Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Cherokee Nation officials will construct eight buildings and remodel four as part of the tribes response to COVID-19.

The various projects are estimated to cost about $25 million. The projects include a new health center for Cherokee Nation employees in Tahlequah, a drive-through outreach facility in Stilwell, protective equipment manufacturing in Hulbert and Stilwell, office space for social distancing in Catoosa and Muskogee, and storage and food outreach space in Vinita, Kansas, Belfonte and Jay, according to a news release.

The Cherokee Nation is putting our CARES Act funding from the U.S. Treasury to great use in our Cherokee communities by investing in this $25 million project that will provide jobs and ongoing needed safety equipment, ensure our elders do not struggle with food insecurity through this pandemic, add space for employee safety and provide a new health center for our Cherokee Nation employees that is close to our tribal complex and can treat for a range of illness as well as test for COVID-19, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said in a prepared statement.

Cherokee Nation officials will break ground on nine of those projects throughout Tuesday at their respective sites.

Featured video: Aerial view of property at 31st and Peoria, where there is a plan for a mixed-use development

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Cherokee Nation to start $25 million construction, remodel and manufacturing projects in response to COVID-19 - Tulsa World

Author Irene Richardson - September 8, 2020September 8, 2020

The day after Labor Day is officially declared Telephone Tuesday due to the influx of calls businesses receive after being closed for the three-day weekend. Were here to help you through the chaos with a perfectly laid out business plan for the week, including open jobs and news you need to know.

Hiring? Post your job. Looking? See listings.

Platform Specialist @ Simon Markets LLC. Apply.

Information Security Camera @ServisFirst Bank. Apply.

Senior Consumer Compliance Specialist @ServisFirst Bank. Apply.

Facilities Coordinator @Levite Jewish Community Center. Apply.

Videographer Intern Stipend @Levite Jewish Community Center. Apply.

Teaching Assitant @Levite Jewish Community Center. Apply.

Experienced Remodeling Carpenter @ Irwin Brothers Remodeling Inc. Apply.

FUSE Executive Fellow @ FUSE Corps. Apply.

RN and LPN @ Wexford Health Sources Inc. Apply.

Route Service Sales Representative@ Cintas Corporation.Apply.

Sales Associate Furniture and/or Flooring@ Issis & Sons.Apply.

AmeriCorps Members for St. Clair County@ YWCA. Apply.

AmeriCorps Members@ YWCA. Apply.

Youth Development AmeriCorps Members@ YWCA.Apply.

Pell City Shelter AmeriCorps Members @ YWCA. Apply.

Homelessness Prevention AmeriCorps Members @ YWCA. Apply.

Family Resource Center AmeriCorps Members @ YWCA. Apply.

Educational Support AmeriCorps Members @ YWCA. Apply.

After School Enrichment Program Specialists @ YWCA. Apply.

Domestic Violence Support Americorps Members. Apply.

DMC Center for Civic Life @ YWCA. Apply.

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Tax Accountant @ EBSCO Industries. Apply.

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DataPerk took a big bite out of Birminghams startup scene when it recently acquired ByteSizea local tech company and former competitor. The IT solutions firm is pushing all the right buttons, because DataPerk also houses their sweet office space in theHistoric Mack Truck Garage. Stay tuned to see what this team dishes up next.

Theres one thing filling up Sidewalk Cinemas theaters and its the massive star power featured in Tenet. To make room for Hollywood heroes like Christopher Nolan and Robert Pattinson, while maintaining social distancing guidelines, the cinema isreopening for five weeks to screen the summers most talked-about movie. With heightened safety precautions and a max of 12 patrons in a theater, were grabbing our favorite movie snacks.

Their careers may be diverse, but the goal is uniform among these Birmingham professionals. Not matter where they clock in, when they clock out their mission is the same. Get to know some of the top fundraisers from the2020 National MS Society Birmingham Leaders Challengeand why theyre fighting for a world free of Multiple Sclerosis.

