County launches first vaccination super-site at Auto Club Speedway; more events planned

San Bernardino County launched its first senior vaccination super-site at the Auto Club Speedway on Tuesday, with all 3,500 appointments snatched up in just 17 minutes. All residents who received the vaccine will receive their second dose on March 2 at the same location.

As the County receives more doses from the State, additional vaccination super-sites will be announced. Mobile vaccination teams will also be deployed to the more remote regions of our County.

San Bernardino County residents eligible to receive the vaccine are encouraged to sign up for notifications at https://sbcovid19.com/vaccine/65plus. Unfortunately, appointments are not available by phone. A list of all vaccine providers and appointment links can be found at https://sbcovid19.com/vaccine/locations/

For assistance or questions, please call the County's COVID-19 hotline at (909) 387-3911 weekdays from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. 

Reminder: Registrations and appointments are currently available for residents 65+ and front-line health care workers under Phase 1A, Tier 1-3 who live and work within San Bernardino County. Do not attempt to register if you do not meet this qualification.

Are you a COVID-19 survivor? If so, donating your plasma can help others in their battle against this deadly disease. Find a donor center near you at http://thefightIsInus.org.

Click here for vaccine notifications

TRAFFIC SAFETY

Victorville CHP cites speeding, illegal passing as cause of most High Desert traffic collisions

CHP Victorville has released its fourth quarter figures for October through December 2020.

"Our primary cause of collisions always revolve around excessive speed," said Officer Mike Mumford. "Certain areas of complaint volume generally originate on I-15 and the Spring Valley Lake area. Collisions are very random in the High Desert area that the CHP has jurisdiction of."

According to Officer Mumford, there has been a general decrease in traffic collisions since the COVID lockdowns began in early 2020. "Our officers were able to spend more time enforcing traffic laws, which resulted in more citations issued. Of those citations issued, we saw a dramatic increase in high speed citations. We also noticed a large portion of those collisions were impatient drivers making illegal passes and traveling at excessive speeds."

Fourth Quarter 2020 (October through December)

Total Enforcement Contacts:  3558
Total Citations Issued:  2635 (Up 7% from 2019)
Total Motorist Services:  839
DUI Arrests:  90
DUI Causing Crashes:  33 (Similar to 2019 numbers)
Total Crashes:  373 (Down 12.9% from 2019)
Fatal Crashes:  12 (Unfortunately up from 8 this period in 2019)

EDUCATION

Mountain Desert Career Pathways program to be honored with Golden Bell Award on Feb. 1

Congratulations to Mountain Desert Career Pathways (MDCP), one of five San Bernardino County school programs that will receive the Golden Bell Award on Feb. 1. The California School Boards Association (CSBA) presents the Golden Bell Award annually to honor school programs and governance practices for outstanding contributions to public education.

Located in the First District, Mountain Desert Economic Partnership - Mountain Desert Career Pathways "brings together industry, government, education and community partners in a collective-impact approach to build a sustainable culture of high-quality, local employees surrounded by an engaging community."

MDCP participating school districts include Apple Valley Unified, Baker Valley, Barstow, Hesperia, Lucerne Valley, Silver Valley, Snowline, Trona and Victor Valley Union High School District.

“These innovative programs illustrate the outstanding efforts being made by our school districts to think outside the box,” said County Superintendent Ted Alejandre. “When we work together to lift up students, we can positively impact families and the surrounding communities.”

Businesses interested in partnering with Mountain Desert Career Pathways are encouraged to contact them at https://mdcareerpathways.com/getinvolved

Watch the video

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Free High Desert Shred-Fest & Recycling Event

All High Desert residents are invited to participate in this weekend's Shred-Fest and Recycling Event, planned for Saturday, Feb. 6, at the Victor Valley Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). Scheduled for 8 a.m. until noon, the event will offer drive-through document shredding, electronic waste and appliance disposal, and mattress and box spring recycling. All activities are FREE and open to residents of the High Desert. The Victor Valley MRF is located at 17000 Abbey Lane in Victorville, just off Stoddard Wells Road. For more information, contact the City of Victorville Recycling Program at (760) 955-8615 or the Victor Valley MRF at (760) 241-1284.

