Sorry for the caps. Actually, no, I’m not.

• By
  
  Brady Klopfer
  
• on August 14, 2023 3:06 pm

Prior to opening a series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night, the San Francisco Giants made a very surprising, but very exciting move, calling up fast-moving outfielder Wade Meckler from AAA Sacramento.

The news was first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

To make room on the 40-man roster for Meckler, the Giants are designating outfielder Luis González for assignment. That news comes courtesy of The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly. No corresponding active roster move has been announced but, unless there’s an injury, the logical conclusion is that Luis Matos has been optioned or Austin Slater has been placed on the Injured List.

Meckler has had one of the fastest rises in recent Minor League history. Not just for the Giants, but for all of baseball.

An 8th-round pick (No. 256 overall) just 13 months ago, Meckler had just 50 plate appearances in the Arizona Complex League last year after getting drafted, before being promoted to Low-A San Jose, where he had 50 more plate appearances before the season ended. He started 2023 — his first full season — in High-A Eugene, where he had just 87 plate appearances before getting promoted to AA Richmond. He had his longest stint there, by far, at 174 plate appearances, before the promotion to AAA Sacramento. He’s had just 33 plate appearances in 10 games there before the Giants decided it was time to see if he can spark the outfield.

If you’re doing the math, that’s 394 plate appearances before the Majors. That’s fewer plate appearances than LaMonte Wade Jr., Michael Conforto, and J.D. Davis have in the Majors this year.

Unreal.

Meckler has been a hits machine. Across three levels this year, he’s hitting .379/.463/.522, while playing quality defense across the outfield and rarely striking out. If Meckler plays well, the Giants outfield will get very interesting. Michael Conforto is heating up, Heliot Ramos was excellent this weekend, Matos remains an exceptional prospect, Slater is a platoon hitter extraordinaire, Mike Yastrzemski is due to return any day, and Mitch Haniger isn’t far off.

Update: Yastrzemski has reportedly suffered an injury setback.

Welcome to the show, Wade.

Read more

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Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said in addition to a spate of chimney blazes, it has seen a significant rise in burner incidents with seven incidents recorded between January 20 and 27 alone.

A total of 75 burner incidents were recorded in 2022 compared to 22 the previous year.

Meanwhile in December and January firefighters put out to 30 chimney fires, including 17 last month.

There were 79 chimney fires recorded in 2022 and 1,407 in total recorded over the 10 years between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2022.

Now the fire service is urging residents to call in an approved chimney sweep to prevent damage and and household fires.

It said wood-burning stoves were growing in popularity due to the spiralling cost of gas and electricity, but owners were also being urged to ensure they are correctly installed and regularly maintained.

Emma Roberts

Prevention head Emma Roberts said: “Sweeping your chimney at least once a year and using a quality-assured fuel is the key to prevention. Not only does this remove soot and tar deposits, but also gives chimney sweeps the opportunity to check for any problems with the chimney or liner. A typical sweep only takes about 90 minutes and doesn’t make a mess.

“Professional chimney sweeps use modern methods and tools such as power-sweeping, CCTV and vacuums to ensure minimal disturbance for the homeowner. Customers don’t need to move all of their furniture out of the room.

“So, if your chimney is overdue for a sweep, now is the time to get it done and not add to the list of chimney fires.”

Details of approved chimney sweeps are available from the Heating Equipment Testing and Approvals Scheme(HETAS) on 01684 278170.

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Reverse osmosis, a step in the water purification process, eliminates more than 99% of all impurities at the Pure Water Southern California Demonstration Plant in Carson. On the left is the filter, and on the right are samples before and after reverse osmosis. (Lauren Justice for CalMatters)

Californians could drink highly purified sewage water that is piped directly into drinking water supplies for the first time under proposed rules unveiled by state water officials.

The drought-prone state has turned to recycled water for more than 60 years to bolster its scarce supplies, but the current regulations require it to first make a pit stop in a reservoir or an aquifer before it can flow to taps.

The new rules, mandated by state law, would require extensive treatment and monitoring before wastewater can be piped to taps or mingled with raw water upstream of a drinking water treatment plant.

“Toilet-to-tap” this is not.

Between flush and faucet, a slew of steps are designed to remove chemicals and pathogens that remain in sewage after it has already undergone traditional primary, secondary and sometimes tertiary treatment.

It is bubbled with ozone, chewed by bacteria, filtered through activated carbon, pushed at high pressures through reverse osmosis membranes multiple times, cleansed with an oxidizer like hydrogen peroxide and beamed with high-intensity UV light. Valuable minerals, such as calcium, that were filtered out are restored. And then, finally, the wastewater is subjected to the regular treatment that all drinking water currently undergoes.

RELATED: This beer is made from recycled San Francisco shower water

“Quite honestly, it’ll be the cleanest drinking water around,” said Darrin Polhemus, deputy director of the state’s Division of Drinking Water.

The 62 pages of proposed rules, more than a decade in the making, are not triggering much, if any, debate among health or water experts. A panel of engineering and water quality scientists deemed an earlier version of the regulations protective of public health, although they raised concerns that the treatment process would be energy-intensive.

“I would have no hesitation drinking this water my whole life,” said Daniel McCurry, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Southern California.

This water is expected to be more expensive than imported water, but also provide a more renewable and reliable supply for California as climate change continues. Most treated sewage — about 400 million gallons a day in Los Angeles County alone — is released into rivers, streams and the deep ocean.

Luis Canela, a water quality technician, injects chemicals to chlorinate water at the Pure Water Southern California Demonstration Plant in Carson. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters

The draft rules, released on July 21st, still face a gauntlet of public comment, a hearing and peer review by another panel of experts before being finalized. The State Water Resources Control Board is required by law to vote on them by the end of December, though they can extend the deadline if necessary. They would likely go into effect next April and it will take many years to reach people’s taps.

