Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Todays miter saws are a big improvement over the manual miter boxes of the 1960s.

Mitering is the process of fitting two boards together at an angle, so miter saws are commonly thought of as trim saws. If you do any type of trim work, the miter saw will be your most-used power tool.

That said, miter saws are invaluable for making other types of cross cuts as wellend cuts on hardwood flooring strips, for instance, or angle cuts on roof rafters.

Keep reading to learn more about this popular tool and to find out why weve chosen the following five as the best miter saw options for DIYers and pros.

All miter saws feature a circular blade encased in a swing arm that pivots from side to side to make cross cuts on narrow strips of wood (5- to 18-inches wide, depending on the saw). One size doesnt fit all, however, so your individual woodworking needs will determine which saw is right for you.

Your woodworking projects will determine the features youll need in a miter saw. Someone who only wants a miter saw to make crosscuts on wood flooring strips wont need the extra features a professional trim carpenter needs to install elaborate crown molding.

A 10-inch miter sawso-called because it has a 10-inch bladeis sufficient for cutting most types of trim boards and siding strips, which are typically less than 3/4-inches thick and 6-inches wide. If you want to cut thicker boards, such as 1.5-inch thick framing boards, consider getting the larger, 12-inch miter saw because the larger blade will cut through thicker boards more easily.

Until just a few years ago, all miter saws were corded, and most still are, featuring 10-, 12-, and 15-amp motors. The higher the amps, the more power the motor will have, but a 10-amp miter saw is sufficient for cutting most types of trim boards. The higher-amp motors are better at slicing through larger boards and they wont overheat as quickly with constant use. Cordless miter saws are the new kids on the block, and they typically operate on rechargeable 20-volt, lithium-ion batteries. Battery runtime depends on how often youre making cuts and how thick the wood is, but expect an average of 150 to 275 cuts on a single battery charge.

Some miter saws have laser guides that mark a red or green line across your wood where the blade will cut. This is a great feature for DIYers and beginners to ensure they have their board correctly positioned before cutting.

You can work up a sweat on a hot summer day, which can result in a slippery grip on a miter saw handle. Some manufacturers now offer padded non-slip grips to reduce hand fatigue and allow for a better grasp. Many miter saws still dont have them, but its a bonus when you can find one that does.

Miter saws tend to kick up sawdust, particularly when operated inside a workshop. To remedy this, two types of dust collection are available for miter saws. The first is a small bag designed to collect some of the dust that blows into it naturally as it comes off the blade. The second (and better) option is a dust collection port that connects to the hose of a shop-type vacuum.

If youre looking for a miter saw that does everythingand does it wellcheck out the DEWALT 12-Inch Double Bevel Sliding Miter Saw. The saw comes with a powerful 15-amp motor, and its sliding rails allow the user to cut a board up to 16-inches wide. With dual compound action, theres no need to turn a board over to cut an opposing angle, just tilt the spring arm in the other direction. The DEWALT miter saw also features a bright LED light that illuminates the cutting field so you can see exactly where youre cutting, and comes with a collection dust bag designed to catch up to 75percent of the dust it generates.

You can save money on a miter saw without giving up functionality. The affordable Metabo 12-Inch Dual Compound Miter Saw cuts bevels in both directions and comes with a powerful 15-amp motor to boot. Thanks to the laser feature, youll see the cutline on the board before you cut, which will reduce errors. The saw comes with an elastomer-coated handle designed to reduce vibration, hand fatigue, and hand slippage. This is a nice and unexpected feature on a more affordably priced saw.

If youre just starting in woodworking and wont be making particularly complex cuts, check out the Hitachi 10-Inch Single Compound Miter Saw. It features a single compound tilt for cutting bevels in one direction, and its 15-amp motor will supply plenty of cutting power. The Hitachi will cut boards up to 5.5-inches wide, and it comes with a padded ergonomic handle for reduced vibration. Beginners will appreciate the laser guidance for added accuracy.

For professional trim carpenters or picture-frame fabricators, the DEWALT FLEXVOLT Double Bevel Compound Sliding Miter Saw has it all. You can plug it into a standard electrical outlet or operate the saw on a FLEXVOLT 20V/60V MAX battery (sold separately), which means you can make the cuts you need even when an electrical outlet is not available. DEWALT claims this miter saw will make up to 310 cross cuts in base molding on a single battery charge. The saw features precision dual bevel cutting and sliding rails that allow the user to cut boards up to 16-inches wide.

