IMPERIAL COUNTY, CA CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Calexico Chronicle IMPERIAL VALLEY WEEKLY IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE HOLTVILLE TRIBUNE Vol. 117 No. 9 | THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2021 | calexicochronicle.com LOCAL COVID-19 County TRAGEDY ON HWY 115 Closes In On Red Tier Additional Doses Given in Phase 1B Sectors BY RICHARD MONTENEGRO BROWN CALEXICO CHRONICLE IMPERIAL COUNTY — The inoculation against COVID of farmworkers and ag-related and food industry sectors, as well as educators, including childcare workers, continued this week on the heels of a pair of mass vaccination events at Imperial Valley College on Feb. 26. Imperial County Public Health Department, with the help of the Imperial County Office of Education, Comite An photo of the scene of the fatal accident at a intersection of Norrish Road and Highway 115 outside Holtville that left 13 people dead was captured by photogra- Civico Del Valle, and the Cali- pher Jimmy Dorantes. This photo is not for release and not for use by any other media, including the AP. | JIMMY DORANTES PHOTO fornia National Guard, helped administer some 1,400 doses at IVC in separate sector-specific ‘Gruesome’ Accident Related to Smuggling, Sources Say morning and afternoon drive- through clinics, according to BY RICHARD MONTENEGRO BROWN county Public Health officials. CALEXICO CHRONICLE Some 400 doses were admin- Holtville Chief: istered to the education sector HOLTVILLE — Thirteen people are in the a.m. and 1,000 were given dead ranging in ages from their early 20s Highway 115 to farmworkers and agricultural to their 50s, including a 28-year-old driv- sector employees in the after- er from Mexicali, after an early-morning noon. traffic collision on Tuesday, March 2, that Source of ‘Critical’ Meanwhile, county officials was described as “gruesome” by Imperial were waiting to hear from the County Fire Chief Alfredo Estrada. Calls, Collisions state on Wednesday wheth- During an afternoon press conference er Imperial County had done Tuesday at the scene of the accident on enough to open to the Red Tier Highway 115 and Norrish Road north- BY JULIO MORALES CALEXICO CHRONICLE in the state’s roadmap to recov- west of Holtville, a California Highway ery. Patrol official said 12 people died at the “We’re going to be within one scene and one died in El Centro Region- HOLTVILLE — Holtville Fire Chief Alex Silva, whose department week of meeting the Red Tier al Medical Center. metrics,” Public Health Director Media reports are stating that various was the first to ar- rive to the scene Janette Angulo during her up- sources have connected the crash to a date to the county Board of Su- human-smuggling operation that like- of a deadly colli- sion on Tuesday pervisors on March 2. “In order ly originated from the Ford Expedition for the county to open up to the sport-utility vehicle involved in the fa- morning, March 2, said accidents next tier … we must meet met- tal collision having entered the United rics for two consecutive weeks.” States from Mexico through a 10-foot An aerial drone photo of the scene of the fatal accident at along intersec- the intersection of Norrish Road and Highway 115 outside To meet the requirements, hole cut into the border fence east of tions with High- Holtville that left 13 people dead was captured by photog- SILVA the county must maintain a case Drop 4 of the All-American Canal east way 115 have rapher Jimmy Dorantes. This photo is not for release and not been a reoccurring issue in the area. rate between four and seven per of Calexico. for use by any other media, including the AP. 100,000 residents and a testing See WRECK, PAGE 5 JIMMY DORANTES PHOTO See SILVA, PAGE 4 See COVID, PAGE 12 EDUCATION Calexico, Holtville Students Excel in ICOE Migrant Ed Speech Tourney Luz Gabriela Franco, a BY RICHARD MONTENEGRO BROWN For Calexico, the big winner was achieved. seventh-grade student at CALEXICO CHRONICLE Enrique Camarena Junior High sev- “I am extremely proud of the work Enrique Camarena Junior enth-grader Luz Gabriela Franco, who that our migrant student fifth through High in Calexico, won the IMPERIAL COUNTY — Calexico won the extemporaneous, or unpre- 12th-grade speech team displayed extemporaneous speech and Holtville migrant education stu- competition and took third pared, speech competition and took during practices and the tournament. in the prepared speech cat- dents had strong showings at the 12th third in the prepared speech category Our migrant coaches were very sup- egory for her grade level. annual Imperial County Office of Ed- for her grade level. portive and made sure that our stu- PHOTO COURTESY ucation Migrant Education Program