Heather Collins, water treatment manager for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, said the regulations will give the district more certainty about how to design a massive, multi-billion dollar water recycling project with the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts. The district imports water that is provided to 19 million Southern Californians.

The joint effort, called Pure Water Southern California, has already received $80 million from the state. The first phase of the project, which could be completed by 2032, is expected to produce about 115 million gallons of recycled water a day, enough for 385,000 Southern California households.

Most is planned to go towards recharging local water agencies’ groundwater stores, but about 20% could be added to drinking water supplies upstream of Metropolitan’s existing treatment plant for imported water.

“We’re excited,” Collins said. “It helps better inform us on what our project needs to include, so that we can have a climate-resistant supply for our agencies in Southern California.”

The new rules come as endless cycles of drought leave California’s water suppliers scrabbling for new sources of water, like purified sewage. In 2021, Californians used about 732,000 acre feet of recycled water, equivalent to the amount used by roughly 2.6 million households, though much of it goes to non-drinking purposes, like irrigating landscapes, golf courses and crops.

Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom called for increasing recycled water use in California roughly 9% by 2030 and more than doubling it by 2040.

“Water recycling is about finding new water, not just accepting the scarcity mindset — being more resourceful in terms of our approach,” Newsom said last May in front of Metropolitan’s Pure Water Southern California demonstration plant.

Some recycled water is already used to refill underground stores that provide drinking water, a process called indirect potable reuse, employed beginning in the 1960s in Los Angeles and Orange counties. But a water agency must have a clean and convenient place to store the expensive, highly-purified water. “You don’t want to inject this recycled wastewater that you’ve spent all this effort cleaning into a dirty, polluted aquifer just to ruin it again,” McCurry said.

To expand these uses, state lawmakers in 2010 tasked the water board with investigating the possibility of adding recycled water either directly into a public water system or just upstream of a water treatment plant. In 2017, they set a deadline to develop the regulations by the end of 2023.

California won’t be the first; Colorado already has regulations and the nation’s first direct potable reuse plant was built  in Texas in 2013. Florida and Arizona have rules in the works.

California’s statewide rules, however, are expected to be the most stringent, said Andrew Salveson, water reuse chief technologist at Carollo Engineers, an environmental engineering consulting firm that specializes in water treatment.

“They are more conservative than anywhere else,” he said. “And I’m not being critical. In the state of California, because we’re in the early days of (direct potable reuse) implementation, they’re taking measured and conservative steps.”

Removing viruses and chemicals

The water that flushes down toilets, whirls down sinks, runs from industrial facilities and flows off agricultural fields is teeming with viruses, parasites and other pathogens that can make people sick. Chemicals also contaminate this sewage, everything from industrial perfluorinated “forever chemicals” to drugs excreted in urine. Bypassing groundwater stores or reservoirs to funnel purified sewage directly into pipes means that there’s less room for error.

The new regulations would ramp up restrictions on pathogens, calling for scrubbing away more than  99.9999% of diarrhea-causing viruses and certain parasites. Also a series of treatments are designed to break down chemical contaminants like anti-seizure drugs, pain relievers, antidepressants and other pharmaceuticals. Medications can bypass traditional sewage treatment so they are found in low concentrations in recycled sewage and groundwater.

Water makes its way to the first step of the water purification process, membrane bioreactors, at the demonstration plant in Carson. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters

The added technologies are good at washing away pharmaceuticals, McCurry said, so having them “back-to-back introduces a ton of redundancy,” he said. “Any pharmaceutical you could think of, if you tried to measure it in the product water of one of these plants, is going to be below the detection limit.”

The new rules call for extensive monitoring to ensure the treatment is working. Some harmful chemicals, such as lead and nitrates, which are dangerous to babies and young children, will be tested for weekly; others, monthly. And water providers must also monitor the sewage itself before it even reaches treatment for any chemical spikes that could indicate illegal dumping or spills.

“We think we’ve got the chemical classes covered in the treatment processes, so that we’re removing materials that we don’t even know are there,” the water board’s Polhemus said.

Jennifer West, managing director of WateReuse California, a trade association for water recycling, said she was happy to finally see California’s regulations, though she hopes the state will build in more flexibility for water providers to alter the suite of treatments as technologies change.

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Richard Gersberg, San Diego State University professor emeritus of environmental health, said he supports using highly treated waste for drinking water. But he suggests that the state fund long-term studies comparing health effects in people who drink it to those whose drinking water comes from another source, such as rivers, “which might end up being worse. Probably is,” he said.

Given the vast and changing cocktail of chemicals constantly in use, “we don’t know what we don’t know,” Gersberg said. “If this becomes huge in California, and it will, I believe … we should at least spend a little money.”

Who will be first?

All this treatment and monitoring is likely to be pricey, which is why Polhemus expects to see it largely limited to large urban areas that produce a lot of wastewater, such as Los Angeles County. The Metropolitan Water District’s $3.4 billion estimate for building the project dates back to 2018, and has likely increased since then, according to spokesperson Rebecca Kimitch.

For small and medium communities, Polhemus said, “it doesn’t pencil out in a small scale type of arrangement.”

The Orange County Water District, which has long been a leader in purifying recycled water, has concluded that piping it directly to customers doesn’t pencil out for them, either, because they’ve already invested so heavily in refilling their carefully tended aquifer.

It would “require adding more treatment processes and increasing operating expenses,” board president Cathy Green said in a statement. “Local water agencies are currently well-equipped to continue to supply drinking water to customers in our service area at a low cost using the Orange County Groundwater Basin.”

For other regions like Silicon Valley, though, the costs may be worth it as climate change continues to shrink state supplies.

