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Ward 34 winner must hit ground running, fix street lights — voters
Ward 34 winner must hit ground running, fix street lights — voters

The Herald

time16-07-2025

  • Politics
  • The Herald

Ward 34 winner must hit ground running, fix street lights — voters

Residents of Nelson Mandela Bay's Ward 34 want the new councillor elected after a crucial by-election on Wednesday to ensure broken street lights are repaired to stop rampant criminality. They were voicing their concerns at two of the four voting stations in the battleground northern areas ward as they waited to cast their ballots during special voting. The PA and the DA are seen as the front-runners in what is expected to be a hotly contested by-election described as a litmus test in the metro ahead of the 2026 local government polls. On Tuesday, Bethelsdorp, where the DA and PA established their operational centres, was abuzz with activity. Vehicles were covered in party stickers. Others blared loud music from speakers, creating a lively atmosphere. Outside the voting stations, parties such as the National Alliance, ANC and EFF set up gazebos, adding to the vibrant scene. Despite fielding a candidate to contest the ward, the PAC was absent. The ward became vacant after the death of DA councillor Johnny Arends in a car accident on the R75 in April. Arcadia resident Eric Gallant said he wanted the elected candidate to tackle some of the urgent service delivery issues in the area. 'The street lights that are not working deem our community unsafe. 'Now that it's winter, it gets dark earlier than usual, and it becomes unsafe to walk the streets,' Gallant said. 'Our other major issue is the overflowing sewerage drains, leading to our pothole-ridden streets being flooded by smelly water. 'All these issues were long reported, but nothing was done. 'I would send a message to the councillor, and he would read messages and not respond, so I hope the new person will be more in touch with the residents.' West End resident Jennifer Jacobs said street lights and poor road infrastructure were a big problem. 'The roads in Arcadia are in a bad state. 'Our other issue is darkness. There are street lights that have not been working for years. 'This makes our community a dangerous place. Previously, I could walk from my house to the nearby service station to buy electricity in the late afternoon, but I cannot now because it's unsafe. 'You can't see who's coming in front of you unless there's a car approaching.' DA provincial leader Andrew Whitfield said the party had run the best campaign to ensure it retained the ward. 'We've learnt a lot over a series of by-elections around the country, and we've put all that knowledge into practice. 'We're hoping for a win, and we're confident that we've done everything possible to achieve that result. 'We will do everything we can to defend Johnny Arends' legacy, and that starts with winning this ward.' Whitfield dismissed claims by political commentators predicting a PA victory in the ward, saying such analyses were often inaccurate. In the 2021 local government elections, the DA won the ward with 63.14% of the votes, followed by the National Alliance (17.12%) and PA (2.78%). The Herald

Why America's Street Lights Are Turning Purple
Why America's Street Lights Are Turning Purple

The Drive

time14-07-2025

  • Automotive
  • The Drive

Why America's Street Lights Are Turning Purple

The latest car news, reviews, and features. If you're over the age of 25, you probably remember when streetlights had a warm, yellow-orange glow. That was emitted by sodium vapor lamps—the streetlight standard for many years. Recently, as lighting technology has changed, the old has been replaced with newer and more efficient LEDs. But it turns out that there were some unforeseen consequences of using the LEDs that were chosen for street-lighting duty. In this video, our Editor-In-Chief, Kyle Cheromcha, digs into why so many street lights around America have turned purple and what could be done to rectify it. I kind of like the color—it gives everything kind of a moody synthwave vibe. But that's not what any municipality intended when the old lamps were swapped for LEDs. As Mr. Cheromcha put it: 'The 2010s saw the first big push by local, state, and federal governments to switch out the old lamps for LED streetlights, which are a lot more efficient. They also produce a much harsher, colder, blueish white light that a lot of people can't stand. So why are they turning purple now? The thing is, white LEDs don't exist. To make one, manufacturers use a blue LED that shines through a special filter that turns it into white(ish) light.' 'And it turns out that in the mad rush to convert everything to LEDs, no one realized that the filter layer would break down a lot quicker than anyone expected, which causes the lights to turn purple. Or blue, depending on how complete the failure is.' So it comes down to quality control … or lack thereof. Give the video a watch and get the whole picture. Then make sure you're subscribed to The Drive 's YouTube channel to see these explainers every time they come out! Got another automotive or infrastructure-related mystery you'd like to have solved? Drop us a line at tips@

Copper theft leaving Perth roads in darkness, streetlights without electricity
Copper theft leaving Perth roads in darkness, streetlights without electricity

