Local

The National Day of Prayer Committee will be having the Annual National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 7, 2020 at 12 p.m. in spite of the COVID19 pandemic.

The committee has been working closely with the Mayor’s office and city leaders, and clergy to see the feasibility to have the prayer gathering due to the social distancing guidelines.  However it was decided as long as participants remain in their vehicles, it will be permitted to gather and pray.  Many other cities will utilize this same method when they meet and pray in the county.

The SBPU and National Day of Prayer committee is asking the community to join within the corporate prayer. The San Bernardino community residents must remain strong through these challenging times, and trust God to bring us through. For more information call 909-353-7977, or email sbpastorsunited@gmail.com   or contact Rev Alan Rosenberg San Bernardino Christian Missionary Alliance, NDP Chair at 909-885-0012. Thank you for your prayers .   

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even until the end of the world. Amen.”

-Matthew 28:19-20

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy (YVYLA) is pleased to announce receipt of a $10,000 grant from the Wells Fargo 2020 Grants Program.

Funds from this grant will be for our Workforce Training and Development Center located inside the Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County in San Bernardino CA. As one of the nation’s leading logistics hubs, San Bernardino County is experiencing significant job growth as distribution centers and warehouses for such giants as Amazon, FedEx Ground, Toyota Motor Corporation and Lineage Logistics advertise hundreds of jobs each week. Many of these job opportunities are going unfilled due to the lack of trained and experienced workers.

Through collaboration with the Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County (CAPSBC), Board of State and Community Corrections, Wells Fargo  and other community partners  YVYLA’s Workforce Training and Development Center will help fill the local workforce skills gap by providing hands-on training and experience in supply chain logistics.

Participants in the Workforce Training and Development Program will learn the process of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, cost-effective

flow and storage of raw materials, in-process inventory, production of finished goods and related information from point of origin to point of consumption for the purpose of meeting customer requirements – also known as Logistics and Operations.

To support YVYLA’s Workforce Training and Development Program, CAPSBC is providing forklifts, classroom and warehouse space to house the training center.

Industry experts will provide on-site instruction at the training center located at the CAPSBC headquarters. Curriculum will include an in-depth study of global supply chain logistics, the logistics environment, material handling equipment, quality control principles, as well as safe material handling and equipment operation. Students will also participate in pre-employment workshops on work communications, resume writing, interviewing techniques, self-marketing, leadership and team building, and financial literacy.

Terrance Stone, CEO and founder of Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy, states, “It is the purpose of YVYLA’s Workforce Training and Development Program to move the unemployed into well-paying jobs by preparing individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary to become Certified Logistics Technicians,” says Stone. “With the help of our partners and funding from the Wells Fargo Foundation, we can improve the lives of many in San Bernardino County while improving the local economy as well,” he adds.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in partnership with Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railroad, will be closing US Route 395 (US-395) at Kramer Junction for five days to allow BNSF workers to replace concrete panels, rails and re-ballast the tracks crossing US-395 immediately north of the intersection of State Route 58 (SR-58). The railroad work is a portion of the completion work for the Kramer Junction project which began in late 2017 to realign Old State Route 58 to the new expressway east and west of “Four Corners” in San Bernardino County.

The full closure on US-395 will begin on Sunday, May 17 at 5:00 a.m. and continue through Thursday, May 21^st at 5:00 p.m. at Kramer Junction. A 10-mile detour will be in place for traffic on US-395.

• Northbound US-395 traffic will be diverted from US-395 westward onto Old State Route 58 (Old SR-58) to Twenty Mule Team Road. At the intersection of Twenty Mule Team Road and Old SR-58, westbound motorists will make a left turn onto Twenty Mule Team Road, continue to Boron Road making a right turn to head north to the new section of SR-58, then head east on SR-58 back to US-395.
• Southbound US-395 traffic will be diverted from US-395 westward onto the new section of SR-58, exit Boron Road and turn left, travel south on Boron Road to Twenty Mule Team Road, then turn left to head east back to US-395.
• SR-58 will remain open in both directions on the new alignment to bypass the closure.

