2021 Photojournalist of the Year (Small Market)

Jimeya Lacy, 20-year-old niece, reaches out to hold her uncle Mose Lacy's hands one last time while paying her respects during a public visitation for...

Jimeya Lacy, 20-year-old niece, reaches out to hold her uncle Mose Lacy's hands one last time while paying her respects during a public visitation for the Beecher legend and championship basketball coach on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020 in the Moses Lacy Fieldhouse in Mt. Morris Township. "I loved him with all my heart," she said. "It's been a tough year, and this only makes everything harder."

Maalik Mitchell, 20-year-old son, sheds tears as he says goodbye to his father Calvin "Duper" Munerlyn during a vigil on Sunday, May 3, 2020 in...

Maalik Mitchell, 20-year-old son, sheds tears as he says goodbye to his father Calvin "Duper" Munerlyn during a vigil on Sunday, May 3, 2020 in Flint. Munerlyn, 43, was shot and killed Friday, May 1 at the Family Dollar store off of East Fifth Avenue in Flint. He'd worked at the store as a security guard for a little more than one year. His nickname "Duper" took on a new meaning as a he died standing up for what he believed, and he became "Super Duper." When he heard about his fatherÕs death, Mitchell said he was in denial. ÒIt ainÕt true. It ainÕt true. I donÕt think itÕs true. I donÕt think itÕs true. ItÕs not real. ItÕs not real," he said were the thoughts that ran through his head.

Carol Kaweck, 72 of Midland, wipes away tears, emotionally overcome as she walks through the halls of her 20-year home on Tuesday, May 26, 2020...

Carol Kaweck, 72 of Midland, wipes away tears, emotionally overcome as she walks through the halls of her 20-year home on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 on Sturgeon Creek Parkway on Midland's north side. Midland residents continue to salvage belongings and clean streets and properties of debris after historic flooding caused by dam failures upstream. (Jake May | MLive.com)

George Conway, 16 of Flint, attends a Teach 2 Reach free barber clipper hair cutting class on Monday, Jan. 20, 2020 as an alternative and...

George Conway, 16 of Flint, attends a Teach 2 Reach free barber clipper hair cutting class on Monday, Jan. 20, 2020 as an alternative and positive activity on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in Burton. Conway looks forward to learning the craft, as he one day has aspirations of becoming a professional barber.

Flint resident Ann Johnson leaps in for a turn at double dutch jump rope as hundreds celebrate Juneteenth on Friday, June 19, 2020 in downtown...

Flint resident Ann Johnson leaps in for a turn at double dutch jump rope as hundreds celebrate Juneteenth on Friday, June 19, 2020 in downtown Flint. The Flint City Council approved Juneteenth as an official paid holiday as of 2020, and is among the stateÕs first municipalities to establish the holiday.

Grand Blanc boys basketball players raise their fists to the air as they rally together to take on rival Beecher on Tuesday, March 3, 2020...

Grand Blanc boys basketball players raise their fists to the air as they rally together to take on rival Beecher on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 at Dort Federal Event Center in Flint. The event drew thousands of fans, and Grand Blanc finished victorious 62-55 over the Bucs.

Tasha Jackson helps with her 8-year-old daughter Camille Ervin's hair on Sept. 5, 2020 at their home in Buena Vista. Camille attends third grade at...

Tasha Jackson helps with her 8-year-old daughter Camille Ervin's hair on Sept. 5, 2020 at their home in Buena Vista. Camille attends third grade at Saginaw Preparatory Academy, which offers online classes but also gives students the option of attending classes in person three days a week. Jackson chose the online option. ÒI want to wait until I feel safe,Ó said Jackson, a divorced single parent.

Yasmeen Franks, left, and Tesneem Tuleimat, both 17 and graduating seniors, watch on to a movie screen as a 90-minute graduation film, which includes speeches...

Yasmeen Franks, left, and Tesneem Tuleimat, both 17 and graduating seniors, watch on to a movie screen as a 90-minute graduation film, which includes speeches from students and staff, a class song performance and the formal reading of graduates names as about 650 Grand Blanc High School graduates attend a commencement ceremony on Thursday, June 4, 2020 at US-23 Drive-In in Mundy Township. The school district switched to the location for the commencement ceremony to provide a safe space for social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Story Summary: The coronavirus pandemic has upended lives all across the globe Ð including right here in Flint and Genesee County. Residents throughout Michigan experienced...

Story Summary: The coronavirus pandemic has upended lives all across the globe Ð including right here in Flint and Genesee County. Residents throughout Michigan experienced first-hand the fear, death and isolation brought on by the global pandemic. Most have been ordered to stay home by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Meanwhile, essential workers like doctors, nurses and law enforcement are bravely caring for the sick and keeping us safe. This portrait series explores how we coped with this new normal.

Story Summary: The coronavirus pandemic has upended lives all across the globe Ð including right here in Flint and Genesee County. Residents throughout Michigan experienced...

Story Summary: The coronavirus pandemic has upended lives all across the globe Ð including right here in Flint and Genesee County. Residents throughout Michigan experienced first-hand the fear, death and isolation brought on by the global pandemic. Most have been ordered to stay home by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Meanwhile, essential workers like doctors, nurses and law enforcement are bravely caring for the sick and keeping us safe. This portrait series explores how we coped with this new normal. Caption: Erinn Louis, 15, daydreams while looking out of a window at her house in Flint. She doesnÕt want to fall behind in her studies, even though students are no longer completing the rest of this academic school year in Michigan. ÒIÕm trying to go to school because I want to try and graduate early,Ó she said. ÒI donÕt know how the system works, but it worries me that none of us are learning. How are we going to do our tests? How are we supposed to get to the next grade? This stuff is important to us kids, and we need our education.Ó

Felicia Johnson-McGee, who alongside her husband each survived COVID-19, lays her palm to the glass of her window on March 19 at her home in...

Felicia Johnson-McGee, who alongside her husband each survived COVID-19, lays her palm to the glass of her window on March 19 at her home in Flint. Funerals for loved ones are changing as the impact of coronavirus is felt in Michigan. Johnson-McGee was at a funeral recently when the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic sunk in for her. ÒThe first thing people wanted to do was hug me and I felt rude because I had to say, `Remember we canÕt hug, we canÕt touch each other.Õ ThatÕs whatÕs making this real for me,Ó Johnson-McGee said.

Nicholas Cotton kisses wife Katie on the forehead on March 25 in Flint. Katie is filing for unemployment. Nicholas, a mathematics teacher at Mott Middle...

Nicholas Cotton kisses wife Katie on the forehead on March 25 in Flint. Katie is filing for unemployment. Nicholas, a mathematics teacher at Mott Middle College, is learning to teach from home. ÒWe used to fill our schedule with so much stuff, and then it just stopped. ItÕs crazy. People are dying. That reality is just terrifying," Nicholas Cotton said. The two were married in July 2019, and havenÕt had the chance to honeymoon yet. ÒThis is the most time weÕve spent together since our wedding day,Ó Katie Cotton said. ÒItÕs been awesome. We havenÕt really slowed down since last summer. This gives us that opportunity.Ó

Flint resident Gina Luster had a trip planned to go to Geneva, Switzerland with her daughter Kennedy for World Water Week. That was postponed. Luster,...

Flint resident Gina Luster had a trip planned to go to Geneva, Switzerland with her daughter Kennedy for World Water Week. That was postponed. Luster, a water activist, continues to talk about the Flint water crisis in forums and wants to keep people informed. That was her hope for this trip, while she and her daughter could learn about the rest of the worldÕs water needs. ÒEverything looked fine up until 72 hours before the trip. Then President Trump announced that he had banned U.S. citizens to travel to Europe. But glad I knew before because we could have landed and been stuck there, who knows? ... My daughter is a little disappointed, but she understands that we canÕt jeopardize our health or anyone elseÕs health."

Jessica Weaver, left, and her husband Eric Weaver are seen through a window in their living room alongside their two children, 4-year-old Cameron and 1-year-old...

Jessica Weaver, left, and her husband Eric Weaver are seen through a window in their living room alongside their two children, 4-year-old Cameron and 1-year-old Julian, on Wednesday, April 1 in Flint. The family has chosen to stay at home for the safety of themselves and their community. ItÕs changed small habits like family grocery trips with Eric traveling solo to keep the kids from potential exposure to coronavirus. Jessica had just paid her first monthÕs rent on a studio space downtown to start a business, but worries that it wonÕt be possible to continue after this -- a concern many business owners have echoed. ÒItÕs good and bad. YouÕve got to stay in the house, but you get a lot of home projects done,Ó Eric said. Jessica was quick to add with a laugh, ÒYou know, the honey-do list. Jessica added, "Everybody is impacted. ItÕs just a trickle down effect. ItÕs changing from taking your kids to child care, and now you are home with them, all while trying to work from home and tying up loose ends. We have to work on flattening this curve.Ó

Clio fourth-grader Gavin Black, 10, looks out the window while taking a break between homework assignments on March 18 at his motherÕs house in Flint....

Clio fourth-grader Gavin Black, 10, looks out the window while taking a break between homework assignments on March 18 at his motherÕs house in Flint. He shares a computer with his sister daily, as each needs it to complete their work online. "I like school, but it's so different at home," he said. "I miss my friends."

Brothers Ben, left, and Patrick Kehoe stand at their bedroom window on Friday, March 20 in Fenton. The Kehoe family of Fenton found a way...

Brothers Ben, left, and Patrick Kehoe stand at their bedroom window on Friday, March 20 in Fenton. The Kehoe family of Fenton found a way to distract themselves while stuck at home amid the coronavirus outbreak -- a golden doodle puppy they named Goose. The family had a golden retriever for many years and couldnÕt bring themselves to find a new one since she passed away three years ago, said mother Andrea Kehoe. But when she and her husband Mike realized the family would be confined to the house for at least a few weeks, they thought it would be the perfect time to welcome a new family member. ÒItÕs a good way to combat everything that we all of a sudden werenÕt able to do,Ó Andrea Kehoe said.

Elizabeth Lee, 35 of Grand Blanc, looks out of the window of Clio business Belill Eye Care, where she is the lone staffer to come...

