They went together to get the bird, a forty-minute drive during which Sidney pondered the logistics of buying a pet that would likely outlive them.

There'd been problems with the parrot from the beginning.

The breeders house was a glorified mobile home scented with mildew and cedar chips. Its shaggy yellow carpet held feather fragments and bits of birdseed. Cages sat on every available surface, stuffed with a variety of chattering, skittish birds. Rainbow-colored wings lit loose animals from perch to perch. Surplus bags of pellets lay stacked up in front of the bathroom.

Miranda held a parrot up for inspection. Though a baby, it appeared wizened and ancient, eyes cloudy and dripping clear liquid.

It looks like an old man, Sidney said. She poked at the birds neck which was wrinkled as a crone. One foot in the grave.

The grave, the bird repeated, and Sidney hurriedly drew back her finger.

Hes taken with you, the breeder said, nodding solemnly. She was wearing a cream-colored turtleneck and a greenish-gold patterned vest. Sidney thought she looked like a kindergarten teacher.

Isnt he a darling? Miranda asked. Im calling him Palomo. She let the baby sit close to her, holding him tenderly against her chest. Inevitably he shit, and pale liquid dripped down the fabric of her blouse.

Itll wash out with cold water. The breeder gestured to herself, pointing to some bleached out spots over her breasts. Ive been pooped on so many times that I hardly even notice it anymore.

Thats comforting. Sidney dug a wet wipe out of her purse. She dabbed at the spot while Miranda pulled out her checkbook. The breeder fetched a small shoebox for them to take the bird home in.

Though Sidney objected, theyd installed the parrot in their bedroom. Miranda claimed it was the best place to keep a bird, and Sidney felt weird arguing over it when she knew absolutely nothing about their care. The cage was vintage, bought at an estate sale a wrought iron monstrosity that Miranda painted creamy white. They installed perches on the walls in the living room and in the kitchen; there was even a peg over the stove top. This gave Sidney visions of the bird shitting in all of their food; shed had a recurring fantasy that the parrot fell into their deep fryer and finally died, boiling up golden-brown like a piece of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Despite their problems with the bird, theyd been happy. Theyd filed for a domestic partnership and evenly split their bills. They hadnt needed children because theyd had the bird, which Miranda treated like a spoiled infant. Then Miranda keeled over during her morning run. Two blocks away from their house; fifty-six and dead of a massive heart attack. The mortgage and the parrot became Sidneys responsibility.

After Miranda died, the bird wouldnt shut up. She heard Palomo-as-Miranda calling for her day and night. In the middle of doing laundry, she heard her dead partners voice calling for her from the other room and shed followed it, looking for a ghost.

Baby, can you please pick up your shoes? You always leave them in the middle of the floor and I trip over them.

It was Mirandas voice, but it wasnt her. The bird stared at her impassively from its cage. Sidney sat down on the rug with her basket of dirty clothes and wept.

But it wasnt all bad. There was the parrot, murmuring sweetheart in that 1940s detective voice Miranda had always used when they were joking around. It sometimes stung, to hear the voice and no longer see the face, but it was still strangely comforting. Even if her partner was gone, the echo of her remained.

Yet, the worst was that the bird could perfectly imitate the sounds that Sidney made when she and Miranda made love. Grunts, groans. Streams of outrageous obscenities; jesus and god and sucks and fucks and deeper and wet. Long, lust-filled moans that made the hair on Sidneys neck stand up.

Just like that, the bird crooned, staring hard at Sidney with his beady black and yellow eyes. Ooh, right there. Put your fingers there. Oh baby. Oh yes.

The more upset Sidney got at the sex sounds, the louder and more frequent they became. The shrieks of pleasure were mortifyingly loud. Terrified the neighbors might overhear and think she was a nymphomaniac, she confined the bird to the bedroom. Palomo cooed and begged, made wet, sloppy sounds that sounded like someone plunging their fingers into a watermelon. She contemplated giving the bird away. Thought about it a lot. Even placed an ad in the paper, but she became paranoid that whoever bought him would hear her most intimate secrets. That someone else would know how she sounded when Miranda had her fingers in her, or the grunts she made when bent over the back of the couch. Strangers would hear the weird, high-pitched animal squeak she made when Mirandas tongue touched her at the perfect angle.

