State of Texas: The reckoning begins after winter storm power crisis - KXAN.com
State of Texas: The reckoning begins after winter storm power crisis - KXAN.com |
- State of Texas: The reckoning begins after winter storm power crisis - KXAN.com
- Upcoming calendar | Local News | troyrecord.com - Troy Record
- Accusations of abuse, harassment in workplace at McDonald’s, franchisees - Yahoo News
- California Coronavirus Updates: FDA Approves One-Shot Johnson & Johnson Vaccine - Capital Public Radio News
| State of Texas: The reckoning begins after winter storm power crisis - KXAN.com Posted: 28 Feb 2021 04:00 AM PST  AUSTIN (Nexstar) — This week, lawmakers in both chambers of the Texas Legislature started holding hearings to address the breakdown of the Texas energy grid. Lawmakers are looking for answers after last week's blackouts. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages the state's power grid, has been at the center of attention since last week. On Wednesday, the CEO of ERCOT defended the response to the crisis by saying the power outages saved the state from a much more devastating blackout. However, the ERCOT board acknowledged room for improvement. The five ERCOT board members revealed to live out of state resigned ahead of the meeting. Those former-board members are Sally Talberg, Peter Cramton, Terry Bulger, Vanessa Anesetti-Parra and Raymond Hepper. A sixth board member resigned Thursday, and Craig Ivey, an applicant for an open seat on the board, withdrew his application. Governor Greg Abbott has made restructuring and investigating ERCOT one of his top legislative priorities for this session. "Many of you are angry. And you have a right to be. I'm angry too," Abbott said. "This legislative session will not end until we fix these problems." Texas Senate and House of Representatives started hearings on Thursday. The House Committees on State Affairs and Energy Resources held a joint hearing, while the Committee on Business & Commerce held the hearing on the Senate side. Representatives from ERCOT, the Public Utility Commission (PUC), as well as the heads of power providers NRG, Vistra Corp. and Calpine were questioned at the hearings. ERCOT was the focus of a lot of questions and criticism in the simultaneous hearings, but the testimony spread the blame wider for the problems. Power providers, regulators and elected officials were all faulted for their part in the electric crisis. Vistra Corp. CEO Curtis Morgan said the governor was notified by at least one energy provider of potential problems ahead of the catastrophic winter storm. "When we didn't quite see the urgency, I said we need to get out and talk to elected officials and also the regulators," Morgan said. A group of Texas Democrats want to put accountability on the commissioners on the PUC–who were also warned ahead of the storm. PUC oversees ERCOT, and it's members are appointed by the governor. "They're not elected," State Rep. Rafael Anchia (D-Dallas) said. "They have the advice and consent of the Senate but that's the governor's hand-picked team to regulate the market." Gov. Abbott continues to focus blame on ERCOT. "They did the equivalent of slamming on breaks while driving on ice and it led to a collision," Abbott said Thursday. Morgan, a long time proponent of deregulated energy, said he is no longer sure if the state's energy system is sustainable. Morgan blamed poor communication, failure to winterize the system and a natural gas system susceptible to temperature below freezing for the downfall of the energy grid. "I was a big proponent of this market and my faith is shaken," Morgan said. This was not the first time the Texas energy grid failed. In February 2011, a similar winter event caused widespread power outages. Ten years ago, Comptroller Glenn Hegar was working as a state senator. After the state-wide blackouts in 2011, he authored and passed legislation that requires weatherization of power generators and for ERCOT to report to the PUC about the grid's performance during extreme weather. These measures were not put into action, but Hegar says there are more issues now. In addition to weatherization, Hegar says energy leaders now need to disclose what went wrong and why some people had rolling blackouts while others lost power all together. "As Texas continues to grow, and population continues to grow, and business continue to have a different mix in our portfolio of energy sources, we need to make sure we reevaluate that every so many years to make sure we're keeping up with the exact economy that we have at that point in time," Hegar said. On Monday, Hegar provided testimony before the Senate Finance Committee. Hegar spoke openly about how damaging the power outages and loss of water were to Texas's reputation as a top location for business. He explained traditionally the state economy outpaces the nation's, but the combination of COVID and a crippling winter storm is a set-back. "Obviously, having such an event where so many millions of people did not have electricity, did not have water, reconnecting back to water have had damage in their homes and businesses, that leaves a stain," Hegar said. Paxton faces questions after travel during crisisTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton landed at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Tuesday afternoon after a trip to Utah last week, KXAN confirms. It was the first time we had seen the attorney general in person since the energy crisis across the state last week. Earlier this week, a representative for Paxton confirmed he made the trip after many Texans had their power restored, but did not specify when he got there. Paxton refused to answer questions on camera about the crisis or his travel. On Tuesday, Paxton tweeted he needed to be in Utah for an in-person law enforcement demonstration and to meet with Utah's attorney general. The Dallas Morning News first reported Paxton's trip. A spokesman for Utah's Attorney General told the paper that the first meeting happened on Wednesday, February 17. On that same day, Paxton sent a tweet saying his office would investigate ERCOT and other energy companies. Missing in TexasStanding on the side of a packed street in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, David Fritts held his son's picture and talked to anyone who would listen. The photo was a more recent one of Joseph smiling. Fritts would show it to shop owners along the border and people crossing from Texas. He would tell them that he was 5'10", with brown hair and brown eyes and was last in the Laredo area.  "It's really hard to describe the feeling of looking for your son with a picture and showing it to people … at one moment you're determined and the other you feel so vulnerable," the father described. "A lot of people were so kind … really caring people saying, 'Oh I'm so sad,' and they would look at the picture and say, 'Oh, that's your son, isn't it?'" He would make the trip countless times, even going to Costa Rica because Joseph loved to surf. "Weeks turned into months," Fritts said. "As time passed, especially after his brother Jordan's birthday … we were all realizing how dire it was." Joseph was Fritts' middle child. "He was so full of life and had so many great friends and always lit up the room. He was just such a character," he said, smiling. Fritts recalled how he excelled in college and then how proud he was when he joined the Marines. "Joseph was the rough, tough little buffed-up guy, you know. Even in the Marines, he was number one in that whole class, as far as physical activity, you know. But it's still tough, you know. It's still mentally and physically tough, and Joseph didn't always smile in pictures, but that one he was definitely smiling after boot camp. He was so happy to have graduated," Fritts said, pointing to a picture of Joseph in uniform.  Joseph would only serve two years before he was honorably discharged. Fritts explained that he was injured and suffered a head injury from an incident involving an ammo box at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. "Actually, made him have a seizure. So, although he wanted to stay there was really no way he could, you know, be on the frontlines," he explained. Joseph came back home to Houston and worked in oil and gas before becoming a financial advisor. Fritts said during that time he was dealing with some marital problems which lead to depression and then opioid addiction. "One day he decided he needed to get away, which I just — I encouraged him, as well, just to have a trip, you know, try to clear his mind. He went to South Texas and that was the last I'd heard of him," Fritts said. It was October 26, 2017.  Joseph had let his dad know that he was going to Mexico near the Laredo border and even shared his location information. Several days passed where no one could reach Joseph. Fritts said that's when he started to worry. "We always talked to each other. We were really close … so I knew something was wrong," he recalled. His family filed a missing persons report on Nov. 3 with the Houston Police Department. Fritts then drove to San Antonio to check with the Mexican Attorney General if Joseph had used his passport and crossed the border. He had not. Fritts then drove to Laredo and ended up finding Joseph's car at a shopping center at the border, but there were no signs of his son. His family then filed missing persons reports in Laredo and Mexico.  "This is really a difficult situation for a parent to be in and really just consumes you in every way," Fritts explained. After almost two years of searching, on Sept. 20, 2019, Fritts finally got the call from Houston police telling him that Joseph's body had been recovered in the Rio Grande River in Laredo. Joseph was 31 years old. "I had no idea he had passed away and they found him in the river — one time I remember just sitting on the river near where I found his car with tears in my eyes," he recalled. The family was told that his body was found two days after the first missing persons report was filed. "The cause of death was actually called drowning. But my son is bi-racial. He's half Hispanic and white and the coroner told me … they didn't do any toxicology reports because they thought he was an illegal alien," he said. Joseph's DNA was required to be entered into a database maintained by the FBI known as the Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, when he disappeared. Texas law enforcement and medical examiners aren't required to enter information in every case to another database, which actually started in the state. Even family members can check it.  The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System or NamUs, based in Fort Worth was created in 2007 to help law enforcement and families solve cases using fingerprints, DNA profiles and dental records. It's managed by the University of North Texas Health Science Center, UNTHSC, which also has a separate forensics lab. NamUs is updated regularly by those using it, including family members who can search the website. Fritts said if the medical examiner in Laredo entered details about Joseph's remains in the database, he would have found him because he was checking regularly. "If Joseph's brown hair, brown eyes, his weight had been entered … I wouldn't have been tortured for two years," Fritts said. He had put Joseph's information into NamUs after learning about how it's a resource available to families looking for missing loved ones. EXPLORE: Profiles of Texas' missing persons The family later submitted its members' own DNA to NamUs, which was cross-referenced with Joseph's in CODIS, and there was a match. "If everybody was required to enter information in NamUs, then everybody would use it," Fritts said. "It would have meant I would have found Joseph sooner." The Houston Police Department confirmed that Joseph's case wasn't put into NamUs after his missing persons report was filed by his family. A spokesperson with the department said since Joseph had a prior criminal history and didn't appear to a court hearing at the time, he was considered a fugitive and his missing persons case was closed. When asked if the department utilizes NamUs on missing persons cases now, the spokesperson said that NamUs is a great tool, and the department is trying to figure out the best way to use it. "Regrettably when we were notified of Mr. Fritts' disappearance in 2018 he was already deceased according to the time line of events. Our sincerest condolences to the parents and family of Joseph Bradley Fritts," said Jose Baeza Jr., an investigator with the Laredo Police Department. He did not provide additional details and explained that the department does not currently utilize NamUs. KXAN also asked the Webb County Medical Examiner's office in Laredo about Jospeh's case but has not gotten a response back yet. Across town in another Houston neighborhood, Joseph's story and his father's heartache sounded too familiar. "I know what it feels like and it's the worst feeling I've ever felt in my life," Alice Almendarez said. "I don't want anyone else to go through that. I want this to change. I want this to stop." It took her family 12 years to find her father, John Almendarez.  "When somebody is missing there's never a funeral. There's never healing. It's always the wondering and lingering and the what-ifs. It's 12 years of grieving — 12 years of not knowing — 12 years of torture," she said. The family had filed a missing persons report in June 2002 after he disappeared. The 42-year-old's body was found the next month near his home in a bayou and held in the county morgue. "Houston Police Department didn't communicate their missing persons reports with the county morgue," Almendarez said. "Our county morgue kept my father for 2 years and then buried him unidentified." NamUs wasn't around yet, but years later when it was created, the medical examiner had put his unidentified remains information into the database. MISSING: What happened to Jamie Mayberry? "You had his unidentified body information, but we didn't have him listed in there as a missing person. So, if by chance law enforcement were to go in there and try to make a match, they wouldn't have been able to," she said. "If they would have input his information and put that he had a scar … from having his appendix taken out or he was this height,-with this weight, and a mole here — there would have been a match." It would be NamUs that would finally make the connection more than a decade after his family submitted their DNA and it was uploaded to CODIS. In Texas, there are more than 3,500 open cases in NamUs including missing, unidentified and unclaimed persons.  Since 2007, the national database has helped resolve 600 cases, but many cases haven't even been entered. During their work on the "Mayberry Texas" series, KXAN investigators discovered shortfalls in the way these types of cases are handled in the state. According to NamUs, 10 states have now passed laws requiring law enforcement and medical examiners to report case details to NamUs for all missing and unidentified persons cases: Arkansas, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Washington, West Virginia. States with legislation requiring law enforcement and/or medical examiners to use NamUs for missing and/or unidentified persons cases. (NamUs) Even though NamUs is housed in Fort Worth, Texas doesn't have that reporting requirement. Texas House Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, told KXAN investigators that he would look into it two years ago since NamUs is in his district. He also helped push a law in 2001 that requires all Texas police to submit DNA that's collected in high-risk missing persons cases, but not dental records and fingerprints. He said he would explore the possibility of legislation requiring Texas police to report certain details to the system. Understanding NamUs: A useful but underused system "If we need to be part of NamUs in order to get police to submit the stuff, then we'll carry a bill and do that," Geren said in an interview in 2019. But, KXAN learned that hasn't happened. After multiple attempts to get more information, Geren's chief of staff responded in an email saying, "he is still thinking about this particular issue." Newly-elected Texas House Rep. Lacey Hull, (R) Houston, was also thinking about it after meeting Fritts. She heard about Joseph's story after knocking on Fritts' door last year. She was block walking in his neighborhood and wanted to hear what issues concerned families she would be representing.  "I heard Mr. Fritts' heartbreaking story and I just thought, 'How many other people are suffering?' And, it's bad enough to have your loved one missing and not knowing," Rep. Hull said. "I just assumed it was something that already took place. I was completely shocked … and I told him that day, I said 'When I win, I'm going to do that.' Like, this is something that we need to help Texas families have closure." Rep. Hull was sworn into office in January and about two weeks later filed John and Joseph's Law named after Fritts' son and Almendarez's father. It will require law enforcement to enter information into NamUs, including dental records, fingerprints, other physical characteristics and a description of the clothing worn when last seen within thirty days of receiving a missing persons report. It will also require law enforcement or medical examiners to enter information about unidentified bodies including fingerprints, dental records, any unusual physical characteristics and a description of the clothing found on the body to the database no later than the 60th day after the date the death is reported to the agency. "There's, yeah, zero fiscal impact to the state. This actually in the long run will end up saving time, money and resources for the agencies involved by matching up the missing persons cases to the unidentified bodies," Rep. Hull explained. The bill will not require previous cases to be entered into NamUs due to cost concerns. Rep. Hull's office has been in contact with law enforcement and medical examiners to make sure the right agency will be responsible for entering the data. "This way everyone's on the same page and we don't have people falling through the cracks," she said. "If we can pass this and prevent that heartache … and let these families have closure. It was just something that I just felt was so important and something so simple to help Texans." Rep. Hull has also heard recent concerns about the federal database moving out of Texas. She said that even if it does, it's still a resource that should be used by agencies across the state to help with cases. Sources with NamUs have said recent federal funding cuts have impacted services including DNA testing. NamUs is funded by the National Institute of Justice, or NIJ. A spokesperson with NIJ said the current agreement with UNTHSC will end in September, but that NamUs will continue to be available as a resource for those who rely on it. NIJ is expected to award a new contract by April. Even after learning that his son's body was found, Fritts had yet another hurdle to overcome. He was told that Joseph was buried as "John Doe" in a Laredo cemetery, but when he went there, they didn't know where he was buried.  "The city cemetery had gone out there with a backhoe and had just dug out several graves till they found my son's grave," Fritts explained. "I was happy and horrified at the same time that they would be just so disrespectful." After several court hearings, Joseph's body was exhumed. Last February, Fritts was finally able to bring his son home. He was cremated, but due to the pandemic the family hasn't been able to safely get together and celebrate his life yet. "With your children, you always feel like there's something you could have done better to, you know — to save them. You are here to protect them," Fritts said. "I couldn't save Joseph. So that's just hard for me to get over." Almendarez understands the weight of those words.  Her dad was buried with a headstone that said "unidentified Hispanic male." He's still at the county cemetery, but now his grave reads John Joseph Almendarez. She's hoping to move him to a cemetery closer where other family members are buried and is working with NamUs to exhume his body. Almendarez said it will be the final chapter to all the pain her family has gone through over the years. It's why she's pushing for John and Joseph's Law to pass. "I wanted so many holidays with him, and I wanted one more day with him, and I didn't get that. But I have my son and I feel like I have a part of my dad back now," Almendarez said. Her son was born last year. She named him after her father, John. Lawmakers aim for criminal justice reformA bi-partisan criminal justice reform group was officially formed this Wednesday in the Texas House. Democrat State Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, and Republican State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, will co-chair the caucus. Moody said the caucus was "born out of a lot of frustration at the end of last session." The caucus will be focusing their efforts on passing police transparency laws, such as the dead suspect loophole. Currently, police are legally allowed to withhold video and other records when a suspect dies in custody before their case goes to court. "None of these are easy topics," Moody said. "When you're talking about someone dying in custody, there's a lot of complicating factors that go into that. But it's why we should shine a light on it. It's why we should understand it. And it's why there should be some accountability." When Moody and other lawmakers tried to reform the loophole last legislative session, they were opposed by law enforcement unions. The unions expressed concern about footage of officer deaths being released. "We addressed every single one of their concerns, and they turned and told us all that we hated cops and wanted to see more dead cops," Moody said. "That's essentially what they turned to." Josh Hinkle hosted a Q&A panel with Moody, Eva Ruth Moravec of the Texas Justice Initiative and Kathy Mitchell of Just Liberty about criminal justice reform, transparency and the goals of the caucus. Moravec said she supports more effective rules and enforcement of Texas' custodial death reporting law. Law enforcement agencies, jails and prisons are required to file custodial death reports within 30 days of a death, but that doesn't always happen. KXAN reported on hundreds of failures to comply with the law and a total lack of enforcement. "I think there is some interest this year in changing that law to add some teeth so that we can actually compel these agencies when they fail to do so," Moravec said. |