Elizabeth Lee, 35 of Grand Blanc, looks out of the window of Clio business Belill Eye Care, where she is the lone staffer to come in for two hours daily to field calls and connect with patients. Belill Eye Care closed to protect staff and patients, and to help slow the spread of coronavirus. Lee has three children at home, and said education and socializing with friends has been a challenge. ÒWe need to make sure that they are still able to get the best out of life in this time when their lives are completely turned upside down,Ó Lee said. ÒI definitely miss social interaction. ItÕs just a strange thing thatÕs happening -- this once in a lifetime event. You used to be able to come to work and socialize with your fellow employees, and for all of us, this is just completely different."

Brian Larkin stands with his wife DeAndra Larkin and her 9-year-old daughter Leila Robinson at their home on March 30 in Flint. ÒWhile staying home...

Brian Larkin stands with his wife DeAndra Larkin and her 9-year-old daughter Leila Robinson at their home on March 30 in Flint. ÒWhile staying home has been a challenging time it has also been a time of bonding, which as parents we are grateful for. Being able to focus on playing games, having more lighthearted conversations, taking walks -- (it) has been the silver lining amid the pandemic,Ó DeAndra said. ÒWe have spent time, like many families, balancing working from home and being good home school teachers. What do we miss the most? Visiting friends and family, other casual in-person interactions, shopping, the gym and trampoline parks.Ó

Story Summary: Hundreds of Flint residents took to the streets to protest after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor throughout the summer of...

Story Summary: Hundreds of Flint residents took to the streets to protest after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor throughout the summer of 2020. The first protest made a statement that was heard nationwide as the countyÕs sheriff and other Flint-area police walked alongside protesters. Flint showcased to the world how to work peacefully, purposefully and passionately.

Johnie Franklin, a lifelong Flint resident and organizer, raises his fist as he leads hundreds into a 15-second moment of silence for George Floyd and...

Johnie Franklin, a lifelong Flint resident and organizer, raises his fist as he leads hundreds into a 15-second moment of silence for George Floyd and others' whose lives have been lost to police brutality during a peaceful protest on Saturday, May 30, 2020 in Flint Township. "This is historic. The whole damn city is out here. Man, look at this. This is bigger than any one of us. This is for Ahmaud Arbery. This is for Breonna (Taylor). This is for George Floyd. This is for anyone who was ever silenced. This is for all of us," Franklin said. "We just wanted to be heard. We wanted to have a conversation ... and after today, I know we've been heard."

ÒThat nine minutes, it meant a lot,Ó said Tatiana Mason, 17 of Lansing, who lays down on her chest with her hands behind her back...

ÒThat nine minutes, it meant a lot,Ó said Tatiana Mason, 17 of Lansing, who lays down on her chest with her hands behind her back at the Michigan state capitol steps to remember George Floyd. ÒIn that nine minutes, those cops couldÕve helped him. He laid their lifeless, pleading. I think about me, what if IÕm calling to my mom and my dad and (there is) nothing they can do because that cop knows that theyÕre taking my life away, they know they are taking me away from my family. Its not right and we need to do better." Mason joined hundreds of others during a nine-minute demonstration and protest police brutality on Sunday, May 31, 2020 at the state capitol in Lansing. ÒIt makes me feel like we can get better,Ó Mason said. ÒNo violence, no burning things. Just using our voices to communicate with each other, bond together. It will make a difference. We need to stand together.Ó

It still doesnÕt seem real for Ericka Fordham. The Flint mother said her daughter was over at a family memberÕs house Sunday, July 26, on...

It still doesnÕt seem real for Ericka Fordham. The Flint mother said her daughter was over at a family memberÕs house Sunday, July 26, on Johnson Avenue when shots rang out. ÒMy baby was just the sweetest baby,Ó said Fordham of Alexis Gwendolyn Aaron. ÒShe didnÕt deserve this.Ó Aaron was struck by a bullet in the back and died two days later. She was 17 years old. ÒThey took my baby from me, for nothing,Ó Fordham said. Her death was felt throughout Flint's community, a Black majority city amidst the Black Lives Matter movement. She was an outgoing teen who enjoyed hanging out with her younger cousins, playing on her phone and going out to eat. Lizzie Fordham, one of AlexisÕ cousins, said she feels better parenting is one way to stem the wave of violence in the city. ÒIt starts at the home and it starts with parenting,Ó she said. ÒKids are killing kids and weÕre going on about Black lives matter and the police. What about us thatÕs killing us? We are responsible for our own demise, at times, and as a community, as young Black parents, we have toÉstep up and parent.Ó ItÕs not the first time in recent days Lizzie Fordham has suddenly lost a family member, with her brother shot and killed three weeks ago. ÒWeÕve got to save the future. WeÕve got to save our generation, because weÕre killing each other. Our babies are killing our babies,Ó she said. ÒWeÕre going to be extinct in a minute. We have to stop. Enough is enough. My family is hurting. We are all hurting. We donÕt wish this on no other family.Ó

A Flint man screams out passionately outside of the Flint Police Department, upset by the relationship between police and Black residents as more than 300...

A Flint man screams out passionately outside of the Flint Police Department, upset by the relationship between police and Black residents as more than 300 people gather to protest police brutality on Sunday, May 31, 2020 in Flint.

Dajayla Pickett, 25 of Flint, writes "Don't kill me" as she creates a protest sign to use at a justice for George Floyd march on...

Dajayla Pickett, 25 of Flint, writes "Don't kill me" as she creates a protest sign to use at a justice for George Floyd march on Monday, June 1, 2020 at Max Brandon Park on Flint's north side. Speaking to the crowd of around 40 protesters through a bullhorn, Lisia Williams said police reform is needed. ÒWeÕve got to ask for the new system in place to stand up for racist acts against our community,Ó she commented. ÒNo more racial profiling. We want to see our own police officers in our community. People we grew up with. ThatÕs what we need to see in police in our communities.Ó

Dalilah Robinson, 10 of Flint, pulls a cart with all her might that is filled with water and Black Lives Matter signs while being passed...

Dalilah Robinson, 10 of Flint, pulls a cart with all her might that is filled with water and Black Lives Matter signs while being passed by a Flint Police vehicle on Saturday, June 6, 2020 on Saginaw Street in downtown Flint. Robinson joined more than 150 people marched in a peaceful protest against police violence and racial injustice. DeWaun Robinson, a leader with Black Lives Matter in Flint and Dalilah's father, said he agrees with defunding police departments in favor of putting the money toward social services for the community. ÒMore preventative measures would benefit society and we want to explore those options,Ó Robinson said.

Afua Ofori-Darko wipes tears from her eyes as she conveys an emotionally strong, open-hearted speech to more than 1,000 people at a peaceful protest against...

Afua Ofori-Darko wipes tears from her eyes as she conveys an emotionally strong, open-hearted speech to more than 1,000 people at a peaceful protest against police violence and racial injustice on Sunday, June 7, 2020.

Alec Storm, 25 of Flint, stands atop a van seemingly as tall as the downtown cityscape as he marches alongside more than 300 people gather...

Alec Storm, 25 of Flint, stands atop a van seemingly as tall as the downtown cityscape as he marches alongside more than 300 people gather to honor George Floyd and protest police brutality in a peaceful demonstration on Sunday, May 31, 2020 in Flint.

Adam Baker, 19, of Flint, raises his fist on May 31, 2020 after he saw FloydÕs death Ñ the last straw, he described, in seeking...

Adam Baker, 19, of Flint, raises his fist on May 31, 2020 after he saw FloydÕs death Ñ the last straw, he described, in seeking justice for black people. ÒItÕs year and years of years of frustration, years of seeing the same thing and I think just like myself, I had been desensitized to what was going on because weÕve seen it so much,Ó Baker said. ÒWe hear a lot of times pray, pray, pray and IÕm a man of faith and I believe in prayer, but I also believe in being proactive and fighting for justice fighting for love and fighting for peace for all human kind." While he has gone through frustration and anger in seeing black lives taken, Baker noted there is another element at play. ÒWe want peace. We want justice and weÕre willing to do something different thatÕs never been done before in order to get that,Ó he said, arguing his generation will back up their words with action. ÒWeÕre done seeing the same thing and not doing anything about it and not seeing change.Ó

Story Summary: COVID-19 swept across the globe, leaving the world we once knew in complete disarray. This unforgiving pandemic challenged our norms and our livelihoods,...

Story Summary: COVID-19 swept across the globe, leaving the world we once knew in complete disarray. This unforgiving pandemic challenged our norms and our livelihoods, and inevitably claimed the lives of 2 million and counting. In Flint, Michigan, the obstacles faced were no different. Schools closed. Churches closed. Restaurants closed. The entire state seemingly closed. Life as we knew it was changing drastically, pushing so many into isolation. Because of that, the community stood tall and pulled together. Neighborhoods grew stronger, unifying toward the greatest cause Ñ sustaining our humanity. Tenacity defines Flint, its people, and against these Flintstones, the unrelenting virus will stand its truest test.

Story Summary: COVID-19 swept across the globe, leaving the world we once knew in complete disarray. This unforgiving pandemic challenged our norms and our livelihoods,...

Story Summary: COVID-19 swept across the globe, leaving the world we once knew in complete disarray. This unforgiving pandemic challenged our norms and our livelihoods, and inevitably claimed the lives of 2 million and counting. In Flint, Michigan, the obstacles faced were no different. Schools closed. Churches closed. Restaurants closed. The entire state seemingly closed. Life as we knew it was changing drastically, pushing so many into isolation. Because of that, the community stood tall and pulled together. Neighborhoods grew stronger, unifying toward the greatest cause Ñ sustaining our humanity. Tenacity defines Flint, its people, and against these Flintstones, the unrelenting virus will stand its truest test. Caption: Naijah Spellman listens through her headphones as she begins to play a video game on a device she also uses for education while hanging out in her bedroom on Sept. 4, 2020 at her family's apartment in Saginaw. Shalana Spellman, Naijah's mother, is a nurse who works from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. while also trying to help her five children navigate through remote classes in the Saginaw Public School District due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. ÒItÕs a struggle because I have two high-school students, a middle schooler, a fifth-grader and a kindergartner,Ó Spellman, a divorced single parent, said. ÒItÕs going to be a struggle to keep up with them.Ó

Father Joe Krupp, of the Church of the Holy Family, provides a blessing to a group of neighborhood children alongside Deacon Denny Pennell and Richard...

