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MARCH 25–COVID, FLU, NOROVIRUS GETTING QUIETER ON THE EASTERN FRONT
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Welcome to the Northeastern edition of Outbreak Outlook! It is only available to paid subscribers. If you wish to become a paid subscriber and access region-specific information, please click the Subscribe now button below. Thanks for reading! -Caitlin Respiratory DiseasesILIFlu season is finally almost behind us. Outpatient influenza-like illness (ILI) dropped from 3.9% to 3.4% in the region. Activity is still above baseline, meaning we are still in flu season, but at least things are still headed in the right direction. It will be a few more weeks yet before we are in the clear. Northeast Region: ILI Activity
Percent of doctors visits for ILI symptoms
 Across the Northeast, there were decreases in the rate of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness. Notable decreases in outpatient visits for ILI were seen in Rhode Island (-1.9 points) and New Hampshire (-0.6 points). Connecticut and Massachusetts also saw significant decreases of about 0.5 points. New Jersey has the highest rate of outpatient visits for ILI in the region, at 5% (compared to <2.5% for most of the region), but it too saw a decline this past week. In terms of more severe illness, emergency department visits for influenza now account for roughly 2% or less of all ED visits and declined in every state in the region in the past week. Hospitalizations are similarly improving across almost the entire region. Every state except New Hampshire reported a decrease in the influenza hospitalization rate. Connecticut reported a particularly steep drop in hospitalizations – down 1.9 points to 2.7 hospitalizations per 100,000, and Pennsylvania and Maine also reported substantial declines of 1.1 and 1.2 points, respectively. Northeast Region: Change in ILI Activity
Percent of doctors visits for ILI symptoms
 COVID-19Covid-19 is also improving across the Northeast. Wastewater data continue to look good—levels have dropped dramatically since December, and concentration is now similar to last July. Emergency department visits declined across the entire region, too. Northeast Region: New COVID-19 Hospitalizations
Average rate per 100,000 population
 New hospital admissions for Covid-19 also continue to decline, and are low across the region. Most states in the region saw substantial declines in new hospitalizations, including Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Vermont wins most improved of the week, with a decline of 44.4% and lowest overall rate at 1.6 new admissions per 100,000. New Jersey and New York saw more moderate declines in hospitalizations (between 16-18%), and Maine and Massachusetts held steady. Northeast Region: Change in New COVID-19 Hospitalizations
Weekly new hospitalizations per 100,000
 Stomach BugsNorovirus activity fell from 13.7% to 12.8% test positivity. This is the fourth week in a row that test positivity has declined, so my confidence is growing that we have past peak season in the region. Still, activity will likely remain high through April. ‘ The best way to prevent norovirus is to wash your hands using soap and water. Prevent onward transmission by staying home until 48 hours after symptoms resolve, and avoid preparing food for others during that time. Northeast Region: Norovirus Activity
Test Positivity, Percentage
 Food recallsThe following foods are being recalled because they are contaminated. Please check your cupboards and throw out any of these items: New
Previously reported:
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COVID, FLU, NOROVIRUS GETTING QUIETER ON THE EASTERN FRONT
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Welcome to the Northeastern edition of Outbreak Outlook! It is only available to paid subscribers. If you wish to become a paid subscriber and access region-specific information, please click the Subscribe now button below. Thanks for reading! -Caitlin Respiratory DiseasesILIFlu season is finally almost behind us. Outpatient influenza-like illness (ILI) dropped from 3.9% to 3.4% in the region. Activity is still above baseline, meaning we are still in flu season, but at least things are still headed in the right direction. It will be a few more weeks yet before we are in the clear. Northeast Region: ILI Activity
Percent of doctors visits for ILI symptoms
