Page 1 - Mid Valley Times 4-1-21 E-edition

Thursday, April 1, 2021
Vol. 2, No. 39
Kings and Madera
counties also take step
up to improved status
By Jon Earnest
Mid Valley Times
Sanger, Reedley, Orange Cove, Parlier and the rest of Fresno County are seeing red, and in this case it's
good thing.
Fresno, along with Kings and Made-
ra counties, got the official word on March 29 that their regions were back in the red tier (substantial) category for positive coronavirus cases, after months of being in the purple (widespread).
The latest numbers show that the county's new COVID-19 case count per 100,000 population had dropped to
8.2, the second straight week it's been under the 10 mark need to improve to red tier. Even better news was that the positivity rate dropped to 3.8 per- cent, and the health equity metric of 4.3 have both of those categories in the orange tier (moderate).
A return to red means that Fresno, Kings and Madera all can open restau- rants and eateries to limited capacity
indoor dining. Also, gyms and health clubs can operate with limited indoor attendance, and now entertainment venues like movie theaters in Valley locations are ready to open within a month for indoor attendance.
While Fresno County's total number of COVID cases surpassed 99,000, test
See COVIDonpageA18
Sanger
PD runs
decoy
operation
Contributed
The Sanger Police De- partment, in partnership with agents from California Alcoholic Beverage Control conducted a decoy operation within the city of Sanger on March 25.
The Minor Decoy Opera- tion involved minors who work under the direct super- vision of officers. During the operation, decoys attempted to purchase alcoholic bever- ages from 19 business in the city of Sanger. During the op- eration three citations were issued to businesses for fur- nishing alcohol to a minor.
The minor decoys also con- ducted a program called a De- coy Shoulder Tap Operation which holds accountable any adults who purchase alcohol for people less than 21 years of age. Under the program, a minor under the direct super- vision of a peace officer will stand outside a liquor or con-
See DECOY on page A5
50 cents
Coronavirus Update — Numbers Continue To Drop
Fresno County back in red tier category
Reedley
Chamber
awards
set for
April 17
By Jon Earnest
Mid Valley Times
The annual Greater Reedley Chamber of Com- merce Business & Commu- nity Awards Gala is forging ahead this year with chang- es that include a theme to reflect these different times.
"MASKerade" is the title for the 2021 event, which will take place Saturday, April 17, at The Wakehouse, 850 Kings River Road. Seat- ing for the semi-formal out- door event begins at 5 p.m., with dinner, entertainment and the awards ceremony starting at 5:30.
The event setup will be similar to other outdoor events held in the past. At- tendance will be more lim- ited than when the Gala is held at its normal indoor site, the Reedley College caf- eteria. During the pandemic,
See GALA on page A18
Spring on the gridiron
Danny Jimenez / Photo Contributed
ABOVE: Reedley High's Mike Rios (1) high-steps for a gain during the Pirates' 46-6 rout of Hoover in the season opener on March 26 at Sal Gonzalez Field.
LEFT: Nick Wise (8) hauled in a touchdown pass over a lunging Kingsburg defender for Sanger High's only score in a 7-6 loss in the season opener on March 26 at Tom Flores Stadium.
George Armenta / Photo Contributed
More details in Sports, Page A11
Dinuba council honors retiring fire, battalion chief
MVT Staff Report
The Dinuba City Council honored retiring Fire Chief Chad Thompson and Battalion Chief Sean Doyle during the early portions of the council's regular video meeting on March 23.
Both men received plaques from the city for their service, featuring fire axes and department logos along with a message of appreciation. They were joined for a photo at the brief cer- emony in the council chambers by four fellow firefighters, including interim Fire Chief Jordan Webster, along with a paramedic.
Before becoming chief, Thompson served nearly 15 years with the Dinuba Fire Department as a firefighter, engi- neer, fire captain and battalion chief. Before coming to Dinuba, the South- ern California native was a paramedic
for a year in Riverside and a paid-call firefighter for six years for the Orange County Fire Authority.
Webster served as a fire captain with Dinuba and emergency medical techni- cian 1 for the city.
Other business the council addressed during the video meeting was authoriz- ing a submittal of an application for 2021 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, authorizing City Man- ager Luis Patlan to handle the related documents.
The council also heard a COVID-19 update from staff and received informa- tion regarding preparation of the Local Roadway Safety Plan.
The next Dinuba City Council virtual
meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April
13. Dinuba council meetings are held on
the second and fourth Tuesdays of each
month. the department after both officially retired from the department.
Pictured from left are paramedic Brian Marsh, firefighter Michael Banks, Battalion Chief Sean Doyle, Fire Chief Chad Thompson, firefigher Jesse Martin, Engineer Ja- son Chase, interim Fire Chief Jordan Webster at the March 23 Dinuba City Council meeting. The council honored Thompson and Doyle for their years of service with
Classifieds-A6 Directory-A9 Legals-A10, A-12-15 Sports-A11 Lifestyle-A7-8 Lights&Sirens-A3,A5 Health&Fitness-A16-17 Obituaries-A2-3 Opinion-A4