Author

Robert Plank - page 183

Robert Plank has 2441 articles published.

September 25th: DRIVE-IN’s Open in Turlock!

in Podcast

This is the Local Turlock Podcast for the week of September 25, 2020. I am bringing you fresh news and interesting stories in Turlock and nearby towns. Let’s begin with Little Red Door as they are opening their secondhand boutique in Downtown Turlock. Next, California Animal Welfare Funders Collaborative has doled out $20,000 grant to Turlock Animal Services to help reduce the number of cats that have to be euthanized each year. To help you ward off the quarantine cabin fever, pack your family into the car as Central Valley drive-ins opens in Stanislaus County and the surrounding area in the next few weeks. Don’t miss the activities and alternative forms of entertainment to stay socially sane during quarantine. On a more serious note, expect for the air quality to worsen as the week progresses due to the ongoing wildfire across California, and the latest news about COVID 19 in Stanislaus County. All that and more today in this week’s Local Turlock podcast.

Secondhand boutique moving into permanent downtown home

After just under a year of providing the community with an affordable option when it comes to clothing, consignment boutique Little Red Door is preparing to open its own brick-and-mortar location in 340 E. Main St., Turlock

Little Red Door opened last fall as just a small space inside of downtown shop Rustic Roots. Sisters and boutique owners Marissa Miranda and Isabella Cisneros are now preparing to welcome customers to their new space on the corner of East Main and Thor which will open sometime next month. It will open inside of the former Geiger’s Fine Jewelry building. This second hand boutique aims to give discard fashion a second chance through a selection of up-cycled clothing hand-picked by the duo.

Grant helps Turlock Animal Service wrangle cat population

Turlock Animal Services recently received a $20,000 grant to reduce the number of cat and kitten deaths by at least 250 in one year via a spay/neuter/release program. The grant is from the California Animal Welfare Funders Collaborative, which has doled out $200,000 to animal shelters across the state.

CAWFC is a unique model of funders pulling their dollars together and includes the Annenberg Foundation with support from Wallis Annenberg PetSpace, Best Friends Animal Society, Maddie’s Fund and Michelson Found Animals Foundation.

Turlock’s program is open to cats and kittens trapped within the city limits. The hope is that the grant will help reduce the number of cats that have to be euthanized each year in Turlock and eventually get the shelter to a no kill designation. The program is run on appointment only on Mondays and Wednesdays.For information about appointments call 656-3140.

Air quality expected to worsen this week

While the Valley experienced several days of relief from the thick cover of wildfire smoke, air quality is expected to deteriorate again over the coming days and the District warns residents to stay indoors to reduce their exposure to particulate matter emissions. The District anticipates air quality to be unhealthy in a number of regions in the Valley and to worsen as the week progresses and will remains as the week approaches eventually impacting the entire San Joaquin Valley which includes San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare counties and the valley portion of Kern County.  Anyone experiencing poor air quality due to wildfire smoke should move indoors, to a filtered, air-conditioned environment with windows closed.  For information about any current and recently past wildfires affecting the Valley, check the District’s wildfire page at www.valleyair.org/wildfires. You can also follow air quality conditions by downloading the free “Valley Air” app on your mobile device.

What’s showing? At Central Valley drive-ins opened because of coronavirus

In coming weekends alone you can catch movies in Modesto, Ceres, Los Banos and Turlock as pop-up (and permanent) drive-ins proliferate with major movie theaters still closed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Besides showing movies, some are also showing concerts and other special events.

 So pack your family into the car and see what else is showing in Stanislaus County and the surrounding area in the next few weeks.

Ceres Drive-In, 1651 E Whitmore Ave.
“Frozen” — 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25
“American Graffiti” — 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26
“Avengers: Endgame” — 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27

All tickets $30 per carload; visit www.cerescruisein.com

Frogtown Drive-In, Calaveras County Fairgrounds, 2465 Gun Club Road, Angels Camp
“Frozen II” — 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27
Tickets $25 per car ($20 in advance); visit www.frogtown.org.