Across the Northeast, there were decreases in the rate of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness. Notable decreases in outpatient visits for ILI were seen in Rhode Island (-1.9 points) and New Hampshire (-0.6 points). Connecticut and Massachusetts also saw significant decreases of about 0.5 points. New Jersey has the highest rate of outpatient visits for ILI in the region, at 5% (compared to <2.5% for most of the region), but it too saw a decline this past week. In terms of more severe illness, emergency department visits for influenza now account for roughly 2% or less of all ED visits and declined in every state in the region in the past week. Hospitalizations are similarly improving across almost the entire region. Every state except New Hampshire reported a decrease in the influenza hospitalization rate. Connecticut reported a particularly steep drop in hospitalizations – down 1.9 points to 2.7 hospitalizations per 100,000, and Pennsylvania and Maine also reported substantial declines of 1.1 and 1.2 points, respectively. Northeast Region: Change in ILI Activity
Percent of doctors visits for ILI symptoms
COVID-19Covid-19 is also improving across the Northeast. Wastewater data continue to look good—levels have dropped dramatically since December, and concentration is now similar to last July. Emergency department visits declined across the entire region, too. Northeast Region: New COVID-19 Hospitalizations
Average rate per 100,000 population
New hospital admissions for Covid-19 also continue to decline, and are low across the region. Most states in the region saw substantial declines in new hospitalizations, including Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Vermont wins most improved of the week, with a decline of 44.4% and lowest overall rate at 1.6 new admissions per 100,000. New Jersey and New York saw more moderate declines in hospitalizations (between 16-18%), and Maine and Massachusetts held steady. Northeast Region: Change in New COVID-19 Hospitalizations
Weekly new hospitalizations per 100,000
Stomach BugsNorovirus activity fell from 13.7% to 12.8% test positivity. This is the fourth week in a row that test positivity has declined, so my confidence is growing that we have past peak season in the region. Still, activity will likely remain high through April. ‘ The best way to prevent norovirus is to wash your hands using soap and water. Prevent onward transmission by staying home until 48 hours after symptoms resolve, and avoid preparing food for others during that time. Northeast Region: Norovirus Activity
Test Positivity, Percentage
Food recallsThe following foods are being recalled because they are contaminated. Please check your cupboards and throw out any of these items: New
Previously reported:
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PLANNING BOARD MEETS TUESDAY 7 PM–AGENDA
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WHITE PLAINS PLANNING BOARD
AGENDA FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING OF
MARCH 26, 2024 – 7:00PM
(Adjourned meeting that was scheduled for March 19, 2024)
NEXT REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD – April 20, 2024
ADOPTION OF FEBRUARY 20, 2024 and FEBRUARY 27, 2024 MEETING MINUTES
SCHEDULE PUBLIC HEARINGS
(207-24) 3 Kenneth Road – Site Plan Amendment, Legalization of a Deck –
Environmentally Sensitive Site.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
(200-24) 20 Paddock Road; R1-20 Zoning District – Site Plan Amendment for an Inground Swimming Pool. Environmentally Sensitive Site – Steep Slopes.
OTHER
(203-24) 60 South Kensico Avenue – One Year Extension of a Site Plan Approval
for a 12-Unit Building.
(204-24) 63 Lake Street (formerly 65 Lake Street) – One-year extension of the site
plan approval for the proposed 56-unit multi-family residential project.
Sixth Extension – Common Council referral.
(205-24) 146 Westmoreland Avenue – One-year extension of the site plan and
special permit approval to allow the construction of a mixed-use building
with 62 apartments, and ground floor retail space. Seventh Extension.
Common Council referral.
(206-24) Galleria Site – Petition to (1) amend the Zoning Ordinance to establish a
new zoning district entitled “Transit Development-2 (TD-2) District”; and
(2) amend the zoning map of the City of White Plains to reclassify section
125.75, block 4, lots 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 from the B-6 Enclosed Mall District to the
newly established TD-2 District. A DEIS is required. The DEIS Draft Scoping
Outline is referred to the Planning Board for comment.
(201-23) One White Plains Comprehensive Plan – Review of Draft Document
(208-24) 199-201 East Post Road – Amendment to the approval resolution to allow the
option of payment of a fee in lieu of upgrading sanitary sewer infrastructure.
