The Press 08.06.2021

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YOUR HOMETOWN NEWS

Vol. 23, No. 32

August 6, 2021

COVID-19 cases reported as school year commences

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by Kyle Szymanski Staff Writer

REGIONAL As East County students returned to school last week, the COVID-19 pandemic threat followed close behind. The Brentwood Union School District reported 10 students and staff have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Aug. 2, and an estimated 35 cases have popped up in the Liberty Union High School District, although leaders from both districts said they don’t believe the cases have spread in school. “Due to the timing, these are all cases that were contracted prior to coming to school,” said Eric Volta, superintendent of the Liberty Union High School District, on his district’s reported cases. Volta said district nurses were still in the process of verifying cases and contract tracing as of Aug. 2, but it’s

Just about a week into the new school year, at least two East County school districts are already reporting COVID-19 cases among students and staff. Press file photo

believed that almost 30 of the district’s cases were students — more than half yet to show up to school. Meanwhile, the Brentwood Union School District’s positive case count sat

at 10 on the same Aug. 2 date — nine students and one staff member, spread over seven of the district’s 11 elemensee COVID page 22

Delta water regulations could change “ It is imperative that we move urgently to better

by Tony Kukulich Staff Writer

REGIONAL Water rights holders in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta could soon be forced to shut off their pumps as the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) approved emergency measures to curtail diversions in the watershed. The board voted unanimously to approve the measures during a hearing held Tuesday, Aug. 3. The action comes as drought conditions throughout the state continue to worsen. It is intended to preserve stored water, protect drinking water supplies, prevent salinity intrusion and minimize impacts to fisheries and the environment.

manage the water we still have and prepare for the continuation of drought conditions.

Enforcement of the emergency regulations cannot take effect until they are approved by the Office of Administrative Law and are filed with the Secretary of State. According to Diane Riddle, State Water Board assistant deputy director for the Division of Water Rights, that means that a curtailment order can’t

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be issued until the week of Aug. 16 at the earliest. “It is imperative that we move urgently to better manage the water we still have and prepare for the continuation of drought conditions,” said SWRCB

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Big Cat Poker Run roars into Discovery Bay by Jake Menez Staff Writer

REGIONAL When it comes to poker, the old adage says that it’s important to know when to hold ‘em, when to fold ‘em and when to walk away. But next weekend, local poker players will instead be sailing away as they participate in the annual Big Cat Poker Run, Aug. 13 and 14 in Discovery Bay. For the uninitiated, a poker run is a type of race where participants pilot vehicles — in this event, boats — to a series of checkpoints, picking up a playing card at each checkpoint to form a poker hand. At the end of the event, whoever has the best hand is declared the winner. The Big Cat Poker Run is an annual event put on by the Discovery Bay Lions Club to help raise money for a multitude of local charities while providing a fun activity for boating enthusiasts to participate in. The event is put on entirely by volunteers passionate enough about it to freely lend their time. To maximize the number of people who can participate, the run has two separate routes: one for fast boats, and an abbreviated one for slower watercraft. The longer route takes boaters from Discovery Bay to Pittsburg and Stockton before returning to the starting point, while the shorter route, intended for smaller or slower watercraft, trades the jaunt to the Pittsburg Marina for a closer checkpoint at Bethel Island’s Sugar Barge Resort before heading to Stockton and

see Board page 22

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E. Joaquin Esquivel chair of the State Water Resources Control Board

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