latimes--2020-03-18--COVID-19 outbreak in San Jose fire department may be early sign of danger for first responders

When it comes to the front line for the coronavirus , the San Jose firefighters are experiencing what officials fear will become a common problem among first responders .
So far , 10 firefighters have tested positive for COVID-19 and 50 others are in self-isolation .
There have been a scattering of other cases of first responders testing positive , including a Los Angeles Police Department officer and an L.A. firefighter .
The number of San Jose firefighters with the disease caused by the coronavirus grew this week from four to 10 and scores have been quarantined , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus sweeps across the Silicon Valley , firefighters are treating every call as though it is a COVID-19 call , firefighters union leaders say .
“ Our members are assuming on all their calls the person is positive .
One person is entering in full mask , goggles and gown to determine the patient ’ s condition .
Others are only going in where necessary , ” said Sean Lovens , spokesman for San Jose Fire Fighters , IAFF Local 230 .
“ Afterward the firefighters are decontaminating themselves , their apparatus.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the department saw the number of firefighters infected swell among the ranks of 664 line firefighters .
“ We have one firefighter receiving treatment in the hospital .
They have mild to more significant pneumonia but all are expected to make a full recovery , ” Lovens said .
He said speculation and rumors of a firefighter in grave life-threatening condition is false .
Across Santa Clara County , five people have died and 155 have tested positive .
In response , health officials have declared a state of emergency and imposed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will help to stem the spread of the highly infectious virus .
San Jose officials confirmed 10 firefighters have tested positive , while an additional 57 have been in contact with people confirmed to have the illness , and are being monitored .
Those numbers have not increased since Tuesday evening .
As many as 80 firefighters at one time or another in the last few weeks have been self-quarantined — more than 10 % of the department .
About 30 of those firefighters have returned to their fire stations to work .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 90,000 calls in a year .
The illnesses and quarantines have taken a toll on the families of first responders , officials say .
“ Our sick firefighters also have multiple family members who have tested COVID-19 positive , and other family members with symptoms of the virus awaiting test results , ” Lovens said .
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said Tuesday , “ the reality is there ’ s no simple fix.
” The mayor has already set aside additional budget funds to deal with the virus .
Despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to roll on call after call .
“ As firefighters , we commit our careers and lives to serving the public in their time of need , ” said Sean Kaldor , president of the San Jose Fire Fighters , IAFF Local 230 .
“ Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic as it grows among our residents is an unprecedented challenge , and we are up to that challenge .
But it is also taking a tremendous toll on us as we fall ill and support our ill family members.
” The union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to limit exposure and manage firefighters who have been exposed .
City officials say that fire stations have been disinfected and that the cleaning of trucks and other fire apparatus is at an all-time high .
In the event that a firefighter is known to have been exposed to COVID-19 , that firefighter is removed from serving the public for 14 days as their condition is actively monitored .
In cases where a station is suspected of being contaminated , firefighters are relocated and the station receives a @ @ @ @ @ @ @

San Jose firefighters used to battling fires are now facing the daunting prospect of COVID-19 in their ranks as they save others.
When it comes to the front line for the coronavirus, the San Jose firefighters are experiencing what officials fear will become a common problem among first responders.
So far, 10 firefighters have tested positive for COVID-19 and 50 others are in self-isolation.
There have been a scattering of other cases of first responders testing positive, including a Los Angeles Police Department officer and an L.A. firefighter.
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The number of San Jose firefighters with the disease caused by the coronavirus grew this week from four to 10 and scores have been quarantined, according to the San Jose firefighters union. As the virus sweeps across the Silicon Valley, firefighters are treating every call as though it is a COVID-19 call, firefighters union leaders say.
“Our members are assuming on all their calls the person is positive. One person is entering in full mask, goggles and gown to determine the patient’s condition. Others are only going in where necessary,” said Sean Lovens, spokesman for San Jose Fire Fighters, IAFF Local 230. “Afterward the firefighters are decontaminating themselves, their apparatus.”
The change in response comes as the department saw the number of firefighters infected swell among the ranks of 664 line firefighters.
“We have one firefighter receiving treatment in the hospital. They have mild to more significant pneumonia but all are expected to make a full recovery,” Lovens said. He said speculation and rumors of a firefighter in grave life-threatening condition is false.
Across Santa Clara County, five people have died and 155 have tested positive. In response, health officials have declared a state of emergency and imposed a shelter-in-place order. Officials hope those actions will help to stem the spread of the highly infectious virus.
San Jose officials confirmed 10 firefighters have tested positive, while an additional 57 have been in contact with people confirmed to have the illness, and are being monitored. Those numbers have not increased since Tuesday evening.
As many as 80 firefighters at one time or another in the last few weeks have been self-quarantined — more than 10% of the department.
About 30 of those firefighters have returned to their fire stations to work. Typically, San Jose firefighters will answer more than 90,000 calls in a year.
The illnesses and quarantines have taken a toll on the families of first responders, officials say.
“Our sick firefighters also have multiple family members who have tested COVID-19 positive, and other family members with symptoms of the virus awaiting test results,” Lovens said.
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San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said Tuesday, “the reality is there’s no simple fix.” The mayor has already set aside additional budget funds to deal with the virus.
Despite the challenges, firefighters across the city continue to roll on call after call.
“As firefighters, we commit our careers and lives to serving the public in their time of need,” said Sean Kaldor, president of the San Jose Fire Fighters, IAFF Local 230. “Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic as it grows among our residents is an unprecedented challenge, and we are up to that challenge. But it is also taking a tremendous toll on us as we fall ill and support our ill family members.”
The union and fire department are following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to limit exposure and manage firefighters who have been exposed. City officials say that fire stations have been disinfected and that the cleaning of trucks and other fire apparatus is at an all-time high.
In the event that a firefighter is known to have been exposed to COVID-19, that firefighter is removed from serving the public for 14 days as their condition is actively monitored.
In cases where a station is suspected of being contaminated, firefighters are relocated and the station receives a deeper level of cleaning and disinfecting.


latimes--2020-03-18--Coronavirus is turning an overloaded immigration system into a 'tinderbox'

