The Sheriff's Homeless Outreach Proactive Enforcement Team recently located a family of six living in their vehicle. Utilizing donations, they were able to immediately place the family in a motel for the night and provide them groceries. The family was then linked to service providers to obtain a safe place to stay and connected to long term housing. With this family, the H.O.P.E. Team has placed 2,000 homeless individuals into housing programs across the county. The H.O.P.E. Team has contacted over 10,000 homeless individuals since its inception in 2014, providing assistance to over 4,100 persons. The H.O.P.E. Team works with service providers, county departments, and cities to link homeless individuals to services to move beyond homelessness. This monumental number of individuals housed is solely due to the great partners across the county, from service providers to county departments and the support of the Board of Supervisors. To view a short video on the work of the H.O.P.E. Team, click on https://www.facebook.com/210739675782317/videos/589832645016102
Former members of the U.S. military are invited to observe the Seventh Annual High Desert Veterans Resource Fair on Wednesday, Nov. 11 which will highlight information on veterans’ benefits, career options and personalized claims assistance.
Hosted by San Bernardino County Supervisor Robert Lovingood, this year’s event will be offered virtually on Facebook and will include information on employment, housing, health care, readjustment counseling and education for veterans. Guest presenters will include Supervisor Lovingood, County Veterans Affairs Director Col. Frank Guevara, (retired), and Congressman Col. Paul Cook, (retired).
The virtual Veterans Resource Fair will run from 10 to 11 a.m. at www.FaceBook.com/SupervisorLovingood. For more information, call Supervisor Lovingood’s Victorville office at (760) 995-8100 or email SupervisorLovingood@SBCounty.gov.
The County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 6 approved a contract with the California Highway Patrol to provide uniformed personnel with patrol vehicles for traffic enforcement throughout unincorporated areas, on an as needed basis. “This is a wise use of taxpayer dollars to increase traffic safety enforcement in unincorporated areas,” Supervisor Lovingood said. The Supervisor has advocated for increased road safety measures and enforcement, including in Spring Valley Lake. County officials and the CHP have had multiple discussions regarding an increase in traffic within the County’s unincorporated areas and the implementation of effective safety measures. The CHP has traffic enforcement jurisdiction in unincorporated areas. The contract will continue through October 2022.
Manufacturing activity in the Inland Empire has been on a repeating pattern of two months of contraction followed by two months of increase, probably a “bounce back” from the incredibly low numbers registered the months before, according to Cal State San Bernardino’s Inland Empire Report on Business. Slowly but surely businesses are reopening, and some schools have gotten the “green light” to reopen. The September Inland Empire Purchasing Managers’ Index registered 53.4, an increase from August’s 47.0. This is the first month above the 50 baseline (indicating growth) after two months of dismal figures, according to the report.
Sixty percent of the respondents believe that the economy will remain about the same, while 20 percent expect to see economic growth and 20 percent expect economic decline in the coming quarter.
In response to a recent article in Supervisor Lovingood’s e-newsletter, the Kiwanis Club of Apple Valley and the Kiwanis Club of Victorville joined efforts and purchased 50 new sets of headphones for residents of the Barstow Veterans Home. “Local residents including myself, have been very supportive of keeping the Veteran’s Home open to give the people that served our country a place to call home and receive the care they need and deserve,” stated Apple Valley Kiwanis board member, Beverly Williams. “When I asked what the greatest need was for the veterans in the home, I was informed that headphones would be highest on the list for most.”
Granite Hills High School Key Club students, a high school community service club supported by Kiwanis, also wrote cards of gratitude to the veteran residents and to the donation recipients, which were presented with the delivery of headphones.
If you would like to help support the veterans at the Barstow Veterans Home or receive a list of items needed for the resident veterans, please call (760) 252-6200 or email PAO.barstow@calvet.ca.gov. If you would like to learn more about Kiwanis, please visit www.Kiwanis.org.
The Registrar of Voters is still in need of poll workers for the November election. Election Workers are an essential part of the successful creation of a positive experience for voters. As a Poll Worker, you will be providing a vital civic duty to ensure that the right to vote is preserved. It's also a great way to serve your community, get involved in the democratic process, and earn extra money. For more information, click on
https://www.sbcountyelections.com/ElectionWorkers.aspx#what
For registered voters wishing to drop off mail-in ballots, the County Registrar of Voters has set up an interactive web page to find the nearest official ballot drop-off location. The Ballot Drop-off Location Locator is https://www.sbcountyelections.com/Voting/MailBallotDropOff.aspx
Equinox Gold Corp. has poured first gold from its Castle Mountain Gold Mine in San Bernardino County. “Pouring first gold at Castle Mountain, our newest producing mine in the Americas and our second operating mine in California, launches what will be a long-life flagship asset for the company,” commented Christian Milau, CEO of Equinox Gold. “I’d like to thank our employees, consultants, San Bernardino County and the State of California for their support and efforts as we brought the Castle Mountain Mine to production on time, on budget and with no lost-time injuries, all while managing through the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The County Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector issues property tax refunds as a result of reductions to assessed valuations determined by the Assessor’s Office. Examples are exemptions, proposition 8 reductions and assessment corrections, after the taxes have been paid or when a supplemental event, such as a change of ownership, occurs that triggers a negative supplemental assessment refund. In all cases, either a refund claim form or a warrant is mailed to the address on file; however, many of these refunds remain unclaimed. With certain exceptions, taxpayers generally have four years to file a claim for the refund. The last day to file a claim for tax refunds issued prior to July 1, 2016 is this Tuesday, October 27.
The public may search for unclaimed property tax refunds at https://www.sbcounty.gov/atc/pirfnet. Contact the Property Tax Division at (909) 382-3090 for questions or further assistance.
|