Father Joe Krupp, of the Church of the Holy Family, provides a blessing to a group of neighborhood children alongside Deacon Denny Pennell and Richard Cross in the Bella Vista suburb on Sunday, March 22, 2020 in Grand Blanc. Krupp said the idea came from Òbrother priestsÓ in Italy that have been doing the same, some of whom have died from COVID-19. ÒWe feel itÕs our call as priests,Ó Krupp said. ÒThe core of the priesthood is eucharist and we believe thatÕs God pouring himself out for us, so we want to imitate that. For us, itÕs a sign of solidarity as the eucharist processes through our neighborhood, a reminder that Jesus hasnÕt left us, and that this community has not forgotten."

Flint Township resident Dorothy Gramer takes a sip of a Miller Lite beer to celebrate her 100th birthday on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020 outside of...

Flint Township resident Dorothy Gramer takes a sip of a Miller Lite beer to celebrate her 100th birthday on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020 outside of her home in Flint Township. Gramer enjoyed a masks-only gathering with ice cream cups and cupcakes after their drive-by parade, surrounded by family members of up to five generations. Even police officers joined in, turning on their sirens when driving by and taking a moment to speak with her in person. Gramer had no children from her first marriage, which tragically ended when her husband died of cancer, said stepdaughter Shari Burdt, who is pictured in the leopard print shirt. In 2002, she married BurdtÕs father, Harry, joining a massive and ever-growing family. ÒWhen she married my dad, she said she felt she hit the jackpot,Ó Burdt said. ÒShe got five kids, 31 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren, five great-great and one more on the way.Ó

MaryJane Schoendorf, 92, breaks down in tears overwhelmed by not being able to hold or kiss her daughter, Elsie resident Stacy Doubrava at left, as...

MaryJane Schoendorf, 92, breaks down in tears overwhelmed by not being able to hold or kiss her daughter, Elsie resident Stacy Doubrava at left, as she and her husband Gene, 94, visit through a glass window on Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at Ovid Healthcare Center in Ovid. Doubrava visits her parents about four times each week, and has to visit through a window because of COVID-19 precautions and social distancing methods. ÒI love you so much,Ó Doubrava tells her parents. ÒItÕs so hard not to be able to hold you and touch you.Ó With that, her mother begins to cry, too. ThereÕs not much more to say. Doubrava and her mother end the visit as they typically do, blowing kisses and making the American Sign Language symbol for ÒI love you.Ó ÒItÕs hard not to touch, hard not to hug,Ó Doubrava says as her parents are wheeled away. ÒItÕs heartbreaking.Ó

Amanda Zacek, a certified medical assisant from Swartz Creek, peeks out from the tent as the first 50 people drives up for a coronavirus test...

Amanda Zacek, a certified medical assisant from Swartz Creek, peeks out from the tent as the first 50 people drives up for a coronavirus test at Flint's first drive-thru testing site on Monday, April 15, 2020 at Atwood Stadium. At the head of the line for testing on Wednesday was Clio resident John Newvine. The Highland Park firefighter said it was nearly impossible to find testing when he inquired three weeks ago. ÒIÕve been exposed a couple times. WeÕre actually getting it from the inside several of our firefighters have gotten it,Ó said Newvine, who self-quarantined two weeks ago. ÒThis is going to help tremendously. I think itÕs going to get us more accurate numbers. I think itÕs going to get more people tested and itÕs actually going to give us a better picture of whatÕs going on up here.Ó

Flint resident Pam Jones, a childhood friend of Duper, says her goodbye while wearing a mask during the visitation for Calvin James "Duper" Munerlyn on...

Flint resident Pam Jones, a childhood friend of Duper, says her goodbye while wearing a mask during the visitation for Calvin James "Duper" Munerlyn on Friday, May 8, 2020 at Sheldon T. Banks Funeral Chapel in Flint. Munerlyn, 43, of Flint was shot May 1 at the Family Dollar store off East Fifth Avenue following an alleged verbal altercation with 45-year-old Sharmel Teague after he told the womanÕs daughter she needed to wear a mask while inside. "It's a sad situation," Jones said. "Growing up, seeing our kids grow up together and then to see this happen? It never should have happend. He was a good person."

Janae McGuire, a family friend, leans in to light candles that spell out Calvin Munerlyn's nickname "Duper" during a vigil on Sunday, May 3, 2020...

Janae McGuire, a family friend, leans in to light candles that spell out Calvin Munerlyn's nickname "Duper" during a vigil on Sunday, May 3, 2020 in Flint. Munerlyn, 43, was shot and killed Friday, May 1 at the Family Dollar store off of East Fifth Avenue in Flint. He'd worked at the store as a security guard for a little more than one year.

Pastor Ezra Tillman, of First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in Flint, prays for all affected by COVID-19 and the pandemic, a daily activity he takes...

Pastor Ezra Tillman, of First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in Flint, prays for all affected by COVID-19 and the pandemic, a daily activity he takes on out of necessity to heal his community and the world at large. Tillman stepped up during the city's water crisis, passing out more than six million bottles of water to residents in need. He received the key to the city in 2021 for that work, but Tillman's work is never over. "ItÕs nice knowing your impact goes beyond what you think," he said. "I do anticipate doing greater things in the future, we are far from finished.Ó

A Michigan Department of Health and Human Services billboard encourages residents to wear a mask and slow the spread of COVID-19 along Dort Highway on...

A Michigan Department of Health and Human Services billboard encourages residents to wear a mask and slow the spread of COVID-19 along Dort Highway on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020 on Flint's south side. 2020 marked MichiganÕs biggest public health crisis since the 1918 flu epidemic. COVID-19 has proven more deadly than tuberculosis in the 1920s and Ô30s. More contagious than polio, which ravaged the state in the 1940s and Ô50s. ItÕs dwarfed the PBB scandal of the 1970s and the Flint water crisis that began unfolding five years ago. More than one of every 1,000 Michigan residents has died of coronavirus so far. For those age 80 and older, itÕs 13 of every 1,000.

A tribute sits in the windows of a hospital wing, paying homage to hospital workers on Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at Ascension Genesys Hospital in...

A tribute sits in the windows of a hospital wing, paying homage to hospital workers on Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at Ascension Genesys Hospital in Grand Blanc Township.

Ken Deighton, director of behavioral health and rehabilitation, fist bumps Terrell Harris, 26 of Flint, as he leaves the hospital after a 15-week battle with...

Ken Deighton, director of behavioral health and rehabilitation, fist bumps Terrell Harris, 26 of Flint, as he leaves the hospital after a 15-week battle with COVID-19 on Thursday, July 9, 2020 at McLaren Flint. Harris was admitted to the hospital on March 28 when he tested positive for COVID-19. Dozens of doctors and nurses lined the halls to congratulate Harris and say farewell. One of those nurses was Julie Corrion, who said the nights she spent alongside his bedside were some of the darkest days in her career. ÒI didnÕt think he was going to make it,Ó she noted. ÒHeÕs 26 and his mother would call and as a parent your heart goes out to her. She couldnÕt be here with him.Ó

Registered nurse Karen Tucker waves back at first responders before entering the hospital as dozens gather to pay tribute to hospital workers, cheering them on...

Registered nurse Karen Tucker waves back at first responders before entering the hospital as dozens gather to pay tribute to hospital workers, cheering them on at shift change on Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at Ascension Genesys Hospital in Grand Blanc Township. A largely unknown virus a year ago, COVID-19 is the stateÕs third-leading cause of death this year, topped only by heart disease and cancer. And while the data is still incomplete, 2020 already marks MichiganÕs highest death rate since 1936, based on deaths per 1,000 residents.

Lilly Havens, 8, corrals a trailer full of turkeys at Greaney's Turkey Farm in Mercer on Saturday, November 21, 2020. Havens is a third generation...

Lilly Havens, 8, corrals a trailer full of turkeys at Greaney's Turkey Farm in Mercer on Saturday, November 21, 2020. Havens is a third generation cousin of the Greaney's. Extended family working in the slaughter house is as much of the tradition of Thanksgiving as eating the turkey.

Janet Weeks reaches out to touch the glass of the door separating her from her mother, Jeanne Jacques, with her granddaughter Mikaela Pollard, 4, on...

Janet Weeks reaches out to touch the glass of the door separating her from her mother, Jeanne Jacques, with her granddaughter Mikaela Pollard, 4, on Jacques 90th birthday at Northern Light Continuing Care Lakewood on Kennedy Memorial Drive in Waterville on Friday, March 20, 2020. The coronavirus has suspended all visitors from the facility to protect some of the most vulnerable population from the pandemic. "It's the first time in 62 years I haven't been able to embrace my mother on her birthday."

Gay Mayhue settles in to the empty seats for the encore performance of the Bolshoi Ballet from Moscow shows for four people an attendance at...

Gay Mayhue settles in to the empty seats for the encore performance of the Bolshoi Ballet from Moscow shows for four people an attendance at the 850 seat Waterville Opera House in Waterville on Sunday, March 15, 2020 as the coronavirus national emergency goes in to effect. This will be the last show of any kind at the opera house for at least two weeks.

Aiden McGinty, 13, left, and Xavier Rodriguez, 14, right, each do a flip in to the Kennebec River from the pedestrian bridge in Skowhegan on...

Aiden McGinty, 13, left, and Xavier Rodriguez, 14, right, each do a flip in to the Kennebec River from the pedestrian bridge in Skowhegan on Friday, September 11, 2020.

The Waterville Senior High School's bench cheers after a three-pointer against Hermon High School in the Class B North championship game at the Cross Insurance...

The Waterville Senior High School's bench cheers after a three-pointer against Hermon High School in the Class B North championship game at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor on Saturday, February 22, 2020.

Winslow police officer John Veilluex walks toward a Kim's Garage wrecker at the scene of multiple cars in the ditch on China Road in Winslow...

