Mid Valley Times 8-27-20 E-edition

Thursday, August 27, 2020
Vol. 2, No. 9
Coronavirus Update — Still On County Monitoring List
Two ongoing stories involve Reedley
COVID complications have had part in 9 deaths at Dycora nursing home
By Juanita Adame
Mid Valley Times
Wearing masks and holding signs that read “Se- niors Have Rights,” family members of several res- idents of the Dycora Transitional Health & Living Facility, formerly Golden Living Center, in Reedley stood outside the facility and braved poor air qual- ity and intense heat on Aug. 23. They were there to bring awareness to growing concerns about the number of seniors diagnosed with COVID-19 at the facility.
In a statement to The Times, the facility ac- knowledged that nine residents that had some level of COVID complications have died since the pan- demic started.
“My mother is a resident here, her name is Pe-
See PROTEST on page A8
Danny Jimenez / Photo Contibuted
Maricela Macedo, whose mother was a patient at Dycora Transitional Health & Living Facility in Reedley before being transferred to Clovis, held a sign during a protest in front of the facility on Aug. 23.
Immanuel Schools prevail in court decision, allowed to remain open
By Jon Earnest
Mid Valley Times
The Fresno County Superior Court on Aug. 25 allowed Immanuel Schools to remain open to on-campus instruc- tion at least through the middle of next month.
The mid-afternoon ruling by judge D. Tyler Tharpe turned down the bid of the Fresno County De- partment of Public Health's to is- sue a temporary restraining order with the intention of shutting down the campus to in-person instruction
See IMMANUEL on page A8
50 cents
Sanger uses CDBG funding for residential assistance
By Rick Curiel
Mid Valley Times
In a choice between help- ing residents or local business, the Sanger City Council voted to assist residents through a Community Development Block Grant for Coronavirus Response at its meeting on Aug. 20.
The motion passed unani- mously with a 3-0 vote, after council members Humberto Garza and Eli Ontiveros, both of whom own rental proper- ties with Ontiveros also a busi- ness owner, chose to recuse themselves from the item to avoid any conflict of interest.
The decision did not come easy, as several citizens voiced their concerns for the need to assist local businesses.
“It’s a heavy burden to car- ry, not knowing,” said Betha- ny Pena, who owns and runs Sanger Elite and said she has had to tap into savings just to keep the dance studio going.
But some businesses in Sanger already have received federal aid in the form of the Payroll Protection Program. Because those businesses would be ineligible under the CDGB guidelines, city staff made the recommendation to apply for the residential sub- sistence program.
“This will give us the op- portunity to get in the ap-
SeeASSISTANCEonpage A6
Smoke smothers Valley
The setting sun displayed a red- dishhueduringearly evening hours on Aug. 20 in Dinuba. More than 20 notable wildfires continued to burn in California, leaving the region's air qual-
ity in unhealthy status for the forseeable future. There were instances last week where the air quality index exceeded 200 — meaning very healthy air for all people. The air was starting to clear up some on Aug. 25, as the AQI improved to a level of "unhealthy for sensitive groups." However, poor air quality was expected to continue in the Cen- tral Valley, as no rain or heavy winds were in the extended forecast.
Rick Curiel / Mid Valley Times
COJUSD employee wins Tulare County award
Micaela Macareno is School Employee of the Year for 2020
By George M. Villagrana
Mid Valley Times
Micaela Macareno, an administrative assistant to the Superintendent at Cut- ler-Orosi Joint Unified School District, was selected as School Employee of the Year in the 2020 Excellence in Educa- tion Awards program.
Other winners were Phillip Piersch- bacer of the Tulare City School District, administrator/manager of the year, and Stacy Trapletti of Cherry Middle School as Teacher of the Year.
“The common trait we see in these
fine individuals is
that they have taken
on responsibilities far
beyond their regular
duties,” stated Tim
Hire, Tulare County
Superintendent of
Schools. “They have
used their talents to
advance their schools
and their districts,
creating extraordi-
nary educational cul-
tures and practices for the benefit of their students.”
Macareno said she was very sur- prised but humbled.
“There were several great candi- dates nominated,” she stated.
COJUSD Superintendent, Yolanda Valdez, called Macareno a “super wom-
an.” In her nomination letter Valdez wrote, “Micaela is a hard-working self- less person who cares so much about her colleagues she leads the organization of a yearly support staff breakfast to show how much support staff is valued in the District. She does this to ensure all dis- trict support staff know her well and to show them she is available to support them with any task.”
Macareno has grown fond of CO- JUSD. She stated her childhood is simi- lar to the children in the district. Her parents were farmworkers and she can often relate to the struggles the students face.
“It is very gratifying to be a part of the support system that will allow chil- dren to have a successful education and
See MACARENO on page A2
Micaela Macareno
Classifieds - B3 Directory - B4 Legals - B5-7 Sports - B2
Lifestyle - B1, B8 Lights & Sirens - A3
Obituaries - A2-3 Opinion - A4