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Volume 138, Number 46 — Locally owned since 1884
The hometown paper of Berta Partridge
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Council increases councilmember stipend, considers moving elections By Katherine Simpson Express staff writer The Winters City Council heard new legislation on election dates and city council stipends. The council voted to increase future stipends from $150 per month to $300 per month. The council generally supported the measure as long overdue. “I think that we should, after 15 years, increase the stipend,” said Councilmember Jesse Loren. Loren also said that a higher stipend might help attract younger people to serve on the council. “I think there’s some social equity that needs to be addressed,” Loren said. Councilmembers Loren, Pierre Neu, Harold Anderson
and Mayor Wade Cowan also supported the measure. Mayor Pro Tem Bill Biasi expressed reservations. “I feel a little uneasy being in the position of voting ourselves a pay increase,” said Biasi. “We’re not in it for the money.” He suggested that the item be placed as a ballot measure. Public commenters also generally supported the measure. Tina Lowden advocated for an even higher rate of $500 per month. “Since... I moved here, we’ve seen you all around the city,” Lowden said of the councilmembers’ involvement in the community. “Look at the Tractor Parade, look at the 7,000 lights around the city. It’s just a wonderful
commitment to who we are as a city.” After removing a provision to allow for stipend increases beyond $300, all except Biasi voted in favor of the measure. The new salaries become effective at the next municipal election in 2022. The council also heard new legislation that would move city elections to coincide with federal statewide elections in November. Previously, the elections took place alongside primaries in March and June. City Manager Kathleen Salguero Trepa gave two reasons for the change: November elections have higher turnout and operations costs
See CITY, Page 6
Lower Putah Creek committee taking closer look at salmon deaths By Katherine Simpson
EXPRESS
RISE, Inc. is gearing up for increased demand for its food pantry and other services.
RISE accepting donations, expecting increase of need for holiday season By Katherine Simpson Express staff writer RISE, Inc. is gearing up for increased demand for their food pantry and other services. “We see a lot of families throughout the year, but right now in the holidays is when we start picking up,” said Aracely Del Toro, RISE Resource & Referral Specialist. With the holidays right around the corner, community mem-
bers may want to find opportunities to donate to local charities and nonprofit organizations. But, when it comes to food donations, it’s not always obvious what kinds of donations best serve people’s needs. With a food pantry, many donors gravitate towards bringing items like Kraft Mac and Cheese and Hamburger Helper, but donors should also consider the preparation
By Anne Ternus-Bellamy McNaughton Media
Ken W. Davis/Courtesy photo
The salmon deaths were found in the Yolo Bypass area. that they had done April to maintain the to clear the pass of appropriate water salmon leading to levels. their arrival in early Likely, the rain November; however, storm on Oct. 26 floodsalmon mortalities ed the water system cropped up in Lower with plants and other Putah Creek. debris. The presence After noticing the of additional organic fatalities, local agen- matter in the water cies began analyzing caused oxygen levels the water quality. to drop to near-zero They noticed low lev- level. els of dissolved ox“No mortalities (ocygen in the Yolo By- curred) higher up in pass Toe Drain. The the system,” said RaToe Drain serves to bidoux. “Really only manage the wetlands in the Yolo Bypass.” as the main supply A variety of agensource for fall flood cies are collaboup from October to rating to try and inDecember. Water crease water quality from the Toe Drain is See SALMON, Page 8 used until March or
Index Features ........................ B-1 Classifieds ................... B-7 Community .................. A-7
We at he r Date Rain High Low Dec. 08
.00
63˚ 44˚
Dec. 09
.07”
53˚ 46˚
Dec. 10
.00
59˚ 36˚
Dec. 11
.00
57˚ 30˚
Eventos hispanos ....... A-6
Dec. 12
.27”
56˚ 37˚
Dec. 13
2.08”
50˚ 45˚
Opinion ......................... B-3
Dec. 14
1.92”
53˚ 39˚
Real Estate ................... B-2 Sports ........................... A-2
Rain for week: 4.34 in. Season’s total: 12.68 in. Last sn. to date: 1.15 in. Winters rainfall season began 7/1/21. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m.
Testing by Healthy Davis Together has detected two more cases of the Omicron variant in Yolo County. The variant was identified in two positive samples collected during the week of Dec. 5-11, according to HDT data, bringing to three the total number of Omicron cases identified locally. Another 71 positive samples collected that week and sequenced by the UC Davis Genome Center were caused by the Delta variant. The 73 total positive tests collected by Healthy Davis Together in Yolo County marked a decline
from the 114 the week before, but total asymptomatic tests performed at the genome center also declined from 44,699 tests the week of Nov. 28 to Dec. 4 to 32,515 tests the week of Dec. 5-11. A total of 39 Omicron cases had been identified in California as of Monday, according to the state Department of Public Health. The variant is on its way to becoming dominant in parts of Europe as it has in South Africa, though questions remain about the severity of illness it may cause as well as how well vaccines will protect against it.
Case rates Yolo County’s COVID-19 case rate
By Anne Ternus-Bellamy McNaughton Media With COVID-19 cases up 47 percent across the state since Thanksgiving, on top of the uncertainty posed by the Omicron variant, California announced Monday that it will reinstate a universal indoor mask mandate effective Wednesday. All residents statewide will be required to mask up in indoor public settings regardless of vaccination status beginning Dec. 15 and lasting
through Jan. 15. A previous statewide mask mandate was dropped six months ago, though a number of counties — including Yolo — later reinstated local mandates as cases surged due to the Delta variant. The new state mandate won’t change anything for Yolo County residents who must already wear masks in indoor public settings, but it will mark a change for about half of the state’s residents who live in counties where
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increased over the last week from 8.4 cases per day per 100,000 residents a week ago to 13 as of Tuesday. The case rate among vaccinated residents is 5.9 and among unvaccinated residents is 25, according to county data. Two people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Yolo County on Tuesday, both of them vaccinated. Since Thanksgiving, the city of Davis has seen 89 new cases of COVID-19; Woodland has reported 100; West Sacramento has experienced 175; Winters 35; and the unincorporated areas have seen 86. Winters has had the
See CASES, Page 8
California reinstating statewide mask mandate on Wednesday
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when planning what to bring. Kraft Mac and Cheese requires milk and butter, which are hard to find at food pantries, and Hamburger Helper doesn’t get anywhere without ground beef. Products like rice and beans, on the other hand, only require water to prepare and “are really popular with the community,” according to Del Toro. Donors also may not
Yolo confirms two more Omicron cases
Express staff writer The Lower Putah Creek Coordinating Committee discussed the high fatality rate of salmon at their regular meeting on Dec. 9. When the salmon reached the bottom of apuran Creek, low water quality killed the majority of the salmon. “The fish die off is unprecedented to our knowledge,” said streamkeeper Rich Marovich. Alix Rabidoux, Principal Water Resource Engineer at Solano County Water Agency, presented a timeline of the salmon’s migration path and changes to the water quality. Rabidoux described the work
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
Election date move
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masks are not currently required indoors. In announcing the mandate, Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s secretary of health and human services, acknowledged that “people are tired and hungry for normalcy. “Frankly, I am, too,” he added. “We are proactively putting this tool of universal indoor masking in public settings in place to ensure we get through a time of joy and hope without a darker
See MASKS, Page 8
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