Winslow police officer John Veilluex walks toward a Kim's Garage wrecker at the scene of multiple cars in the ditch on China Road in Winslow on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. Heavy snow blanketed the area causing treacherous driving conditions.

Daja Gombojav prays with her family during Easter service at St. Joseph's Maronite Church in Waterville on Sunday, April 12, 2020. Worship restrictions are in...

Daja Gombojav prays with her family during Easter service at St. Joseph's Maronite Church in Waterville on Sunday, April 12, 2020. Worship restrictions are in place to curb the coronavirus infection numbers.

David Jones, fire chief for the Norridgewock fire department, stands for a portrait at the department in Norridgewock on Wednesday, February 26, 2020. Jones is...

David Jones, fire chief for the Norridgewock fire department, stands for a portrait at the department in Norridgewock on Wednesday, February 26, 2020. Jones is requesting $50 thousand from the town of Norridgewock to hire two more firefighters to cover the region.

Comet NEOWISE reflects in Bog Stream at the northwest part of North Pond as the sun sets over North Pond in Smithfield, Maine, USA, on...

Comet NEOWISE reflects in Bog Stream at the northwest part of North Pond as the sun sets over North Pond in Smithfield, Maine, USA, on Friday, July 17, 2020. The celestial visitor is visible after sunset in the northwest night sky just below the Big Dipper or Ursa Major. My vision for this photo project was to offer a sense of time and place for the comet. When the comet floated by 6,800 years ago, the planet was a much, much different place during the Holecene Era. Civilization had just started to develop in the Fertile Crescent region, known as Mesopotamia. That would be Iraq today. The chicken and horse were finally domesticated and the potterÕs wheel was invented. The comet NEOWISE or C/2020 F3, bound by the gravity of the sun, is hanging above earth like an ornament in the northwest sky. The comet was only discovered on March 27 of this year. ItÕs easy to let such an event fall through the cracks while humanity grapples with a global pandemic and civil unrest. The comet was a welcomed distraction. And to be able to brag about photographing an object moving at 144,000 mph while standing on another object moving in another direction at 1,000 mph using a tripod from the sitting position without my beer foaming up is worth the effort.

Neowise dashes across the sky as the sun sets at Robbins Hill Scenic Overlook on Old Canada Road in Solon on Wednesday, July 15, 2020....

Neowise dashes across the sky as the sun sets at Robbins Hill Scenic Overlook on Old Canada Road in Solon on Wednesday, July 15, 2020. The celestial visitor is visible after sunset in the northwest night sky just below the Big Dipper or Ursa Major.

Light flickers from a tv in the second floor of a farm in Clinton as comet NEOWISE officially named C/2020 F3 appears to hover in...

Light flickers from a tv in the second floor of a farm in Clinton as comet NEOWISE officially named C/2020 F3 appears to hover in the sky while traveling at 144,000 mph 64 million miles away on it's 6,800 year trip past earth on July 21, 2020. When the comet passed 6,800 years ago, the planet was a different place 5,000 years into the Holocene Era, which began after the last ice age. Civilization had started to develop in the Fertile Crescent region of Mesopotamia, which is Iraq today. The chicken and horse were domesticated and the potterÕs wheel was invented. These ideas motivated me to capture the comet NEOWISE in the context of the farms, nature and structures that exist now and that will certainly be gone when it next passes by. I hope the pictures last long enough for people to compare what life looked like when NEOWISE passed over humans on planet Earth in 2020.

Traffic heads south on Interstae-95 as seen from Quarry Road in Waterville on Monday, July 20, 2020 as NEOWISE shines in the night sky. Modern...

Traffic heads south on Interstae-95 as seen from Quarry Road in Waterville on Monday, July 20, 2020 as NEOWISE shines in the night sky. Modern day we have cameras, automated vehicles, internet, people in space, a rover on Mars and satellites in the outer reaches of space to just name a few advancements in humanity. A far cry from finally getting chicken on demand and riding a horse that listens to you. What will the planet look like when NEOWISE passes again?

First responders from Delta Ambulance and Waterville police and fire remove a man from his home in full PPE in Waterville on Friday, April 17,...

First responders from Delta Ambulance and Waterville police and fire remove a man from his home in full PPE in Waterville on Friday, April 17, 2020. Any cardiac event triggers a full PPE response by all responders.

Chris Mitchell, a paramedic and supervisor for Delta Ambulance, dons his protective suit as he prepares to enter a home during an emergency call in...

Chris Mitchell, a paramedic and supervisor for Delta Ambulance, dons his protective suit as he prepares to enter a home during an emergency call in Waterville on Friday, April 17, 2020.

Nathaniel Lombardi, an AEMT with Delta Ambulance and his partner Rebecca Quinn, a paramedic with Delta Ambulance, remove a patient from an assisted living facility...

Nathaniel Lombardi, an AEMT with Delta Ambulance and his partner Rebecca Quinn, a paramedic with Delta Ambulance, remove a patient from an assisted living facility as family reflected in the ambulance window watch from a distance on May 21, 2020.

Corie McCarthy, a paramedic with Delta Ambulance, treats Larry Gagnon during a transfer from Inland Hospital to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor on November...

Corie McCarthy, a paramedic with Delta Ambulance, treats Larry Gagnon during a transfer from Inland Hospital to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor on November 17, 2020. Gagnon tested positive for Covid-19. The lack of staff has a ripple effect throughout the healthcare continuum, according to Petrie. ÒEven without COVID, EMS in Maine, we need help. WeÕre struggling for personnel É and coupled with that our hospitals are in trouble in the state and are struggling to figure out how they are going to operate. And EMS is part of that equation. We move their patients. We assist in their communities, and so we need to look for other alternatives as well.Ó

An elderly woman is lifted in to a waiting stretcher by paramedics from Winslow fire department in Waterville on Sunday, May 10, 2020. Maine is...

An elderly woman is lifted in to a waiting stretcher by paramedics from Winslow fire department in Waterville on Sunday, May 10, 2020. Maine is one of the oldest states in the country creating a very vulnerable population highly susceptible to the coronavirus.

A patient seizes sash attempts climb in to a waiting ambulance after suffering adverse effects from crystal meth at Walmart in Waterville on Nov. 28,...

A patient seizes sash attempts climb in to a waiting ambulance after suffering adverse effects from crystal meth at Walmart in Waterville on Nov. 28, 2020. Drug overdose and anxiety calls have been steadily rising since the beginning of the pandemic.

A patient struggles to breath with the assistance of oxygen in the back truck 3 of Delta Ambulance on May 3, 2020. The paramedics have...

A patient struggles to breath with the assistance of oxygen in the back truck 3 of Delta Ambulance on May 3, 2020. The paramedics have seen a rise in calls of difficulty breathing the past week. While Maine enjoyed low case numbers and few deaths during the dry, warm summer where space facilitated distancing, the colder, wetter fall has driven people inside. Schools have started up again and the case numbers and deaths have risen. A major source of stress now confronts emergency medical services providers: staffing.

Rebecca Quinn, paramedic, feels the vein on the arm of a woman suffering from Covid-19 symptoms as Nathaniel Lombardi, AEMT, right, step up an IV...

Rebecca Quinn, paramedic, feels the vein on the arm of a woman suffering from Covid-19 symptoms as Nathaniel Lombardi, AEMT, right, step up an IV in the back of the ambulance in Fairfield on Dec.21, 2020.

Damian Brockway, paramedic, and partner, Nathaniel Lombardi, donned in their PPE, return to Delta base in Waterville to decontaminate the ambulance after a suspected Covid-19...

Damian Brockway, paramedic, and partner, Nathaniel Lombardi, donned in their PPE, return to Delta base in Waterville to decontaminate the ambulance after a suspected Covid-19 call on May 3, 2020.

Nathaniel Lombardi, AEMT, disinfects the cab of the ambulance after a call in Waterville on Sunday, April 19, 2020. This procedure is completed after every...

Nathaniel Lombardi, AEMT, disinfects the cab of the ambulance after a call in Waterville on Sunday, April 19, 2020. This procedure is completed after every call.

Mike Tuttle, a 30-year veteran of paramedicine, grabs a quick nap in the crew room at Delta Ambulance base on May 25, 2020. He's on...

Mike Tuttle, a 30-year veteran of paramedicine, grabs a quick nap in the crew room at Delta Ambulance base on May 25, 2020. He's on hour 22 of a 24 hour shift.

Alewives run up the Sebasticook Stream in Benton as Brandon Bezio, center, and Tommy Keister, right, hauls a net of the silver fish in Benton...

Alewives run up the Sebasticook Stream in Benton as Brandon Bezio, center, and Tommy Keister, right, hauls a net of the silver fish in Benton on Friday, May 22, 2020.

Ernie Wallace and Tommy Kiester haul a net of alewives in to a waiting crate at the Benton Falls Dam on the Sebasticook Stream in...

Ernie Wallace and Tommy Kiester haul a net of alewives in to a waiting crate at the Benton Falls Dam on the Sebasticook Stream in Benton on Tuesday, May 19, 2020.

Jacob Howard, a senior at Unity College studying fisheries and wildlife management, monitors the flow of alewives over the dam at the Benton Falls Dam...

Jacob Howard, a senior at Unity College studying fisheries and wildlife management, monitors the flow of alewives over the dam at the Benton Falls Dam on the Sebasticook Stream in Benton on Friday, May 23, 2020.

Life on the Kennebec River. The 170-mile long river that starts at Moosehead Lake and flows to the Atlantic Ocean once was the commerce highway...

Life on the Kennebec River. The 170-mile long river that starts at Moosehead Lake and flows to the Atlantic Ocean once was the commerce highway for Maine. A culture and lifestyle has evolved from the early days of industrial expansion and running logs to a more healthy and sustainable environment that we see today.

Kyle Velleux paddles out to the island on the Kennebec River in the still of the darkness on June 24, 2020. "The fishing is the...

Kyle Velleux paddles out to the island on the Kennebec River in the still of the darkness on June 24, 2020. "The fishing is the best after midnight." he said.

Anglers take advantage of the cooler nights for both a better run of fish and relief from the sunshine as a drought and high temperatures...