Calexico Unified School District dents were prepared to compete,” Li- OF CALEXICO UNIFIED Speech and Debate Tournament on Migrant Ed Coordinator Alejandra Li- mon stated. SCHOOL DISTRICT Saturday, Feb. 27. mon said she was proud of what team See TOURNEY, PAGE 3 Weekly-Chronicle Thursday, March 4, 2021 PAGE 2 Little Said as Letter to the Editor: El Toro Feedlot Council Member Ureña Responds to Unsigned Missive housing crisis. To respond to the Expansion letter: no this is not about “helping filled up their commissioners these employees for demanding 5 to 10 percent of Calexicans” Approval without a problem. Romo and fair pay. (irresponsible to put out statistics myself had a full slate of profes- Some employees shared sto- without a poll). Safety nets help Rescinded sional community members with ries of what it is like to be a work- 100 percent of Calexicans. plenty of experience ready to go er denied full-time status (denied Especially those that are at risk of BY ELIZABETH VARIN on day one. The other three coun- health insurance) at $14/hour. I being the next homeless person. cil people left many spots open for explained it in council, I will do so Side note: I seriously cannot There was little discussion as three months and delayed the again here: wait for the public to be able to the Imperial County Board of functioning of the committee sys- You work 72/hours a week attend these meetings in person so Supervisors voted unanimously to tem due to their lack of genuine (just under full time so you don’t they can see for themselves how rescind permits for expansion of a support from the public. get benefits). “respectful” madam mayor is in Heber-based feedlot on Tuesday, Scarecrow politics: make yourself You make $1,500 take home person and how (Mayor Pro Tem March 2. look big and loud when you don’t pay after taxes. Javier) Moreno guides her every It was a far cry from the near- have the support. That is the game In Calexico $1,000 of that action with notes passed back and ly hour-and-a-half discussion that Calexico City Council member they play, and we can all see right goes to rent and utilities. forth between the three. Winks and took place when the project was Raúl Ureña through it. We are smart crows, we You are $102/month above nods, not formal public debate. approved in August. COURTESY PHOTO will eat you up. We know about qualifying for food stamps and Maybe the concern is not the lap- El Toro Exports, which bor- statistics and more importantly, medical. As a result, no govern- tops and cell phones, but instead, ders Heber to the south, requested BY RAUL UREÑA the reality of the situation. People, ment assistance for you. You have the paper notes these council the county rescind its permits for not council people, have the ulti- $500/month to feed yourself, your members use to make under-the- its expansion project back in Responding briefly to a letter mate power to make change. family, buy all your necessities, table decisions during the meeting. October and in November, accord- addressed to me. I would like to I wonder if the other three and buy healthcare. Unfortunately, the camera pans ing to county Planning Director first make clear that I am the only council people believe they would You are always a car accident, out when I speak but soon the pub- Jim Minnick. The second request council member with 24/7 office win an election tomorrow. More medical accident, or copay away lic will get to see the truth. stated that the economic opportu- hours. I always make the greatest specifically: I wonder if Moreno from bankruptcy. Why do I care I also want peace on council, nities presented by the project attempt to stay connected to the thinks he could have won without about having a good safety net? just today (Saturday, Feb. 26) I have changed such that the expan- people at every step of the way. I my endorsement and the support Because most Calexicans are at reached out to Mayor Fernandez sion of the facility no longer cannot legally respond directly to of thousands of hopeful risk of being the next homeless with a detailed six-step economic makes sense at this time. public comment letters through Calecianos yearning for change. person in the precarious financial plan Calexico could undertake The original plan called for as council meetings, so I do so I have reasons to believe this situation we put our workers in. now, without resources, to adapt many as 1,700 new head of cattle through here. I respond in both letter does not truly come from Including our municipal employ- our local economy to COVID for in the next couple of years. languages as it should be in a bor- employees. Because I speak with ees! the rest of the pandemic and Three lawsuits were filed der town.