Sponsored by:

No crossed signals over herein a technology-driven world, everyone deserves access to those resources. With Birmingham schools preparing for a minimum of nine weeks of online learning, Jefferson County partnered with the Loyalty Foundationand several other local organizations to bridge the digital divide experienced by students and families with virtual education

Get to Know BBA CEO Kenny ColemanWhat: The Birmingham Business Alliance is launching a new video series, Seven Questions, where theyask prominent Birmingham business leaders seven out-of-the-box questions about themselves and their work.Watch the premiere episode

OnBoard BirminghamWhat: Regional job site with resources for job seekers and companies seeking talentExplore jobs

MoodyVirtual Breakfast ClubDate: Thursday, September 10Time:8AM-9AMPrice: FreeRegister

2020 AAF Birmingham TEN AwardsDate: Wednesday, September 23Time:6PMPrice: FreeRegister

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Pick up the phone, we've got business news + open jobs on the line - Bham Now

Improving your investment property's value should always be the long-term goal. For one, a higher property value lets you command more in rent. That's an automatic win right there. More than that, though? It guarantees you returns -- good ones -- when it comes time to sell.

Some bumps in value come for free. Your neighborhood might get popular, sending home prices up and your property value up with it. Others, though, you'll need to work for.

Want to give your investment property's value a boost? Here are five ways to do it.

Energy-efficient upgrades help you twofold. First, they reduce your energy and electric bills. Even if that only helps you when the home is occupied, that could equate to serious savings over the years.

Additionally, it also makes your home more marketable. Buyers would much rather pay an extra $5,000 for a house than spend $200 more a month in summer cooling bills.

Here are a few ideas for making the home more efficient:

Curb appeal plays a big role in your home's value, but it can also be very expensive -- especially if you're updating it every season or even annually.

A better option is to invest in more durable landscaping now -- things like large shade trees (this can eventually cut down on your HVAC bills, too), gravel gardens, perennial bushes and ferns, and other plants that will stand the test of time. You could even hardscape or xeriscape the yard entirely -- because what renter really wants to mow the lawn anyway?

Everyone wants a home that helps them lead longer, healthier lives -- and they'll typically pay more for it, too. Consider making some health-focused improvements, like adding an air purifier, installing a water filtration system, or putting in a carbon monoxide monitor. Even little additions can make a big difference for your next tenant.

Lots of home upgrades can boost your property's value -- not just health-focused ones. For some guidance, look to Remodeling Magazine's Cost vs. Value report. It takes into account average costs for various projects as well as the resale value they add to a property. This year, replacing your garage door, adding stone veneer siding, remodeling your kitchen, and installing a wood deck topped the list for highest-ROI projects.

Older HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and other systems mean three things for your future tenants or buyers: more problems, more hassle, and more costs. Whether the system holds on for one more year or five, eventually it will break down and need to be replaced.

That breakdown might mean a flood in the laundry room, a no-A/C week in the middle of summer, or an overflowing toilet when a guest is over. Whatever the issue is, you can bet that your tenants don't want to deal with it (and they'll probably pay more to make sure it doesn't happen).

If you want to raise your rent or just ensure bigger returns once you're ready to sell, investing in your property is critical. Just make sure you choose your projects carefully and focus on long-term benefits for the future buyer (health, energy-efficiency, safety, etc.). That's what buyers are willing to pay the biggest premium for.

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5 Ways to Improve Your Investment Propertys Value - Motley Fool

Last fall our Leadership Team felt we needed to address the outdated appearance of the inside and outside of our facilities.

After much prayer and planning, we launched our Love Life campaign on Feb. 15 with an all church banquet.

We received nearly $30,000 in commitments at the banquet and currently have received nearly $25,000 in contributions, which is very significant for a church our size.

Then, COVID-19 hit our world and we suspended our gatherings for 90 days.

In June, we began to address these issues on the inside. At first, we threw out and gave away dumpster loads of outdated and unused items. That was quite fun.

Then we started in on the remodel. We have enlarged our lobby, updated our walls and floors and improved the appearance of our entire facility. With the new floors and newly painted walls, it is looking beautiful.