Last week , immigration Judge Ashley Tabaddor cordoned off the first row of seats in her courtroom at Los Angeles Immigration Court .
Interpreters brought their own headsets .
Clerks carried disinfectant wipes .
And some judges limited the number of people inside courtrooms , which normally are packed shoulder-to-shoulder .
Workers said they are doing their best to limit their and the public ’ s exposure to coronavirus and COVID-19 in the face of what they describe as insufficient protective measures taken by federal officials .
“ There ’ s only so much judges can do in their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any control over waiting areas or the rest of the court , ” said Tabaddor , president of the National Assn .
of Immigration Judges .
She described the federal response as “ just sticking their heads in the sand , hoping it will all go away.
” Across the nation , immigration judges , attorneys and immigrant-rights advocates , as well as some federal immigration workers , are calling on the federal government to take aggressive steps to slow the spread of the virus and its effect on an already overloaded and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two dozen Democratic senators led by Sen. Kamala Harris of California sent a letter to the acting chiefs of Homeland Security , U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection asking about their coronavirus response .
“ Given the spread of the virus in the U.S. — and the particular vulnerability of individuals in immigration detention and staff — it is critical that DHS , ICE , and CBP have plans to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus at DHS facilities and to protect detained persons , facility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the senators wrote .
The immigration system is being severely tested in multiple ways .
Immigration judges , attorneys and prosecutors have called on all immigration courts to shut down .
Immigrant-rights activists and public health academics insist that detention centers should release immigrants and suspend most immigration arrests and deportations .
But the looming crisis goes far beyond issues of overcrowding and exposure .
In the field , a lack of clear guidelines across the immigration system is exacerbating delays in processing of immigrants .
The virus also is likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could hamper the government ’ s ability to staff agencies that process immigrants and asylum seekers .
Among the most pressing concerns is the inability to implement social distancing in institutional settings , specifically immigration courts and detention centers .
“ It ’ s a tinderbox , ” said Wendy Parmet , a professor of law and public health at Northeastern University .
“ Whatever you think about criminal justice reform in the long term , detention and congregation of people in institutional settings is dangerous right now .
It ’ s dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous for the staff .
It ’ s dangerous for the community who interact with the staff.
” For days now , government officials have urged the public to distance themselves physically from others .
But that ’ s hard to accomplish in small immigration courtrooms often packed with dozens of people and immigration detention centers where people are held in tight quarters and share bathrooms .
U.S. immigration courts are already grappling with a backlog of more than 1 million cases .
For years , immigration judges have processed immigrants in large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the backlogged system .
But the numbers have tripled under the Trump administration , which has doubled down on immigration enforcement .
In that time , apprehensions have dropped but immigration judges say they are overloaded with cases ; in recent months , several judges have resigned in protest .
The crisis has made for uncommon alliances .
Last weekend , Immigration and Customs Enforcement Professionals Union joined the National Assn .
of Immigration Judges and American Immigration Lawyers Assn .
in calling for the federal government to close all of its 68 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In an open letter , the judges and lawyers groups said the Trump administration has told them that the spread of COVID-19 was insufficient and not based on transparent science enough to warrant wide closure .
“ The DOJ is failing to meet its obligations to ensure a safe and healthy enforcement within our Immigration Courts , ” the statement said .
Late Tuesday , the Executive Office for Immigration Review , which manages the immigration court system , announced it would close the downtown Los Angeles Immigration Court and postpone non-detainee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The move effectively closed 10 courthouses , including Sacramento , New York City and Houston , until April 10 .
But several courthouses remained open for cases with detained immigrants , among them San Francisco San Diego and Tacoma , Wash .
The Seattle Immigration Court was the first to close last week because of a high number of cases in the area and after there was a reported second-hand exposure .
Last week in New York City , immigration attorney Bryan Johnson wore a gas mask on a train from his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New York City because he had to appear for trial .
Days later , Johnson and other immigration attorneys urged others to stay away .
“ We will not appear for immigration court hearing during # coronavirus pandemic , even if an adjournment request is denied , ” Johnson put on his Facebook page .
“ We will not allow EOIR ’ s recklessness in keeping court open to cause serious harm to us , our clients , our staff , or our clients.
” On Tuesday , U.S .
Citizenship and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all immigration offices until April 1 because of the virus .
The move postpones asylum and citizenship interviews , as well as naturalization ceremonies .
The agency ’ s employees were encouraged to work from home , and others , including asylum officers , were recalled from detention facilities and postings across the country .
“ At a time when the federal government should be leading by example ... DHS and USCIS have been putting staff and all who have business with our agency at risk , ” one USCIS employee told The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against professional retaliation .
The employee has been sick but unable to get tested for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus .
“ It ’ s shameful.
” U.S. immigration authorities could soon begin closing the southern border to certain migrants , removing those who enter the U.S. between official ports of entry and turning them back to Mexico to limit the pandemic , officials told The Times .
The administration has yet to formally announce the proposal , but it is hammering out final details .
On Tuesday , administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shift .
Under the new policy , Border Patrol agents who apprehend Mexican adults attempting to cross the border between ports of entry will return them to Mexico at a nearby port of entry instead of detaining them , according to Brandon Judd , president of the union that represents 15,000 agents , the National Border Patrol Council .
As of Tuesday , no U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents or migrants in custody had tested positive for the coronavirus , Judd said .
Nathan Peeters , a Border Patrol spokesman , would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ migrants had been screened for COVID-19 as of Tuesday .
Those with symptoms or whose travel history was flagged were referred to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or local health officials for added screening , he said , and the agency issued staff masks — including N95 respirators — gloves , goggles and disposable outer garments to prevent the spread of the virus and COVID-19 .
During a briefing Thursday , Acting Border Patrol Commissioner Mark Morgan said that the agency was “ monitoring and aggressively pursuing all opportunities to contain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health risk threat along the southwest border is very real , ” Morgan said .
Morgan said that migrants caught illegally crossing the southern border were subject to the same coronavirus screening as international travelers arriving at U.S. airports .
Another area where the virus could affect immigration is by stemming the flow of agricultural guest workers into the country .
This week , the U.S. Embassy and consulates in Mexico suspended visa services , which farm labor contractors say could deal a blow to the strawberry and apple industries .
The deportation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Tuesday , Guatemalan officials suspended all deportation flights originating from the U.S. until new health screening protocols are developed .
The move will have a significant effect on the Trump administration ’ s efforts to ramp up a controversial agreement under which the U.S. sends migrants who are seeking asylum in the U.S. to Guatemala .
Los Angeles ICE Director Dave Marin said Mexico likely would follow suit .
“ I think with removal flights , they can be fairly confident that they have been medically cleared , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temperatures .
“ Whereas , anyone flying commercial , they can ’ t control that.
” He said stopping all deportation flights could have a huge impact on the agency .
“ We ’ d get backed up , ” he said .
The rapid spread of the virus also is posing challenges for immigrants being held in detention and the agencies responsible for them .
On Friday , ICE announced the suspension of social visitations at its detention centers .
The privately run federal immigration detention center in Adelanto , 85 miles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capable of holding 1,900 immigrants , would likely reach capacity in a few weeks , Marin said .
On Monday , the ACLU and other groups launched a lawsuit against ICE , calling for the release of immigrants in detention who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 .
Advocates said that detainees are particularly vulnerable to outbreaks of contagious illnesses because they live in close quarters and are often in poor health .
They noted that medical care in ICE facilities has been documented to be inadequate , such as the 14,000 health and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Homeland Security ’ s Office of Inspector General .
In a letter to ICE field office leaders in Los Angeles and the warden of the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in San Bernardino County , lawyers with Immigrant Defenders noted that COVID-19 is unlike any infectious disease that Adelanto has experienced .
“ Its transmission rate will be significantly higher than that of mumps , measles , or chickenpox , because no so-called ‘ herd immunity ’ exists against the virus , i.e.
, there is no population with immunity , ” lawyers wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at [ Adelanto detention facility ] are sitting ducks for a fatal COVID-19 infection.
” The lawyers said ICE should use its discretion to release detainees under humanitarian parole and use alternatives to detention , such as GPS ankle monitors and home visits .
Besides Adelanto , ICE houses detainees in four other California facilities : the Yuba County Jail in Marysville , Mesa Verde ICE Processing Facility in Bakersfield , Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego and Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico .
Lizbeth Alben of the Inland Coalition for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanitizing the facility on Monday in response to coronavirus concerns , which means detainees are kept for long periods in their cells without recreation time or phone access .
One detainee there , Jose Topete , said Monday that detention staff placed CDC posters about COVID-19 around the facility but only in English .
He said ICE agents have entered the facility wearing masks and gloves , leaving detainees panicked .
“ We ’ re scared , ” he said .
“ What is going to happen with us ?
”

Cindy Carcamo, Andrea Castillo, Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Maura Dolan, Brittny Mejia, Molly O'Toole