ADJOURNED
(104-22) Farrell Estates at Ridgeway Subdivision – 336-400 Ridgeway, _ Gedney
Esplanade, 213-223 Bryant Avenue; R1-30 Residential Single-Family Zoning
District – 106 Lot Subdivision. Environmentally Sensitive Site.
(234-23) 154 Purdy Avenue; R1-12.5 Zoning District – Site Plan Amendment for a
house Addition. Environmentally Sensitive Site.
(202-24) 15 Commerce Street; R1-5 Zoning District – Site Plan Application for a
Single-Family House. Environmentally Sensitive Site.
SHIMSKY ON THE EDGEMONT INCORPORATION, PCB’S IN THE HUDSON, FRACKING PROHIBITION
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District 92 | News You Can Use
Fighting PCB Pollution in the Hudson River
This week, I joined my colleagues in the Legislature and the Friends of a Clean Hudson coalition in calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to enforce full remediation of PCBs in the Hudson River. From 1947 to 1977, General Electric dumped more than a million pounds this “forever” chemical into the Upper Hudson River, and dangerous levels have been found all the way down to New York Harbor — accumulating in the river’s sediment, fish, and plant life. The EPA must recommit to eradicating PCBs in the Hudson, for the public health and safety of all our communities. Read my full statement here: Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky Calls on the EPA
Legislation to Prohibit Use of Carbon Dioxide Both houses of the Legislature recently passed legislation that would prohibit the use of carbon dioxide to extract natural gas and oil resources, a process often referred to as “fracking” (A.8866/S.08357). In 2021, after an extensive investigation that studied the environmental impacts of fracking, New York banned high-volume hydraulic fracking, which uses a mixture of water and harmful chemicals. This bill expands the existing prohibition to include the use of carbon dioxide.
Edgemont-Greenburgh Update
On Wednesday night, the Center for Governmental Research (CGR) presented their draft assessment of the potential impacts of Edgemont incorporation. CGR’s study has provided much useful information to consider, but also raised more questions than it answered. Undertaken quickly and limited in scope, the study projects just one year post-incorporation, relies upon a number of questionable assumptions, and omits potentially significant contingency costs. I raised concerns at the meeting over the lack of projections for major capital projects in Edgemont — such as water infrastructure, climate resilience, and new municipal facilities — as well as for the loss of revenue in the Town of Greenburgh’s commercial tax base. The complete report is due April 1, and will be available to the public on their Edgemont Impact Study website. In the meantime, the video recording of their presentation can be viewed here. To date, no petitions have been submitted in what would be a third attempt by incorporation advocates to qualify for a referendum vote on Edgemont. Last year, I co-sponsored two bills to modernize and strengthen the process for village incorporation in New York State (A.7754 and A.7761). Among other provisions, they created the requirement for current fiscal and operational impact studies of pending incorporation — similar to the study CGR is currently preparing for Edgemont and Greenburgh — and established a new State commission to determine the viability of incorporation. When chapter amendments were proposed exempting Edgemont and Greenburgh through 2040 (A.8572 and A.8573), I opposed them, and I voted against them when they came back to the Assembly in January. We should all want the safeguards that our new village incorporations laws provide, both to make sure that existing towns are protected and to provide voters with current information on which to base their decisions. Read my press release here: Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky Responds to CGR Study
A New Appointment I am pleased to share that Speak Heastie has appointed me to the 2024-25 Joint Budget Subcommittee on General Government and Local Assistance. It was an honor to be selected, and I look forward to contributing to these joint sessions. You can find updates on the budget process here on the Assembly website.