| Upcoming calendar | Local News | troyrecord.com - Troy Record Posted: 28 Feb 2021 08:00 AM PST  EDITOR'S NOTE: This calendar is being regularly updated to reflect all event cancellations and postponements. However, it is recommended that readers contact event organizers before they attend. For the most updated version of the calendar, please visit or troyrecord.com. RACE IN AMERICA: At 6 p.m. on Tuesdays April 6, April 20, May 4, May 18, June 1 and June 15, Dr. Jennifer Thompson Burns will lead a Race in America: A Reading and Discussion Group through the Troy Public Library. This reading and discussion series will explore the inception, inculcation, and function of race in American society. We will discuss this topic in order to improve our understanding of systematic, and social, inclusion and exclusion in American systems. Our goal is to tease out the implicit ways race serves as a real, and imagined, force in the lives of all Americans. This group will explore racial dynamics in America, expanding beyond the black-white binary and our understanding of race, and develop a deeper understanding of the interlocking forces of systemic racism. This group will be led by Dr. Jennifer Thompson Burns, Professor of Africana Studies at SUNY Albany. Copies of the books will be available after March 1st. The first book the group will read is Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-First Century by Dorothy Roberts Please have this book read for the April 6th meeting. This program is supported by Humanities New York. Humanities New York is a private, non-profit organization that helps all New Yorkers to lead vibrant intellectual lives by strengthening traditions of cultural literacy, critical inquiry, and civic participation. Registration is required and is limited. This program, designed for community members ages 16+, will be presented using Zoom. Joining the presentation will require the installation of the Zoom client on your computer (microphone and speakers required for audio, camera for video) or the Zoom app on your mobile device.For more information and to register call the library at 518-274-7071 or visit www.thetroylibrary.org. UNDERSTANDING SHAKESPEARE: Join us at the Troy Public Library on Thursdays, February 18th – March 18th from 6:30 – 7:30PM for our Understanding Shakespeare workshop. This will be a five-session program on how to understand Shakespeare's plays. We will start our discussion with Act 1 of Shakespeare's tragedy "Hamlet." Then in the following four weeks we will discuss the play one act at a time. This program will allow the participants to put the play in a variety of contexts, such as its relationship to his other works and to the modern existential world. Tom Bulger, Shakespeare Scholar and retired professor from Siena College, will lead this workshop. Please have Act One read for the February 18th discussion. This program is free and open to the public. This program will be conducted using Zoom. Registration is necessary. For more information and to register, call the library at 274-7071 or online at www.thetroylibrary.org. LENTEN FISH FRY DINNERS: The Latham-Colonie Knights of Columbus located at 328 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham, 12110, will be hosting Lenten Fish Fry Dinners every Friday from Feb. 19th 2021 through and including Good Friday April 2nd 2021. The "Take Out" dinner includes; Fish Fry or Clam Roll served with French Fries or Onion Rings and Coleslaw. All Dinners are $10 each. Please call 518 892 3750 for reservations, please indicate pick up time requested. Social distancing and masks are required per CDC guidelines. www.lathamcoloniekofc.com/events. OPEN PERIOD FOR ALBANY COUNTY AGRICULTURE DISTRICTS: As a result of the addition of Section 303-b to the Agriculture and Markets law, landowners have the opportunity to apply to have their land added to one of the three agricultural districts in the county each year. The Albany County Legislature designated an annual 30-day open period to begin each year starting on February 1st to run for a period of 30 days. If you own land or rent your land for the purpose of producing an agricultural commodity, you should think about placing your land in an Agricultural District during this 30-day period. To find out more information about the benefits of placing your land in an Agricultural District and to receive a copy of the application form, contact Tom Gallagher at Cornell Cooperative Extension Albany County at 518-577-0958 or tjg3@cornell.edu. You can also contact Laura DeGaetano at Albany County Planning at 518-447-5670 or ldegaetano@albanycountyny.gov or go to the Albany County website at: https://www.albanycounty.com/departments/economic-development-conservation-and-planning/albany-county-agricultural-districts. SHORT STORY CAFE: Short Story Reading and Discussion Group - On Wednesdays, February 24th – April 7th at 6PM (no meeting March 31st), Short Story writer David Sylvester will lead a reading and discussion group at the Troy Public Library. Local short-story writer Dave Sylvester hosts The Short Story Café, an informal discussion of the short story form that examines how writers handle structural elements such as plot, character and theme in their writing. Each week we will read and discuss two stories by well-known (and some lesser-known!) masters of the form. Copies of the stories will be available in advance and should be read before the discussions. This program will be presented using Zoom. Joining the presentation will require the installation of the Zoom client on your computer (microphone and speakers required for audio, camera for video) or the Zoom app on your mobile device. The first set of stories will be emailed to you one week prior to the first class and will be available at the information desk of the main library. For more information and to register call the library at 518-274-7071 or online at www.thetroylibrary.org. SPIRITUAL CLASS: Make Me An Instrument of Your Peace Class – 8 Tuesdays, beginning February 23, 6:30-8:30 p.m. The world needs more peace, and it begins with you. Make this prayer of St. Francis an integral part of your life. Take your reading from theory to practice in this interactive class that explores this prayer through Kent Nerburn's book, "Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace: Living in the Spirit of the Prayer of St. Francis. Suggested donation: $20 per class session. Hosted by Albany-Saratoga Spiritual Adventures via Zoom. For more information, visit our meetup.com group Albany-Saratoga Spiritual Adventures, call (518) 366-9918, or visit www.newthoughtnewyork.org. CLOTHING SHED: The Clothing Shed located at the Latham-Colonie Knights of Columbus, 328 Troy-Schenectady Road has reopened! The Covid-19 Pandemic has hit the Knights of Columbus and the Columbiettes very hard. We've had very few opportunities this past year to raise funds for the Community Groups we support! We accept clothing, shoes, belts, purses, blankets, sheets, towels, comforters, curtains, pillowcases and stuffed animals. Please bag all items. We do not accept: furniture, electronics , books, household items, toys, garbage, pillows, rags, fabric scraps, etc. LITERACY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Make a Difference in the New Year: Be a Literacy Volunteer in Rensselaer or Albany County - Would you like to help someone learn to read, write, or speak English? Would you like to become a more engaged member of your own community? We can train you! Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County (LVORC) is actively seeking volunteers. We are looking for tutors to be paired with adult English Language and Basic Literacy learners, as well as math and computer tutors. As a volunteer you can develop new skills, make friends, and see how your efforts make a difference in your community. To register for the information session, contact mhellerlvorc@aol.com. To learn more about LVORC, visit www.lvorc.org or call 518 244-4650. LVORC ACCEPTING NEW STUDENTS: Since 1968, Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County has helped adults to improve their ability to read, write, speak and understand English.New learners can join Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County by calling (518) 244-4650 or sending an email to LitVolDirector@aol.com. Call (518) 244-4650 to register. Visit www.lvorc.org for more information. NEW TROY PAY-BY-PHONE PARKING APP: Mayor Patrick Madden today announced the City of Troy has launched a new pay-by-phone mobile app for metered parking in the Collar City. The app provides a simple, easy to use option for drivers to pay for parking in downtown Troy. Drivers will be able to pay for on-street metered parking using the new Passport Parking mobile app beginning January 4, 2021. The Passport Parking application is available for free download on iOS and Android devices, and at www.passportparking.com. Watch a video demonstrating how to use the Passport Parking application: https://youtu.be/MThHrcDET0o. A map of metered parking zones and instructions on using the Passport Parking app for metered parking in downtown Troy is available at www.troyny.gov/parking.For questions on the City's parking management system, please contact the City Treasurer's office at (518) 279-7115. NEW TROY ONLINE PARKING PERMIT SYSTEM: The City of Troy recently launched a new online parking permit registration system for spaces in municipally-operated lots and garages. The system will simplify the permit reservation and payment process and allow the City to issue and track parking permits using license plates instead of physical tags. Effective January 2021, monthly parking fees for municipal lots & garages will increase to $75. Drivers are encouraged to renew their current parking permit online at www.troyparkingpermits.rmcpay.com. For questions on the City's parking management system, please contact the City Treasurer's office at (518) 279-7115. FREE ART KITS: The Troy Public Library is giving away free Art Kits courtesy of the TANG Museum! Kids ages 5-12 can pick up a set of art supplies including watercolor pencils, markers, coloring pages, and a sketch pad along with instructions for creating art projects at home. Of course if you need art or craft books we can supply those too! More information is available online at www.thetroylibrary.org. CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS: Troy City Council meetings are held on the first Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. They typically take place in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 433 River St, Troy, but are currently being held virtually via Zoom. Committee meetings are scheduled on a regular basis. Agendas and minutes for meetings are posted on the city's website. All meetings are open to the public. At monthly regular meetings, Troy residents can discuss any issue related to the City of Troy. The city is currently live-streaming Council meetings on the Troy City Council YouTube page at www.youtube.com/troycitycouncil. FARMERS MARKET: The Troy Waterfront Farmers Market (TWFM) is holding its Winter markets from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays indoors at the former Lansingburgh Price Chopper, More than 60 vendors will participate. For the previous 18 years, the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market held its winter market downtown in the Troy Atrium, which the organization leased from the owner. This winter will be the first time since its inception that the market will have a presence in Lansingburgh, Troy's northernmost district. In accordance with New York State's current COVID-19 guidelines, the Lansingburgh store will have a capacity of 200 at any one time. After counting the vendors and staff, the space will be able to safely accommodate approx. 120 customers at a time with ample room for social distancing. Customers can arrive any time during market hours. When the market reaches capacity, arriving customers will be asked to wait in line outside the store. Shopping from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. will be prioritized for seniors age 60+ and the immunocompromised. The market will publish the full list of vendors and safety protocols on its website www.troymarket.org. ONLINE FARMERS MARKET: In May, the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market implemented TWFM Online, a web-based store and contact-less pickup system in neighboring Green Island. The online order and pickup service will continue this winter in tandem with the indoor market, Ridler said, distributing customers between two locations and providing valuable options to suit the different needs of customers. Shop online at troymarket.localfoodmarketplace.com for contact-less drive-thru pickup, order Friday through Thursday, and pick up on Sunday every week at Carioto Produce in Green Island. FREE UNIFORM CLEANING FOR MILITARY AND VETERANS: New York-based dry cleaning business Best Cleaners offers a free uniform cleaning service to veterans and those who are currently serving in the military. This service has been offered through Best Cleaners since 2018 not only at all five of their store locations, but also with their pick up and delivery service as well. While many dry cleaners only offer free military cleaning during the month of May (Military Appreciation Month), Best Cleaners has long offered this service year round. Best Cleaners currently has five locations across the Capital Region including Delmar, Glenville, Latham, Loundonville, and Schenectady. The business offers free pick-up and delivery, dry cleaning, and restoration services. For more information visit bestcleanersny.com. WATERVLIET HEROES BANNER PROGRAM: The Watervliet Heroes Banner Program is a tribute to those who are serving or have served in a branch of the United States Armed Forces and who were born, lived or currently reside in the City of Watervliet. Families will purchase their own banner for $175. The banner will feature the serviceman's/ woman's picture along with his/her name and branch of service. It is recommended the person be in uniform and there are no additional people in the photograph. Sample banners are available to view at City Hall. Banners shall be displayed every year for as long as the integrity of the banner lasts (lifespan is approximately three to four years). It will then be the sponsor's responsibility to replace the banner. Replacement banners cost $135. (this is the price as long as the hardware is functional). Call Chris at 270-3815 for more information or visit https://www.watervliet.com/city/monuments-heroes.htm. COHOES ROTARY ORNAMENTS CELEBRATE 150TH: In 2004 The Rotary Club of Cohoes started a collectible series of Christmas ornaments featuring historic landmarks in the City of Cohoes. This year's ornament celebrates the 150 th Anniversary of the City of Cohoes. A portion of the proceeds for the sale of the 2020 ornament will go to support the programs at LifePath Cohoes (formerly Cohoes Senior Center). Following are previous ornament designs in the series: 2004-the Cohoes Falls; 2005-the Harmony Mills; 2006-the Cohoes Music Hall; 2007-the Cohoes Mastodon; 2008-Cohoes City Hall; 2009-the Half Moon; 2010-Silliman Memorial Church; 2011-the Van Schaick Mansion; 2012-Keveny Memorial Academy; 2013-Cohoes High School; 2014-Cohoes Library; 2015-the former Cohoes Movie Theatre; 2016-Carlson's Ice Rink; 2017-Erie Canal Locks; 2018 Cohoes Armory; 2019-Matton Shipyard. Coffee mugs with the 150 th Anniversary design are also available for purchase. Cost for ornaments is $20. Mugs are $10. To purchase ornaments or mugs go to http://www.rotaryclubofcohoes.org for further information. Ornaments and mugs are also available for purchase at Marra's Pharmacy, 217 Remsen Street, Cohoes, or The Local, 159 Remsen Street, Cohoes. BROWN BAG LECTURE SERIES: SUNY Adirondack Continuing Education is pleased to present the Brown Bag Lecture Series. Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 30 to April 20. Remote via Zoom. Price: $25. The lectures will be presented through Zoom by a combination of SUNY Adirondack distinguished faculty members and local experts. Each 45-minute lecture is followed by a 15-minute question-and-answer period. Grab your favorite lunch, and then sit back and enjoy the presentations from the comfort of your own home. March 30 — Value of the Arts, by Diane Bargiel, Humanities Division Chair and Associate Professor of Music at SUNY Adirondack. April 6 — The Gangsters of Saratoga: The True History of Gambling, Crime & the Mafia in the Spa City, by Gregory Veitch, author and retired Saratoga Springs Chief of Police and adjunct faculty of Criminal Justice at SUNY Adirondack. April 13 — Between Two Waters and Many Worlds: A (Re)Introduction to Fort Ticonderoga, by Matthew Keagle, Ph.D, Curator at Fort Ticonderoga. April 20 — Adirondack Geology: A Focus on the Lake George Region, by Rick Landry, Naturalist at Up Yonda Farm Environmental Education Center. Participants can sign up online at https://form.jotform.com/93365150689163, by email at conted@sunyacc.edu, by phone at 518.743.2238 or by faxing a completed registration form to 518.743.2318. Processing occurs during normal business hours. NORTH CHATHAM UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICES: The North Chatham United Methodist Church is worshiping in our sanctuary on the first and third Sundays of the month, with masks and social distancing required. Worshipers should enter through the back door of the church. On all other Sundays, worship is virtual. All worship services are at 11:00 AM and all are available on ZOOM. The ZOOM login information is on our website (northchathammethodistchurch.org). For more information on North Chatham United Methodist Church, please call 518-766-3535 or visit our website. Thanks and we hope to see you soon, in person or on ZOOM! SPEIGLE ELDERS: With restrictions still in place due to the current pandemic, this year's expansive events schedule has been canceled through 2020 with the following exception. The club sponsors a non-sanctioned bowling league which is open to members and non-members as well and is held at noon on Mondays at the Green Island Lanes. Fees are $9.00 weekly ($6.00 for bowling and the balance toward prizes and end of year banquet.) This league will follow all COVID-19 protocol while providing exercise and fun on a weekly basis and is currently seeking new and substitute bowlers. Registration takes place every Monday at the lanes or by contacting Mary Riley, 518-469-7782 or Lois Kewley, 518-235-3788. FREE ONLINE TUTORING: Flexible Online Tutoring! Online Tutoring is now available in 30 minute sessions through the Troy Public Library. Children in grades K-12 can get free virtual homework help from high school volunteers. Just fill out the request form and someone will contact you to set up an appointment. More information is available online at thetroylibrary.org. ART SHOW: Southern Saratoga Art Society member Carol Winterton will feature her art in a one-woman show during the month of March 2021 in the Gallery of the Clifton Park Senior Community Center, 6 Clifton Common Blvd., Tel.# 518-383-1343. Carol has been painting for over 30 years, originally starting in pencil, chalk pastel and watercolor. She has since branched out into acrylics and water soluble oils, occasionally using more than one medium on a piece. She states that painting gives her joy, satisfaction and relaxation. Stop in and see this exhibit and support the arts in Southern Saratoga County. For more information about SSAS please visit the website at: southernsaratogaartist.com. REUNION CANCELED: Under the current Covid-19 restrictions on gatherings that are in place, we are unable to hold the Clinton Heights Annual Reunion this year. Please mark your calendar for next year's reunion to be held Friday, September 10th at Melvin Roads American Legion in East Greenbush. VIRTUAL HIDDEN GARDEN TOUR: Troy's popular Hidden Garden Tour returns as a virtual tour. Now in its 21st year, the tour is a fundraiser to benefit Troy's Prospect Park. Ordinarily, tour goers pay an admission fee to receive a self-guided map to more than 40 private gardens which are open for one night only throughout the Historic Sage, Washington Park and adjoining neighborhoods. In previous years, the rain-or-shine event has attracted more than 1,000 tour goers in one day. This year's virtual tour features 28 gardens, captured in 360-degree interactive photographs that viewers can explore online with their computer or mobile devices. Twelve gardeners recorded personal video messages, which are embedded in their stop on the virtual tour at HiddenGardenTour.com. While most of the gardens are approximately the same size, about 20 feet by 30 feet, they vary greatly in style. Some of the gardens feature charming pathways, fountains and pools. Some are filled with flowers, while others have more plants and vegetables -- all lovingly tended by gardeners of all skill levels. The online virtual tour is offered at no charge, but donations are welcomed and will benefit ongoing improvement projects in historic Prospect Park, located on Congress Street in Troy. Friends of Prospect Park, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit hopes to provide free event programming in the park in future, when such activities are deemed safe to the public. Donation information is available on the tour's website. The virtual tour can be accessed through a desktop or laptop computer as well as via tablet or smartphone. Certain gardens have a "play" button that will launch a special video message. The gardens are listed by number and the owners first names in the left hand column and clicking on the circular icon will open that particular garden's 3D tour. One upside of the virtual version of the garden tour is that this one is always sunny. It's also accessible 24 hours per day for at least a month. For more information Visit www.hiddengardentour.com on your desktop or laptop computer. TICK TALK: The Lyme Action Network is taking its message to the online platform. To help people understand about Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, the Lyme Action Network will be offering video presentations, Zoom meetings, and other virtual events to help people understand the dangers of tick bites and what to do if they get bitten. The Lyme Action Network has already confirmed three presentations, with more in the pipeline. The first features Professor Holly Ahern, Associate Professor of Microbiology, SUNY Adirondack, presenting Tick Born Disease – Update 2020. In this recorded talk, Holly reviews the essential information about TBD's and shares her "insider's perspective" on the status of very promising research. This talk, originally given at a recent meeting of the Lake George Land Conservancy, is currently available on Lyme Action Network's YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHNfY_htKmY. Additional information can be found at LymeActionNetwork.org. VIRTUAL ART SHOW: In times of turmoil, art offers a chance for peace. Join Choose Cohoes for Art (CCfA) in their first virtual CAS (Cohoes Artist Showcase). Over 16 artists from Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady Counties share their art in this special show. You can view a sampling of their work, learn about the artists in their own words and reach out to them with comments and encouragement. One of the best things about it, is you can check it out on your own schedule. Check out CCfA's website www.ChooseCohoesForArt.org to learn more about this organization and select the link on the left of the page to go to the virtual show. STEPHENTOWN HISTORICAL SOCIETY UPDATE: The Stephentown Historical Society Board's monthly program meetings have also been cancelled until further notice. JOURNEY TO TRUTH CLASS: Awakening: Journey to Truth Class – eight Tuesdays, beginning October 6, 6:30-8:30 p.m. In this practical spirituality class based on the book The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer, students are invited to get in touch with their true selves and explore their spiritual essence and divine wisdom through experiential exercises, class discussions, and reading. Suggested donation: $20 per class. Hosted by Albany-Saratoga Spiritual Adventures via Zoom. For more information or to sign up, visit www.newthoughtnewyork.org, our Meetup.com group or call (518) 366-9918. NATUREFEST: Moreau Lake State Park NatureFest 2020 is going virtual. To help fight the COVID-19 pandemic, we've cancelled our annual onsite event. With the help of many Friends we have created a dedicated website that will feature individual videos, links and content highlighting local experts and organizations in many areas covering the environment, wildlife rehabilitation, conservation and sustainable practices. We'll also have games for friends and families to enjoy together. We invite you to visit our dedicated NatureFest 2020 website naturefest2020.org. IRONWORKING APPRENTICESHIPS: The Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for Ironworkers, Local Union #12, will conduct a recruitment from Feb. 5, 2021 through Jan. 7, 2022 for five Ironworker (Outside) apprentices, the New York State Department of Labor announced today. Please note that the five openings listed for apprentices represent the total number for four recruitment regions – the Capital District, Mohawk Valley, North Country, and Southern Tier regions. Applications can be obtained and submitted, in person only, at Local Union #12, 17 Hemlock Street, Latham, NY, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. on the first Friday of each month, excluding legal holidays, during the recruitment period. The Committee requires that applicants Must be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma (such as TASC or GED), attest in writing that they are physically capable of performing the work of an Ironworker (Outside), which may include: Wearing a safety belt weighing 25-50 pounds for a full day, Carrying steel bars weighing between 50 and 150 pounds, Climbing for purposes of erecting steel and reinforcing iron, Walking, climbing, bending, reaching, lifting, and carrying for a full day. Must have reliable transportation to and from various job sites and required classes at the approved school. Must pass a drug screening, at the expense of the sponsor, after acceptance into the program. Must reside within the jurisdiction of Local Union #12, which includes the counties of Albany, Clinton, Columbia, Delaware, Essex, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, and Washington. For further information, applicants should contact Ironworkers Local # 12 at (518) 435-0470. Additional job search assistance can be obtained at your local New York State Department of Labor Career Center (see: https://www.labor.ny.gov/career-center-locator/location-list-all.php). VIRTUAL HORSE SYMPOSIUM: CCE Equine, a division of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County, is gearing up to host ist second Virtual Horse Symposium in March. This three-week program is offered for adult horse owners, business owners, and horse enthusiasts in the Capital Region and beyond. This year, classes will be held every Tuesday and Thursday for three weeks starting March 16 and ending April 1. Topics include: Sound Development of Young Horses, An introduction to Liability Risks: New York's Agricultural Tourism Act and Negligence in the Horse Industry, Equine Law: Legal Issues for Participants in the Horse Industry, and more. Each session will be hosted virtually at 7 p.m. via Zoom. In addition to the virtual classes, there will be an option for participants to receive educational packets with resources for each presentation. New this year, the event will include a Family Fun Equine Trivia Night on April 2 that promises to be a fun and educational experience. Anyone can join this interactive virtual event. Attendees also have the option to purchase a handcrafted charcuterie box that can be picked up locally in Ballston Spa. More information about the Virtual Horse Symposium is available online at http://ccesaratoga.org/agriculture/cce-equine/saratoga-horse-symposium, where anyone can follow the link to register for the event. Questions about the event can be directed to Hughes at bh548@cornell.edu or 518-885-8995. CARPENTRY APPRENTICESHIPS: The North Atlantic States Carpenters Training Fund (formerly known as New England Carpenters Apprenticeship Fund and Northeast Carpenters Apprenticeship Fund) will conduct a recruitment through June 5, 2021 for five linoleum, resilient tile and carpet layer apprentices, the New York State Department of Labor announced today. Applications are available online at https://www.nectf.org/ during the recruitment period. Applicants who do not have internet access may visit their local library or nearest New York State Department of Labor Career Center. Applications are also available at the