State Theatre, John Thurman Field, 601 Neece Dr, Modesto
“The Goonies” — 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17
“42” — 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17
Tickets $30 per car; visit thestate.org.

The Nightlight, Los Banos Fairgrounds, 563 C St.
“Possessor” — 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9

Online tickets $10 first person, $5 for each passenger; gate tickets $15 for the first person, $5 each passenger; visit www.nightlighttheater.com.

Go Drive-Up Entertainment, Stanislaus County Fairgrounds, 900 N Broadway, Turlock
“Boys of Summer Live” (live Eagles tribute band concert) — 7:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 25
“Beetlejuice” — gates 6 p.m., show sunset, Thursday, Oct. 1
“Annabelle” — gates 6 p.m., show sunset, Friday, Oct. 2
“Mean Girls” — gates 6 p.m., show sunset, Saturday, Oct. 3
“The Conjuring” — gates 6 p.m., show sunset, Sunday, Oct. 4
Tickets $25 per car for movies, $50 for live concert; visit godriveup.com

How to Stay Socially Sane in Quarantine

Although business is not going on as usual, it is still going on in a new way. Turlock and the surrounding area have alternative forms of entertainment to offer as a way for us to ward off the quarantine cabin fever.  Here are some ways to stay social and entertained during the on-going pandemic: For the rest of September, Turlock has Farmers’ Markets every Saturday from 8-1 p.m., Oakdale has them every Wednesday from 5-8 p.m., and Modesto has them every Thursday from 8-1 p.m. One of the notable absences of this pandemic has been movie theaters. As the return of movie theaters looms near, there is at least one theater nearby that’s currently available! The Regal Theatre in Sonora is open for business and adhering to COVID safety guidelines. With the absence of movie theaters, pop up drive-ins have become a recent occurrence. There is currently a drive-in at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds that has been receiving some attention. You can check them out on their Facebook page, GO Drive-up Turlock. the next drive-in set to show the film “The Greatest Showman” for free on September 19. Billiards is a safe social distancing activity. Such is the case at Diamond Billiards and CR2 Bar & Billiards in Modesto, both of which are currently open. Turlock is offering salsa dance classes every Monday from 6:15-7 p.m. for a fee of $15. Classes are held at Alegria Ballroom Dance Academy. Only six people are allowed to pre-register into each session and temperature checks are enforced, so COVID safety guidelines are clearly being followed. You can check the details of the event at https://www.heyturlock.com/event/salsa-with-xavier. A perfect social distancing sport, many golf courses have remained up and running. More recently, the TopGolf in Rocklin is open again! There are also virtual events ready to entertain, such as online classes in activities such as cartooning and pottery with the city of Ceres, and live performances being streamed by the city of Modesto’s Prospect Theater Project.

Coronavirus update, Sept. 24: Stanislaus County numbers continue to stabilize

Three more county residents have died of the virus, for a total of 342, the Health Services Agency reported Wednesday. The county had 27 new positives tests, for a total of 16,425. Another 85,227 residents have tested negative, and 15,758 are presumed recovered. The county’s five hospitals had 63 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, the same as Tuesday.

Wednesday’s positive rate of 6.75% was down from 15.02% the day before.  The county had 27 new positives tests, for a total of 16,425. Another 85,227 residents have tested negative, and 15,758 are presumed recovered.

Stanislaus County remains in the lowest, or purple tier, in the state rating system that decides how much restaurants and other businesses can loosen its coronavirus restrictions.

Geographically, Modesto has 6,037 positive cases, Turlock has 2,207, and Ceres with 2,042.

That’s all we have for this week. Thank you for listening to our local Turlock podcast. Make sure to visit our website, localturlock.com, to stay up to date on our local news. You can always email me at turlock@localturlock.com and visit our Facebook at Facebook.com/localturlock and leave us some comments! Have a great weekend & always be safe! See you next week!

