Issue: June 03, 2021

On June 15, California will move “Beyond the Blueprint.” The state’s tiered COVID-19 response plan will be set aside, capacity limitations will be lifted for all business sectors, and physical distancing will no longer be mandated for customers/attendees/guests (as for employers/workplaces, Cal/OSHA has yet to announce how/if its temporary standards will be adjusted). What this means for the economy in Butte County remains to be seen, but businesses are ready to get back to some semblance of “normal.” For this month’s special Business Issue (on stands tomorrow, June 3), the CN&R talked to owners of Chico bars, local business leaders, county employers, a theater director and public health officials for a series of stories on the pandemic’s impact on our county and what the outlook might be for the future of the local economy.

June 15 will also bring a relaxing of face-covering requirements, and we asked locals on the street: “Will you still wear a mask?”

Last, the CN&R Spring Supporter Drive has officially kicked off. Please support the newspaper’s local news and arts coverage as our community begins to transition out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Your help is needed now more than ever!