Before we get into a story that involves dams, reservoirs, and irony: A reminder that this edition of The Newsletter includes, as always, a carefully curated news digest that makes it easy for you to quickly find the most important stories happening in your community this week. Also: A brief intro to a nonprofit doing good work AND a seasonal recipe. It's an effortless scroll—but first:
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By Eric Johnson
Published Sep 16, 2024
Loch Lomond, the reservoir that supplies the city of Santa Cruz with a significant portion of its drinking water, is also a beautiful recreational and natural resource.
Dams and Reservoirs: Up and Down
California Dams Get Raised and Razed
As a lifelong sworn environmentalist, I have always felt a little bit guilty about the fact that I love reservoirs—and if I'm honest the dams that create them. As a kid growing up in New Jersey just outside Manhattan, the Oradell Reservoir was my refuge, and the place where I discovered nature. When I moved to the Santa Cruz Mountains soon after high school, the Loch Lomond reservoir was walking distance from my home and became another refuge.
I saw my first eagle at the Oradell Reservoir when I was 16, and my first mountain lion at Loch Lomond when I was 19. I mention this not out of pure nostalgia, but to pont out that beyond their intended benefit of storing water for human use, reservoirs can be inherently good, in that they support rich and healthy ecosystems. And yes: Dams throughout California and the West have massively disrupted fisheries and threaten keystone species such as Chinook salmon with extinction.
So this week, a nuanced look at some dams throughout the state that are going up and coming down.
The Ups and Downs of California Dams
We check in on efforts to raise some dams in the state to store more water, and to raze some dams to to let water run free.
Recipe of the Week
Our friends at Sacramento Digs Gardening publish a recipe from their gardens every Sunday, which we feature here so you can start your week with some yum.
See more recipes in their Taste Fall! cookbook.
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From Our Media Allies |
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Community Invited to Participate in Placer Zoning Text Amendment Workshops, Town Hall Meeting |
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The Placer County Community Development Resource Agency is seeking public input into its proposed 2024 Zoning Text Amendment initiative, with multiple workshops beginning in September and a town hall meeting Oct. 15. |
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Placer Supervisors Ask Governor for Insurance State of Emergency |
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With residents and businesses facing dire insurance affordability challenges, the Placer County Board of Supervisors on September 10 approved a resolution asking California Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency for homeowners and commercial property insurance. |
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Community Invited to Participate in Zoning Text Amendment Town Hall Meeting |
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The Placer County Community Development Resource Agency is seeking public input into its proposed 2024 Zoning Text Amendment initiative, with multiple workshops beginning in September and a town hall meeting Oct. 15. |
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Tahoe El Dorado Area Plan Approaches End of Phase 1 |
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In their second virtual workshop of the summer, El Dorado County's team for the Tahoe El Dorado (TED) Area Plan presented the feedback and engagement they've received over the summer and discussed the next steps. The team projects that the … |
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Is There a Solution to Pothole Ridden Roads in Tahoe? |
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Whether it's the spilled beverage or a popped tire, residents or those traveling through the Tahoe region have likely encountered pothole and crack ridden roads. |
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Funding Awarded to Reduce Wildfire Risk and Increase Vegetation Management in North Lake Tahoe |
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In an effort to reduce wildfire risk in North Lake Tahoe, the Placer County Board of Supervisors on September 10 approved a $145,491 contract award to Bella Wildfire & Forestry Inc. to fund vegetation management and fuel load reduction work … |
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Supervisors to Hear Gutted Village at Palisades Tahoe Specific Plan |
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The Village at Palisades Tahoe Specific Plan will be heard by the County Board of Supervisors later this year after the Placer County Planning Commission gave conditional approval to the redevelopment project with modifications to the Mountain Adventure Camp facility. |
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Rocklin Assistant City Manager Announces Retirement |
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Rocklin Assistant City Manager Sherri Conway recently announced her intention to retire in December. Conway was hired as assistant city manager in October 2021 with 30 years of experience serving municipalities in New York state and Placer County. |
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Vulnerable to Cyber Attack, Loomis Replaces Computers |
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Found vulnerable to computer hackers, Loomis Town government is doubling down on cybersecurity. |
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City Hall Agrees to Continue E-Bike Shop in Old Folsom |
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The city of Folsom agreed on a lease with Practical Cycle to continue operating the Pedal Stop bike parking lot near old Sutter Street. |
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Hoarding Case Strains Over-Full Sacramento Shelter |
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The already over-full Front Street Animal Shelter in Sacramento recently took in 34 dogs from a hoarding case, most of them chihuahuas. |
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Hundreds Attend Lincoln Protest of Homeless Medical Respite Center |
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Hundreds of community members showed up Saturday to protest the proposed homeless medical respite center at 1660 3rd street in Lincoln. |
