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Officials: Omicron likely to bring spike in Covid cases Tribune Content Agency
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Crystal Middle Schoolers gather for the recent Cougar Campfire event.
Family campfire
serves up music, stories, warm cookies at Crystal Middle School Amy Maginnis-Honey
AMAGINNIS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET
SUISUN CITY — Crystal Middle School hosted its first family campfire event on a rainy, breezy fall night, complete with plenty of sources of heat. “We are making an effort to do a community event to help our student families feel more a part of our school community and to also promote the value of literacy within our community,” said organizer and music teacher Jennifer Doherty. A bevy of families, some huddled together under blankets, feasted on music, stories and warm chocolate chip cookies. Fairfield High teacher Daniel Mikkola was there with his wife, Kayla Mikkola, an English teacher at the school and their two sons. “This is great,” he said. “We need more community events like this.” Covid-19 put a damper on many such events, he said. One shy Crystal student, who didn’t want to give his name, said he was there to enjoy the singing and spend time with his family. Seventh-grader June Panzalan
The Cougar Campfire event featured music. said it was a great way to be with friends and enjoy the fun cookies. The hourlong event kicked off with a welcome and the song “Bingo,” led by Doherty and accompanied by choir members. Special education teacher Roslyn Joseph read the poem, “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me.” A writing contest was held in
advance, and Kayla Mikkola read the winning story, “Even the Sun Cries, Too,” by Gwen Lim. The crowd broke into song again with “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” complete with stomping feet and clapping hands. “The Dancing Mice” was read See Family, Page A8
Manchin not backing Dems’ $2T bill, potentially dooming it Tribune Content Agency WASHINGTON — Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin III appeared to pull the plug on the centerpiece of President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda, saying Sunday that he cannot support the House-passed version of his party’s massive social spending package, prompting a sharp rejoinder from the White House and sending delicate negotiations into a spiral of bitter accusations. “I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation. I just can’t,” Manchin of West Virginia said on “Fox News Sunday.” “I’ve tried everything humanly pos-
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/TNS file
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is followed by reporters as he arrives for a caucus meeting with Senate Democrats at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., Dec. 16. sible. I can’t get there. This is a no on this legislation.” Manchin, the Democrats’ 50th vote in the evenly divided Senate,
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had wavered for months on whether he would support the $1.75 trillion package, which would extend child tax credits and provide new subsi-
dies for child care, preschool and elder care. The proposal also included $555 billion to combat climate change – the lion’s share of Biden’s plan to curb carbon emissions as part of an uncertain global effort to avert a catastrophic further rise in the planet’s temperature. After talks last week between Biden and Manchin failed to resolve the impasse, the Senate left town Sunday morning without voting on the bill, which Democrats call Build Back Better. In a statement Thursday evening, Biden expressed optimism that talks would
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LOS ANGELES — Responding to new alarms about worsening Covid-19 conditions, health officials offered up a troubling forecast about increased hospitalizations and the spread of the new omicron variant in California and beyond. The majority of California’s confirmed omicron cases – 38 – have been recorded in Los Angeles County, which on Saturday reported 3,730 new cases of the coronavirus from all variants, mostly delta, its highest singleday total in months and more than double the number of new cases reported Wednesday. As of Thursday, the county was averaging just over 1,587 daily cases over the past week, an increase of nearly 19% from two weeks before, according to the Los Angeles Times’ tracker. The county’s daily positivity
The majority of California’s confirmed omicron cases – 38 – have been recorded in Los Angeles County. rate for those who seek testing also has crept up, from a seven-day average of 1.2% Sunday to 1.7% Saturday, health officials said. Orange and Riverside counties on Friday reported their first cases of the highly contagious omicron variant. In Orange County, the variant was found in a fully vaccinated man who experienced mild illness after traveling to another state, public health authorities said. Officials believe omicron will become the dominant variant in the U.S. soon, with cases continuing to rise. Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief adviser on the panSee Spike, Page A8
Solano company lands $200,000 grant to provide mobile testing Funding makes sites available for next 6 months Daily Republic Staff
DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET
FAIRFIELD — A local company has been awarded a $200,000 grant to bring on-demand mobile Covid-19 testing to Solano County just days after a statewide indoor mask mandate went into place to slow the spread of the disease. BrandGOV, a public outreach firm, partnered with the California Department of Public Health and will run the rapidresponse program for the next six months. Testing availability begins Monday.
The program will operate through BrandGOV’s outreach initiative, Empower Solano, and will focus on the needs of hard-toreach communities of color, low-income and homeless residents. “Readily available, convenient, on-site testing couldn’t come at a better time,” K. Patrice Williams, BrandGOV’s CEO and executive director for Empower Solano, said in a press release. “There may be a winter surge in Covid cases. Identifying cases quickly and getting See Mobile, Page A8
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