Westchester County The Westchester County Department of Planning is crafting its Consolidated Plan, a five-year plan to assess affordable housing needs and development goals in the 31 municipalities that make up the Urban County Consortium. The Plan defines strategies to address housing, community development needs, and current market conditions for all of the municipalities in the Urban County Consortium. Once completed, the plan helps to inform the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on how federal funding should be allocated through the CDBG, HOME, and ESG programs over the next five years. To ensure the success of the next Consolidated Plan, the Westchester County Planning Department is seeking community input from residents, business owners, nonprofits, and public housing authorities through online surveys. The communities that make up the Westchester Urban County Consortium are: Ardsley, Bedford, Briarcliff Manor, Bronxville, Cortlandt, Croton-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Elmsford, Greenburgh, Hasting-on-Hudson, Irvington, Larchmont, Lewisboro, Mamaroneck Town, Mamaroneck Village, Mount Kisco, New Castle, North Salem, Ossining Town, Ossining Village, Peekskill, Pelham Village, Pleasantville, Port Chester, Rye Brook, Rye Town, Scarsdale, Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, Tuckahoe, and Yorktown. Complete a survey as a community resident Complete a survey as a stakeholder
Presidential Primary Election
Early voting in the 2024 Presidential Primary begins today, March 23, and will run through Saturday, March 30. Westchester County residents can cast their ballots at any of 24 early voting centers. For a schedule, list of locations, and other information, visit Early Voting 2024 at the Westchester County Board of Elections. Presidential Primary Day is Tuesday, April 2. The polls will be open from 6 AM to 9 PM. Voters can confirm their polling place here. Please note that, in New York State, only registered Democratic and Republican voters are eligible to vote in their respective party’s presidential primary. For registration, mail-in ballots, and all other voting information, visit the Westchester County Board of Elections. |
RIDGEWAY FLOODS AGAIN IN 10 HOURS OF RAIN. 2 INCHES OF RAIN CREATES. LAKE ON FIRST 100 YARDS OF FAIRWAY OFF LITTLE JOHN INUNDATES DESERTED TENNIS COURTS WITH FOOT OF WATER.
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FROZEN PATCHES OF FLOODED WATER (FOREGROUND) ON GREEN OF FORMER FAIRWAY ( LEFTOVER FROM LAKE OF RAINWATER ON FORMER FIRST FAIRWAY THIS MORNING 7 A.M. THE “LAKE” LAST NIGHT SPRAWLED ACROSS THE ENTIRE WIDTH OF THE FAIRWAY LAST NIGHT AT TWILIGHT.
FORMER TENNIS COURTS ON UPWARDS SLOPE TO THE RIGHT IN PHOTO BELOW(NOT SHOWN) THIS MORNING IN PICTURE BELOW WERE INUNDATED BY A FOOT OF WATER SATURDAY EVENING. THE FLOOD WATERS FROM 2 INCHES OF RAIN WERE UP TO THE EDGE OF RIDGEWAY AVENUE. ADJACENT TO TENNIS COURTS
TENNIS COURT AREA BELOW THIS MORNING
IN THE TWILIGHT LAST NIGHT THE TENNIS COURTS ABOVE WERE FLOODED WITH RISE OF THE 10 HOUR LAKE RISE, UP AND OVER THE LEVEL OF THE FORMER COURTS AND FILLED BASELINE TO BASELINE WITH APPROXIMATELY A FOOT OF WATER, INDICATED BY THE LEAVES CAUGHT IN THE CHAINLINK FENCING.
(EDITOR’S NOTE:) Observation last night was stunning to me.
Considering at the very least this latest weather event which lasted only 10 hours would behoove the developer to study thoroughly the conditions under the property on the high and lowest slopes of the former golf course. How can 12 hours of rain cause such a flood? And what would it do to the foundations of 106 houses planned?
it is sobering to think that if a Category One hurricane or tropical storm should swoop through and dump 10 inches or more of rain on any new 100 home development what that would do to those homes without flooding mitigation efforts undertaken before any homes are built– John Bailey
WESTCHESTER COUNTY OBSERVES WORLD TUBERCULOSIS DAY
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WESTCHESTER COUNTY OBSERVES WORLD TUBERCULOSIS DAY – MARCH 24
(White Plains, NY) – To commemorate the discovery in 1882 of the bacteria that causes Tuberculosis, the Westchester County Department of Health will partner with Westchester Medical Center and New York Medical College to present a symposium for healthcare providers and medical students, “TB in the Hudson Valley,” on Monday, March 25 at New York Medical College.