It sometimes stung, to hear the voice and no longer see the face, but it was still strangely comforting.

It went on like that for months. Then one morning, after the bird turned ten and shed been without her partner for almost a year, shed gone to clean out his cage and found a small, object the size of a ping pong ball lodged in the shredded newspaper that lined the bottom of the tray.

Sidney let it roll around in the cup of her palm a fragile, tiny thing that weighed less than a packing peanut. Their bird had laid an egg. Their male bird had laid an egg. Palomo had suddenly become Paloma, crossing the gender border without any consideration for Sidneys feelings on the matter.

She called the breeder, enraged. How can you do this to people? Why didnt you know?

Jesus Christ, it was ten years ago. The woman sounded bored, but also entertained. Also, its very hard to tell with birds when theyre that young. Their genitals are pea-sized. What does matter? Its not like shell get pregnant.

You have to take it back, Sidney said, staring at the egg, perfectly formed and improbable. I cant do this.

The woman laughed. I dont even keep those things any more. I breed Weimaraners.

Sidney hung up and set the egg down on the desk beside the cage. She poked it; let it roll back and forth. The parrot reached forward through the cage door and nipped her. Sidney screamed and yanked her hand away, a bloody chunk missing from her pointer finger. The bird darted past, flying wildly around the house while she ran to the bathroom and poured peroxide over her injured hand. She prayed she wouldnt get an infection.

Oh fuck me, Miranda! Please fuck me!

Go fuck yourself, she yelled. She came back with a towel wrapped around her fist and smashed the egg with one of the shoes shed left out on the rug. It left little bits of enameled yolk on the heel.

Sidney met Eliana at a local yoga studio. She wasnt trying to get healthy the problem was her gut. Always tidily packed beneath her clothes, increasing age and a lot of pumpkin cheesecake had made it swell. The bulge popped over the lip of her pants and wouldnt go away. Then a coupon for the studio arrived in her email, offering one free introductory session. It was only a few blocks from her house, walking distance.

She bought the standard startup kit: mat, tight pants, and a little black top that hugged her breasts. She put her hair up in a tiny ponytail that flicked around her face when she rolled her neck. Eliana placed her mat to Sidneys right. Their eyes met in the mirror. They stared hard at each other and didnt look away.

Eliana was eight years younger than Sidney and had more muscle mass in one arm than Sidney had in her whole body. Eliana liked listening to folk music and drove an aqua blue scooter. Her dark hair was cut very short, and bleached white at the temples, which reminded Sidney a little of a horned owl. After the first and only yoga class Sidney ever attended, Eliana offered to come over and make dinner. They ate smoked salmon and lemon risotto in the eat-in kitchen and then had sex on the terrazzo floor next to the table.

Im really glad I decided to mop yesterday, Sidney said, staring under the fridge. I think I see some Cheetos down there.

Grab me a few.

They lay there in a jumbled heap, sweaty skin cooling off into discomfort, and thats when Sidney heard it. The parrot, grunting and screaming. High pitched squeals banging off the ten-foot ceiling in the bedroom. Sidneys own voice, moaning at porn-star levels.

What the hell? Is someone else here? Eliana sat up and reached under the table for her shirt. She held it to her chest in an attempt to cover herself. Are you married?

Its my parrot.

Im not an idiot. Thats a person.

Sidney put her hand over her eyes and tried to ignore Paloma, who was plaintively calling for Miranda imitating a tone that Sidney truly hated; one where she sounded breathy enough to need a respirator. Seriously. I can show you.

The noises got louder as they walked through the house. Sidneys pulse was beating in her ears.

That sounds like you. Eliana stopped in the doorway and turned to look at Sidney. It sounds exactly like you.

Sidney turned on the bedroom lights and walked to the cage, still covered with its bright blue velvet sheet. She yanked it off as the orgasmic noises reached their crescendo, a long wail of ecstasy that plateaued into Mirandas name.

See? Just a bird.

Orgasm over, Paloma hopped back onto her perch and gnawed at her seed bowl. Eliana held her hand out toward the cage.

I wouldnt. Shes a little temperamental.

Oh. Eliana peered between the bars. Kinda cute, but loud.