“At this point, it’s more expensive than water we might import during a drought. But who knows what will happen in the future,” said Kirsten Struve, assistant officer in the water supply division at the Santa Clara Valley Water District, which serves approximately 2 million people.

“That’s why we need to get prepared.”

The Pure Water Southern California Demonstration Plant showcases technology that may provide drinking water to Southern Californians by 2032. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters

The Santa Clara water agency, known as Valley Water, is planning a $1.2 billion project in Palo Alto to produce about 10 million gallons a day of water for groundwater recharge, but Struve said she hopes the plant also will be used for direct potable reuse in the future.

The timing of the regulations has butted up against the realities of planning for Monterey One Water on the Monterey Peninsula as well. The utility has been injecting purified wastewater into the seaside aquifer for three years, producing about a third of the local supply, said General Manager Paul Sciuto. It is working on expanding the project by 2025, Sciuto said.

“I get that question of, ‘This water is so pure, why do you put it in the ground? Why can’t you just serve it?’ ” he said. “And I always fall back on, well, there’s no regulations that allow us to do that at this point.”

Now that the state is closer to finalizing them, he said, “there’s a point on the horizon to shoot for.”

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Just add cash!

As RollOnFriday has learned, Withers has made a cash call to all of its junior partners.

The company confirmed that junior equity partners were asked to contribute between $25,000 and $52,500 (£19.9,000 to £41.7,000) depending on seniority.

Cash calls can help partnerships strengthen their balance sheets, which has become a more pressing matter for some companies as they grapple with market pressures exacerbated by the impact of the pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and – for UK-based companies – Brexit.

Withers expanded significantly in the US last year, taking a bullish stance on the future of office versus remote work with moves to much larger offices in LA, San Francisco and San Diego.

However, the company told RollOnFriday that its decision to apply for a capital contribution was made two years ago. Rather than an emergency funding measure, it appeared to be a desire to help junior partners leverage the financial bond between attorney and firm that motivated the call.

In a statement, it said, “For the first time, we have asked junior equity partners to make a capital contribution of between $25,000 and $52,500, based on seniority, to help them become more involved in ownership of the company.” The call is not directed to senior equity partners, whose capital needs remain unchanged, the company said.

One of the city’s oldest private client practices, Withers became Withersworldwide in the last decade, surprising everyone with a US merger and an international rollout in some pretty flashy locations (Milan, Tokyo, New York, right next to Domino’s in Cambridge).

It certainly didn’t give the impression that a company was struggling to make money. Withers reported global revenue of £267m in 2022, up from £243.7m a year earlier, while profit per equity partner held steady at £668k after a 32% increase in 2021.

Last summer the company was doing so well that it even gave all trainees, secretaries, paralegals in the EU and Asia and below-level corporate services staff a £1,000 extra living allowance.

Speaking of the rising sales of the US offices in 2022, Michael Brophy, managing director of Withers in Los Angeles, said: “Every year around the world we get the idea that the London market is the most important market for the company.” However, he will take their money.

Let top companies and companies ping your app when they interest you in a job. Whether you plan to actively relocate or not, keep an ear open by downloading LawyerUp on the App Store or Google Play.

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Darin Ruf was DFA’d and Cal Stevenson was optioned.

• From
  
  Brady Thumper
  

• on May 9, 2023 9:39 am

Well well well. The San Francisco Giants’ season just got a lot more interesting. On Tuesday morning, the team announced it was calling one of the most exciting prospects in the organization, infielder Casey Schmitt. Schmitt will be on the roster for tonight’s game against the Washington Nationals, and if he does play it will be his MLB debut.

After breaking out in 2022, Schmitt quickly became one of the top-rated prospects in the Giants organization. According to Baseball America and our community rankings, he was ranked #3 on the system while MLB Pipeline had him at #4.

Schmitt’s debut is easily the most aggressive the Giants’ current single-view braintrust has had. He started in High-A last year where he thoroughly dominated, hitting .273/.363/.474 with a 132 wRC+ and his usual defensive magic. That earned him promotion to AA mid-late season where the numbers got even better: .348/.378/.517 with 144 wRC+. After the AA season ended, he traded with AAA Sacramento for the final four games of the season and was later announced as the winner of the minor league baseball Gold Glove at third base.

He started this year in AAA where he has played 32 games. So in total he only played 36 AAA games and 29 AA games. That’s a fast-moving prospect!

His offense has not been spectacular this season. His .313/.352/.410 slash line looks good in vacuum, but in the Pacific Coast League offensive environment it’s only good for an 83 wRC+, meaning he hit about 83% as well as the average player in the league.

But he’s shown good shot-to-ball skills and really improved his strikeouts with a K-Rate of just 19.3%. He’s also demonstrated defensive versatility, which the Giants love. A year after winning the gold glove at Hot Corner, Schmitt has played – and played very well – many innings at shortstop and second base. The Giants are certainly comfortable playing him in all three positions, which is great considering A) JD Davis has become a Gold Glove candidate in third place and B) Brandon Crawford is still in the list of injuries.

To make room on the list for Schmitt, the Giants made two moves that confuse me a little. To make room for him on the active roster, they selected center fielder Cal Stevenson. With the option of an outfielder, the Giants now have five right-handed infielders on the roster as Schmitt joins Davis, Thairo Estrada, Wilmer Flores and David Villar. I assumed Villar, who is struggling, doesn’t play regularly and has options, would be the one to leave.

And to make room for him on the 40-man roster, the Giants designated Darin reputation for the assignment. Ruf hit the ball fairly well before suffering his injury, which he rehabilitated and was ready to return. I assumed Stevenson or Matt Beaty or maybe Isan Díaz would be the name to leave the 40 man but show you what I know!