Last week, immigration Judge Ashley Tabaddor cordoned off the first row of seats in her courtroom at Los Angeles Immigration Court. Interpreters brought their own headsets. Clerks carried disinfectant wipes.
And some judges limited the number of people inside courtrooms, which normally are packed shoulder-to-shoulder.
Workers said they are doing their best to limit their and the public’s exposure to the coronavirus and COVID-19 in the face of what they describe as insufficient protective measures taken by federal officials.
“There’s only so much judges can do in their own spheres. They don’t have any control over waiting areas or the rest of the court,” said Tabaddor, president of the National Assn. of Immigration Judges.
She described the federal response as “just sticking their heads in the sand, hoping it will all go away.”
Advertisement
Across the nation, immigration judges, attorneys and immigrant-rights advocates, as well as some federal immigration workers, are calling on the federal government to take aggressive steps to slow the spread of the virus and its effect on an already overloaded and backlogged immigration system.
On Wednesday, two dozen Democratic senators led by Sen. Kamala Harris of California sent a letter to the acting chiefs of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection asking about their coronavirus response.
“Given the spread of the virus in the U.S. — and the particular vulnerability of individuals in immigration detention and staff — it is critical that DHS, ICE, and CBP have plans to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus at DHS facilities and to protect detained persons, facility staff, and the general public,” the senators wrote.
The immigration system is being severely tested in multiple ways. Immigration judges, attorneys and prosecutors also have called on all immigration courts to shut down. Immigrant-rights activists and public health academics insist that detention centers should release immigrants and suspend most immigration arrests and deportations.
But the looming crisis goes far beyond issues of overcrowding and exposure. In the field, a lack of clear guidelines across the immigration system is exacerbating delays in processing of immigrants. The virus also is likely to disrupt the flow of foreign workers and could hamper the government’s ability to staff agencies that process immigrants and asylum seekers.
Among the most pressing concerns is the inability to implement social distancing in institutional settings, specifically immigration courts and detention centers.
“It’s a tinderbox,” said Wendy Parmet, a professor of law and public health at Northeastern University. “Whatever you think about criminal justice reform in the long term, detention and congregation of people in institutional settings is dangerous right now. It’s dangerous for people detained. It’s dangerous for the staff. It’s dangerous for the community who interact with the staff.”
Advertisement
For days now, government officials have urged the public to distance themselves physically from others. But that’s hard to accomplish in small immigration courtrooms often packed with dozens of people and immigration detention centers where people are held in tight quarters and share bathrooms.
U.S. immigration courts are already grappling with a backlog of more than 1 million cases. For years, immigration judges have processed immigrants in large groups in an attempt to speed up the system. But the numbers have tripled under the Trump administration, which has doubled down on immigration enforcement. In that time, apprehensions have dropped but immigration judges say they are overloaded with cases; in recent months, several judges have resigned in protest.
The crisis has made for uncommon alliances.
Last weekend, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Professionals Union joined the National Assn. of Immigration Judges and American Immigration Lawyers Assn. in calling for the federal government to close all of its 68 immigration courts for two to four weeks.
In an open letter, the judges and lawyers groups said the Trump administration has told them that the spread of COVID-19 was insufficient and not based on transparent science enough to warrant wide closure.
“The DOJ is failing to meet its obligations to ensure a safe and healthy enforcement within our Immigration Courts,” the statement said.
Late Tuesday, the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which manages the immigration court system, announced it would close the downtown Los Angeles Immigration Court and postpone non-detainee hearings at immigration courthouses across the country. The move effectively closed 10 courthouses, including Sacramento, New York City and Houston, until April 10.
But several courthouses remained open for cases with detained immigrants, among them San Francisco San Diego and Tacoma, Wash. The Seattle Immigration Court was the first to close last week because of a high number of cases in the area and after there was a reported second-hand exposure.
Last week in New York City, immigration attorney Bryan Johnson wore a gas mask on a train from his home in Long Island to immigration court in New York City because he had to appear for trial.
Days later, Johnson and other immigration attorneys urged others to stay away.
“We will not appear for immigration court hearing during #coronavirus pandemic, even if an adjournment request is denied,” Johnson put on his Facebook page. “We will not allow EOIR’s recklessness in keeping court open to cause serious harm to us, our clients, our staff, or our clients.”
On Tuesday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it would temporarily close all immigration offices until April 1 because of the virus. The move postpones asylum and citizenship interviews, as well as naturalization ceremonies. The agency’s employees were encouraged to work from home, and others, including asylum officers, were recalled from detention facilities and postings across the country.
“At a time when the federal government should be leading by example ... DHS and USCIS have been putting staff and all who have business with our agency at risk,” one USCIS employee told The Times on condition of anonymity to protect against professional retaliation. The employee has been sick but unable to get tested for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. “It’s shameful.”
U.S. immigration authorities could soon begin closing the southern border to certain migrants, removing those who enter the U.S. between official ports of entry and turning them back to Mexico to limit the pandemic, officials told The Times. The administration has yet to formally announce the proposal,but it is hammering out final details.
On Tuesday, administration officials began laying the groundwork for the shift. Under the new policy, Border Patrol agents who apprehend Mexican adults attempting to cross the border between ports of entry will return them to Mexico at a nearby port of entry instead of detaining them, according to Brandon Judd, president of the union that represents 15,000 agents, the National Border Patrol Council.
As of Tuesday, no U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents or migrants in custody had tested positive for the coronavirus, Judd said.
Nathan Peeters, a Border Patrol spokesman, would not say how many agents and detained migrants had been screened for COVID-19 as of Tuesday. Those with symptoms or whose travel history was flagged were referred to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or local health officials for added screening, he said, and the agency issued staff masks — including N95 respirators — gloves, goggles and disposable outer garments to prevent the spread of the virus and COVID-19.
During a briefing Thursday, Acting Border Patrol Commissioner Mark Morgan said that the agency was “monitoring and aggressively pursuing all opportunities to contain and mitigate” coronavirus.
“The health risk threat along the southwest border is very real,” Morgan said.
Morgan said that migrants caught illegally crossing the southern border were subject to the same coronavirus screening as international travelers arriving at U.S. airports.
Another area where the virus could affect immigration is by stemming the flow of agricultural guest workers into the country. This week, the U.S. Embassy and consulates in Mexico suspended visa services, which farm labor contractors say could deal a blow to the strawberry and apple industries.
The deportation system is yet another area of uncertainty. On Tuesday, Guatemalan officials suspended all deportation flights originating from the U.S. until new health screening protocols are developed. The move will have a significant effect on the Trump administration’s efforts to ramp up a controversial agreement under which the U.S. sends migrants who are seeking asylum in the U.S. to Guatemala.
Los Angeles ICE Director Dave Marin said Mexico likely would follow suit.
“I think with removal flights, they can be fairly confident that they have been medically cleared,” he said, noting that they’re taking temperatures. “Whereas, anyone flying commercial, they can’t control that.”
He said stopping all deportation flights could have a huge impact on the agency.
“We’d get backed up,” he said.
The rapid spread of the virus also is posing challenges for immigrants being held in detention and the agencies responsible for them. On Friday, ICE announced the suspension of social visitations at its detention centers.
The privately run federal immigration detention center in Adelanto, 85 miles northeast of Los Angeles, which is capable of holding 1,900 immigrants, would likely reach capacity in a few weeks, Marin said.
On Monday, the ACLU and other groups launched a lawsuit against ICE, calling for the release of immigrants in detention who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Advocates said that detainees are particularly vulnerable to outbreaks of contagious illnesses because they live in close quarters and are often in poor health. They noted that medical care in ICE facilities has been documented to be inadequate, such as the 14,000 health and safety deficiencies identified by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General.
In a letter to ICE field office leaders in Los Angeles and the warden of the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in San Bernardino County, lawyers with Immigrant Defenders noted that COVID-19 is unlike any infectious disease that Adelanto has experienced.
“Its transmission rate will be significantly higher than that of mumps, measles, or chickenpox, because no so-called ‘herd immunity’ exists against the virus, i.e., there is no population with immunity,” lawyers wrote. “Simply put, persons detained at [Adelanto detention facility] are sitting ducks for a fatal COVID-19 infection.”
The lawyers said ICE should use its discretion to release detainees under humanitarian parole and use alternatives to detention, such as GPS ankle monitors and home visits.
Besides Adelanto, ICE houses detainees in four other California facilities: the Yuba County Jail in Marysville, Mesa Verde ICE Processing Facility in Bakersfield, Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego and Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico.
Lizbeth Alben of the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice said officials at Adelanto started sanitizing the facility on Monday in response to coronavirus concerns, which means detainees are kept for long periods in their cells without recreation time or phone access.
One detainee there, Jose Topete, said Monday that detention staff placed CDC posters about COVID-19 around the facility but only in English. He said ICE agents have entered the facility wearing masks and gloves, leaving detainees panicked.
“We’re scared,” he said. “What is going to happen with us?”


latimes--2020-03-18--Coronavirus misinformation and hoax text messages are making the rounds. Here's how to spot them

By the time the urgent text message warning that the U.S. military was about to deploy soldiers across the country to enforce a nationwide quarantine landed on Pamela Chelin ’ s phone this week , it had already made its way to an untold number of people .
A friend had sent her the foreboding note , which claimed to be from someone who spoke to “ a source that works for Homeland Security.
” The friend , in turn , had received it from another friend , who he considered “ reliable.
” “ Who knows , ” Chelin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I believe them , given who sent it to me.
” Chelin , a freelance arts journalist in Los Angeles , thought otherwise .
The message ’ s jumbled syntax and anonymous claims made her suspicious .
After a quick check of Twitter confirmed it was fake , she told her friend and another acquaintance who sent her a similar message not to spread the hoaxes any further .
“ There was just enough to it that you could see how someone would say , ‘ I don ’ t want to believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ true and I don ’ t want to be the one who ignored it , ’ ” Chelin said Tuesday .
“ It ’ s a bit ominous that someone purposefully created this to create panic.
” The message and several others like it that have circulated widely over the past week created a potent rumor mill and stirred up fear among recipients with dire warnings of martial law being imminently imposed by President Trump and similarly extreme scenarios , in which soldiers would be ordered to keep people in their homes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that government officials felt they needed to knock them down with statements assuring the public they were untrue .
“ There is no national lockdown , ” the White House ’ s National Security Council tweeted on Sunday , telling people to consult the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website for accurate information .
The messages were the latest examples of the misinformation that has spread via social media , emails and text messages as the coronavirus has moved into all 50 states in the U.S .
The prevalence of hoax missives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led the World Health Organization ’ s director last month to declare that disinformation was as dangerous as the virus itself .
“ We ’ re not just fighting an epidemic ; we ’ re fighting an infodemic .
Fake news spreads faster and more easily than this virus , and is just as dangerous , ” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Feb. 15 .
Some of the text messages , along with similar posts on Twitter and other social media platforms , compounded the confusion and worry by equating the idea of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their homes with martial law .
The two concepts are very different , said Michelle M. Mello , a health law scholar at Stanford Law School .
Martial law refers to a rarely used and legally contentious power written into the Constitution under which the military is given authority to enforce civil laws throughout the country or a particular area during times of emergency when local courts and law enforcement are unable to do so .
During a period of martial law , the due process rights typically given to criminal defendants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
President Abraham Lincoln famously put the country under martial law during the Civil War .
The declaration applied to prisoners of war , spies , other Confederate sympathizers and Union deserters , and ultimately the Supreme Court ruled Lincoln ’ s proclamation had been unconstitutional in parts of the country where civil courts were still functioning .
Similarly , a federal judge sharply criticized how the U.S. Army carried out martial law in Hawaii in the years following the attack on Pearl Harbor .
By contrast , the power to order people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health emergency , ban large gatherings and force restaurants to close , stems from state emergency public health laws that give officials broad authority to take aggressive steps aimed at protecting lives , Mello said .
These laws , which go into effect when a state or local official declares a public health emergency , boost the authority officials have during normal times to safeguard the public by , for example , forcing a contagious person to be isolated , Mello said .
Police and judges , not the military , are responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Our public health laws attempt to balance people ’ s civil rights with the government ’ s need to prepare and react to situations .
In emergencies , that balance shifts slightly toward the government , ” Mello said .
The emergency laws also free up special funds and allow state and local officials to put aside strict regulations hospitals and health professionals must typically work under .
Hospitals , for example , have been given greater flexibility on the types of facilities that can be used to treat patients and retired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on to work .
In California , Gov .
Gavin Newsom so far has held back from imposing statewide restrictions during the COVID-19 crisis , deferring to county and city leaders .
Mello said she expects that will change in coming days as the coronavirus continues its spread .
“ This is simply not a local issue anymore , ” she said .
The text messages Chelin received were full of official-sounding and plausible claims .
One purported to contain firsthand information detailing how members of the military had been told to prepare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. streets “ to help prevent looters and rioters ” during a nationwide quarantine .
The rambling message also claimed that “ high ranking military friends in DC ” had alerted the author of the president ’ s plan to invoke a special federal law , the Stafford Act , to authorize his quarantine order .
Trump did , in fact , use the Stafford Act last week when he declared a national emergency , but the move had nothing to do with quarantining people .
Instead , the act allows states to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal government .
And , as officials around California and elsewhere in the country began to issue dramatic orders that seemed to resemble the measures outlined in the messages , the hoaxes took on a greater sheen of believability .
For example , several counties that are home to millions of people have imposed shelter-in-place orders , which make it a crime for residents to leave their homes except for specific reasons , such as grocery shopping or getting medications from a pharmacy .
Courts have also scaled back and delayed operations considerably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a news conference Tuesday that more than 1,500 members of the National Guard have been activated in 18 states to staff drive-through testing facilities and emergency operations centers , as well as to sanitize public areas and transport healthcare workers .
“ People should be reassured rather than threatened by these orders , ” Mello said .
“ They show California ’ s leaders are doing what needs to be done to stop this virus .
”

