California News – 5-11-2021

K Buenavista — Wed, 12 May 2021 16:59:42 +0000

California Governor declares drought emergency in most counties

California Gov. Gavin Newsom extended a drought emergency declaration to cover 41 of the state’s 58 counties on Monday
Newsom and other officials are concerned California could experience a repeat of the catastrophic 2020 wildfire season
Newsom proposed Monday a $5.1 billion package to cover an immediate drought response and long-term water resilience investments to address the crisis
Newsom’s new order covers 30% of California’s population, or almost 40 million people, across areas including the Sacramento and San Joaquin river watersheds, the Tulare Lake basin region and the Klamath region

If Los Angeles County continues to administer 400,000 COVID-19 vaccine shots a week, it will likely reach herd immunity among adults and older teenagers by mid- to late-July
To reach herd immunity, a community must have enough people who have either been inoculated or have natural immunity to protect the rest of the population against the coronavirus
In Los Angeles County, more than 3 million people have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
California has recovered from the surge in cases over the fall and winter, with the state now seeing its lowest hospitalization rate since the beginning of the pandemic

The California Highway Patrol is investigating a series of incidents in which vehicles were damaged by a BB or pellet gun on the 91 Freeway in Riverside County, with three reported less than 30 minutes apart on Monday morning
The first report came just before 10:40 p.m. Sunday, when CHP units responded to an In-N-Out in the 7400 block of Indiana Street to help a motorist whose car window had been shattered while he drove on the 91
No injuries were reported in any of the four incidents, and no formal suspect description was provided
CHP is urging any witnesses to step forward and call them at 951-637-8000

Cindy Marten, superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District, will be the nation’s next deputy education secretary
As deputy secretary, Marten will effectively be the chief operating officer for the U.S. Department of Education at a time when the nation’s schools are helping students recover from the academic and mental health impacts of the pandemic and of months-long school closures
Marten will work with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, the former Connecticut chief of schools, who was confirmed at the beginning of March by a vote of 64-33
Some U.S. senators also questioned whether Marten was fit for the job, expressing concern about her slow reopening of schools during the pandemic and her lack of experience with higher education
This drew concerns from local parents and community members, who have been critical of her leadership of the district, including the district’s student discipline racial disparities and handling of school sexual assaults and other issues

K Buenavista — Tue, 11 May 2021 16:18:27 +0000

More Californians will soon be eligible for a one-time $600 stimulus check, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Monday
Gov. Gavin Newsom and state leaders announced on Monday a $100 billion economic recovery relief plan that will provide one-time stimulus checks, rent and utility relief for more Californians
Part of Newsom’s California Comeback Plan is expanding the state’s Golden State Stimulus relief package to include families who earn up to $75,000
The governor said the state would spend $12 billion to send out the $600 payments, which two out of every three Californians would be eligible to receive
The plan will also cover $2 billion in relief to help people pay off past due utility bills, including water and gas

The famed boardwalk in Venice, California, has reportedly turned into a large, “dangerous” homeless encampment, according to fed-up residents who are calling for action amid a series of crimes and drug use in the area
On April 28, a man survived a shooting at the coastal hotspot known for its bohemian spirit and A recent explosion caused a fire inside one of the encampments dotting the walkway known as Ocean Front Walk
Over five years, the homeless population has increased by 50 percent
During the pandemic, almost 200 tents have been erected on the boardwalk, according to a letter signed by hundreds of residents
Violent robberies in the neighborhood have jumped by 177 percent and the number of cases of assault with a deadly weapon involving a homeless person have spiked by 162 percent

California’s population fell by more than 182,000 last year, the first yearly loss ever recorded for the nation’s most populous state
The figures released Friday followed last week’s announcement from the U.S. Census Bureau that California would lose a congressional seat for the first time because it grew more slowly than other states over the past decade
Still, California’s population of just under 39.5 million and soon-to-be 52-member congressional delegation remain by far the largest
The average sale price of a single-family home in California hit a record $758,990 in March, a 23.9 percent increase from a year ago
In recent years, more people have left California for other states than have moved there, a trend Republicans say is a result of the state’s high taxes and progressive politics