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Folsom Teen Council Earns Community Achievement Award |
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The Folsom Teen Council has been honored with the Sacramento County District 4 Community Achievement Award for its exceptional contributions during the 2023-24 school year. |
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Nominations Sought for Folsom Arts and Culture Awards |
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The City of Folsom Arts and Culture Commission is now accepting nominations for its prestigious Arts Achievement Recognition Awards, honoring individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the local arts community. |
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Countdown to Caring: Folsom’s Community Service Day Now Boasts Over 65 Projects |
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It’s the final countdown to the day the community of Folsom will come together as one to make their city a little bit better, brighter, cleaner and safer, to name just a few of the many things that will get … |
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Redevelopment and Art District Among Mid-Town Area Plan Priorities |
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The City of South Lake Tahoe City Council confirmed Mid-Town Area Plan priorities at their meeting Tuesday, Sept. 10. |
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South Lake Tahoe Hotels Support Davis Fire Evacuees |
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The City of South Lake Tahoe extends its deepest condolences to those impacted by the Davis fire in the Reno area. South Lake Tahoe residents and business owners experienced the challenges of evacuation during the Caldor wildfire threat in 2021 … |
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County Pens $19.4M for 2 Homeless Shelter Projects, Clarifies Plans |
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The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors approved, at its Sept. 10 meeting, the staff recommendation to spend $19.4 million on two new, innovative projects designed to shelter and house people exiting homelessness directly off the American River Parkway. |
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Placer County Ranks Number One in the Nation for Firewise USA Communities |
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Placer County is now the top-ranked county in the United States and California for the number of communities participating in the Firewise USA program. |
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El Dorado Community Foundation to Host Veterans T.O.T. Grant Writing Workshop |
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El Dorado County Nonprofits serving veterans are invited to attend one of two grant writing workshops coming this fall! Wednesday, September 25 from 1-3 p.m. at CoWork Tahoe, 3079 Harrison Avenue in South Lake Tahoe and Tuesday, October 8 from … |
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Gold Country Fair Junior Livestock Auction Yields 3,500 Pounds of Meat for Feed the Hungry of Auburn |
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Animals purchased by Feed the Hungry of Auburn during the Junior Livestock Auction at the Gold Country Fair last week and several others donated by the community will yield roughly 3,500 pounds of meat for food shelters and closets. |
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Placer Parks Administrator Honored for Fostering Community, Connection to Environment |
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Each year, the community selects nine honorees to highlight for their above-and-beyond service to the city through the Auburn Chamber of Commerce’s Celebrate the Community Awards. Parks Administrator Andy Fisher will be honored next month with the Placer County Award. |
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Blasting Halted After Folsom Homes, Clubhouse Damaged by Debris |
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A Folsom neighborhood was literally rocked on Monday when blasting at a construction site south of Highway 50 sent flying rocks and debris into nearby homes, vehicles, and a community clubhouse, causing multiple incidents of damage. |
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New Folsom Ranch Fire Station Slated to Open Before Month End |
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It was just a year a couple months ago that leaders from the City of Folsom and members of the Folsom Fire Department stood on bare dirt to officially break ground on the city;’s first fire station to be built … |
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Nonprofit Speed Dating Returns to Tahoe |
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El Dorado Community Foundation is proud to announce our third annual Nonprofit Board Member Speed Dating event coming this fall to the South Shore of Lake Tahoe. This event was a big hit these past two years as we introduced … |
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Forest Thinning Continues in Lake Tahoe Basin |
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Tahoe Fire & Fuels Team forest thinning projects are underway and scheduled to continue for the next several weeks, conditions and weather permitting. Some projects are expected to continue through the fall. |
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Fall in Tahoe Is Delicious |
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Culinary delights abound in Tahoe from farm-to-table festivals celebrating the bounties of the harvest, to craft beer and local wine food pairings to a cornucopia of Bavarian-themed Okotberfests. Tahoe's gastronomic events in the fall will delight even the most discriminating … |
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Arts Essential Part of Tahoe’s Community |
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Artists of nearly every medium are called to work, live and create in Tahoe and Truckee from painters and sculptors to fiber artists, songwriters, authors and poets to dancers and musicians, among many others. The arts also represent an important, … |
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Recent Local News |
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• Pacer County Moving Forward With Hidden Falls Regional Park Expansion
In their September 10 meeting, the Placer County Board of Supervisors approved the expansion of Hidden Falls Regional Park by 600 acres and the construction of an additional 8 miles of trails.
