News

By Mike Allen

Photo:  Santee Fire Department responding in 2023

March 1, 2025 (Santee) -- The chaos and disruption happening daily at the federal government isn’t permeating to the local level in Santee, where the City Council took several significant actions this week, including funding the remaining balance on a $2 million temporary fire station, adopting a new specific plan for its Town Center area, and hearing that its finances are in sterling shape.

The East County city of 60,000 has long acknowledged that it lacks adequate fire protection, making due with the same two fire stations that existed decades ago. At the prompting of the local firefighters’ union last November, the Council unanimously backed their plan to raise some $54 million through a half-cent sales tax increase and bond issuance to build two new stations, and hire additional staff.

Santee voters rejected the idea, forcing the Council to address the issue without imposing new taxes on the public.

The temporary station, which converted a maintenance operations yard to a fire station off Olive Lane, was approved in 2023, and is close to completion. Initially, the Council appropriated $1 million for the temporary station, but the final bill will be about twice that amount.

To finish the project, the Council allocated some $425,000 it still had left of federal stimulus funding to go with earlier allocations and transfers. The contract was awarded to Horizons Construction Co. of Orange, CA, the same one that did the living quarters building.

The slew of provisions contained in the vote gives Fire Chief Justin Matsushita the power to make change orders to a maximum of $151,000 or 15 percent of the contract, which will be done in a design-build mode.

The action triggered little comment from the five elected officials except from Councilman Rob McNelis who said he was under the impression the new financing arrangement would result in a surplus to the city. Matsushita said he didn’t recall stating that.

The new station will provide much better response times to calls emanating from the southern part of Santee, and relieve pressure on the city’s two aging stations, one on Carlton Oaks Drive, and the other on Cottonwood Avenue. The overwhelming number of calls are for medical emergencies. Of the total 919 calls the Santee Fire Dept responded to in January, 708 were medical related, and only 18 involved fire, according to numbers posted on the department’s Facebook page.

In other actions, the Council adopted a revised Town Center Specific Plan, setting a framework of planning concepts for the city’s core section, roughly bounded on the north by Mast Boulevard, on the south by Mission Gorge Road, on the east by Magnolia Avenue, and on the west just past Town Center Drive. Hired consultant Mark Steele said the vision that developed from several public workshops held in Santee was for “an American village” with five distinct neighborhoods anchored by an Arts and Entertainment neighborhood.

Mayor John Minto said adopting the new plan that replaces the first specific plan of 1986 is one more step in a process of transforming the city to having “communities and amenities that are just dynamic enough for people to want to be here.”

Santee has been trying to change its image in recent years as not just a convenient shopping destination, but for enjoying the benefits of a concentrated group of restaurants, art galleries, and live performing venues that would attract both residents and visitors, as well as generate more sales tax revenue through visitors’ spending.

For the most part, that effort has failed. A lynchpin project, a Karl Strauss brewery/restaurant/office complex along the San Diego River behind Trolley Square approved more than a decade ago, was downsized to a tasting room, and even that is still in limbo. A combined movie theater/restaurant project called Studio Movie Grill planned to go next to Karl Strauss didn’t happen when the company went bankrupt. And a 97-room hotel at Trolley Square that was approved in 2023 got mired in litigation, and hasn’t broken ground.

The city’s longstanding summer concert series at Town Center Community Park is successful in drawing folks, and the city continues to bring in new restaurants, but some venues that have shuttered several years ago such as Mimi’s remain closed.

At least the city’s financial condition remains well in the black. In a report on the soon to be completed 2024-25 fiscal year, Finance Director Heather Jennings said the city should end up with a balance on its general fund of $16.7 million from a budget of about $64 million at the end of June. That essentially is a net profit on its revenues after paying expenses and provides Santee with an envious reserve balance of 27 percent of the total, well above a target threshold on reserves of 22 percent.

Among the main contributors to the city’s heftier balance sheet are some $206,000 more in property taxes that was projected; about $235,000 more in sales taxes; and $436,000 more in interest income. It is also saving money from job vacancies not being filled to the tune of $1 million, Jennings said in her report.