information sessions indicated below. Prior to submitting an application, applicants are required to attend an information session at the North Atlantic States Carpenter Training Fund (NASCTF) – 16 Corporate Circle, Albany, NY 12203; which is given on the first Monday of each month at 6:00 P.M. If the first Monday falls on a holiday, the information session will occur on the second Monday of that month at 6:00 P.M. At the conclusion of the information session, a code will be provided, which is required to complete an application. If assistance is required for completing an on-line application, please visit the NASCTF listed above, between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. Please contact the NASCTF at (518) 438-0901 for availability of information sessions in additional locations. Applications will be available at these locations as well. All information sessions have been cancelled until further notice. To complete an application, please contact our training center.For further information, applicants should contact North Atlantic States Carpenters Training Fund at (518) 438-0901 Additional job search assistance can be obtained at your local New York State Department of Labor Career Center (see: https://www.labor.ny.gov/career-center-locator/location-list-all.php). ELECTRICIAN APPRENTICESHIPS: The Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) for Electricians, Local Union #910, will conduct a recruitment through May 3, 2021 for 15 electrician apprentices, the New York State Department of Labor announced today. Applications can be obtained online at http://ibew910.org/ejatc/. Applications can also be obtained and completed in person at JATC for Electricians, Local Union #910, 25001 Water Street, Watertown, NY, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., or at 28 New York Road, Plattsburgh, NY, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., on the first Monday of each month, excluding legal holidays, during the recruitment period. If a legal holiday falls on the first Monday of the month, applications will be accepted on the second Monday. Applicants must bring current resume at the time of application. All applications must be submitted no later than May 3, 2021. For further information, applicants should contact JATC for Electricians, Local Union #910 at (315) 782-1675. Additional job search assistance can be obtained at your local New York State Department of Labor Career Center at https://www.labor.ny.gov/career-center-locator/location-list-all.php. ONLINE ART EXHIBIT: Sage BFA 2020: Now Online. Congratulations to Sage's graduating Art + Design students! Visit the online gallery AT art.sage.edu/bfa2020 to see work selected for this year's BFA Exhibition. SPAC LEARNING LIBRARY: Saratoga Performing Arts Center announced that it has unveiled its new Learning Library, created to bring free original arts educational content to students, families and educators at a time when previously scheduled in-school presentations and classes are not feasible due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the Center's mission to provide meaningful educational programming to the community while also supporting local artists, the videos and exercises feature more than 25 professional musicians and dancers who have been affected by the pandemic such as Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company, professional stepping company Soul Steps and Caroga Arts Collective, as well as former Broadway performers, composers and local storytellers. The SPAC Learning Library can be accessed at spaclearninglibrary.org and is part of the Center's new "Creative Connection" online campaign. SPAC believes in the transformative power of art and beauty to restore and enrich the human spirit. Creative Connection and the Learning Library were launched as part of SPAC's expanded mission to provide online resources, community groups, and educational content to inspire and create a sense of community and hope. HOME BIBLE STUDY: Free Spirit Fellowship of Ballston Spa is now offering Exploring God's Word Home Bible Study via Youtube. Taught by Pastor LaFave, these twelve lessons take you through an interesting study of the Old and New Testaments. For further info or questions please contact 518-885-3149. APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITY: The Finishing Trades Institute of New York at Albany, District Council #9, Local Union #201, will conduct a recruitment through June 30, 2021 for five glazier apprentices. The five openings listed for apprentices represent the total number for three recruitment regions: Capital District, Mohawk Valley, and North Country regions. Applications can be obtained at The Finishing Trades Institute of New York at Albany Training Center, 191 Broadway, Menands, NY, every Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., excluding legal holidays, during the recruitment period. Applications are not available on national holidays. All applications must be filled out on the premises. The Committee requires that applicants must be at least 18 years old, Must have a high school diploma or general equivalency diploma (such as a TASC or GED), must have reliable transportation to and from job sites and required classes at the approved school and must have a valid Driver's License to operate company vehicles. For further information, applicants should contact The Finishing Trades Institute of New York at Albany, District Council #9, Local Union #201, at (518) 355-4840. Additional job search assistance can be obtained at your local New York State Department of Labor Career Center (see: https://www.labor.ny.gov/career-center-locator/location-list-all.php). ONLINE MUSEUM PROGRAMMING: The World Awareness Children's Museum is excited to announce their new Online Programming for families to enjoy from the safety of their own homes! There is their weekly "Living Room Explorers" series, which talks about a different country each week while also playing games, looking at art, and giving instructions on a fun craft for families to do at home! There is also downloadable content like crossword puzzles to enjoy, and instructional yoga classes for the whole family to participate in. Parents can visit www.worldchildrensmuseum.org/online-programming to view their entire library of content. And the Museum is also proud to announce the launch of their new "Arts & Artifacts" page on their website, which highlights selections from a different country each month from their International Youth Art Exchange collection, as well as their 8,000+ strong artifact collection. Visitors can visit their website at www.worldchildrensmuseum.org/arts-artifacts to browse the month's selections! YOUTH PEN PAL PROGRAM: Letter writing helps kids learn communication and social skills and may even help them develop their penmanship. Each child who signs up to be a penpal will receive a kit with paper, stamped envelopes, pencils and more. Contact the Stillwater Public Library by phone, email or through the website to sign up. 518.664.6255,STILIB@SALS.EDU, Stillwater.sals.edu. VIRTUAL HOMEWORK HELP: Monday-Thursday 3pm - 5 pm on Discord for grades 6-12. Contact Discord username Michete#6346 for an invite to the server. This program is presented by the Stillwater Public Library. SHEET METAL WORKER APPRENTICESHIPS: The Joint Apprenticeship Committee (JAC) for Capital District Sheet Metal Workers, Local Union #83, will conduct a recruitment from Feb. 1, 2021 through Jan. 31, 2022 for 10-15 Sheet Metal Worker apprentices, the New York State Department of Labor announced today. Applications can be obtained and submitted online at: www.smartlu83.org, during the recruitment period. Applicants who do not have internet access may want to contact their local library. For further information, applicants should contact JAC for Capital District Sheet Metal Workers, Local Union #83 at (518) 489-1377. Additional job search assistance can be obtained at your local New York State Department of Labor Career Center (see: https://www.labor.ny.gov/career-center-locator/location-list-all.php). DAYCARE OPENINGS: A Child's Place at Unity House recently reopened a few of its day care classrooms with a limited number of children and now is prepared to open more classrooms to help essential workers who have children in need of day care. A Child's Place is now able to take an additional children at both its Troy site and its Albany location. Currently, A Child's Place is enrolling small groups of children per room and staffing each room with just one teacher to minimize contact between children and adults. In addition, the highest level of CDC precautions are being practiced. A Child's Place serves children from five weeks to five years old in classrooms for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Its centers are located at 435 Fourth St. in Troy and 50 Philip St. in Albany. The centers also provide early intervention and preschool developmental services in speech/language, physical and occupational therapy. To inquire about enrolling a child at A Child's Place, contact Kathy D'Angelo at 518-960-2660 or a kdangelo@unityhouseny.org. LITERARY CLUB: The Ilium Literary Club of Troy will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in October 2022. We are looking for members & former members to help us plan this celebration. If you have memorabilia, stories of different events, history of the Club, we would love to hear from you. Please contact Barbara at mburban@prodigy.net or call 518-274-2949. EAST SIDE SENIORS: Bocce Ball playing has been canceled until further notice. Also, regular Tuesday meetings are canceled until further notice. LEAF BAG COLLECTION SUSPENDED: Due to staffing limitations resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak, weekly leaf bag collection is temporarily suspended. We apologize for the inconvenience. For more information on the City's response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including health protocols implemented at City-owned facilities and changes to non-essential services, please visit www.troyny.gov/coronavirus. GRAFTON MERRYMAKERS: Grafton Merrymakers will keep you updated when our next meeting will take place. If you have any questions please call Betty Jean at 518-272-8624. The Grafton Merrymakers typically meet on the second Wednesday of each month from March through November at the Everett Wagar Senior Center, 2 Roxborough Road in Grafton. If you are interested in joining the Merrymakers please come to a meeting, or call the senior center Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at 518-279-3413. STEPHENTOWN HERITAGE CENTER: The Stephentown Historical Society would like to remind you that the Heritage Center is now welcoming visitors on the first Saturday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Saturday hours are in addition to the regular weekly Friday hours of 1 to 4 p.m. These Saturday open hours will offer more Stephentown residents and visitors the opportunity to explore what the Society offers in genealogy research and local history. The Heritage Center is the former Stephentown Methodist Church at 4 Staples Road at the corner of Garfield Road. It is free and handicapped accessible. Hope to see you soon! STEPHENTOWN FOOD PANTRY: The Stephentown Food Pantry continues to serve the community with food assistance during this time. Extra health precautions and accommodations have been put in place so clients can be served as safely as possible. If someone needing food is sick and/or wishes to avoid contact with others, they should phone the Food Pantry at (518) 487-8606 and leave a message with their phone number. Arrangements can be made for them to pick up a prepacked food bundle. Or they can designate a friend to collect their food for them. The Stephentown Food Pantry offers assistance to residents of Stephentown, New York, and Hancock, Massachusetts. The pantry is open every Saturday morning, weather permitting, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the Stephentown Federated Church, 1513 Garfield Road (County Route 26). Appointments are not needed. As always, requests for help are confidential. The pantry is an equal opportunity provider. For information, call 518-487-8606. Donations Welcome! Even before the current health crisis Stephentown Food Pantry use was increasing. The pantry relies entirely on community donations of money and food items to keep operating. If you would like to help out, please send your check made out to the Stephentown Food Pantry to the Stephentown Food Pantry treasurer at P. O. Box 387, Stephentown, NY 12168. Donations can also be made to the Regional Food Bank of Northeast New York, 965 Albany Shaker Road, Latham, NY 12110. Mark it for use by Stephentown Food Pantry and your contribution will be available for us to purchase low cost food from the Food Bank. COHOES DOWNTOWN MARKETPLACE: Vintage items, collectibles, crafts, furniture and more. 103 Remsen St., Cohoes. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every other Saturday and Sunday. Check the Cohoes Downtown Marketplace Facebook page for current information. LOCAL MAGICIANS: The local group of The Society of American Magicians, Assembly #24, meets regularly. We welcome all persons, age 16 and older, with any interest in the art of magic whether it be: performance, history, collecting or purely entertainment to join us for a fun evening. For more information about our organization, or for a link to a local magician, visit WWW.SAM24.SYNTHASITE.COM. YOUTH ROBOTICS CLUB: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County 4-H is starting a 4-H Robotics Club with 4-H Volunteer and Arduino Robotics guru Ray Martin. The Robotics Club will meet generally the third Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Building, 61 State Street, Troy. 2nd Floor. Youth ages 12 and older with a strong interest in coding are encouraged to sign up! The club will be primarily working with Arduino boards, but also using 4-H Adafruit products connecting plant and soil sciences with technology. Space is limited. To register a youth, or for more information, please contact Kandis Freer at 518-272-4210 ext. 106. No one shall be denied the opportunity to participate or receive information based on their abilities. If you need any accommodations please let us know at the time of registration. THRIFT SHOP: Johnsonville Methodist Church 22 Bridge St. Johnsonville 12094. Route 40 to Route 67 East. Look for our sign at the corner of Route 111 & Route 67. Open 9-12 on Wednesdays and the first Saturday of each month. Newly arrived Winter clothing and household goods every week, Christmas decorations, career clothing, special occasion dresses and gowns, jewelry, purses, shoes, toys and over 1000 books. ILIUM LITERARY CLUB: If you have suggestions on speakers/presenters for our 2020 - 2021 yearbook, please call Barbara at 518-274-2949. CORNER SHOPPE: The Corner Shoppe at Cornerstone Church is open displaying many new items and clothing, housewares, home decor, jewelry and more. Shoppe hours are 9 am - noon every Thursday and Saturday. Masks and social distancing required. Donations are by appointment only-call 518-235-3851. POESTENKILL SENIORS: The Poestenkill Seniors typically hold weekly meetings every Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Sullivan Jones VFW Post in Poestenkill. All seniors are welcome. Coffee and refreshments are served after the meeting, followed by bingo and cards. The hall is handicap accessible, with sufficient parking. The Poestenkill Seniors hold catered luncheons, clamsteams and fish fries at the hall and also at various restaurants. Best of all they go on bus trips to casinos and other points of interest. YARN DONATIONS NEEDED: Rensselaer County's Everett Wagar Senior Center, 2 Roxborough Rd, Grafton, is happy to accept any donation of yarn. Many of our center members enjoy knitting and crocheting. They make afghans and lap covers for other seniors, as well as some home bound senior residents and to use as raffle items to help support the activities of the center. We also have members that make hats and mittens to be given at the schools when a child is in need. If you would like to make a donation of yarn, please drop it off at the senior center M-F from 9:00 to 3:00, or call to make arrangements for pickup. Any donation, large or small is appreciated. MINDFULNESS PRACTICE GROUP: Meeting Format: Includes walking meditation and sitting meditation in the tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh; all are welcome –meditation instruction available. Schedule: Wednesday evenings -- 6:30 to 7:30 pm. Location: RPI's Newman Center Hospitality House--4 Sherry Rd. in Troy-- a white 2-story residential building about 30 yards south of the RPI Chapel Center (near the intersection of Burdett and Peoples Avenues). Cost: Free. Contact: (518) 271-6949 or (518) 273-1851 for more information. HIGH & MIGHTY THERAPEUTIC RIDING & DRIVING CENTER: Become part of the extraordinary group of volunteers and learn to assist people with special needs through equine assisted activities.Only one training is needed. Horse experience is great but not a requirement. Please wear sturdy shoes and be prepared to be outdoors. For ages 14 and up. High & Mighty is located at 71 CR 21C Ghent. If you are interested in volunteering or are a current volunteer looking to reserve a slot in Summer Program, please reach out to Dianne at Dianne@high-n-mighty.org. For general information about our programs, please email info@high-n-mighy.org or call 518-672-4202. MAKERS MARKET: A celebration of crafters, makers, artists & taste makers from around the Capital Region The Troy Makers Market is held in conjunction with the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market, which takes place Saturdays from 9:00am – 2:00pm (Monument Square May-October and Uncle Sam Atrium November-April). ANCESTRY.COM TUTORIALS: North Greenbush Community Library Trustee and Town Historian Jim Greenfield offers free personal tutorials on the use of ancestry.com. Ancestry Library Edition, available at the library, provides access to 7,000 databases, delivering an extraordinary online collection of genealogy information. To set up your individual session, please call the library at 518-283-0303 and leave your information. Jim will call you back to schedule an appointment. The library is located at 141 Main Avenue, Wynantskill. FREE YOGA: Join for gentle and relaxing yoga every Friday at the Presbyterian United Church of Schaghticoke from 7 pm until 8 pm. The Church is located at 16 Main Street in Schaghticoke. For more information email presbychurchmouse@yahoo.com. BACKPACKS WANTED: Catholic Charities Tri-County Services runs five school supply programs throughout our communities and needs *new* backpacks for elementary and middle school aged children. Donations can be dropped off at the office at 50 Herrick Street in Rensselaer, or call Justine Carroll at 518-512-3577 x115 to arrange a pickup of larger quantity donations. You, your business, church or group can arrange a collection of new backpacks or donate funds for Catholic Charities to purchase them. If you prefer to make a monetary donation you can donate online at https://rcda.thankyou4caring.org/ccrcda/cc-tri-county-services. FREE ENGLISH CLASSES: Do you want to improve your English? Are you new to the United States? Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County has free English Literacy Civics classes where you can improve your English language skills while learning about life in the United States. Each class meets two times per week. Classes for beginning learners meet in Albany. Classes for intermediate learners meet in Troy. For more information, contact Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County at 518-244-4650 or visit www.lvorc.org. WATERVLIET SENIOR CENTER GROUP LUNCHES: Enjoy a nutritious, social, and fun lunch with the Watervliet Senior Center Monday through Friday at noon. The $3 suggested donation is anonymous and everyone is welcome. Call for the daily menu and sign up by 2 p.m. for the following day. The Senior Center is located at 1501 Broadway, Watervliet. Call 518-273-4422 for more information. ICC BINGO: The Italian Community Center Charitable Foundation hosts Bingo night on Tuesdays. Doors open at 5 p.m. at 1450 Fifth Avenue, Troy. Food and beverages will be sold. FALL LACROSSE PROGRAMS FOR MEN AGE 16 AND OVER: This program to give men aged 16 to 40 years old the opportunity to play in a competitive lacrosse game. This program will continue throughout the winter on Wednesday evenings. For more information go to www.capitallandlacrosse.com or e-mail us at chad@capitallandlacrosse.com. A SECOND CHANCE THRIFT SHOP: Come visit our thrift shop offering clothing and accessories for men, women, and children, household items, books, toys, linens, small appliances, and jewelry, all at reasonable prices. We feature a boutique room for upscale and designer clothing for women. The Shop is located at 1229 Central Avenue, parking off of Frederick Avenue. Hours: Tuesdays and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. All proceeds benefit the American Italian Heritage Association and Museum, a nonprofit organization. American Italian Heritage Association and Museum, 1227 Central Avenue, Albany. (518) 435-1979. www.americanitalianmuseum.org. TROY CENTER: Everyone is welcome to sing along with entertainer Bob Marcello as he performs the greatest songs of the 50's, 60's and 70's at Troy Center. All families and friends are welcome to this free monthly engagement. Bob will perform the first Thursday of every month from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Troy Center is located at 49 Marvin Avenue in Troy. Please contact Billejo Sass at 518-273-6646 or by email at bsass@troycenter.net for more information. MEN'S CANCER SUPPORT GROUP: NY Capital Region Men to Men Cancer Support Group meets the third Wednesday of every month from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the American Cancer Society Hope Club, 1 Penny Lane, Latham. Come-share experiences and receive understanding and encouragement from men and their loved ones in dealing with cancer. For more information, please contact the ACS Hope Club at 518-220-6960. FREE SPIRIT FELLOWSHIP: Free Spirit Fellowship of Watervliet is now holding services Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. in the United Methodist Church. The church is located at 1401 1st Avenue. For further info, please call 518-961-3464. FREE HOME BIBLE STUDY: A great way to study through the Bible at your convenience. Exciting and informative study that could change your life. Compliments of Free Spirit Fellowship. For more information call 518-885-3149. HOME DELIVERED MEALS: Are you a Rensselaer County homebound senior over 60 and unable to shop and cook for yourself? Rensselaer County Department of the Aging may be able to help you with a nutritious hot meal delivered to your home Monday through Friday. For more information call 270-2730 or your local Senior Center. TROY SENIOR CENTER BOWLING LEAGUE: The Troy Senior Center has a bowling league that meets every Monday at 12:30 p.m. at the Uncle Sam Lanes, 600 Fulton Street in Troy. Bowling is an enjoyable and affordable exercise. All beginners are welcome. Call the Center at 518-270-5348 for more information. TROY SENIOR CENTER SWIM PROGRAM: The Troy Senior Center has a swimming program that meets every Wednesday beginning at 9 a.m. Swimming is a great exercise with many health benefits and it's so much fun! Join us at the Lansingburgh Boys & Girls Club; it's a great time to socialize, swim and enjoy the heated pool. Call the Center at 518-270-5348 for more information. COHOES PUBLIC LIBRARY: The Cohoes Public Library, in conjunction with the Cohoes Senior Center, invites seniors to take the van to the library on the first and third Wednesday of the month. They can peruse the books, use the computer, participate in the knitting/crocheting group, join a special book club (the 3rd Wednesday of the month) and participate in other specially designed programs. There will be help in signing up for library cards and in use of the computers. Additional info on the website and Facebook. THRIFT SHOP: The Basement on First Street, a thrift shop located at St. John's Episcopal Church on First Street in Troy is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 till noon, with plenty of warm clothing and lots of other interesting items. The church also offers free bread and coffee to all who come in on Saturdays. Come in from the cold, have a cup of coffee and bagel and then come into the thrift shop for some great deals. THE BOOK SELLER: The Book Seller, sponsored by the Friends of the Troy Public Library, is located at the Lansingburgh Branch at 114th Street and 4th Avenue. Hours are Wednesdays from 2 to 5 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 1 pm. The store offers a wide variety of gently used books at bargain prices. Hard cover and trade books are one dollar and children's books are twenty five cents. The Book Seller also has a collection of CDs. Proceeds from the store help support programs, services and improvements to both library buildings. For more information about activities of the Friends, to join, or volunteer at the Book Seller, stop by the store or go to our new website www.friendsofthetroylibrary.org. PITTSTOWN SENIORS: The town of Pittstown Seniors hold their monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of the month starting with a covered dish luncheon at noon. T.O.P.S meetings are held at the Raymertown Fire House on Mason Lane. All seniors 55 or over are invited to attend. WATERVLIET UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: The church operates the Fabulous Finds Thrift Store, which is open