Sedona Red Rock News
Registered Nurse Cathy Peterson, right, inoculates Jeannette Holverson with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Camp Verde Community Gym on Friday, March 26. Starting Monday, March 29, all adults 18 and older are eligible to be vaccinated in the state regardless of health or job. Photo by Daulton Venglar
A few weeks ago, Yavapai County had trouble securing enough COVID-19 vaccines for the people who wanted them.
Spectrum Healthcare set up two large inoculation sites one at Verde Valley Christian Church in Cottonwood and another at Findlay Toyota Event Center in Prescott Valley able to quickly handle thousands of vaccinations every day.
COVID-19 vaccine eligibility expands to all adults
Registered Nurse Dawn Barrowman, right, inoculates Sam Prakel with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Camp Verde Community Gym on Friday, March 26. Starting Monday, March 29, all adults 18 and older are eligible to be vaccinated in the state regardless of health or job.
Daulton Venglar/Larson Newspapers
On March 16, Yavapai County expanded COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to anyone over the age of 55, as well as those below 55 with chronic medical conditions and essential workers. Just over a week later, the county announced on Thursday, March 25, that starting on Monday, March 29, the county would be opening up vaccines to anyone over the age of 18 who wants them, regardless of age, health status or employment.
• Feb 23, 2021
Rep. Deb Haaland Faces Confirmation Hearing
Congressional Rep. Deb Haaland is facing a confirmation hearing this morning to lead the nation s Department of the Interior. If confirmed, Haaland would be the first Indigenous person to gain a cabinet leadership position in American history.
Haaland is a Pueblo of Laguna tribal member and identifies as a 35th generation New Mexican. She previously worked as a tribal administrator and directed services for adults with disabilities.
As secretary, Haaland would oversee the Bureau of Indian Affairs along with waterways, wildlife, and other aspects of federal land. Haaland has expressed opposition to fracking and in 2016 traveled north to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline. Some Republican lawmakers have indicated disapproval of Haaland’s nomination, arguing her platform would jeopardize American jobs.
Sedona Red Rock News
Food banks throughout the Verde Valley have seen sustained increases in people
served since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the early pandemic, local food banks added extra pick-up days to their schedule to meet the soaring demand, with some even needing the Arizona National Guard to help with the distribution, like Manzanita Outreach in Cottonwood. Daulton Venglar/Larson Newspapers
When the coronavirus pandemic led to officials ordering shutdowns and other issues for businesses and individuals in the spring, local food banks saw demand soar, as families lost employment and schools closed.
Nine months into the crisis, demand at local food banks has not gone down. With the combination of the holiday season and recent spikes in COVID-19 cases in the Verde Valley, local charities say that they need to provide more help than ever.