A couple approaches an empty cable car in San Francisco, where residents are under a shelter-in-place order to remain in their homes except for specific reasons.
By the time the urgent text message warning that the U.S. military was about to deploy soldiers across the country to enforce a nationwide quarantine landed on Pamela Chelin’s phone this week, it had already made its way to an untold number of people.
A friend had sent her the foreboding note, which claimed to be from someone who spoke to “a source that works for Homeland Security.” The friend, in turn, had received it from another friend, who he considered “reliable.”
“Who knows,” Chelin’s friend wrote, “but I believe them, given who sent it to me.”
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Chelin, a freelance arts journalist in Los Angeles, thought otherwise. The message’s jumbled syntax and anonymous claims made her suspicious. After a quick check of Twitter confirmed it was fake, she told her friend and another acquaintance who sent her a similar message not to spread the hoaxes any further.
“There was just enough to it that you could see how someone would say, ‘I don’t want to believe this, but maybe it could be true and I don’t want to be the one who ignored it,’” Chelin said Tuesday. “It’s a bit ominous that someone purposefully created this to create panic.”
The message and several others like it that have circulated widely over the past week created a potent rumor mill and stirred up fear among recipients with dire warnings of martial law being imminently imposed by President Trump and similarly extreme scenarios, in which soldiers would be ordered to keep people in their homes.
The fake missives spread to enough people that government officials felt they needed to knock them down with statements assuring the public they were untrue.
Tracking the coronavirus in California The latest maps and charts on the spread of COVID-19 in California.
“There is no national lockdown,” the White House’s National Security Council tweeted on Sunday, telling people to consult the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website for accurate information.
The messages were the latest examples of the misinformation that has spread via social media, emails and text messages as the coronavirus has moved into all 50 states in the U.S.
The prevalence of hoax missives and less nefarious but nonetheless inaccurate information led the World Health Organization’s director last month to declare that disinformation was as dangerous as the virus itself.
“We’re not just fighting an epidemic; we’re fighting an infodemic. Fake news spreads faster and more easily than this virus, and is just as dangerous,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Feb. 15.
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Some of the text messages, along with similar posts on Twitter and other social media platforms, compounded the confusion and worry by equating the idea of a government order instructing people to remain in their homes with martial law.
The two concepts are very different, said Michelle M. Mello, a health law scholar at Stanford Law School.
Martial law refers to a rarely used and legally contentious power written into the Constitution under which the military is given authority to enforce civil laws throughout the country or a particular area during times of emergency when local courts and law enforcement are unable to do so. During a period of martial law, the due process rights typically given to criminal defendants and other basic rights can be suspended.
President Abraham Lincoln famously put the country under martial law during the Civil War. The declaration applied to prisoners of war, spies, other Confederate sympathizers and Union deserters, and ultimately the Supreme Court ruled Lincoln’s proclamation had been unconstitutional in parts of the country where civil courts were still functioning.
Similarly, a federal judge sharply criticized how the U.S. Army carried out martial law in Hawaii in the years following the attack on Pearl Harbor.
By contrast, the power to order people to remain in their homes during a health emergency, ban large gatherings and force restaurants to close, stems from state emergency public health laws that give officials broad authority to take aggressive steps aimed at protecting lives, Mello said.
These laws, which go into effect when a state or local official declares a public health emergency, boost the authority officials have during normal times to safeguard the public by, for example, forcing a contagious person to be isolated, Mello said. Police and judges, not the military, are responsible for enforcing the newly imposed restrictions.
“Our public health laws attempt to balance people’s civil rights with the government’s need to prepare and react to situations. In emergencies, that balance shifts slightly toward the government,” Mello said.
The emergency laws also free up special funds and allow state and local officials to put aside strict regulations hospitals and health professionals must typically work under. Hospitals, for example, have been given greater flexibility on the types of facilities that can be used to treat patients and retired doctors without current licenses can be called on to work.
The text messages Chelin received were full of official-sounding and plausible claims.
One purported to contain firsthand information detailing how members of the military had been told to prepare for as long as a month on U.S. streets “to help prevent looters and rioters” during a nationwide quarantine.
The rambling message also claimed that “high ranking military friends in DC” had alerted the author of the president’s plan to invoke a special federal law, the Stafford Act, to authorize his quarantine order.
Trump did, in fact, use the Stafford Act last week when he declared a national emergency, but the move had nothing to do with quarantining people. Instead, the act allows states to more easily seek emergency assistance from the federal government.
And, as officials around California and elsewhere in the country began to issue dramatic orders that seemed to resemble the measures outlined in the messages, the hoaxes took on a greater sheen of believability.
For example, several counties that are home to millions of people imposed shelter-in-place orders making it it a crime for residents to leave their homes except for specific reasons, such as grocery shopping or getting medications from a pharmacy. (Gov. Gavin Newsom, who had initially held back, deferring to county and city leaders, ultimately followed suit with a statewide edict Thursday.)
Courts also scaled back and delayed operations considerably.
And Defense Secretary Mark Esper told a news conference Tuesday that more than 1,500 members of the National Guard had been activated in 18 states to staff drive-through testing facilities and emergency operations centers, as well as to sanitize public areas and transport healthcare workers.
“People should be reassured rather than threatened by these orders,” Mello said Tuesday. “They show California’s leaders are doing what needs to be done to stop this virus.”


latimes--2020-03-18--LAPD, Sheriff's Department arrests drop amid coronavirus outbreak

Los Angeles County ’ s two largest law enforcement agencies made significantly fewer arrests in recent weeks , reflecting the changing realities of policing in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak .
The Los Angeles Police Department made 14 % fewer arrests during the first 15 days of March compared to the same period last year , according to the department .
The LAPD recorded 2,944 arrests during that time compared to 3,406 the previous year .
The decline mirrors what has been happening at the county ’ s second largest agency , the Sheriff ’ s Department .
Sheriff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrests by his deputies have plummeted from a daily average of 300 to 60 .
Arrest figures may continue to decline as the agencies adapt .
As the response to the coronavirus outbreak intensified this week , both departments ordered officers to cite and release people as much as possible while still arresting violent offenders .
“ We don ’ t want to tie up resources and impact the population in our court system or jails , ” LAPD spokesman Josh Rubenstein said .
The Sheriff ’ s Department is releasing inmates from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many people it books into custody to protect those housed in close quarters .
Additionally , the L.A. County court system has suspended all proceedings for several days .
In L.A. , overall crime is down 5.8 % so far this year through March 15 compared to the same time last year , according to LAPD figures .
Crime will likely decline as people change their routines , said UC Irvine criminology professor George Tita , who is part of an interdisciplinary working group that is studying the effect of coronavirus on crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home and avoiding restaurants , bars and gyms , there is less potential for street crime to occur .
With so many people staying in their homes , burglaries and property crime could decline while spousal abuse incidents may increase , Tita said .
LAPD officers receive training at the police academy on how to deal with people who have communicable diseases and are taking the necessary precautions , said Rubenstein , the department ’ s spokesman .
“ Right now there is no indication whatsoever that officers are backing off in any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not dealing with people because of this issue , ” he said .
“ We ask our officers to go into dangerous situations and often they have to put their safety aside for the greater good of the public ’ s safety .
That ’ s the challenge of being a police officer.
” On Sunday , LAPD officials confirmed the department ’ s first coronavirus case after a supervisor in the Pacific Division felt ill and went home last week .
He is expected to make a full recovery .
The LAPD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of the coronavirus .
Starting Wednesday , the department will close the front desks at its 21 stations , asking residents to email instead .
All patrol officers and officers likely to come into contact with infected people have been issued a kit consisting of multiple sets of gloves , a bacteria protection mask and goggles .
Officers are directed to use the items when responding to a call or having contact with a possible virus patient .
The department has already ordered 100,000 extra masks , but officers will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eugene O ’ Donnell , a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York , praised those measures , saying police officers are “ very crucial if this thing ratchets up.
” “ Who enforces the curfews if things go into mandatory shutdown ?
” he said .
“ Police are overstretched to begin with , and now you are entering this uncharted territory.
” A former New York police officer and prosecutor , O ’ Donnell said officers have the same anxieties as the general public but they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The job of a police officer is inherently close contact work with strangers and some of the most marginalized people , including many people with no access to healthcare , ” said O ’ Donnell .

