2 rescued sea turtles released in Florida after recovery

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Beyond the Byline: Everybody do the Wear Your Face Mask polka!

PLAINS TWP. &mdash; A Thursday visit to the construction site of the new Wilkes-Barre Area High School &mdash; the first such tour in months &mdash; showed substantial progress, with roof work on the gym and auditorium, a stage framed out in steel studs, facade masonry installed on one of the education wings, and a roof over the &ldquo;Main Street&rdquo; central hall, skylights included.
				&ldquo;The goal is to have it completely enclosed by November, district Superintendent Brian Costello said from behind a face mask, &ldquo;so they can work inside through winter.&rdquo;
				Three of the four education wings are nearly complete outside, and interior masonry and drywall finishing has begun in some classrooms. The fourth wing is taking longer because it will be the science wing and required additional work for added lab equipment.
				With some second floors finished, visitors can now get a glimpse of what the vista will be from certain vantage points, particularly &ldquo;flex rooms&rdquo; with generous windows at the ends of each classroom wing, on both floors. The stairwells adjacent to those rooms also have generous, tall windows to let in natural light.
				The swimming pool is framed out. Concrete has been poured for the large cafeteria floor and utility lines are being set up for the serving counters. It is one of the last sections of the school where walls have just begun to rise. Rooms are framed out with steel studs for the band and chorus area and in other sections.
				One parking lot was paved earlier for workers to use during the cold months, but remains without the final topcoat. But other parking lots are finished, dotted with slim, high-tech &ldquo;smart&rdquo; LED lights that Costello said will be programmable so different zones can dim or turn off when not needed, saving energy.
				The COVID-19 pandemic initially stopped work in March, and slowed the return of contractors as safety protocols were implemented, but the plan is still to have the building, estimated at about $121 million, ready to open in the fall of 2021.
				Michael Krzywicki of Apollo Group Inc., the project manager, said he expects to have an updated estimate of how much of the project is done for the next School Board meeting, set to be held virtually on Monday at 6 p.m.

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New look at W-B Area construction shows major progress