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covid-19 pandemic
Fairfield-Suisun
School board proposes censure for Petero Matt Miller
mmiller@dailyrepublic.net
FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield-Suisun School District governing board will take part in a special meeting at noon Wednesday to discuss a proposed censure of Trustee Ana Petero. Petero faces Resolution No. 5 5 -2021 for alleged violations of board bylaws, board policy and laws regulat- petero ing the conduct of elected school officials. The trustee has “engaged in hostile, intolerant and disrespectful conduct in private and public forms,” according to the resolution. The censure resolution was forwarded by Trustees David Isom, Helen Tilley and Craig Wilson. There were a series
of events that led to the censure proposal that listed in the resolution the sharing confidential information, making statements that had not been on the agenda, expressing personal comments that were not the opinion of the board at a Fairfield City Council meeting, and making an unscheduled visit to Fairfield High School. Petero, according to the proposed resolution, failed to keep confidential information Feb. 11 by discussing closed session deliberation concerning the midyear superintendent evaluation check-in during the meeting of the board in public, in violation of Board Bylaw 9011. Petero on See Petero, Page A8
It’s wildfire season; firefighters say federal hotshot crews understaffed Tribune Content Agency As another wildfire season looms over California, the U.S. Forest Service is running short of the most experienced and elite firefighters in the country – the forestry crews known as hotshots, who travel the nation putting out wildfires, according to interviews with union officials and agency employees. A combination of low pay, competition from state and local fire departments and exhaustion from fire seasons that are longer and more devastating than in the past has eroded the federal government’s ability to hire new firefighters and retain the most skilled. Nowhere is this more true than in California, where entry-level Forest Service firefighters in certain
With blazes already burning in California, Arizona and New Mexico, the shortfalls could make it difficult for the federal government to defend lives and homes throughout the West. parts of the state earn less than the minimum wage of $14 an hour, and staffing levels have plummeted ahead of a fire season that scientists say could be especially active. Roughly 30% of the federal hotshot crews that work on the front lines of wildfires in California are understaffed, according to the union that represents most Forest Service See Crews, Page A8
Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic
A bicyclist pedals down Rockville Road in Fairfield while wearing a face mask, Tuesday.
Solano case numbers good, not yet orange
Todd R. Hansen thansen@dailyrepublic.net
FAIRFIELD — Solano health officials were hopeful that the equity testing rate would push the county into the orange tier a week earlier than its case rate might. That did not happen Tuesday as the equity rate actually climbed from 2% to 2.3%, the state announced. The rate needed to be below 2% for the county to graduate from red to orange as matyas early as next week. “We will not get to the orange more than a week before the blueprint goes away,” said Dr. Bela Matyas, the county public health
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Todd R. Hansen
thansen@dailyrepublic.net
FAIRFIELD — City Council members had their own ideas Tuesday on how the city should spend $16.46 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for Covid-19 economic relief. Those ideas did not entirely match the recommendations of the staff, but the biggest chunk – $10 million – was approved.
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Councilwoman Doriss Panduro said she believes the city should work with the school districts to fund a tutoring center to help students who have fallen behind because of the pandemic. She also supports using part of the funding for rental assistance, acknowledging there are other groups out there doing that work, including Catholic Charities, which is working with the county. WEATHER 76 | 46 Sunny. Five-day forecast on B10.
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related deaths reported, 13 in two days, taking the total to 230, the county reported. All six individuals lived at home. One man was younger than 50 years old, but was severely ill, Matyas said. The others, three women and two men, were over 70. All died in January or February. Matyas said he expects the number to rise another 20 to 25 as patient records are reviewed. Vallejo added five cases to take its count to 9,795. Fairfield, with
Councilwoman Catherine Moy said she needed more information and wanted to push the decision back. She said there are more “human needs” out there. She suggested that some of the money should go to creating more mental health beds, working with the county to combine funding for that purpose. “I am not satisfied with what was brought up here . . . We need mental health
See Good, Page A8
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beds,” Moy said. “If we say we are serious about homelessness, we need to step up and do something different.” But there was also support for the staff recommendations, specifically Councilman Chuck Timm’s support for a large investment into broadband infrastructure. Councilwoman Pam Bertani agreed, arguing infrastructure must be a
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officer, referring to the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, which ends June 15. The good news is that Solano County’s case numbers continue to be quite promising, with a report of 15 new cases after a threeday average of 12.33, the county reported. Those numbers are well below the 27 case threshold the county needs to average over a 14-day period to move from red to orange. The total number for the pandemic is now 33,026, the county reported. The seven-day positivity testing rate held at 5.8%. It needs to get below 5% for the orange tier. There were also six more Covid-
Fairfield council OKs $10M in federal funds for broadband
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