California Wants Cars to Run on Electricity. It’s Going to Need a Much Bigger Grid

in Environment

Leaning on the hood of a shiny red electric Ford Mustang, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Wednesday to end the sale of new gas-burning cars in his state in 15 years.

Now comes the hard part.

Energy consultants and academics say converting all passenger cars and trucks to run on electricity in California could raise power demand by as much as 25%. That poses a major challenge for a state already facing periodic rolling blackouts as it rapidly transitions to renewable energy.

California will need to boost power generation, scale up its network of fast charging stations, enhance its electric grid to handle the added load and hope that battery technology continues to improve enough that millions in America’s most populous state can handle long freeway commutes to schools and offices without problems.

Continue Reading on WSJ

‘If you think it’s bad now, just wait’: California faces new fire threats, further straining resources

in Around California

California has already endured its worst fire year in recorded history, but with more heat and wind in the forecast, officials say conditions could get even worse as the state enters the peak of its traditional burning season.

Another heat wave is bearing down on California — presenting an unwelcome double threat in a state where firefighting resources are already stretched thin. Conditions like those expected this weekend can make it harder to contain still-burning fires and easier for new ones to spark.

The heat will arrive at what’s already a dangerous time from a fire perspective. In recent years, some of California’s worst blazes have ignited in October, November and even December, when hot Santa Ana, sundowner and diablo winds bear down, fanning the flames.

Continue Reading on LA Times

Homeless Outreach Effort In Riverbank

in People

The Stanislaus County Outreach and Engagement Team hit the streets of Riverbank last Friday morning, Sept. 18 to assist the homeless individuals. Vice Mayor Luis Uribe contacted the group to aid the less fortunate after volunteering with Christian Food Sharing earlier this month. The team visited several locations in Riverbank including the Scout Hall, St. Frances of Rome Church, and Jacob Myers Park to engage with the homeless.

“I spoke to ten of our homeless and the feedback I received from them was valuable,” said Uribe. “I immediately contacted Kyle DeJesus to set up a visit from their Outreach Team. I think it’s important that we be proactive and continue to build relationships and trust with our homeless.”

The team consisted of the following agencies: Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS), Community Services Agency (CSA), Center for Human Services (CHS), Golden Valley Health Center (GVHC), Telecare Outreach, and Turning Point Community Programs (TPCP) Housing Assessment Team (HAT).

Continue Reading on The River Bank

STATEMENT REGARDING STANISLAUS AND FRESNO COUNTY COVID-19 TESTING RESULTS IRA BRILL, VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS

in Health

Fresno, Calif., Sept. 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Foster Farms is committed to the health and welfare of its employees as it continues to respond to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company has completed extensive COVID-19 testing of workers at its turkey processing facilities in Stanislaus County and at its chicken processing facilities in Fresno County. A total of 6,314 COVID-19 tests were administered to 3,405 workers, the vast majority being tested twice within a seven-day time span, marking the continuation of one of the most comprehensive and rapid testing efforts undertaken in California. Previously, Foster Farms had conducted similar testing at its Livingston chicken processing plant. All major California processing facilities have now been tested, and in all instances the prevalence of COVID-19 has been found to be less than 1%. The few employees who did test positive have been advised to self-isolate and will receive all appropriate medical benefits; they have our hopes for a quick recovery.

Stanislaus County Testing Results   

Foster Farms maintains two turkey processing plants and associated facilities in the city of Turlock, located in Stanislaus County. Between Sept 3 and Sept 11, the company conducted two rounds of COVID-19 testing among workers. A total of 2,134 tests were completed with an overall COVID-19 prevalence level of less than 1%. The Turlock facilities employ a total of 1,199 workers. The Turlock Turkey Distribution Center, a support facility with 30 employees, recorded a single positive, and therefore a slightly higher rate of 3.33%. Concurrent with the progressive lifting of COVID-19 restrictions following Memorial Day and July 4 in California and Stanislaus County, the Turlock facilities experienced an increase in COVID-19 positive cases. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic Foster Farms Turlock facilities have reported 75 COVID-19 positive cases, with 43 individuals having already returned to work.