Motorists are advised to use SR-58 west from I-15 as an alternate route to avoid delays (DETOUR MAP ATTACHED). Changeable message signs and detour signage will be in place to alert motorists to use alternate routes to avoid delays. Remember to reduce your speed in the work zone. Be advised, weather conditions may affect this operation.

Know before you go! To stay on top of roadwork in the Inland Empire go to Caltrans District 8 and sign up for commuter alerts. Follow us for the latest information on Facebook and Twitter. To assist in planning your commute, view live traffic conditions using QuickMap and planned lane closures. For those with sensory disabilities requiring alternate formats (i.e. Braille, large print, sign language interpreter, etc.) and those needing information in a language other than English, please contact Kimberly Cherry at 909-383-6290 or TTY 711 by May 18, 2020.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD), the largest school district in the county, has partnered with local organizations as part of concerted efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its impact in the region.

When Loma Linda University Health put out a call for 3D printers, several SBCUSD campuses responded by loaning state-of-the-art 3D printers. Loma Linda University will use them to manufacture personal protective equipment.

“When we say that we’re all in this together, we really mean it,” said SBCUSD Interim Superintendent Dr. Harold J. Vollkommer. “It is our privilege to work with our partners to flatten the curve for our community and our state.”

Soon after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a stay-at-home order and school closures in mid-March, the District began providing meals to thousands of children, ages 18 and younger. The District’s effort was bolstered by the California Charter Schools Association, which also provided free meals to children, as has the PAL Charter Academy.

T-Mobile donated $25,000 to the District’s Nutrition Services Department, which will fund efforts to distribute student meals.

Produce grower Lucky Farms donated thousands of face coverings to the District, which have been used by essential employees working to provide meals and electronic devices to SBCUSD students.

The District is also partnering with the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health to provide parking lot space for drive-through COVID-19 testing at Arroyo Valley High School in the weeks ahead.

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors may cancel all local public health orders in an item that will go before the board on Tuesday (May 5). Signaling the need to transition the county to an economic recovery, the potential rescission of the orders will position the county to reopen businesses once the governor eases statewide restrictions.

The agenda item recommends the rescission of the closures of schools, ending limitations on short term lodging, removing restrictions on golf course use, and eliminating the requirement to wear face coverings and engage in social distancing. Golf courses may remain open and continue to operate.

“The local public health officer orders significantly slowed the spread of the disease within our county. This is shown by our current hospital capacity and the lengthening of our case doubling rate,” said Board Chair V. Manuel Perez, Fourth District Supervisor. “I want to thank our residents and our county team, whose actions to this unprecedented pandemic have helped us get to this point. Now, we must continue to prepare for our economic recovery and get people back to work.”

If approved by the board, the rescission of these orders will not replace any city, state or federal orders or recommendations, including the governor’s executive stay at home order.

“We’ve successfully bent the curve of the disease. Sadly, the rise of unemployment sharply continues,” said Vice Chair Karen Spiegel, Second District Supervisor. “These actions will ensure that we are ready to reopen business as soon as the governor lifts the statewide restrictions.”

The California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and county public health officials continue to recommend the use of face coverings, social distancing and frequent hand washing to reduce the likelihood of contracting the disease.

Read the agenda item here.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Omnitrans is pleased to announce that Jerome Rogers has been named Director of Safety and Security.

Rogers will immediately began work on the agency response team handling the COVID-19 health crisis and will lead implementation of Omnitrans’ Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan as well as its ongoing efforts to maintain the agency’s award-winning safety and security programs.

“Omnitrans has no higher priority than the safety of its customers and employees, so this director position is crucial,” said Interim CEO/General Manager Erin Rogers. “Jerome’s expertise and leadership will keep our agency at the forefront of industry safety initiatives.”

“My vision for Omnitrans is to become the safest agency in the state of California, through innovation, training and ongoing commitment to our customers,” said Rogers.

Rogers has 15 years of experience in the safety field, including seven years in transit. Most recently, he served as Regional Safety Director with the Transdev mobility company. Rogers is an American Society of Safety Professionals Board Member, is an OSHA Authorized Certified Instructor, and is a Certified Safety Professional and Associate Safety Professional certified.