 Among the unexpected expenditures listed in the report but not commented upon was $61,470 for “materials and supplies related to a cyber incident.”

By Mel Gurtov

March 1, 2025 (Washington D.C.) -- Imagine that during World War II, at the height of Nazi Germany’s blitz of Britain, President Roosevelt invited PM Winston Churchill to Washington and humiliated him with derisive comments about Britain’s looming defeat and failure to thank the President for US support. Unthinkable, of course, but that’s exactly what happened when Ukraine’s President Volodymir Zelensky visited Washington and had to endure Donald Trump’s appalling interrogation. 

Today’s headlines speak of a “collision” and a “blowup” between the two leaders, but it was far more than that. It marked an historic American retreat from Europe and from international responsibility.

But before that drama played out, there were visits to Washington by the French and British leaders. Neither received any indication that the US might backstop a NATO presence in Ukraine should Ukraine and Russia reach agreement to end their war. 

France’s Emmanuel Macron was forthright in insisting that “peace must not mean a surrender of Ukraine” or “a ceasefire without guarantees.” Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer tried to stroke Trump’s ego and fared better, bringing an invitation to visit from King Charles and getting Trump to consider not increasing tariffs on Britain.

Whether by design or circumstance, the Trump-Zelensky meeting was a setup for failure. The planned signing ceremony for a one-sided minerals deal descended into an argument, almost a shouting match, something never before seen in the Oval Office and captured on live TV. 

It began with JD Vance’s assertion that diplomacy was the path to peace. Zelensky challenged that, noting how untrustworthy Putin has been in the past when agreements were signed. That led to a heated exchange during which both Vance and Trump told Zelensky he was being disrespectful of the Oval Office and had not said “thank you” to the US. (Actually, CNN counted 33 times that Zelensky has thanked the US for its support.) 

Trump told Zelensky, ‘You’re not really in a good position, you don’t have the cards right now, you’re gambling with World War III.” “You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out,” Trump threatened. “And if we’re out, you’ll fight it out and I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.”

Aftermath

After Zelensky left the meeting, Trump said it was “meaningful” but that Zelensky “is not ready for peace. He can come back when he is ready for peace.” Well, ready for a just peace, not peace at any price. A joint news conference planned for after the meeting was cancelled.

While Trump and Vance will never waver in believing that Zelensky was ungrateful and should have kowtowed to the President, theirs was a disgraceful performance. The leader of a country that has endured three years of bombardment, enormous losses of life and economy, and Putin’s war crimes should not be treated as a supplicant. 

For Trump to remind Zelensky of the weakness of his position (“I know,” said Ukraine’s president) and then to expect him to accept terms imposed by the US and Russia is entirely unacceptable—and another example of Trumpian appeasement. After the meeting, Zelensky said on Fox News that he regretted the angry exchange but would not apologize, saying he wanted Trump “to be more at our side.”

For now, the minerals deal is off the table. It should be, since not only is it far too favorable to the US; it also turns out to be far more complicated than initially presented. For one thing, Ukraine’s supposed wealth in rare earths and other valuable minerals may be considerably exaggerated. 

Some experts say that at best, the reserves remain to be determined, and the costs of extraction could be monumental. Moreover, some mines are in Russian-controlled territory. The Russians have apparently offered a deal for US ownership. That would mean US mining in occupied land, another heavy blow to Ukrainian sovereignty.

In Trump’s view, the minerals deal is supposed to substitute for a military commitment to Ukraine’s security. The idea is that the Russians would not dare attack knowing that US contractors were busy mining for Ukraine’s lithium. But that’s hardly a security commitment; rather, it’s an excuse for non-involvement. 

At his first cabinet meeting, Trump said “I’m not going to provide security guarantees beyond very much. We’re going to have Europe do that.” In short, Ukraine cannot count on the US to backstop Europe—an enormous policy shift that leaves any Ukraine-Russia peace agreement likely to fail.

America in Retreat

Nearly every European leader rallied behind Zelensky. All issued statements in support of him, in direct contrast with fulsome Republican support of Trump. A senior Ukrainian official said Zelenskyy spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and President of the European Council Antonio Costa after he left the White House, describing all the conversations as “supportive” of the Ukrainian leader. 