Los Angeles County’s two largest law enforcement agencies made significantly fewer arrests in recent weeks, reflecting the changing realities of policing amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The Los Angeles Police Department made 14% fewer arrests during the first 15 days of March compared with the same period last year, according to the department. The LAPD recorded 2,944 arrests during that time, compared with 3,406 the previous year.
The decline mirrors what has been happening at the the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced earlier this week that arrests by his deputies have plummeted from a daily average of 300 to 60.
Arrest figures may continue to decline as the agencies adapt. As the response to the coronavirus outbreak intensified this week, both departments ordered officers to cite and release people as much as possible while still arresting violent offenders.
“We don’t want to tie up resources and impact the population in our court system or jails,” LAPD spokesman Josh Rubenstein said.
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The Sheriff’s Department is releasing inmates from its jails and cutting down on how many people it books into custody to protect those housed in close quarters. Additionally, the L.A. County court system has suspended all proceedings for several days.
In L.A., overall crime is down 5.8% so far this year through March 15 compared with the same time last year, according to LAPD figures.
Crime will probably decline as people change their routines, said UC Irvine criminology professor George Tita, who is part of an interdisciplinary working group studying the effect of the coronavirus on crime trends in L.A.
With residents working from home and avoiding restaurants, bars and gyms, there is less potential for street crime. With so many people staying in their homes, burglaries and property crime could decline while spousal abuse incidents may increase, Tita said.
LAPD officers receive training at the police academy on how to deal with people who have communicable diseases and are taking the necessary precautions, said Rubenstein, the department’s spokesman.
“Right now there is no indication whatsoever that officers are backing off in any way or not responding to calls or not dealing with people because of this issue,” he said. “We ask our officers to go into dangerous situations, and often they have to put their safety aside for the greater good of the public’s safety. That’s the challenge of being a police officer.”
On Sunday, LAPD officials confirmed the department’s first coronavirus case after a supervisor in the Pacific Division felt ill and went home last week. He is expected to make a full recovery.
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The LAPD has been taking precautions to deal with the spread of the coronavirus. Starting Wednesday, the department closed the front desks at its 21 stations, asking residents to email instead.
All patrol officers and officers likely to come into contact with infected people have been issued a kit consisting of multiple sets of gloves, a bacteria protection mask and goggles.
Officers are directed to use the items when responding to a call or making contact with a possible virus patient. The department has already ordered 100,000 extra masks, but officers will not wear masks as a routine matter.
Eugene O’Donnell, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, praised those measures, saying police officers are “very crucial if this thing ratchets up.”
“Who enforces the curfews if things go into mandatory shutdown?” he said. “Police are overstretched to begin with, and now you are entering this uncharted territory.”
A former New York police officer and prosecutor, O’Donnell said officers have the same anxieties as the general public, but they are much more in harm’s way.
“The job of a police officer is inherently close-contact work with strangers and some of the most marginalized people, including many people with no access to healthcare,” O’Donnell said.


latimes--2020-03-18--Coronavirus cleaning? Don't flush disinfectant wipes, water board warns

As Californians continue to stockpile disinfecting wipes and paper towels to sanitize their homes amid widespread coronavirus concerns , state water regulators this week reminded individuals to throw those items in the trash rather than flush them down the toilet .
Nylon wipes and paper towels are stronger than toilet paper and do not break down in water in the same fashion .
Flushing them can quickly cause clogs , wreaking havoc on sewer systems and treatment plant pumps and resulting in spills that end up in lakes , rivers and the ocean , according to the State Water Resources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paper towels and similar products down toilets will clog sewers and cause backups and overflows at wastewater treatment facilities , creating an additional public health risk in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic , ” the board wrote in a prepared statement .
“ Even wipes labeled flushable will clog pipes and interfere with sewage collection and treatment throughout the state.
” Instead , these items should be thrown in the trash , officials said .
Wastewater treatment facilities around the state have been reporting issues with their sewer management collection systems since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the water board .
The agency did not provide information about specific facilities that have been affected .
The disinfectant wipes , which kill a range of bacteria and viruses , are in high demand as the coronavirus continues to spread across California .
As of Wednesday morning , there have been 472 confirmed cases of the virus and 13 deaths statewide .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that individuals disinfect high-touch surfaces in their homes daily to help stem the spread of the virus .
These include tables @ @ @ @ @ @ @ switches , remote controls , handles , desks , toilets and sinks .
Los Angeles County hasn ’ t had any major issues resulting from an increase in people flushing wipes and other items .
However , blockages that cause spills build up over time , so local officials are urging the public to keep items like disposable wipes out of the sewer system .
“ The water board has issued this advice in a heightened interest to keep things operational .
We ’ re bracing for it in case it becomes a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , assistant deputy director of L.A. County Public Works .
“ The best advice for wipes disposal is to put them in the trash.
” People flushing such wipes had been an issue for wastewater treatment facilities long before the coronavirus took hold in the United States .
Assembly Bill 1672 , introduced to the state Legislature last year by Assemblyman Richard Bloom ( D-Santa Monica ) , aims to require certain nonwoven disposal products , such as wipes , to carry a label saying they should not be flushed .
The bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provisions , including authorizing a civil penalty not to exceed $ 2,500 per violation .

Shelves with toilet paper and disinfecting wipes are nearly empty at a Pavilions supermarket in South Pasadena on March 11.
As Californians continue to stockpile disinfecting wipes and paper towels to sanitize their homes amid widespread coronavirus concerns, state water regulators this week reminded individuals to throw those items in the trash rather than flush them down the toilet.
Nylon wipes and paper towels are stronger than toilet paper and do not break down in water in the same fashion. Flushing them can quickly cause clogs, wreaking havoc on sewer systems and treatment plant pumps and resulting in spills that end up in lakes, rivers and the ocean, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
“Flushing wipes, paper towels and similar products down toilets will clog sewers and cause backups and overflows at wastewater treatment facilities, creating an additional public health risk in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic,” the board wrote in a prepared statement. “Even wipes labeled flushable will clog pipes and interfere with sewage collection and treatment throughout the state.”
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Instead, these items should be thrown in the trash, officials said.
The public advised NOT to flush disinfecting wipes, paper towels down toilet – throw them away instead! State's wastewater treatment plants may get overwhelmed, Consumers may face In-home plumbing backups and blockages. https://t.co/hMwsx0QPpB pic.twitter.com/vEkOyKR9fa — CA Water Boards (@CaWaterBoards) March 17, 2020
Wastewater treatment facilities around the state have been reporting issues with their sewer management collection systems since the virus took hold, according to the water board. The agency did not provide information about specific facilities that have been affected.
The disinfectant wipes, which kill a range of bacteria and viruses, are in high demand as the coronavirus continues to spread across California. As of Wednesday morning, there have been 472 confirmed cases of the virus and 13 deaths statewide.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that individuals disinfect high-touch surfaces in their homes daily to help stem the spread of the virus. These include tables, hard-backed chairs, doorknobs, light switches, remote controls, handles, desks, toilets and sinks.
Los Angeles County hasn’t had any major issues resulting from an increase in people flushing wipes and other items. However, blockages that cause spills build up over time, so local officials are urging the public to keep items like disposable wipes out of the sewer system.
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“The water board has issued this advice in a heightened interest to keep things operational. We’re bracing for it in case it becomes a cumulative problem,” said Bill Winter, assistant deputy director of L.A. County Public Works. “The best advice for wipes disposal is to put them in the trash.”
People flushing such wipes had been an issue for wastewater treatment facilities long before the coronavirus took hold in the United States.
Assembly Bill 1672, introduced to the state Legislature last year by Assemblyman Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica), aims to require certain nonwoven disposal products, such as wipes, to carry a label saying they should not be flushed. The bill, if passed, would establish enforcement provisions, including authorizing a civil penalty not to exceed $2,500 per violation.


latimes--2020-03-18--Ex-clerk admits stealing more than $700,000 from Orange County school

A woman has pleaded guilty to embezzling almost $ 710,000 while working as a clerk at an Orange County high school , records show .
Cynthia Marie Campbell , 64 , of Midway was sentenced Friday to 14 years in state prison after entering her plea to 222 felony counts of misappropriation or embezzlement of monies by a public officer with sentencing enhancement allegations of aggravated white collar crime exceeding $ 500,000 .
Prosecutors accused Campbell , a former student finance clerk at Esperanza High School in Anaheim , stole approximately $ 709,084 from the Associated Student Body over a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , prosecutors said .
The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District discovered that the funds were missing during an audit , authorities said .
Prosecutors said Campbell , who was employed by the school district from about February 1998 until her retirement , according to Anaheim Police Det .
John Azze , took the money by writing checks to herself , her dead mother and her husband .
“ The ASB funds in question were raised by students for various student activities and clubs on campus ” and were kept separate from operational dollars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school district .
In recent years , the district “ has developed a comprehensive plan to strengthen processes and procedures to better support and secure ASB program funds ” — including providing an educational workshop for school leaders and putting new transparency and accountability efforts in place , officials said .
The district also has hired a new independent audit firm and developed an anonymous hotline and online system for people to report instances of fraud , theft or other concerns , according to the statement .