Anglers take advantage of the cooler nights for both a better run of fish and relief from the sunshine as a drought and high temperatures continue in Waterville on June 26, 2020. An angler baits his line from the island in the middle of the Kennebec River by the Lockwood Hydroelectric Facility.

Skiers take advantage of the only snow at a nordic ski area in the state of Maine at Quarry Road Trals in Waterville on Dec....

Skiers take advantage of the only snow at a nordic ski area in the state of Maine at Quarry Road Trals in Waterville on Dec. 29, 2020. Maine has been experiencing drought conditions over the previous 12 months leaving little help from mother Nature to supply skiers with powder. Quarry Road Trails, a donation driven entity, has built the most impressive nordic ski area in the state of Maine offering over 40 kilometers of groomed nordic trails with snow making capabilities.

Wally Donovan, a snowmaking volunteer, checks the pressurized water and air combo on a snow gun at Quarry Road Trails in Waterville on Tuesday, Dec....

Wally Donovan, a snowmaking volunteer, checks the pressurized water and air combo on a snow gun at Quarry Road Trails in Waterville on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020.

A young child named Maggie, 4, climbs a mound of man-made snow at Quarry Road Trails in Waterville on Dec.16, 2020. Quarry Road Trails is...

A young child named Maggie, 4, climbs a mound of man-made snow at Quarry Road Trails in Waterville on Dec.16, 2020. Quarry Road Trails is the only nordic center in Maine with snow. The unseasonable weather has left much of Maine bare of snow.

Already facing hot temperatures, drought conditions and an above average fire season in California, a mid-August push of subtropical moisture from a dying eastern Pacific...

Already facing hot temperatures, drought conditions and an above average fire season in California, a mid-August push of subtropical moisture from a dying eastern Pacific hurricane settled over northern California, August 16, 2020. The ensuing lightning bust triggered 675 new wildfires after nearly 12,000 down strikes were recorded like these five simultaneous strikes over the Santa Rosa plain near Healdsburg in Sonoma County, ultimately, over four million acres, thousands of structures and dozens of deaths resulted from the storm, 1.5 million acres burned in Lake, Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino County.

A ranch foreman at Sage Creek Vineyards watches as the lightning sparked Hennessey fire, driven by 50mph thunderstorm outflow winds, rolls in to Chiles/Pope Valley...

A ranch foreman at Sage Creek Vineyards watches as the lightning sparked Hennessey fire, driven by 50mph thunderstorm outflow winds, rolls in to Chiles/Pope Valley in Napa County, Monday, August 17, 2020.

Firefighters from various agencies, including Cal Fire, St. Helena and Calistoga, prepare to cut line on the Guenoc Ranch east of Middletown as the Hennessey...

Firefighters from various agencies, including Cal Fire, St. Helena and Calistoga, prepare to cut line on the Guenoc Ranch east of Middletown as the Hennessey fire burns through 377,000 acres., Wednesday, August 26, 2020.

Alex Mikesel of Cal Fire steps over a backfire during the Hennessey fire in Napa County, Monday, August 17, 2020. Controlled fire is used to...

Alex Mikesel of Cal Fire steps over a backfire during the Hennessey fire in Napa County, Monday, August 17, 2020. Controlled fire is used to take the heat out of the main fire to reduce and eliminate fuels.

A blow up in the Palisades above Calistoga prompted a response from aircraft, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020 as a retardant line is put down between...

A blow up in the Palisades above Calistoga prompted a response from aircraft, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020 as a retardant line is put down between Highway 29 over Mt. St. Helena and the Glass fire flames. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 2020

The Hennessey fire traps fire crews in an open turnout along Knoxville Berryessa Road, August 19, 2020 as several fires merge together in the Lake...

The Hennessey fire traps fire crews in an open turnout along Knoxville Berryessa Road, August 19, 2020 as several fires merge together in the Lake Berryessa area of the LNU East Lightning Complex. The over running of flames is considered area ignition, ie. the spontaneous combustion of fuels in a superheated environment.

Fire captain Alonso Martinez with the California Conservation Corps uses a flare gun to ignite vegetation along Indian Dick road near Covelo, Wednesday, Sept. 16,...

Fire captain Alonso Martinez with the California Conservation Corps uses a flare gun to ignite vegetation along Indian Dick road near Covelo, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020 to help stop the advance of the August Complex fire. One million acres of vegetation burned, including dozens of homes, making it one of the largest single wildfires in California history.

Houses burn on Mountain Hawk Drive in Santa Rosa's Skyhawk Community as the Glass fire rolls in from Napa County, Monday morning, Sept. 28, 2020.in...

Houses burn on Mountain Hawk Drive in Santa Rosa's Skyhawk Community as the Glass fire rolls in from Napa County, Monday morning, Sept. 28, 2020.in all, 11 homes burned in the area, but firefighters saved 100's of others.

Kris Carr of north Texas is bathed in orange light from the August Complex fire as he keeps an eye on unburned vegetation along Indian...

Kris Carr of north Texas is bathed in orange light from the August Complex fire as he keeps an eye on unburned vegetation along Indian Dick road above Covelo, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020 in the Mendocino National Forest. The trees in the background were burned during the North Pass fire in 2012.

A crew from the Army National Guard cheer as orders are given to eat their lunch on the fire line, September 8, 2020 during mop...

A crew from the Army National Guard cheer as orders are given to eat their lunch on the fire line, September 8, 2020 during mop up stages of the Walbridge fire above Dry Creek.

Charles Christianson gives his dog Emma water after the two hiked up from Sweetwater Springs Road on McCray Ridge Road to his home flattened by...

Charles Christianson gives his dog Emma water after the two hiked up from Sweetwater Springs Road on McCray Ridge Road to his home flattened by the Walbridge fire, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020.

Roosevelt, who declined to give his last name, takes in an NAACP rally at Old Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa, Thursday, July 2, 2020. Roosevelt...

Roosevelt, who declined to give his last name, takes in an NAACP rally at Old Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa, Thursday, July 2, 2020. Roosevelt has been a resident of Sonoma County for 30 years,

Lana Louie, BSN, RN hangs with a cutout of Dr. Anthony Fauci at Memorial Hospital in Santa Rosa, Friday, Dec. 18, 2020. Louie was one...

Lana Louie, BSN, RN hangs with a cutout of Dr. Anthony Fauci at Memorial Hospital in Santa Rosa, Friday, Dec. 18, 2020. Louie was one of several people inoculating front line workers with the COVID-19 vaccine, the first day of vaccinations in the county.

As part of the national Play For The Vote, Cornelia Van Aken of Santa Rosa, plays harp for walk-in and drive-in voters at the Sonoma...

As part of the national Play For The Vote, Cornelia Van Aken of Santa Rosa, plays harp for walk-in and drive-in voters at the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. At left, a full ballot box is taken to be counted. Sonoma County had the highest rate of voter turnout in California at 92 percent.

In his fathers workshop, Jose Hermosillo and his daughter Aleeysa, 6, share a quiet moment, Saturday, July 11, 2020 in Roseland. Hermosillo's father, Jose, 66,...

In his fathers workshop, Jose Hermosillo and his daughter Aleeysa, 6, share a quiet moment, Saturday, July 11, 2020 in Roseland. Hermosillo's father, Jose, 66, was the third person to die of COVID-19 in Sonoma County. Both father and son rebuilt vintage bicycles together in the workshop and shared a close personal bond with one another.

Jimmie Ward of the 49ers upends Allen Lazard of the Packers after a pass reception during San Francisco's 37-20 win over Green Bay in the...

Jimmie Ward of the 49ers upends Allen Lazard of the Packers after a pass reception during San Francisco's 37-20 win over Green Bay in the NFC championship game, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020 in Santa Clara. The 49ers move on to the Super Bowl to face the Kansas City Chiefs in two weeks.

Cardboard cutouts of season ticket holders give a ghostly appearance as the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics play in their first Spring Training...

Cardboard cutouts of season ticket holders give a ghostly appearance as the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics play in their first Spring Training exhibition game since delay due to the pandemic, Monday, July 20, 2020 at the Oakland Coliseum.

Windsor High School volleyball coach Christen Hamilton disinfects volleyballs to guard against the coronavirus, after a drill rotation, as the Jaguars hold their practice outdoors...

Windsor High School volleyball coach Christen Hamilton disinfects volleyballs to guard against the coronavirus, after a drill rotation, as the Jaguars hold their practice outdoors in the school quad, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020.

Mary Jo Kinser teaches a remote learning class in her classroom at Pleasant Hill Christian School in Sebastopol, Wednesday, April 22, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic...

Mary Jo Kinser teaches a remote learning class in her classroom at Pleasant Hill Christian School in Sebastopol, Wednesday, April 22, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the education system as schools turn to remote learning.

A procession, led by the Santa Rosa Police Department, for SRPD detective Marylou Armer, rolls eastbound on Highway 37, en route to Kaiser Hospital in...

A procession, led by the Santa Rosa Police Department, for SRPD detective Marylou Armer, rolls eastbound on Highway 37, en route to Kaiser Hospital in Vallejo, Friday, April 3, 2020. Armer who passed away Tuesday from COVID-19, is the first law enforcement officer in California to die of the disease.

Matisse and Percy Ginella and their dad pull up to the Austin Creek Elementary School Halloween parade, Friday, Oct. 30, 2020 in Santa Rosa. Teachers...

Matisse and Percy Ginella and their dad pull up to the Austin Creek Elementary School Halloween parade, Friday, Oct. 30, 2020 in Santa Rosa. Teachers and administrators from the school sponsored a drive-up parade, as the community, hit hard by the pandemic and the loss of several homes to the Glass fire, moves toward recovery.

A placid Lake Sonoma is the perfect spot for a boater as local and state parks begin to open up after the COVID-19 shelter-in-place, Wednesday...

A placid Lake Sonoma is the perfect spot for a boater as local and state parks begin to open up after the COVID-19 shelter-in-place, Wednesday May 20, 2020 near Cloverdale

Eric Rathe break dances the evening away in deserted downtown Guerneville, Saturday, August 22, 2020. The entire community was evacuated to to the lightning sparked...