every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fabulous Finds accepts clean, unsoiled clothing. The church is located at 1401 First Avenue, Watervliet. For more information, please call 273-0191, Ext. 4. CAPITAL VIEW TOASTMASTERS CLUB: It is more than just public speaking, Learn a variety of communication and leadership skills. Capital View Toastmasters Club meets the first and third Wednesday of each month from noon to 1 p.m. at the East Greenbush Library. Contact capitalview.toastmastersclubs.org. YEAR-ROUND RECYCLING: Zion's United Church of Christ of Taborton receives the following items for recycling in the Blue Box next to the front door of the Church Hall: clothing, belts, blankets, drapery, hats, hand bags, paired shoes, sheets, sneakers, towels and stuffed animals. In the Greenfiber green recycling container, in the church parking lot, the church receives newspapers, phone books, office paper, cardboard, cereal boxes, magazines, brown paper bags and construction paper. Donate all used items to Doors of Hope in West Sand Lake. Donate used furniture to the furniture program of Troy Area United Ministries. Call TAUM at 274-5920, ext. 204, Tiara Burnett, to arrange for a pick up. FOOD PANTRY: Faith's Pantry at Grace Church, 34 Third St. is open by appointment. The emergency food pantry is open from 10 a.m. to noon each Friday. The pantry is also open 7 to 8 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month and from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month. To make an appointment, call 518-237-7370. BAKER FAMILY REUNION: CANCELED - The 156th Baker Family Reunion will not meet this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is only the second time a reunion has been cancelled since the first one was held in 1865. The other year was 1943, in the depths of WW II. The next reunion will be held on August 14, 2021. Because of the unique impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is hoped Baker descendants will share how they and their families are doing, as well as their experiences of how they have been affected. They can contact Baker Family Historian Maria Carr by email at bakerreunion@roadrunner.com. Or they can post a memory on the Baker Family Reunion Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/thebakerfamilyreunion/). FREE COMMUNITY DINNERS: The second Thursday of every month a free community dinner is served in the city of Rensselaer from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. In an ecumenical partnership, Hope Lutheran Church of North Greenbush, and Rensselaer Presbyterian Church, 34 Broadway have combined and created Hopes Kitchen. AMERICAN ITALIAN MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER: The American Italian Museum and Cultural Center is located at 1227 Central Avenue in Albany. Since 1979 the museum has fulfilled its mission - to record and preserve Italian heritage for present and future generations - with the help of its dedicated, all volunteer staff. Ours is the largest American Italian museum in the eastern U.S. maintaining 10 exhibit rooms, a Hall of History and a library including research materials. Our gift shop offers many one-of-a-kind and "Made in Italy" items. There is a small admission fee. Please call ahead to confirm we are open. (518) 435-1979. CALL FOR RECIPES: As part of its 25th anniversary, the Slate Valley Museum is planning to create a new edition of its popular original cookbook, Cooking in the Slate Valley. The Museum is asking people with connections to the Slate Valley to help breathe new life into the book by sharing their favorite recipes. The old cookbook, a popular item in the Museum's gift shop for a number of years, contains an array of recipes, most of which are tied to the immigrant heritage in the Slate Valley.The new cookbook will continue to include ethnic recipes. But, it will also expand with a new section devoted to recipes from people who have connections to the Slate Valley, but have no close immigrant past. With the holiday season upon us, peak baking and cooking season is also approaching. The Museum's committee hopes that people will keep their cookbook project in mind as they're flipping through their own family recipes for the holidays. The Museum will gather recipes throughout the fall and into the winter and will announce more details about deadlines and printing as the book's production schedule is finalized. If you have a recipe that you'd like to share for consideration, please email it to Sarah Kijowski at executivedirector@slatevalleymuseum.org or mail a copy to the Museum at the address listed below. The Slate Valley Museum is located at 17 Water Street in Granville, NY. Tel. 518-642-1417 www.slatevalleymuseum.org. SARATOGA NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK WINTER HOURS: Winter hours of operation are in place at Saratoga National Historical Park. The park's tour road will be closed until April 1. Winter weather may cause an earlier closure or delay opening. Please check the park's website or social media for updates. The Visitor Center will remain closed throughout the winter. Please bring water and snacks as none are available in the park. A portable toilet is located in the main lower parking lot. We encourage visitors to recreate responsibly by taking all trash and pet waste with them. Winter is a great time to discover the beauty of the battlefield, bird watch, look for deer, or enjoy the stillness of a snow covered walk. Grounds will be open sunrise to sunset for hiking, walking, snowshoeing and cross country skiing. For more information about park operations and activities, please see the park's website at www.nps.gov/sara or on Facebook and Twitter @SaratogaNHP. ART SHOW: Southern Saratoga Art Society member Carol Winterton will feature her art in a one-woman show during the months of January and February, 2021 in the Gallery at the Clifton Park Senior Community Center, 6 Clifton Common Court, Tel. #: 518-383-1343. Carol has been painting for over 30 years, originally starting in pencil, chalk pastel and watercolor. She has since branched out into acrylics and water soluble oils, occasionally using more than one medium on a piece. For more information about SSAS please visit the website at: southernsaratogaartist.com. WINTER SPORTS RENTALS: Don't hibernate all winter! Cross country skiing and snowshoeing are great ways to explore the outdoors during this time of year. Cross Country Skis & Snowshoes are available for rent every Saturday and Sunday through March 14th. We have both adult and child sizes available, meaning the whole family can enjoy the winter scenes of Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park! The Rental Cabin is located at the Camp Saratoga North Parcel, Parking Lot #1, on Scout Road of the town of Wilton. Rentals are $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for kids/students. Rentals are available between 11:00AM and 3:00PM. All rented equipment must be returned by 3:00PM. Rentals are given out on a first-come first-serve basis. For more information, please call the Preserve & Park office at 518-450-0321 or via email at info@wiltonpreserve.org. For up-to-date trail conditions or program information, please visit the Preserve & Park's website at www.wiltonpreserve.org. |
| Accusations of abuse, harassment in workplace at McDonald’s, franchisees - Yahoo News Posted: 28 Feb 2021 07:07 AM PST  The Daily Beast Why Lady Gaga's Dognapping Has Stumped Pet DetectivesInstagram/Lady GagaJamie Katz has seen a lot in her seven years as a pet detective.She had one case of a man who was walking his dog at 5 a.m. when "a car pulled up and just, like, four to five people got out and started beating the hell out of him." The assailants kicked the dog during the attack, prompting it to run away.In another case, a client had their French Bulldog stolen from its crate in their home, along with $10,000 in cash.But even she was surprised by the dramatic theft of Lady Gaga's two French Bulldogs, who were pinched off a Los Angeles street on Wednesday night by unidentified assailants who shot the pop star's dog walker. The dogs were returned unharmed late Friday, but the suspects remain at large. 'Help Me!': Disturbing Video Shows Moment Thieves Shot Lady Gaga's Dog WalkerOf the 700 lost pet cases Katz has taken on since she started her agency in Florida in late 2015, "I've only had 4 percent that have actually been stolen," Katz said.More often than not, Katz is dealing with frantic owners who think their pets have been stolen—when they actually just ran off or a concerned passerby took them in.Given the added violence of the Lady Gaga shooting, "Now, it's more of a missing person case," that the police are best equipped to deal with, the licensed P.I. told The Daily Beast.Shocking video captured a white car pulling up beside the dog walker, Ryan Fischer, and multiple robbers surrounding him late on Wednesday night. When he refused to give up the pups, he was shot. "Help me! I'm bleeding out. They shot me in my [inaudible] heart. They stole two dogs. Oh my god. Please help me," Fischer can be heard yelling.Two dogs, Koji and Gustav, were taken while Fischer managed to hold on to a third, Asia. Fischer remained in the hospital in critical condition on Friday, but his family said in a statement to Rolling Stone that he was likely to make a full recovery."Of course, we also want to thank Lady Gaga who has shown nothing but non-stop love and concern for Ryan and our family right from the outset. Ryan loves Gustavo and Koji as much as Lady Gaga does; so we join in her plea for their safe return," the statement said.Though the crime was vicious, the motive is likely not complicated."People steal dogs for two main reasons, both coming from greed: They want the dog, or they want to sell the dog," said Brandi Hunter, vice president of public relations for the American Kennel Club.Katz has sometimes seen a third reason: A "retaliation type situation," where an animal was stolen because of "something that person did." A police car drives past the site of Lady Gaga's dognapping in Los Angeles. Mario Anzuoni/Reuters French Bulldogs, which weigh less than 28 pounds, can cost would-be owners thousands. They are the fourth most-popular breed of 197 dog breeds listed on the American Kennel Club's website."Popular breeds that are smaller in stature are the most common targets—Frenchies, Yorkies, Shih Tzus," Hunter said.Lady Gaga's father, Joe Germanotta, told CNN on Friday that they were "hoping for an act of kindness so we can get the dogs back." And the singer offered a $500,000 reward, "no question asked," for the return of her beloved pets.But, unlike human hostages, stolen dogs are rarely ransomed back to their original owners."Ransom is not a common situation when it comes to dog theft," said Hunter. "The thief is opting to sell. There's not much of a desire to give you the dog back. We don't see a lot of cases like Lady Gaga's."That is not to say canine blackmail money is unheard of. In November, an alleged thief in Gainesville, Florida stole a pitbull and attempted to hold it for $25,000 ransom, though he was caught before any money was exchanged. Other dramatic dognappings have also hit the headlines in recent months. In December, a New York City couple's 7-year-old dachshund Luca was stolen outside a grocery store and sold to new owners for somewhere between $100 and $500 but was returned after tipsters told police about a neighborhood man hawking a pooch on the cheap. In January, two alleged Las Vegas dognappers posed as buyers for three puppies worth $4,000 each, before holding the owner up at gunpoint and absconding with the English bulldogs.If Katz were assigned to solve Lady Gaga's case—hypothetically speaking—she said the first thing she would do is speak with the dog owner, as well as the police running the case.She'd want to know "what is going on currently" that might not be known publicly."What I do is I go over the case and I go through, you know, the 'who, what, when, where, how' questions to make sense of the situation and see what's going on," Katz said.Next, she said she'd figure out what direction police were going in. Did they think that it was a targeted attack? Then she would "go the opposite way of them" and try to look into whether it was a random attack. "So that way, we would have a whole case, meaning every side is looked into and you don't have any holes," Katz said, while emphasizing that she has no involvement in the Lady Gaga case. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) The crime of dognapping has a long history beyond Lady Gaga similar to the old crime of robbing graves to supply illicit cadavers to scientists. Dognappers' primary targets for fencing stolen dogs were once medical researchers. In 1966, however, the Animal Welfare Act severely limited the procurement of, and experiments on, canines. A longtime dog thief testified before Congress about his profession as part of the proceedings. The shift led thieves to sell more often to breeders.Back in 1846, dognappers targeted a spaniel named Flush owned by the sister of poet Elizabeth Barrett while the two were shopping together in London. The dog had been leashed outside a store. Barrett then took the pup's rescue upon herself. The animal's theft and return inspired a book by Virginia Woolf, Flush: A Biography, published in 1933.Notable dognappings vary by region. In Ireland, where dog racing is popular, a greyhound worth a million euros was stolen from his kennel in 2016.Your Dog Has Pandemic Anxiety, TooThe abduction of Lady Gaga's dogs is not, according to Hunter, part of a larger pattern in the United States. (In the United Kingdom, though, experts say the past year has been the "worst ever" for pet thefts.)The coronavirus pandemic has sent demand for pets skyrocketing, so much so that desperate New Yorkers adopted or fostered nearly every available dog and cat in the city in March 2020. Despite what might seem like obvious economics—high demand boosts prices which in turn incentivize thieves—the American Kennel Club has not seen a marked increase in dognappings as lockdown has rolled on. Stay-at-home orders may even be the reason abductions have not risen."During the pandemic, because so many people have been home, we haven't seen a rise in pet theft," said Hunter. "People are home with their dogs and able to pay more attention to them."She said the best way to deal with dognapping is ensuring you are well-covered. Install a microchip in your pet, collar and tag them with accurate contact information, and don't leave them unattended by a store or in the front yard."That's the way to protect yourself—diligence, vigilance, knowing where your dog is. Just as much as you miss them, they'll miss you. Don't give away certain details about your dog. Don't post specific information about your house on social media. Don't answer how much it costs," she said.If your pet is stolen, Hunter recommends filing a police report first, then notifying nearby veterinarians and animal shelters, and then doing the thing from the movies: putting up flyers in your neighborhood.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. |
| Posted: 26 Feb 2021 12:00 AM PST Find an updated count of COVID-19 cases in California and by county on our tracker here. Saturday, February 273:44 p.m.: FDA approves one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine A third coronavirus vaccine that requires only one shot has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, according to NPR. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was approved for emergency use Saturday a day after an FDA advisory panel voted unanimously (22-0) in its favor. "The authorization of this vaccine expands the availability of vaccines, the best medical prevention method for COVID-19, to help us in the fight against this pandemic, which has claimed over half a million lives in the United States," Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement. The vaccine was tested in an international study of 40,000 people. It found the company's vaccine to be 66% effective overall in preventing moderate to severe COVID-19 disease, and 85% effective in preventing severe or critical disease. 3:23 p.m.: High court tells Santa Clara it can't bar in-person worship The Supreme Court is telling California's Santa Clara County that it can't enforce a ban on indoor religious worship services put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic. The high court issued an order Friday evening in a case brought by a handful of churches. The court in early February told California that it can't bar indoor church services because of the pandemic. The justices said at the time that the state could cap indoor services at 25% of a building's capacity and continue to bar singing and chanting. But Santa Clara had argued that its temporary ban on indoor gatherings of any kind should be allowed to stand. —Associated Press Friday, February 267 p.m.: Newsom: Vaccine Supply, Distribution Improving Gov. Gavin Newsom says vaccine supply and distribution is improving in California. Speaking Friday in the Central Valley, Newsom says the state now has the ability to project three weeks into the future. "We'll go from 1.46 million doses that we'll receive by the end of this week — later today — we'll have 1.58 million next week," he said. We'll go up to 1.63 million the week following." Newsom also says California expects to receive more than 380,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson single shot vaccine beginning next week and continuing over the next three weeks. 2:16 p.m.: FDA Panel Votes For Emergency Use Of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 Vaccine A Food and Drug Administration panel approved emergency use authorization for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. The FDA must now approve the vaccine, but the agency typically follows the advice of its expert advisers. This would be the third vaccine available for use in the United States, but the first that requires only a single shot. A quick decision is expected given the state of the pandemic. The FDA authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines one day after the same panel recommended them for clearance during separate meetings last December. 8:31 a.m.: Yolo County health officer cautious as coronavirus restrictions loosen Low coronavirus case-rates helped Yolo County this week get state approval to move into the red tier, in the state's reopening system, allowing indoor businesses to reopen with capacity restrictions. But Yolo County's Public Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson says she's apprehensive about the months ahead. "I am definitely concerned about the emergence of these variants and knowing that we have the B117 variant in Yolo County," Sisson said. " It is quite possible that a lot of our hard work in getting case rates down could be reversed." Yolo is the first in the four-county Sacramento region to move out of the purple tier and into the less restrictive red tier. "One of the things that distinguishes us from nearby counties is the large testing volume and that's primarily being driven by Davis, especially the large amount of testing that's happening on the UC Davis campus," she said. Sisson says if all goes well, Yolo County could move into the even less restrictive orange tier in three weeks. 8:23 a.m.: Even without spectators, California horse racing fans bet $2.8 billion last season Horse racing in California has continued throughout the pandemic without trackside spectators, but the sport is still generating money. Betting windows at California horse tracks remained closed for much of last year, but people are still betting on races. Fans wagered $2.9 billion in the 2018-2019 season and $2.8 billion last season. "And that can all be explained by people sitting on their couch wagering on horse races," said Scott Chaney, executive director of the California Horse Racing Board. He says remote betting on horses boomed during the pandemic. "There has been a trend away from brick-and-mortar, satellite, on-track attendance," Chaney said. "But COVID has just massively accelerated that." The vast majority of bets — nearly 80% — were placed remotely, and often out of state. Chaney says he's encouraged by the sustained level of interest in the sport, but says race tracks will likely see less revenue as remote betting continues to grow. Thursday, February 256:33 p.m.: Elk Grove Unified to resume in-person teaching next month After nearly a year of distanced learning, the Elk Grove Unified School District is resuming in-person teaching next month. The youngest students will go back first, while middle and high school students aren't expected to return until April. District Communications Director Xanthi Soriano says it'll be up to parents whether to continue distanced learning via computer — and even the students who return to campus will only do so for two days a week. "Capacity is cut down by 50 percent on the school site," Soriano said. "We also have to make sure of disinfection that's happening between cohorts who might be coming onto campus and then leaving campus. So, there's a lot of logistical components with the safety elements involved with bringing students back on campus. Elk Grove Unified was the first district in the state to shut down early last March when the coronavirus pandemic was in its early stages here in California. Elk Grove is the fifth largest district in the state with 67 schools. 4:44 p.m.: State lawmakers approve $1.4 million to help track Asian, Pacific Islander-related hate crimes California state lawmakers have approved $1.4 million to help fund a nationwide effort to track Asian and Pacific Islander-related hate crimes. The approval comes in response to an uptick in hate crimes against Asian Americans since the pandemic began last year. Of particular concern was a spate of violence against elderly Asian Americans, including one incident in which a 91-year-old Asian man was assaulted in Oakland's Chinatown. That violence prompted lawmakers to speak out and act. Stop AAPI Hate is an organization that tracks hate crimes against Asian Americans. The group has recorded nearly 3,000 incidences of violence and hate across the country since April of last year. Of those cases, 40% were reported in California. Now, the organization hopes this funding, along with the creation of a hotline to report hate crimes to the state's Department of Justice, can help curb those numbers. 2:42 p.m.: California vaccine plan aims to get teachers back in classrooms California Gov. Gavin Newsom is continuing his push to reopen more schools for in-person instruction with a plan to vaccinate the state's education workers and teachers. Last week, Newsom announced that at least 10% of the state's vaccine supply would go to education workers, according to the Associated Press. That figure roughly translates to about 75,000 doses a week. Newsom has come under increasing political pressure to get California's public schools back open. The majority of the state's 6 million K-12 public school students have not been inside a classroom since March 2020 due to the pandemic. California's strong teachers' unions have advocated for educators, saying that teachers getting vaccinated is the key to reopening classrooms. Newsom and lawmakers disagree. 2:41 p.m.: Black Lives Matter launches 'Survival Fund' to help people struggling due to the pandemic The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation is formally expanding a $3 million financial relief fund that it quietly launched earlier this month, according to the Associated Press. The plan for the fund is to help people struggling to make ends meet during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The foundation plans to create 3,000 microgrants of $1,000 each for people who the organization believes need the money most. If approved, the money would be deposited directly into recipients' bank accounts or made available on prepaid debit cards with no strings attached, the foundation says. The Survival Fund launches Thursday as the nation waits for Congress to take action on the nearly $2 trillion relief package, which includes $1,400 direct stimulus payments to individuals who earn less than $75,000 a year. 2:40 p.m.: Las Vegas planning on a phased return to classrooms School administrators in Las Vegas say they plan to start letting middle and high school students return to classrooms in phases in the coming weeks in the nation's fifth-largest school district. According to the Associated Press, Schools Superintendent Jesús Jara said that sixth- and ninth-graders and high school seniors can return beginning March 22. Grades seven, eight, 10 and 11 can return April 6. The Wednesday announcement came as teachers prepare classrooms for pre-K to third-grade students to return Monday on a hybrid two-days-a-week schedule. The district's 315,000 students have been attending virtual classes since last March due to the pandemic. 11:50 a.m.: Backlogged case counts brings California's death toll over 50,000 California's coronavirus death toll has topped 50,000 as Los Angeles County updated its count using backlogged records. According to the Associated Press, on Wednesday, LA County reported 806 deaths during a fall and winter virus surge, plus another 138 new deaths. Johns Hopkins University put the state's death figure at 50,890. County health director Barbara Ferrer calls the figures heartbreaking. The state hit the 40,000 mark on Jan. 30, but its COVID-19 infection and death rates have begun to taper off. The latest figures come days after the U.S. recorded a half-million deaths from the pandemic. 11:49 a.m.: How will COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers adapt to variants? By adjusting little bits of genetic code.