For around-the-home trimming and crosscutting, youll get all the power and precision you need with the DEWALT 12-Inch Single Compound Miter Saw. It cuts boards up to 8-inches wide and cuts bevels in one direction. The DEWALT saw also comes with a vertical clamp to hold the board still as you cut, and it features a dust collection bag to help reduce the dust in the air. For safety, the saw also features a mechanism that automatically locks the spring arm in the down position unless its manually unlocked with a button on the back.

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5 Best Miter Saw Options for the Workshop - BobVila.com

1. Who are the members of your small Covid-19 group?

Henry, Eileen, Peter, Andrew, James and our Sheltie, Lady.

2. Whats the most uplifting part of being isolated?

Spending quality time as a family, which we normally dont get to do as often due to all of our schedules. Also, being entertained by James.

3. Whats the most difficult part of being isolated?

Not seeing family and friends and not going to Mass.

4. Whats the most surprising thing youve discovered during these days of confinement?

James: That I can see my friends and my teacher on the computer!

5. Do you have a special project youre working on, if so, please describe.

Peter: I gave an online piano recital on Easter Sunday with works from Bach, Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Scarlatti and Debussy. I miss performing and I wanted to offer people this entertainment.

6. Whats your go-to meal these days?

Chef Enricos specialties of the day, many accompanied by pasta like agliolio, pasta e ceci and pesto and marinara from Fiore & Sons Farm.

7. Whats your favorite sweet treat?

James: Fudgsicles.

8. What mundane thing have you missed the most?

Peter: Driving to URI every day and being on campus.

9. Whats the first thing youll do when this is over?

Henry: I will bring my mother, Minnie, some squalatili from Ritaccos, go back to daily Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral during my lunch hour and have a Friday night game with Nat Sisco and our poker buddies.

Eileen: Have Chinese food and Dustys ice cream then go to TJ Maxx.

Peter: Play the organ and go to the beach.

Andrew: Watch a game and see friends.

James: Go to school again.

10. If you are participating in any distance schooling/games/activities with teachers/friends/family members, can you share a story about one experience?

Eileen: My Stonington Middle School administration has been incredibly supportive academically, technologically and emotionally throughout distance learning we are so fortunate to have them!

11. What are you doing to stay physically active?

Eileen: Working out downstairs in Hens Gym, walking outside, brothers basketball, wiffle ball and football, and James new little trampoline.

12. How are you staying connected with the outside world?

We all have continued our schoolwork and jobs online

13. What soothes you the most?

Henry: James Fiore and wearing comfortable clothes all day.

14. What music have you been listening to?

Andrew: Classic rock, Beatles, 60s,70s, 80s music.

15. What TV shows are you bingeing?

"The Good Doctor;" "Frasier;" "Seinfeld;" "Cheers;" :Shark Tank;" "90 Day Fianc" and during Lent we watched "Jesus of Nazareth."

16. Top take-out restaurant?

Haversham, Vocs and Supreme.

17. Biggest frustration?

Andrew: That there are no sports to watch.

18. Favorite board game?

Chess, Shut the Box, Scrabble, Scrabble Jr., Monopoly, Monopoly Jr.

19. How have you been changed by this experience?

Peter: I feel like I learned to accept reality.

20. What is your message of hope?

Trust in God. This will pass.

Interview arranged and edited by Nancy Burns-Fusaro. Photo by Harold Hanka.

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Front Porch Families: The Fiore Family | In the Easy Chair - The Westerly Sun

Anybody can elope to Vegas.

But it takes true love to elope on a front porch in Delco.

And so it was Friday night as neighbors looked on in their quarantine finest, and loved ones watched from miles away on Facebook that Joy Karsner married Brian Barton at their Springfield, Delaware County, home in a ceremony they dubbed Eloping in Quarantine.

The people of Ballymore Road came out with their babies and their beers, their dogs and their dancing shoes to groove on the sidewalk to the tunes of DJ Neeek Nyce and to celebrate the couple, true love, and finally having something to do on a Friday night.

