Page 1 - Mid Valley Times 12-31-20 E-edition

Thursday, December 31, 2020
Happy New Year
Vol. 2, No. 25
50 cents
Looking back at 2020 — The Year Of COVID-19
Schools
nearing
end of
holiday
break
By Jon Earnest
Mid Valley Times
One regional school district — Dinuba Unified — will begin the return to the spring school year next week as students con- tinue their winter vacation break.
Students grades tran- sitional kindergarten through 12th grade will resume their distance learning school year on Wednesday, Jan. 6. The district continues to await approval from the Califor- nia Department of Public Health to begin in-person instruction for grades TK-2. Any older levels of students will continue distance learning until Tulare County managed to escape the purple tier (widespread) level for CO- VID-19.
At Kings Canyon Uni- fied, all students will start classes again on Monday, Jan. 11. Preschool through eighth grade and Reed- ley Middle College High School ninth- and 10th- graders will return to in- person learning; the latter two groups after receiving a state waiver. All other in- person learning will only occur if COVID levels drop below purple tier in Fresno County.
The recent surge in
See SCHOOLS on page A14
Virus disrupts the region
Immanuel Schools' fight with Fresno County led to eventual settlement
By Jon Earnest
Mid Valley Times
The COVID-19 pandemic was easily the largest story of the year 2020, one that has been an unprecedented experi- ence for nearly every resident of Fresno and Tulare counties.
That includes Reedley, which like other Central Valley, state and American cities has had to weather sharp spikes in positive cases in the community. In Reedley's example, the city actually was the top Mid Valley Times area in Fresno County when it came to positive cases for a good portion of the summer before neighboring Sanger surpassed the total this fall.
A big story also was the legal battle between Immanuel Schools and Fresno County. The private Christian school district defied a distance learning-only guideline instituted by the state and county health departments, beginning
Mid Valley Times File Photo
Immanuel HighSchool students, along with parents and supporters of Immanuel Schools, gath- ered in Fresno on Aug. 25 to await a court decision on the school's decision to remain open to on-campus instruction in violation of a Fresno County order to remain closed. The Reedley school eventually reached a settlement with the county to continue on-campus learning.
on-campus instruction at the start of its regular school year in August after spending the spring in distance learning.
Immanuel Schools prevailed in an
See REEDLEY on page A14
Dinuba sees growth, tough bout with COVID
Mid Valley Times File Photo
Workers with Logistics Health incorporated prepared for a soft opening of a COVID-19 testing station in Dinuba on May 4. The city has led the Mid Valley Times region in overall positive cases during the pandemic.
MVT Staff Report
The city of Dinuba's vision of growth made some significant strides in 2020, but the community also had to deal with the devastating effect of the coronavirus pandemic.
The city welcomed a new health facility in August as United Health Centers formally came to town, a new business complex began taking shape downtown and the comple- tion notice was received on the new Marquis Subdivision, a 42-lot site on the southeast corner of Englehart Avenue and Kelly Drive.
But as with all other communi- ties in the region, Central Valley and California, COVID-19made the biggest impact. But in the immedi-
ate area, perhaps no larger than in Dinuba. As of Dec. 28, nearly 3,000 positive cases had been reported in the community, with 460 new cases on the scene in the last three weeks alone. There had been significant outbreaks at times during the year at the Ruiz Foods facility and a nursing homes in the community.
The immediate area surround- ing Dinuba also has seen a surge in COVID cases since November. Orosi has swelled to nearly a thou- sand total positives (currently 963)
See GROWTH on page A13
Year in Review in Sanger, Page A13
Sanger accident briefly traps 2 young horses
MVT offices will close on Jan. 1 in observance of New Year's
The Mid Valley Times' business offices in Reed- ley and Sanger will be closed on Friday, Jan. 1, in observance of the New Year's Day holiday.
The two offices also we be closing at noon on Thursday, Dec. 31. Clas- sified liner ads and legal notices are due by noon on Thursday, Dec. 31. Regu- lar and classified display ads also are due by noon that day.
The Times' two offices will reopen for business at 8 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 4.
By Juanita Adame
Mid Valley Times
The Sanger Police Depart- ment, along with Sanger Fire, responded to a traffic acci- dent involving an overturned horse trailer on the afternoon of Dec. 27 in south Sanger.
Two small horses were briefly trapped inside the over- turned trailer, but eventually were freed by rescue crews
The accident happened just before 3 p.m. on North Ave- nue, near Greenwood Avenue. When crews arrived, they dis- covered that the horses were part of the accident scene.
The horses were startled and stood near the entrance of the trailer while crews worked to rescue them. No other injuries were reported during the accident.
ABOVE: An overturned trailer landed near the sidewalk along North Avenue after a Dec. 27 accident. At left, crews worked to rescue the horses.
LEFT: Once rescued the two horses waited near their owners to be transported. Both were startled but otherwise ok. No other in- juries were reported during the accident.
Photos by Juanita Adame / Mid Valley Times
Classifieds - A9 Directory - A10
Legals - A11-12
Sports - A7
Lifestyle - A5 Lights & Sirens - A3 Obituaries - A2 Opinion - A4