Construction Companies Fined More Than $240,000 For Exposing Workers To Valley Fever
It's not clear how many employees got sick, but California Division of Occupational Safety and Health officials say it's possible hundreds were exposed.
The Bakersfield Californian:
State Fines Six Employers For Exposing Workers To Valley Fever In Monterey County
Six construction outfits working on a solar project in Monterey County were fined more than $240,000 this week for failing to protect their workers from valley fever, an insidious respiratory disease caused by a fungus that grows in the soil throughout the Southwestern United States. California Division of Occupational Safety and Health officials could not say how many people got sick — or whether they were hospitalized — after a whistleblower reported their employer in May while working on the California Flats Solar Project, which promises to convert 2,900 acres of Cholame Hills farmland into a sprawling energy field that would power 100,000 homes annually. It’s possible that hundreds of workers were exposed, said Cal/OSHA spokeswoman Erika Monterroza. (Pierce, 11/21)
In other news from across the state —
The Modesto Bee:
Suspect Arrested After Carjacking Attempt At Hospital, Assault On Security Officer
As Modesto police were close by investigating a double shooting, a carjacking attempt was made outside Doctors Medical Center on Monday afternoon. At about 2:15, a woman was at a stop sign in front of the Florida Avenue medical center when Alejandro Cortez Calderon attempted to gain entry into her vehicle, said police Lt. Martha Delgado. (Farrow, 11/21)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Last Stop For Cannabis Advertising On Muni Buses, Trains, Stations And Stops
As the cannabis industry takes shape in California, one place it won’t be able to advertise is on San Francisco’s public transportation. The Municipal Transportation Agency’s Board of Directors on Tuesday banned ads for cannabis businesses from the transit system’s buses, trains, cable cars, stations and bus stops. The ban was a response to concerns that such ads are inappropriate for young Muni riders and might promote marijuana use among children. (Cabanatuan, 11/21)