I think its awesome theyre still celebrating all of lifes moments, said neighbor Devon Pasha, 35, who came to the wedding in her best Christmas leggings.

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Karsner and her three daughters walked down the driveway to an instrumental version of Penny Lane as Barton and his best pooch Maxine Tiggermush the bulldog anxiously awaited them on the porch.

The officiant, a friend of Karsners who was ordained online in five minutes this week, appeared via iPad and performed the ceremony over Zoom from her home in Rochester, N.Y.

At this time, we would like to honor those who could not be with us today, which is basically everyone, she said.

It was a far cry from the summer wedding at the Shore the couple had imagined, before the coronavirus hit and made everything unimaginable.

When the stay-at-home order began, Barton, 44, moved in with Karsner, 39, and her daughters so they could all quarantine together. Living together made Karsner want to get married as soon as possible to make it official for the family," she said.

The fact that Barton has spent the last six weeks sleeping on the couch with Maxine Tiggermush played a role, too.

Thats the real reason were getting married," he said.

The couple met online in the fall and took a train together to New York City for their first date. The connection was immediate.

Weve both been married before, and weve dated other people and we knew this was it, Karsner said. We know what we like, and we like each other.

So when Barton, a political science grad student and graduate teaching assistant at Temple University, proposed to Karsner at the top of the Art Museum steps in January with her daughters by their side, she didnt hesitate to say yes.

They talked about a wedding in Ocean City, N.J., and planned a honeymoon in Prague, but as everything began shutting down amid the coronavirus and Karsner was laid off from her job in nonprofit communications and marketing planning a traditional wedding became impossible.

As the sofa got smaller by the day and their love grew larger, they decided instead on a very nontraditional quarantine elopement, one they planned in the span of just eight days.

Karsners youngest daughter, Eva Drager, 9, served as flower girl, and her oldest, Alison Drager, 14, was her maid of honor. Karsners 11-year-old child asked that it say starring Katelyn Drager, as herself" in the official e-program.

The bride wore a navy blue sequin dress she rented online. Sheets of chiffon and white lights hugged the poles of the porch, and baskets of flowers hung overhead.

As more than 100 of their closest friends and family watched on Facebook Live, two dozen of their closest neighbors watched from the sidewalk or the porches of their own homes, cheering them on and dancing at all the right times.

Neighbor Jacqui Dieterle, 39, wore a brown silk formal dress to the ceremony, which she paired with a gray hoodie and a can of White Claw.

I used to not drink, but then quarantine happened, she said while dancing in the street. This wedding is great. We needed this.

Under a tent in the front lawn, the couple set up a wedding reception to go with tiny bottles of champagne and boxes of cupcakes for their guests.

Karsners mom, Nancy, who cried on Facebook Live while watching the couples first dance to the Carpenters Weve Only Just Begun, offered the first toast over video.

Id like to thank everyone for not coming to the wedding, she said.

The newlyweds had no big plans for a dinner, no buffet set up in the kitchen, just the Chick-fil-A the Karsner girls had requested and the wedding cake they got from Traubs Bakery in Prospect Park.

It was unclear if theyd share either with Maxine Tiggermush, who for the first time in weeks would find herself sleeping alone on the couch Friday night.

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With neighbors in driveways and friends and family on Facebook, this Delco couple elope on their front porch - The Philadelphia Inquirer

By Nick Sambides Jr., BDN Staff April 21, 2020 6:25 pm Updated: April 22, 2020 4:55 am

Friends were assessing how to fix a vent to Beth Parks Gouldsboro home on Sunday when they came across a surprise: baby raccoons huddled together beneath her deck.

A former wildlife biologist who now authors books, Parks said she immediately recognized the chirping and chittering sounds the four kits made. The tiny newborns they hadnt been born long enough for their eyes to open had no trouble at all being loud, she said.

They are the loudest little things and the noise they have coming from their little throats is absolutely earsplitting, Parks said Tuesday. People hear these things and they have absolutely no idea what they are. I just find it fascinating because they are so loud.

Parks caught the mother raccoon and Parks friends moved her brood to their Gouldsboro farm abutting several hundred acres of woods. The mother went into the Havahart Trap used to capture her, and the babies were placed in a bait bucket.

