POLICY & POLITICS Calif coronavirus deaths double, with Central Valley becoming a hot spot in U.S. LA Times Calif’s second surge of the coronavirus has resulted in a near doubling of weekly deaths since the spring — with almost 1,000 fatalities in the last week alone — and radically shifted the geography of the outbreak, […]

POLICY & POLITICS 2020-2021 budget includes $27 billion for Valley Porterville Recorder The U.S. House of Representatives have passed a series of necessary minibus bills to fund the federal government during the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Included in the bills are $27 billion for the Central Valley in areas such as agriculture, providing clean drinking water, […]

POLICY & POLITICS North SJ Valley: State task force provides support in Merced County as COVID-19 numbers rise abc30 Representatives from several different state agencies met with local leaders at Merced County’s Office of Emergency Services building Monday morning. The group included first responders, medical providers, and educators. Stanislaus cases top 10,000. Latest on salons, […]

POLICY & POLITICS North SJ Valley: Calif to Atwater that is defying the COVID-19 shutdown: No cash for you LA Times It was a boast heard around this Central Valley town of 30,000, courtesy of Mayor Paul Creighton. Atwater had not just flattened the COVID-19 case curve. “We’ve smashed the curve,” he declared. Modesto councilman […]

POLICY & POLITICS North SJ Valley: Merced County COVID-19 deaths this week rise to 18, as state data issue complicates pandemic Merced Sun-Star Nine additional COVID-19 deaths of Merced County residents were reported by County Public Health on Wednesday, bringing the fatality count since the pandemic began to 60. Stanislaus has 10 more deaths. Schools […]

POLICY & POLITICS Birx warns 9 cities, Calif’s central valley about increasing coronavirus cases MSN The White House coronavirus task force is warning states about an uptick in coronavirus test positivity rates in a number of new cities this week. North SJ Valley: Merced Co Supervisors reject half-cent sales tax proposal after residents object Merced […]

POLICY & POLITICS North SJ Valley: Stanislaus adjusts death total. Private school plans vary Modesto Bee Stanislaus County reported Monday that 126 residents have died from the virus, an increase mainly attributed to a revision from previous months. The county reported 14 additional fatalities in an update. Four of those occurred recently, while 10 were never documented […]

POLICY & POLITICS North SJ Valley: Modesto road signs in Spanish are part of the outreach to Latino community in the effort to contain the coronavirus Modesto Bee Lighted road signs in Spanish are part of the outreach to Latino community, which has higher rates of COVID-19 than its percentage of Stanislaus County’s population. Modesto […]

POLICY & POLITICS Calif’s Central Valley Now a Coronavirus Hot Spot US News Calif is sending strike teams and tens of millions of dollars into eight Central Valley counties struggling to contain the coronavirus. Child at Valley Children’s has died from the coronavirus, hospital confirms Fresno Bee A patient at Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera […]

POLICY & POLITICS North SJ Valley: 6 new COVID-19 deaths in Merced Co. Atwater prison, nursing facility among outbreaks Merced Sun-Star Merced County’s coronavirus death toll increased by six fatalities Wednesday, the Merced County Department of Public Health confirmed. One of the most recently deceased individuals was between age 35-49, which is on the younger side as […]