ABC News

time02-07-2025

  • ABC News

Copper theft leaving Perth roads in darkness, streetlights without electricity

Stretches of highways in Perth remain in darkness every night as authorities struggle to tackle a huge amount of copper theft leaving thousands of streetlights without electricity. About 65 kilometres of street lights and 14 km of pathway lights in the metro area are not turning on at night because the cables that power them have been stolen. Copper theft has a lucrative resell value on the black market. Some of the worst spots include Tonkin Highway around Ellenbrook, and major roads in Mandurah. Transport Rita Saffioti said theft of the copper cables that power the lights has increased significantly since 2018. "This is across the network, to be honest ... there has been increased theft," she told parliament. Main Roads WA estimated it spends $2 to $3 million a year replacing stolen cabling, yet the problem persists. The agency's James Pinnington said more sparse sections of Perth's highways were vulnerable. "Thieves are accessing the pit and conduit system with a variety of different tools, and they're becoming more creative in how they're doing it," he told ABC Radio Perth. Mr Pinnington said the agency was investigating new measures to secure its access pits, including trialling different lockable lids and cable management systems. "We're pretty confident that it's going to slow people down and reduce the amount of theft across the network," he said. But with more than 10,000 cable access pits across the state, he conceded the cost of implementing the measures would be significant. "It is [a lot]. Unfortunately if we don't make these changes we're going to experience more and more theft," he said. "It's important we do this work otherwise we're just going to be replacing cable after cable without keeping the lights running." Ausgrid — the biggest power provider on Australia's east coast — said thieves are going as far as cutting down power poles with chainsaws to access the internal wires. "These criminals are not just putting their own lives at risk but are also endangering [others] by leaving powerlines exposed, often cut and lying on the ground," the agency's Sam Sofi said. The increase in copper cabling theft comes despite laws introduced several years ago requiring scrap metal traders or anyone wanting to sell copper to have a licence. Mr Pinnington said those laws have merely created a wider underground market for thieves to pursue. "Not all of the scrap metal is being scrapped locally. With some of it going into ship containers, offshore or maybe over east, to mask the behaviour of what's happening," he said. Ms Saffioti yesterday told parliament the government was looking at installing alarms and CCTV in some heavily targeted areas to deter would be thieves. Mr Pinnington said while those measure would be useful, the public remained the best weapon against cable theft. "I think the most effective measure really is people reporting suspicious behaviour to police," he said.

Who's responsible for cracked streetlights leaning over a Boston road?
Who's responsible for cracked streetlights leaning over a Boston road?

CBS News

time27-06-2025

  • General
  • CBS News

Who's responsible for cracked streetlights leaning over a Boston road?

The I-Team is getting the bottom of a potentially dangerous problem in a Boston neighborhood. Ann Marie Ford lives in Dorchester and says she's concerned about the streetlights along Gallivan Boulevard. Many look to be in in disrepair, and she says they could pose a danger. Ann Marie pointed out the cracks, rust and crumbling concrete telling the I-Team, "I was kind of shocked, because we just saw the one and then when we looked up, we saw them all down the median and it's dangerous." "Someone could get killed" Potentially dangerous because the light poles are leaning into the street. We brought in Wentworth Institute of Technology Engineering Professor James Lambrechts who explained the danger. "Someone could get killed," Lambrechts said. Streetlight leaning on Gallivan Blvd. in Boston. CBS Boston Lambrechts says it's clear the poles are leaning towards the highway. "As it leans more, it bends more," Lambrechts said. "Its foundation is going to be overloaded. That's not good." Lambrechts found the poles are not just leaning, but cracking. "These are not good things for the pole to have this problem and it shouldn't be like this," Lambrechts said. Who owns the streetlights? Gallivan Boulevard is a state DOT road. The I-Team asked for the inspection reports for the streetlights. DOT told us DCR owns the road. It does not. State records show Gallivan Boulevard was transferred to DOT in 2009. DOT then said Eversource owns the poles and told us it has notified the utility company about possible safety or maintenance issues. But they could not tell us when the poles were last inspected or whether the repairs or maintenance had been done. "You got to come out and maintain these things every once in a while," Lambrechts said. "They all need to be inspected, evaluated and replaced as necessary." Eversource has received calls about streetlights As for Eversource, it refused to provide the I-Team with any records, but released a statement: "Delivering safe, reliable energy service to our customers is always our top priority, and we are constantly working to maintain and upgrade our local electric distribution system across Massachusetts. With respect to the streetlights on Gallivan Boulevard, our maintenance responsibilities currently include maintenance of the pole, cable and luminaire. We also inspect these streetlights annually for stray voltage, and if we record an elevated voltage reading or other issue on a Gallivan Boulevard streetlight structure, we provide those findings and locations to the commonwealth. Our troubleshooters - who are out in our communities 24/7 - are also constantly evaluating the condition of infrastructure, including streetlights, as part of their daily work. If our crews observe that a pole's condition poses a safety risk to the public, we work as quickly as possible to address that risk with the appropriate repairs, including replacements when needed. It is important to note that there are different considerations for concrete streetlight poles compared to a wooden utility pole, and if a concrete streetlight pole may have a lean, or visible crack, it doesn't necessarily pose a risk to public safety. Gallivan Boulevard is a highly traversed state roadway with motor vehicle accidents that can cause such damage. Our customer call center has received a handful of calls about streetlights on Gallivan Boulevard this year, and any reports made to our call center about streetlight conditions get assigned for additional inspection. The City of Boston and our state agencies also have dedicated account representatives who communicate with those entities on a daily basis, and we have not received any separate recent complaints regarding streetlights on Gallivan Boulevard from state agencies or the city. When we do receive complaints, we have a process in place to coordinate with MassDOT and the City of Boston to quickly address any potential safety or reliability issues. Any decision to make a repair or to replace a pole is prioritized solely by safety and reliability." Problem light poles in Boston Lambrechts says it's their responsibility to maintain the poles. "If it falls over it's not safe," Lambrechts said. The risk of light poles in poor condition falling is real. In September of 2022, a woman was seriously injured when a corroded streetlight fell on the Moakley Bridge in Boston. An I-Team investigation found the city knew about the problem as far back as 2017. WBZ also uncovered a state report from months earlier showing the poles required immediate repair, but nothing was done. After the incident the city removed nearly two dozen dangerous poles. As for the streetlights on Gallivan Boulevard, Lambrechts says maybe there is a protocol to change these out, but if not, he says he would not drive on the roadway in a storm. Just weeks ago, DOT started a new program requiring inspections and the keeping of records for structures along their roadways, regardless of who owns them.