We have moved a lot of raccoons, and so have they, Parks said of her farmer friends on Tuesday. They are very familiar with how to do this safely.

People who lack extensive experience raising newborn wildlife should not do what Parks and the farmers did. They should call local animal control officers or nearby animal shelters, and have them do the transplanting, Parks said.

You have to know what youre doing, Parks said. If you transport coons or any other animals, they dont have shelter against the weather and they dont have protection against predation.

The mother gobbled down a can of cat food at the farm and immediately began nursing her young a sign that the human intervention hadnt broken the bond between them before the raccoon family was placed in a vacant lamb birthing shed, where they will be warm and safe until they are ready to live in the wild, Parks said.

These critters were the sweetest raccoons Ive had yet, Parks said in her Facebook posting, calling the experience a success all the way around. Happy homeowner, happy farmer, happy raccoons, no deaths.

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A Gouldsboro woman found these raccoon babies under her porch. And wow, are they loud. - Bangor Daily News

Since schools were moved online by Gov. Doug Burgum, families have had to adjust to doing school work from home. In todays Positively North Dakota, were sharing the story of a teacher going the extra mile.

From breaking down compounds in science to writing the perfect introduction for an English paper, school can be challenging. But now that distance learning is the new norm, students arent getting the one-on-one interaction they were used to before.

Yesterday we were working on some new math concepts as math can get a little harder throughout the year, said Darlene Ruud, a fifth-grade teacher in Garrison.

She says she knows how difficult learning new information can be, especially over the computer.

I type a lot of messages back and forth and I try to go step by step with kids, but I saw they were struggling and I didnt want them to continue to be frustrated, Ruud said.

So since she couldnt help her students in the classroom, she decided to take the classroom to them.

Mrs. Ruud is very humble, and I can tell you from a parents perspective, it made us tear up literally, said parent Lisa Maki.

The Garrison teacher drove to the homes of her students, whiteboard in hand, and ready to practice social distancing.

He called me and said do you know that Rays teacher is outside, like seriously outside. So I went and grabbed a picture because she absolutely nailed it on the head because to her this is absolutely nothing but from a parents perspective, it is everything, said Maki.

As a teacher, Ruud says she has a duty to her children to make sure they have everything they need, even during a pandemic.

Its kind of who I am and It wasnt really different than what I would do if I was in the classroom with them and helping them. So I dont see it as I went the extra mile, added Ruud.

But for her students, it made all the difference.

I texted my mom on my phone and Im like help me with my math, and shes likeIm not good at math. So it was more challenging then, but when Mrs. Ruud came, I understood it more, said student Rylie Klingbeil.

I thought it was like a prank, I didnt think she was actually going to come to my doorstep, said another student Izabella Schwarz.

Not a prank, but a show of dedication by a great teacher, even in times of uncertainty.

Nothing is the same, everything is changing. and I know that these kids can rely on people that they are building relationships with, said Maki.

Mrs. Ruud has been going to see about five students a day.

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Garrison teacher shows up on porches of struggling math students to teach them from a distance - KX NEWS

Neesie Doss cant wait to return to the business of running her business, in part because the nature of her profession as a massage therapist is helping people feel better.

The coronavirus outbreak has temporarily shuttered Doss PDX Healing Massage, which has an office in Portland and Salem and employs seven licensed therapists. They have hundreds of clients, among them health care workers and seniors. Doss and her staff are on unemployment until Oregon gives the all-clear to open business again.

Im massaging my dog and cat a lot, Doss said.

One day while walking her dog in her Northeast Portland neighborhood, Doss saw a neighbor conversing with someone in their late 60s, asking how they were doing and do you need anything. The elderly person said they could use some hand sanitizer. One thing led to another, and hand sanitizer was delivered to the persons porch.

Doss felt confident the two didnt know each other. Just someone helping someone during a time of need.

Something Doss could do while waiting for business to resume. So Doss went to her database of clients and emailed all the people who might be considered high-risk for a coronavirus infection, such as seniors and those with health issues. Her offer was simple: need supplies, like groceries or toilet paper? I can deliver them to your porch.

Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter

Doss got responses. One person had a spouse who was about to go on chemotherapy and could use some toilet paper and towels. No problem. Others requested some standard pantry items.

