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Local Roundup - page 14

Falck fined $370,000 for slow responses in California

in Local Roundup

The ambulance company recently selected to take over for AMR at the end of the year is falling far short of expectations in a California county where it took over a similar contract in July.

Falck Alameda County received a letter this week from the Alameda County EMS Director, claiming the company has failed to meet numerous response time standards in both July and August, leading the county to fine falck $372,000.

EMS Director Lauri McFadden also wrote, "It is now clear there are deficits in your system.  Non-compliance with response times requirements - particularly those pertaining to high priority requests for service - is a serious matter.  this letter serves as notice of non-compliance and as a demand for a corrective action plan."

Continue Reading on KRDO

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Walk for Apraxia in Modesto raises money to help children with speech disorder

in Local Roundup

A walk in the park to help kids talk.

On Sept. 28, Walk for Apraxia is having its second annual local event in La Loma Park in Modesto. All ages are welcome.

“I’m involved because I’m a parent of a child with childhood apraxia,” said Janell Konefat, organizer of the Modesto walk. Her son, Antony Konefat, was diagnosed at age 3 and has been receiving speech therapy since then. He is now 6 and his speech has improved from about 30% to 75% understandable.

Konefat attributes her son’s improvement to the help he received from the nonprofit organization, Apraxia Kids. Antony received an iPad with a special program to help him communicate, in addition to therapy from a speech therapist in Turlock.

Continue Reading on Local Turlock

Fall arrives, and with it popular celebrations and festivals in Modesto, Mother Lode

in Local Roundup/Upcoming event

Fall has arrived and with it a host of festivals and fairs marking the season.

October is loaded with options to get out and enjoy community celebrations and cultural events. Here’s a look at some of the bigger events coming up:

TASTES OF THE VALLEY — Oct. 3: Stanislaus State Agriculture Department and Friends of the Fair Foundation present the annual event. Samples from wineries and brewers from around the region, local cheesemakers and restaurants with small plates. 6-9 p.m. Stanislaus County Fairgrounds. 900 N. Broadway, Turlock. $50. www.csustan.edu/agriculture/tastes-valley.

MODESTO OKTOBERFEST – Oct. 4: Held each year by the Modesto Chamber of Commerce, this celebration will feature live music and midway games along with plenty of brats, sauerkraut, German potato salad and, of course, beers all around. Plenty of microbrews will be available for sampling, as will California wines and some nonalcoholic drinks. 5:30-10 p.m. Modesto Centre Plaza parking lot, 1000 L St. $35 advance, $40 at the door; age 21-and-older event. modchamberca.chambermaster.com

Continue Reading on Modesto Bee

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Pedestrian struck and killed at Keyes Road on-ramp

in Local Roundup

A Modesto man was killed Monday night when he was hit by a vehicle at the Keyes Road on-ramp on Highway 99.

The name of the deceased is not being released pending next of kin notification. The California Highway Patrol stated the man was 57 years old.

The collision happened around 9:15 p.m. Monday.

Matthew Higle, 34, of Ceres was driving a 2009 Nissan sedan on the Keyes Road on-ramp and was just entering Highway 99 when the front of his vehicle collided with an unknown object.

Higle drove to the side of the highway and immediately called 911, according to the CHP.

Emergency personnel responded to the scene and made the discovery that the unknown object Higle had hit was a pedestrian.

Continue Reading on Turlock Journal

California health officials warn against using any vaping products

in Local Roundup

The California Department of Public Health issued a health advisory Tuesday urging people to stay away from all vaping products as health officials expect to see even more cases of lung illnesses from vaping.

The advisory urges everyone to refrain from vaping, no matter the substance or source, until current investigations into the cause of the illnesses is determined. The health advisory follows an executive order signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom Sept. 16 that allocates $20 million towards a statewide digital and social media public awareness campaign to educate youth, young adults and parents about the health risks of vaping nicotine and cannabis products.

As of Sept. 24, the CDPH has received reports that 90 people in California who have a history of vaping were hospitalized for severe breathing problems and lung damage, and two people have died. The last tally from the CDC showed 530 cases in the United States and nine deaths, however, CDC Principal Deputy Director Dr. Anne Schuchat told a congressional subcommittee that hundreds more cases have been reported to local health districts that have not been included in the national tally as of yet.

Continue Reading on Turlock Journal

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Major power shut-offs are new reality as California enters peak wildfire season

in Local Roundup

Russ Brown and other emergency officials in Yuba County have been trying to get the word out.

Charge your medical equipment and phone batteries now. Make sure you have enough nonperishable food to last a few days.

Because when the hot winds start blowing, the power to your house may be shut off.

The state is entering the height of fire season, with a dangerous mix of strong winds and temperatures approaching triple digits forecast across its valleys and foothills. For the first time this year, several Northern and Southern California communities simultaneously are facing preemptive blackouts to reduce the fire risks.

This is adding a new element of uncertainty and controversy in scores of communities.

Continue Reading on LA Times

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Calif. rep to bring dead giant swamp rat to Congress

in Local Roundup

A Turlock lawmaker plans to bring a giant swamp rat to Congress to drum up support for eradicating the pest from California's Central Valley.

Rep. Josh Harder, a rookie Democratic congressman, wants his colleagues to award $7 million to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife over five years to combat the spread of nutria, large semi-aquatic rodents wreaking havoc on wetlands in his district.

The swamp rat that will accompany Harder Tuesday in Washington is not an actual living nutria, but rather the dead, stuffed-with-sawdust variety, according to the Sacramento Bee.

Continue Reading on SFGATE

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Measles Returns: Investigating Vaccination Rates

in Local Roundup

Investigative teams at ABC Owned Television Stations across the country analyzed local measles vaccination rates and found local schools in communities nationwide that are below what's considered the community or "herd" immunity rate. According to the World Health Organization, 93-95% of people in a population need to be vaccinated against measles to make sure the rest of a population is safe from the highly contagious disease.

Continue Reading on ABC 7

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Mystery trip: Marine missing from California’s Camp Pendleton found safe at Texas rest area

in Local Roundup

Richland, Texas — A U.S. Marine believed to have left Arizona for California's Camp Pendleton never arrived but was found days later at a Texas rest area, unharmed.

Lance Corporal Job Wallace was taken into custody Saturday night by Naval Criminal Investigative Service and other law enforcement officers at a rest area in Navarro County, according to a NCIS statement cited by The San Diego Union-Tribune.

The 20-year-old had last been seen leaving a friend's house in Surprise, Arizona, on Monday night, his mother, Stacy Wallace, said. He was due back at Camp Pendleton after a three-day leave that took him home to the suburbs west of Phoenix and a camping trip.

Continue Reading on CBS News

Rate of jail inmate deaths in San Diego County far exceeds other large California counties

in Local Roundup

More than 130 people have died in San Diego County jails since 2009, the year Bill Gore took over as sheriff. That’s an average higher than one inmate per month, every month, over the past 10 years.

Some are claimed by natural causes — chronic health conditions like heart disease and diabetes often found in people who end up in jail. Others are murdered or overdose on drugs.

Dozens have taken their own lives even though Gore and his top command staff say they do everything they can to identify suicidal inmates and treat mental illness.

“The Sheriff’s Department is committed to keeping inmates safe and is continuously looking for best practices in the delivery of mental health care,” the department said in a video posted on its website in May.

A six-month investigation by The San Diego Union-Tribune shows that the county’s jail mortality rate is the highest among California’s largest county jail systems. The grim history shows no sign of waning.

Continue Reading on The San Diego Union Tribune

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