Schmitt is only the second player (Cole Waites is the other) the current front office has drafted for his MLB debut. He was a second-round pick in a 2020 draft class that’s looking better by the day. This year’s first-round and third-round picks, Patrick Bailey and Kyle Harrison, respectively, are also expected to debut this season. And fourth-round pick RJ Dabovich could be, too.

The Giants have made it clear that they will not call on prospects like Schmitt out of necessity or fill a gap in the roster. If they call them, it’s because they believe the player is ready to become a major league regular. So don’t expect Schmitt to get an option when Crawford comes from the IL.

He’s here to stay and now let’s see what he can do with this opportunity.

Welcome to the big show, Casey.

Continue reading

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On Monday’s “First Call,” Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward spoke out against a possible NFL rule that could make life even harder for defensive players.

Brian Flores is now a finalist for the Arizona Cardinals coaching job. Myles Garrett was injured during Pro Bowl games.

And the NHL is back after the All-Star break.

More for Flo’

Brian Flores, assistant defensive back for the Steelers, gets a second interview for the vacant position as head coach with the Arizona Cardinals.

So says Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

#Steelers senior defensive assistant and LBs coach Brian Flores is expected to have a second interview with the #AZCardinals for their HC job on Wednesday, a source said. He’ll also be interviewing for the #Broncos DC job the day before – and is a top candidate for the #Vikings DC job.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 5, 2023

In addition to these possible openings, Flores was also a candidate for defensive coordinator positions with the Atlanta Falcons and the Cleveland Browns. Both of these positions are now filled.

SI.com’s Albert Breer reports that Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka are the other two remaining contenders in Arizona. He also says Arizona’s own defensive coordinator, Vance Joseph, and Bengal’s offensive coordinator, Brian Callahan, have been eliminated from consideration.

go too far

It seems that the NFL is thinking hard about getting rid of the “hip drop” tackle. This method of tackling resulted in a broken leg for the Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard during a playoff game in San Francisco.

After Mahomes yesterday, another textbook mechanism for high ankle sprains for Tony Pollard. This one seems worse, additional concern for fracture. Hip drop tackle again – not always a “dirty” game, but a technique with a high risk of injury for the ball carrier pic.twitter.com/1Tl78OFkPo

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) January 23, 2023

Last week said Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, said the technique could be eliminated. A hip drop is when the defender grabs the ball carrier from behind and then slides down the offensive player, dropping his body weight onto the ball carrier’s legs. This move has been banned by the National Rugby League in Australia.

Through ProFootballTalk.com, the NFL’s Competitions Committee is expected to consider new rules that would prevent this type of play, and Sills and the league’s medical staff would also be involved in those discussions.

Steelers defense attorney Cam Heyward waved the idea on Friday.

That’s so stupid. How the hell are we ever supposed to get boys on the floor. You think too much

— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) February 4, 2023

Not only that, but when hip drop tackles become penalties, the weekly controversy over how many are being called and how inconsistent the calls are will lead to chaos.

More sport

• Tim Benz: We keep hearing about “volatility” in the Penguins’ performance – now it’s time to fix it
• Miles Boykin made a fit for the Steelers during Season 1, but will he be back for 2nd?
• Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Hockey just doesn’t know how to be cool

Garret is gone

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett suffered a dislocated toe while attending Sunday’s Pro Bowl games, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. X-rays came back negative. But Garrett hobbled off the field in Las Vegas.

Probably not what Cleveland wants to see. Myles Garrett hobbles away. pic.twitter.com/3lprj1kOpw

— Darren Carr (@DCarr75) February 5, 2023

Meanwhile, Jalen Ramsey landed on Tyreek Hill during the flag football game while trying to pull a flag on Davante Adams.

Jalen Ramsey decided to beat Stick @cheetah at the Flag Pro-Bowl pic.twitter.com/naC15a3G9m

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 5, 2023

Ramsey ended up getting a personal foul penalty.

Back in progress

When the NHL resumes play after the All-Star break, the Penguins won’t be part of the action. They won’t play again until Tuesday. Then the Colorado Avalanche visits the PPG Paints Arena.

However, some teams within the Metropolitan Division will start again on Monday. Third-placed New York Rangers (62 points) host Calgary at Madison Square Garden. The New Jersey Devils, currently second in the table with 68 points, welcome the Vancouver Canucks. And the New York Islanders (55 points) have to take on the Flyers (51 points) in Philadelphia.

The Penguins have 57 points, good for fifth place in the division and last place in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Carolina Hurricanes lead the league with 76 points. They reached the All-Star break on a seven-game winning streak.

Tim Benz is a contributor to the Tribune Review. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via Twitter. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless otherwise noted.

The post First Name: Cam Heyward rips concept of latest NFL defensive penalty; Brian Flores is a finalist for Arizona teaching job appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

In Monday’s “First Call,” an ex-Steeler starts some Twitter beef with Ben Roethlisberger. We get some financial details on Lamar Jackson’s contract situation. Steelers assistant Brian Flores has an interview today.

And the Ravens may be trying to poach an assistant from the Cleveland Browns staff.

Mad Mendenhall

Here’s a stirred up football controversy you probably didn’t expect this morning.

Former Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall calls out his former quarterback Ben Roethlisbeger.

If @_BigBen7 is the “leader” you think he is, why didn’t HE acknowledge the fall? ???? Which manager of a company hides in the shadows when the results are in? We win, it’s him, lose, it’s me… or Tomlin, huh…

Any given Sunday: Steamin Willie Beamin https://t.co/QZthSkexRF

— Rashard Mendenhall (@R_Mendenhall) January 23, 2023

Mendenhall appeared to face some headwind on Twitter over the weekend after posting some pictures from his playing days.