(09/16/2024) → Roseville Today• Applications Open for Bus Art Contest
Applications are open for middle and high school students to submit designs for the 2024-25 El Dorado Transit Design a Bus Wrap Contest.
(09/13/2024) → Mountain Democrat• Shingle Springs Miwok Seek to Put Land in Trust
The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok have requested the El Dorado Board of Supervisors to permit placing their recent purchase of Indian Creek Ranch property into federal trust, removing it from county property tax rolls.
(09/13/2024) → Mountain Democrat• Candidate Profile: Bradley Popejoy
An introduction to Bradley Popejoy who is running for the El Dorado Irrigation District Board of Directors to represent Division 3 in November.
(09/13/2024) → Mountain Democrat• Candidate Profile: Charles Mansfield
An introduction to Charles Mansfield who is running for El Dorado Irrigation District Division 3 director.has thrown his hat in the ring to serve as the next El Dorado Irrigation District Board of Directors for Division 3 in November.
(09/13/2024) → Mountain Democrat• Alpenglow Festival Raises Over $50,000 for Charity
The Tahoe Beach Club sponsored Alpenglow Festival raised over $50,000 to be granted to local artists and nonprofit Clean Up The Lake.
(09/13/2024) → South Tahoe Now• Tahoe Arts Project Performances Free This Season
With the generous support of their community of donors, the Tahoe Arts Project announced that all public performances of their 38th season will be free of charge.
(09/13/2024) → South Tahoe Now• Bidding Farewell: Auburn City Council Honors Police Chief Kinnan Before His Last Day
Kinnan was honored with an official accommodation and a golden desk clock to mark his nearly six years of service to the city. Kinnan recently announced he would be resigning and was hired as the police chief of Woodland.
(09/13/2024) → Gold Country Media• Auburn Municipal Airport to Mark 90 Years With Community Celebration
The airport has been a cornerstone of Auburn and the surrounding region, evolving from its early days as a mail route stop into a vital hub of aviation and community development. On Oct. 12, the community is invited to come together to celebrate its 90th anniversary.
(09/13/2024) → Gold Country Media• Placer County Agriculture Report Released
The Placer County agriculture report for 2023 was released, and showed a small but steady increase in crop value over the previous year.
(09/13/2024) → Roseville Today• Caldor Fire Hazard Removal Project Begins
The project to remove hazards and stabilize the land impacted by the Caldor Fire in the Pioneer Trail and Echo Summit areas has begun.
(09/12/2024) → South Tahoe Now• Lake Tahoe Unified School District Seeks Area 1 Trustee
As no candidate has filed to run for the open Area 1 seat, the Lake Tahoe Unified School District is seeking a local resident to be appointed to the position.
(09/12/2024) → South Tahoe Now• 31st Annual Golf Classic Set for October 13
The Boys and Girls Club is hosting the 31st annual Golf Classic on October 13 at the at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, with proceeds to benefit the club.
(09/12/2024) → South Tahoe Now• Soroptimist Seek Live Your Dream Applicants
Applicants are sought for Live Your Dream continuing education grants offered by the Soroptimist of Cameron Park/El Dorado Hills nonprofit.
(09/11/2024) → Mountain Democrat• County Elections Staff Discuss Election Security at Public Meeting
In a public meeting held on August 28 in Shingle Springs, county election department staff outlined procedures to ensure election integrity and answered questions from residents.
(09/11/2024) → Mountain Democrat• El Dorado County Juror Stipend Increased
As part of a state pilot program, daily stipends for jury service in El Dorado County have been raised from $15 to $100.
(09/11/2024) → Village Life|
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Recent Statewide News |
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• Audit of Military Equipment Used By UC Police
In compliance of state law, the University of California Regents will be considering the attached audit of inventory and use of military equipment by UC police and a budget request for additional items.
(09/15/2024) → University of California• Which Growing California Communities Will Get the Hottest?
California’s inland regions are experiencing dangerous heat waves, exacerbated by rapid population growth. As more people move away from the expensive coastal areas to more affordable inland communities, these regions are seeing significant demographic changes and spiking electricity bills.