Current COVID-19 vaccines appear to be working against today's variants, but companies are making plans to update their shots if needed, according to the Associated Press. Adjusting the vaccines should be easier than coming up with the original shots. For example, both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use a piece of genetic code for the spike protein on the virus that lets your immune system learn how to recognize and fight the real thing. If a variant crops up that the vaccine can't recognize, researchers would swap out that original spike protein to one that better matches the new variant. Still, health officials would need to decide if and when to modify shots. 11:15 a.m.: Republicans rally against Democrats' COVID-19 relief package Republicans are closing ranks against Democrats' proposed $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, according to the Associated Press. The White House is seeming to rule out a procedural power play in the Senate to protect one of the measure's provisions most treasured by progressives — a minimum wage hike. Democrats plan to push the sweeping package through the House on Friday. They were hoping the Senate would follow quickly enough to have legislation on President Joe Biden's desk by mid-March. But the big suspense is over whether the nonpartisan parliamentarian will decide if the minimum wage plan can stay in the bill and enjoy its protection against a GOP filibuster. Wednesday, February 24Republican candidate for governor Kevin Faulconer is slamming Gov. Gavin Newsom for failing to reopen public schools. At a press conference in front of the state Education Department in Sacramento, the former San Diego mayor called it a lack of leadership that many California students are still in distance learning. Faulconer says he would tie school funding to in-person learning and suggested giving parents money to help pay for distance learning costs. "California's families pay taxes so their kids can learn in school," Faulconer said. "If that's not happening, they should get some of their money back." Newsom has been negotiating with educators and state lawmakers for weeks over a plan to reopen schools following a deadly winter surge in coronavirus cases. Faulconer is challenging Newsom in 2022, but says he'll also run in a recall election if it qualifies for the ballot. 3:52 p.m.: Sacramento county residents can apply for rent relief soon With many residents still out of jobs and mass evictions looming for families financially impacted by the pandemic, the city and county of Sacramento are making available roughly $96 million in assistance to help residents pay past-due rent and utility bills. Renters should apply if they are unemployed, had a household income reduction, incurred significant costs, or have experienced financial hardship because of the pandemic. Households also have to demonstrate a risk of being unhoused or housing unstable. The county is prioritizing low-income residents who make 50% of the area's median income:
Others can also apply if the household's income is 80% or below the area's median income. Landlords can apply for funds to compensate up to 80% of unpaid rent but must agree to accept those funds as payment from tenants and forgive the remaining 20% owned. For tenants of landlords who choose not to participate, if accepted, they will be offered 25% of what they owe — the minimum amount needed to maintain eviction protection. Applications are open from Feb. 25 to March 19 and can be found in English, Spanish, Hmong, Vietnamese, Chinese and Russian. The application is available online here. The state's eviction moratorium ends June 30, 2021. 3:14 p.m.: San Joaquin County teachers, school workers, receive COVID-19 shots School workers like teachers and custodians in San Joaquin County are receiving their COVID-19 vaccinations now, making them among the first in their workgroup in California to receive them. The vaccines are now available for any worker at a public, private, or charter school in the county, which means about 22,000 people qualify. The school clinic is seeing over 2,000 people a day and plans to continue the vaccination push through March 3. County Superintendent of Schools James Mousalimas said some students have been out of school for 11 months, so it's imperative for schools to get teachers safe and back in the classroom. "It's really a game-changer," Mousalimas said, "It's going to now allow districts that have limited in-person instruction or no in-person instruction to begin providing in-person instruction." Mousalimas adds that school staff should receive their second doses by March 24. He said that the school district will see more teachers returning to classrooms in the weeks ahead and is confident that all districts will be back to classroom teaching by the new school year. 2:59 p.m.: Sacramento receives less COVID-19 vaccines than anticipated Sacramento County is receiving far fewer doses of COVID-19 vaccines than it was allotted in prior weeks. This comes as California is expected to receive thousands of additional doses from the federal government. The state is also changing its distribution system — handing over the reins to giant third-party insurance company Blue Shield. Sacramento County Acting Health Director Jim Hunt said he's spoken with state health officials about the discrepancy but was told it isn't the state's problem anymore. "This is just unacceptable, and that's what we have said to them," Hunt said. "And we have pointed out the flaws in their methodology, we have pointed out the inequities, and we've been told 'We can't do nothing about that now, it's Blue Shield's problem.'" County data show Sacramento received about 33,000 fewer doses this week compared to last, making this the lowest amount received in February. 11:04 a.m.: Five California counties move to lower coronavirus-related business restrictions After months with little change, five of California's 58 counties advanced to having fewer business restrictions on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. The five counties are Marin, San Mateo, Humboldt, Shasta and Yolo. The change allows restaurants to reopen for limited indoor dining, while fitness centers, movie theaters, and museums are among those that can reopen indoors with safeguards. Gov. Gavin Newsom said eight counties are likely to move next week including San Francisco as the state's worst coronavirus surge continued to ease. 10:55 a.m.: NIH launching research into long-term COVID-19 consequences The National Institutes of Health is launching research to understand the causes and consequences of the lingering brain fog, breathing problems, and malaise reported by many recovering COVID-19 patients. According to the Associated Press, Dr. Anthony Fauci said some studies have shown up to 30% of patients reported symptoms that can endure for months, often complicating their return to regular routines and work. Many end up finding themselves depressed. Fauci noted at a White House coronavirus briefing on Wednesday that work at NIH started this week, thanks to more than $1 billion provided by Congress for COVID-related medical research. Government scientists are looking to enlist doctors and research institutions around the country to learn about "long-haul" COVID-19. A critical issue Fauci is interested in is whether COVID-19 predisposed some patients to other medical problems later in life, like heart or brain conditions. 10:54 a.m.: Johnson & Johnson vaccine is effective in protecting against severe COVID-19, US regulators say An analysis by U.S. regulators says Johnson & Johnson's single-dose vaccine provides strong protection against severe COVID-19, according to the Associated Press. The latest report confirmed that overall, the vaccine is about 66% effective at preventing moderate to severe COVID-19 infection. On Friday, a panel of Food and Drug Administration experts will debate if the evidence is strong enough to recommend the long-anticipated shot. The FDA is expected to make a final decision within days. If the FDA clears the J&J shot for U.S. use, it won't boost vaccine supplies significantly right away — only a few million doses are expected to be ready for shipping in the first week. Tuesday, February 236:13 p.m.: Gov. Newsom says a deal is being negotiated to reopen schools shortly Gov. Gavin Newsom is insisting that classrooms will reopen "very, very shortly." Newsom has for weeks worked with lawmakers on a deal to reopen schools and salvage what's left of this academic year. The governor dodged most questions on school reopening at a news conference Tuesday, instead saying a deal is being negotiated and he hopes it will be announced soon. But his forecast was called into question by Los Angeles teachers who say they won't bow to political pressure in their demands for access to vaccinations before reopening. Newsom declined to say whether he would consider forcing schools to reopen or using his emergency powers to suspend local bargaining. 6:10 p.m.: COVID-19 vaccine producers expect big jump in delivery of doses in March Executives from the major COVID-19 vaccine producers have said to expect a big jump in the delivery of doses over the coming month. Pfizer and Moderna executives told a congressional committee on Tuesday that they expect to complete delivery of 300 million doses each by summertime. Johnson & Johnson says it is aiming to provide an additional 100 million doses. That would be more than enough to vaccinate every American adult. President Joe Biden has promised that anyone in the U.S. who wants to get vaccinated will be able to do so by the end of July. The death toll in the U.S. from the coronavirus has now surpassed 500,000. 6:00 p.m.: Yolo County moves into red tier Yolo County will allow gyms, movie theaters and restaurants to resume some indoor operations starting Wednesday after state health officials announced it could move to the red tier in California's COVID-19 reopening system. Movie theaters and restaurants will be able to reopen indoors at 25% capacity. Museums may also resume indoor operations. Bars and breweries must remain closed, while wineries will still be limited to outdoor service. In a statement, Yolo County Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson urged residents to continue to take precautions such as wearing masks, social distancing and limiting gatherings. "Moving into the red tier is an indication that COVID-19 cases are declining, but it does not mean that coronavirus has gone away," Sisson said in a statement. "We cannot let down our guard. Reopening must be done cautiously to avoid a surge in cases." 11:32 a.m.: California in a stalemate with educators over reopening in-person learning Gov. Gavin Newsom, state lawmakers and educators are at a standstill over a plan to reopen California's public schools for in-person learning. After negotiations with Newsom fell apart, legislative Democrats unveiled their own plan for reopening schools. Assembly Budget Chairman Phil Ting wants to put more pressure on districts. He says many schools didn't push hard enough to get kids back into classrooms last fall. The state offered up $5 billion for schools to spend on safe reopening, but Ting said districts only spent 11% of it. "They want us to give them money with no accountability, no guarantees of in-person learning this year," Ting said. "I am normally a huge proponent of local control, but this year, local control has been a complete failure." Many school officials say portions of the bill would hinder reopening. Meanwhile, Newsom said the measure wouldn't get kids back into classrooms fast enough. 11:14 a.m.: The Central Valley can expect more COVID-19 vaccines Gov. Gavin Newsom said more vaccines are heading to California's agricultural region, the vast Central Valley after it was hard-hit by the coronavirus. Eleven mobile clinics will open in the region later this week that will be designed to vaccinate mostly farmworkers who don't have transportation to larger vaccination sites or can't navigate the state's online sign-up portal. Newsom said the state is also sending 34,000 extra vaccine doses from a pharmacy that wasn't using them quickly enough. The allocation shift comes as California moves beyond inoculating health care workers to include food and farm workers, along with teachers. 9:41 a.m.: Sacramento State students can expect car-based graduation ceremony Sacramento State said it wouldn't be able to have a traditional commencement ceremony this year because of the pandemic, making this the second year in a row for students. In a letter to the student body this week, university president Robert S. Nelsen announced a new commencement format — a drive-through graduation ceremony or a "CARmencement." Plans include a "parade-type experience" through the campus streets, allowing each graduate to be recognized. Last year's commencement was altogether canceled without an alternative. Nelsen had promised graduates of classes 2020 and 2021 that they would be honored at this year's ceremony at the Golden 1 Center in Downtown Sacramento. Since the pandemic is still widespread in California, Nelsen had to switch gears. This year, students will be automatically refunded the portion of graduation fees that cover the actual commencement, which is about $50 per graduate. Monday, February 225:40 p.m.: California approves $7.6-billion COVID-19 stimulus plan The California Legislature has approved $600 payments for about 5.7 million people. Gov. Gavin Newsom has said he will sign the legislation into law. People with low to moderate incomes will be eligible to get the money. That includes people who claim the California earned income tax credit on their tax returns and, in general, people making $30,000 or less per year. Immigrants who pay taxes using an individual taxpayer identification number and make $75,000 a year or less after deductions would also get the money. People who receive assistance from state programs benefiting low-income families and people who are blind and disabled are also eligible. 5:35 p.m.: Gov. Newsom expects Johnson & Johnson to be 'game changer' for average COVID-19 vaccination rate Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that he expects California will be able to administer a lot more COVID-19 vaccines once federal drug regulators clear Johnson & Johnson's single-dose vaccine. For the time being, he says the state will be averaging about 1.5 million vaccinations every week. "But I'm very confident with Johnson & Johnson, the end of March-April, we're going to start seeing things really ramp up," Newsom said. "May-June-July — game changer, all of a sudden we're at a completely different level." California has inoculated close to 7.5 million people with at least one dose of the vaccine. The state is administering about 200,000 doses a day, but Newsom says the infrastructure is in place to administer a lot more if there were more doses available. He predicts inoculations will ramp up in about a month if federal drug regulators approve Johnson-and-Johnson's application for emergency use authorization of its single-dose COVID vaccine. "Sites all across the state of California are toggling back based upon limited supply," he said. "That's a manufacturing issue. Manufactured supply in the United States of America is limited." Rates of new infections and hospitalizations continue to plummet throughout the state. Health officials say the number of patients in California hospitals with COVID-19 has slipped below 7,000, a drop of more than a third over two weeks. 11:26 a.m.: US on the brink of half a million COVID-19 deaths The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 has almost topped 500,000 — a number so staggering, that a top health researcher said it's hard to imagine an American who hasn't lost a relative or doesn't know someone who died. According to the Associated Press, the virus has reached into all corners of the country and communities of every size. At the same time, many families are left to cope in isolation, unable to hold funerals. For Anthony Hernandez, whose Emmerson-Bartlett Memorial Chapel is in Redlands, the pandemic has been overwhelming. Handling the burial of COVID-19 victims while handling some of the most challenging conversations while trying to comfort mothers, fathers, and children who lost loved ones has been difficult. Normally, his chapel arranges 25 to 30 services a month, but in January, the chapel saw 80 funerals. He had to explain to some families that they would need to wait weeks for a burial. By late last fall, about 54% of Americans reported knowing someone who had either died of COVID-19 or was hospitalized with it, according to a Pew Research Center Poll. The grieving was even more widespread among Black Americans, Hispanic Americans and other minorities. Experts warn that over 100,000 more deaths are likely in the next few months, despite a massive vaccination campaign. 10:40 a.m.: California releases plan to give teachers higher vaccine priority California lawmakers released a plan on Thursday that would allow some schools to resume in-person learning and bump teachers up higher on the vaccine order list. The multi-billion-dollar proposal would allow schools to resume in-person instruction for grades K-6, but only when their county enters the red tier — meaning substantial COVID-19 spread. The plan would also allow in-person learning for smaller groups of K through 12 students who have struggled with virtual classrooms, lack of access to equipment, or who need targeted learning support. School staff would also be given higher vaccination priority, which has been the most significant point of contention for teachers who say they must be vaccinated before returning to classrooms. The bill's release comes a week after Gov. Gavin Newsom assured Californians that a deal between his administration and state lawmakers was on the verge of completion — however — there's been no indication that Newsom would sign off on this current plan. 10:38 a.m.: Nevada makes COVID-19 vaccines available to residents aged 65 and over Nevada will make COVID-19 vaccines available to residents aged 65 and older beginning Monday. "Some of our small counties have already been able to offer vaccines to those 65 and over," Sisolak said. "But this effort will help some of our larger counties move into this category faster." The governor said the change was thanks to the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. For now, eligible residents will be able to get their vaccine at Walmart stores across the state. Sisolak also acknowledged that Nevada won't have enough for everyone in the expanded age group yet, because the federal government hasn't sent enough supplies. Sisolak has been requesting more doses since January when he said Nevada had received the second-lowest number of vaccines per capita in the country. Saturday, February 2011:55 a.m.: California to set aside 10% of COVID vaccine doses for teachers In an effort to get students back in the classroom, California is planning on setting aside 10% of the COVID-19 vaccine the state receives each week to vaccinate teachers, day care workers and other school employees. The plan will begin March 1. 75,000 vaccine doses from the state's current weekly allotment will be set aside, Gov. Gavin Newom said. 35 of the state's counties are already prioritizing vaccinating teachers and other educators. Friday, February 195:52 p.m.: California avoids 'twindemic' of flu and COVID-19 by following public health guidelines People staying home, wearing masks in public and keeping a six-foot distance from others has significantly reduced the severity of flu season in California, according to new state data. Surveillance reports from the California Department of Public Health show there have been no flu outbreaks and just 26 deaths since September, compared to 94 outbreaks and 328 deaths by this time last year, a 92% drop in influenza fatalities. This has been a national trend, and scientists have noted that other viruses have been quiet while COVID-19 has been raging. Some are worried that humans will lose their immunity to influenza and other common viruses, which will put us in a vulnerable position should more severe seasons return in the future. Last year in California, 51% of residents got vaccinated for the flu, according to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The California Department of Public Health says it does not track influenza vaccination rates and so can't provide that number for this year. In the fall, physicians urged the public to get vaccinated for the flu, to avoid a 'twindemic' that would overwhelm already-strained hospitals with both flu and coronavirus patients. "So both with COVID and influenza, it was almost unthinkable," said Dr. Natascha Tuznik, an infectious disease specialist with UC Davis. "But because of, we think, the masking and the social distancing and all of those things, we've seen significantly lower influenza rates." She says it's not too late to get a flu vaccine if you haven't already. As the COVID-19 vaccine gradually becomes available, health experts say it's crucial that people continue to wear a mask and wash their hands to prevent transmission of both coronavirus and the flu. People who are vaccinated are protected from severe illness due to COVID-19, but may still be capable of passing the virus on to others 11:54 a.m.: California updates state guidance on youth sports The California Department of Public Health on Friday updated guidelines for youth and recreational adult sports, paving the way for some sports to restart this month. Under the updated guidance, outdoor high-contact and moderate-contact sports competitions may resume in counties under the red or substantial tier in the state's reopening system. The purple or widespread tier counties can continue these sports, but with modifications, including testing requirements for certain outdoor high contact sports. "It will only help enliven the capacity of these kids to feel more engaged, feel more alive to get the social ... back to social-emotional, the mental and physical health and resume activities that are much more positive in terms of their life's choices," Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a Friday press conference. In both the purple and red tier counties, the sports can only resume when the county has a case rate at or below 14 per 100,000. Weekly testing will be required for football, rugby, and water polo participants age 13 and over in counties with a case rate between 7 and 14 per 100,000. Weekly testing — either antigen or PCR — is required for all participants and coaches in these sports, with results needed within 24 hours of competition. This applies to high-contact sports like rugby and others that are likely to be played unmasked, with close face-to-face contact exceeding 15 minutes will require said weekly testing. Outdoor moderate-contact sports like baseball, cheerleading and softball can be played in these counties without the testing requirement. 11:53 a.m.: Pandemic restaurant closures has lead to overstock in second-hand kitchen equipment The COVID-19 pandemic has forced tens of thousands of restaurants to permanently shut their doors as dining restrictions keep customers away. But, according to the Associated Press, these closures have been a boon for commercial auctioneers that buy used equipment and sell them to restaurants that managed to stay afloat. Grafe Auction's chief marketing and technology officer said his company conducted 289 auctions in 2020, up from 203 in 2019. August was the most profitable month since the company was founded in 1959. A recent report by the National Restaurant Association shows the pandemic's devastating impact on the restaurant industry, which last year lost 110,000 business — about 17% of the nation's total. 