A former clerk at Esperanza High School in Anaheim has pleaded guilty to charges that she stole more than $700,000 from the Associated Student Body, records show.
A woman has pleaded guilty to embezzling almost $710,000 while working as a clerk at an Orange County high school, records show.
Cynthia Marie Campbell, 64, of Midway was sentenced Friday to 14 years in state prison after entering her plea to 222 felony counts of misappropriation or embezzlement of monies by a public officer with sentencing enhancement allegations of aggravated white collar crime exceeding $500,000.
Prosecutors accused Campbell, a former student finance clerk at Esperanza High School in Anaheim, stole approximately $709,084 from the Associated Student Body over a five-year period before she retired in 2017, prosecutors said.
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The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District discovered that the funds were missing during an audit, authorities said.
Prosecutors said Campbell, who was employed by the school district from about February 1998 until her retirement, according to Anaheim Police Det. John Azze, took the money by writing checks to herself, her dead mother and her husband.
“The ASB funds in question were raised by students for various student activities and clubs on campus” and were kept separate from operational dollars, according to a statement from the school district.
In recent years, the district “has developed a comprehensive plan to strengthen processes and procedures to better support and secure ASB program funds” — including providing an educational workshop for school leaders and putting new transparency and accountability efforts in place, officials said.
The district also has hired a new independent audit firm and developed an anonymous hotline and online system for people to report instances of fraud, theft or other concerns, according to the statement.
City News Service contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-18--L.A. to pay $1.5 million to settle suit by LAPD detective alleging abuse by officer

Los Angeles will pay up to $ 1.5 million to settle a lawsuit from a police detective who said she was assaulted , abused and blackmailed by a fellow officer , and that department officials ignored her complaints .
Det .
Ysabel Villegas , a longtime employee of the department , accused Officer Daniel Reedy of beating her and threatening to share sexually explicit images he had secretly taken if she tried to end their relationship .
At one point , she told Reedy that she did not want to have sex with him , but he insisted and she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the suit said .
Villegas alleged that senior officers failed to investigate his threats and left her unprotected from the abuse .
“ Instead , LAPD officers redistributed the explicit photographs , further creating a hostile work environment for Detective Villegas , ” the lawsuit alleged .
Reedy denied her allegations in a court filing last year .
He has since pleaded not guilty to criminal charges that include extortion , injuring a girlfriend and violating a court order .
The charges could lead to a maximum of six years in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn , argued in a court filing that Villegas could not claim damages because she had violated department rules and hidden the extramarital relationship from the LAPD and its employees .
City attorneys also said that Los Angeles took “ prompt remedial action ” after learning of the alleged harassment by putting Officer Reedy on leave in December 2018 .
The Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to approve the settlement payment Tuesday .
Attorney Lisa Bloom , who represents Villegas , declared the settlement a victory .
“ We fought for and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ysabel , after she endured outrageous sexual harassment , revenge porn and intimate partner violence and her employer , the LAPD , failed to protect her , ” Bloom said in a statement .
“ The settlement has no confidentiality provision , so she is free to tell her story.
” “ This settles all her civil claims against everyone , and she will fully cooperate with the criminal and Internal Affairs cases , ” Bloom added .
An attorney representing Reedy in the civil case did not respond to messages seeking comment @

Los Angeles will pay up to $1.5 million to settle a lawsuit from a police detective who said she was assaulted, abused and blackmailed by a fellow officer, and that department officials ignored her complaints.
Det. Ysabel Villegas, a longtime employee of the department, accused Officer Daniel Reedy of beating her and threatening to share sexually explicit images he had secretly taken if she tried to end their relationship. At one point, she told Reedy that she did not want to have sex with him, but he insisted and she submitted in fear of the “consequences,” the suit said.
Villegas alleged that senior officers failed to investigate his threats and left her unprotected from the abuse.
“Instead, LAPD officers redistributed the explicit photographs, further creating a hostile work environment for Detective Villegas,” the lawsuit alleged.
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Reedy denied her allegations in a court filing last year. He has since pleaded not guilty to criminal charges that include extortion, injuring a girlfriend and violating a court order. The charges could lead to a maximum of six years in state prison.
The city, in turn, argued in a court filing that Villegas could not claim damages because she had violated department rules and hidden the extramarital relationship from the LAPD and its employees. City attorneys also said that Los Angeles took “prompt remedial action” after learning of the alleged harassment by putting Officer Reedy on leave in December 2018.
The Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to approve the settlement payment Tuesday. Attorney Lisa Bloom, who represents Villegas, declared the settlement a victory.
“We fought for and won this $1.5 million award for Ysabel, after she endured outrageous sexual harassment, revenge porn and intimate partner violence and her employer, the LAPD, failed to protect her,” Bloom said in a statement. “The settlement has no confidentiality provision, so she is free to tell her story.”
“This settles all her civil claims against everyone, and she will fully cooperate with the criminal and Internal Affairs cases,” Bloom added.
An attorney representing Reedy in the civil case did not respond to messages seeking comment.


latimes--2020-03-18--Here are L.A.'s plans to protect workers, renters and homeless people amid coronavirus

Faced with the coronavirus crisis , Los Angeles leaders have taken action on key areas involving the homeless population and evictions and are now considering dozens of other measures .
HOMELESS : The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to temporarily stop enforcing a law requiring tents to come down during daytime hours , saying the change is needed to limit the spread of the coronavirus .
Council members also voted to instruct city agencies to begin providing hand-washing stations , portable toilets , dumpsters , vermin-proof trash cans and weekly shower service at “ major ” homeless encampments .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ confiscating the belongings of homeless Angelenos that exceed 60 gallons .
EVICTIONS AND FORECLOSURES : Renters and homeowners are likely to see significant new protections against evictions and foreclosures after City Council approved emergency measures to mitigate the economic effects of the coronavirus .
L.A. 's plan will temporarily ban evictions and late fees , require landlords and residential mortgage-holders to work out payment plans with affected residents , reduce city business taxes and create a citywide rental assistance fund .
The measures will not take effect immediately .
Instead , the council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to draw up an emergency eviction plan , which could be finalized as soon as Tuesday .
HYGIENE STATIONS : Offering more hygiene stations with hand sanitizer on the Metro system , proposing 24-hour access to restrooms in public parks , and staffers were asked to scout for city buildings or lots that could be used as testing sites .
FOOD WORKERS : Requiring grocery stores and food delivery services to give their employees time to wash their hands every half hour and ensure that there is free testing for the virus for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down on street vendors who don ’ t have health permits to sell food .
Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez had initially floated a temporary moratorium on all street vending , arguing that it would help protect Angelenos from crowds surrounding vendors during the pandemic , but adjusted her proposal during the meeting .
SICK LEAVE : Creating an emergency program that would provide at least 14 days of paid sick leave to Angelenos during a public health crisis or major disaster .
Los Angeles already requires sick leave for employees working in the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use up to 48 hours of paid leave — six days — per year .
The move is meant to prevent people who have fallen ill from continuing to go to work during the coronavirus pandemic , putting more people at risk of infection .
LOANS : Setting up loans and grants for businesses affected by the pandemic and exploring other business assistance such as easing taxes and fees .
TERMINATIONS : Creating a “ just cause termination ” law that would ensure that any workers who were laid off for economic reasons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They would also have recall rights based on seniority .
Employers would be barred from permanently terminating workers — banning them from being recalled — without just cause .
Times staff writers Liam Dillon and Emily Alpert Reyes contributed to this report .

Kevin Ezeh, protected with face mask and gloves, addresses Tuesday’s Los Angeles City Council meeting standing under a tent erected outside City Hall amid the threats of the coronavirus.
Faced with the coronavirus crisis, Los Angeles leaders have taken action on key areas involving the homeless population and evictions and are now considering dozens of other measures.
HOMELESS: The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to temporarily stop enforcing a law requiring tents to come down during daytime hours, saying the change is needed to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Council members also voted to instruct city agencies to begin providing hand-washing stations, portable toilets, dumpsters, vermin-proof trash cans and weekly shower service at “major” homeless encampments. But they rejected a plan to stop confiscating the belongings of homeless Angelenos that exceed 60 gallons.
EVICTIONS AND FORECLOSURES: Renters and homeowners are likely to see significant new protections against evictions and foreclosures after City Council approved emergency measures to mitigate the economic effects of the coronavirus. L.A.’s plan will temporarily ban evictions and late fees, require landlords and residential mortgage-holders to work out payment plans with affected residents, reduce city business taxes and create a citywide rental assistance fund. The measures will not take effect immediately. Instead, the council’s vote directs the city attorney to draw up an emergency eviction plan, which could be finalized as soon as Tuesday.
Under consideration:
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HYGIENE STATIONS: Offering more hygiene stations with hand sanitizer on the Metro system, proposing 24-hour access to restrooms in public parks, and staffers were asked to scout for city buildings or lots that could be used as testing sites.
FOOD WORKERS: Requiring grocery stores and food delivery services to give their employees time to wash their hands every half hour and ensure that there is free testing for the virus for those employees.
STREET VENDORS: Cracking down on street vendors who don’t have health permits to sell food. Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez had initially floated a temporary moratorium on all street vending, arguing that it would help protect Angelenos from crowds surrounding vendors during the pandemic, but adjusted her proposal during the meeting.
SICK LEAVE: Creating an emergency program that would provide at least 14 days of paid sick leave to Angelenos during a public health crisis or major disaster. Los Angeles already requires sick leave for employees working in the city, ensuring that they can accrue and use up to 48 hours of paid leave — six days — per year. The move is meant to prevent people who have fallen ill from continuing to go to work during the coronavirus pandemic, putting more people at risk of infection.
LOANS: Setting up loans and grants for businesses affected by the pandemic and exploring other business assistance such as easing taxes and fees.
TERMINATIONS: Creating a “just cause termination” law that would ensure that any workers who were laid off for economic reasons are discharged in the order of seniority. They would also have recall rights based on seniority. Employers would be barred from permanently terminating workers — banning them from being recalled — without just cause.
Times staff writers Liam Dillon and Emily Alpert Reyes contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-03-18--With three coronavirus deaths in area, Palm Springs issues shelter-in-place order

