It is best to get vaccinated before flu viruses begin spreading in the community because it takes approximately two weeks after vaccination for the antibodies to develop and provide protection against the flu. However, people can be vaccinated anytime during flu season.

The most effective way to protect against the flu is to get vaccinated.

Flu shots at the clinic in Mesquite are by appointment only Tuesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. Closed noon — 1 p.m. Call 702-759-0850 or 702-759-1682. Mesquite Public Health Center/Jimmie Hughes Campus, 150 N. Yucca St., Suites 3 & 4, Mesquite, NV 89027

For information at other locations in Nevada, call 702-759-0850 or go to their website - https://www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/about-us/maps/mesquite-public-health-center

Mobile COVID-19 testing at The Jimmie Hughes Campus, is administered by Curative, 2 days a week (Tuesday and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.). This is a shallow nasal PCR test, is self-collected and painless.

Walk-ups are welcomed and appointments can be made by visiting https://curative.com. Results are typically back within 48 hours.

COVID -19 Vaccinations are available at our local pharmacies - Walgreen's, Walmart and Smith's. Check each location whether you can walk in or if you need an appointment.

The Virgin Valley Theater Group is presenting an Original Melodrama Musical "Drama At The Diner" three weekends in October beginning on October 8. Tickets are $20 and available at:

I want to commend my colleague, Councilman George Gault, for his vision and perseverance in establishing a Science-Technology-Engineering-Arts-Mathematics program for students in three school districts -- Virgin Valley, Moapa Valley and Beaver Dam.

There was a signing ceremony last week whereby the Charles & Phyllis M. Frias Charitable Trust donated the Mesquite Plaza strip mall to Mesquite Works, of which George is a founding member. The Plaza will be renovated and STEAM will be housed at this location.

Children are our future and I am excited that such an educational program is being developed in our community. Thank you, George!

On September 9 at City Hall, I attended a development agreement signing with the Dixie and Anne Leavitt Foundation. Their project is a master-planned community that combines quality living accommodations, small business and restaurant spaces, along with a public park that will interactively record the history of the Virgin Valley. An interesting book about the early times in our area is A River and a Road: In Honor of Mesquite, Nevada's Centennial 1994 by Dorothy Dawn Frehner Thurston. It illustrates the lives of the early settlers in Mesquite and the hardships they overcame - a fantastic read about our community.

The City welcomes our new Financial Director/Treasurer, Nicole (Nikki) Thorn. She comes to our team from the City of North Las Vegas and has a strong background in accounting, budgeting, and financial management, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Psychology. She is an ambitious manager who uses creativity, teamwork, and leadership to effectively execute initiatives and cost-effective solutions. She is able to successfully manage multiple assignments while meeting tight deadlines.

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Be safe, everyone.

Karen