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The I-70 Scout & Eastern Colorado News

Tag: california

  • CROWN Act Banning Hairstyle Discrimination Passes Senate, Heads to Governor

    Denver, CO — The CROWN Act, which will explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles like dreadlocs, twists, tight coils or curls, cornrows, bantu knots, afros and headwraps, passed the Senate with bipartisan support and is now one step away from becoming law.

    “Colorado is just one signature away from passing the CROWN Act, which would ban the racist practice of hair-based discrimination in education, employment and housing,” said Rep. Leslie Herod (D-Denver.) “The signing of this bill will have a real impact on the lives of not only African-American people, but all people who have been told to change their natural hair to fit someone else’s standards of acceptability.”

    Sponsored by Rep. Herod, Representative Janet Buckner (D-Aurora) and Senator Rhonda Fields (D-Aurora), House Bill 20-1048 comes on the heels of nationally publicized incidents of hair discrimination including New Jersey student-wrestler Andrew Johnson, who was forced to cut off his dreadlocks to compete.

    “This bill is for every little girl, boy and non-binary youth who was forced to change their hair to fit in. Our kids deserve to feel safe, to feel proud of their culture and heritage, and to be celebrated for their self-expression,” said Rep. Herod.

    Colorado would be the fourth state to pass the CROWN Act, following California, New York and New Jersey. The CROWN Coalition, co-founded by Dove in partnership with the National Urban League, Color Of Change and the Western Center on Law, has taken a leading role in organizing support for the bill around the country.

    The bill passed 42-21 in the House and 23-11 in the Senate. It now heads to Governor Jared Polis to be signed into law.

    Pictured

    – Black Caucus Members at the CROWN Act Community Hearing. From Left to Right:  Rep. James Coleman, Rep. Tony Exum, Sr., Rep. Janet Buckner, Rep.         Leslie Herod, Sen. Rhonda Fields, Rep. Jovan Melton, Rep. Dominique Jackson

    – Rep. Janet Buckner (D-Aurora) speaks from the House Floor on the CROWN Act

     – Rep. Leslie Herod (D-Denver) speaks from the House Floor on the CROWN Act

     – Rep. Leslie Herod (D-Denver) and Rep. Janet Buckner (D-Aurora) present the CROWN Act during Committee

     – Senator Rhonda Fields (D-Aurora), Hashim Coates, and Erica Cobb testify on the CROWN Act in the State Affairs Committee

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  • Colorado lakes, reservoirs remain free of invasive mussels; but more boats found with mussel infestations in 2019

    DENVER, Colo. – More boats requiring decontamination because of infestations of destructive mussels entered Colorado last year than in 2018, but the statewide inspection program coordinated by Colorado Parks and Wildlife again succeeded in keeping invasive mussels out of the state’s lakes and reservoirs.

    While Colorado remains mussel free, CPW officials are concerned that the number of boats entering Colorado that need decontamination continues to increase. CPW will not let down its guard to keep invasive aquatic species out of the state.

    “The Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Aquatic Nuisance Species Program continues to meet the challenge of protecting the state’s water resources and infrastructure from the establishment of Aquatic Nuisance Species,” said Elizabeth Brown, the agency’s invasive species program manager. “Colorado remains free of adult zebra and quagga mussel reproducing populations, while some nearby western states without mandatory inspection programs continue to detect infestations. Colorado has prevented the introduction of this invasive species due to the diligent efforts of watercraft inspection and decontamination, early detection monitoring, education and enforcement efforts.”

    Other western states that have mussel infestations include: Arizona, Utah, Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas and California. Where there are infestations, mussels can clog up pipes and important infrastructure, cover docks, shorelines, rocks, any hard surface and can ruin powerboat engines.

    Throughout the state last year, 481,543 boat inspections were conducted, 7,000 more than in 2018. A total of 22,947 boats, 281 with attached mussels, were decontaminated, compared with 19,111 in 2018. Unfortunately, the number of intercepted boats fully infested with mussels increased by 40 percent, from 51 in 2018 to 86 in 2019. In 2017, only 16 mussel-infested boats were intercepted.

    Brown said she’s very concerned about the substantial increase in infested boats entering the state.

    Thanks to CPW’s inspection program, Colorado remains free of invasive aquatic mussels. But the number of boats that require decontamination is increasing.

    “This growth trend is directly related to the growing threat invasive mussels pose to Colorado’s water infrastructure, natural resources and outdoor recreation. Along with work by our partners, CPW’s Invasive Species Program is critical to maintaining opportunities for recreation, preserving natural heritage and protecting water supply and delivery infrastructure for municipal, industrial and agricultural use,” Brown said.