Rogers is a graduate of DeVry University, and will earn his master’s degree in Occupational Health and Safety from Columbia Southern University in 2021.

Waives late fees, delays registration requirements and extends permits and IDs

Sacramento – The California Department of Motor Vehicles today announced it is waiving late fees and penalties for vehicle registration, extending expiring identification cards, temporary operating permits and motor carrier permits.

With authority granted under today’s executive order signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, the DMV is:

• Waiving late fees and penalties for vehicle registration renewals due between March 16 and May 31, 2020, and paid within 60 days of the original expiration date. The requirement to have current license plate stickers is also waived for vehicles with registration expiring between March 4 and June 30, 2020.
• Extending identification cards expiring on or after March 4, 2020, to be valid through June 22, 2020 (60 days from today).
• Temporarily suspending for 60 days the requirement to submit a transfer of ownership within 10 days for vehicle transfers occurring on or after March 4, 2020, and the requirement to register a vehicle acquired or previously based outside of California within 20 days once registration becomes due.
• Allowing temporary operating permits that expire on or after March 4, 2020, to be valid another 60 days from today.
• Lengthening motor carrier permits expiring in March, April and May 2020 to June 30, 2020. A motor carrier permit is required for numerous transportation and commercial activities in California, including transporting property for compensation, hauling with a commercial vehicle weighing more than 10,000 pounds, and transporting hazardous materials.

“These measures can help lighten the burden many Californians are experiencing during this difficult time,” DMV Director Steve Gordon said.

The DMV continues to encourage customers to renew their vehicle registration and complete vehicle transfers online or by using the DMV Virtual Field Office. Customers can also get replacement registration cards and license plate stickers online or at the hundreds of DMV kiosks across the state. Replacement cards and stickers at the DMV kiosks cost $22 and print on the spot.

The DMV continues to provide essential services via mail, online, kiosks, call centers, available business partners and virtually to process critical transactions, including eligible driver license and vehicle registration renewals, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Customers can use the Services Advisor on the DMV website to learn their options to complete DMV tasks.

The relief measures are the latest DMV actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, including:

• Temporarily closing field offices. Following deep cleaning, expansion of virtual services and development of new protocols, the DMV soon will offer in-person services in each region. Information on office openings will be announced by DMV in the near future.
• Extending all driver licenses that expire between March 1 and May 31, 2020. Drivers 70 years and older are receiving a 120-day temporary paper extension in the mail, and drivers 69 and younger can request a free temporary paper extension online.
• Keeping expiring commercial driver licenses, endorsements and certificates valid through June 30, 2020.
• Temporarily waiving required in-person renewals for eligible driver license and identification cardholders with expirations in March, April, and May 2020. Individuals who meet the criteria are able to renew online or by mail.
• Launching the DMV Virtual Field Office to create new digital options for transactions that previously required an in-person office visit.
• Canceling all behind-the-wheel drive tests to honor social distancing guidelines. 
• Suspending extended office hours and Saturday service.

Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) recently voted for the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, an interim coronavirus relief package to provide additional funding to support small businesses through the economic downturn. The legislation also provides new funding for hospitals and medical practitioners, including for personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as funding to expand COVID-19 testing capacity across the country.

“The first round of funding Congress passed didn’t reach enough small businesses, including many in the Inland Empire that wound up empty-handed while corporations received millions,” Rep. Torres said. “The bill we passed today will get vital support to the mom-and-pop shops who desperately need it, helping more businesses make payroll, ensuring more employees can feed their families, and making emergency relief just as accessible to unbanked and rural areas as it is to downtown shops.”

The Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act also requires a report from the Secretary of Health and Human Services on COVID-19 testing, including disaggregated data on race, ethnicity, age, sex, geographic region, and other relevant factors. The provision follows an effort Rep. Torres jointly led to highlight our nation’s lack of testing data as the Trump Administration sought to roll back its COVID-19 response based on testing.

“Until we have the testing capacity to know who has this disease, we cannot combat it,” Rep. Torres continued. “And until that day, I fear that it will be minority communities and low-income communities like the ones I represent that will be hardest hit. Getting a test to anyone who needs it and developing a deeper understanding of the communities impacted by COVID-19 must be a top priority.”