Faced with three COVID-19 deaths in the Coachella Valley , Palm Springs has issued a shelter-in-place order in an effort to slow the coronavirus ’ spread .
The city said its order is modeled on the one in effect in San Francisco .
As of Wednesday , Riverside County had reported three coronavirus fatalities and 16 cases of infection .
The three deaths — two men and one woman from the Coachella Valley — were all older than 70 .
Two had underlying health problems , including the woman , who had spent time at a Rancho Mirage skilled nursing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael Mesisca , medical director of the Riverside University Health System Medical Center , said all residents and employees of the Rancho Mirage Health and Rehabilitation Center , roughly 200 people , had been tested .
Results are expected this week , but sor far no one from the facility has been hospitalized with virus symptoms .
County health officials have advised all skilled nursing facilities to restrict access to residents and instructed the staff of the Rancho Mirage home not to work at any other facilities .
Caretakers are washing their hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being closely monitored for fever , Mesisca said .
The Coachella Valley has a large elderly population , which is at a higher risk of falling seriously ill from the virus .
Many of Washington state ’ s coronavirus deaths have been tied to a nursing home .
“ We ’ re very concerned about Coachella Valley and across our elderly population , ” Mesisca said .
The daughter of the woman who died Monday told the Desert Sun that her mother was being treated for leukemia and had spent some time at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Here is the Palm Springs order : Ordered to shelter in place : The public should stay at home as much as possible , with certain exceptions — such as to go to the supermarket , pick up prescriptions or go to the doctor ; exercise , such as walking , running or hiking ; and to check on relatives .
There are exceptions for certain essential government and business functions .
• To do things essential to health and safety of the household , including pets , such as getting medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or obtaining supplies to work from home .
• To obtain needed services or supplies , such as buying groceries .
• To engage in outdoor activities such as walking , hiking , running , and taking the dog for a walk , while keeping six feet away from others .
• To do work for essential businesses that are exempted from the order to shut down , as defined below .
• To care for a family member or pet in another household .
• To continue working for a healthcare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clinic , dentist ’ s office , pharmacy , pharmaceutical and biotech company , a healthcare facility , healthcare supplier , home healthcare service , mental health provider , veterinary office or other related services .
• To continue working for construction projects needed for essential infrastructure , such as building housing , airport operations , and work on water , sewer , gas , electrical , oil refining , roads and highways , public transportation , solid waste collection , internet and telecom systems .
• To continue working as first responders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , court personnel , and law enforcement .
Anyone needed to ensure the continuing operation of government agencies and provide for the health , safety and welfare of the public is exempt .
Ordered shut : All businesses , including bars , gyms and movie theaters , must cease operations .
Exceptions to the order to shut down : Essential businesses or firms that perform an essential government function may continue operating .
They include : • Essential infrastructure , including construction of housing and operation of public transportation and utilities ; • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economically disadvantaged individuals and shelter facilities ; • Hardware stores , plumbers , electricians , and other service providers necessary to maintaining the safety , sanitation , and essential operation of residences and other essential businesses ; • Educational institutions , for the purposes of facilitating distance learning ; • Businesses that ship or deliver groceries , food , and goods directly to residences ; • Childcare facilities providing services that enable essential employees to go to work ; • Roles required for any essential business to “ maintain basic operations , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar activities .
Restaurants : May offer food only by delivery , pickup or drive-through .

Rong-Gong Lin II, Jaclyn Cosgrove, Bettina Boxall

With three coronavirus deaths in the area, Palm Springs has issued shelter-in-place rules
Faced with three COVID-19 deaths in the Coachella Valley, Palm Springs has issued a shelter-in-place order in an effort to slow the coronavirus’ spread.
The city in a news release said its order is modeled on the one in effect in San Francisco.
As of Wednesday, Riverside County had reported three coronavirus fatalities and 16 cases of infection. The three deaths — two men and one woman from the Coachella Valley — were all older than 70. Two had underlying health problems, including the woman, who had spent time at a Rancho Mirage skilled nursing facility before she was hospitalized.
Dr. Michael Mesisca, medical director of the Riverside University Health System Medical Center, said all residents and employees of the Rancho Mirage Health and Rehabilitation Center, roughly 200 people, had been tested. Results are expected this week, but sor far no one from the facility has been hospitalized with virus symptoms.
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County health officials have advised all skilled nursing facilities to restrict access to residents and instructed the staff of the Rancho Mirage home not to work at any other facilities.
Caretakers are washing their hands between interactions with patients, who are being closely monitored for fever, Mesisca said.
The Coachella Valley has a large elderly population, which is at a higher risk of falling seriously ill from the virus. Many of Washington state’s coronavirus deaths have been tied to a nursing home.
“We’re very concerned about Coachella Valley and across our elderly population,” Mesisca said.
The daughter of the woman who died Monday told the Desert Sun that her mother was being treated for leukemia and had spent some time at the nursing home before she was hospitalized.
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Here is the Palm Springs order:
Ordered to shelter in place: The public should stay at home as much as possible, with certain exceptions — such as to go to the supermarket, pick up prescriptions or go to the doctor; exercise, such as walking, running or hiking; and to check on relatives. There are exceptions for certain essential government and business functions.
Exceptions to the stay-at-home order:
To do things essential to health and safety of the household, including pets, such as getting medical supplies, visiting a clinic or hospital, or obtaining supplies to work from home.
To obtain needed services or supplies, such as buying groceries.
To engage in outdoor activities such as walking, hiking, running, and taking the dog for a walk, while keeping six feet away from others.
To do work for essential businesses that are exempted from the order to shut down, as defined below.
To care for a family member or pet in another household.
To continue working for a healthcare operation, such as a hospital, clinic, dentist’s office, pharmacy, pharmaceutical and biotech company, a healthcare facility, healthcare supplier, home healthcare service, mental health provider, veterinary office or other related services.
To continue working for construction projects needed for essential infrastructure, such as building housing, airport operations, and work on water, sewer, gas, electrical, oil refining, roads and highways, public transportation, solid waste collection, internet and telecom systems.
To continue working as first responders, emergency management personnel, emergency dispatchers, court personnel, and law enforcement. Anyone needed to ensure the continuing operation of government agencies and provide for the health, safety and welfare of the public is exempt.
Gatherings: Gatherings are prohibited.
Ordered shut: All businesses, including bars, gyms and movie theaters, must cease operations.
Exceptions to the order to shut down: Essential businesses or firms that perform an essential government function may continue operating. They include:
Healthcare operations, including home health workers;
Essential infrastructure, including construction of housing and operation of public transportation and utilities;
Grocery stores, farmers markets, food banks, convenience stores;
Businesses that provide necessities of life for economically disadvantaged individuals and shelter facilities;
Pharmacies, healthcare supply stores, and healthcare facilities;
Gas stations and auto repair facilities;
Banks;
Garbage collection;
Hardware stores, plumbers, electricians, and other service providers necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences and other essential businesses;
Educational institutions, for the purposes of facilitating distance learning;
Laundromats, dry cleaners, and laundry service providers;
Businesses that ship or deliver groceries, food, and goods directly to residences;
Childcare facilities providing services that enable essential employees to go to work;
Roles required for any essential business to “maintain basic operations,” which include security, payroll, and similar activities.
Restaurants: May offer food only by delivery, pickup or drive-through.
Effective: March 18 to April 2.


latimes--2020-03-18--UCLA student tests positive for COVID-19, is being treated at hospital

A UCLA student who lives off-campus has tested positive for COVID-19 and is receiving care at a local hospital , university officials announced Tuesday .
Anyone who had close contact with the individual , who was not identified by officials , will be contacted and notified if they need to be isolated or tested , Chancellor Gene D. Block wrote in a news release .
“ I know the entire UCLA community joins me in keeping our fellow Bruin in their thoughts and remaining committed to our shared well-being as we navigate this new reality together , ” Block wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the university announced that a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus .
The staff member , who was not identified , has self-isolated at home off-campus and is receiving care , according to the university .
Block said last week that he made the decision to self-quarantine at his home for two weeks after he learned that he had been in contact with an individual with a confirmed case of the virus .
He noted that he is not experiencing symptoms and has continued running the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for COVID-19 in the United States becomes more widely available , we will see local health centers administer more tests .
As a result , we should prepare ourselves to expect the number of self-quarantine cases , like mine , and confirmed cases to increase in the weeks and months ahead — not only across the nation , but also at UCLA , ” he wrote .
As of Wednesday , there have been more than 400 confirmed cases of the virus and 13 deaths statewide .
UCLA , like many schools across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to online learning as the state experiences a dramatic slowdown of business and public life in an effort to stem the spread of the virus .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom this week urged people 65 and older and those with chronic health conditions to isolate themselves .
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has ordered bars , theaters and gyms to close and restaurants to halt dine-in service and limit business to takeout orders and delivery .
Other areas , including Orange County , where the virus continues to spread have adopted similar measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home .

