Mortensen named to president’s list
Jared Mortensen, of Morgan Hill, has been named to the 2023-24 winter term president’s list at Oregon Institute of Technology. Mortensen studies Environmental Science. Recipients of the honor achieved a 3.70 grade-point average and above.
Panthers improve to 2-0
Shane Simpson scored four touchdowns and the Bay Area defense allowed only six points per quarter April 6 in a dominant 48-24 win over the Jacksonville Sharks to improve to 2-0 on the Indoor Football League season.
After trailing 6-0 at the end of the first quarter, the Panthers—whose corporate and practice headquarters are based in Morgan Hill—scored 21 points in the second for a 21-12 lead at the half. Simpson scored three touchdowns—a 2-yard run and his first IFL scoring catches from Daquan Neal from 21 and 23 yards
“That’s just something we saw on film and it was awesome we were able to use my versatility as well,” said Simpson. “We put the defense on their heels and work together to get open. We all have each other at the end of the day.”
The Sharks were held to 25 yards rushing on 12 carries and were just 1-6 on third down, says a press release from the Panthers.
Neal ended the night 13-18 for 148 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Felix Harper took over in the final period and closed out the Panthers’ scoring with a 10-yard TD pass to JT Stokes.
Simpson led the Panthers on the ground with 11 carries for 40 yards and two scores along with 47 yards on four receptions with two touchdowns.
The defending IFL champion Panthers will play on the road again next week, facing Tucson at 3pm April 14.
March 5 election results certified
The Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters Office certified the official results of the March 5 presidential primary election with a reported 37% voter turnout, says a press release from the registrar’s office.
“Every election is as important as the next,” Registrar of Voters Shannon Bushey said. “Our passionate and dedicated team works tirelessly to ensure fair, inclusive, accurate and transparent elections. The results of this election exemplify why your vote truly matters.”
The final turnout for the election totaled 383,110 ballots cast, representing 37.39% of the county’s 1,024,622 registered voters.
The official canvass was conducted by the Registrar of Voters’ Office to complete the official counting of all qualified ballots. A manual tally of 1% of the total number of precincts in these contests were also conducted as part of the official canvass.
Within five days after the certification, a voter may request a recount of a specific contest, says the press release. The Registrar of Voters will provide public notice prior to the commencement of any requested recount. For more information on recounts, visit https://vote.santaclaracounty.gov/elections/recounts-and-faqs.
The official election results and detailed reports focusing on overall turnout, turnout by precinct, and more, can be found by visiting the registrar’s website at www.sccvote.org.
Celebrate Earth Day April 20
In honor of Earth Day, the American Association of University Women and the City of Morgan Hill are joining hands to host the third annual Earth Day festival.
The event—which promotes environmental consciousness and sustainable living—will start at 9am April 20 at the Morgan Hill Community & Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road. Festivities include educational activities, live music, climate oriented vendors, food from local food trucks and more, says a press release from the AAUW Morgan Hill chapter.
“From workshops on recycling, induction stovetop demonstrations, composting tips from the pros and interacting with our many vendors on sustainable living, there will be something for everyone,” says the press release.
Kids will have plenty of fun activities to keep them entertained—including face painting, decorating flower pots, planting seeds, learning about honey bees and more.
The Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center will join the festivities. Local environmental organizations will be on hand to share their initiatives and inspire attendees to take action.
“Whether you’re passionate about conservation, renewable energy, or simply want to learn more about how you can make a difference, this festival is the perfect opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and celebrate our planet,” said the AAUW.
For more information, visit http://www.aauwmh.org/climate/.
Low-income healthcare enrollment drops
Low-income residents in Santa Clara County are losing their state-sponsored health care at a time when the public hospital system is experiencing unprecedented demand for services. Medi-Cal members dropped from 458,000 to 425,000 in the county between June 2023 to January, according to a report released last month. Yet the Social Security Administration said these numbers are comparable to pre-pandemic levels, while health advocates said insuring people will be crucial to avoiding already overcrowded emergency rooms at local hospitals.
Officials at the agency said total membership has continued to trend downward after January, but noted that may be due to residents applying for a Covered California plan. While total membership consistently declined, the number of discontinued individuals also sharply declined from 7,224 in November to 2,851 in January.
Bob Brownstein, a strategic advisor with Working Partnerships USA, is coordinating Medi-Cal outreach for the county. He said the main cause for the decrease was the official end of the pandemic, during which residents stayed on Medi-Cal on a rolling basis without needing to re-enroll. Once the state of emergency ended, roughly 400,000 residents had to re-enroll and the county needed to determine if they qualified for Medi-Cal, he said.
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Sidewalk Saturday returns April 13
Downtown Morgan Hill’s monthly Sidewalk Saturdays outdoor retail market will begin for the season on April 13. Vendors will sell handmade, locally crafted and natural products at the outdoor market event, which will take place on Third Street at Depot Street 10am-3pm.
Sidewalk Saturdays will continue on Third Street the second Saturday of the month, from April through December, from 10am-3pm. The event includes live music from 11am-2pm.
During Sidewalk Saturdays, Third Street in downtown Morgan Hill will be partially closed to create “a more festival-like atmosphere,” says the event page at buylocalmorganhill.com.
Drink wine for charity
The Santa Clara Valley Wine Auction, hosted by the Morgan Hill Community Foundation, will take place May 4 at Clos La Chance Winery in Morgan Hill.
The wine auction is an annual fundraiser for the Community Foundation. The event brings together the local community and visitors to discover a unique wine and culinary experience, and to connect with and support local charitable causes. Guests will enjoy Santa Clara Valley wines and curated bites from local vendors. Attendees may even bring home one-of-a-kind auction items featured in silent and live auctions at the event.
A special VIP experience is available for those who want to enjoy early event access, an exclusive selection of local reserve wines, barrel tasting and appetizers.
Proceeds from the May 4 auction will benefit local nonprofits and wineries.
VIP admission tickets (doors open at 5pm) cost $150. General admission tickets (doors open at 6pm) cost $95. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the MH Community Foundation’s website at https://www.morganhillcf.org/events/santa-clara-valley-wine-auction.