11:48 a.m.: Shipment delays may push back Sacramento County vaccine appointments Vaccine shipment delays due to weather conditions in other parts of the country may push back some pre-scheduled vaccine appointments this week in Sacramento County, according to the county public health department. In a press release, the department said it is working with health care providers and hospitals to shift doses around to cover as many scheduled appointments as possible. "Priority will be given to second dose appointments, however shortages may result in a delay in some second dose appointments," it reads. Second doses of the vaccine are ideally supposed to be given 28 days after the first one for the Moderna and 21 days after the first for the Pfizer. But the county health department notes that the CDC says you can safely administer the second dose up to six weeks after the first. "We're hopeful as soon as the weather clears, we'll receive our doses," the release reads. "However, we request patience and understanding as we adapt to changing situations." The county says apart from the weather delays, all of those eligible for the vaccine may not be able to get an appointment right now. "Due to low dose allocations, appointment availability is limited and often filled within minutes of opening," it says. Thursday, February 185:16 p.m.: In diverse Stockton, people of color still underrepresented in vaccination People of color in California are still underrepresented among COVID vaccine recipients, even in Stockton, which U.S. News and World Report ranked last year as the most racially diverse city in the country. But Darryl Rutherford, who heads The Reinvent South Stockton Coalition — a nonprofit group working to uplift one of the city's poorest neighborhoods — says that diversity doesn't mean equity. He says his biggest concern is access to vaccinations. "Are folks still going to have to travel completely over to the other side of the city in order to get to the vaccines?" he said. "So that's something that we're going to be working through." Data from the state Department of Public Health show Black Californians have received less than 3% of the first available doses of the coronavirus vaccine. That compares to 38% for white people, 16% for Latinos and 13% for Asians. 3:20 p.m. Yosemite National Park sees lowest visitor total in 35 years The number of visitors to Yosemite National Park last year plunged by almost half. The decrease wasn't attributed to just the pandemic but rather a series of closures. In 2019, Yosemite hosted 4.5 million campers, tourists and day visitors — whereas last year, only 2.3 million visitors roamed the valley, climbed at any of the 750 hiking trails or stood beneath the park's towering waterfalls. This is the lowest attendance that the park has had in 35 years. What turned the flow of visitors to a trickle included smoke from wildfires and the pandemic, which closed the park from March to June. The park is now accepting visitors with a reservation system to keep the number of visitors to half of normal. "[The reservation system] was successful. People came in, we didn't have shuttle busses, but they were able to park, get around," Ranger Scott Gediman said. "People are good about social distancing." Gediman said the reservation system will stay in place, and the national park will work with local health officials to keep the public safe. 1:29 p.m.: San Jose gym slapped with $1 million in fines for violating coronavirus health orders A San Jose gym has closed after racking up nearly $1 million in fines for skirting COVID-19 orders, according to the Associated Press. On Wednesday, Santa Clara County health officials announced that the owner of California Ripped Fitness had submitted a statement of compliance with public health regulations. The gym had ignored rules against indoor operations for months, defiantly posting window signs saying it was exercising its constitutional rights. The county said it had received dozens of complaints. The county said it would work with the gym to resolve outstanding fines and warned that more penalties were possible if the gym reopened. 1:23 p.m.: California conference in 'immunity bubble' spreads COVID-19 around XPrize founder Peter Diamandis thought he could hold a conference in an "immunity bubble" in the middle of California's COVID-19 surge last month but instead created a superspreader event that infected attendees, staff and himself. According to the Associated Press, Diamandis said he was wrong in a blog post that details the implications of a false sense of security created by negative test results and his conclusion that face masks are effective. The pandemic prevented Diamandis from holding the conference in a hotel, so he turned his office into a TV studio with a small audience that wasn't required to constantly wear masks. The small group that attended all had to take COVID-19 tests within 72 hours of the event and then were tested every morning. Doctors were also on-site to support COVID-19 safety. A total of 452 tests were taken over four days, and 451 came back negative. The one positive person was not admitted to the event. However, another member tested positive with an antigen test but then tested negative once they took a PCR test. Despite all of the testing and doctors, 21 people developed COVID-19. The production crew that wore their masks the entire time and isolated in a corner had no cases. 1:15 p.m.: How do we know if COVID-19 vaccines are safe? Scientists continue to monitor vaccines
To check the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, scientists look for issues during the testing phase and continue their monitoring as shots roll out. According to the Associated Press, so far, the only serious warning to emerge is a rare risk of severe allergic reactions. The U.S. uses Pfizer and Moderna shots, while Britain and Europe have authorized those plus the AstraZeneca vaccine. Studies found that common side effects were minor and typical of the immune system revving up after any vaccination. However, scientists still have their eyes on the vaccine and continue to monitor it. With more than 52 million doses administered in the U.S., health officials say they haven't detected a safety problem. 10:39 a.m.: Health experts say to reopening states: be careful with new virus variants States are starting to ease up on coronavirus restrictions, but health experts say that we don't know enough yet about the new variants to begin rolling back measures that slow spread. According to the Associated Press, as more people are vaccinated and the daily number of COVID-19 cases and deaths drop, public health officials are starting to relax on containment strategies. Businesses like restaurants, bars, and retail establishments are slowly reopening, but the country's genetic surveillance system is still not robust enough to accurately track variants, which means the variants could be spreading clandestinely. Experts say that continued public health measures like social distancing can help avoid a stronger variant-based virus surge. 10:38 a.m.: US unemployment claims rise to 861,000, layoffs continue The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week to 861,000, according to the Associated Press. The application benefits rising is a sign of painfully high layoffs, despite a steady drop in the number of confirmed viral infections across the country. Applications from laid-off workers rose 13,000 from the previous week, which was revised sharply higher, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Before the virus erupted in the U.S. last March, weekly applications for unemployment benefits had never topped 700,000, even during the 2008-2009 Great Recession. Wednesday, February 175:58 p.m.: California lawmakers announce $9.6 billion pandemic relief package Low-income and undocumented Californians can get new $600 stimulus payments from the state under a sweeping $9.6 billion pandemic relief deal announced by state lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom. The aid package also includes billions of dollars in grants and fee waivers for small businesses, as well as funding for childcare, farmworker housing and food banks. If approved by the Legislature, the deal includes one-time relief payments to California households earning up to $30,000 annually. Undocumented taxpayers, who did not receive federal stimulus payments, would also qualify if they earn less than $75,000. Low-income undocumented workers can get relief checks of $1,200. "As we continue to fight the pandemic and recover, I'm grateful for the Legislature's partnership to provide urgent relief and support for California families and small businesses where it's needed most," Newsom said in a statement. Here's what's included in the relief package:
5:30 p.m.: California health care providers facing pandemic fatigue, study finds As the pandemic enters its second year, California's health care workers are nearing burnout, increasingly skeptical of the system's ability to vaccinate the public and frustrated by the public response, a new study finds. The survey, conducted by the California Healthcare Foundation, talked to 1,200 providers between Jan. 4 and 12, 2021. It's the second of three looks at how the state's healthcare providers are coping. Half of the 1,200 health care providers surveyed say they are frustrated at their job. More than half say they are "overworked," and more than two-thirds are emotionally stressed. "California's health care providers are under strain and fed up," says Kristof Stremikis, director of Market Analysis and Insight at the California Health Care Foundation. "While their confidence in the new vaccines is high, they have become more worried about the public vaccination drive. Too many report that they still lack basic supplies, and we're seeing rising levels of burnout and exhaustion. And providers are increasingly frustrated with the public for not doing their part to save lives." While 85% of the doctors, nurses and other health care providers responding to the new poll say they have either received a vaccine or plan to do so, a growing number say they're skeptical in the health care system's ability to vaccinate the community. Only 19% say they are "very" confident that the health care system in their area is prepared to administer the vaccine. That's down from 33% when providers were asked that question in September. Providers continue to report shortages in personal protective equipment. Almost half, 45% , say they reuse PPE, with nearly 40% saying they don't have enough medical-grade face masks. Some 6 in 10 agree staffing shortages are hammering their ability to respond to the pandemic. 3:00 p.m.: Resource and advocate groups work to help vaccinate Sacramento's communities of color The coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately impacted people of color, but efforts to vaccinate them lag. In a bid to boost vaccination rates among Sacramento's communities of color, two local resource groups hosted vaccination sessions over President's Day weekend. La Familia Counseling Center and Asian Resources Inc., quickly ran out of the 750 doses shared between the two groups at their south Sacramento locations. Sacramento City Councilman Eric Guerra said it's time to make more significant changes to vaccination outreach. "The fact that we're getting a response rate this quickly shows our education efforts have worked, but we have to move forward with making sure [vaccines] are available," Guerra said. "We do not want to lose this momentum." Guerra and organizers urged state and county health officials and major health care providers to get more vaccine doses to trusted community organizations to continue the push forward with inoculating people of color. 2:57 p.m.: 10 million fake N95 masks seized in the US Federal agents have seized more than 10 million fake N95 masks in recent weeks. According to the Associated Press, it's the result of an ongoing investigation into counterfeits sold in at least five states to hospitals, medical facilities, and government agencies. Officials say the most recent seizures occurred Wednesday when Homeland Security agents intercepted hundreds of thousands of counterfeit 3M masks in an East Coast warehouse that were set to be distributed. The imitation masks were not tested to see whether they met strict N95 protection standards, possibly putting frontline medical workers at a big risk if used while treating COVID-19 patients. Investigators also notified about 6,000 potential victims in at least 12 states, including hospitals, medical facilities, and others who may have unknowingly purchased knockoffs, urging them to stop using the medical-grade masks. 11:54 a.m.: Casino industry revenue drops by nearly a third due to coronavirus pandemic A national casino industry group says the coronavirus pandemic cut U.S. gambling revenue by 31% in 2020, when compared to the year before, according to the Associated Press. The American Gaming Association's annual Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker, released on Wednesday, put the revenue total at $30 billion for 2020 — the lowest since 2003. Association President and CEO Bill Miller noted that hospitality and travel have been among business sectors hardest hit by the pandemic. In Las Vegas, MGM Resorts International announced Wednesday it will resume round-the-clock hotel operations on March 3 at Mandalay Bay, Park MGM, and The Mirage. The properties had implemented mid-week closures due to decreased business during the pandemic. 11:52 a.m.: US still can't get N95 masks needed to hospitals One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States finds itself with many millions of N95 masks pouring out of factories and heading into storage, according to the Associated Press. Somehow, there still isn't nearly enough masks going to hospitals in need of them. An Associated Press investigation finds that this logistical breakdown is due to federal failures over the past year in coordinating supply chains. Internal emails also show there were deliberate decisions to withhold vital information about new mask manufacturers and availability. Some procurement officers are stuck between choosing to purchase masks from unfamiliar suppliers or federally approved domestic manufacturers, many of whom charge more than international mask makers. Once a mask is selected, then another tricky part begins — every health care worker must be fit-tested before using a new brand. As quoted by the Associated Press, at Stanford Health Care, workers are back to using one N95 mask per patient, as needed. Trade data and interviews with manufacturers, hospital associations, and frontline medical workers reveal a deadly disconnect — not an actual shortage — that is depriving doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other workers in contact with COVID-19 of the protection they need to continue working safely. Tuesday, February 166:00 p.m.: Some areas of state could soon ease safety restrictions, says Newsom California Gov. Gavin Newsom says some areas of the state could soon begin easing safety restrictions as new coronavirus cases decline. Most counties are now in the purple tier, where the virus is considered widespread. But Newsom says that could change as early as next week if the state's pandemic picture continues to improve. He says 3.5% of COVID-19 tests are coming back positive, down from over 11% last month. "So if the trendlines continue, then I think that is indeed the case. We'll see counties move not just from purple to red, but more and more red to orange." But Newsom warned that could change if more highly contagious strains of the virus begin to surface. The encouraging numbers come as the state is still trying to ramp up its vaccine rollout. Two new mass vaccination sites opened in Oakland and Los Angeles Tuesday, but California officials say short supplies are getting in the way of a widespread inoculation campaign. According to Newsom, California now administers more than a million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine per week. Despite a slow ramp-up, he says most counties are now giving the shots out as quickly as they come in. "We're building the infrastructure where the only constraint is supply," Newsom said. "But when the supply is ample, then we're able to move aggressively and quickly." Last week, some vaccine sites — like Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles — temporarily shuttered after running out of doses. The good news is the new mass vaccination sites at Cal State Los Angeles and the Oakland Coliseum won't cut into California's regular vaccine supply — the doses come directly from the federal government. Newsom says together, the two sites can vaccinate 84,000 Californians per week. 5:53 p.m.: Sacramento County reaches over 90,000 total COVID-19 cases Sacramento County passed a grim milestone on Tuesday after the county's health department recorded 90,930 total COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic. Residents aged 20 to 29 make up the largest segment of those infected, followed by those ages 30 to 39. While white residents have gotten the most infections in the county, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders have the highest infection rate and highest death rate when the cases are broken down by ethnicity. As of Tuesday, 1,382 people in the county have died from the coronavirus. The city of Sacramento also hit a milestone Tuesday after reporting that 50,367 people have contracted COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. Cases have been dropping in the county over the past week with an average of 170 new cases per day, a drop of nearly 60% from two weeks ago. 5:50 p.m.: Yolo County moves frontline workers ahead in COVID-19 vaccine distribution schedule Yolo County has expanded their coronavirus vaccination efforts to include all frontline workers in the state's vaccine prioritization plan. According to a press release, the county will move into Phase 1b Tier 1, which the state defines as workers in education, childcare, emergency services, and food and agricultural industries. Vaccinations should start Feb. 15. Health care workers and residents 65 and older are still eligible to get their COVID-19 vaccination in the county. To start, the county will offer a limited number of appointments for frontline workers who live or work in the county, with more vaccine clinics to be announced for next week. Residents who qualify will be able to register for a Feb. 20 vaccine clinic in Woodland online or by calling 211. Dignity Health and Yolo County will also partner in specialized clinics to quickly vaccinate teachers and school staff already in the classroom or on campus. Emergency services workers and law enforcement will be included. For farmworkers, the county will conduct a pilot vaccine clinic for 200 workers at a farm in Yolo County on Wednesday, Feb. 17. More clinics specifically for farm workers will be scheduled at various worksites after the test run is completed. At this time, none of the large health care providers in the county are expanding eligibility to frontline workers. This expansion only applies to Yolo County appointments and those offered in partnership with Dignity Health. 5:47 p.m.: Nevada COVID-19 positivity rate drops, state eases more restrictions Nevada health officials have reported 391 new COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths, according to the Associated Press. The latest numbers reported on Monday by the state bring the pandemic totals to 288,739 known cases and 4,720 deaths. Health officials say that Nevada's two-week positivity rate has been trending down since mid-January and has dropped to 12.8%. Nevada began loosening some restrictions on Monday that Gov. Steve Sisolak put in place to stem a winter surge. Restaurants, casino floors, and gyms can now be 35% occupied, religious gatherings can be at 50% capacity, and public gatherings can involve 100 people or 35% capacity, whichever is less. 11:34 a.m.: San Francisco shutters vaccination site due to shortage of doses San Francisco is the latest California city to temporarily shut down a mass vaccination site due to a lack of supply. The city put vaccinations on hold for a week at the Moscone Convention Center until supply ramps up. San Francisco joins Los Angeles in having to pause inoculations amid a national shortage, even as new federal-state vaccination sites open, according to the Associated Press. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said that the city will prioritize people needing second shots over those waiting for their first after closing its mass vaccination site at Dodger Stadium last week. At the time, the city only received 16,000 vaccine doses. The state also unveiled details of a contract with Blue Shield involving a new state vaccination program. The $15 million contract with the health insurer was picked to run California's new centralized vaccine delivery system to help develop incentive payment criteria for providers and algorithms to allocate vaccines and prioritize appointments. Blue Shield will also need to manage the provider network so it hits certain benchmarks, such as making sure vaccines are available for 95% of people within a half-hour drive in urban areas and one-hour drive in rural areas. 11:21 a.m.: Los Angeles County gears up to reopen schools soon Amid falling coronavirus rates, elementary schools in Los Angeles County are expected to be allowed to reopen as early as this week. But the county's huge Los Angeles Unified School District isn't expected to reopen immediately. According to the Associated Press, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in a statement Monday that it expects to announce on Tuesday that the county has reached the state's threshold for reopening schools. Health officials say schools wishing to reopen must submit plans to the county and the California Department of Public Health certifying that they have implemented safety measures. However, Los Angeles Unified is still in negotiations with teachers about reopening. 11:19 a.m.: Latinos in the U.S. face language barriers, fear around COVID-19 vaccine Across the country, Latinos are facing daunting barriers to getting COVID-19 vaccines, creating a public health risk as the coronavirus mutates and spreads. According to the Associated Press, many are struggling with a lack of knowledge about the shots, and many state vaccine websites don't have instructions in Spanish. Some are struggling to find appointments in their communities and fear they could be targeted for immigration enforcement if they sign up. Ranging from the older Cuban American adults in Florida to farmworkers in California, some Latinos find themselves in a difficult spot. Health issues like diabetes, obesity, and hypertension are common in Latino communities, making them one of the highest risk groups for COVID-19 in the U.S. Monday, February 1511:30 a.m.: With supply low, San Francisco pauses some vaccine distribution San Francisco is the latest California city to temporarily shutter a mass vaccination site due to lack of vaccine, joining Los Angeles in pausing inoculations amid a national shortage. According to the Associated Press, officials said Sunday that mass vaccinations are on hold at Moscone convention center for one week until supply ramps up. Many cities and counties in California are crying for more vaccines, saying they have the ability to deliver. Nearly 6 million doses have been administered throughout California and there are hopes the Biden administration can open up vaccine supplies. On Tuesday, two new mass vaccination sites with doses from the federal government will open in Oakland and East Los Angeles. 11:12 a.m.: New daily COVID-19 cases drop below 100,000 in U.S. For the first time since November, new average COVID-19 cases in the United States were below 100,000 on Friday, according to NPR and data from Johns Hopkins University. The seven- day average of new infections dropped below 100,000 on Friday, continuing at that level through Sunday, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. The seven- day average of new infections dropped below 100,000 on Friday, continuing at that level through Sunday, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. Researchers reported 83,321 new infections and 3,361 new deaths Sunday. These figures are well below the average daily infection rate of 200,000 for December and nearly 250,000 in January. Nevertheless, health experts warned the country has a long way to go before celebrating a turning point in the pandemic. "We are still at around 1,500 to 3,500 deaths per day. The cases are more than two-and-a-half-fold times what we saw over the summer," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on NBC's Meet the Press. "It's encouraging to see these trends coming down, but they're coming down from an extraordinarily high place." Sunday, February 1411:25 a.m.: Californians urged to celebrate Valentine's Day virtually Health officials are urging Californians to protect their loved ones from the coronavirus by celebrating Valentine's Day virtually this year. The governor's office of emergency services tweeted a message Saturday, telling people to "have a heart, stay apart."