I live a block from Fred Meyer, and its no problem, Doss said. Its not the money or time, its the interaction. If we all do this, it could make a big difference. The outreach gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Doss recently increased her offers. She has a couple dozen health care workers among her clients. When her business opens, theyre all entitled to one hour of massage on the house.

This type of generosity isnt out of Doss business character. During the 2018 Columbia Gorge fires, she offered firefighters a free 30-minute massage. Each year, PDX Healing Massage does an annual food and coat drive for those in need.

While those receiving such gifts as a bag of groceries or a free massage are in need, so is Doss.

This is probably helping me more, she said. People are so happy to see you.

--Nick Daschel | ndaschel@oregonian.com | @nickdaschel

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Portland massage therapist makes porch deliveries to seniors while coronavirus has temporarily closed her bus - oregonlive.com

Courtland hasnt changed much since the building Linda Peebles calls home was a commercial bank in 1899. Oh, shes made it into a showplace on the inside, complete with loft, but on the outside it is almost as if time has stood still. If you squint your eyes just a little bit, and if you have a good imagination, you can almost see horses and wagons rolling by, women dressed in crinolines and men in top hats escorting them along the streets after church on Sundays; kids playing hopscotch or kick the can, and people stopping to pass the time of day and maybe a train will go by, its whistle echoing through the little town were common in the days when cotton was king and Courtland was one of its kingdoms.

Linda often sits on the sidewalk outside her building/home, enjoying the peace and quiet, visiting with people who stop by to pass the time of day. Even with the new rules about keeping six feet of distance between folks, a little crowd gathers to stop and visit. Richard and Brandy Thompson, Lisa and Greg Pace and Stacy and Rhonda Hughes come along on their golf carts and Tim Sherrill stops his bike in front of the gathering to see whats going on. Its nice to see people gathering on lazy Sunday afternoons again, even if they are about six feet away from one another.

The view from Lindas porch on the sidewalk is spectacular this time of year. Linda and her impromptu guests are just across the street from the old-fashioned square complete with gazebo, which is set in between the store fronts and the railroad tracks. Spring has come to the valley and people are itching to get out and see its splendor, even from a distance.

Many is the time when Linda has listened to the local folks tell stories about this community, some are funny, some sad, and some, she says, just happened.

Back when Courtland was a busy, vibrant place, people talked about their crops and the war, now we talk about how it was back in the good old days when this place had just about anything anyone would want, and people came here to shop on Saturdays to get supplies for the week, and to visit with friends and neighbors after a long week of hard work, Linda reminisced. Those days are gone for good, but now, our town is coming together, people are getting out enjoying the sunshine, and speaking to their neighbors at a distance of six feet, of course. Hopefully, someday well be talking about this quarantine from our front porches, Linda sighed.

Greg and Lisa Pace have only lived in Courtland for a few years but they have become active forces for the advancement of the little town. In fact, Lisa organized and executed the wildly successful Wings Over Courtland which brings thousands of people to Courtland each spring.

From our time being in Courtland, owning the Warbird Diner and organizing the Wings Over Courtland event weve had several stories shared with us, said Greg. These stories are all from the 40s about the air base and its effects on this community. We have heard stories of the influx of men and women into the area to work on the air base during its time of construction, to the contributions of hard-working men and women who lived here.

Weve also heard the funny stories that were told about the different people who came here and the funny things that they did and had happened to them and weve also heard the sad things about how the planes would wreck and crash and cadets would lose their lives training to defend our nations freedoms.

The one story that always rings true for Greg is how this community came together to support that group while they were here. Cadets and officers frequently attended family picnics, invited by the local people. Anytime there were activities going on downtown the cadets would fly over in their airplanes to show out for the crowds, she laughed. Weve also heard stories of how some of the men came here and met the love of their life. Often they wounded up moving back here to set up permanent residence and become prosperous members of the community.

All these stories good and bad were told about real life experiences, they were told on the front and back porches of Courtland homes daily, Greg reminded us. Every day was a new wonder with people coming in and out, people coming into town, talk of the toll of deaths, and old friends getting together to talk about how things had changed with the war, both locally and overseas.

