Foodbank hungry for donations

Gareth Jones on a dispute set to hit the construction industry in Stirling, Down Under, and the aftermath of the hurricane in Houston’s Denny Street.

Denny Street, Houston, USA

A Denny Street foodbank is appealing for donations.

Feed My Sheet in flood-struck Houston is one of several facilities in the Texan city operated by MasterKey Ministries of Sherman.

The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey is likely to create a large increase in demand for support.

“Between all three of our food pantries we service around 560 families a week,”said MasterKey’s Crystal Brooks.

“With the Houston families taking shelter in Grayson County, we expect to see an increase in the families we serve, but it is hard to predict how many more will need our services.

“In disasters in the past, we have seen 20 or more families added to our roles, but Hurricane Harvey was an unprecedented storm event, so we have no way of predicting how many will be coming to our area.”

You can donate online at http:// www.masterkeyministries.org

Stirling, Perth, Australia

Street verges have resulted in a construction stand-off in Stirling.

Builders and developers are gearing up to boycott construction work in Perth’s biggest council, as a dispute over access to street verges threatens to boil over.

Under a proposed City of Stirling policy, permits would be required specifically to use a cement mixer or cut materials on the side of the street.

Housing Industry Association WA executive director John Gelavis said members had“lost confidence”in the council after it had failed to consult on the changes.

“Some builders and developers are seriously considering bypassing the City of Stirling and working with other progressive local government authorities who are supportive of housing development, housing afford-ability and employment in their city,”he said.

“A lot of the policies they are adopting are anti-development and the engagement we get at an organisational level from the city contradicts what they’re trying to achieve, particularly around the infill and development targets.”

Sterling, Connecticut, USA

Master gardeners have been sharing their experience in Sterling.

Interns from the University of Connecticut’s Master Gardener program set up shop at the Sterling Community Centre.

They carried with them information on the programme and gardening in general, tips for re-growing certain foods, material for planting pea seeds, and a willingness to answer any and all questions brought to them.

Intern Jessica Huey is in the middle of the 16-week course. Jessica works at Blueberry Hill Organic Farm, in Killingly. She was looking for an agriculture-related class or programme to expand her knowledge, and the MG programme seemed a perfect fit. Now she’s intent on learning as much as she can so she can do more at the farm.

“You have to start with your soil,” she told the Hartford Courant. “That’s the one thing most gardeners should check before planting their gardens.”

Alva, Florida, USA

A three-vehicle crash left one person in hospital in Alva last week.

The crash happened in the Alva community near Charleston Park.

According to Florida Highway Patrol, a tanker truck, a bucket truck and a passenger truck were involved in the collision.

The bucket truck’s driver was the one injured in the crash, and the main road through the area was closed for much of the day.