Le Journal

Now is the time to help the people in your life who might need an extra hand to prepare for this snowstorm. Farmington’s Community and Senior Center is busy, making sure 32 homebound seniors will be able to get the food they need as they weather a major snowstorm. “You find out you log quite a few miles over the years,” said Harry Meyer, a longtime Meals on Wheels delivery driver. He says it’s a waiting game to see if the distributor will bring the Meals on Wheels food on Monday. “If it is, we’ll follow the plow trucks and get to deliver them,” he said. But, just in case, H.O.P.E Partners of Farmington is preparing for an emergency. “They have all got their shelf stable meal ahead of time,” said Toni Andreoli, executive director of H.O.P.E. Andreoli says this is the first time clients have received a shelf-stable meal all season, and everyone is stocked up with extra snacks too. The town of Farmington tells us 187 people are on an ‘at risk’ list, including seniors and people with disabilities. “We actually check on people to make sure they’re doing ok,” said Nancy Parent, of Farmington Community and Social Services. “In the event we have to do something more severe like opening up a shelter, we have a whole plan to get them there.” “Depending on the snow, we will continue to get people to chemo and dialysis appointments, today we’re helping people get to the grocery store,” said Parent. As the winter weather blows through, people in Farmington say a little extra care for others can go a long way. “Never assume, call your mom, call your dad. They may say they’re fine, but loneliness is a real epidemic,” said Andreoli. To learn more about Farmington’s social services, joining their at-risk list, and Meals on Wheels ahead of the storm, click here.

A multi-vehicle crash involving an overturned big rig sent a person to the hospital and closed all lanes westbound Highway 24 at Highway 13 Thursday afternoon, according to authorities. Oakland Fire said the crash involved a total of nine vehicles. The status of the person taken to the hospital is unknown. CHP said traffic was being diverted to Highway 13. An estimated time for reopening has not been provided.