Deserves my stripes. @steelers #SB43 pic.twitter.com/za21etdmk8

— Rashard Mendenhall (@R_Mendenhall) January 21, 2023

This ring. #RB34 https://t.co/ccrxPsHyTP pic.twitter.com/NOFSUp849k

— Rashard Mendenhall (@R_Mendenhall) January 23, 2023

It’s not clear if Mendenhall’s “until the fall” is referring to the Super Bowl XLV loss to the Green Bay Packers after his fumble. Or when he talks about the Steelers’ recent playoff win drought, which has now lasted six seasons — including the last five of Roethlisberger’s career.

Discussing the game, this isn’t the first time Mendenhall has tried to massage history when it comes to that fumbling. And if he’s been chasing Roethlisberger for the downfall of the Steelers in recent years, it’s not the first time he’s taken that path either. Mendenhall labeled Roethlisberger a racist after Antonio Brown’s fallout.

Best foot forward

Brian Flores gets his interview with the Arizona Cardinals on Monday. That’s according to Albert Breer of the Monday Morning Quarterback.

Sources: The Cardinals will interview Steelers senior defensive ace Brian Flores tomorrow for her job as head coach. Flores and new Arizona GM Monti Ossenfort joined the New England scouting department.

Flores also did very good interviews for the AZ job in ’18.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 23, 2023

It’s unclear if the Steelers will fill that position if Flores leaves. It was created especially for him after he was fired as head coach of the Miami Dolphins a season ago.

The Cardinals had a head coaching interview with DeMeco Ryans. In fact, Ryans scheduled four interviews on Saturday. But according to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator “stayed through his interviews with the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans, but then canceled the remaining two with the Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts so he could spend time with his team, himself.” prepare for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.”

Cowboys defense coordinator Dan Quinn had an interview with Arizona. He, Flores and Ryans are believed to have joined at least five other candidates on the list for the job.

More sport

• Tim Benz: Where Andrew McCutchen’s presence will best serve the pirates – if he’s willing to go there
• Madden Monday on long-term NHL playoff prospects: “I don’t think the Penguins will make it”
• From top to bottom, the rookie class showed signs that it could be the cornerstone of a bright future for the Steelers

Keep it close

Speaking of job interviews, the Baltimore Ravens may be looking to bring in an assistant coach from the division to fill their offensive coordinator spot.

According to Cleveland.com, Chad O’Shea, coach of Cleveland Browns wide receiver, is in contention for the appearance.

The #Ravens have requested permission to interview #Browns WR coach Chad O’Shea for her position as offensive coordinator, league source clevelanddotcom said https://t.co/T75NvA2ND9

— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) January 21, 2023

An eye for capturing talent sure would be nice for Baltimore. The Ravens have sorely lacked that in recent years.

O’Shea has worked in the NFL since 2003. He started with the Kansas City Chiefs before working with the New England Patriots from 2009 to 2018, where he was part of the team’s Super Bowl LI win over the Atlanta Falcons.

On Friday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Baltimore made a request to interview Los Angeles Rams passing game coordinator and quarterback coach Zac Robinson.

How much?

Over the weekend, ESPN’s Ryan Clark said Lamar Jackson turned down $133 million in guarantees from the Baltimore Ravens. Jackson is close to becoming a free agent or maybe getting a franchise tag from the Ravens.

We were chatting back and forth at @FirstTake yesterday about @Lj_era8’s guaranteed money.

Based on a source with knowledge of the negotiations, Lamar was initially offered $113 million in guarantees and eventually increased to $133 million.

That was the most Lamar was offered.

— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) January 21, 2023

This agrees with a report published by Chris Mortensen in September.

That story states, “The extension years in the Ravens’ proposal would have paid Jackson a higher average salary than the contracts signed by Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson and Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray this summer, and also more money at the, according to sources Signature Guaranteed . But sources told ESPN that the Ravens also resisted Jackson’s desire for a deal that was fully guaranteed at signing, similar to Deshaun Watson’s $230 million contract that was fully guaranteed at signing.”

Tim Benz is a contributor to the Tribune Review. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via Twitter. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless otherwise noted.

The post First Name: Ex-Steeler calls out Ben Roethlisberger; Brian Flores’ Arizona interview; the money Lamar Jackson rejected appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Wednesday’s “First Call” has some fascinating news about a potential free-agent target for the Pittsburgh Steelers. An ex-Steelers linebacker returns to Pittsburgh. The Pitt basketball team is set for an even ACC duel.

And a former Robert Morris hockey player gets quite the conference honor.

open eyes

After the Steelers season ended, safety Terrell Edmunds raised eyebrows when he considered the notion of a possible “package deal” somewhere in free agency with his brother, Buffalo Bills linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. Both players are poised to hit the open market this off-season. They are free to look for the best contract available. Steelers fans would not only like to keep Terrell Edmunds in Pittsburgh, they would also like to land his brother as a potential solution to their perpetually troubled inside linebacker situation.

At a season-ending press conference, Bill’s general manager Brandon Beane gushed about Tremaine Edmunds as a player and said he’d like to keep the two-time Pro Bowler in Buffalo.

“He was just amazing watching his growth from a 19-year-old,” Beane said on WIVB-TV. “I mean, it’s not like he’s 29, he’s still a kid. He’s a young man. But very proud of who he is. And you can just see his maturation. … Like (Pro Bowl safety Jordan) Poyer and a lot of those other guys, I’d love to keep them all, and we’re going to do our best.

Beane pointed out that the franchise tag may not be a viable option to keep Edmunds because off-ball linebackers like him are placed in the outside linebacker category when it comes to setting the price. OverTheCap.com estimates the figure will be $20.95 million for a year.

Brandon Beane doesn’t rule out using the franchise tag on LB Tremaine Edmunds, but says the cost of doing so is high because it involves edge rushers. … Beane also addressed Jordan Poyer’s contract status, saying the team would like to have him back but need clarity on the cap.

