Latest news with #bridges
USA Today
a day ago
- Business
- USA Today
Black Mountain Golf Course in North Carolina partially reopens after Helene damages
BLACK MOUNTAIN – Following a nearly nine-month closure due to damages from Tropical Storm Helene, the Black Mountain Golf Course has reopened the back nine holes. About a dozen people came out to support the golf course at a June 23 ribbon cutting, marking the course's partial reopening. The back nine holes were available for everyone to play starting June 24. The Black Mountain Golf Course is owned and maintained by the town. At a May 15 special call meeting, Town Manager Josh Harrold gave an update, saying 'more money' has been spent on the golf course since Helene than anything else in the town other than critical infrastructure. According to a June 24 news release posted to the town website, Black Mountain "has invested more than $135,000 in repairing the golf course." These repairs include getting the back nine holes open, culvert and cart path repairs, irrigation system restoration and pro shop renovations. The release said repairs to the front nine holes, golf cart barn and cart paths and bridges will take place "in a few months" as funds become available. At the May 12 regular session meeting, nine residents spoke in favor of opening the golf course during the public comment period. Some spoke of not wanting the golf course to be closed, something Harrold said 'has never been discussed or considered' at the May 15 meeting. According to Harrold, the FEMA damage inventory estimate for the golf course and operations is $2 million. According to a document provided to Black Mountain News by Harrold, the golf course made nearly $182,000 in revenue in 2024. Black Mountain Golf Course Manager Brent Miller said golf has increased in popularity since COVID and net profit in a "good year" is between $150,000 and $200,000. At the June 23 ribbon cutting, Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Cheryl Hyde said the chamber is 'excited' to have the golf course back open. Including staff, Miller said the golf course spends between $450,000 and $500,000 on maintenance each year. Harrold said the town is continuing to work on getting the front nine holes open and that it will 'take some time.' 'I hate that it's taken this long to get the back nine open,' Harrold said. 'But we are finally here and ready.' Harrold said he wanted to thank Miller and Jerry Brigman, golf course superintendent, for the work they have put in getting the back nine holes open. 'They're they rockstars here,' Harrold said. 'They've busted their butts to get this course open, and they've done a hell of a job.' Brigman told Black Mountain News the golf course had 35 trees come down across the property during Helene. Helene brought historic flooding across Western North Carolina, killing more than 100 people across the state and causing nearly $60 billion in damages. Much of the golf course equipment flooded from rain and water from the Tomahawk branch of the Swannanoa River and became unusable, leaving the town searching for options. 'We lost our shop, all of our equipment,' Brigman said. 'We went seven months without being able to mow anything, maintain anything. We didn't have irrigation for almost eight months.' The June 24 news release said the maintenance building will need to be demolished and relocated to be in compliance with FEMA standards, and the work will be reimbursable by the agency. Once the town leased equipment at the end of April, Brigman said the team was able to start mowing to playable heights. He said he wants to 'thank everybody' for being patient as the town works to get the golf course reopened. 'We still got a lot of work ahead of us,' Brigman said. 'But we're buckling down and we're doing all we can do to try to get this back to 100%.' Miller told Black Mountain News having the back nine holes reopen is a 'relief.' 'We've needed to get going in the right direction for a long time,' Miller said. 'We've been working towards it, but this actually feels like the culmination of that.' He said the Black Mountain Golf Course would usually see around 150 golfers each day, and he expects to see half that number with only half the course being open. Annually, Miller said there are between 30,000 and 33,000 rounds played. As for what is next for the golf course, Miller said he wants to continue working to get the front nine holes reopened. 'Doing what we can within the funds and the means that we have to get it done as quick as possible,' Miller said. 'And also have a product that people want to come back and play on this golf course. We've always kept it in relatively good shape for what we had to work with and we don't want to put out a subpar product.' Karrigan Monk is the Swannanoa Valley communities reporter for Black Mountain News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kmonk@
CairoScene
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Central Cee, Black Eyed Peas & More to Perform in Saudi this Summer
This summer, MDLBEAST kicks off two back-to-back series: ONYX in Jeddah and AFT_r in Riyadh. With a lineup spanning Black Eyed Peas to R3HAB, Saudi Arabia's music scene is turning up the volume. Jun 24, 2025 This summer, MDLBEAST is unleashing two massive live experiences across Saudi Arabia. ONYX, held at the 12,000-capacity Onyx Arena in Jeddah, runs from July 17th to August 8th and features major acts like the Black Eyed Peas, Central Cee, Metro Boomin', Don Diablo, R3HAB, and Meduza, alongside rising regional names like Saud & Jeed and DAFENCII. Running in parallel, AFT_r takes over Riyadh from July 18th to August 7th during the Esports World Cup, the world's biggest esports competition. The immersive nightlife series brings the same headline artists into a new context, where gaming and music collide inside the ANB Arena. 'As we continue to push the boundaries of entertainment in the region, this summer's AFT_r and ONYX shows demonstrate our commitment to building cultural bridges, elevating local talent, and hosting world-class experiences across Saudi Arabia,' Ramadan Alharatani, CEO of MDLBEAST, tells SceneNoise. Last year's Esports World Cup saw MDLBEAST take over the after party series by the likes of Jack Harlow and Wiz Khalifa, as well as regional icons like superstar Moroccan rapper ElGrandeToto, Nancy Ajram and Tamer Hosny, alongside Saudi DJ Cosmicat.