We have made several improvements outside as well.

We are also hoping to paint the outside of our building and resurface our parking lot.

We have nearly finished the inside. There is still some furniture to put in place and some trim work that needs to be completed.

Two of our parishioners, Eugene Stillman and Ricky Clifton, have been working nearly nonstop for three full months probably around 400 donated hours by each man. Scott and Sarah Chenault have also given us many hours of their time. Jeff and Rose Blaize and their son, Josh, have completely renovated our childrens department.

What an enormous blessing all these people have been to our church family.

Ellen Blaize, Becky Dilley and Sarah Chenault have been our interior design team. Many others have contributed their time, too.

Although we have spent all that has been contributed, we have written for a grant to help us complete the outside.

One of our members said to me recently, Our facility looks loved.

It really does.

We are thankful to God for his provision and grateful to those in our congregation for helping us accomplish what has been completed.

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Life Church of the Nazarene remodels its facility - The Daily Star-Journal

Patrons who visit the newly renovated Trappeze Pub will notice several upgrades to the restaurant and taproom, but the most immediately recognizable change will be the disappearance of the Highwire Lounge, which occupied the space next to Trappeze at 269 Hull St. prior to the temporary closure of both establishments in April.

We loved the building and loved the space, but it was clear that it had become several different spaces and identities stitched together, said Trappeze general manager Sam Wells, noting that customers often didnt realize Trappeze and Highwire were part of the same business. Its really just the name Highwire thats going away. The space is still there.

Trappeze has continued to expand since its opening in 2007, and the remodeling project was something that had been in the works for some time. During the six months the pub and lounge were closed, Trappeze worked with local contractors to expand while staying within its original square footage, creating a large dining space that will allow for socially distanced tables with little sacrifice to its overall capacity.

Theyve also implemented sanitizing stations, provided weekly on-site testing for their staff, and will require masks for entry and seating.

We obviously werent expecting (COVID-19) to be one of the elements influencing the remodel, said Wells. But it has helped us plan for situations like this, and find better logistical ways to operate and keep everyone safe. Oneta Woodworks built Plexiglas dividers that we put between tables. Were huge nerds for craft beer, craft cocktails, and good pub food, but our No. 1 priority is keeping our staff and community comfortable.

As for the menu, customers can expect the same food including the beloved fries and dipping sauces as before, and the always-changing list of spirits will include gin, whiskey, tequila and cocktails created behind a massive new 80-foot bar that was custom built by Oneta. A completely new draft system with 33 taps was also installed, making beer-serving more efficient.

Trappeze has always been a beverage-forward place, all about craft beer, all about small businesses and local businesses, said Wells. Were not changing anything about that.

Trappeze originally planned to reopen Thursday, Sept. 3, but had a slight delay, pushing the date back to Friday. Should no other issues arise, Trappeze will be open the first weekend of September.

Walls are going up this week! New bar top coming soon... . Pic 2: adding some seating and drinking rails in this nook by the bar. . Pic 3: adding another booth in the corner by this window. Think we should just leave the wall bright yellow? . See yall soon, cheers! #remodel #renovation #trappezepub #hullstreetbrews

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Trappeze Pub to reopen in renovated space. What does that mean for Highwire? - Online Athens

The $55 million project to convert the long-derelict Warwick Hotel on Duncan Plaza into a 154-unit apartment complex for Tulane University's medical students and faculty got underway on Wednesday, after City Hall gave its final approval for the plan.

In February, Tulane University and the property's owner, a privately-owned developer called the New Orleans Redevelopment Fund, agreed to a long-term lease deal after NORF's original plan to revive the property as a hotel had stalled, even before the coronavirus pandemic decimated the city's hospitality industry.

The university's president, Michael Fitts, said the new residential complex is a key part of Tulane's plans to expand its downtown campus significantly as its biomedical operations thrive, especially during the pandemic which has helped to turbocharge the funds available to develop a vaccine as well as for other biomedical priorities.