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, told Zelensky: “Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You are never alone, dear President.” Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz said his country would always support Ukraine. “We must never confuse aggressor and victim in this terrible war.” 

Only Hungary’s Viktor Orban and the former Russian president Dmitri Medvedev took Trump’s side—in itself an indication of where things stand these days, which is that the US enjoys good relations with Russia, Iran, Belarus, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and just about nobody else.

Donald Trump evidently wants to return world politics to spheres of influence, with the US in control of the Americas, China predominant in Asia, and Russia the principal power in Europe. With US-Russia relations moving toward normalcy, and Israel in the driver’s seat in the Middle East, all it takes to realize Trump’s vision is for China to bend to Trump on trade. 

Principles, values, and commitments are out the window; pure self-interest in a world run by autocrats is all that matters. What can possibly go wrong?

Mel Gurtov, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Portland State University and blogs at In the Human Interest. 

The opinions in this editorial reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. To submit an editorial for consideration, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.

By Miriam Raftery

File photo:  Ben and Jessica Kalasho

Updated Feb. 28 at 7:20 p.m. with additional details and clarifications.

February 28, 2025 (San Diego) – Former El Cajon Councilman Besmon “Ben” Kalasho and his wife, Jessica, appeared via video at a San Diego Superior Court hearing today, asking the court to set aside arrest bench warrants ordered back in May 2023.  Those warrants were issued after the Kalashos were found guilty of criminal contempt of court and ordered to report in September to serve eight days in jail, but failed to appear.

The judge refused to let the Kalashos off the hook, following arrguments on both side.

The Kalashos indicated at the time that they did not wish to travel to San Diego because it would be unsafe for Jessica was pregnant; she appeared in today’s court video with a toddler on her lap.

However, attorney and plaintiff Lina Charry said she had video of the Kalashos attending a wedding in San Diego County around that time.

She objected to any further delays, stating, “This is their sixth attempt to try and dismiss their warrants.”

Ben Kalasho fired back, “That’s not true.”

Judge Wendy Behan made clear that while she would  set aside the bench warrants, but this does not terminate their guilty convictions for contempt charges. The judge indicated that a new date must be set for the couple to appear and serve their jail sentence; failure to do so will result in reissuance of the arrest warrants.

Kalasho asked for a hearing in late November and December, when he said the couple planned to visit relatives over the holidays.

The judge insisted that such a long delay would not be allowed.

“I live half the year in North Carolina and half the year in Dubai,” said Kalasho, who has been working under the pseudonym Chef Benjamin Epicure at Smithmore Castle, a luxury hotel and wedding venue in North Carolina. 

According to a Facebook page for Benjamin Epicure, he is also currently employed at the Dubai Creek Gold & Yacht Club Residences in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Ultimately the judge ordered Ben and Jessica Kalasho to report in to Superior Court Department 66 on June 9 at 8:30 a;m. to serve out their eight-day sentences in jail.

The contempt of court charges came after Kalasho was found by the court to have defamed Charry by falsely claiming she had had sex in public places, in retaliation after she sued him for damages suffered when a car in a carwash he owned crashed into Charry’s business next door.The Kalasho's were found guilty of multiple counts of contempt for violating court orders, lying under oath, failing to comply with orders,intentionally failing to produce financial documents pursuant to court orders, failing to appear for mandatory court appearances, and unlawfully interfering with court proceedings by  providing false, misleading, or obstructive testimony under oath.

A court ordered the Kalashos to pay damages to Charry, but the couple stonewalled during a series of 15 judgement debtor examinations, where the Kalashos were supposed to answer questions on record about their financial assets. According to Charry, the couple refused to answer some questions and failed to produce account statements that they were required to bring.

Charry then filed an order asking the court to find the Kalashos criminally guilty of contempt  in the civil case, a tool that attorney Charry says is “rarely ,if ever, used” in a civil case. But in this instance, the judge concluded that the Kalashos’ failure to fulfill the requirements of the judgment justified finding them  guilty on criminal counts and ordering them both incarcerated.

