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The County of Maui Dept. of Parks and Recreation announced that the South Maui Community Park Playground and upper parking area will be closed for renovations from Monday, Nov. 16 through Wednesday, Nov. 18 from 6 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; the parking lot only will open after 4 p.m. Partial closure of the playground area will take place Thursday, Nov. 19 through Monday, Nov. 30, 2015.

With the Governor’s recent call for California to use more renewable energy, the City of Sacramento is making it easier to install small residential solar energy systems by offering an expedited building permit process. ThroughSacramento Streamline, homeowners and contractors are able to apply for a residential solar installation permit and receive approval in three days or less, with most being approved within one day.

The Kentucky Public Transportation Infrastructure Authority (KPTIA) has been approved for membership in E-ZPass Group, which operates a common electronic toll payment program in 15 other states.

The Baker-Polito Administration announced a program that will provide homeless veterans with housing services. Under the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program, the administration is allocating 65 rental vouchers to chronically homeless veterans who were identified by the local veterans’ committees across the Commonwealth. These vouchers can be used to pay for rental units and will assist the Commonwealth in its goal of ending veteran’s homelessness.

Join MEREDA for breakfast on December 10th from 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM at the Portland Regency Hotel for a thought provoking conversation and learn about trends in Maine lake health, new cross-sector initiatives to protect our lakes, and how a program called LakeSmart can help communities safeguard their freshwater resources

On November 12, HUD announced a proposed rule that would prohibit smoking in public housing nationwide due to the dangers of second-hand smoke. The proposal could impact about one million households. Importantly, the ban would extend to outdoor areas, including up to 25 feet of common areas and administrative office buildings. Critics charge that the ban is yet another challenge for the already burdened public housing agencies.

The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced today the 2015 recipients of its school district scholarship program. The five selected school districts will receive ongoing support from the Center for Green Schools over the course of the next year and will benefit from connections with a broad network of school sustainability leaders.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced today its 2016 Board of Directors and Advisory Council members. The new governance structure of two leadership bodies will officially be implemented in 2016

Erie County’s Department of Social Services will begin accepting applications for Home Energy Assistance Program regular benefits next week, with county officials anticipating receiving more than 20,000 HEAP applications by the end of December

The Sierra Club released polling today showing significant support for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan among registered voters in key states. The new polls come on the eve of votes expected next week in the US Senate on Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions intended to derail the policy and its historic public health protections against carbon pollution

A key mortgage lending reform – which would be rolled back by a bill coming up for a vote in the House of Representatives next week – commands the support of an overwhelming majority of voters, according to a poll conducted this summer by Lake Research on behalf of Americans for Financial Reform and the Center for Responsible Lending

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) today published new guidelines under its condominium approval process intended to increase affordable housing options for first-time and low- to moderate-income homebuyers.  Effective immediately, FHA’s temporary guidance will streamline the agency’s condominium recertification process and expand the eligibility of acceptable ‘owner-occupied’ units to include second homes that are not investor-owned.

Florida’s housing market reported more closed sales, higher median prices, a tighter inventory and fewer days on the market during the third quarter of 2015, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. Closed sales of single-family homes statewide totaled 74,141 in 3Q 2015, up 14.7 percent over the 3Q 2014 figure.

Representing a Durham property owner barred from developing his land, Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) has asked the Supreme Court to reconsider a controversial precedent that denies landowners unobstructed access to federal court to defend their constitutional rights.

Top federal and state environmental officials today announced 22 grants totaling more than $1.3 million to local government and community groups in New York and Connecticut to improve the health and ecosystem of Long Island Sound.

U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after the Arizona Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) and upheld the agreements codified by the Congressman’s legislation, H.R. 4924 , the Bill Williams Water Rights Settlement Act, Public Law No: 113-223, paving the way for the settlement of certain claims within the Bill Williams River Watershed among the Hualapai Tribe, the United States, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission and Freeport-McMoRan

Photovoltaics added value to homes in six markets, according to a new report titled “Appraising into the Sun: Six-State Solar Home Paired-Sales Analysis,” led by a researcher from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and a home appraisal expert. Researchers engaged a team of seven appraisers from across the six states to determine the value that solar photovoltaic (PV) systems added to single-family homes using the industry-standard paired-sales valuation technique, which compares recent sales of comparable homes to estimate the premium buyers would pay for PV.

Governor Charlie Baker today announced a new mortgage program designed to make it easier for Massachusetts veterans to purchase their first home. MassHousing’s Operation Welcome Home loan is available to active duty members of the Armed Forces, members of the Reserves and Massachusetts National Guard, honorably discharged veterans and Gold Star Family members.

To honor Veterans Day, Mayor Martin J. Walsh today joined the Brighton Marine Health Center Board of Directors to announce that Brighton Marine established a $200,000 endowment to support the Mayor's Homes for the Brave initiative, with the goal of bringing a functional end to veterans homelessness in Boston.

U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced the Veterans Homebuyer Accessibility Act, which would provide an $8000 refundable tax credit for specially adaptive housing modifications, and an $8000 first time homebuyer tax credit for all eligible veterans. The bipartisan legislation — introduced in the House by Representatives Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Paul Cook (R-CA) — addresses the delay in disability benefits many veterans are confronted with upon returning to civilian life. The bill would ameliorate the process of purchasing a home and modifying it to accommodate for disabilities