(09/13/2024) → CalMatters• CA Cities Jump on Homeless Encampment Bans
For five years, California officials responding to the homelessness crisis had to work around one big restriction imposed by the federal courts: Because they didn’t have enough shelter beds, cities generally couldn’t make homeless camps illegal.
(09/13/2024) → CalMatters• No Sleeping Bags, Keep Moving: California Cities Increase Crackdown on Homeless Encampments
More than two-dozen California cities passed, strengthened or are considering ordinances that penalize people for sleeping outside, after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed cities to crack down.
(09/11/2024) → CalMatters• California Schools Face Twin Perils: Chronic Absenteeism and Declining Enrollment
California’s public schools have a numbers problem —and it’s not just that their students don’t score very highly in national tests of mathematics ability.
(09/11/2024) → CalMatters• H5N1 Bird Flu Infects California Dairy Cows
H5N1 bird flu has been reported in three California dairy herds.
(09/11/2024) → Los Angeles Times• CA Homeless Count Is Up 8% From 2022
An exclusive CalMatters analysis of the latest California homeless count reveals some good news and bad news: Though the growth rate of homelessness appears to be slowing, the overall number of unhoused Californians increased from two years ago.
(09/10/2024) → CalMatters|
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Government Announcements |
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United States (09/12/2024) Dearborn Sausage Company, Inc. Recalls Wiener Products Due to Misbranding and Undeclared Allergens |
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2024 - Dearborn Sausage Company, Inc., a Dearborn, Mich. establishment, is recalling approximately 1,944 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) wiener products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, the...
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United States (08/30/2024) Hickory Hollow Jerky Recalls Ready-To-Eat Jerky Products Produced Without Benefit of Inspection |
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 30, 2024 - Hickory Hollow Jerky, a Eufaula, Ala., establishment, is recalling approximately 6,229 pounds of ready-to-eat jerky products that were produced without the benefit of federal inspection...
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United States (08/16/2024) FSIS Issues Public Health Alert For Ineligible Meat and Poultry Products Illegally Imported From the Republic of the Union of Myanmar |
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for various meat and poultry products that were...
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United States (08/16/2024) Perdue Foods LLC, Recalls Frozen, Ready-To-Eat Chicken Breast Nugget and Tender Products Due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination |
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2024 - Perdue Foods LLC, a Perry, Ga. establishment, is recalling approximately 167,171 pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat chicken breast nugget and tender products that may be contaminated...
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United States (08/16/2024) FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Ineligible Meat and Poultry Products Illegally Imported from the Republic of the Union of Myanmar |
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for various meat and poultry products that were...
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United States (08/16/2024) Perdue Foods LLC, Recalls Frozen, Ready-To-Eat Chicken Breast Nugget and Tender Products Due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination |
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2024 - Perdue Foods LLC, a Perry, Ga. establishment, is recalling approximately 167,171 pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat chicken breast nugget and tender products that may be contaminated...
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United States (08/01/2024) Metro Produce Distributors Inc. Recalls Fresh Guacamole Because of Possible Health Risk |
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Metro Produce Distributors Inc. of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is voluntarily recalling all Lunds & Byerlys fresh guacamole products with a use-by date of August 2, 2024, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fat
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United States (07/30/2024) Colonna Brothers, Inc. Issues an Updated Voluntary Recall for "1.5oz Marcum Ground Cinnamon & 2.25oz Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon" Because of Possible Health Risk Due to Elevated Lead Levels |
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Colonna Brothers of North Bergen, NJ is voluntarily recalling its 1.5oz Marcum Ground Cinnamon & 2.25oz Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon because of a possible health risk due to elevated lead levels. Short term exposures to very low levels of lead may not elicit any symptoms. It is possible that in
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United States (07/30/2024) Boar's Head Provisions Co. Expands Recall for Ready-To-Eat Meat and Poultry Products Due to Possible Listeria Contamination |
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WASHINGTON, July 30, 2024 - Boar's Head Provisions Co., Inc., a Jarratt, Va., establishment, is expanding its July 26, 2024, recall of deli meat products that may be adulterated with...
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United States (07/29/2024) Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Peanuts in Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert |
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Van Leeuwen Ice Cream of Brooklyn, NY is voluntarily recalling its Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Lot 24V094 pints sold at the 81 Bergen Street Brooklyn, NY location. These pints contain an undeclared allergen, peanuts.
People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanuts run the risk of serious
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