"We've had the best year in our history in garnering research grants, especially for COVID-19 but also for other research," said Fitts, speaking at a "groundbreaking" ceremony at the site on Gravier Street on Wednesday to mark the start of construction. "This type of research explosionis going to benefit the city, with greater innovation, start-ups, and the expanding the tax base as a result of what goes on down at this campus."

Tulane University has joined NORF, an private investment fund, in a plan to convert the old Warwick Hotel into 154 apartments for medical staff, faculty and students.

Fitts added that the residential expansion project "symbolizes not only the future of Tulane but also the future of New Orleans in so many different ways."

As well as the Gravier Street apartments, Tulane also will be the anchor tenant of the refurbished Charity Hospital around the corner, another property that has been unoccupied since Hurricane Katrina 15 years ago and which is slated for a $300 million rehabilitation. Tulane will be leasing 350,000 square feet of space, 100,000 square feet of which will be converted into laboratory facilities, with the rest given over to teaching space, offices and study areas, to serve approximately 1,000 staff and students.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell, who made the trip across Duncan Square for the ceremony on Wednesday, said that it will be good to see one of the city's long-standing eyesores finally get a makeover. "As I'm sitting over in City Hall and looking over here saying, 'wow, this building sure is one of those armpits I talked about when I was a councilwoman,'" she said. "But you know it always feels good to get a shave."

The Mayor noted plans to move City Hall from the other side of Duncan Plaza on Perdido Street, possibly to the Municipal Auditorium in Armstrong Park, freeing up more space to develop that area of the city as part of the fledgling "Spirit of Charity Innovation District".

"This is part of the growth and transformation that will be in the heart of the city of New Orleans," she said.

The old Warwick Hotel, right, is located near the Tulane University School of Medicine in downtown New Orleans. The building will be converted into an apartment for students and faculty.

At the Warwick conversion, which is expected to be completed in 12 months, the ground floor will have retail, including a restaurant, a caf, and a "grab-and-go" convenience store, which Tulane is also leasing and will rent back to vendors.

Fitts has forecast that the university's research spending will increase by 50% over the next five years, from about $200 million in 2019, driving the expansion of the downtown campus further.

"Five years from now, I'm seeing this as an incredibly vibrant district," he said.

The article has been revised to make it clear that Tulane University is the leasing partner in the project, which is owned by NORF and its investors.

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The $100M project to remodel the Warwick Hotel as Tulane U residence hall: See project details and timeline - NOLA.com

Its a ridiculous result of the restrictions of livestreamed theater that one of the best performances to emerge from the new medium is also one you might never get to see.

But having caught the Saturday evening performance for critics on closing day of a three-day run I have to tell you about it anyway. In the hourlong monologue Three Kings by Stephen Beresford, Zoomed from the Old Vic in theater-deprived London, the Irish actor Andrew Scott seems to squeeze all the roles for which hes become known, from a thin-skinned Hamlet to the so-called Hot Priest in Fleabag, into one soulful, awful, sorry excuse for a man.

Or boy, as we find him: an 8-year-old named Patrick, enthralled and sickened upon meeting his wastrel father for the first time. Dad is a charmer with several wives overboard and several more to come; hes the kind of man who, showboating for a child he abandoned at birth, thinks its good parenting to teach him a coin trick that is sure to make him a hit in pubs.

One can be touched and moved, one can be touched and not moved, one can be moved but not touched, he says, describing the three kings (that is, coins) of the title. The challenge is to reorder them in a specific way despite the daunting limitations. The prize if Patrick succeeds? His father will someday visit again.

But do not cry for the unloved boy, or not much; he eventually masters the trick too well.

Yes, the coin metaphor is heavy-handed: Patrick will spend his life seeking and avoiding contact and engagement. But Scott nevertheless makes the scene expressive, investing fully in the boys need to please and also, switching voice, stance and tone, in the fathers need to dominate. Even without listening you can tell which character is which, by the position of Scotts eyes and by the arc of his hands as they test or fondle the air.