Meanwhile, San Francisco public health officials are taking a more direct approach. They updated a six-page tip sheet this week on how to have sex as safely as possible during the pandemic. While stressing that people should avoid close contact — including sex — with anyone outside their household, the city's public health department told the San Francisco Chronicle it was updating guidance it first issued last year "to reflect the latest science on COVID-19." —Associated Press Saturday, February 1312:09 p.m.: Some fitness trainers got vaccine as 'health care workers' Some fitness trainers in California were able to get vaccinated against COVID-19 after state health officials created a loophole that helped them qualify as health care workers. KGO-TV reports that in January, the California Department of Public Health released updated guidelines on vaccination allocation that classified outdoor recreation as health care, the first tier eligible to get the vaccine along with people over 75. Some fitness clubs jumped at the chance of getting their employees vaccinated. But last Friday, state health officials updated the rules and they no longer include outdoor recreation as health care. —Associated Press 11:11 a.m.: 4-6 million added to California's vaccine eligibility list California is expanding its list of people eligible for coronavirus vaccinations by another 4 million to 6 million people. State Health Director Dr. Mark Ghaly said Friday that starting March 15 severely disabled people and those with health conditions that put them at high risk can get in line for shots. Among those included are people with certain cancer, heart, lung and kidney conditions, as well as pregnant women, those with Down syndrome, organ transplant recipients and the severely obese. California has been plagued by vaccine shortages and Ghaly acknowledged he's not sure how long it will take for the federal supply of shots to meet demand. —Associated Press Friday, February 123:41 p.m.: Sacramento County to begin vaccinating K-12 educators and childcare workers Sacramento County Public Health and its health care partners will start vaccinating educators and child care providers on Feb. 16. The undertaking is a collaborative effort between the Sacramento County Office of Education, the 13 local school districts, private school entities, the county's public health department and health care providers. A press release from the county says vaccinations will ultimately depend on the availability of doses. "Vaccinating our educators and childcare providers is an important step in the effort to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and help return our communities back to their normal lives," Sacramento County Public Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye said. "While the effort will be slow, every person that gets vaccinated is a step in the right direction." Who is eligible? At this time, those employed in Sacramento County who meet at least one of the criteria below are eligible to schedule a vaccination appointment:
Because of a limited vaccine supply, colleges, universities, post-secondary education facilities, technical and trade schools will have to wait until a yet-to-be-announced future date. Appointments will be required, and SCPH will provide appointment portals directly to the eligible groups to assist with appointment scheduling. More information can be found on the Sacramento County COVID-19 website. 3:33 p.m.: Yolo County switches to the state's COVID-19 vaccine availability site Yolo County is shifting away from its online COVID-19 vaccination interest form to the state's vaccination notification website, MyTurn. MyTurn allows California residents to register for an email or text notification to let them know when they're eligible for a coronavirus shot. Eventually, the system will also allow eligible residents to book their vaccination appointments all in the same place. Currently, that feature is only available for people living near Los Angeles, San Diego or San Francisco. Yolo County initially launched their own COVID-19 interest form on Jan. 19, before the MyTurn system was established. According to a county press release, previously registered Yolo County residents will need to register again on MyTurn to get any updates or reminders due to the differences in databases. The county stresses that switching to MyTurn will not negatively impact a resident's ability to get the vaccine. MyTurn is available in English and Spanish, with six more languages planned for mid-February. Californians without internet access and call 1-(833) 422-4255 to get help in English or Spanish and 254 additional languages through a third-party operator. Yolo County is currently vaccinating healthcare workers in Phase 1A and those 65 and older in Phase 1B, Tier 1. Appointments can't be made on MyTurn yet, so eligible residents can contact their health care provider or register at a public county clinic online. 3:25 p.m.: Bill proposal would permanently allow restaurants to sell to-go cocktails During the pandemic, the state department of Alcoholic Beverage Control temporarily allowed restaurants to sell boozy takeout drinks, and with a new proposal in the Legislature, that could become permanent. The head of the California Restaurant Associated applauded the bill saying including cocktails with to-go meals has been helpful for many restaurant owners barely hanging on, especially as restaurants across the state have relied on to-go cocktails to bolster their sales, since indoor dining is still closed. At least 33 other states have also introduced similar temporary rules allowing customers to take alcoholic drinks on the go. If passed, the new law would require customers to purchase food with their boozy beverages. 12:03 p.m.: Trinity County has one of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the state The slow pace of COVID-19 vaccinations in California isn't a problem only in big cities and counties — smaller counties are struggling to keep up with inoculations, too. Trinity County has a population of just over 12,000, but is administering some of the fewest doses per 100,000 residents in the state. Out of the 58 counties in California, Trinity County ranks 55th in vaccination rates. The county's public health branch director Marcie Jo Cudziol said health officials administered about 550 doses at mass vaccination clinics last week. "When they released the vaccine back in December, there wasn't a lot of guidance on the infrastructure around getting it out, and so that was very challenging," Cudziol said. Prior to the latest inoculation push, they had only administered about 130 doses in total. Cudziol said the state provided access to six vaccinators this week to help the county's inoculation effort. Those eligible include residents who are 65 or older and younger people with chronic health conditions. 10:29 a.m.: Natomas Unified School District plans to resume in-person learning A Sacramento-area school district has announced a timeline to return to in-person learning for students in Transitional Kindergarten through 6th grade. The Natomas Unified School District has reached out to parents, saying it plans to resume classes on Feb. 23. Superintendent Chris Evans says the decision was based on communication from the Sacramento County Public Health Department allowing these specific grades to return to in-person learning. The department's ruling was based on improving COVID-19 case rates in the area. Evans also said in the letter that educators might begin getting the vaccine as early as next week. While students may soon be moving back into classrooms, the in-person groups will be smaller — five to seven students on average per day. A district poll showed 46% of TK through 6th grade parents want their kids back in class. Thursday, February 113:24 p.m.: Pandemic fever got you down? Smash up stuff at LA's rage room Meditation and Pilates may be good and fine for some people, but after nearly a year in COVID-19 isolation, some people just want to grab a sledgehammer and smash everything in sight. Thankfully for them, there are now two "rage rooms" in the Los Angeles suburb of Westlake Village where they can do just that. According to the Associated Press, the rooms are part of Smash RX LLC, opened by licensed marriage and family therapist Yashica Budde to give people a way to release stress. Participants can destroy items like TVs, computers, cups, plates, even furniture — pretty much anything Budde can get her hands on to help keep them calm. 3:23 p.m.: UC Berkeley COVID-19 lockdown bans outdoor exercise A recent surge in COVID-19 cases at the University of California, Berkeley, has prompted school officials to extend a lockdown on about 2,000 students living in residence halls and ban them from outdoor exercise. According to the Associated Press, the university website says more than 400 people have tested positive for the virus since an outbreak started in mid-January. A weekly breakdown of the cases shows about 200 positive tests since the first week of February. The lockdown put in place has been extended through at least Feb. 15. Among the strict new rules is a ban on outdoor exercise that goes beyond the state's own guidelines that encouraged getting outside to exercise. 3:22 p.m.: Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak to provide COVID-19 update Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak is scheduled to provide an update on the trajectory of the coronavirus pandemic in the state on Thursday, according to the Associated Press. The announcement comes one day before restrictions on businesses and gatherings are set to expire. While the spread of the virus has begun to slow down in the state, January was still the deadliest month since the start of the pandemic. Sisolak tightened restrictions in late November. Restaurants, bars, gyms, places of worship and casinos have since had their capacity capped at 25%. He told residents the restrictions would be temporary, assuring them that adherence would slow the virus's spread, but later extended them twice. 8:42: a.m.: California death toll passes New York California has edged past New York in the grim COVID-19 death toll statistic, according to the Associated Press. Johns Hopkins University data reported Thursday shows California's death toll has reached 45,496, surpassing New York's toll of 45,312. The development comes as coronavirus trends are showing improvement in California. According to data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention,California ranks 32nd in the highest death rate per capita, with 113 deaths for every 100,000 residents. New Jersey is the highest with 250 deaths per 100,000 people. State Department of Public Health data shows the most recent seven-day positive test rate has fallen to 4.8%, and the daily number of new positive cases is under 8,400, down from the well over 53,000 in December. However, California is grappling with vaccine shortages that are devastating efforts to mass inoculate the state's nearly 40 million residents. 8:40 a.m.: How scientists track COVID-19 mutations and variants
Scientists around the world are tracking variants of the coronavirus by scanning virus samples taken from infected people. According to the Associated Press, the process is called genome sequencing, and lets experts look for recurring changes in the virus's genetic code over time. Most mutations are meaningless, but scientists are looking for those that might make the virus more infectious or resistant to vaccines. Countries vary in their genomic surveillance — for example, Britain sequences about 10% of samples from infected people, compared to less than 1% in the U.S. So far, scientists have sequenced nearly half a million genomes of the coronavirus and are primarily concerned about the three variants first identified in the U.K., South Africa and Brazil. 8:39 a.m.: Los Angeles shuts down vaccination sites due to lack of supply The city of Los Angeles is temporarily closing five mass vaccination sites — including Dodger Stadium — because the city is running out of COVID-19 doses. Mayor Eric Garcetti said the city will exhaust its supply of Moderna first doses by Thursday, forcing it to close vaccination sites on Friday and Saturday. Garcetti says L.A. only received 16,000 new doses this week, just 3,000 more than it uses in a typical day. The announcement came amid complaints over a state vaccine distribution system that one Assemblyman on Wednesday termed "nothing short of chaotic." Wednesday, February 106:13 p.m.: California Labor Secretary Julie Su nominated for deputy U.S. secretary of labor President Joe Biden has nominated California Labor Secretary Julie Su as the deputy U.S. secretary of labor, putting another Californian in a top administration job. The announcement is expected to focus a brighter spotlight on California's ongoing unemployment fraud scandal. The state says it has paid out at least $11 billion in fraudulent benefits and that figure could top $30 billion. Su's office oversees EDD operations. EDD officials have also been criticized in two reports by the state auditor and there's a huge backlog of unpaid claims. Su's nomination requires Senate confirmation. She would be tasked with helping lead a sprawling department that oversees laws regulating worker standards and pay, workplace safety, family and medical leave and more. 5:17 p.m.: South African COVID-19 variant detected in California Two cases of the South African variant of the virus, believed to be more easily transmissible and more resistant to antibodies and vaccines, have been reported in California. One is in Alameda County, the other in Santa Clara County. Gov. Gavin Newsom made the announcement while at a new mass vaccination site in Fresno. The South African variant is believed to be more easily transmissible and more resistant to antibodies, including those in the vaccines currently in use. It is not, however, believed to be more deadly. Newsom also says cases and hospitalizations continue to decrease and ICU capacities continue to rise. The governor also noted the state has administered 5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. "On Friday of last week, we announced 225,000 vaccinations over a 24-hour reporting period. That represented the 4 million mark. In less than a week, we've now reached 5 million," Newsom said. "It took us seven days to go from about 3 to 4 million." The 5 millionth dose was given to an 85-year-old former farmworker in the Central Valley. That comes as advocates for farmworkers say that the group may be left behind in the state's vaccine rollout. 5:16 p.m.: Confusion over vaccination order causes thousands of appointments to be missed at Dodger Stadium Thousands of COVID-19 vaccination appointment opportunities went unused at the Dodger Stadium mass inoculation site on Tuesday over vaccination order confusion, according to the Associated Press. Many didn't attend since it was unclear if they could receive the first round of shots there. Los Angeles County health officials announced last week that because of short vaccine supplies, people could only receive their second shots at county-run inoculation sites starting Feb. 9. Dodger Stadium is among vaccination sites operated by the city of Los Angeles, which is not limiting appointments to second shots only. About 4,800 doses intended for use on Tuesday are now available Wednesday. 5:10 p.m.: US government looking into massive N94 mask counterfeit scam Federal authorities are investigating a massive counterfeit N95 mask operation in which fake 3M masks were sold in at least five states to hospitals, medical facilities and government agencies. According to the Associated Press, the foreign-made knockoffs are becoming increasingly difficult to spot and could put health care workers at grave risk for infection. A federal official says these masks are giving first responders" a false sense of security." Nearly a year into the pandemic, fraud still remains a significant problem as scammers seek to exploit hospitals and desperate, weary Americans. These schemes deliver phony products, unlike fraud earlier in the pandemic that focused more on fleecing customers. Officials could not name the states or the company involved in the fraud because of an active investigation. 10:52 a.m.: California looks into whistleblower allegation over COVID-19 testing lab The California Department of Public Health is investigating whistleblower allegations of mismanagement and incompetence — including reports of workers sleeping on the job — at the state's new billion-dollar COVID-19 testing laboratory. According to the Associated Press, internal documents from the PerkinElmer-run lab detailed alleged issues like contamination causing inconclusive tests, swapped samples and inaccurate results sent to patients. CBS13 TV in Sacramento obtained the records. They interviewed current and former employees who claim to have found COVID-19 test swaps found in restaurants. California's health department director Tomas Aragon said the state is taking the allegations seriously. The state contracted PerkinElmer to process up to 150,000 coronavirus tests a day by March at the Santa Clarita-based lab. However, records show that the facility is currently working through less than 20,000 tests a day while being paid a contracted rate of 100,000 tests per day. 10:51 a.m.: A third of US adults skeptical about COVID-19 vaccination About 1 in 3 American adults say they definitely or probably won't get the COVID-19 vaccine. That's according to a recent poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Experts say this is discouraging news if the U.S. hopes to achieve herd immunity and vanquish the outbreak. The poll found that while 67% of Americans plan to get vaccinated or have already done so, 15% are certain they won't, and 17% said probably not. Many expressed doubts over the vaccine's safety and effectiveness, even though few if any, serious side effects have turned up more than a month and a half into the vaccination drive. 10:50 a.m.: WHO expert group recommends use of AstraZeneca vaccine Independent experts advising the World Health Organization have recommended the use of AstraZeneca's vaccine to fight COVID-19, according to the Associated Press. The group also stressed the vaccine even in countries where especially contagious variants cropped up. Amid the growing doubts about the vaccine's effectiveness against the potent coronavirus variant from South Africa, the new advice is for healthcare officials worldwide. However, this isn't a green light for the U.N. and its partners to ship the vaccine. That approval could come after a separate WHO group meets on Friday and Monday to assess whether an emergency-use listing for the AstraZeneca vaccine is warranted. Tuesday, February 96:08 p.m.: California leaders facing pressure to loosen restrictions on youth sports Parents and coaches are ramping up pressure on California leaders to loosen restrictions on youth sports, citing concerns over physical and mental health. Some parents also worry their teenagers could be losing out on scholarship opportunities. Most team sports have been suspended since the onset of the pandemic. At least one unsanctioned basketball tournament in Rocklin [near Sacramento] late last year led to more than 90 confirmed coronavirus cases. Gov. Gavin Newsom says it's something his office has been reevaluating. "We've been negotiating the details of that," Newsom said Tuesday. "Real progress is being made." But the governor says youth sports is part of a larger conversation on reopening schools. He plans to release a deal with state lawmakers on schools later this week. 6:00 p.m.: Butte County officials say more Covid testing needed to assess spread of virus Butte County Public Health Officials say testing too few residents could prevent the state from loosening the county's COVID-19 restrictions. Butte County is currently in the purple, or most restrictive tier, under the state's reopening system. This means many non-essential businesses are barred from operating indoors. One of the metrics the state looks to when determining restrictions is the test positivity rate, or the percentage of positive COVID-19 tests in the county. Butte County Health Officials say if too few residents are tested, it will be difficult for the state to accurately assess how widespread the virus is in the community. Officials say more testing is likely to lower the percentage of positive results and that testing too few residents could hinder the ability to loosen restrictions. 1:44 p.m.: Newsom says school reopening discussion continues, despite vaccines supply issues Gov. Gavin Newsom once again hinted at a deal this week with California lawmakers on a $6.6 billion plan to reopen schools in the state, despite concerns from educators about access to vaccines. Newsom said Tuesday that he supports a plan to get students, especially kindergarten to second grade, back into in-person classrooms before the end of the school year. "I am of the firm belief we can safely get back our children — our youngest children — get them back safely to school in small cohorts," he said Tuesday at the opening of a vaccination center at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. "We can get this done and we must get it done. If we care about diversity and we care about the values we preach, we have to get our youngest kids back into instruction and back into an environment where their social and emotional needs are being met." Unions representing teachers and other school employees have put out their open plan, calling for the state to offer vaccines to all school employees before they return to work. But Newsom said that would be unlikely with the state's limited supply of vaccines. On Tuesday, he said the federal government will be providing around a million doses to California again this week, though only 594,000 earmarked for first doses. "When you're receiving less than 600,000 first doses a week, and you start to do the math, if that's the prerequisite, then we need to be honest with people, and let them know — parents, millions of us, myself included — that it is very unlikely we'll be able to accomplish that very idealistic goal before the end of the school year, unless we took them away from the vast majority of others, seniors and our most medically vulnerable," Newsom said. New COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to drop throughout the state, though more than 500 Californians a day are still dying from the disease. 1:37 p.m.: Nevada passes spending plan for 2020 federal coronavirus relief money Nevada lawmakers unanimously passed spending plans for $633 million-worth of federal coronavirus relief funding passed by the former President Trump administration in December. According to the Associated Press, the appropriations approved this week pertained to already-passed federal funding and will not draw from the general fund that state lawmakers oversee and use to finance state services and projects. Lawmakers approved $125 million for Nevada's rental assistance program, $50 million for a relief fund for small businesses, and $477 million for K-12 schools. The provisions apply to the budget year ending in June 2021 and are separate from the Legislature's planning process for the upcoming two years. 1:36 p.m.: California churches can resume indoor services, singing still banned California issued new rules for religious gatherings over the weekend following a Supreme Court ruling that struck down a ban on indoor worship services. Previously churches were required to conduct religious services outside if their county was still in the highest two risk levels, purple and red, in the state's color-coded tier reopening system. Most areas have been under these restrictions for weeks after the end of the state's regional stay-at-home order. While services are allowed back indoors at 25% capacity, singing and chanting are still banned. Many religious organizations cheered the new guidelines. Several Catholic leaders across the state said they would resume services like Mass under limited capacity. Despite this, the ban on signing continues to be a sticking point. The Pasadena-based church pastor that brought the lawsuit said he will continue to fight the state's ban on religious singing. 10:13 a.m: California counties turning to zip codes for vaccine outreach California and other states are trying to ensure they vaccinate people in mostly Black, Latino and working-class communities since they have usually borne the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Associated Press, San Francisco is reserving some vaccines for older adults in the two zip codes hit hardest by the pandemic. Riverside County in Southern California has partnered with an immigrant advocacy group to vaccinate farmworkers. Nationwide, states are struggling to distribute vaccines equitably even as officials try to define what equity means. Officials are debating what risk factors gets someone towards the front of the line: those in poverty, communities of color, the work they do, or if they have a disability. 10:12 a.m.: Los Angeles County lost nearly half a million jobs in 2020, will lose more in 2021 A report says Los Angeles County lost 437,000 jobs in 2020 and will have 354,000 fewer living-wage jobs this year compared to the pre-pandemic economy, according to the Associated Press. The recently released report also outlined that more than 738,000 living-wage jobs will need to be created for the entire workforce in a county of 10 million residents to achieve a satisfactory standard of living. The county Department of Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services commissioned the report. County Board of Supervisors chairwoman Hilda Solis plans to ask the board to pass a motion to implement many of the report's recommended recovery strategies. 10:08 a.m.: WHO team confirms COVID-19 did not leak from Chinese lab A team of international and Chinese scientists looking for the origins of COVID-19 says it's most likely that the coronavirus first appeared in humans after jumping from an animal. According to the Associated Press, the team also confirmed that the alternate theory that the virus leaked from a Chinese lab was unlikely. This lab leak theory was the one former President Donald Trump and his administration officials had put forward without evidence. The Wuhan Institute of Virology is home to many different viral samples, leading to the allegation that it must have been the outbreak's source, whether accidentally or on purpose. One expert said a closely watched visit by the World Health Organization team to Wuhan, China, didn't dramatically change the current understanding of the pandemic's early days but did offer more details. The mission was intended to be a first step in understanding the origins of the virus. Scientists have posited the virus passed to humans through a wild animal like a pangolin or a bamboo rat. The pandemic has now killed more than 2.3 million people worldwide. Monday, February 85:40 p.m.: San Joaquin County creates vaccine information site San Joaquin County residents can now sign up to be notified of available COVID-19 vaccine appointments in the county. Residents can enter their email address or text-enabled phone number on the county's website here and be alerted when doses are available for their tier. The state is now vaccinating health care workers, people in long-term care facilities, education and childcare workers, emergency services workers, food and agriculture workers, and all people 65 and older. People without an email address or text-enabled phone can use an email address of a caregiver, a family member or a friend. 5:38 p.m.: Natomas Unified School District opens COVID-19 vaccination clinic The Natomas Unified School District will start administering COVID-19 shots to the surrounding community Thursday, Feb. 11. The vaccination site will follow the state's tier system for priority groups, meaning people 65 and older, and first responders. Vaccine-eligible people can register online or call (916) 561-5253 on Mondays from 8 to 11 a.m. for assistance. Help will be available in also Spanish, Punjabi, Hindu, Tagalog and Urdu. People calling the phone number may need to leave a message and be contacted later by staff. Vaccinations will be at the Natomas High School parking lot at 3301 Fong Ranch Road as a drive-through shot site. Appointments are required, and walk-ups will not be admitted. The clinic will continue on Thursdays moving forward. 5:25 p.m.: Nevada reports nearly 1,000 more COVID-19 deaths On Saturday, Nevada reported 898 additional known COVID-19 cases and 33 additional deaths. According to the Associated Press, this increases the state's pandemic totals to 283,391 cases and 4,496 deaths. The seven-day rolling averages of daily new cases and daily deaths in the state decreased over the past two weeks, as reported by data from the COVID Tracking Project. The rolling average of daily new cases dropped from 1,451.7 on Jan. 22 to 887.7 on Friday, with the rolling average of daily deaths dropping from 37.1 to 35 during the same period. The number of infections in Nevada is thought to be far higher. 1:44 p.m.: First Sacramento-region case of UK COVID-19 variant confirmed in Yolo County The Sacramento region's first case of the U.K. variant of the coronavirus has been discovered in Yolo County. UC Davis identified the case of the B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant, the strain originally identified in the U.K. The variant was found through the university's free testing program, Health Davis Together. "Given that the B.1.1.7 variant has already been found in Southern California and the Bay Area, it is not surprising that it has now been detected in Yolo County," Yolo County Public Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson said in a press release. Sisson said this infection is a reminder that even though cases may be declining in Yolo County, residents should still continue to wear masks, social distance and avoid indoor gatherings. The person who tested positive for the variant has already been notified and is in isolation. Contract tracing efforts were started immediately. The unnamed person is an adult and may have caught the mutation through travel outside of their community. The B.1.1.7 variant was originally identified in September 2020 and has been detected in 33 states, including California, Florida, Nevada, New York and Texas. Researchers from UC San Diego have hypothesized that this particular strain has been spreading rapidly in the U.S. since late November. 11:44 a.m.: Some California churches already open for indoor worship Some California churches opened their doors to worshippers soon after the state revised its guidelines for places of prayer, according to the Associated Press. The reopening follows the Supreme Court ruling Friday that lifted a ban on indoor services during the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Gavin Newsom's office issued revised guidelines that limit indoor service attendance in areas with widespread or substantial virus spread. In the most significant legal victory against California's COVID-19 health orders, the high court said the state couldn't continue a ban on indoor services, but it can limit attendance to 25% of the building's capacity and restrict singing inside. 11:42 a.m.: Which COVID-19 test will I need for international travel? Depends on your destination.