If the pair shows up on June 9 as ordered, their eight-day incarceration is slated to commence. Left unresolved is the question of how Charry may recover assets to satisfy the civil judgment against the Kalashos, or what will happen if the Kalashos fail to appear.

By Miriam Raftery

February 27, 2025 (El Cajon) -- At 4:30 today, the Grossmont Union-High School District is holding a special meeting to considering firing 49 employees including all high school librarians.  Others targeted include English teachers, psychologists and more.

Opponents of cutting librarians have set up a website at  https://sites.google.com/view/save-guhsd-librarians/home. It includes a petition which has gathered over 1,100 signatures as of late this afternoon.

“The Grossmont Union High School District Board majority is pulling the same shady tricks as last year. They are planning layoffs claiming no money when they are holding a 13% reserve fund. This is well over state requirements,” says Jay Steiger, former GUHSD candidate who previously served on the district’s bond oversight committee.

 View the full list of 49 positions on the chopping block.  The 4:30 p.m. meeting of the GUHSD board will be held today at El Cajon Valley High School’s multipurpose room, 1035 East Madison Avenue in El Cajon.

On Facebook, Steiger states, “Teacher librarians are essential to support student research, digital literacy, responsible use of AI, helping find reading material that matches student interests (so they are more likely to read!), managing a library and tech budget, supervising Chromebook laptops, and building essential trust with students.”

The district’s agenda states,” On February 27, 2025, the Board of Trustees determined it needs to reduce or eliminate 49.2 full-time equivalent certificated administrative and/or teaching positions at the end of the current school year, and that potentially impacted certificated employees be provided written notice prior to March 15, 2025. Potentially affected employees were notified by the deadline.” The agenda adds the seniority will be taken into account in eliminating positions.

Trustee Chris Fite has indicated he opposes these cuts, as he has previously voted against other recent controversial staffing cuts including teachers and the district’s public safety director, but the other four members have supported those cuts.

By S.E. Michael

Photos: CC via Bing

February 27, 2025 (San Diego) -- Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress ran on a pro-life platform. But it’s clear from recent actions of the Trump administration that its leaders don’t care about babies. Its actions are putting lives and wellbeing of millions of infants and children at risk, both around the world and here in the U.S.

Cutting off U.S. Aid including food in famine-stricken areas, clean water and medical supplies without notice, for instance, means that “millions of children will suffer and thousands may die” around the world, according to an analysis by First Funding for Children. Ships laden with food were prohibited from unloading, leaving food to rot rather than save lives of starving children, CBS reports. The United Nations warns of “mass death” in Sudan from starvation and is seeking donations after the U.S. abruptly cut off all aid.

Similarly, Republicans’ Congressional budget cuts to Medicaid, school lunch programs, and the child tax credit will all harm children.

Mass federal firings by the Dept. of Government Efficiency (DOGE) include workers who ran childcare and Head Start programs and also ended a program to improve maternal healthcare for pregnant women, threatening the wellbeing of their unborn  babies.

Cuts to medical research will “will limit access to effective health care treatments and diagnostics for patients” and “threaten the ability of children’s hospitals to provide future groundbreaking cures for children,” according to a press release from the organization representing children’s hospitals.

Robert F. Kennedy Junior, the anti-vaxxer named Secretary of Health and Human Services, is considering changing recommendations for childhood vaccines such as measles and polio, an action that if carried out could put children at risk of dying or being left paralyzed from devastating and preventable childhood diseases.

The Trump administration is also pushing to deport undocumented children who entered the U.S. alone, putting their lives and safety at risk and to cut off infant assistance funds for migrant babies, as well as legal assistance for unaccompanied minors.

Cuts to the department of Education, which Trump eventually hopes to eliminate, would harm children with disabilities, PBS reports. NBC reports that if Trump is successful in eliminating the department of Education, it would harm the most vulnerable students,  such as by ending federal funding of schools, increasing class sizes for all public school students, eliminating federal funding for students with disabilities, ending civil rights protections for minority students, and grants to assure equal access to education for all children.