To heighten awareness that Tuberculosis remains a concern, the Westchester County Department of Health encourages residents to ask their medical provider if Tuberculosis (TB) screening is right for them.
An estimated 1.7 billion people worldwide are infected with TB. In the United states, 13 million people of all ages have latent TB. If the disease is left untreated, they may develop active TB in the future, spread the disease and feel quite ill. However, they do not have any TB symptoms and cannot spread TB now.
In 2023, 35 Westchester County residents, ranging in age from 10 to 92 years old, were confirmed to have active TB. TB also touched the lives of many who were exposed to someone with infectious TB at work, school or home, in a social setting or a healthcare facility. This included 67 children under age 12, who underwent evaluations in Westchester County Department of Health Clinics and 11 children younger than five years old, who required medication to prevent illness following prolonged household exposures.
Health Commissioner Sherlita Amler, MD, said: “Screening by a medical provider is important because this disease can affect anyone, and those who don’t know they have early disease can spread TB to people around them, even when they have no symptoms. The right treatment can stop TB.”
TB germs are spread through the air when a person with active TB disease coughs or sneezes. Tuberculosis disease begins with an infection without symptoms that later develops into disease in five to 15 percent of people. For every case of active TB, there are at least 1,500 people with latent infection. Nearly all new cases of active TB come from people with latent disease who develop symptoms and then spread infection.
The best way to stop the spread of TB is to identify people with latent infection via a simple TB skin or blood test and follow-up with antibiotic treatment. Most people are unaware they are at risk to develop TB disease and it is only through testing that they can be identified and treated. Young children, people who are pregnant or those with a weakened immune system due to diabetes, cancer or HIV are at greatest risk to develop active disease. If untreated, TB can lead to permanent disability or death.
To protect the public, the health department provides care and medication with no out-of-pocket cost to people diagnosed with active TB. Last year, 36 people in Westchester County were newly identified with active TB. To decrease the likelihood that TB will spread to others, the Health Department also:
· Works collaboratively with healthcare providers who manage the care of Westchester residents with active TB to assure the best possible treatment and outcome
· Verifies that people with active TB do not attend school, work and other places where they could spread TB until treatment makes them non-contagious
· Manages complex cases of multi-drug resistant TB.
The Health Department evaluates and potentially treats inactive (latent) TB in:
· Children 12-19 years old and adults who are candidates for a shortened treatment,
· Children under 5 years old, who are at increased risk for developing active TB, and
· Pregnant and post-partum women.
Amler said: “Early detection and treatment is so important and preventive TB treatment is much more convenient than it once was. A smartphone app and a new four-month treatment regimen help us reduce the number of active cases of TB in Westchester. And for those without symptoms, a three or four month course of oral medication, rather than the old regimen of six months or more, makes it easier for adults and children who do not have symptoms to compete their therapy and limit the spread of TB.”
For more information, call the Westchester County Department of Health at (914) 813-5000 or visit the Health Department website at www.westchestergov.com/health.
3 sentenced to 31 YEARS FOR SELLING GHOST GUNS
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WESTCHESTER DISTRICT ATTORNEY MIRIAM ROCHA
THREE SENTENCED TO A COMBINED 31 YEARS IN PRISON FOR SALE OF GHOST GUNS IN YONKERS
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah announced Friday that three defendants were sentenced to a combined 31 years in state prison for selling more than 30 ghost guns in Yonkers after trafficking them from Washington, D.C. to Westchester County in 2022.
DA Rocah said: “This case underscores our tireless and proactive efforts to stop the proliferation of illegal firearms. These significant sentences are a result of our prosecutors, investigators and our law enforcement partners working in sync to dismantle gun trafficking networks into Westchester County.”