Eric Rathe break dances the evening away in deserted downtown Guerneville, Saturday, August 22, 2020. The entire community was evacuated to to the lightning sparked Walbridge fire.

Billy Blankenship is coached by Sandra Castano, right, and Amy Bradbury from the Petaluma Health Center as Blankenship takes a swab sample for COVID-19 at...

Billy Blankenship is coached by Sandra Castano, right, and Amy Bradbury from the Petaluma Health Center as Blankenship takes a swab sample for COVID-19 at the Sixth Street homeless camp in Santa Rosa, Saturday, June 20, 2020. According to a spokesperson from the county, 58 people experiencing homelessness were swabbed for the contagious disease

For eight minutes and 46 seconds, George Floyd lay prone and handcuffed under the knee of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, for allegedly passing a...

For eight minutes and 46 seconds, George Floyd lay prone and handcuffed under the knee of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, for allegedly passing a counterfeit $20 bill. Floyd died a short time later, unable to breath. His death sparked nationwide outrage from large cities to smaller communities like Santa Rosa, where thousands of Black Lives Matter protesters kneel in silence for George Floyd in front of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department, Saturday, June 6, 2020.

Protesters square off with the California Highway Patrol, Saturday, May 30, 2020 on the downtown offramp from south Highway 101 in Santa Rosa, as the...

Protesters square off with the California Highway Patrol, Saturday, May 30, 2020 on the downtown offramp from south Highway 101 in Santa Rosa, as the community reacts to the death of George Floyd.

Tear gas hangs in the air after protesters faced off with the California Highway Patrol, Saturday, May 30, 2020 on the downtown offramp from south...

Tear gas hangs in the air after protesters faced off with the California Highway Patrol, Saturday, May 30, 2020 on the downtown offramp from south Highway 101 in Santa Rosa.

Milk is used to soften the sting after law enforcement officers fired tear gas to disperse a crowd of about 300 people, at the downtown...

Milk is used to soften the sting after law enforcement officers fired tear gas to disperse a crowd of about 300 people, at the downtown offramp in Santa Rosa, Saturday, May 30, 2020.

Amber Lucas leads "Say her name" during a Black Lives Matter protest as they stand in solidarity at Old Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa, Wednesday,...

Amber Lucas leads "Say her name" during a Black Lives Matter protest as they stand in solidarity at Old Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, in response to the Breonna Taylor decision in Louisville earlier in the day.

A Santa Rosa police tactical squad make arrests in Old Courthouse Square, stemming from a curfew violation, Wednesday, June 3, 2020. The officers gave the...

A Santa Rosa police tactical squad make arrests in Old Courthouse Square, stemming from a curfew violation, Wednesday, June 3, 2020. The officers gave the Back Lives Matter, George Floyd protesters an option to leave and not be taken in to custody. Four people declined to leave and were arrested. The woman arrested declined to give her name.

A sideshow broke out during a Black Lives Matter protest as the group reacts to the death of George Floyd. For several hours the group...

A sideshow broke out during a Black Lives Matter protest as the group reacts to the death of George Floyd. For several hours the group marched around downtown then settled in at Fourth Street and Mendocino Ave, Monday, June 1, 2020 in Santa Rosa.

Rohnert Park Peaceful March for Justice organizer Jackie Elward comforts a woman, who declined to give her name, broke down in tears in Rohnert Park...

Rohnert Park Peaceful March for Justice organizer Jackie Elward comforts a woman, who declined to give her name, broke down in tears in Rohnert Park after Elward's impassioned speech against racial injustice and the death of George Floyd, Saturday, June13, 2020.

Arni Thorvaldsson participates in the Black Lives Matter, Cycle for Life protest, Saturday, June 27, 2020 as a group of 150 cyclists stop in front...

Arni Thorvaldsson participates in the Black Lives Matter, Cycle for Life protest, Saturday, June 27, 2020 as a group of 150 cyclists stop in front of Sonoma County Supervisor Shirlee Zane's home on McDonald Ave. in Santa Rosa. Zane did come out and answered questions about protesters demands to defund police.

A group of about 30 people held a candlelight vigil for George Floyd and Black Lives Matter, in front of the Petaluma Police Department on...

A group of about 30 people held a candlelight vigil for George Floyd and Black Lives Matter, in front of the Petaluma Police Department on Petaluma Blvd. North, in Petaluma, Tuesday, June 9, 2020.

Eric Puestow of Pasadena with his 1 1/2 year-old daughter Simone holds his fist up as she holds onto his hand as thousands of demonstrators...

Eric Puestow of Pasadena with his 1 1/2 year-old daughter Simone holds his fist up as she holds onto his hand as thousands of demonstrators caravan to the Pasadena City Hall to protest and hold a vigil after the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis in Pasadena on Tuesday, June 2, 2020.

A woman with a child wearing masks looks on as an airline crew wearing full personal protective equipment due to the Coronavirus Pandemic walks through...

A woman with a child wearing masks looks on as an airline crew wearing full personal protective equipment due to the Coronavirus Pandemic walks through the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX in Los Angeles on Tuesday, November 17, 2020.

Martha Guevara of Rosemead casts her ballot next to empty voter booths as only about 500 voters casts their ballots in person during Election Night...

Martha Guevara of Rosemead casts her ballot next to empty voter booths as only about 500 voters casts their ballots in person during Election Night at the L.A. County's Registrar-Recorder in Norwalk, California on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Hundreds gather around a television sitting on a truck bed in front of Pershing Square as they watch the national broadcast of newly elected vice...

Hundreds gather around a television sitting on a truck bed in front of Pershing Square as they watch the national broadcast of newly elected vice president-elect Kamala Harris as they celebrate the victory of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in Los Angeles on Saturday, November 7, 2020.

Maria Martinez, center, clutched by her daughter Griselda Martinez, right, mourns as the casket dropped with the American flag of her son Army Specialist Enrique...

Maria Martinez, center, clutched by her daughter Griselda Martinez, right, mourns as the casket dropped with the American flag of her son Army Specialist Enrique Roman-Martine is brought by motorcade to Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Covina, California. Roman-Martinez's partial remains were found off the coast of North Carolina in May. Army investigators have ruled his death a homicide on Wednesday, August 19, 2020.

8 year-old CJ Kenton hugs his dog Clyde in front of burned out structures that his grandfather Frank Kenton lost along with another family dog...

8 year-old CJ Kenton hugs his dog Clyde in front of burned out structures that his grandfather Frank Kenton lost along with another family dog and various pets during the Bobcat Fire in Juniper Hills, California on Saturday, September 19, 2020. One of the family dogs is still missing. The fire may have been caused by vegetation coming into contact with a Southern California Edison overhead conductor.

Tight end Greg Dulcich #85 of the UCLA Bruins bobbles then drops a pass in the end zone on the final play of the game...

Tight end Greg Dulcich #85 of the UCLA Bruins bobbles then drops a pass in the end zone on the final play of the game as time runs out as the USC Trojans defeated the UCLA Bruins 43-38 during a NCAA Football game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on Saturday, December 12, 2020.

Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants kneel during the National Anthem in a show of support for Black Lives Matter movement in an...

Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants kneel during the National Anthem in a show of support for Black Lives Matter movement in an empty stadium as no fans are allowed due to the Coronavirus Pandemic prior to a MLB baseball game on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California on Thursday, July 23, 2020.

Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts as fans silouetted celebrate from their cars as they watch the national broadcast in the parking lot...

Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts as fans silouetted celebrate from their cars as they watch the national broadcast in the parking lot at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California of the Los Angeles Dodgers defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 during game 6 to win the 2020 MLB World Series on Tuesday, October 27, 2020.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs as his helmet reads “It Takes All of Us” prior to a NFL football game against...

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs as his helmet reads “It Takes All of Us” prior to a NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Sunday, September 20, 2020.

In the days following the death of George Floyd in May 2020, a 46-year-old black man who was killed during an arrest after a Minneapolis...

In the days following the death of George Floyd in May 2020, a 46-year-old black man who was killed during an arrest after a Minneapolis Police Department officer, knelt on Floyd's neck for eight minutes, 46 seconds as he “cried out I can't breathe" Protests and civil unrest grew by the millions across the country some becoming violent as protestors clashed with both police and pro Trump supporters. Los Angeles and the surrounding cities were no different as Pro Black Lives Matter Demonstrators came out in force and with passion in support for their cause.

A woman peers throughs a sign reading “Do you see me Human” during a protest and candlelight vigil in front of Pasadena City Hall in...

A woman peers throughs a sign reading “Do you see me Human” during a protest and candlelight vigil in front of Pasadena City Hall in Pasadena, California on Sunday, May 31, 2020 after the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis.

A Pro Trump supporter, right, punches a Black Lives Matter supporter during a confrontation between Black Lives Matter and Pro-Trump supporters at a rally along...

A Pro Trump supporter, right, punches a Black Lives Matter supporter during a confrontation between Black Lives Matter and Pro-Trump supporters at a rally along Foothill Blvd between the Albertsons and In-N-Out Burger in Tujunga, California on Friday, August 14, 2020.

A patron, right, of Mi Piace Restaurant along Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, California on Friday, June 12, 2020 attempts to speak with Protestor Jasmine Richards,...

A patron, right, of Mi Piace Restaurant along Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, California on Friday, June 12, 2020 attempts to speak with Protestor Jasmine Richards, left, the founder of #BlackLiveMatter Pasadena as demonstrators protest during a Black Lives Matter protest after the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis.

Colored smoke bombs fill the air as Pro Trump supporters clash with Black Lives Matter protestors during a rally along Foothill Blvd between the Albertsons...

Colored smoke bombs fill the air as Pro Trump supporters clash with Black Lives Matter protestors during a rally along Foothill Blvd between the Albertsons and In-N-Out Burger in Tujunga, California on Friday, August 14, 2020.

A woman holds up a sign of George Floyd during a protest and candlelight vigil as Black Lives Matter demonstrators protest in front of Pasadena...

A woman holds up a sign of George Floyd during a protest and candlelight vigil as Black Lives Matter demonstrators protest in front of Pasadena City Hall in Pasadena, California on Sunday, May 31, 2020 after the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis.