Eliminating waste, fraud and abuse is best accomplished by a careful, extended examination of individual programs—not slashing and eliminating entire programs and departments such as USAid and the Department of Education, nor gutting funds for children’s health research and successful childhood vaccine programs, nor eliminating childcare options for working parents, or taking away all protections for vulnerable immigrant children unaccompanied by parents or guardians.

These are politics of cruelty, not compassion. If you care about the lives of babies and children, now is the time to speak out and let your elected members of Congress know that policies harming children are unacceptable and must change.

S.E. Michael has written about medical issues for trade journals and newspapers, and is the parent of child cured of a life-threatening condition through a procedure at a children’s hospital made possible by federally funded medical research.

The opinions in this article reflect the views of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. To submit an editorial for consideration, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org

East County News Service

February 27, 2025 (Washington D.C.) -- U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined 14 other Democratic Senators in urging senior Trump Administration officials to reverse the hiring and onboarding freeze of federal seasonal firefighters that they say threatens the safety of communities in California and across the nation. The Trump Administration’s January 20 hiring freeze of federal civilian employees inexplicably did not exempt federal seasonal firefighters, despite exempting other critical public safety personnel. 

Federal seasonal firefighters risk their lives to protect communities and save lives. According to a press release issued by Padilla, "This hiring freeze is particularly dangerous as we ramp up staffing and training ahead of peak wildfire season.”

While Padilla secured a temporary pay raise for wildland firefighters in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, recruitment and retention remain significant challenges as firefighters work long hours with insufficient pay.   The attrition rate of firefighters at the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has been 45 percent over the past four years — making the hiring freeze at USFS, the Bureau of Land Management, and the National Park Service all the more dangerous.

“The Administration must not sacrifice the safety of the American people for the benefit of implementing a political agenda,” wrote the Senators. “We urge you to immediately reverse course, begin hiring and onboarding seasonal firefighters again, and continue supporting and growing the federal firefighting workforce.   The bottom line is this: pausing the hiring and onboarding of federal seasonal firefighters — while historic wildfires destroy communities and upend livelihoods across the West — is simply irresponsible and dangerous. We will be woefully unprepared to fight the fires to come and instead will continue to see record levels of damage, ultimately costing communities and taxpayers even more at a time when the cost of living is already too high.”

Wildfires are increasing in frequency and destructiveness in California and across the nation.  Last month, the devastating Southern California fires, including the Palisades and Eaton Fires, burned over 57,000 acres and destroyed over 16,200 structures, claiming the lives of at least 29 victims. Nationally, over 64,800 fires burned 9 million acres in 2024, up from approximately 56,500 wildfires and 3 million acres in 2023. The rise in catastrophic wildfires demands even more seasonal firefighter hiring — not a freeze.

In addition to Senators Padilla and Rosen, the letter was also signed by Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

Senator Padilla has consistently pushed to protect our wildland firefighting force. Last month, Padilla reintroduced the bipartisan Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act to protect the pay raise he secured for wildland firefighters in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In 2023, Padilla and a bipartisan group of Senators urged Senate leadership to avoid mass resignations within the wildland firefighter ranks by ensuring the prompt passage of their bipartisan legislation. Padilla and a bipartisan group of Senators also urged the Biden Administration to establish a special pay rate for federal wildland firefighters to prevent staffing shortages and strengthen wildfire response efforts in 2022. Following that request, the Biden Administration announced a temporary pay raise.  Additionally, Padilla’s Wildfire Emergency Act, announced last week, would establish a prescribed fire-training center in the West and authorize grants to support training the next generation of foresters and firefighters, among other important fire mitigation efforts.

Full text of the letter is available here.

Bidders must register at sdttc.com by March 6th to participate in auction featuring 640 properties

February 26, 2025 (San Diego) - San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan McAllister reminded those interested in participating in the County’s 2025 online property tax auction that bidder registration must be completed by March 6. This year’s auction features more than 600 properties for sale.

By Miriam Raftery

February 26, 2025 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Police responded to a call yesterday from a man who found his mother’s body in the trunk of her car, a black Hyundai Sonata. The caller said he had gone to check on his mother after she didn’t return home from visiting her other son, Richard Leyva, 24, who was staying at the motel.

