As Sacramento’s Homeless Crisis Deepens, Council Mulls Opening More Restrooms

Sacramento Bee: Sacramento Homeless: City Council Will Consider New Bathroom
The Sacramento City Council on Tuesday will consider opening more restrooms for homeless people in the downtown area, following months of researching ways to reduce human waste and address public health concerns. The city manager's office is recommending that the council allow homeless people to use restrooms in an existing building at North A and 14th streets in the River District, and contract with the county to help connect bathroom users with housing and medical and social services. (Hubert, 7/3)

In other news from across the state —

Los Angeles Times: UC Irvine And Other Colleges Are Increasing Mental Health Services
The newest Youth Risk Behavior Survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released in June, while containing some good news — including declines in sexual activity and drug use — also indicates the continuation of troubling trends regarding stress, depression and suicidal ideation among teens. When teens enter college those problems don’t go away; indeed, they can become amplified because of the added pressures of performing in a new, academically rigorous environment, coupled with the challenge of making new friends. (Apodaca, 7/2)

The Bakersfield Californian: Medicare Issuing New, More Secure Cards, Prompting Scams
California residents on Medicare should expect to receive new, more secure insurance cards in the mail by the end of summer, and be on the lookout for potential scams.  Cate Kortzeborn, the deputy regional administrator for Medicare in California, said these new cards, which use randomly generated identification numbers rather than Social Security numbers, are a step in the right direction for preventing fraud. However, scams have been reported across the country in which people are using the new cards as an opportunity to request personal information. ...Scammers may ask for personal information, your new Medicare number or for a fee to receive your card, which will automatically come in the mail. (Allen, 7/2)

Sacramento Bee: California Prison Buys Bottled Water Because Of Penalties
California's corrections department is spending $46,000 a month to buy bottled water for inmates and staff at a prison in Tracy where it opened a state-of-the-art water treatment plant eight years ago. Deuel Vocational Institution draws water from brackish wells on its grounds and runs it through a two-step treatment process before providing it to 2,300 inmates and 1,000 employees for drinking or for showers. (Ashton, 7/2)