Looters leap out the broken window of Walgreens in downtown Los Angeles, California on Saturday, May 30, 2020 Pro Black Lives Matter demonstrators protested during...

Looters leap out the broken window of Walgreens in downtown Los Angeles, California on Saturday, May 30, 2020 Pro Black Lives Matter demonstrators protested during the day, but at night fall it turned into destruction after the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis during National Day of Protest.

Patrons dine at Mi Piace Restaurant along Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, California on Friday, June 12, 2020 as BlackLiveMatter demonstrators reflected in a mirror protest...

Patrons dine at Mi Piace Restaurant along Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, California on Friday, June 12, 2020 as BlackLiveMatter demonstrators reflected in a mirror protest during a Black Lives Matter protest after the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis.

Pro Black Lives Matter demonstrators clash with Los Angeles Police officers along Grand Ave. in Los Angeles on Thursday, May 28, 2020 during a protest...

Pro Black Lives Matter demonstrators clash with Los Angeles Police officers along Grand Ave. in Los Angeles on Thursday, May 28, 2020 during a protest of the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis.

A lone demonstrator waving an American flag protests at the intersection of Hacienda Blvd and Amar Road after in La Puente, California on Wednesday, June...

A lone demonstrator waving an American flag protests at the intersection of Hacienda Blvd and Amar Road after in La Puente, California on Wednesday, June 3, 2020. the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis.

Eric Puestow of Pasadena with his 1 1/2 year-old daughter Simone holds his fist up as she holds onto his hand as thousands of demonstrators...

Eric Puestow of Pasadena with his 1 1/2 year-old daughter Simone holds his fist up as she holds onto his hand as thousands of demonstrators caravan to the Pasadena City Hall to protest and hold a vigil after the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis in Pasadena on Tuesday, June 2, 2020.

When doors to Southern California schools closed in mid-March, public school teachers were given anywhere from a couple days to a few hours of preparation...

When doors to Southern California schools closed in mid-March, public school teachers were given anywhere from a couple days to a few hours of preparation for "distance learning" amid the burgeoning pandemic. They photocopied and stapled packets of schoolwork in a flurry, many with no idea just how long they would be away from their classrooms. With students' education interrupted, methods have varied from one virtual classroom to another. For students, a persistent "digital divide" between those with and without access to technology at home threatened to deepen educational inequity. Education experts warn of long-term harm to students dealing with isolation or home troubles as job losses continue to mount. School leaders, after planning for online graduations and virtual summer school, are now warning that a fall return to campuses can't happen safely without more state and federal funding in the wake of coronavirus-spurred budget cuts. All the while, teachers rolled with the punches. They started teaching Zoom lessons from the park, from the pool, carved out work space on the porch or in the bedrooms and tents.

First year teacher Shaina Joy Montiel a special education teacher at Jordan Elementary School in Whittier, California teaches from home due to the Coronavirus Pandemic...

First year teacher Shaina Joy Montiel a special education teacher at Jordan Elementary School in Whittier, California teaches from home due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Whittier on Thursday, April 23, 2020.

Carrie Peck is a teacher on special assignment at both Nelson and Sunset Elementary Schools La Puente, California teaches from her backyard pool due to...

Carrie Peck is a teacher on special assignment at both Nelson and Sunset Elementary Schools La Puente, California teaches from her backyard pool due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Hacienda Heights, California on Wednesday, May 6, 2020.

Heather Sandoval, Assistant Principal at Roybal High school in the Los Angeles works from home in a tent due to the Coronavirus Pandemic with her...

Heather Sandoval, Assistant Principal at Roybal High school in the Los Angeles works from home in a tent due to the Coronavirus Pandemic with her two children four year-old Noah and eight year old Hannah at their home in the Pasadena, California area on Wednesday, April 22, 2020.

Megan Daley 3rd grade teacher at Stanton Elementary School in Glendora is teaching from her backyard due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as she is able...

Megan Daley 3rd grade teacher at Stanton Elementary School in Glendora is teaching from her backyard due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as she is able to watch her five year old daughter Christabelle during the Coronavirus Pandemic in Pasadena on Wednesday, April 22, 2020.

Lauren Partma 6th grade teacher at McKinley Middle School in Pasadena teaches from home due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in South Pasadena on Thursday, April...

Lauren Partma 6th grade teacher at McKinley Middle School in Pasadena teaches from home due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in South Pasadena on Thursday, April 23, 2020.

Susie Burgos 5th grade teacher at Dayton Heights elementary in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles works from her back yard due to the...

Susie Burgos 5th grade teacher at Dayton Heights elementary in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles works from her back yard due to the Coronavirus Pandemic next to the pool as she watches her 5 year-old son Ian Burgos and her daughter Evenee Gonzalez-Burgos at their home in Pasadena on Wednesday, April 22, 2020.

Third Grade Teacher Kristen Gagnon of Silver Spur Elementary School in Palos Verdes Estates teachers from her bedroom due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Palos...

Third Grade Teacher Kristen Gagnon of Silver Spur Elementary School in Palos Verdes Estates teachers from her bedroom due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Palos Verde Estates on Friday, April 24, 2020.

Indu Dara Afandalor K-2, Special education teacher at Stanton Elementary School in Glendora teaching from her home due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Fontana on...

Indu Dara Afandalor K-2, Special education teacher at Stanton Elementary School in Glendora teaching from her home due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Fontana on Saturday, April 25, 2020.

Fourth Grade Teacher Karen Quinonez-Gomez at Andres & Maria Cardenas Elementary and her husband who teaches at are both teaching at home due to the...

Fourth Grade Teacher Karen Quinonez-Gomez at Andres & Maria Cardenas Elementary and her husband who teaches at are both teaching at home due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Sherman Oaks on Wednesday, April 29, 2020.

Libby Cline third grade teacher at Stanton Elementary School in Glendora teaches via Zoom from her front Porch in Bell due to the Coronavirus Pandemic....

Libby Cline third grade teacher at Stanton Elementary School in Glendora teaches via Zoom from her front Porch in Bell due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Libby wears different Mickey Mouse ears everyday to cheer up the students.

On January 26, 2020, a helicopter carrying 41 year-old retired Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others crashed in...

On January 26, 2020, a helicopter carrying 41 year-old retired Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others crashed in Calabasas, California. Bryant and his daughter, along with the other passengers, were headed to Gianna’s basketball game at the his Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, California. Not long after takeoff, the helicopter crashed in foggy conditions. The cause of the accident appeared to be pilot error. In the days following thousands of fans descended upon Staples Center home of the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Live to pay their respects to the fallen star with flowers, notes, jerseys, basketballs and most of all mourn the loss of a hero, a basketball star, a father and a friend.

David Kelly of Redlands looks over a memory wall as people have left flowers, hats, t-shirts, shoes written notes outside of LA Live across from...

David Kelly of Redlands looks over a memory wall as people have left flowers, hats, t-shirts, shoes written notes outside of LA Live across from Staples center where the Los Angeles Lakers honored Kobe Bryant and those who died in a helicopter crash prior to a NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Friday, January 31, 2020.

The retired jerseys of former Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant is illuminated as the Los Angeles Clippers honored Bryant and those who lost their lives...

The retired jerseys of former Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant is illuminated as the Los Angeles Clippers honored Bryant and those who lost their lives in a helicopter crash prior to a NBA basketball game between the LA Clippers and the Sacramento Kings at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on Thursday, January 30, 2020.

Maurice Harkless #11 of the LA Clippers has RIP 8 Kobe on his shoes in honor of Kobe Bryant and those who died on the...

Maurice Harkless #11 of the LA Clippers has RIP 8 Kobe on his shoes in honor of Kobe Bryant and those who died on the helicopter crash in the first half of a NBA basketball game between the LA Clippers and the Sacramento Kings at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Thursday, January 30, 2020.

Thousands of Kobe Bryant fans chant his name as they mourn the loss of Kobe Bryant in front of LA Live across from Staples Center...

Thousands of Kobe Bryant fans chant his name as they mourn the loss of Kobe Bryant in front of LA Live across from Staples Center home of the Los Angeles Lakers in Los Angeles on Sunday, January 26, 2020. Kobe Bryant and 8 others died in an helicopter crash in Calabasas.

Flowers, hats, t-shirts, shoes written notes memory boards just some of the items outside of LA Live across from Staples center where the Los Angeles...

Flowers, hats, t-shirts, shoes written notes memory boards just some of the items outside of LA Live across from Staples center where the Los Angeles Lakers will honor Kobe Bryant and those who died in a helicopter crash prior to a NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Friday, January 31, 2020.

Thousands of flowers, hats, t-shirts, shoes, balls, written notes and signed memory boards outside of LA Live across from Staples center where the Los Angeles...

Thousands of flowers, hats, t-shirts, shoes, balls, written notes and signed memory boards outside of LA Live across from Staples center where the Los Angeles Lakers will honor Kobe Bryant and those who died in a helicopter crash prior to a NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Friday, January 31, 2020.

Artist Reza Safa of Corona Del Mar works on a painting of Kobe and Gigi Bryant that he plans on giving the family outside of...

Artist Reza Safa of Corona Del Mar works on a painting of Kobe and Gigi Bryant that he plans on giving the family outside of LA Live across from Staples center where the Los Angeles Lakers will honor Kobe Bryant and those who died in a helicopter crash prior to a NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Friday, January 31, 2020.

A man writes a note to Kobe Bryant on a memory board outside of LA Live across from Staples center where the Los Angeles Lakers...

A man writes a note to Kobe Bryant on a memory board outside of LA Live across from Staples center where the Los Angeles Lakers honored Kobe Bryant and those who died in a helicopter crash prior to a NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Friday, January 31, 2020.

Sylvester Van Buren, center, of Los Angeles cries as he watches the pre game ceremony honoring Kobe Bryant on television screens at Tom’s Urban outside...

Sylvester Van Buren, center, of Los Angeles cries as he watches the pre game ceremony honoring Kobe Bryant on television screens at Tom’s Urban outside of LA Live across from Staples center where the Los Angeles Lakers prior to a NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Friday, January 31, 2020.