Provisions in the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act include:

For Small Businesses
$310 billion in additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program, with $30 billion reserved for community-based lenders, small banks and credit unions and $30 billion for medium-sized banks and credit unions.   Additionally, $50 billion for SBA disaster lending, translating into more than $350 billion in loans, and $10 billion in SBA disaster grants. The bill also provides strong protections to ensure farmers have access to this vital assistance.

For Hospitals and Health Care Workers

$75 billion to provide resources to the frontlines, including Personal Protective Equipment. Negotiations also led to key improvements to be made in CARES Act 2.0, including significantly lowering the interest rate on advance payments, lengthening the repayment schedule and distributing payments from general revenues not the Hospital Insurance Fund.

For Testing

$25 billion for COVID-19 testing, which is the key to reopening the economy and resuming our lives. The Administration has agreed to a national strategic testing policy that will focus on increasing domestic testing capacity including testing supplies.

• Using Zoom to celebrate this milestone while still practicing social distancing, nearly 100 high school students from the Los Angeles East Area and South L.A. will reveal their college choice.
• The Neighborhood Academic Initiative’s extension into the East Area has led to higher education for 41 graduating seniors, joining 53 from South LA. 
• Almost half of the students will head to USC on full scholarships.

WHAT: A celebratory online event honoring the first graduating class from Lincoln and Wilson high schools that has completed the Neighborhood Academic Initiative’s college preparation program. Nearly 40 will attend USC on full tuition scholarships while others will attend universities like Stanford, UCLA, and the University of California, Berkeley. The culmination of a seven-year effort, the East Area students have doubled the size of NAI’s cohort.

WHEN: Friday, May 1 at 3 p.m. Members of the media may register here to view and interview students afterward.

WHO: 95 students and their families from Wilson and Lincoln high schools, along with their peers and families from Foshay Learning Center.

A growing opportunity for higher education

The Neighborhood Academic Initiative’s presence in East Area schools represents a major advance for college access.  NAI now serves 1,000 students across five schools; Foshay Learning Center, Wilson and Lincoln high schools, and Nightingale and El Sereno middle schools. Foshay has long been home to NAI and is one of the top feeder schools to USC.

This year, the graduating seniors number 53 from Foshay Learning Center and 41 from Wilson and Lincoln high schools.

NAI has graduated more than a thousand students, and nearly all have gone on to college. More than a third ended up at USC.

NAI is a partnership between USC and the Los Angeles Unified School District.

YUCAIPA, CA—-The COVID-19 global pandemic is causing a strain on every part of the healthcare system, calling for “all hands-on deck.” Crafton Hills College student paramedics feel the tension as well, as they navigate a strenuous paramedic program while also working the front lines in the field.

One paramedic student, Gabriel Zavala, says that the most important thing he is learning in paramedic school amid a global pandemic is adaptability. “EMS is a constantly changing field,” he said. “During times of worldwide adversity, maintaining composure is the only way to persevere, and composure is essential while working in the field.

In order to be eligible for licensure as a paramedic in the state of California, students must complete the 39 units of the certificate program, pass National Registry written and skills examinations, and meet all other licensure requirements established by the state. Crafton Hills Paramedic Program offers two cycles per year, and is broken down into three sections – didactive, clinic and field.

Zavala says that the program’s instructors are helping students to stay on track to graduate on time. “Our program leaders are admirable, knowledgeable and helpful during this pandemic,” he said.

Students like Zavala are gaining increased amounts of field experience, serving their communities alongside first responders.

Working as an EMT, serving the community, and helping others in need is something I will not take for granted,” Zavala said. “I am incredibly honored for the career that I have and what this program continues to teach me.”

Paramedic school has been the most challenging and rewarding time of my life,” he continued. “I am blessed to be in a program with many other great students who I know will be some of the best paramedics once the program is complete.”

For more information about Crafton Hills’ paramedic program, contact faculty/field coordinator Amanda Ward at AWard@craftonhills.edu. For more information about Crafton Hills College, visit CraftonHillsCollege.edu