Intro: California parents sending their kids back to school are remembering the backpack and notebooks, but what about health insurance? Around 700-thousand California kids heading back-to-school are uninsured, but don’t have to be. A new report finds two-thirds of the state’s uninsured children are eligible for health coverage but they’re not enrolled. Wendy Lazarus, with the Children’s Partnership, says it’s clear more needs to be done to encourage eligible families to enroll, especially in these cost-cutting times when there’s not a lot of money for new programs.
Cut 11331 :13 "These programs are funded. There are 700,000 children in working and low-income families who could get a health card tomorrow and be able to go to the doctor for a check up, a toothache, or whatever they need."
Tag: The federal government has just announced a nationwide effort called the “Connecting Kids to Coverage Challenge,” which seeks to enroll all eligible but uninsured children in programs such as Medi-Cal or Healthy Families within five years. This new program brings coaches, teachers, and community leaders together in an effort to educate families.
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Second Cut: Kelly Hardy with Children Now, says back-to-school time brings health issues to the forefront with parents having to get their children’s immunizations in order. She says it’s also a reminder that the state ends up paying one way or another.
Cut 12331 :12 "They can pay to make sure that the children have access to affordable health coverage or they can pay on the back-end with reduced productivity and unhealthy kids who need to go to the emergency room for care.
A busy Labor Day for local firefighters. Lake Co News Dot Com reporting firefighters from Cal Fire, Northshore Fire Protection District and Lake County Fire Protection District called to the scene of several mid-afternoon fires yesterday, one burned a small amount of vegetation, the other, a home.Firefighters called to the scene of a fire on Morgan Valley Road and Stanley Lane about ten minutes after it was called in.They say they had it out in around 10 minutes.Another fire burned about four acres of brush.Fire officials say one structure was threatened but there was no damage to it.Firefighters on the scene about 90- minutes for mop up work after the fire was contained. A modular home also reported burning on Wolf Creek Road in Spring Valley.They say they saw heavy smoke coming from the home's attic.Apparently the ceiling collapsed on some firefighters but no one was injured.They say about half of the home was a total loss.The fires are under investigation.
A well known former Ukiah resident and peace activist has been arrested in connection to a personal campaign against nuclear weapons.The Ukiah Daily Journal reports Susan Crane has been indicted with several others for allegedly entering the U.S. Navy's West Coast nuclear weapons storage depot in November of 2009. The indictments were reportedly handed down by a grand jury in Tacoma, Washington, against members of Disarm Now Plowshares.Those indicted face up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine if they're convicted.Crane says one of her goals at the trial would be to show the jury the five had no intent to break any laws, they came to the Navy base to uphold international laws.
A man from Hopland suspected of trying to kill himself and his wife by setting a fire at their home is still missing.The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office says they're got a detective working 24/7 on the case.Steven Chiriboga is described as 5'-10", 202 pounds, with blond hair and hazel eyes. He was last seen driving a silver pick-up truck.The fire at the family home was Saturday on Mountain House Road. Chiriboga was booked that morning at the county jail for allegedly making a terrorist threat but got out on bail.He reportedly went home to wait for his wife and told her they would die together that day.Neighbors reportedly saw flames and tried to get the two out.The suspect then drove away and hasn't been seen since.
A businessman from Lakeport has reportedly been killed in a solo boating accident.Real estate broker Byron Whipple reportedly hit a deck at the Lucky Four Trailer Resort in Lakeport.The owner of the resort said it was a tragic shocking event.She says there was a crowd of people having a fish fry on the deck when they saw Whipple’s boat approaching shore at full throttle.The boat reportedly crashed into the deck and knocked down its support pillars.There's no cause for the crash determined yet, but the owner of the resort says it might have been medically related.Lake Co News dot com was reporting the man used a wheelchair after a ski racing accident years ago.
