The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, also known as the “Festival of Lights,” begins Thursday night. News 8 sat down with Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort to hear exactly how this Jewish holiday came about. Hanukkah commemorates the re-dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after a small group called the Maccabees defeated the Greek Syrian army. During the battle, the Jews had only enough oil to light…
Starting in a few weeks, The Grapevine will be rolling out several methods by which you can support the truest form of community journalism in San Diego County. Actual on-the-ground running, non-corporate, non regurgitated and press-release journalism, the Grapevine aims to connect on a personal basis with community interests, concerns and aspirations. To that end, one of the features for enthusiastic sponsors will be membership…
Over 100 Tri-City Medical Center nurses and community supporters held a public action at 7 a.m. Friday, May 29. They were protesting the facility’s Chief Nurse Executive, Barbara Vogelsang, who they said was mismanaging break nurses, failing to safely staff the ICU and provide needed resources like breaks and Rapid Response Team nurse resources. Nurses also demanded safe staffing for every unit, every shift and…
As the death, disease, and financial devastation wrought by COVID-19 begins to recede in some communities, restaurants are eager to re-open in ways that will protect customer and employee health while re-establishing profitability. And diners are salivating at the thought of savoring their favorite meals and supporting the restaurant community. “Smoke-free outdoor dining promotes healthy air and capitalizes on the intensive sanitizing efforts already implemented…
Testing for the novel coronavirus which causes COVID-19 has been increasing in San Diego County. The number of daily total tests in the region exceeded 3,300 in four of the past five days. Yesterday, there was a decrease in the number of tests reported – 2,638 tests. Testing dips typically occur on Sundays. The decrease may be more pronounced with the three state sites, which…
Hundreds more Imperial County residents will soon be able to get checked for COVID-19 after state officials designated the area a “testing desert.” County officials said Monday the state is expected to open a local testing site by May 4. The site will be able to test 130 residents a day, said Dr. Stephen Munday, the county’s health officer. Only about 1,600 of Imperial County’s…
California’s hospitals thought they were ready for the next big disaster. They’ve retrofitted their buildings to withstand a major earthquake and whisked patients out of danger during deadly wildfires. They’ve kept patients alive with backup generators amid sweeping power shutoffs and trained their staff to thwart would-be shooters. But nothing has prepared them for a crisis of the magnitude facing hospitals today. “We’re in a…
“It’s a paradox. Isolation can be a window to deeper connections with ourselves and others. It can shock us out of a habitual way of living.” That’s the message from Jonathan Prescott. A resident of Guemes Island in the San Juans, the Buddhist chaplain, pastoral counselor, and ordained student of world-renowned Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, Prescott works with patients as well as caregivers in…
After discovering a sailor with coronavirus, the U.S. Navy crowded dozens of sailors in one room. On the USS Boxer, where the Navy discovered its first case of coronavirus on a ship, a sailor says his superiors called a meeting that crammed more than 80 senior enlisted sailors and officers together. It wasn’t a surprise when the U.S. Navy announced Sunday that the fast-spreading coronavirus…
Coronavirus is pretty much all there is for now. Academics at various national and international institutions are weighing in with practical tips (not touching your face, staying healthy, using screen time effectively) to science (the older immune system and R0) to economics (paying for stimulus, sending out checks) to politics (functioning courts, quarantine rights) to arts (pandemic lit). Stories written by academic scholars and researchers,…