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Aug 5, 2024 | 
richmondside.org | James Dobbins
It’s unclear how Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order telling state employees to remove homeless encampments will impact Richmond, where dozens of such camps dot the landscape. The governor’s order Thursday follows a June decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that ended protections for homeless people living in encampments in western states. The court upheld an Oregon law banning sleeping outdoors, setting a precedent that allows cities and states to crack down on homeless camps.
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Jul 22, 2024 | 
richmondside.org | James Dobbins
Richmond’s landlords now must pay the highest annual housing fee yet while only being able to increase rents by the lowest percentage allowed since voters first passed rent control. On June 28, the city’s Rent Board approved an almost 8.5% increase in the annual housing fee on all rentals while capping rent increases at 1.4% for the approximately 7,700 units under rent control. The annual housing fee for the 2024-2025 fiscal year will increase to $238 for fully covered units.
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Jul 12, 2024 | 
lookout.co | James Dobbins
Quick Take: As social services and medical providers struggle to deal with fentanyl overdoses, xylazine’s movement from east to west in the U.S. has spawned a new crisis in the making. “Xylazine creates all these other crazy issues like lesions and breaking down of the skin and tissue,” said EMS medical director Dr. David Ghilarducci.
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Jul 12, 2024 | 
lookout.co | James Dobbins
Posted inHealth & Wellness As social services and medical providers struggle to deal with fentanyl overdoses, xylazine’s movement from east to west in the U.S. has spawned a new crisis in the making. “Xylazine creates all these other crazy issues like lesions and breaking down of the skin and tissue,” said EMS medical director Dr. David Ghilarducci.
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Jul 11, 2024 | 
lookout.co | James Dobbins
Quick Take: For years, it has seemed like law enforcement and social services providers have been playing a game of catch-up. Now, with added resources and a new effort at coordination, will their efforts match the growing crisis? Santa Cruz’s record fentanyl-related death toll last year doubled the total for 2022. But are overdose deaths still worsening in 2024? We don’t know.
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Jul 10, 2024 | 
lookout.co | James Dobbins
Quick Take: The toll of misery and death is increasing, as Santa Cruz County now counts a 25-fold increase in fentanyl deaths over five years. A visit to Coral Street, just more than a mile from downtown Santa Cruz, reveals a street scene beyond imagination – but in plain sight. Many days, a dozen or two or more people hang out near the intersection with River Street. They do and sell drugs and recount their painful stories.
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Jun 25, 2024 | 
lookout.co | James Dobbins
Quick Take In the heart of Watsonville, a small church is playing an expanding role in the homeless crisis. What started as an effort to feed the unhoused population along the Pajaro River is expanding into a mini-village of 34 microhomes behind Westview Presbyterian Church that will also host social services. Construction is set to start next month with the goal of housing residents by December.
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Mar 19, 2024 | 
ebayinc.com | James Dobbins
Gucci, Dior, Versace — most everyone has heard of the icons of fashion. Fashionistas may now add a fresh aspirant to their stylish world: an eBay store called Hauz of Findz. Findz is the brainchild of Jessica Gotelli. Her story of reinventing her career by founding her retail brand on eBay began with a pandemic-related furlough three years ago. Jessica was a manager at a luxury clothing boutique when business shut down in Los Angeles.
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Feb 6, 2024 | 
ebayinc.com | James Dobbins
Valentine’s Day is upon us again and eBay sellers are helping buyers get in the mood for love — with a little inspiration from the past. In January and February last year, buyers searched for “vintage valentines” more than 330,000 times. Sellers are hopeful demand continues this year, too, thanks to the emotional draw of these fascinating artifacts. “The images and quality of the vintage cards make my soul sing,” eBay seller Maria Watson said. “I would love to keep some.
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Jan 22, 2024 | 
ebayinc.com | James Dobbins
Sometimes it takes a long time, even decades, of invention and reinvention for eBay sellers to find what works best for them. The first collectible Colin Wells listed on eBay was a vintage Pernod pitcher used to mix water with a herb and spiced French liqueur. His mother bought the piece of pottery for a dollar at a yard sale. When he sold the pitcher for $15 on eBay, the profit surprised him.
