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Volume 137, Number 35 — Locally owned since 1884
The hometown paper of Al Pederson
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, September 23, 2020
Donlevy says cannabis could help meet budget goals By Rodney Orosco Staff Writer At his last official presentation to the City Council, former Winters City Manager John W. Donlevy Jr. made a suggestion at the Sept. 15 council meeting: cannabis. Donlevy, who is now the City Manager of Auburn, suggested the city council take another look at the now legal drug saying “(Cannabis) probably can work in Winters.” It can bring in a little bit of money, money the city will desperately need, Donlevy reported. In the future, there will be “little funding” for city streets and roadways and there will be “no funding” for needed storm drain upgrades, Donlevy reported to the council. “The evolution of cannibis as an industry and regulatory structure has been significant since the legalization of recreational use,” Donlevy added. “It is recommended that the City consider a re-evaluation of the prohibition in a measured and stra-
tegic manner.” The Council listened to Donlevy’s report, thanked him, and said they have a lot to think about in the future.
Paying it forward
The council approved giving more than $4,000 to downtown businesses as a way to support their efforts at providing a unique, accessible, dining experience downtown. A total of $4,500 from the Business Improvement Area Funds (BID) will be distributed to downtown business owners who have expended funds to provide seating and comfort in the downtown eating commons. The BID account currently has $14,377.
Al fresco dining remains
The Council approved an extension of the closure of downtown Main Street to vehicle traffic. Main Street, between Railroad and First Street, will continue to serve as community outdoor seating until Nov. 4.
Courtesy photo
A District field technician takes a sample from stagnant water, a common mosquito breeding source.
County finds invasive containerbreeding mosquito species in Winters By Crystal Apilado Editor-in-Chief An invasive mosquito species with the potential to transmit Zika and other diseases was discovered in Winters last week, the first of its kind detected in Yolo County. Luz Maria Robles, Public Information Officer for the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District, told the Express that as of Monday afternoon, 127 mosquito traps have been set around town. Sixty-nine of those traps caught adult invasive mosquitoes (each trap had varying amounts of mosquitoes between 1-10), but Robles said this is still considered wide-
LNU Fire containment projection holds at Oct. 1 Cal Fire begins post-fire survey By Todd R. Hansen McNauhton Media Crews from the Cal Fire’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit are already in the fire area conducting a post-fire survey. However, complete containment of the LNU Lightning Complex Fire is still projected to be no earlier than Oct. 1, the state
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Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported Monday. The containment level is listed at 98 percent, Cal Fire reported. Tyree Vander, a spokesman for the Cal Fire unit, said typically an engine crew will take three to five days to drive through a fire area just to make sure there is no serious
Weather Date
Rain High Low
Sept. 16
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91˚ 53˚
Sept. 17
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92˚ 51˚
Sept. 18
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93˚ 61˚
Sept. 19
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87˚ 55˚
Sept. 20
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86˚ 55˚
Sept. 21
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92˚ 55˚
Sept. 22
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92˚ 60˚
Rain for week: 0.00 in. Season’s total: 0.01 in. Last sn. to date: 0.03 in.
threat that the fire will reignite. “But a fire this size,” Vander said of the 567.53-square-mile LNU blaze (363,220 acres), “it may take a little longer.” It burned in six counties. That is why crews are already in the field surveying areas that have been contained for a longer period of time. As the fire is fully contained, those crews will then survey those areas. Vander said large stumps and other material may continue to smolder, but usually do not pose a risk because the areas surrounding them are already burned so there is no additional fuel to spread the fire. The fire has fewer than 100 personnel still assigned to it, and all hand crews have been shifted to more active fires in the state.
Winters rainfall season began 7/1/20. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m.
spread. She reported that 12 different sites also had immature mosquito larvae developing in backyard containers “The first traps that were set were on the southern side of the town and we are working our way to the north. We will continue to canvass the town over the next few weeks setting more traps,” Robles said. “Since we are seeing very widespread activity, we will also continue with our control operations. This means that we will do truck mounted fogging, our wide area larviciding and treatments to backyards as necessary. “
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
A District field technician sprays a repellent in foliage outside a yard on Main Street in an effort to reduce the local mosquito populations from growing. The first specimen that sounded the alarm, an adult female Aedes aegypti mosquito was found in a trap placed near East and Main streets last week. “Finding this mos-
ByAnne Ternus-Bellamy McNaughton Media Yolo County remained in the state’s purple tier for widespread risk of COVID-19 spread on Tuesday, but also received some good news: The county’s test positivity rate and daily new case rate both fell well within the ranges required to move to the less restrictive red tier. The county must maintain those metrics for another week in order to make that move. If the county’s test positivity rate remains below 8 percent (it is currently 4.2 percent) and its adjusted daily new case rate remains below 7 per 100,000 residents (it stood at 4.7 on Tuesday), the state would move the county to the red tier, presumably when the state updates tiers
next Tuesday. Another bit of good news for some local business owners on Tuesday: Nail salons statewide will be allowed to reopen for indoor services. Nail salons have been restricted to outdoor services only in counties in the purple tier, but Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s secretary of health and human services, said Tuesday those salons will be able to open everywhere, regardless of tier, provided the county health officer agrees. Yolo County is planning to allow nail salons to reopen, county spokeswoman Jenny Tan said Tuesday, and will be issuing guidance shortly. Yolo County is now one of 25 counties statewide that remain in the purple Tier 1, where numerous activities and businesses remain
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Yolo County sees drop in COVID case rate, remains in Purple Tier
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restricted or closed altogether. Five counties made the move to the red Tier 2 on Tuesday: Alameda, Solano, San Mateo, Riverside and San Luis Obispo, joining 14 other counties in that tier. Nearly all of the Bay Area is now in the red tier, with the exceptions of Contra Costa and Sonoma counties. Sacramento County, like Yolo, remains in the purple tier but also met the metrics for the red tier over the last week. Moving to Tier 2 would allow a number of Yolo County businesses, including gyms, libraries, movie theaters and places of worship to reopen, albeit with restrictions on the number of people allowed in at a time. Restaurants could also resume indoor
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