category 94.5 K-wine News
Lake County is preparing to deal with the loss of CalFresh benefits for thousands of residents starting Saturday. The Department of Social Services says it is working on a list of all community-based food resources as federal funding for the program runs out due to the Federal budget shutdown. The department wants to hear from groups that plan to provide food help, including new resources that have been popping up as word spread that CalFresh cards wouldn’t be reloaded after November 1st. They are also compiling a list of groups that are fundraising or collecting food items for those in need. The department has a resource list available on its website, but plans to update it as new information comes in. All of this comes as California and 22 other states have announced they are suing the USDA, which provides the money for states to administer the program. The lawsuit says the government is required to fund the benefits and that there is emergency money available to do that, at least temporarily. Millions of Californians and across the country depend on SNAP to make ends meet every month, and state agencies predict a crisis as families find they have no benefits–and no food in the pantry. The government shutdown is now in its 4th week, and there are no signs it will end anytime soon.
Lake County’s burn ban is about to end for the season. Starting Saturday, you’ll be able to conduct outdoor burns in the Lake County Air Basin, as long as you have a permit from the Lake County Air Quality Management District. The fee is $63. More information about how to get a permit–and the rules and regulations –is available at about burning regulations at lcaqmd.net
Sutter Health and the union representing employees at 8 of its facilities, including Sutter Lakeside, have officially ended their labor dispute. Both sides have signed off on the deal, after they announced a tentative agreement heading off a threatened strike earlier this month. SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West and Sutter officials say the contract has something for both sides. 98 percent of union members voted. Union members say yes. It includes 14 percent across-the-board raises for covered employees in several health care specialties. Sutter says it also provides for stability as it invests in more health services across the region.
Both sides are pouring money into the state in the days leading up to the election to determine the state’s representation in Congress. The latest financial reports show Democrats have raised almost 50 million dollars supporting the plan, far more than the republicans who oppose it. Over four million ballots are already in, and officials think turnout could be around 50 percent. That’s quite a bit more than a usual off-year election. Ballots have started coming in with the election a week from today.