    A fully formed adult zebra or quagga mussel has never been detected in Colorado waters. However, the larval stage of the mussels, known as veligers, were detected as recently as 2017 in Green Mountain Reservoir in Summit County and the reservoir is still considered suspect for quagga mussels. For detection, biologists perform three types of sampling to target the three life stages of mussels. CPW confirms all visual detections with DNA analysis to confirm the genus and species of the mussel. If no additional detections are verified in 2020, Green Mountain Reservoir will be delisted.

    In 2019, crews sampled 179 standing, and four flowing waters statewide for veligers. In addition to the sampling efforts performed by CPW, the National Park Service contributed 38 plankton samples. There were no detections of zebra or quagga mussels in Colorado.

    CPW works in partnership with dozens of other agencies, counties and municipalities throughout the state. Help from the partners is critical in maintaining a mussel-free Colorado, Brown said.

    For more information about CPW’s ANS prevention program, see: https://cpw.state.co.us/thingstodo/Pages/BoatInspection.aspx.

     

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  • Bennet, Democratic Senators Press Federal Government for Updates on Novel Coronavirus

    Bennet, Democratic Senators Press Federal Government for Updates on Novel Coronavirus

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and 30 of his Democratic Senate colleagues sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar requesting updates on the administration’s response to the novel coronavirus outbreak and information on the steps being taken to keep families safe.

    In the letter, the senators asked HHS to provide the latest information regarding the severity of the disease, the country’s capacity to diagnose cases, what steps are being taken to prepare U.S. health care workers, what screening systems were in place at U.S. airports, and the status of a novel coronavirus vaccine. The senators also urged the department to continue its robust, scientifically-driven response to the outbreak and asked what steps Congress should take to support their efforts to keep families safe.

    The letter comes on the heels of an announcement from the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) which said that two patients under investigation in Colorado have tested negative for the coronavirus and test results for a third patient are pending.  

    “We write to express concern about the rapidly evolving 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), to urge your continued robust and scientifically driven response to the situation, and to assess whether any additional resources or action by Congress are needed at this time. A quick and effective response to the 2019-nCoV requires public health officials around the world work together to share reliable information about the disease and insight into steps taken to prevent, diagnose, and treat it appropriately,” wrote Bennet and the senators.

     Despite the Trump Administration regularly calling for cuts to public health programs, Congress recently passed a budget deal that increased funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its Infectious Disease Rapid Response Reserve Fund, which provides the agency with an immediate source of funding to prevent, prepare for, or respond to an infectious disease emergency either at home or abroad.

     In addition to Bennet, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Angus King (I-Maine), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).

     The text of the letter is available HERE and below.

     Dear Secretary Azar,

     We write to express concern about the rapidly evolving 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), to urge your continued robust and scientifically driven response to the situation, and to assess whether any additional resources or action by Congress are needed at this time. A quick and effective response to the 2019-nCoV requires public health officials around the world work together to share reliable information about the disease and insight into steps taken to prevent, diagnose, and treat it appropriately.

     Chinese health officials confirmed the first case of 2019-nCoV in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019.[1] Since then, the case count has exploded in China, with nearly 3,000 confirmed cases as of the writing of this letter. At least 80 people have died.[2] Cases have now been confirmed on four continents.[3] On January 21, the first U.S. case was confirmed in Washington state, where state and local public health officials quickly responded with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).[4] A second U.S. case was confirmed in Chicago on January 24.[5] Subsequently, CDC confirmed two cases in California and one in Arizona, bringing the total U.S. case count to five.[6] Airport screening procedures have been put in place to screen all passengers arriving in the U.S. from Wuhan. In Wuhan, and across China, officials have enacted travel restrictions and canceled planned festivals to celebrate the Lunar New Year.[7] Even with these steps, the case count in China is expected to continue to rise, along with additional cases in the U.S. and around the globe. The World Health Organization is monitoring the situation closely, but has determined it is too early to formally designate this as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.[8] A quick, robust, and comprehensive approach to this outbreak is critical, while also remaining aware that, according to CDC, “the immediate health risk from 2019-nCoV to the general American public is considered low at this time.”[9]

    Unfortunately, the 2019-nCoV outbreak follows troubling proposals from the Trump Administration to cut the budgets of core public health programs at home and abroad. Yet, outbreaks like this serve as a solemn reminder of the need for an unwavering commitment to global health security and the need for strong public health programs worldwide.

     We recognize the situation is evolving quickly and appreciate the information you have already provided. We ask you keep us apprised of developments as they occur, including any information related to the following questions:

     1)      What can Congress do to fully support the U.S. Government response to this outbreak?