In this file photo, a student walks across campus at UCLA last week. Classes at the university have moved to online only.
A UCLA student who lives off-campus has tested positive for COVID-19 and is receiving care at a local hospital, university officials announced Tuesday.
Anyone who had close contact with the individual, who was not identified by officials, will be contacted and notified if they need to be isolated or tested, Chancellor Gene D. Block wrote in a news release.
“I know the entire UCLA community joins me in keeping our fellow Bruin in their thoughts and remaining committed to our shared well-being as we navigate this new reality together,” Block wrote.
The news comes a day after the university announced that a staff member tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The staff member, who was not identified, has self-isolated at home off-campus and is receiving care, according to the university.
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Block said last week that he made the decision to self-quarantine at his home for two weeks after he learned that he had been in contact with an individual with a confirmed case of the virus. He noted that he is not experiencing symptoms and has continued running the campus from home.
“As testing for COVID-19 in the United States becomes more widely available, we will see local health centers administer more tests. As a result, we should prepare ourselves to expect the number of self-quarantine cases, like mine, and confirmed cases to increase in the weeks and months ahead — not only across the nation, but also at UCLA,” he wrote.
As of Wednesday, there have been more than 400 confirmed cases of the virus and 13 deaths statewide.
UCLA, like many schools across California, has moved from in-person classes to online learning as the state experiences a dramatic slowdown of business and public life in an effort to stem the spread of the virus.
Gov. Gavin Newsom this week urged people 65 and older and those with chronic health conditions to isolate themselves. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has ordered bars, theaters and gyms to close and restaurants to halt dine-in service and limit business to takeout orders and delivery.
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Other areas, including Orange County, where the virus continues to spread have adopted similar measures in an effort to keep people at home.


latimes--2020-03-18--The coronavirus stole his birthday party. Mom comes to the rescue

Jack Henry Iverson got the bad news on Sunday .
He was 6 years old , but not for long .
And therein lies the problem .
Because the Culver City first-grader turned 7 on St. Patrick ’ s Day .
His school was closed .
The president of the United States had told everyone to stay home to stop the spread of the coronavirus and warned against gatherings of more than 10 people .
In the frightening new world of COVID-19 , it doesn ’ t pay to be a Pisces or an Aries , those unfortunate folks who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Big Day on lockdown .
The virus has abridged our ability for celebration .
But it also has forced us to find new ways to commemorate and communicate .
Sheila Iverson , Jack Henry ’ s mom , rose to the occasion , like a growing number of friends and family members who are taking to social media and beyond to figure out how to make big moments special .
Celebrating his birthday at school , said the brown-haired boy with big eyes and a missing front tooth , makes him “ excited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s it.
” But now , his party at Linwood E. Howe Elementary was out .
No brownies .
No chance to pick a book for his mom to read in class .
On top of that , his first sleepover was canceled , along with the carefully planned indoor soccer fete .
There was a consolation prize : He got to have anything he wanted to eat for much of the day .
Breakfast was eggs and four pieces of bacon instead of his usual two .
And dinner ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ What Jack Henry didn ’ t know was that his mom had a surprise in store .
He was supposed to walk around his neighborhood Tuesday and count the shamrocks people had put in their windows .
But the day before , Iverson sent out a message on the block ’ s group chat .
“ I just had this idea , ” Iverson texted .
“ It ’ s Jack Henry ’ s birthday tomorrow .
He ’ s sad because he can ’ t really do anything .
It would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that said happy birthday to him on your window.
” They did .
And then some .
As Iverson and Jack Henry strolled the block in their Carlson Park neighborhood Tuesday at the agreed-upon time of 2 p.m. , they passed big homemade signs that said “ Happy Birthday Jack Henry ” in bright crayon and marker .
Families gathered on lawns and in driveways , holding birthday posters , singing the birthday song and staying a requisite 6-plus feet away .
Friends who lived farther away drove by with birthday banners .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patrick ’ s Day green — jumped out of the bushes , laughing and waving a bright blue “ happy b-day ” sign festooned with stickers .
Other families in less tight-knit neighborhoods reached into the ether for birthday help .
On Twitter , @ LearNonsense tweeted her desire : “ Twitter , I have a request .
It ’ s my daughter , Rosie ’ s 5th birthday tomorrow .
But my partner has a fever , so we have to self-quarantine for 2 weeks .
Her party is canceled and grandparents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pics of your dogs ( or animals generally ) to cheer her up ?
” The request got “ 24.5k ” responses and counting .
Happy birthday , Rosie !
And @ jessemodz reached out on behalf of his oldest son Nixon .
“ Today is his 7th birthday .
He is very upset he can ’ t go to school , and even more upset that he can ’ t have a proper birthday party .
He has to do home reading today how about we make his reading all the happy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his face !
” It worked .
Modz later tweeted that Nixon is “ the number one trending thing in Calgary right now .
Thanks.
” And as for Jack Henry ?
“ He thought he was going to go out and count shamrocks , ” Iverson said .
“ He had no idea what was going on .
When he realized it was all for him , he was happy .
He said , ‘ This is the best.
’ ” Happy birthday , Jack Henry .
And many more .

Neighbors helped decorate the porch in their Culver City neighborhood to help Jack Henry Iverson celebrate his birthday under quarantine.
Jack Henry Iverson got the bad news on Sunday.
He was 6 years old, but not for long. And therein lies the problem. Because the Culver City first-grader turned 7 on St. Patrick’s Day. His school was closed. The president of the United States had told everyone to stay home to stop the spread of the coronavirus and warned against gatherings of more than 10 people.
Like birthday parties.
In the frightening new world of COVID-19, it doesn’t pay to be a Pisces or an Aries, those unfortunate folks who will be the first to celebrate their Big Day on lockdown. The virus has abridged our ability for celebration. But it also has forced us to find new ways to commemorate and communicate.
Sheila Iverson, Jack Henry’s mom, rose to the occasion, like a growing number of friends and family members who are taking to social media and beyond to figure out how to make big moments special.
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Celebrating his birthday at school, said the brown-haired boy with big eyes and a missing front tooth, makes him “excited a little. Happy. I think that’s it.”
But now, his party at Linwood E. Howe Elementary was out. No brownies. No chance to pick a book for his mom to read in class. On top of that, his first sleepover was canceled, along with the carefully planned indoor soccer fete.
There was a consolation prize: He got to have anything he wanted to eat for much of the day. Breakfast was eggs and four pieces of bacon instead of his usual two. And dinner? Doughnuts. Chocolate glazed. Period.
What Jack Henry didn’t know was that his mom had a surprise in store. He was supposed to walk around his neighborhood Tuesday and count the shamrocks people had put in their windows. But the day before, Iverson sent out a message on the block’s group chat.
“I just had this idea,” Iverson texted. “It’s Jack Henry’s birthday tomorrow. He’s sad because he can’t really do anything. It would be so cool if you guys made signs that said happy birthday to him on your window.”
They did. And then some. As Iverson and Jack Henry strolled the block in their Carlson Park neighborhood Tuesday at the agreed-upon time of 2 p.m., they passed big homemade signs that said “Happy Birthday Jack Henry” in bright crayon and marker. Families gathered on lawns and in driveways, holding birthday posters, singing the birthday song and staying a requisite 6-plus feet away.
Friends who lived farther away drove by with birthday banners. One mother and daughter — in St. Patrick’s Day green — jumped out of the bushes, laughing and waving a bright blue “happy b-day” sign festooned with stickers.
Other families in less tight-knit neighborhoods reached into the ether for birthday help.
On Twitter, @LearNonsense tweeted her desire: “Twitter, I have a request. It’s my daughter, Rosie’s 5th birthday tomorrow. But my partner has a fever, so we have to self-quarantine for 2 weeks. Her party is canceled and grandparents barred. Could you send her some pics of your dogs (or animals generally) to cheer her up?”
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The request got “24.5k” responses and counting. Happy birthday, Rosie!
And @jessemodz reached out on behalf of his oldest son Nixon. “Today is his 7th birthday. He is very upset he can’t go to school, and even more upset that he can’t have a proper birthday party. He has to do home reading today how about we make his reading all the happy birthday comments? Put a smile on his face!”
It worked. Modz later tweeted that Nixon is “the number one trending thing in Calgary right now. Thanks.”
And as for Jack Henry?
“He thought he was going to go out and count shamrocks,” Iverson said. “He had no idea what was going on. When he realized it was all for him, he was happy. He said, ‘This is the best.’”
Happy birthday, Jack Henry. And many more.