Articles written by Nikki Symington
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SVP Respite
On August 23, 2021, Liberty Healthcare/CONREP informed San Diego Superior Court they were requesting Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) Merle Wakefield complete additional treatment at the Department of State Hospitals (DSH) prior to his release into the community. Superior Court... — Updated 9/7/2021
SVP Wakefield Protestation
The Borrego Springs Chamber of Commerce, along with the De Anza Club management and members took leadership in organizing the community to protest the housing of Merle G. Wakefield, under the supervision of Liberty/CONREP. They... — Updated 9/2/2021
SVP: NOT WANTED IN BORREGO
Merle Wade Wakefield, a sexually violent predator (SVP) will be moving to De Anza Country Club, unless Borregans convince Superior Court Judge David Gill that the multiple offender poses a threat to the community, living in the... — Updated 8/23/2021
Goodbye and Thank You!
The Borrego Springs COVID-19 Task Force came together because people were concerned about the spread of the deadly pandemic in Borrego Springs with its large portion of residents at high risk of hospitalization and death, especially given its remoteness from hospitals and public... — Updated 8/4/2021
HEAT: Plant Die-off
Hello Borrego Springs. This is a wake-up call. Living in Borrego and the amazing Sonoran Desert that surrounds the community, you probably thought the desert was heat tolerant and immune to Global Warming. Hey, it’s already a desert, how bad can it get? Well, according to a... — Updated 7/16/2021
New Team Leads BCHF
Borrego Health announced reorganizational-wide team realignment and new executive team leadership. A change that, according to a press release from Dan Kramer, Borrego Community Health Foundation’s public relations counsel, are “Internal changes (to) enable highest quality... — Updated 6/30/2021
BCHF: New Challenges Ahead
People ask what’s happening with the FBI/DOJ investigation into Borrego Health, and wonder why there’s no news in the paper? The answer: It’s an investigation. The FBI and DOJ don’t share information on investigations that might compromise the court case, or prejudice an... — Updated 6/7/2021
Supervisor Jim Desmond
He’s definitely on a fast track, serving constituents from Oceanside to Borrego Springs. He and his staff move quickly on an issue; he even talks fast. The mission: Get things done. A relative outlier in government, San Diego County District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond likes... — Updated 6/4/2021
Salary Issues Continue to Plague the Borrego Springs Fire Protection District
The Borrego Springs Fire Protection District (BSFPD) has agreed to a $100,000 settlement with twenty-five firefighters, following a Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) lawsuit filed, May 2020. According to an order filed on May 11, 2021, in California federal court. U.S. District... — Updated 6/3/2021
The Facts of Emergency Air Evacuation in Borrego Springs
The previous article in the Borrego Sun, April 15 issue, (Page 15) on emergency airlift evacuation which attempted to explain costs and comparisons of the two services available in Borrego Springs led to one conclusion: Digging further into the weeds, legal, insurance... — Updated 5/27/2021
Borrego Celebrates Mexican Mother's Day with a Little Help from Friends
Even though the pandemic threatened to close down important celebrations, Borregans have risen to every occasion with ingenious ways to be thankful and show appreciation for the special people in our lives. One such celebration,... — Updated 5/24/2021
Borrego Expands Paramedicine
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a proposal from District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond to explore the feasibility of implementing a paramedicine program within the San Diego County Fire Protection District. The recommendation, which called for an expanded delivery... — Updated 5/24/2021
Borrego's Human Safety Net: The Borrego Ministers Association
One thing that makes Borrego Springs a special place to live is the way the community cares for the most vulnerable and needy. Due to the isolation and distance from urban centers and urban social services, when the pandemic hit the community hard, volunteers, businesses and... — Updated 5/13/2021
BVEF Abandons 2nd Clinic
The Borrego Valley Endowment Fund (BVEF) announced Pioneer Memorial Healthcare District (PMHD) has withdrawn from negotiations to operate a new medical clinic in Borrego Springs. The announcement was made via a press release from Dr. David Garmon on April 25, 2021. Bruce Kelley,... — Updated 5/7/2021
BVEF-REACH Agreement Expires
In rural Borrego Springs, a person or persons, suffering from an injury, onset of a critical illness or medical condition that can be fatal or trauma-related, is 75 miles from the nearest hospitals equipped to deal with such events. Where life and death are literally a matter of m... — Updated 4/29/2021
California Expands Vaccine
California Public Health updated its vaccine guidelines to open eligibility on March 15 to public transit workers, commercial airline workers and those living and working in congregate living spaces, including people experiencing homelessness and those in federal immigrant... — Updated 4/29/2021
BCHF: Exits Non-Medical Services
New Non-Profit Management Needed to Keep Borrego Springs’ Frugal Coyote, Children’s Center and Mountain View Assisted Living Cottages Open. Borrego Health is looking for people to take over the operations of the non-profit, Frugal Coyote Boutique and Resale Shop, the... — Updated 4/23/2021
BSPAC Announces Fall Schedule
After being dark for a year, the Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center (BSPAC) is announcing a series of fall performances, beginning with the Annual Opening Gala, November 20, 2021, featuring the four-part harmony of the MoonRays and Cufflink Crooners. The MoonRays harmonize... — Updated 4/6/2021
Big News on COVID-19 Vaccinations
California takes a big step to stop the virus by extending COVID-19 vaccine eligibility on April 1 to everyone aged 50 and older, then to everyone aged 16 and older on April 15. Blue Shield is expected to take full administrative control on March 31. This opens the window to... — Updated 4/1/2021
BSPAC: "Bring Up The Lights"
The Performing Arts Center, like so many other organizations in Borrego, was financially hurt by having to cancel its seasonal program last year due to the pandemic. Despite a dismal year in revenues, the Center’s Board of Directors aren’t looking back, but forward to the... — Updated 3/22/2021
BCHF: One Clinic or Two?
When the only health care you can afford, or count on to provide adequate treatment whether long-term or occasional – can’t deliver, what do you do? In the case of the Borrego Springs Clinic, the Borrego Sun’s solution was to find out what’s going on at the Borrego Communi... — Updated 3/4/2021
BCHF: Temporary Reprieve
Individuals covered by Medi-Cal/Medicaid insurance can continue receiving medical services at the Borrego Springs Clinic, as the result of a temporary agreement reached by the state Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and Borrego Community Health Foundation (BCHF)... — Updated 3/3/2021
Goodbyes to Paul and Andrea Taylor
Andrea and Paul Taylor are leaving Borrego and moving back to England. Since 2008, Anyone calling ABDNHA has heard Andrea Taylor’s voice on the phone recording. She will be missed at ABDNHA and by Borrego’s young “Dreamers.” When the fate of these children, known as Deferr... — Updated 3/3/2021
BCHF: Broadwell Healthcare
Mayor Bill Wells of El Cajon refused to enforce the COVID-19 restrictions ordered by Governor Gavin Newsom last November when coronavirus cases surged at the fastest rate since the start of the outbreak. Then on January 25, as outbreaks peaked again, the Mayor led prayers at a... — Updated 2/19/2021
The Invisible Crisis: The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health
Mental health is one of the biggest pandemic problems to be faced in 2021. With the progress in vaccines, it may be possible to better manage the physical impacts and dangers of COVID-19. However, between a sigh of relief based on widespread vaccinations, assuming that occurs... — Updated 1/19/2021
