The new omicron variant of coronavirus is expected to surge in Calif. as cases spike across the globe. The strain right now, known as BA.2, has not spawned severe illness or hospitalizations, but it’s early still. The World Health Organization says there’s been a week-over-week increase in global coronavirus cases since the end of January. The places really seeing the spike are Africa, Asia and Europe. Health officials say they’re prepared for cases in the states, and here in Calif., this spring. Preliminary info suggests the new strain is 30% to 60% more contagious than the original omicron, which exploded across the state this winter. So far BA.2 was mostly seen in the Northeast, with 40% of coronavirus cases; and on the West Coast, it was at about 25% of cases.
There’s been more overdoses in Round Valley than last year. Mendofever reports over the last two weeks there were five overdoses of victims under 26 years old, and since the start of the year 17 OD’s where Narcan had to be used. But no deaths. The Mendocino County Sheriff told the news site the rise in overdoses could be attributed to fentanyl which is a low cost ingredient drug dealers are using to cut their materials with. The Sheriff says the most vulnerable are habitual opioid users and since drug use and possession have been decriminalized, there haven’t been any new policies or institutions to help addicts. Round Valley Indian Health Center says they’re trying to help residents and educate them about the risk of taking he drugs.
A man who Deputies say was acting in an aggressive manner has been arrested. The man reportedly driving under the influence with two minors, 10 and 13 years old, in the car with him. Kym Kemp reports the man was acting out against the kids while driving. Someone passing by called dispatch to report hearing the man saying he was going to kill the children’s mother. He was driving on SR 1 at the time last night. Cops put out a Be on the Lookout report for him before 7pm. The CHP picked the guy up eventually after chasing him for a minute.
After a single car crash reported on State Route 1, a Ukiah CHP officer reported to the scene. They found a motorcycle down. After apparently driving too fast around a curve, the crash happened into a metal guardrail, killing the driver. Their name has not been released. The CHP has not released many more details about the incident.
A management group who were in charge of mental healthcare services for Mendocino County is being audited. The Board of Supervisors have reportedly subpoenaed people and paperwork connected to the Ortner Management Group who used to provide services to the county from 2013 to 2016. The county’s Acting CEO Darcie Antle says next Monday those subpoenaed will appear on Zoom for a special meeting. The company was also the subject of a Grand Jury report which said the county improperly awarded the contract to the group, and there had been a conflict of interest, but nothing illegal happened. The jury however recommended the county update its ethics policies because the company was working as a consultant for the county, and the county’s mental health director had a business relationship with the company, giving them inside info.
Four Willits City Council members are up for re-election. And the top four vote getters will win the seats. Councilwoman Marcia Rafanan wasn’t elected to her seat, she was appointed for two years. And the three others are finishing their four years on the job, they’re Jessica Morsell-Haye, Lindy Peters and Tess Albin-Smith. But so far, they haven’t said if they’re running officially, their deadline is August 12th. There could also be newbie council members in Ukiah, Willits and Point Arena. Two councilmembers in Pt. Arena left the job last year, one seat was appointed a new member, and the other seat was filled in an unopposed special election, and a third is also up for re-election too. Two councilmembers in Willits are up for re-election and two in Ukiah as well.
An online townhall is planned with the Mendocino County District 3 supervisor ahead of the official wildfire season. Supervisor John Haschak is moderating a panel for the Willits Economic Localization forum. As locals get ready for the hotter months of the year, the panel will weigh in on what folks can do to prepare for an emergency and evacuate, if needed. The meeting is next Thursday, March 31st at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom. The info:
Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81586789184?
What are public agencies doing to prepare?
How can YOU be prepared?
Moderated by Supervisor John Haschak
Intro: A hearing is set for today in Sacramento – for a bill that would make Medi-Cal accessible to more people. Low-income older adults and people with disabilities who make just over the Medi-Cal limit have to pay 60 percent of their monthly income as a share of cost, minus a set amount for living expenses. That so-called “maintenance level” is set at just 600 dollars a month. Attorney Tiffany Huyenh-Cho with the nonprofit Justice in Aging says Assembly Bill 19-hundred raises the maintenance level to 138% of the federal poverty level, which works out to about 14-hundred dollars a month.
:10 “It would free up income to pay for food, rent and other expenses because the maintenance need level won’t be set at such a low number, at $600 a month for a single person.”