Hesperia Tire Amnesty Day planned Saturday

City of Hesperia is holding its Tire Amnesty Day from 7:30 a.m. until noon this Saturday, Feb. 6. Hesperia households can drop off up to nine (9) rimless passenger or light-truck tires per family at no charge. The event will take place at 17105 Mesa St., Hesperia. Across the street from Advance Disposal, located at 17105 Mesa Street (enter from Santa Fe only)
For more information, go to http://www.cityofhesperia.us/tires

Apple Valley Tire Collection planned Saturday

Also on Saturday, Apple Valley residents are invited to dispose of their tires for free between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Lions Park. A limit of nine passenger car or light truck tires (no rims) will be accepted. Lions Park is located at 20789 State Highway 18, between Dale Evans Parkway and Flathead Road. Tires are also accepted at the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday at 13450 Nomwaket Road.

Needles Hazardous Waste Collection on Feb. 27

The San Bernardino County Fire Department is planning a Household Hazardous Waste event in Needles on Feb. 27. The event is planned from 7 a.m. until 11 a.m. at the Needles City Yard, 112 Robuffa St., Needles.Residents are invited to drop off items such as antifreeze, electronics, batteries, oil, oil filters, cosmetics, pesticides, and more. The department asks that residents transport no more than 15 gallons or 125 pounnds in containers larger than 5 gallons. Containers must be sound and not leaking. No business waste will be accepted. All waste must be located in the back of the vehicle. For more information about future County events, call (800) 645-9228 or visit them online.

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY LIBRARY

Library branches now open for indoor services

San Bernardino County Library reopened its doors on Tuesday for limited indoor services such as public computer access and library checkout. To Go services will still be available for weekly library craft kits, crate kits and hold items. Branch hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday.

PARENTING

Community groups and organizations offering help to parents struggling with distance learning

'Coping with Distance Learning' webinar planned Thursday

Adelanto Elementary School District and Burning Bush Baptist Church have teamed up to offer a free webinar, "Parent Empowerment: Coping with Distance Learning Anxieties," at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4. Kennon Mitchell, Ph.D., Superintendent of Adelanto ESD, and Dr. Monica Caffey, Behavioral Health Chair for San Bernardino County, will offer useful tools for parents and caregivers to assist their children during virtual learning. Register here or call (760) 241-6221 for more information.

Desert/Mountain SELPA to share 'Strategies for Positive Parenting' on Thursday

Desert/Mountain SELPA is hosting a free "Strategies for Positive Parenting" class beginning Feb. 4 on Zoom. This free workshop series will focus on assisting caregivers with acquiring the tools to be more effective in parenting their children. Participants will learn strategies for improving their relationship, connecting through clear communication, increasing compliance, positive discipline techniques, and more. Once you complete the six sessions, you will have the skills to increase harmony and decrease conflict in your home. Register online at https://sbcss.k12oms.org/52-197841

Parent-to-Parent Group Chats offered online

Desert/Mountain SELPA has also launched a free online support group for parents titled "Real Talk...Parent-to-Parent Group Chats. The next event will take place from 9:30-11:30 a.m. February 10. Designed for parents, foster parents, caregivers, and guardians, this is an interactive opportunity to help build connections, create community, and grow with new parenting tools and tips. Register online at https://sbcss.k12oms.org/52-197542. For more information, contact Jeni Galyean at jeni.galyean@cahelp.org or by phone at (442) 292-5094 ext. 213.

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SHERIFF

Towing provider applications open on March 1

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department will begin the 2021-2022 Open Enrollment selection for rotation tow providers on March 1. If your company is selected, vehicle and facility inspections will be conducted during the month of May. If your company successfully completes both inspections, the agreement will begin July 1, 2021.

Applications are available online at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department's website. Applications must be submitted to your local police or sheriff’s station. Deadline to apply is March 31, 2021. No late applications will be accepted.  If you would like any additional information or have questions, please contact your local police or sheriff's station.

FIRST DISTRICT FUN

Exploring the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge

This beautiful 30-mile stretch of the Colorado River, which traverses through scenic Topock Gorge, is a protected waterway established in 1941. Open for boating and swimming, the river is home to a variety of wildlife, from wintering Canada geese and bald eagles to roaming desert bighorn sheep. If you explore by foot, you may discover some of the Indian petroglyphs at Picture Rock. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the 37,515-acre Havasu National Wildlife Refuge runs from the First District city of Needles to Lake Havasu, Arizona. Canoeing is a great way to view the sights of Topock Gorge. Local outfitters include Jerkwater Canoe Company and Western Arizona Canoe & Kayaks, who offer one-day paddle trips from Topock Marina to Castle Rock. Prices include return transport. View the park map.

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