It was a tough time for the people of Courtland, Greg continued, But they all banded together and did what needed to be done to support our local troops and the troops overseas with rations and with hardships. They all held in there together to make Americas Greatest Generation, as it later became referred to.

The Paces favorite story from Courtland Army Air Base is about a lady that grew up at the end of the airfield. She came into the diner and told us about how she used to watch the cadets as they would learn to fly when she was a child. Every day they would get a little better and a little better. She said you could always tell when they were entering the end of their training because their last couple of days they would fly over very low and slow. They would wiggle their wings at them as if to wave. Sometimes they would even throw out their goggles and flight helmets to the kids below. They knew that those pilots were moving on to the next phase of their training and then would soon be going off to war followed by the next class.

Lisa recalls another story that is told about Courtland and the air base times. It is said that if you had an empty room you either had a Rosie the Riveter working at the base living with you or you had a soldier living there. This was very true all over the community, but the McMahon House (where the Paces live now) at one time held up to forty soldiers while they were building the base. One of the favorite stories of that time is that one evening while horse playing some of the soldiers living in the house, broke Dr. Jack Shacklefords teester bed that was left in the house by the family.

Brenda Kay Owen Smith stands in the park looking around at the stores, and the familiar streets of Courtland, thinking back to a time when they were filled with shoppers, The whole town used to bustle with activity, she sighed. She can recall when Dinky Davis rode a bicycle to deliver for Gilchrists Grocery. Everybody knew him; he always had something new on his bicycle to show kids. That bicycle is in the Courtland Museum now.

She can picture other stores, and recalls that Carl Jenkins Drug Store on the corner had a soda fountain. There was a poolroom next door and they had a little place in the wall where they could hand in food, my grandmother thought that was the most awful place, Brenda laughed. There were two beauty shops, one was owned by Lois Kimbrell and the other by Abilene Smith, and there was a tractor place near them. Dr. Carraway had a dental practice here. The barber shop was owned by Guy Terry, there was a movie theatre across from the old hotel, and an ice house owned by Leland Hill. She recalls Delashaws Department Store, and Son Givens Service Station which was near where Courtland Baptist Church is now and there was a blacksmith shop in town. But one of her favorite memories is of riding the train to Decatur to visit her aunt. I dont remember much about what the train car looked like because there was so much else to see out the window, she said.

It was a simpler time. I remember when I was a small girl my daddy, Flavious Owen, would sometimes let me tag along with him to the gin. I loved these times because I had him all to myself.

She recalls long lines of wagons and pickup trucks, filled with soft, fluffy white cotton, waiting to be ginned. Daddy would register our wagon, get in line and then we were off to talk and visit with the towns people as well as people from all of Lawrence County.

These were exciting days for the little girl. I didnt get to go often, but when I did, I would get a rare treat of a hamburger and an Orange Crush. We would eat and talk in the park, then go up to Mr. Boots Gilchrists store where he would get me some of my favorite candy, banana kisses and coconut haystacks for a penny. He would stand there patiently letting me decide what I wanted then say, Okay, and smile, and how I loved that smile! Then he would take my hand as we started down the street. It made me feel so special, I was so proud of my Dad!

Ellen Hampton tells this humorous Courtland story which appears in Early Settlers of Alabama, about Dr. Jack Shackelfords practice of medicine.

He had the good sense to embrace the mild mannered practice of Bronssais, in an age when colonel, jalap, gamboge and the Lancet were heroically used. He cured his patients with gentle remedies, and topical applications, while his competitors killed them scientifically. He was especially successful in nervous disorders, but his remedies were not always laid down in medical books. In one case a lady of a local family, living in the neighborhood of Courtland, imagined that she had swallowed a frog. When she mentioned it to him, he first attempted to remove the impression from her mind, but finding it useless, he said sympathetically, But if it be as you suppose, I can kill the frog in your stomach, and then remove it by an emetic. She acquiesced joyfully. He colored red some effervescing powders, and directed her to take them at regular intervals, until he returned. He had much trouble securing a tree frog, but prize of a quarter offered to the boys, at length bought one, and he hastened to see his patient, who was in a state of anxious expectancy. The emetic was administered, and after the first spell of vomiting, she inquired, Doctor, has the frog come? He answered, No, madam. A second dose was given, and she had a severe spell of vomiting. He threw the frog into the bowl, saying joyfully, Here it is, madam. She wiped her eyes, and when she saw it exclaimed, I knew I could not be mistaken. Then she fell back on her pillows and was completely cured.

