Page 9 - Mid Valley Times 12-19-19 E-edition

WREATHS Continued from page A1
ley High School's Navy Junior ROTC present- ing the colors and the release of a group of trained pigeons.
Each year, the event draws new volunteers. Two involved for the first time this year were Reedley residents Jorge Delport and Me- linda Paboojian.
VAPE
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tion was obtained by the sher- iff’s office that a Dinuba man was reportedly using social media sites to illegally selling flavored THC pods to minors under the name STIIIZY.
During the course of the investigation, detectives form the FCSO Special Investiga- tions Task Force (SITF) sent a minor decoy to meet Domin- guez to purchase some of the pods. Once the transaction was complete, detectives were able to arrest Dominguez.
Danny Jimenez / Photo Contributed
Wreaths will adorn the gravesites of military veterans in Reedley Cemetery through the end of the year. The wreaths were placed following a brief annual Wreaths for Veterans ceremony on Dec. 14. Volunteers are needed to remove wreaths and place back into storage on Saturday, Jan. 11.
"My father-in-law is a Vietnam veteran, and my father served in World War II," said Del- port, who was assisted by his son, Pierce. "It re- ally is special. We should be thankful for all their hard work and sacrifice, for what they've provid- ed for our country."
Paboojian, a parent whose children attend Immanuel Schools, said respect for veterans and
to the Reedley Area Veterans, Inc. The non- profit's ID number is 51-0504974, and checks also can be made out to Reedley Area Veterans.
Anyone wishing to volunteer with trans- portation, time or mon- ey can call Lusk at (559) 859-2865.
Mid Valley Times photo
Pictured are some of the vaping products that Dinuba resident Ruben Dominguez allegedly tried to sell to minors.
Thursday, December 19, 2019
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Mid Valley TiMes
Danny Jimenez / Photo Contributed
Susan Lusk, organizer for the annual Wreaths for Veter- ans ceremony in Reedley, looked skyward as some of the doves released fly in the foreground at right.
He was booked into the Fresno County Jail on multi- ple felony charges of selling mar- ijuana to minors. He bail was set
at $20,000. The in- vestigation was made possible thanks to a Department of Jus- tice’s Tobacco Grant Program. In October, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office was awarded
a $552,000 grant over the next three years to enforce the illegal sale of cigarettes, vaping mate- rials and other tobacco products to minors.
The grant program is funded by Proposition 56, the California Healthcare and the Research and Prevention To- bacco Tax Act of 2016.
Beginning in April 2017, Prop. 56 raised the cigarette tax by $2.00 per pack, with an equivalent increase on all other tobacco products. It also allocates millions of dollars annually to the Department of Justice for distribution to local
law enforcement agencies for the support and hiring of peace officers for various activities.
In California, a person must be 21 years old to purchase tobacco products and only li- censed cannabis businesses may sell products containing THC.
To report illegal tobacco or cannabis sales, call (559) 600- 3111 or submit tips to Valley Crime Stoppers at (559) 498- 7867 or at valleycrimestop- pers.com. All tips remain anonymous and those provid- ing information may be eligi- ble for a cash reward.
a commitment to serv- ing others led her to vol- unteer this year.
"Our school motto at Immanuel this year is to be bold," she said be- tween periods of adorn- ing gravesites. "I just wanted to come out here. I felt it was something where I could give back."
By the end of the morning, all veterans' graves had a wreath and a red ribbon in place. The wreaths will remain as a tribute at the cemetery through the Christmas holiday season, and will be taken down on Satur- day, Jan. 11.
Lusk said volunteers
are needed to help re- move the wreaths and transport them back to the Reedley Armory for storage during the year.
Lusk said there are ongoing costs to replace wreaths as they wear out, and donations al- ways are welcome. Do- nations can be made
Ruben Dominguez
06715
06547