     2)      How many HHS officials are currently engaged in the 2019-nCoV response domestically and abroad and in what capacities?

     3)      What is HHS’s best current judgment about the clinical severity of this disease? 

     4)      What is the current domestic diagnostic capacity? How many facilities across the country are able to diagnose 2019-nCoV?

     5)      What is currently known about the risk 2019-nCoV poses to health care workers? How is CDC communicating with U.S. health care facilities to ensure providers remain healthy and safe? What additional guidance is being supplied to health care providers?

     6)      How many passengers have been screened by the airport screening procedures that are in place at American airports? How many potential cases have been identified as a result of this screening? Are there any planned changes to airport screening procedures?

     7)      What progress has been made on the development of a 2019-nCoV vaccine?

     Thank you for your attention to this urgent issue.

     Sincerely,

     

     

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  • The 2019 California wildfires caused less damage than the last two devastating seasons

    The 2019 California wildfires caused less damage than the last two devastating seasons

    By John Roach, AccuWeather staff writer

    AccuWeather predicted earlier this year that the California wildfire season would be extended into December and that the total damage and economic loss caused by the state’s wildfires would be $80 billion, a pair of estimates that accurately reflect what occurred during the 2019 California wildfire season. 

    There were a total of 253,354 acres burned in California in 2019 and the wildfires that scorched the most land area were Kincade (77,758 acres), Walker (54,612 acres), Tucker (14,217 acres) and Maria (9,999 acres), according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. October was the most active wildfire month this year with 119,814 acres burned, followed by 83,908 acres consumed in September, 21,454 acres burned in July and 16,430 acres charred in August. There were also documented wildfires in every month except February, March and December. 

    For comparison, wildfires burned 1.8 million acres in California last year and 1.3 million acres in 2017.

    “There were much fewer acres burned this year than last,” said AccuWeather Founder and CEO Dr. Joel N. Myers. “But there were more power outages this year than last, which increased costs for businesses and individuals. We predicted power outages – both proactive and reactive – would be more of a factor and they were, resulting in a significant cost per customer during the duration of the blackouts.”

    California’s three big power companies – Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric – engaged in Public Safety Power Shut-offs (PSPS) as part of their plans to prevent wildfires sparked by a transmission line. PG&E’s four mass blackouts in October left hundreds of thousands of homes and business without power, with an Oct. 26 blackout cutting power to as many as three million people, according to The New York Times. 

    The Insurance Journal estimated that insured losses from California wildfires were $25.4 billion through Oct. 29. It notes, however, “Damage estimates can vary because some only contain insured losses, while others take in everything that was destroyed. After disasters, many people will pay for repairs out of their own pocket, which often leads to under counting.”

    Myers agrees there’s a likelihood of a substantial under-estimation of the damages. “The insurance costs through October 29 were $25.4 billion and there were additional fires subsequently damaging roughly 17,000 acres,” he said. “So the total of insured losses is now probably closer to $40 billion and insured losses usually represent only about half of the total loss, suggesting our $80 billion estimate is accurate.”

     

    Flames from a backfire consume a hillside as firefighters battle the Maria Fire in Santa Paula, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 1, 2019. According to Ventura County Fire Department, the blaze has scorched more than 8,000 acres and destroyed at least two structures. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

     

    The 2019 California wildfire season follows two of the largest, most destructive and deadliest seasons in the state’s history. AccuWeather estimates the total damage and economic loss caused by wildfires cost California $400 billion in 2018 and $85 billion in 2017. 

    The “wet season,” which typically begins in California in October and runs into March, was delayed this year, with many cities receiving no measurable precipitation until late November. In Fresno, rain arrived on Nov. 20, making it the third-latest start to the wet season on record, behind Dec. 11, 1995 and Nov. 30, 1923. 

    “Typically, we have seen storms come down during the middle or latter part of October and at least bring some precipitation,” said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dan Kottlowski. “[To go] through the middle of November with no rainfall is highly unusual…. But that was predicted – we thought that would be the case, so we weren’t surprised about that.” 

    AccuWeather’s estimate includes damage to homes and businesses as well as their contents and cars, job and wage losses, school closures and the costs of power outages to businesses and individuals. It also accounts for economic losses because of highway closures, evacuations and increased insurance premiums throughout the state, firefighting costs, airport closures, flight cancellations and delays and the current and long-term residual health effects on those impacted by smoke and dirty air. 

    Download the free AccuWeather app to track the temperature for your area. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.

     

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  • Massive storm looming over Pacific to wreak havoc up and down West Coast

    Massive storm looming over Pacific to wreak havoc up and down West Coast

    By Kyle Elliott, AccuWeather meteorologist

    After one storm system walloped Southern California and Arizona with heavy rain and high-country snow this week, a much larger storm is set to slam Central and Northern California with a wide array of impacts from Friday into Saturday.

