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Week in review: Most state virus rules lifted, Fathers & Families shut down

Record - 6/19/2021

Editor's note: Week in review is a roundup of some of the top headlines from the past week. Sign up for The Record's Daily Briefing and get the day's top headlines delivered to your inbox: https://profile.recordnet.com/newsletters/manage/.

‘A remarkable milestone’: Millions mark reopening after COVID shutdown

San Joaquin County residents joined millions of Californians marking the long-awaited end to some of the strictest COVID-19 restrictions in the nation on Tuesday when the country’s most populous state fully reopened and shed most rules.

“Today is a day to celebrate, a day to reconnect with strangers, loved ones, family members; give people hugs,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said as he touted the reopening, saying “California has turned the page. Let us all celebrate this remarkable milestone.”

What does that mean for Stockton and San Joaquin County? Overall COVID-19 metrics here have greatly improved after the county spent weeks at a standstill, new cases and deaths have decreased, and many businesses are reopening.

To mask or not to mask? Who — and when/where — someone needs to wear a mask can change based on their vaccination status, and the state put out a Do’s and Don’ts list for daily life along with the updated COVID-19 guidance. At the top: Get a vaccine.

“This is not a day where we spike the football, this is not a day where we announce mission accomplished, quite the contrary,” Newsom said. “This disease remains as deadly as it’s ever been.”

More: Here’s what you need to know about California's reopening

More: California’s economy reopened – here are 5 things to know about the new state COVID-19 guidance

Fathers & Families of San Joaquin shutting down after founder’s arrest

Some of the community's most vulnerable could be hit hard as Fathers & Families of San Joaquin ceases operations. The nonprofit, which offers guidance to at-risk youths, parenting instruction, gang intervention and leadership development programs, is shutting down after losing millions in funding following the arrest of founder and former Executive Director Samuel “Sammy” Nunez on child sexual abuse charges last month.

Citing “profound ripple effects” created by the arrest, the nonprofit, which has been rocked by the allegations, posted an open letter online announcing the decision to cease operations. “For nearly two decades, Fathers & Families of San Joaquin has worked tirelessly to make a difference in the community by delivering programs rooted in love, hope, and healing,” the nonprofit wrote in a letter posted on Facebook. “We are deeply grateful to have made a positive impact for many people in Stockton.”

The FFSJ board says it is focused on taking the steps to wind down operations and will prioritize “the possibility of find new homes at other nonprofits for some of our most critical services.”

Nunez was scheduled to appear in court Thursday and was being held in the San Joaquin County Jail pending a bail hearing; the latest online jail records show him being held without bail pending another hearing on July 16.

More: Fathers & Families of San Joaquin will end operations in wake of founder's arrest

Valley caught in grip of heatwave

A major heatwave broiled much of the Western U.S., bringing extreme health and fire peril and prompting Newsom to ask Californians to voluntarily conserve power to avoid the kind of rotating outages that plagued the state last year.

ICYMI: 100 degree days arriving in Stockton as heatwave squeezes California

As highs in Stockton hit triple digits, the county opened a host of cooling centers where residents can go to find relief.

A different kind of Heat: New Stockton Heat president wants to rebuild team's relationship with community

‘A real scrapper’: Delta kayaker hooks fish the size of a small person

Virginia Salvador is no ordinary angler — The 35-year-old mother of two has held a master captain’s license since 2019 and is the second captain with Zack Medinas of Gatecrasher Fishing Adventures. No doubt that helped when she landed a massive prehistoric giant — from a kayak. The monster sturgeon “ripped the line off the drag and took three runs,” she said. “It was 59 inches long, a real scrapper. It took about 15 minutes to get in.” After taking several photos and video footage, she and Sturgeon General” Robert Perea freed the colossal creature.

More: Woman catches giant Delta sturgeon from her kayak

Honoring the memory of Bear Creek’s ‘angel in the outfield’

The loss of Jo’Vianni “JoJo” Smith, just 15, stunned her family, coaches, teammates and those who loved her; the Bear Creek High School softball team used the unthinkable tragedy to dedicate the season in her honor. The 15-year-old sophomore took her own life last year, attributed in part to stress-related issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. For her loved ones following the tragedy, the days felt endless.

For her mother, Danielle Hunt-Smith, taking in the first game without JoJo would be wrenching. She did it anyway; for the team, for herself, for her daughter’s memory.

“When you lose a child, when it first happened I didn’t realize how big of an impact she made on people in her circle and outside of her circle,” Hunt-Smith said. “Seeing the girls, I’m telling them not to cry, but I did want to connect with them and I want to (say), ‘Hey, don’t forget about her. Every time you step on that field.’ ”

More: ‘Let’s do it for her’: How Bear Creek softball handled losing a teammate during COVID-19

Record reporter Elizabeth Roberts covers community and breaking news. She can be reached at eroberts@recordnet.com or on Twitter @eroberts209. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Week in review: Most state virus rules lifted, Fathers & Families shut down

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