— Jay Skurski (@JaySkurski) January 24, 2023

NFL Free Agency begins March 15.

sending a message

Steelers linebacker Quincy Roche celebrates his return to Pittsburgh. The former Steelers draft pick sent a tweet announcing his excitement at returning to the team that picked him in the sixth round of the 2021 draft.

Let’s get it Pittsburgh… let’s finish what we’ve been staring at #UnfinishedBusiness

— Q (@_Underated2) January 24, 2023

The Steelers signed a reserve/futures contract with Roche on Tuesday. He has been with the New York Giants since he was cut at the end of Steelers training camp in 2021.

Roche spent most of last season on the Giants practice team. Over two seasons, he appeared in 17 games (three starts) for a total of 36 tackles, 2½ sacks and one forced fumble.

The Steelers need outside linebacker depth. Malik Reed, who was acquired by the Denver Broncos in August, saw 281 snaps while TJ Watt was on injured reserve. He amassed just one sack and 17 tackles during that period and saw limited action after Watt’s return. He is an unrestricted free agent this spring. Reserve linebacker Jamir Jones is an exclusive free agent.

More sport

• Kris Letang’s return propels the Penguins to victory despite Tristan Jarry’s sudden absence
• Brother of ex-Steeler WR Antwaan Randle El convicted of murder
• Tim Benz: Steelers fans can hope for Cincinnati’s offense, but San Francisco is the more logical model

So much for that

For those hoping the Steelers get a compensatory pick in the 2023 NFL draft, don’t hold your breath.

Nick Korte, who contributes to OverTheCap.com when it comes to figuring out the NFL’s nebulous pay formula, doesn’t expect the Steelers to be among the teams to get such a pick.

In fact, none of the AFC North teams are on the list.

Here’s my final prediction for the equalizer pick for 2023. https://t.co/3o6FgV7Qhv pic.twitter.com/OPkEkxKPYI

— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) January 24, 2023

The compensation formula is designed to benefit teams that lose more value in the open hand than they gained in the previous offseason. Despite losing the likes of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Ray-Ray McCloud and James Washington, the Steelers have signed James Daniels, Mitch Trubisky, Myles Jack, Mason Cole and Levi Wallace.

Eyeing a bounceback

After a disappointing home loss to Florida State (7-13, 5-4 ACC) in their last game, the Pitt Panthers (13-7, 6-3) are looking to bounce back at home to Wake Forest on Wednesday (7 p.m.).

Like the Panthers, the Demon Deacons are 6-3 in ACC play, 14-6 overall. But they’re only going 3-3 this season. Wake Forest entered the league Tuesday night, scoring fourth in the ACC with 77.4 points per game. They shoot 46.7% from the floor, third best in the conference.

Conversely, the Panthers have the fifth best defense in the ACC with 67.7 points allowed per game. And they rank fourth when it comes to opposing field goal percentage at 40.9% and three-point percentage at 31.4%.

That’s what made the Florida State game feel like such an anomaly. The Seminoles shot 51% from the floor (25 to 49) and 50% (10 to 20) from behind the arc.

In conjunction with Wednesday’s game, Pitt will honor former All-American forward Jerome Lane on the 35th anniversary of his famous backboard-smashing dunk against Providence.

35 years ago today – Jerome sent it in. #H2P pic.twitter.com/Bm3zfQKmWT

— Oakland Zoo (@OaklandZoo) January 25, 2023

It is the second of three consecutive games at the Petersen Events Center for Jeff Capel’s crew. They also get 20th place in Miami on Saturday afternoon (4pm).

Colonial ‘Hall Call’

A third alum from the Robert Morris men’s ice hockey team is inducted into the Atlantic Hockey Hall of Honor. Forward Brady Ferguson (2014-18) will join former teammates Zac Lynch and Cody Wydo as members of the conference’s opening class. Wydo and Lynch (Shaler, Pennsylvania) have already been announced.

In honor of their 20th season, the Atlantic Hockey Association (AHA) recognizes the top 20 players from the first 20 seasons of the conference. The AHA announces one candidate weekly during the 2022-23 season.

Ferguson, who was a Hobey Baker Award nominee as a senior in 2017-18, finished his career as the program’s top scorer with 167 points. He scored 66 goals and 101 assists. That total equaled the Atlantic Hockey record originally set by Brett Gensler (Bentley ’14). Ferguson’s 101 assists ranks third in Atlantic Hockey’s record book.

Ferguson appeared in 152 games during his four years with the Colonials, ranking second all-time in school history. RMU compiled a record of 88-51-16 (.619) during Ferguson’s career, including a mark of 64-34-14 (.633) in Atlantic Hockey. Ferguson helped lead the Colonials to Atlantic Hockey’s 2015 regular season championship, the first in the program’s history.

Robert Morris University suspended the men’s and women’s Division I ice hockey programs after the 2021 season due to budget constraints. After a series of fundraising efforts and legal investigations, the teams resumed in December 2021. They will resume play at the start of the 2023-24 NCAA hockey season.

Tim Benz is a contributor to the Tribune Review. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via Twitter. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless otherwise noted.

Categories:
Robert Morris | Sports | Steelers/NFL | Breakfast with Benz | Tim Benz Pillars

The post First Name: Feedback from Payments GM as Steelers followers monitor Tremaine Edmunds information; Quincy Roche celebrates return appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

5 Common Reasons New Homeowners Call a Handyman

Moving into a new home should be a joy. Before moving day, you may have imagined spending the next few weeks painting walls, decorating, and breathing a sigh of relief after an exhausting buying process. The t’s are crossed, the i’s are dotted and you can finally chill. Congratulations – you are a homeowner!

