Soggy February?
Central Coast forecaster John Lindsey says” So far, this rain season has followed a leap month pattern, with a wet October, then a dry November, followed by a wringing-wet December, succeed by a nearly parch January. The long-range guidance suggests a soggy February as the mid-winter dry spell may end.”
Covid cases spiking 3-fold at Visalia hospital
As of Jan 19 Kaweah Health is caring for 96 COVID-19 patients, 8 of whom are in the ICU -not including 9 awaiting admittance in the hospital’s ER.
Hospital occupancy remains at 101 percent and they continue to see our positive percentage 34.5% – seven days ago it was 26.1%. By comparison, on January 1 the hospital had just 30 Covid patients with 4 in the ICU.
Work on canal fix to start
A groundbreaking ceremony to start construction repair work on the subsidence- impacted Friant Kern Canal is set for January 25th at Ave 96 and Rd 208, near Terra Bella.
CalWater plans one million gallon tank in Downtown Visalia
CalWater District Manager Stephen Johnson says the water company plans a one million gallon water tank along Acequia, east of Downton, that would eventually replace the elevated water tower at Redwood High School. The water tower holds about 340,000 gallons, barley a third of what the proposed new ground tank.”We will replace the elevated tower but not for awhile” he says. The new tank will help bolster water pressure in Downtown.
Here come the honeybees
Bees are arriving at California farms, by the truckloads. It is pollination time for California almond growers, and beekeepers are moving some 2.5 million honeybee colonies into California orchards to pollinate 1.3 million acres of almond trees. About 2 million of the honeybee colonies are trucked in from out of state, and 500,000 come from California beekeepers. The California Department of Food and Agriculture has a pre-inspection program for out-of-state bees, says CFB.
Demand drives up produce imports as exports prices rise 21.7%
Talk about inflation – Demand is inflated this year inflation – driving up imports of organic Mexican avocados by 44%, blueberries by 133% from 2019 and now limes, very popular at happy hour, climbing in price to $61 a carton from $28 a carton a week earlier.
The Labor Department said on Friday that prices that U.S. companies paid for imported goods increased 10.4 percent in 2021, the largest jump in 14 years.On the other side of the trade ledger, agricultural export prices increased 21.7 percent in 2021, the largest annual increase since 2007. Inflation is worldwide.