Yet you want to listen; until it becomes heartbreaking, Beresfords script is nasty fun. As Patrick grows up, and his father grows more erratic, their few interactions become venomous and mutually pathetic. Even worse are their non-interactions, when Patrick discovers through others a fixer, a dumped wife, another guy named Patrick he meets in a pub just how little someone can care for his offspring.

This is a story about the corruption of souls: mens souls in particular as if toxic disregard were a spiritual birthright from the parent who could not give physical birth. The women in Patricks life, whom Scott sketches with equal finesse but no unwarranted sympathy, are mostly enablers and patsies. (One ex blames Patrick for ruining his fathers life.) If you were to judge humanity from this plays samples of it, you would flunk men flat out but not score women much higher. And you would avoid judging children only long enough to watch them become adults.

Patricks transition from lovesick boy to careworn man is central to the shock and strength of Scotts performance. In the brief pauses between scenes, as the director Matthew Warchus carefully adjusts his camera angles and sometimes splits the screen as if Patrick were coming apart, Scott fearlessly leaps from one stage of his fragmenting personality to another. The abused 8-year-old is suddenly the blas college student; the angry young man is soon the emotional dropout, nearly as bad as his father and halfway pickled in gin. When Scott shows us Patrick opening his heart, it is only long enough to permit a satisfying click as he snaps it shut again.

At the end of the road for Patrick lies perpetual alienation, and you feel sorry for him even though he offers no excuses. The push-pull is marvelous; as Warchus fades to black excruciatingly, leaving Scotts eyes to burn demonic pinpoint holes in the dark, you dont know whether to cry or run.

Or clap for now there is a loud ovation, well deserved but (like the audience hubbub preceding the top of the show) profoundly confusing. Three Kings was streamed live, as part of the Old Vics In Camera series, from the companys otherwise shut-down theater, with no customers in its red and gold auditorium. Who is applauding? For that matter, who is the announcer announcing to when she says, five minutes before the start, Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats? And why is the virtual audience limited to the 1,000 or so the Old Vic accommodates live? It could surely sell many more online tickets if it chose.

To me these strange details betray unnecessary uncertainty about whether In Camera productions really count as theater. (The name of the series, which began in June with Claire Foy and Matt Smith in Lungs, seems to underline that doubt.) Yes, Three Kings uses film techniques not just the split screens but cross-fades and edits to help tell the story, but the story itself is conceived as no film would be, with no scenery, minimal music and one man playing all the roles. Scotts performance is likewise scaled not to the cameras small eye but to the huge empty space hes actually in. The roar of pain he lets loose near the end would tear a movie screen off its wall.

So lets stop quibbling about or finessing the genre. Let plays be plays. But can we not take just one great thing from the movies: the chance to see them again? We are missing enough these days as it is.

Three KingsPerformed Sept. 3 through 5 via Zoom; oldvictheatre.com.

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Review: In Three Kings, Hot Priest Sheds His Cassock - The New York Times

Reducing consumption by expanding the notion of the rental economy and giving people access to tools and equipment has been something of a startup holy grail for some time.

Its a model thats worked famously well for fashion and accessories (just ask investors in Rent the Runway), but has had not had the same resonance for white label goods.

The Shed, out of Richmond, Va., hopes to change that.

Launched byKaren Rodgers ONeil, a longtime marketing executive, and Daniel Perrone, a serial entrepreneur and technology executive whose previous company, BroadMap, was acquired by Apple; The Shed hopes to take the rental model that Home Depot has turned into a billion dollar business line and take it to the masses.

Unlike Home Depot, The Shed touts its presence in eight categories. Stanley Black & Decker is a marquee early partner and the companys executives said that others have come on board.

We dont buy product, said Perrone. We take delivery of all the products and rent them out in the local marketplaces where we do business.

The only thing the manufacturer provides is the products and some servicing starter kit so that The Shed and its employees can manage and maintain the product.

The Shed founders Karen Rodgers ONeil and Daniel Perrone. Image Credit: The Shed

Since its launch in April the company has expanded beyond its Richmond, Va. home base to Denver and will be looking to expand further into Portland, Austin, and San Jose, according to Perrone.