But amidst all this excitement, many new homeowners face unexpected expenses due to a laundry list of items that need fixing. This is often the case with homes bought as is. But even homes that have had a thorough inspection can be ticking time bombs for unexpected repairs.

We reached out to real estate professionals and recent homebuyers to uncover the most common reasons new owners call in a handyman. Read on for what home inspectors might be missing, what kind of fixes they come with, and what to look out for the next time you’re looking for a new home.

1. Dryer openings

When a washer and dryer block the vents, home inspectors often skip the inspection.

“When home inspectors can’t check dryer vents, it can be a big problem,” he says Patty Sakunkooa homeowner and real estate investor who has purchased seven homes in California, Nevada and Texas over the past 11 years.

“After the closure, we found that the vents were sometimes so clogged that the dryers couldn’t even dry the laundry,” she adds. “In addition, these blockages create fire hazards. If the vents are relatively easy to access and straight enough, you can clean them yourself. But you may need to hire a technician.”

Hiring a specialist costs between $50 and $150 an hour, depending on your location.

___

Watch: Cleaning Dryer Air Vents: It Must Be Done, and Here’s How

2. Defective major equipment

In general, large equipment has a fairly standard durability. But even if the home inspectors give your home the green light — and you think it has a few years to live — proceed with caution.

“Many appliances — especially things like water heaters and gas ranges — can fail with little or no warning, even after they’ve passed a home inspection,” she says Troy Portillo, Operations Manager of Studypool. “This is one area where I’ve found that buying a home warranty or an extended warranty on essential equipment can be a worthwhile investment. If you’re short on cash after buying a new home, a warranty can be a good short-term hedge against the risk of catastrophic equipment failure.”

Depending on the location and size of your home, as well as the cost and age of the appliance, a household warranty or extended appliance warranty will cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. But both options are much cheaper than buying a new gas stove or water heater.

3. HVAC failure

Maintaining the temperature of your home is vital to comfort. But often home inspectors just don’t have the time to assess real problems with your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system in a quick visit. Therefore, you may see problems after move-in day.

“The HVAC system, especially the air conditioning, has been a big problem in almost half of the homes we’ve bought,” says Sakunkoo. “Sometimes the inspector will say that the temperature delta is not optimal, but they didn’t want to elaborate on that. Then the vendors argue that the weather was unusually hot so the air conditioning couldn’t keep up when the inspector happened to be there.”

Sakunkoo says she discovered leaks in the system or that the coil or atomizer needed to be replaced after a few months of home ownership.

“Vendors often try to hide AC problems because they’re expensive to fix but hard to prove unless you actually live there,” says Sakunkoo. “And heating problems are often hard to spot in the summer when the heaters aren’t on.”

Even a small problem in the HVAC system will end up costing at least several hundred dollars, with the potential to cost thousands.

4. Roof damage

Generally, home inspectors look for cosmetic damage to a roof or obvious structural problems. But that means many issues that inspectors aren’t trained to spot fall through the cracks.

“While inspectors rarely overlook major roof damage, they often point out problems in the inspection report by recommending that a professional roofer take a second look,” he says Eric WallerOwner of Total Roofing Systems, with offices in Dallas and Grand Junction, CO. But because hiring a separate roof inspector will cost several hundred dollars, many cash-strapped homebuyers ignore the advice.

“Please don’t ignore the warning,” says Waller. “Home inspectors are not qualified to assess the true functionality of roofing systems and they look for cosmetic defects such as missing shingles and scuffs.”

Waller learned his own lesson the hard way in 2018 when he bought a large home with a damaged ridge section. He ignored the inspector’s red flag and shortly thereafter spent $35,000 to replace the roof. The bug inspired him to launch Total Roofing Systems and now he offers real estate agents proactive roofing reviews.

5. Poor insulation

Insulation is – or should – be everywhere in a home, but because it’s not immediately visible, it’s difficult to assess its condition. Inspectors often don’t have the tools to really analyze the soundness of the home’s insulation on a short visit.

“There are many types of insulation hidden behind walls, in attics and under floors, so it’s difficult to assess them all,” he says Cynthia Cummins, a real estate agent in San Francisco and owner of Kindred SF Homes. “Poor insulation, e.g. B. Air gaps between window frames, may only be noticed after the house has been occupied for some time.”

Gaps in insulation can lead to higher utility bills and excessive energy use. If certain areas of your home are consistently too hot or too cold, you need to call a handyman, Cummins says.

“Often using infrared cameras, they can detect temperature changes caused by inadequate insulation and repair damaged materials safely and reliably,” she adds.

Depending on the extent of the damage and the location of your home, repairs can cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

How to protect yourself

All of these issues can leave you feeling confused and anxious. But you can protect yourself.

“There’s a common misconception about how much a home inspector really knows,” he says Denise Smooth, a real estate agent and the founder of SparkRental.com. “A good house inspector knows a little about many things.”

So what can homebuyers do to ensure they aren’t buying a money pit?

“Read all contracts thoroughly,” advises Supplemente. “Also, pay attention to the seller’s disclosure. Some states, like Pennsylvania, require them.

“I’ve had a situation myself where a homeowner didn’t disclose a mold problem,” she adds. “The home inspector missed it. After living in the house for less than a few weeks, the mold started coming through. I contacted a mold inspector. He found that the mold had been there and had been painted over. Because they knowingly omitted the mold issue from the seller’s disclosure, the sellers had to pay for the remediation.”

Read your contracts, do your homework, and when in doubt, protect yourself and spend a few hundred dollars more on additional specialist inspections or invest in extended warranties.

The post 5 Frequent Causes Why New Owners Name a Handyman appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Moving into a new home is supposed to be joyful. Before moving day, you may have pictured yourself spending the next several weeks painting walls, decorating, and breathing a sigh of relief after a grueling buying process. The t’s are crossed, the i’s are dotted, and you can finally chill. Congrats—you’re a homeowner!

