LAKE COUNTY
It’s back to school time! Stay alert, drive safely, and keep our kids safe
It’s never more important for drivers to slow down and pay attention than when kids are going back to school. Back to school brings more traffic congestion. School buses are loading passengers, kids on bikes are hurrying to get to school, and parents drop their kids off before work.
Remember these things to keep our children safe as they go back to school:
- Slow down and pay attention. If you are driving around schools, look out for children and pedestrians at all times, everywhere. Expect the unexpected. Foot traffic is higher as children are going back to school.
- Exercise caution if you’re driving near a school bus and allow a greater following distance than when you’re driving behind a car. Watch for children when school buses stop to unload and load children. And don’t forget passing a school bus is illegal.
- Watch out for bicycles. Children on bikes can be hard to see, and they usually don’t understand traffic conditions.
By exercising extra care and caution when driving in school zones, pedestrians and children will be safer in our community. Visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website for more back to school safe driving tips. https://www.nhtsa.gov/school-bus-safety/keeping-children-safe
—Submitted
SACRAMENTO
Meet the Democrat trying to take Newsom down
This week, four of the prominent Republicans seeking to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in the Sept. 14 recall election gathered in Sacramento for the campaign’s second major gubernatorial debate.
Some of the biggest names in the race, however, declined invitations to participate. They include conservative talk show host Larry Elder — who’s consistently led other recall candidates in the polls — and Newsom himself. The top-polling Democratic challenger, Kevin Paffrath, said he wasn’t invited to attend. The 29-year-old real estate broker, investor and YouTuber recently made headlines in CNBC, Business Insider and New York Magazine after two polls, including one released Sunday by CBS/YouGov, put him at or near the top of the 46 candidates vying to replace Newsom.
Paffrath has complicated Newsom’s efforts to characterize the recall as a Republican-led effort by — literally — riding the governor’s coattails. In addition to hosting his own events, Paffrath attended Newsom’s weekend rallies in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, working to depict himself as a desirable Democratic alternative and diverting reporters who may have otherwise focused solely on the governor.
Paffrath: “I think deep down, folks realize we really should have a backup Democrat. … Basically, Newsom’s saying, ‘Look, if we can’t have me, then you get no one.’”
When I asked Paffrath if he would rather see Newsom defeat the recall or have a Republican take office, he paused. “I don’t want to say that I would rather have a Republican,” he said, but “Newsom’s got to go. … A Newsom loss, I think, opens the field up for maybe some new ideas in 2022.”
Newsom, meanwhile, continued his offensive against Elder during a Monday campaign stop in San Jose. He also said he looks forward to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris potentially coming to California to campaign against the recall, and dismissed the idea that the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan could cause the president’s endorsement to backfire.
Also Monday, Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber — both Newsom appointees — reminded Californians of their voting rights and urged them to make a plan to cast their recall ballots, while emphasizing the press conference was nonpartisan. They also said they’re “monitoring” a new federal lawsuit alleging the recall process is unconstitutional — an argument two UC Berkeley law professors made in a recent New York Times opinion column.
—Hoeven, CALMatters
CALIFORNIA
California Statewide fire summary
Intense fire activity yesterday continued into the evening hours on many of the wildfires burning in California. Currently, more than 10,000 firefighters are battling 11 large fires and two extended attack fires across California. Today, weather conditions are likely to continue to challenge firefighters, as well as increase the risk of new wildfires.
A Red Flag Warning is in effect across much of Northern California, extending down into the North Bay Mountains and East Bay Hills, starting this evening through tonight due to gusty winds and low humidity. Gusts up to 45 mph in some areas are expected, which will not only elevate the fire danger but could lead to increased spread on the current wildfires. The rest of California will return to a warm and dry weather pattern.
The recent spike in wildfire activity is an important reminder for residents to take steps to prevent sparking a wildfire. Having an evacuation plan, a supply kit, and important paperwork will make it easier when it is time to GO. Learn more at www.ReadyForWildfire.org.
—Submitted
CALIFORNIA
Pandemic drags on as schools reopen
A rapid-fire succession of Monday announcements signaled the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over in California. The state Department of Public Health recommended providers offer a third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine to the approximately 800,000 Californians who are immunocompromised. Then, citing a 700% increase in COVID hospitalizations over the past two months, Newsom signed an executive order to expand California’s health care workforce and facility space.
Newsom’s executive order also gives schools more flexibility to fill short-term staffing shortages — a gap on display Monday, when hundreds of thousands of students returned to campus in San Francisco and Los Angeles Unified school districts.
—Hoeven, CALMatters
—Compiled by Ariel Carmona Jr.