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Annual Plan Adopted For Year Ahead
Kaipara District Council has unanimously adopted its Annual Plan for 2025/2026, with an average rates rise of 8.3% after growth. This includes a new targeted rate for three of the district's museums. Originally, the museums rate was expected to be on top of a previously signalled rate increases of 8.9% after growth for the coming year, but cost savings across other areas have reduced the final figure. Kaipara District Council Mayor Craig Jepson says the outcome reflects careful planning. 'We understand that any rates increase can be challenging for many members of our community, but this represents a significant achievement for our small rating base, especially given the current national economic climate.' Roading remains a key priority, with around $30 million planned on capital works this year, and around $13 million on operations and maintenance (excluding work carried forward from the previous financial year). Approximately $8 million is set aside for Cyclone Gabrielle and other extreme weather event-related repairs, of which up to 92% is funded by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). Recovery work includes repairing under and over slips, road surfaces, remediating slips, fixing our bridges, and replacing damaged drainage systems. Some of the projects planned for this year include pumpstation upgrades for Dargaville, the progression of the Proposed District Plan, local elections, and Wood Street revitalisation stormwater and surrounds. The Annual Plan for 2025/2026 comes into effect at the start of the financial year, with new rates taking effect from 1 July 2025. Final digital versions can be viewed on the council website from next week. Print versions will be available at council offices and libraries across the district in late July. What is a Long Term Plan and an Annual Plan? Every three years Council develops a Long Term Plan (LTP) in consultation with the community. Our Long Term Plan 2024-2027 was adopted on 31 July 2024. It outlines the services we will provide, the projects to be undertaken, the cost of doing this work, how it will be paid for and how the performance for each shall be measured. Following major damage to local infrastructure during the 2023 weather events, Kaipara is one of eight councils with an unaudited three year LTP focused on recovery, rather than the typical ten year outlook. In the two years between adopting an LTP, an annual plan is developed. The Annual Plan is a yearly update on what has been agreed through the LTP, highlighting any budget changes and work plans for each specific year. View the council discussion and decision on the (from 2:34:07).
CTV News
7 days ago
- CTV News
Police say alcohol and water don't mix
As boating season kicks off, police and Mothers Against Drunk Driving are urging the public to avoid operating boats under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Campaign signs on bridges remind boaters to stay sober and report suspected impaired operators by calling 911. Luke Simard has all the details.
BBC News
19-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Plan to fix Hull bridges and house replica Banksy on Scott Street
A report that highlights the full extent of problems, damage and decay to 15 bridges in Hull also reveals a plan to fix Monday, Hull City Council's cabinet will consider the long-term programme of works which, if approved, would run until May proposals include strengthening work on the Hessle Road flyover, Sutton Road bridge and flyover and North also includes a project to build a display frame to house a replica of the Banksy "Draw the raised bridge" artwork at the site of the former Scott Street bridge. In April, the council said it had earmarked more than £28m to fix bridges around the leader Mike Ross wrote to the government asking for Hull to be allocated part of a £1bn pot for the "renewal of broken bridges, ruined roads and tired tunnels". The improvement works being considered by the council cabinet include:Decommissioning of the Boothferry Road footbridge, close to the Costello Stadium, after "numerous defects" were found including an "ongoing risk" to the structure holding the bridge replacement work on the Ennerdale Bridge, Stoneferry Bridge and Millennium redesign and replacement of the mechanism on the Scale Lane swing bridge, which was closed for investigation work in February.A refurbishment of Sculcoates Bridge, which underwent engineering work two years ago. It was closed to vehicle traffic in 2020 over collapse timber fenders for the Wilmington Bridge at Wincolmlee after the discovery of "extensive decay".Victoria Pier and the River Hull walkway also form part of the plan. They will be made safe while a feasibility study to look at their potential replacement is carried footbridge, which links Priory Drive and Priory Road to Hotham Road and Bricknell Avenue over the Hull to Scarborough railway line, is also said to be in "poor condition" with "movement to the foundations".Mark Ieronimo, the portfolio holder for transport and infrastructure at the council, said he acknowledged there was a "significant amount of work required".He added: "I am confident that this comprehensive maintenance programme provides a strategic plan to address these needs effectively."This initiative marks a crucial step towards enhancing the longevity and functionality of our community's infrastructure." Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