But amid all of that excitement, many new homeowners have found unanticipated expenses due to a laundry list of items that need fixing. This is often the case with homes that were purchased as is. But even homes that went through a thorough inspection can be ticking time bombs for unexpected repairs.

We reached out to real estate pros and recent homebuyers to uncover the most common reasons why new owners call a handyman. Read on for what home inspectors might overlook, what kind of fixes they entail, and what to watch out for the next time you’re in the market for a new home.

1. Dryer vents

If a washer and dryer are blocking the vents, home inspectors often skip inspecting them.

“When home inspectors are unable to check dryer vents, it can be a big issue,” says Patty Sakunkooa homeowner and real estate investor who has purchased seven homes in California, Nevada, and Texas in the past 11 years.

“After closing, we’ve found that sometimes vents are so clogged, the dryers couldn’t even dry clothes,” she adds. “Plus, those clogs create fire hazards. If the vents are relatively easy to access and straight enough, you can clean them yourself. But you may need to hire a technician.”

Hiring a specialist will run you $50 to $150 per hour, depending on your location.

2. Faulty major appliances

In general, major appliances have a fairly standard shelf life. But even if home inspectors give yours the green light—and you believe they have a few years of life left—proceed with caution.

“Many appliances—especially things like water heaters and gas stoves—can fail with little or no warning, even after passing a home inspection,” says Troy Portillo, director of operations of Studypool. “This is one area where I’ve found that buying a home warranty or extended warranty on key appliances can be a worthwhile investment. If you’re cash-poor after buying a new home, a warranty can be a good hedge against the risks of a catastrophic appliance failure in the short term.”

Depending on the location and size of your home and the cost and age of the appliance, a home warranty or extended appliance warranty will run you anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand. But both options are much cheaper than buying a new gas stove or water heater.

3. HVAC breakdown

Maintaining your home’s temperature is essential to comfort. But often, home inspectors simply don’t have the time to assess real issues with your heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system in one short visit. Therefore, you can start to see problems after move-in day.

“The HVAC system, specifically the AC, has been a big issue in almost half of the homes we’ve bought,” says Sakunkoo. “Sometimes, the inspector says the delta of the temperature is not optimal, but they wouldn’t elaborate. Then, sellers argue that it’s because the weather was unusually hot so the AC couldn’t keep up when the inspector happened to be there.”

Sakunkoo says she’s discovered leaks in the system or that the coil or evaporator needed to be replaced after a few months of homeownership.

“Sellers often try to hide AC problems because they’re costly to fix, but hard to prove unless you actually live there,” Sakunkoo says. “And problems with heating system are often difficult to identify in the summer when heaters aren’t operational.”

Even a minor problem in the HVAC system will end up costing several hundred dollars, at a minimum, with the potential to cost thousands.

4. Roof damage

In general, home inspectors are looking for cosmetic damage to a roof, or obvious structural concerns. But that means many issues fall through the cracks that inspectors aren’t trained to detect.

“While inspectors rarely miss major roof damage, they often flag issues in the inspection report by recommending a professional roofer takes a second look at it,” says Eric Waller, owner of Total Roofing Systems, with branches in Dallas and Grand Junction, CO. But because hiring a separate roof inspector will cost a few hundred dollars, many cash-strapped homebuyers ignore the advice.

“Please don’t ignore the warning,” says Waller. “Home inspectors aren’t qualified to assess the true functionality of roof systems, and they look for cosmetic damage like missing shingles and scuffs.”

Waller learned his own lesson the hard way in 2018, when he bought a large home with a damaged ridge section. He ignored the inspector’s red flag and ended up spending $35,000 soon after to replace the roof. The mistake did inspire him to launch Total Roofing Systems, and now he offers proactive roofing assessments to real estate agents.

5. Poor insulation

Insulation is—or should be—everywhere in a home, but because it’s hidden from immediate view, it’s hard to assess its condition. Inspectors often don’t have the tools to truly analyze the soundness of the home’s insulation in one short visit.

“There are many types of insulation hidden behind walls, in attics, and under floors, so it’s difficult to assess all of it,” says Cynthia Cummins, a real estate agent in San Francisco and the owner of Kindred SF Homes. “Poor insulation, such as air gaps between window frames, may not be noticed until the house has been occupied for some time.”

Gaps in insulation can result in higher utility bills and excess energy use. If certain areas of your home are consistently too hot or too cold, you’re going to need to call a handyman, Cummins says.

“Often, they can use infrared cameras to detect temperature fluctuations caused by inadequate insulation, and make repairs to damaged materials safely and securely,” she adds.

Depending on the extent of the damage and your home’s location, the fix will run from several hundred dollars to several thousand.

How to protect yourself

All of these issues may leave you feeling flummoxed and fearful. But you can protect yourself.

“There is a general misunderstanding about how much a home inspector truly knows,” says Denise Supplee, a real estate agent and the founder of SparkRental.com. “A good home inspector knows a little about a lot.”

So what can homebuyers do to make sure they’re not buying a money pit?

“Read all of the contracts thoroughly,” Supplee advises. “Make sure to also pay close attention to any seller’s disclosure. Some states, like Pennsylvania, require them.

“I had a situation myself where a homeowner did not disclose a mold issue,” she adds. “The home inspector missed it. Less than a few weeks of living in the home, the mold started coming through. I contacted a mold inspector. He found that the mold had been there and was painted over. Because they knowingly left out the mold issue in the seller’s disclosure, the sellers had to pay for the remediation.”

Read your contracts, do your homework, and, when in doubt, hedge your bets and spend an extra few hundred dollars on additional inspections from specialists, or invest in extended warranties.

The post 5 Widespread Causes Why New Householders Name a Handyman appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.