Kings jobless rate improves
EDD has announced that the unemployment rate in Kings County was 10.7 percent in August 2020, down from a revised 13.0 percent in July 2020, and above the year-ago estimate of 6.9 percent.Year-over-year, Kings had 3100 fewer non-farm jobs than year ago.The largest categories are government jobs – down 1000, hospitality jobs -down 800 and manufacturing- down 500.Farm jobs year-over-year are down 800 to 7000, not as dramatic a drop as Kern and Tulare Counties where farm jobs have decreased by one third compared to a year earlier.
High Speed Rail project milestones
California High Speed Rail project in Kings County is working on two highly visible structures in the county this fall.The two are the long-awaited Kings River bridge and the mile-long plus Hanford Viaduct.
At the Kings River bridge, test pile foundation work is now complete. Construction of the substructure is scheduled to begin in mid-October dependent on permit approvals, says spokesperson Toni Tinoco.
At the Hanford Viaduct, construction crews completed pile-driving nearly 7,000 production piles needed to provide foundation support for the sprawling structure. The viaduct at 6,300 feet in length, will take high-speed trains over Grangeville Boulevard, San Joaquin Valley Railroad, and State Route 198.
At the northern segment of the Hanford Viaduct near Grangeville Boulevard, crews continue to erect the concrete columns needed to support the top of the structure. Crews continue to work north to south, hoisting the forms for the columns into place toward the middle section of the viaduct before concrete is poured to form the column.
In the middle of the Hanford Viaduct, crews are fine grading the bottom of the bridge footings with rock. Off in the distance, crews continue to work going north, driving concrete piles needed to provide support for the structure.
Construction over State Route 198 is scheduled for this coming Spring.The Hanford Viaduct is the longest structure on the high-speed rail project to date. A planned elevated train station will be just north of that portion that crosses 198.
Curti vs Corcoran lawsuits grind on
Farm groups continue to gather support for Curtimade Dairy who is fighting a $65 million lawsuit brought by the City of Corcoran over alleged contamination of city water supplies. In the past few weeks Tulare County Farm Bureau has collected donations to help the Curti family in their battle with the city. Farm Bureau leaders say they are concerned about the precedent aspects the lawsuit might mean.
But this past week in a ruling on Sept 17 in Tulare County Superior Court the dairy lost a round in a countersuit against the city for inverse condemnation and other motions observes Corcoran City manager Kindon Meik.” Our attorneys say the court has ruled in our favor on all motions in the case so far.”
As to the city’s lawsuit Meik says this court case is still year off adding he continues to hope for a settlement.
The dispute is now in its fifth year against the 100 year-old dairy charged with allowing nitrates from manure to taint the city water wells. The suit dates from December 2018.
The Curti family have said that if they lose they could go out of business.They argue that the city should negotiate with landowners and want the city to seek public funds to drill new wells and seek grants.
Hospital offers rapid COVID test for locals
Kaweah Delta is rolling out deployment of rapid COVID-19 antigen-based testing in Tulare County for symptomatic and asymptomatic patients which will provide results within 24 hours.
The District first launched testing on the Quidel Sofia-2 platform, a rapid lab analyzer, at Visalia Medical Clinic in late August, but last week, Kaweah Delta made the rapid testing available at its Exeter Health Clinic. In coming weeks, the rapid testing will be available at Kaweah Delta’s Dinuba and Lindsay health clinics, Sequoia Health & Wellness Centers, and Kaweah Delta Urgent Care Centers.
CEO Gary Herbst says “It allows us to do just a swab of the nostril. We no longer have to go deep up into the sinus cavity, so it’s much more comfortable for our patients and it’s a quick result test,” said Herbst, noting that the District purchased 20 analyzers in partnership with the Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency using CARES act funds. “While this test itself can be done in 15 minutes, we are expecting to run them in batches
throughout the day. Our goal is to process everything on the same day so you get your results that evening or the next morning.”
To get tested, people can call Kaweah Delta’s free COVID-19 Screening Hotline at 559-624-4110, available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The District recently acquired 20 analyzers in partnership with the Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency using CARES act funds. The antigen test uses a less-invasive swab in the front of the nose, which the analyzer can process in 15 minutes.
Rapid results tests are considered a game changer in the fight against the pandemic. Experts say tests allow the most basic task in disease control: Identify the sick, and separate them from the well. When tests are abundant, they can dispel the fear of contagion that has stopped normal life. “The only thing that makes a difference in the economy is public health, and the only thing that makes a difference in public health is testing” says one.
Rapid testing with the same technology will allow the Big 12 football season to begin using Quidel to allow for daily coronavirus testing. Quidel’s Sofia 2 testing machine is expected to be available on each Pac-12 campus by the end of this month. The Big 12 testing protocols call for three tests per week.
The rapid test can help improve patient care as well.The rapid test has given providers peace of mind, said Tate Gordon, a Physician Assistant-Certified, who cares for patients at Visalia Medical Clinic’s walk-in clinic, QuickCare. “It’s been amazing to have someone walk in with symptoms and minutes later have results and know exactly what’s wrong with them,” he said. “This virus is scary. You don’t know what’s going to happen to people. Having immediate results means I can watch them over the next week to make sure they are OK.”
In Kings County, Adventist Health offers Rapid COVID-19 testing for all patients who are admitted through the Emergency and Surgery departments and for its employees.
Pandemic doesn’t scare away Halloween candy sales
When the going gets tough – the tough turn to chocolates. New data from the National Confectioners Association shows that Halloween chocolate and candy sales are up this year. For the latest four weeks ending September 6 versus the same period in 2019, total Halloween chocolate & candy sales are up 13% – growth that is driven by Halloween chocolate, which is up 25.3%. The grocery channel is a key driver for the growth of Halloween chocolate and candy sales as consumer behaviors continue to evolve during the pandemic and more people shop at grocery stores more often. In the grocery channel alone, Halloween chocolate and candy sales are up 17.1% even though no one expects lots of kids going trick or treating this year.