· Netaly Pena-Camilo, 28, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced before Judge Robert Prisco on Mar. 20 to 15 years in state prison, with 5 years of post-release supervision, after pleading guilty to two counts of Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the First Degree, Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the Second Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, and Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree.
· Jose Gregorio Olivo-Feliz, 29, of Yonkers, was sentenced before State Supreme Court Judge James McCarty on Sept. 7, 2023, to nine years in state prison, with five years of post-release supervision, after pleading guilty to Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the First Degree
· Pedro Junior Olivo-Feliz, 23, of Yonkers, was sentenced before Judge McCarty on Sept. 7, 2023, to seven years in state prison, with five years of post-release supervision, after pleading guilty to Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the First Degree.
Between April 28 and June 24, 2022, the defendants transported illegal firearms from Washington, D.C. to Yonkers and sold a total of 31 un-serialized firearms—also known as ghost guns—and two conventional firearms on five separate occasions to undercover law enforcement agents.
The Yonkers Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Agency D43 (DEA) arrested Jose Gregorio Olivo-Feliz and Pedro Junior Olivo-Feliz on June 24, 2022. Pena-Camilo was apprehended in Washington, D.C. on June 29, 2022, by members of the investigative team, with assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia.
The joint investigation, which shut down an “Iron Pipeline” of illegal firearms, was initiated by the Yonkers Police Department’s Narcotics Unit in partnership with the DEA, the New York City Police Department, the New York State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Violent Criminal Enterprise Bureau of the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Rachel Ehrhardt and Kevin Jones, both of the Trials and Investigations Division.
WHITE PLAINS WEEK TONIGHT 7:30 PM EDT THE MARCH 22 REPORT COUNTY WIDE FIOS CH. 45 WP OPTIMUM CH 76 AND www.wpcommunitymedia.org
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(Photo by Steve Morton, Morton Pictures)
JOHN BAILEY AND THE NEWS
THIS WEEK EVERY WEEK
ON WHITE PLAINS WEEK
THE NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW NO ONE ELSE TELLS YOU
THIS WEEK:
GOVERNOR HOCHUL ON GETTING CONTRACEPTIVES AT PHARMACIES WITHOUT A PRESCRIPTION
THE FORMS YOU AND YOUR PHARMACIST FILL OUT
PLANNING BOARD CANCELLED! ONEWHITEPLAINS PLAN, FARRELL ESTATES, GALLERIA ZONING TAKEN UP TUESDAY
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS DR. JOSEPH RICCA ON THE “HOLD-IN-PLACE” INCIDENT ON WEDNESDAY
WESTCHESTER D.A. CHARGES WESTCHESTER HEALTH DEPUTY COMMISSIONER
WHITE PLAINS MAN ARRESTED ON GHOST GUN MATTER
COUNTY BOARD OF LEGISLATORS CALL ON GOVERNOR TO RESTORE
SCHOOL FOUNDATION AID AND PASSAGE OF 3.2 COST OF LIVING
DIRECT SUPPORT SALARY ENHANCEMENTS FOR EMPLOYEES WHO CARE FOR THE DISABLED
COUNTY EXECUTIVE GEORGE LATIMER ON THE COUNTY SALES TAXES
GIVEN TO TOWNS AND VILLAGES THIS YEAR
SPECIAL GUEST: JANET LANGSAM CEO OF ARTS WESTCHESTER ON WHY ART IS GOOD FOR YOU
WHITE PLAINS WEEK WHERE THE NEWS JUST KEEPS ON COMING
TONIGHT AT 8: ARTSWESTCHESTER CEO JANET LANGSAM ON HER 33 YEARS GROWING THE ARTS IN WESTCHESTER NY USA COUNTYWIDE ON FIOS CH45, IN WHITE PLAINS OPTIMUM CH 76 AND WWW.WPCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG
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