Among the features that the company intends to roll out as it expands is a dynamic pricing capability that will enable manufacturers to wring the most out of their goods when theyre in high demand.

Rodgers ONeil came up with the concept back in 2012 when she was working as a marketing executive for General Electric out of Boston. Perrone met Rodgers ONeil at a networking event in Boston and became convinced that her notion of offering more rental options to encourage a more circular economy and reduce consumption was something that could resonate with consumers.

To be sure, The Shed isnt the first company to attempt to bring the rental business to a broader array of consumer products in an effort to cut down on consumption. The Los Angeles-based startup Joymode was attempting to do much the same thing. That company sold to an early stage investment firm out of New York.

Joymodes chief executive, Joe Fernandez spoke about the difficulty of running the business. Part of the thesis was that by making things available for rental, people would want to do more stuff, said Fernandez, but what happened was that consumers needed additional reasons to use the companys service, and there werent enough events to drive demand.

By contrast, The Shed isnt owning any of the inventory, just acting as a broker and managing inventory between local retailers and manufacturers who want to take advantage of the companys service.

In addition to Stanley Black & Decker, companies like Primus camping equipment have placed their products on The Shed along with Mobility Plus, which added wheelchairs and mobility scooters; and Replacements, the largest china dealer in the country, which is offering a Party in a Box for dinner, cocktail or tea parties.

To date, the company has raised $1.75 million from investors and entrepreneurs from the Richmond, Va. area. Now, with 60 manufacturers on board and another 15 to 18 vendors signing up monthly, the company is looking to expand even further.

I joined with Karen because I saw that this would be a game changer in the rental space, said Perrone. There are a number of retailers in specific verticals that still dont transact online, so The Shed becomes their avenue to reach the market, he said.

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The Shed is a startup out of Virginia trying to revive the rental-for-everything business - TechCrunch

The Wooden Sheds market report 2020-2026 provides in-depth study of market competitive situation, product scope, market overview, opportunities, driving force and market risks. Profile the Top Key Players of Wooden Sheds, with sales, revenue and global market share of Wooden Sheds are analyzed emphatically by landscape contrast and speak to info. Upstream raw materials and instrumentation and downstream demand analysis is additionally administrated. The Wooden Sheds market business development trends and selling channels square measure analyzed. From a global perspective, It also represents overall industry size by analyzing qualitative insights and historical data.

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Wooden Sheds Market Research By Growth, Competitive Methods And Forecast To 2026 - The News Brok

Physical Plant plumbers Jay Maier, left, and Adam Kundert hoist a compositing wastewater sampler from a sewer opening near the lakeshore residence halls. Photo by: Jeff Miller

Wastewater surveillance also provides an opportunity to target campus testing (UWMadison is offering no-cost testing for all students and employees), isolation and quarantine, and limit disease spread. Photo by: Jeff Miller

Wastewater is removed from a sampler. The location is one of two COVID-19 wastewater surveillance sites being monitored on campus twice weekly for traces of SARS-CoV-2. Photo by: Jeff Miller

Its like searching for a needle in a haystack. Except the haystack is human excrement. The needle, a tiny fragment of the tiny genetic material of a tiny virus that has, since December 2019, had a massive impact on the world.

Scientists at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, with collaborators at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences, are sifting through raw sewage collected once or twice per week from nearly 100 wastewater treatment facilities statewide, and at the University of WisconsinMadison, in search of the genetic fingerprint of the virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2.

Detecting and measuring how much virus there is may provide an early warning signal that cases of COVID-19 may soon rise and provide a readout of how levels of virus change in a population over time. It could give hospitals time to prepare for an increase in patients.

At UWMadison, wastewater surveillance also provides an opportunity to target campus testing (UWMadison is offering no-cost testing for all students and employees), isolation and quarantine, and limit disease spread.

This is especially important since the virus can transmit from person-to-person before symptoms begin, and some people with the virus never develop symptoms at all.