The Courtland Museum is an interesting place to spend an afternoon if you love history and want to learn more about the city and the county. According to former Mayor Rudy McCarley, parts of the history of Courtland is even associated with the Spanish American War and is still celebrated in Goliad, Texas, where in 1835 Courtlands Red Rover forces joined with Texans to engage in battle with the infamous General Santa Anna. Many Courtland men were killed, and according to Goliad history, more men lost their lives there than at the Alamo. Captain Jack Shackleford was one of the soldiers who survived the battles which ended in 1836. He died years later in bed at his daughters home, the McMahon House.

Under normal circumstances The Courtland Museum is open to the public on Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. For now it is closed until further notice due to the COVID-19 virus.

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Stories From the Front Porch In Courtland | Local News - Moulton Advertiser

CLEVELAND A 34-year-old man was shot to death on the east side of Cleveland on Monday evening, police announced. The man was found on the front porch of his second floor apartment.

Police were called to Woodside Avenue at 11:20 p.m.They found the man on the front porch and gave him first aid. EMS rushed the man to University Hospitals but he was later pronounced dead.

The Cleveland police homicide unit and the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's office are taking part in the investigation.

On Tuesday morning, the medical examiner identified the 34-year-old as Ian Hampton, of Cleveland.

A police spokesperson said witnesses could not identify the shooter.

Anyone with information regarding the shooting is asked to contact investigators at 216-623-5464. Anonymous information can be provided via crimestoppers via 216-25-CRIME.

Without critical restaurant orders, farmers destroy crops while food banks see unprecedented demand from coronavirus-related unemployment.

By Beth Dalbey, Patch Staff

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34-Year-Old Shot To Death On Front Porch In Cleveland - Cleveland, OH Patch

Nez Perce County allowed four more septic systems in the Lewiston Area of City Impact on Wednesday, drawing the ire of Lewiston city officials who have been working to reduce septic impacts on groundwater quality.

County commissioners Don Beck, Douglas Havens and Douglas Zenner granted developer Joe Grecos request to waive a requirement for a dry sewer line that would eventually serve four out of the 16 lots in the preliminary plat for phase two of his Skyview Estates subdivision on Powers Avenue. The vote came after a public hearing Wednesday that was conducted electronically to comply with the coronavirus shelter-at-home order.

Greco said that at about $80,000, the line would not be practical to build. And since Public Health Idaho North Central District has already said the soil on the lots will support septic systems, he applied for the waiver.

But in her written comments objecting to the request, Lewiston Community Development Director Laura Von Tersch said the city gave up acreage in the impact zone in 2014 in exchange for the countys adoption of city development standards.

Unfortunately, many proposals have been approved without meeting standards such as one acre minimum on septics (when a sewer line is beyond 200 feet away), storm water, and more, Von Tersch wrote. Removing the requirement for the dry line on the four lots that can gravity flow to the sewer is a step in the wrong direction. It is only a matter of time before the situation demands a special assessment district or some other funding mechanism to bring sewer out to this area.

She added that the dry sewer line will make it easier for future homeowners to hook up to city sewer and avoid trenching through what will become landscaping, pavement and accessory buildings. In his response, Greco said it is unknown how much septic systems are contributing to nitrate pollution in nearby Lindsay Creek, noting the farmland that surrounds the drainage is also a likely contributor.

Greco also said the city sewer is more than 1,300 feet away from the most recent extension into the eastern Lewiston Orchards. A letter submitted by Michael Camin, a water quality engineering manager at the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, said a nutrient-pathogen study is needed to evaluate whether the line is reasonably accessible. The city has requested such a study.

Camin also said that DEQ offered guidance to Public Health that multiple new septic systems at Skyview can further degrade water quality in this designated ground water nitrate priority area. Wastewater systems are outside of the departments purview, Camin added, and the department only approved the construction plans because they included drinking water infrastructure that meets minimum state requirements.

DEQ approval of the construction plans should not be construed as a preference for the dry line to be removed, he wrote.