Streetleaf Is Now Illuminating Texas
Streetleaf Is Now Illuminating Texas

Yahoo

time11-06-2025

  • Business
  • Yahoo

Streetleaf Is Now Illuminating Texas

Solar-Powered Streetlights To Be Installed At Lennar Community in Fort Worth Streetleaf is now illuminating Texas. Solar-powered streetlights will be installed at a Lennar Community in Fort Worth. Streetleaf is now illuminating Texas. Solar-powered streetlights will be installed at a Lennar Community in Fort Worth. Dallas, Texas, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Streetleaf, the leading provider of solar-powered streetlight services in the United States, today announced that the company now has a footprint in Texas. The company will now be illuminating streets in Fort Worth, Texas, through an agreement with Lennar to light its Eagles Crossing community. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in Streetleaf's mission to provide a dependable and cost-effective alternative to traditional on-grid services for communities across the country. 'We're proud to expand our partnership with Lennar and bring our streetlight systems to more communities across the Southwest—especially in the great state of Texas,' said Liam Ryan, CEO of Streetleaf. 'As demand for smarter, more reliable technology grows across every industry, our streetlights represent a meaningful leap forward in a product people count on for safety and comfort.' Streetleaf is installing 29 solar-powered lights in Eagles Crossing, each designed for performance, resilience, and sustainability. The lights are DarkSky compliant, fully off-grid, and powered by 100% renewable energy—meaning they stay on even during power outages. Engineered to withstand winds up to 160 mph, they're built for long-term reliability, with 24/7 monitoring and routine maintenance included. 'At Lennar, we're always looking for smart, sustainable solutions that add long-term value to our communities,' said Gregory Urech, President of Land, at Lennar. 'Streetleaf's off-grid lighting not only enhances safety and resilience in Eagles Crossing, but also aligns with our commitment to building for the future.' Streetleaf will continue to expand its footprint in Texas over the coming months. For more information about Streetleaf, please visit: ABOUT STREETLEAF Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, Streetleaf specializes in integrating modern, renewable technology into communities through one of the most essential yet often-overlooked features—streetlights. Since its founding in 2019, Streetleaf has installed over 10,000 lights across the country, from Florida to California, and is rapidly growing to meet the rising demand for resilient, sustainable solutions. Streetleaf uses high-quality, dependable and proprietary hardware, software, and service to partner with land developers, builders, municipalities, utilities, and HOAs to create safer, greener communities. A carbon-neutral certified company, Streetleaf is also Darksky approved, and has offset more than 4 million pounds of CO2 and counting. Learn more at Streetleaf is now illuminating Texas. Solar-powered streetlights will be installed at a Lennar Community in Fort Worth. Streetleaf is now illuminating Texas. Solar-powered streetlights will be installed at a Lennar Community in Fort Worth. CONTACT: Carson Quinn ZindseyMEDIA for Streetleaf 312.339.9779 carson@

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