Following an altercation between the two brothers, Leyva got into the Hyundai and drove off, striking his brother, who was not injured.  Officers responded and attempted a stop, by Leyva fled, initiating a pursuit that ended when Leyva crashed into two other vehicle.  He was taken into custody after officers deployed a Taser to subdue him, according to Lieutenant Nick Sprecco.

“Upon inspecting the vehicle, officers discovered a deceased woman in the trunk. The woman has been identified as 51-year-old Jamison Webster and her death is being investigated as a homicide,” Lt. Sprecco says.

Leyva has been booked into San Diego County Jail on charges of homicide, assault with a deadly weapon and evading law enforcement. 

Detectives are continuing to investigate the circumstances that led to the woman's death.

The other drivers involved were uninjured.

Anyone with additional information is asked to call El Cajon Police at 619-579-3311 or anonymously at sdcrimestoppers.org.

By Miriam Raftery

Image: generic cat photo, cc  via Bing

February 26, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – San Diego County Public Health officials are investigating a suspected case of bird flu (H5N1) in a house cat from East County.  Preliminary test results show the cat, which got sick and died in mid-January 2025, was positive for bird flu.  The indoor cat ate a raw pet food that is suspected to be the source of the infection.  

This is the first case of bird flu in a cat in San Diego County. Several other unconnected cases have happened in cats throughout the state, and all are suspected to be the result of eating raw food or raw milk.

Bird flu or H5N1 is a highly contagious virus that can sicken or kill birds and other animals. In 2024, there were six cases of bird flu in wild gulls in San Diego County. No wildlife cases have been confirmed so far in 2025. No local cases in humans have been reported.  
 

While rare, it can be spread to people when the virus gets in someone’s eyes, nose or mouth, or when it is inhaled.  No local cases in humans have been reported and the risk to people remains low.   

“Bird Flu has been devastating for wildlife populations around the globe, poultry and dairy cattle in our country and has infrequently affected people and cats,” said Dr. Seema Shah, Medical Director of County Epidemiology and Immunization Services Branch.  “The County is actively monitoring wild birds and expanding testing, along with keeping tabs on people exposed to those animals in case they exhibit symptoms. We are also working with veterinarians, healthcare providers, farmers and wildlife groups to provide guidance and resources.”

While cases of bird flu in people and cats are rare, there are steps you can take to lower the risk of bird flu for yourself, family and pets. 
 

•  Avoid consuming raw milk or dairy products or feeding them to your pets because raw milk is not pasteurized. Pasteurization is a heating process that kills harmful pathogens like bird flu or bacteria like salmonella, toxin producing E. coli. and listeria
• Avoid feeding raw pet food products to pets and talk to your pet’s veterinarian about safe and healthy diets
• Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water when handling raw foods like meats and poultry and cook them to recommended temperature before serving  
• Avoid touching sick or dead birds or animals and report them to animal control
• Don’t let your pets eat or touch sick or dead bird or animals
• Keep your cats indoors and supervise pets outdoors
• Get the seasonal flu vaccine. While it does not protect against bird flu, it can protect you from getting both the season flu and bird flu at the same time.  
   

On the West Coast, house cats have died from bird flu caused by consuming raw milk or food products including in Santa Barbara County, San Mateo, Los Angeles, Washington and Oregon. 

Signs of bird flu in cats include neurologic issues like lack of coordination, tremors, seizures or blindness, loss of appetite, discharge from the eyes and nose and other respiratory issues like breathing fast, sneezing or coughing. Pet owners should tell their veterinarian if their pet is sick and has eaten a raw food diet, has interacted with poultry or dairy cattle, or hunts wild birds or other wild animals.  

Those most at risk for bird flu are farmworkers, people with backyard flocks, wildlife workers and those who work around animals. Those that work with ill animals can use personal protective equipment to reduce their likelihood of exposure to the virus.  

More information about bird flu is posted on the County’s website including guidance for healthcare professionals, employers and veterinarians.