Private homes built in phase one of the subdivision already added about 10 septic systems to the area before the sewer trunk lines installation in 2018. The Lewiston Urban Renewal Agency partnered with the city on that $2.1 million project to bring sanitary sewer to the area, with a primary goal of reducing pollution by getting homeowners to abandon their septic systems. Dozens of homes have already switched, and others have pledged to join them in the future.

At Wednesdays meeting, Zenner said the commissioners should approve the waiver because it meets the three main county subdivision requirements for access to the subject properties, a viable drinking water supplier in the Lewiston Orchards Irrigation District (Greco still has to build a booster station) and a way to treat wastewater from the future homes. And Havens downplayed the citys concerns over septic systems in general.

You cant just automatically say theres something incorrect about every single drainfield, Havens said, noting that a properly designed and installed system can effectively treat wastewater.

Havens also repeated his claim that a section of the nearby city sewer system was not planned and built properly, and is too narrow to handle the number of future hookups in the area. But Joe Kaufman, the citys engineering project supervisor for wastewater and stormwater, said the original design report for the line shows the section has a capacity for 2,800 homes.

The report outlines the 450 existing homes on septic systems, the 367 anticipated at Skyview Estates and an additional 450 of infill development in the spaces in between, Kaufman said in an email to the Lewiston Tribune.

This can provide some context for the 2,800 capacity, Kaufman said.

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Developer's plan to use septic systems OK'd by NPC commission - Lewiston Morning Tribune

AMSTERDAM (JTA) Video calls werent really cutting it for Fiet Aussen, a 91-year-old widow who has spent the past six weeks in lockdown at this citys Jewish nursing home.

Nearly deaf, she isnt really able to use that technology to communicate with family members, who have been unable to visit her at Beth Shalom since it closed its doors in the middle of March because of the coronavirus. COVID-19 has killed 26 of its residents.

So her grandson, Timo Haaker, 26, decided to enlist a different kind of machinery.

He called Riwal, a Netherlands-based international company that specializes in crane machines, to inquire about renting one to lift Aussens relatives up to the window of her third-story apartment, the NIW Dutch-Jewish weekly reported Friday.

Riwal, which is owned by the Israeli-Dutch businessman Doron Livnat, lifted 12 of Aussens relatives up to her on April 15 for free and has offered to do the same for any family of residents at Beth Shalom who want to do the same.

Haaker told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that he did not know about Riwals Jewish connections. The company has been targeted by anti-Israel groups for its activity there.

To be honest, she couldnt really hear us on the crane, but it made her super happy, it filled her with new energy, said Haaker, a co-founder of the We Are Amsterdam tourism company, which he runs with his Israel-born partner, Guy Kuttner.

To minimize the cranes footprint on the street outside Beth Shalom, Riwal sent out one of its smallest units, which can only lift one person at a time. Each member of the Aussen clan had a quick chat of about three minutes with Fiet before being lowered and replaced by the next visitor, as onlookers snapped pictures and took videos of the scene on their cellphones.

The sun was shining, there was a great atmosphere and it was just a perfect day, Haaker said.

His mother is one of four children raised by Fiet and her late husband, Hans. They took Haakers mother into the family as a foster child when she was a teenager.

Fiet, who is not Jewish, moved in to Beth Shalom with Hans about a year ago. Hans was Jewish and had survived the Holocaust in hiding. He died in November.

In mid-March, Beth Shalom went into lockdown for fear of the coronavirus, but it was too late for many. To date, 26 of its 120 residents have succumbed to the virus and some are quarantined to their rooms, NIW reported. This made Beth Shalom the worst-hit place in the Dutch Jewish community by COVID-19, according to Esther Voet, the papers editor in chief.

One of Fiets best friends, also a Beth Shalom resident, died on April 13, possibly from the virus.

The infection rate at Beth Shalom made the Aussens increasingly worried about losing Fiet without getting to say goodbye, her grandson said.

Even without the virus, theres a chance that each visit will be the last when youre talking about a person in their 90s, Haaker said. And my grandmother has had lung issues in the past. So this concern about not getting to say goodbye was one of the main reasons I decided to put this together.

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At this Dutch Jewish nursing home, family visitors can be lifted by cranes to see their loved ones safely - JTA News