Continue Reading on Globe Newswire

TUSD clarifies community questions on school reopening

in Education

After the first draft of Turlock Unified School District’s reopening plan was presented to the Board of Trustees last week, a virtual community forum held Monday night saw administrators answer a variety of questions from those both for and against returning to in-person instruction. 

TUSD students have been participating in distance learning since March, when school campuses throughout the state were shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. Despite being on the state’s COVID-19 monitoring list since June 16, school districts, private schools and charter schools within Stanislaus County were able to begin applying for waivers to reopen elementary campuses after Sept. 1, when the county’s 14-day case rate dropped below 200 per every 100,000 residents.

Superintendent Dana Salles Trevethan stated during Monday’s forum that while the TUSD waiver application and reopening plan is not yet finalized, should the local infection rate continue to drop and stakeholder input is gathered in a timely enough manner, a waiver could be submitted soon after the final reopening plan is presented to the Board on Oct. 6. From there, students could return — at the earliest — by Oct. 26, depending on Board action.

Continue Reading on Turlock Journal

Secondhand boutique moving into permanent downtown home

in business

After just under a year of providing the community with an affordable option when it comes to clothing, consignment boutique Little Red Door is preparing to open its own brick-and-mortar location in downtown Turlock. 

Little Red Door opened last fall as just a small space inside of downtown shop Rustic Roots — a humble beginning that sisters and boutique owners Marissa Miranda and Isabella Cisneros now look back on fondly as they prepare to welcome customers to their new space on the corner of East Main and Thor. 

The boutique aims to give discarded fashion a second chance through a selection of up-cycled clothing hand-picked by the duo. Miranda and Cisneros frequent thrift shops in search of quality fabrics and one-of-a-kind items seldom found in stores today, from vintage Levi’s jeans to handbags from the 60s.

Continue Reading on Turlock Journal

Stanislaus’ positive rate stays low. Two more deaths

in News

Stanislaus County announced two more deaths to the virus Monday, for a total of 337 since the pandemic started.

The county had 32 new positives tests, bringing the total to 16,351, the Health Services Agency reported. Another 84,588 residents have tested negative, and 15,589 are presumed recovered.

Monday’s positive rate of 6.75% was down from 7.13% the day before. The rolling seven-day average was 8.93% The 14-day average was 10.9% The positive rate since data collection began in March was 16.2%

Continue Reading on The Modesto Bee

Stanislaus National Forest reopens after two-week closure

in Environment

The Stanislaus National Forest, closed two weeks ago by federal authorities due to the threat of wildfires, is open again for day use from dawn to sundown with no fires allowed anywhere in the 1,400-square-mile area, which includes 42 percent of the land in Tuolumne County and 11 percent of Calaveras County.

An updated closure order was issued Sunday morning by federal forest administrators in Vallejo, Solano County, in the north Bay Area.

Fire restrictions remain in effect at all elevations in the Stanislaus National Forest.

The restrictions “prohibit using any ignition sources, including campfires, propane or gel-fuel stoves and smoking materials,” Forest Service communications staff said.
Continue Reading on Union Democrat

Coronavirus update, Sept. 20: Stanislaus County surpasses 100,000 test results

in Health

Latest facts on COVID-19 testing in Modesto area

Stanislaus County on Saturday surpassed the release of 100,000 test results since the start of the pandemic in March, according to newly released data.

The county has announced 100,044 results to date, although in September, they are coming at a slower rate. In July and August, the county was releasing more than 900 results a day. September’s daily average is 624. Of the total results, 16,289, or 16.3%, have come back positive.

While deaths rose by three on Saturday to 332, the 73 announced through the first 19 days of this month is down from 112 through the same period in August. A little more than 2% of those in the county who have tested positive have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. The state rate is 1.93%.

Continue Reading on MSN

Go to Top