Sidney pulled on some shorts from her dresser. Not really that cute.

Not for you, I guess.

Eliana picked up some jewelry left out on the vanity, then sniffed at a bottle of open perfume. Sidney saw the space with new eyes: dust coating the fan blades and the screen of the television, mounds of used tissues crumpled on the nightstand. An empty Chips Ahoy container sat next to the door, half opened, discarded carelessly once shed wolfed down the last cookie. Shed been alone for so long that shed stopped seeing the space as anything other than a place to wallow every night.

Eliana picked up a nightgown, an old one with a high, lacy neck made out of very sturdy cotton. Angela Lansbury live here?

It was my exs. Sometimes I wear it.

Huh. Flopping backward, Eliana rolled until she lay diagonally across the mattress. This a craftmatic adjustable bed?

Shut up.

Im serious. Could be fun. Reaching for Sidney, she grabbed at the hem of her sleep shorts.

Behind them, Paloma squawked and dug at her seed bowl, throwing a mouthful onto the floor. The seeds rained down, spraying everywhere.

Touch me, the parrot crooned. Please fuck me.

Let me cover the bird. Sidney held up the blue velvet sheet. Shell calm down a little.

Eliana tugged at the shorts again, and they slipped further down Sidneys waist. Leave it off. Its kind of hot, dont you think? All the moaning.

They left the lights on. Pressed together on the bed, Sidney couldnt tell which parts were her and which were Eliana. It felt different, but good. They sweat and they kicked, the sheets wrapping around their legs, the bird howling and panting and muttering oh my god, oh my god. Sidney kept her eyes on Paloma, who had climbed to the top of her cage to bang at the bars. Hearing herself wasnt embarrassing; it was suddenly intensely erotic.

Sidney shook and swore, climaxing, it seemed, at the same time as Paloma. The voice in the room, echoed over Sidneys own, was like an aria. She had never heard such beautiful music.

Eliana moved in and they shared everything, just like it had been with Miranda. Just like before, except it wasnt. Eliana was young. She wanted to go out to crummy bars and drink whole bottles of five-dollar wine. She and her yoga friends camped in a tent and consumed hallucinogenic mushrooms, writing down the experiences in their journaling workshop. When Eliana cleaned the house, she put lemon Pledge on the furniture instead of Murphys Oil Soap. This is the only good way to clean wood, Miranda always said, rubbing her special cloth across the spotless surfaces of all the antiques. Shed been so careful, so precise. In comparison, Eliana was a ball of frantic energy. The differences were hard to ignore.

Paloma tolerated the changes in her usual fashion: she shit on all the furniture, ruining the fabric. They had to buy slipcovers, washable ones made out of cotton. There were places in the house where the parrot wouldnt let Eliana trespass the nook where Miranda had paid their bills, a window seat where Sidney and Miranda liked to cuddle on the weekends and drink coffee. If Paloma found her there, shed swoop down and snatch bits of Elianas hair. There were tiny bald patches on Eliana scalp. She started wearing a hat inside.

Sidney left Paloma in the cage for longer stretches of time. This further aggravated the bird, which led to more outbursts: boxes of cereal dumped from the top of the fridge, throw pillows gouged open and destroyed. Birdseed scattered all over the house. Sidney found it in the washing machine and even inside her shoes.

Gone were the sweet words of Miranda, the niceties theyd shared with each other over breakfast or in front of the television. There was only Sidneys voice calling from Palomas beak. Always begging, a kind of hurt in the tone, like an ache that couldnt be dulled.

Cant we get rid of it? Eliana bought a white noise machine to drown out the worst of the yelling, but that barely covered it most days. Wouldnt a friend take it?

I dont know anyone whod want her.

What about a bird sanctuary? Theres the Audubon Society. They take all kinds of birds, right? Even freakshows like Paloma.

Oh sure, let me give my climaxing parrot to a place frequented by elementary school children. Thatll go over real well.

They stood in the kitchen, the furthest place from the bedroom. Sidney was eating cereal over the sink, staring out the window at the crepe myrtle tree that Miranda had planted. It was suddenly in bloom and there were white bits falling all over the yard, like snowy dandruff.

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Read this Original Short Story About Living with the World's Most Intrusive Parrot - Oprah Mag