Tag: So far there is no registered opposition to the bill. The high cost of living in the Golden State makes it nearly impossible to cover basic necessities on 600 dollars a month. 91-thousand Californians participate in the share-of-cost program, excluding people in long-term care. 57-thousand are older adults and persons with disabilities. Today’s hearing before the Assembly Committee on Health will be live-streamed starting at 1:30 p-m.
Second Cut: Huyenh-Cho says at the current maintenance level, many people can’t afford to use the share-of-cost program.
:17 “It forces people to forgo medical care because that share of cost is so high, or folks are forced to move into a skilled nursing facility because they can’t afford the wraparound services that Medi-Cal may cover that allow a person to live in their home.”
Tag: Advocates say health equity is a big concern because a disproportionate percentage of patients on the share-of-cost program are people of color on fixed incomes.
Intro: A coalition of 70 health and community groups called Care4All California released its 2022 package of 16 bills and budget requests on Monday, aiming to make health care more affordable and accessible. The most well-known is Assembly Bill 4, which would extend Medi-Cal to all income-eligible adults regardless of immigration status. Anthony Wright with HealthAccess California says, taken together, the package would give health care to an additional 700-thousand people and benefit millions more.
:10 “The package would represent the biggest expansion of coverage since the Affordable Care Act and would be the most far-reaching in terms of providing cost relief to millions of Californians. “
Tag: Senate Bill 944 and AB 1878 would eliminate deductibles on Silver plans on the Covered California exchange. A-B 1995 would eliminate premiums on Medi-Cal. And S-B 644 would require the state to reach out to people who apply for unemployment assistance, to see if they need help finding health-care coverage.
Second Cut: State Senator Scott Wiener is sponsoring S-B 858, which would raise the fines for insurance companies that unlawfully deny or delay medically necessary services.
:08 “And so we’re increasing that $2,500-per-violation fine to $25,000 so that it actually means something.”
Third Cut: State Assemblymember Blanca Rubio is sponsoring AB 2402, which would extend continuous coverage to children on Medi-Cal for the first five years of life.
:06 “Right now, we have about 90,000 children ages 0 to 5 in Medi-Cal that have had a gap in coverage.”
Tag: Other bills in the package include SB 923. which requires health plans to list doctors that provide gender-affirming care. and AB 1130, which would create an office of health-care affordability.
Electric buses are gracing Mendocino County, compliments of the Mendocino Transit Authority. The MTA announced they’ve started to move over to all electricity-powered public bus service in Willits. They’ve now got two 18-passenger “cutaway” buses that travel on Route 1 hourly. That route connects downtown Willits with local shopping and some healthcare providers, the Harrah Senior Center, Howard Hospital and Sherwood Rancheria. They travel between the hours of about 7 a.m. and finish before 5:30 p.m.. They have to charge overnight at the bus yard, then start all over again. There will be a total of six all electric buses that will travel between Willits, Fort Bragg and Ukiah in coming years, then they will add another three after that. The two they have cost more than a half million dollars, which was almost entirely covered by the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust for California.
A man from Upper Lake found guilty of murdering his partner, and the mother of his children, back in court. Willy Tujays Timmons was convicted last year in the bludgeoning death of Vanessa Niko. He was in quarantine in the jail and had his sentencing continued. The case goes back to 2017 when Niko was hit with a rock and died. Timmons has been charged with murder, inflicting corporal injury with a prior conviction within seven years, causing permanent disability, and torture, plus the previous conviction of battery before the death, which would be taken into consideration. He wanted to fire his lawyer too, and now awaits sentencing while in Jail.
An RV in Clearlake Oaks and a garage burned and a man at the scene had minor injuries. The fire Monday morning had Northshore Fire, Lake County Fire and Cal Fire out, but it was out pretty much after they arrived. The RV and an upstairs apartment caught fire along with the garage. Two people were there at the time, one of them ended up in the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and was later released. So far investigators say, they’re not sure how it started.
Since fire season has begun in earnest in California, CAL FIRE says they’re recognizing their 500th Firewise USA site. The recognition by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) shows a certain community is working to reduce wildfire risk to homes in that area. Hollister Ranch in Santa Barbara County is the newest, and 500th Firewise USA® Community in the state. The area has 133 parcels. Coincidentally, only four days after the area was recognized, the Hollister Fire broke out in the Hollister Ranch community. And a couple of homes in its path were saved as the homeowners recently cleared brush away, to make way for defensible space.