    Although the center of the storm system will move ashore in Oregon later Saturday into Saturday night, the worst of the impacts will occur farther to the south.

    Heavy rain and gusty winds will target coastal areas from San Francisco northward into southern Oregon spanning Friday into Saturday, as well as the Central Valley’s I-5 corridor from Sacramento to Redding.

     

    The foothills of the Sierra Nevada will also be hit hard with flooding downpours during this time.

    A general 1-2 inches of rain is forecast in the lowest elevations of the I-5 corridor and San Francisco Bay area, while 2-4 inches is more likely in coastal areas of Northern California.

    It is in the coastal ranges and foothills of the Sierra, however, that rainfall totals of 3-6 inches will occur. An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 8 inches is anticipated in these regions.

    Because California is no longer suffering from drought and has actually been abnormally wet over the past one to two weeks, the heavy rainfall will significantly heighten the risk for flooding and mudslides, especially in burn-scar areas from this year’s wildfires.

    Significant travel delays and road closures are also likely, especially in areas where stream and river flooding occurs or where mudslides cover roadways or cause them to collapse.

    “In addition to the extreme amounts of rain, falling snow levels will allow snow to accumulate across the higher terrain of the Sierra Nevada, which will act as a boon for local ski resorts,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.

    Snow levels will likely fall below 5,000 feet in the Cascades and northern Rockies on Saturday and as low as 5,500 feet in the Sierra Nevada.

    Spanning Friday to Saturday night, AccuWeather meteorologists expect at least 1-2 feet of snow to bury Donner Pass along I-80 in Northern California with 2-4 feet in the highest elevations.

    An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 50 inches of snow is expected in the highest terrain of Northern California.

    Motorists traveling through the Sierra Nevada should be aware of chain requirements and be prepared with an emergency survival kit in case their vehicle breaks down or stalls.

    “While major snowfall accumulations farther north in the Washington and Oregon cascades are not expected from this storm system, any snow will be beneficial since these areas are suffering from abnormally dry conditions,” Buckingham added.

    In addition to the copious amounts of rain and snow slated for the end of the week and start of the weekend, gusty winds will buffet the northern half of California and southern part of Oregon.

    Wind gusts of 40-50 mph will threaten to cause sporadic power outages and may help weaken loose topsoil inundated by too much water, further enhancing the risk of mudslides. Blizzard conditions may occur at times in the Sierra Nevada.

    Drier conditions should gradually return from Sunday into Monday as the storm system pushes into the Rockies and Plains.

    Looking ahead into next week, storm-weary residents of California should finally catch a break from the onslaught as the storm track shifts farther north into the Pacific Northwest.

     

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  • ACCUWEATHER METEOROLOGISTS PROVIDE UPDATE ON RAIN AND SNOW HEADED TOWARD WEST COAST

    ACCUWEATHER METEOROLOGISTS PROVIDE UPDATE ON RAIN AND SNOW HEADED TOWARD WEST COAST

    Soon after the ‘bomb cyclone’ pushes east of the Rockies, a new storm will approach the West Coast of the United States this weekend to set the stage for more rounds of heavy rain and mountain snow in California.

    The storm will hinder return trips from Thanksgiving vacation as well as the resumption of daily commutes next week.

    The weather setup will make the ignition of wildfires unlikely and may even put an end to the risk through the rest of the year. However, enough rain can fall to unleash urban flooding and lead to debris flows in recent burn scar locations, including the Kincade Fire that burned over 77,000 acres in Sonoma County, California, earlier this autumn.

    While the heavy mountain snow anticipated will be a further boon for ski interests, snow and slippery driving conditions are likely at Donner Pass along Interstate 80 from Saturday afternoon into Monday night.

    A storm at the jet stream level of the atmosphere is forecast to hover just off the California coast later this weekend to early next week. The configuration will create a plume of tropical moisture from the Pacific Ocean to Northern California beginning late Saturday night.

    “This persistent plume, sometimes referred to as an ‘atmospheric river,’ will bring copious amounts of rain to coastal and low elevations and a great deal of snow to the Sierra Nevada of Northern California,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson.

    About 3-6 inches of rain can fall over the lower elevations of Northern California during the early to middle part of next week. However, an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 10 inches can occur on the southwest-facing slopes of the Coast Ranges and hills of the Sierra Nevada.

    Meanwhile, over in the high country, 3-6 feet of snow can fall from later this weekend to early next week.

    “It is possible that Southern California catches an episode or two of heavy rain and mountain snow as well,” Anderson said.

     

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