Many countries are stepping up COVID-19-related requirements for incoming travelers. Some plan to ask travelers to show a recent negative COVID-19 test, according to the Associated Press. The U.S. will accept results from either a standard COVID-19 test or a rapid test, but the tests must have been taken no more than three days before flying into the country. The more sensitive nasal swab can take a day or more to get results, while the rapid tests can get a turnaround time of about 15 to 30 minutes. Regardless of which test, the U.S. requires electronic or printed proof of the negative result from a medical laboratory — so even though results can be acquired quickly, travelers will likely need to see a health care provider to get proper documentation. England also will accept either test, but their health authorities require that the tests meet a certain standard for accuracy. European Union officials recently agreed to standardized testing requirements for entry across all 27-nation bloc. 9:25 a.m.: Farmworkers may be overlooked in vaccination drive In California, older adults, teachers, first responders, and farmworkers are all eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine right now, but with a limited supply of doses, counties have to choose who to prioritize. Many counties are setting up clinics for older adults, advising them to check in with their doctors about setting up a coronavirus vaccine appointment. However, farmworkers across the state may not even know they are eligible for the vaccine or have a way to access it. This lack of communication can lead to lower vaccination rates among farmworkers. According to a Stanford University report, even though farmworkers can get a free flu shot at any pharmacy, less than 5% do. But when people go onsite to where the farmworkers are to administer the vaccine, 80 to 85% receive their flu shot. The Stanford team wants to go onsite to administer COVID-19 shots, but they can't get their hands on the doses needed. Right now, the state has about 3 million on hand, but there are roughly 11.5 million people currently eligible. While counties make their own decisions about administering the vaccine supply they get from the state, once older adults and frontline workers are vaccinated, the rollout should go by age group. Sunday, February 73 p.m.: Californians urged not to gather for game amid virus gains California's coronavirus picture remains much improved, but officials expressed concern that Super Bowl gatherings could erase gains made over the past several weeks. The California Department of Public Health urged residents not to gather for the big game. The number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 slipped below 11,670 statewide, a drop of nearly 35% in two weeks. The 15,064 new confirmed cases on Sunday represent a drop of more than 30% from the mid-December peak. Deaths also are starting to fall but remain alarmingly high, however, with a daily average of 511 over the past two weeks. There were 295 deaths reported Sunday. —Associated Press Saturday, February 63:27 p.m.: California to revise indoor church guidelines after ruling California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office says it will issue revised guidelines for indoor church services after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the state's ban on indoor worship during the coronavirus pandemic. In the most significant legal victory against California's COVID-19 health orders, the high court told California it can't continue with a ban on indoor services during the coronavirus pandemic, but it can limit attendance to 25% of a building's capacity and restrict singing and chanting inside. Newsom's office said it will continue to enforce the restrictions the high court left in place. —Associated Press 12:50 p.m.: California can no longer ban indoor church services, rules Supreme Court The Supreme Court has ruled that California can no longer continue with a ban on indoor church services in response to the pandemic. However, the state can keep in place restrictions on singing and chanting inside. Churches in Chula Vista and Pasadena argued that the state had violated their religious liberty last year when it placed limits on in-person attendance at worship services based on COVID-19 rates. The court was split over how much leeway states should be given for restricting church attendance in order to keep COVID-19 at bay. Friday, February 52:16 p.m.: San Quentin State Prison faces huge Cal/OSHA fine over COVID-19 outbreak California workplace safety regulators say they have hit San Quentin State Prison with by far the state's largest pandemic-related fine against an employer yet. San Quentin has been rocked by one of the nation's worst coronavirus outbreaks. According to the Associated Press, the prison now has a more than $400,000 fine levied against it. This new fine is several times higher than any others doled out by the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, commonly known as Cal/OSHA. The announcement comes days after the state's inspector general said corrections officials "caused a public health disaster" at San Quentin regarding COVID-19. Cal/OSHA said employees were not given adequate training, equipment or proper medical services. 2:15 p.m.: Nevada fights against COVID-19 vaccine disparity Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak has introduced a new initiative aimed at addressing COVID-19 vaccine distribution disparities in Clark County, where Las Vegas is located, according to the Associated Press. Sisolak said on Friday that the Equity and Fairness Initiative was created to get vaccines to the communities that need them most, including working-class families, low-income households, and people of color. The governor said he was alarmed at what he called an equity crisis in the U.S. Nevada is expected to work with Clark County Emergency Management and the Southern Nevada Health District on the initiative. Progress is expected to be reported publicly to the state's COVID-19 Mitigation Task Force. 2:00 p.m.: US troops to assist with COVID-19 vaccinations The Pentagon will deploy more than 1,100 troops to five vaccination centers in what will be the first wave of increased military support for the Biden administration's vaccination campaign. According to the Associated Press, President Joe Biden has called to set up 100 mass vaccination centers around the country within a month. Two of those five new military teams will go to vaccination centers opening in California. The two sites in California will both open on Feb. 16. One will be California State University, Los Angeles, and the other in Oakland. Coronavirus senior adviser Andy Slavitt said military personnel will arrive at those centers in a little over a week. Three additional centers across the country are expected to be announced soon. 10:42 a.m.: Main State Lab Far Short Of Its COVID-19 Testing Goal California's newest state lab remains far short of its goal for processing COVID-19 tests. The lab in Valencia was hailed as a game-changer when it opened in November, and Gov. Gavin Newsom indicated it would turn around 150,000 tests per day by March. It is processing roughly that number of tests — but weekly, not daily. "Trying to get a specimen flow into a laboratory can be difficult," said Rick Greenwood, adjunct professor of public health at UCLA. "The commercial labs, which are testing way more, have set up logistics for years." Commercial labs are processing more than 10-times the number of tests handled by the Valencia lab. "California is on track with its targeted efforts to increase testing access across the state," wrote Dr. Gil Chavez, co-chair of the state's testing task force, in an emailed statement. "We will continue to expand testing while ensuring that capacity is available to meet surges in demand due to outbreaks, community-wide COVID-19 increases, or surveillance and screening." The California Department of Public Health declined an interview request. Experts and the state say vaccine distribution will likely impact the demand for testing over time. 10:36 a.m.: Unemployment fraud during pandemic spans almost the entire nation Unemployment agencies across the country were bombarded with so many claims during the pandemic that many — including California — struggled to distinguish the genuine from the fake. According to the Associated Press, simple tax forms are now revealing the extent of the identity theft that made state-run unemployment offices lucrative targets for fraud after millions of people lost their jobs during the pandemic. California isn't the only state dealing with fraud. In Ohio, the governor and lieutenant governor learned that fraudulent claims had been filed in both their names. 10:35 a.m.: COVID-19 cases drop at nursing homes, long-term care facilities Coronavirus cases have dropped at nursing homes and long-term care facilities across the country over the past few weeks, according to the Associated Press. The dip offers a glimmer of hope that health officials attribute to the start of vaccinations, plus an easing of the post-holiday surge and better prevention among other reasons. Statistics show that more than 153,000 residents of the country's nursing homes and assisted living centers have died of COVID-19, making up 36% of the U.S. pandemic death toll. While experts say the vaccination rollout may be contributing to the drop in cases, other factors are likely playing a larger role. However, they caution that threats are still looming, including new, more contagious strains of the virus. Thursday, February 46:43 p.m.: Lawmakers introduce bill package to improve EDD California state lawmakers Thursday unveiled a package of bills intended to make dramatic improvements to the state's embattled Employment Development Department. One from San Diego Democratic Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez would change EDD's contract with Bank of America which currently provides benefits through debit cards. "It became very clear that this idea that all EDD payments have to go through Bank of America makes no sense," she said. Instead, Gonzalez' bill would give those filing claims the option of getting their unemployment benefits via direct deposit to their bank accounts. "The problem with everybody going through Bank of America, which we're seeing, is that if you're not a customer of Bank of America they have no responsibility to be very accommodating to your concerns about your card being frozen, or fraud or not receiving your card," she said. Other bills would require EDD to check the claimants against lists of prison inmates to prevent fraud and would establish an Office of the Claimant Advocate to help people with claim problems. Two separate audits released this year found that the EDD is plagued with bureaucratic inefficiencies, fraud and an inability to pay benefits on time. All of the legislation will now go through committee hearings in the coming weeks. 3:22 p.m.: Sacramento County offers public vaccination clinic to people 65 and older The Sacramento County Department of Public Health is hosting a COVID-19 pop-up vaccination clinic on Feb. 6 for anyone 65 years or older. Interested people must register online and be 65 or older. Currently, there are enough vaccine doses to inoculate 1,000 people. The clinic is open to anyone 65 and older, regardless of insurance, ability to pay, or legal status. There will be no walk-up appointments. After registering, people who signed up for a spot will need to bring a form of identification to confirm their age and a printed copy of their registration before they can receive the shot. Those who attend will be automatically registered for a second dose when they receive their first one. This is not a drive-through clinic, so people must bring masks to get vaccinated. The county department of public health recommends that registered people arrive at least 10 minutes before their appointment, and then factor in another 15 minutes post-shot so you can be monitored for any allergic reactions or side effects. The person receiving the immunization can bring one other person. When: Saturday, February 6, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Where: Cristo Rey High School – Multi-Purpose Room, 8475 Jackson Rd, Sacramento 3:17 p.m.: Elko County creates private fund to support coronavirus-related business fines Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak has criticized Elko County for undermining COVID-19 restrictions after establishing a fund to raise private money to support coronavirus-related business infractions. According to the Associated Press, on Wednesday, Elko County commissioners unanimously approved the fund and insisted that the fund won't include any taxpayer money. The Elko Daily Free Press reports county Republican Party Chairman Lee Hoffman told the commissioners he was ready to become the first contributor, pledging $100. Commission Chairman John Karr said the ultimate goal is to ease the restrictions that set capacity limits, require masks and social distancing. 3:05 p.m.: US coronavirus deaths surpass 450,000, daily deaths still high Coronavirus deaths in the U.S. have surpassed 450,000, according to the Associated Press. Daily deaths remain stubbornly high at more than 3,000 new deaths a day, despite falling infections and the arrival of multiple vaccines. Infectious disease specialists expect deaths to start dropping soon, right after cases hit a peak around the beginning of the year. The new CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says COVID-19 deaths could ebb as early as next week. Still, there's also the risk that improving infection trends and hospitalizations could be offset by people relaxing and coming together — especially with the Super Bowl happening this Sunday. On Wednesday, 3,912 COVID-19 deaths were recorded nationwide, down from the pandemic peak of 4,466 deaths on Jan. 12. California has been the biggest driver to the U.S. death toll over the past month, averaging more than 500 deaths per day in recent weeks. 12:06 p.m.: Report shows food establishments most commonly cited place Southern Nevada residents infected with COVID-19 The Southern Nevada Health District has released new data that shows where Clark County residents may have been exposed to the coronavirus, according to the Associated Press. While the most common exposure site is listed as "other," the most common specified locations were food establishments with 13,146 potential cumulative exposures with 1,969 possible exposures in the last 30 days. Next ranked were hotels or motels, which accounted for 12,219 total potential exposures. The following highest potential exposure sites were medical facilities, "work," grocery stores, casinos, schools and long-term care facilities. 11:48 a.m.: Can I take painkillers before and after getting a COVID-19 vaccine? Probably not.
It's best to avoid certain painkillers before and after getting a COVID-19 vaccine, unless you routinely take them for a medical condition, according to the Associated Press. Although the evidence is limited, some painkillers might curb the very immune system response the vaccine is trying to generate. Symptoms such as arm soreness, fever, headaches and body aches are common after a vaccine and are signs that the body is mounting a defense against the virus. Medical experts say people should not take painkillers preventively before getting a vaccine unless a doctor has advised them to. 11:47 a.m.: US scrambles to identify coronavirus mutations Despite its world-class medical system and its vaunted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. fell behind in the race to detect dangerous coronavirus mutations. According to the Associated Press, the nation is only now beginning to catch up. The problem hasn't been a shortage of technology or expertise, but rather an absence of national leadership and coordination. Scientists say all of that, plus a lack of funding and supplies for overburdened laboratories trying to juggle diagnostic testing with the hunt for mutations. Wednesday, February 35:25 p.m.: California opening two new COVID-19 vaccination center California is joining with the federal government to open two new vaccination centers as test areas for President Joe Biden's effort to create 100 mass vaccination sites nationwide in 100 days. Gov. Gavin Newsom made the announcementWednesday in front of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, one of the two sites. Newsom says the program will be jointly run with FEMA. "We'll be working with the county and local officials, hiring local individuals from the community creating jobs for community members to distribute what we hope is a minimum of 6,000 doses a day hoping to build from that moving forward," Newsom said. The other test site is at California State University, Los Angeles. Wednesday's announcement comes as California's most deadly pandemic surge eases but as the state struggles with vaccine shortages. Newsom promoted the new sites as part of the larger effort to target communities that might otherwise be left behind. 5:20 p.m.: Five more UK variant COVID-19 cases reported in Las Vegas Health officials in Las Vegas say five more residents have contracted the more contagious coronavirus variant first identified in the United Kingdom, according to the Associated Press. On Tuesday, the Nevada Health District said that all five people had close contact with the person whose first-in-the-state case was reported on Jan. 25. State health officials have identified the first case, a woman in her 30s with no travel history and reportedly limited contact with people outside her household. The UK variant is part of the emerging group of highly contagious mutations evolving around the globe. New variants were also recently first identified in South Africa and Brazil. Researchers are looking into whether these mutations are resistant to vaccines. 5:10 p.m.: Yolo County expands vaccine eligibility to all residents 65 and older Yolo County has opened its vaccine clinics this week to all county residents 65 and older, regardless of medical insurance. Pop-up clinics will be held from Feb. 3 to Feb. 6 and located in Esparto, Knights Landing, Woodland and West Sacramento. The county said it's focusing on getting all of their vaccines out effectively and efficiently while trying to focus on residents who are at the highest risk of serious complications or death from the virus. Here is the county's vaccine eligibility requirements:
Residents that meet these requirements can sign up at the following clinics: For residents who can't access these sites, need assistance, or are homebound and require an in-home vaccine, the county suggests calling 211 or toll-free at (855) 866-1783 for assistance. For more information about Yolo County's COVID-19 vaccination plan, residents can visit the county's website. 10:55 a.m.: San Francisco sues to open up its public schools San Francisco has taken a dramatic step in its effort to get kids back into public schools, according to the Associated Press. The city has sued its own school district to try and force classrooms to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic. This lawsuit is the first of its kind in California, and possibly the country, as school systems come under increasing pressure from parents and politicians to end online learning. On Wednesday, the city sued the San Francisco Board of Education and the San Francisco Unified School District with the support of Mayor London Breed and City Attorney Dennis Herrera. Teachers unions in many large school districts, including San Francisco, say they won't return to classrooms until they are vaccinated. 10:54 a.m.: Study finds that COVID-19 vaccine may reduce transmission A new study may help answer one of the biggest open questions in suppressing the coronavirus outbreak: Can vaccines reduce transmission in addition to preventing serious illness? It seems so. According to the Associated Press, Oxford University researchers say that AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine does more than just protect people from falling seriously ill. It also appears to reduce viral transmission. The study released on Wednesday also suggested that a single dose of the AstraZeneca formula provides a high level of protection for 12 weeks. Up until now, the recommended time between doses in the U.S. has been four weeks. Tuesday, February 26:10 p.m.: California continues to adjust vaccine rollout amidst confusion California's vaccine rollout has caused confusion as the state continues to adjust who's next in line for the shot. Right now, people over 65 are eligible for the vaccine, as are food and agricultural workers, educators, and law enforcement. The question of who's next in line is where it gets tricky. It was going to be transportation and manufacturing employees, and people who work in homeless shelters, jails and prisons. Then people under 65 with medical conditions, and workers in communications, defense and financial services. But those categories are all scrapped, according to the state health department. The state's going to make people eligible by age only. They have not announced which age group will follow people 65 and older, and the old priority list is still on their website. Find more information about California's vaccine rollout here. 5:35 p.m.: California hospitalization rates are going down There are some encouraging trends in California's battle with the coronavirus. Three key measurements — infections, hospitalizations and ICU admissions — have all been trending down for the past two weeks. But Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly warns infection rates are still almost three times higher than they were in the fall. He says new variants of the virus, as well as any relaxation in safety measures could prompt a rebound. "COVID is still abound in our communities," Ghaly said. " We've gotta keep our guard up. How likely is it that we'll see another surge? I think again it comes back to the behaviors and our own sense of personal choice and personal responsibility on this." Ghaly says Californians are now being vaccinated at three times the rate they were a month ago, with 3.5 million Californians having had at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. "We cannot wait long to vaccinate communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID, those communities that may have historically higher hesitancy to vaccines and health care services," Ghaly said. "Where access is not as robust as it is in other parts of our state." Two counties — Trinity and Alpine — moved from the red to the orange reopening tier today, signaling a relaxing of restrictions. Fifty-four of California's 58 counties are still in the most restrictive purple tier. 5:20 p.m.: Nevada lawmakers open legislative session amid pandemic Nevada lawmakers are stressing bipartisanship in the opening days of the legislative session ahead of what are expected to be tense policy discussions about pandemic restrictions, taxes and budget cuts. Lawmakers kicked off their four-month legislative session on Monday with swearing-in ceremonies scaled back to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, according to the Associated Press. While the legislative building is usually crowded with staff, lobbyists and lawmakers' families for opening day festivities, it was pretty empty this time around due to virus-related restrictions. Unlike the special sessions held last summer, the Legislature is offering those permitted in the building rapid tests, hoping to prevent an outbreak that could slow proceedings. 5:15 p.m.: Coronavirus vaccines heading to pharmacies as soon as next week President Joe Biden's administration is moving forward to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines, freeing up more doses for states, and has plans to start distributing them to retail pharmacies next week. According to the Associated Press, this latest push comes as there is a new urgency to speed vaccinations to help stem the spread of severe strains of the virus, with more than 445,000 deaths already in the United States. Starting next week, 1 million doses will soon be distributed to some 6,500 pharmacies across the county. States and territories can also expect a boost of weekly vaccine allocations sent directly to them in the coming weeks. More pharmacies are expected to get more vaccinations as soon as drug makers increase production. The original goal was to distribute vaccines through more than 40,000 pharmacies nationwide, but the campaign got off to a slow start because some states lack their own infrastructure for mass vaccination. State of local guidelines will dictate whether or not someone can be vaccinated at a local pharmacy. 11:08 a.m.: Gov. Newsom and teacher unions clash over reopening schools An effort to reopen schools in California is foundering, stoking the frustration of parents and Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to the Associated Press. As the first anniversary of distance learning approaches, parents are grappling with the toll of isolation and intense screen time on their kids' academic and emotional well-being. A $2 billion plan by Newsom to reopen schools next month has not been well received, and the Legislature shows no sign of fast-tracking its approval. Meanwhile, a growing body of evidence — including a new report by researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — shows few outbreaks linked to schools where safety measures such as mask-wearing are enforced. The state's teacher unions and biggest school districts say the current state plan is unworkable, raising questions about whether K-12 schools will open at all this academic year. 11:07 a.m.: Nevada health officials say January was deadliest month for COVID-19 deaths Nevada recorded its deadliest month of coronavirus pandemic in January after reporting eight additional coronavirus deaths over the weekend, according to the Associated Press. On Monday, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the additional deaths on Sunday boosted the statewide death toll to 1,132 — more than a quarter of the 4,278 deaths in the state since the pandemic began. The state surpassed the previous monthly record of 982 deaths set in December. Health officials also reported 838 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases. University of Nevada, Las Vegas epidemiologist Brian Labus said the new current figures are a lagging indicator because people who died in January were mostly infected between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. 11:06 a.m.: Does wearing two masks offer more protection? Yes, but isn't always needed.
Health experts recommend a single cloth mask with multiple layers, but doubling up on masks could offer added protection in certain situations. According to the Associated Press, the CDC recommends wearing a cloth mask made with two or more layers and ensuring it covers your nose and mouth. However, somebody might want the extra protection if they are caring for a sick household member or in public for a long time, like on a plane. In situations like these, wearing a cloth mask and a surgical mask could have a similar effect to an N95 mask. The order of mask usage doesn't matter much. If somebody is looking for "maximum" protection without an N95, then a person can double up on cloth masks with a filter material in one. Monday, February 16:50 p.m.: California inspector general report slams prisons for COVID-19 outbreak A report by California's inspector general says misguided attempts to protect inmates from the coronavirus at one prison "caused a public health disaster" at another. Outdated tests failed to detect that some of the transferred inmates were already infected, and two of them later died. Corrections officials reiterated Monday that they had the best intentions. The report says the transfer of those inmates from the California Institution for Men east of Los Angeles to San Quentin State Prison north of San Francisco at the end of May led to the deaths of 28 inmates and a correctional officer there, while infecting 75% of inmates. 6:45 p.m.: U.S. makes deal to provide 15-minute at-home COVID-19 tests The Biden administration has struck a $231.8 million deal with an Australian company to increase the availability of the first at-home 15-minute test for the coronavirus. The FDA gave emergency authorization to the test, made by Ellume, after it showed 96% accuracy in a U.S. clinical study. Ellume says its contract, with the U.S. Defense Department, will help fund construction of the company's first manufacturing plant in the U.S. The plant will produce more than 500,000 tests per day when it is completed, says Ellume. 11:58 a.m.: Community clinics worry Sacramento County may miss vulnerable communities in vaccine rollout Sacramento County is starting to roll out COVID-19 vaccines to seniors, but some community groups are worried that marginalized people are being left out of the equation. Currently, the county plans to vaccinate people through a drive-through site at Cal Expo once doses are available, but this won't be an option for people without personal vehicles. Community clinics say they want to provide vaccines for people who are unhoused, uninsured, or otherwise hard to reach, but the county hasn't created walk-up vaccine sites in diverse, low-income neighborhoods like for COVID-19 testing. The county has said that they're working with more than a dozen community-based organizations on vaccine logistics, including purchasing two trucks and two trailers that can be taken to underserved communities for pop-up vaccines. Only people over 65 and certain frontline workers are eligible for the vaccine right now. The county is not currently giving priority to Black and brown Californians hit hardest by the virus. 11:34 a.m.: Nursing home staff across the country are declining COVID-19 vaccines on first offer Only a little more than a third of nursing home workers have been getting their COVID-19 shots when they are first offered. According to the Associated Press, that report comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's a national accounting of a problem that's been only noted anecdotally until recently. The CDC looked at more than 11,000 nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities that had at least one vaccination clinic between the middle of December and the middle of January. A CDC expert says more staffers to choose to get vaccinating once a second or third pop-up clinic is held at a nursing home. 11:33 a.m.: WHO research team visits Hubei disease control centers A World Health Organization team investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic has visited two disease control centers located in the province where the outbreak first emerged, according to the Associated Press. The investigative team arrived in Wuhan, the Hubei provincial capital, last month to start looking for clues. After finally being released from a mandatory quarantine, the team has visited hospitals and a seafood market where early cases were detected. On Monday, the team visited the Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and its Wuhan city office, amid tight Chinese controls on access to information about the virus. China has sought to avoid blame for alleged missteps in its early response to the future global outbreak while promoting some theories that the virus originated somewhere else. Find older coronavirus updates on our previous blog page here. CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from "single-parent-vacation-packages-2018,family-holiday-deals-2019" - Google News. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
Comments
Post a Comment