We picked this up in late March and said this is really something we should be doing, says Martin Shafer, a scientist at the WSLH and the UWMadison College of Engineering. We put a proposal into the (Wisconsin) Department of Health Services, and it was funded Its the largest in terms of the number of wastewater facilities in the country.

That funding, a collaboration between WSLH, UWMilwaukee, DHS and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, amounts to $1.25 million. The WSLH group, which includes scientists Jocelyn Hemming, Dagmara Antkiewicz and Kayley Janssen, also received a boost thanks to $10,000 in UW/WARF COVID-19 Accelerator Challenge funding to improve wastewater surveillance methods for SARS-CoV-2.

Dagmara Antkiewicz (seated) and Kayley Janssen examine results of molecular PCR tests of wastewater samples. Photo courtesy Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene

For two decades, researchers around the world have applied the concept of wastewater-based epidemiology to address public health issues, such as rates and distribution of opioid use. Collecting wastewater for surveillance is not new.

For instance, Shafer explains that each day, the DNR requires wastewater treatment facilities to collect a sample representing 24-hours-worth of sewage that feeds into each plant. This allows the state to monitor concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen, which can cause outbreaks of toxic algae in Wisconsins freshwater.

You cant just stick a bottle into a wastewater stream and pull up a sample, says Shafer. Your sample varies with time and one has to capture that variability.

For COVID-19 surveillance, gathering samples of wastewater involves a piece of equipment that periodically pulls it into a large container throughout the day. Samples from these 24-hour composites of sewage are then transported back to the lab for analysis.

What arrives, Shafer says, is a relatively mixed solution of liquids and solids. There is no evidence that wastewater contains active, infectious virus, or that exposure to sewage can lead to transmission of COVID-19. What the scientists are looking for is essentially a fingerprint of the SARS-CoV-2 virus small pieces of its genetic material called RNA.

To search for it, scientists run the liquid-solid mixture through a filter designed to catch viral particles and fragments based on their electric charge, similar to collecting iron filings with a magnet. Then, they mash up the filter and whatever is stuck to it and collect the RNA.

From there, they run a test called quantitative PCR, which relies on chemicals called primers and probes to search for and bind to the RNA specific to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This provides a measure of how much of the virus is present in the wastewater samples and can provide a sense for how the viruss prevalence might be changing over time.

For example, concentrations of the virus have decreased in Madisons sewage since additional protective measures such as a mask mandate were implemented over the summer, Shafer says, but the team is poised to monitor for a resurgence should transmission pick up again.

The statewide wastewater SARS-CoV-2 monitoring program covers facilities in all but five of Wisconsins 72 counties, including four tribal facilities, representing 60 percent of the states population and offering statewide geographic coverage. The smallest facilities represent populations of at least 1,500 people. The largest facility, in Milwaukee, covers one million.

When the pandemic began to emerge early this year, many of us doing research in environmental microbiology saw an opportunity to contribute population level information by sampling sewage, says Sandra McLellan, UWMilwaukee professor of freshwater sciences. We began collecting samples in Milwaukee mid-March and shortly thereafter began receiving samples from Racine and Green Bay. That gives us a great record of how the pandemic unfolded in some of Wisconsins largest cities.

McLellan is leading a team to effectively translate wastewater SARS-CoV-2 data to public health entities and, with the WSLH, participates in an international effort evaluating wastewater surveillance as a strategy for understanding COVID-19. Shafer says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will soon announce the creation of a nationwide network and the Wisconsin teams will be among the founding members.

Since July, UWMadison began funding its own surveillance program in conjunction with the WSLH, managed by Facilities Planning and Management. Samples are drawn twice weekly from sewers on Elm Drive and on Easterday Lane, offering a broad survey of employees and students, including those in residence halls. Collecting the sewage involves pulling directly from the wastewater supply, rather than from what flows into a large treatment facility.

Samples on campus can be from within minutes of production so they are a bit messier, Shafer says, unafraid to get right down to it.

But, he says, we do it for the good of science and public health.

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Everybody poops, some shed the virus that causes COVID-19. Wisconsin's wastewater surveillance is looking for it. - University of Wisconsin-Madison