Fans wearing Lakers clothing mourn the loss of Kobe Bryant in front of La Live across from Staples Center home of the Los Angeles Lakers...

Fans wearing Lakers clothing mourn the loss of Kobe Bryant in front of La Live across from Staples Center home of the Los Angeles Lakers in Los Angeles on Sunday, January 26, 2020. Kobe Bryant and 8 others died in an helicopter crash in Calabasas.

Lightning crackles above the antique windmill beside the railroad tracks in Merkel Thursday May 21, 2020. The decorative tower pays homage to the time when...

Lightning crackles above the antique windmill beside the railroad tracks in Merkel Thursday May 21, 2020. The decorative tower pays homage to the time when wind was first harnessed as energy to power water pumps in distant stock tanks across desolate pastures. But since 2000, wind power in the region has come full circle, providing electricity and giving rise to a renaissance of funding for rural school districts. If Texas were a country, it would rank as the 6th largest wind-producing nation in the world.

Gary Doan steps into the tree-shaped dent in one of his pickups to retrieve ammunition from the ruined vehicle's center console Friday March 20, 2020....

Gary Doan steps into the tree-shaped dent in one of his pickups to retrieve ammunition from the ruined vehicle's center console Friday March 20, 2020. The pickup had been damaged Thursday when a tornado picked it up in the early morning hours on their ranch in the Mulberry Canyon area south of Merkel.

Partitions made from clear shower curtains and PVC pipe separate desks in Rene Black's fourth grade classroom at Abilene's Texas Leadership Charter Academy Tuesday August...

Partitions made from clear shower curtains and PVC pipe separate desks in Rene Black's fourth grade classroom at Abilene's Texas Leadership Charter Academy Tuesday August 11, 2020. The barriers were to prevent children from potentially spreading coronavirus to classmates when school resumed later in the month.

A customer reaches for multipacks of toilet paper at an Abilene grocery store Thursday March 12, 2020. Shoppers at stores across the city were cleaning...

A customer reaches for multipacks of toilet paper at an Abilene grocery store Thursday March 12, 2020. Shoppers at stores across the city were cleaning out shelves of toilet paper in response to coronavirus fears. Soon after, stores instituted item limits to counter the panic-buying exhibited by patrons.

Kim Heye prays from behind the wheel of her car during the National Day of Prayer service in the Abilene Police Department parking lot May...

Kim Heye prays from behind the wheel of her car during the National Day of Prayer service in the Abilene Police Department parking lot May 7, 2020. Because of coronavirus concerns, those coming to the service were required to pray from their vehicles.

Corinna Horton makes a phone all as she waits with Sonya Marquez and her 14 year-old granddaughter Naviya for the arrival of President Donald Trump...

Corinna Horton makes a phone all as she waits with Sonya Marquez and her 14 year-old granddaughter Naviya for the arrival of President Donald Trump Wednesday in Midland July 29, 2020. "I was on my way to run some errands and I saw all the traffic and I wondered what was going on," Horton said. "They said Trump was coming, so I just put the errands off. I don't think anything is more important." Marquez said of her granddaughter, "She's a big Trump supporter." The cardboard cutout of the president and First Lady was a gift from a friend. "I had a big Trump tree for Christmas and that stood beside it," she said.

Trenton Ross gets a lift at the end of the rodeo during the bullfighting exhibition Thursday July 2, 2020. This was the 90th year for...

Trenton Ross gets a lift at the end of the rodeo during the bullfighting exhibition Thursday July 2, 2020. This was the 90th year for Stamford's Texas Cowboy Reunion.

Clyde running back Nick Lopez is pushed out of bounds by Breckenridge defensive back Colby Stober inches from the goal line and into the photographer...

Clyde running back Nick Lopez is pushed out of bounds by Breckenridge defensive back Colby Stober inches from the goal line and into the photographer during Friday's game at Bulldog Stadium in Clyde, Texas Oct. 9, 2020. Photographer and player were unscathed, though a lens shade did get slightly bent. Final score was 38-21, Clyde.

Classmates reach for each other as they file onto the field at Shotwell Stadium Saturday for the Cooper High School commencement in Abilene, Texas July...

Classmates reach for each other as they file onto the field at Shotwell Stadium Saturday for the Cooper High School commencement in Abilene, Texas July 18, 2020. The graduation was held nearly a month later than usual and in the outdoor venue because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Most students had not seen each other since spring break in March when Governor Greg Abbott suspended all in-person classes statewide. Graduates and parents later expressed thanks for the district's efforts to hold commencement, remarking that otherwise the graduates wouldn't have been able to say good bye to longtime friends or treasured teachers.

Dylan Muehlstein, 12, sports patriotic braces Thursday at the Texas Cowboy Reunion July 2, 2020. This is the 90th year for Stamford's rodeo which concludes...

Dylan Muehlstein, 12, sports patriotic braces Thursday at the Texas Cowboy Reunion July 2, 2020. This is the 90th year for Stamford's rodeo which concludes Saturday night.

Jim Ned players Don Bridges (50) and Noah Powell (74) comfort Hallettsville's Deven Wood after the Indians defeated the Brahmas in the Class 3A Division...

Jim Ned players Don Bridges (50) and Noah Powell (74) comfort Hallettsville's Deven Wood after the Indians defeated the Brahmas in the Class 3A Division I state championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas Thursday Dec. 17, 2020. Final score in overtime was 29-28, Jim Ned.

Gage Talley, 15 of Archer City, hones his kickoff skills before a bovine audience at the Taylor County Expo Center Thursday Sept. 3, 2020. Gage...

Gage Talley, 15 of Archer City, hones his kickoff skills before a bovine audience at the Taylor County Expo Center Thursday Sept. 3, 2020. Gage was showing Hereford cattle with his family during a livestock show.

Kaydi Pursley, 18, practices her pole vaulting inside the warehouse of a grain elevator in Merkel Wednesday April 15, 2020. The Merkel High School senior...

Kaydi Pursley, 18, practices her pole vaulting inside the warehouse of a grain elevator in Merkel Wednesday April 15, 2020. The Merkel High School senior is looking forward to vaulting on the Abilene Christian University track team in Spring 2021, where her uncle Brad was a national pole vault champion. Kaydi has used the space to her advantage after the pandemic canceled public school for the year, not even worrying about the freight trains that roll by twice every hour or so 20 feet from the warehouse.

Protests against police brutality spread across the nation in June, even reaching Abilene, Texas. Citizens marched several times over the summer, calling for meaningful dialogue...

Protests against police brutality spread across the nation in June, even reaching Abilene, Texas. Citizens marched several times over the summer, calling for meaningful dialogue between communities of color, law enforcement and city officials to ensure that what happened in Minneapolis won't happen here.

Protesters stand in the middle of E. Highway 80 as they prepare to march into downtown Abilene, Texas Thursday June 4, 2020. At least 600...

Protesters stand in the middle of E. Highway 80 as they prepare to march into downtown Abilene, Texas Thursday June 4, 2020. At least 600 came to the Martin Luther King Jr. sign to remember George Floyd and other national victims of police brutality. The crowd loudly marched in a peaceful manner into the city center on North First Street to Grape Street, then reversed direction and returned without incident. Protests against police brutality spread across the nation in June, even reaching Abilene, Texas. Citizens marched several times over the summer, calling for meaningful dialogue between communities of color, law enforcement and city officials to ensure that what happened in Minneapolis won't happen here.

Andre Gwinn stands in the rain, listening to another speaker as white hecklers in the distance occasionally call out, "All lives matter." Eventually the tension...

Andre Gwinn stands in the rain, listening to another speaker as white hecklers in the distance occasionally call out, "All lives matter." Eventually the tension was defused after the hecklers were invited to speak. The Peaceful Protest for Jacob Blake rally was held at Rose Park in Abilene, Texas Sept. 1, 2020.

Chris Craig wore a Spider Man costume and a sign to show support for Black Lives Matter at Thursday's rally near the Martin Luther King...

Chris Craig wore a Spider Man costume and a sign to show support for Black Lives Matter at Thursday's rally near the Martin Luther King Jr. sign on E. Highway 80 in Abilene, Texas June 4, 2020. Hundreds came out for the rally which was organized in the wake of nationwide protests against racial injustice.

Alex Eugene, holding a Trump-Pence reelection sign, listens to speakers in Rose Park during the Peaceful Protest for Jacob Blake rally held there Tuesday Sept....

Alex Eugene, holding a Trump-Pence reelection sign, listens to speakers in Rose Park during the Peaceful Protest for Jacob Blake rally held there Tuesday Sept. 1, 2020. A conservative, Eugene said he was there to support all sides but wanted the demonstration to remain peaceful.

A woman raises her hand in solidarity as she passes a crowd Thursday demonstrating to remember national victims of police brutality June 4, 2020. E....

A woman raises her hand in solidarity as she passes a crowd Thursday demonstrating to remember national victims of police brutality June 4, 2020. E. Highway 80 was eventually closed as people gathered to march from the Martin Luther King Jr. sign into downtown Abilene and back.

Mekenzie Davis covers his face as he prays during Thursday.s rally June 4, 2020. Pastors from local churches, as well as the Abilene mayor and...

Mekenzie Davis covers his face as he prays during Thursday.s rally June 4, 2020. Pastors from local churches, as well as the Abilene mayor and police chief, spoke to assure those gathered that they were there to listen.

A man carries a semi-automatic rifle after crossing he Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge with two young children during Saturday's march in Abilene against racism...

A man carries a semi-automatic rifle after crossing he Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge with two young children during Saturday's march in Abilene against racism and national acts of police brutality June 6, 2020. While weapons were never expressly prohibited, this was the only open-carry display of firearms all summer.

A demonstrator records video while holding a sign as the rally crowd fills E. Highway 80 Thursday June 4, 2020. Chanting loudly, the crowd marched...

A demonstrator records video while holding a sign as the rally crowd fills E. Highway 80 Thursday June 4, 2020. Chanting loudly, the crowd marched a mile into the city, alarming downtown merchants, then peacefully returned to the park.

Matthias Royals lights a candle in memory of George Floyd at the conclusion of Thursday's march June 4, 2020. A group stayed behind to join...

Matthias Royals lights a candle in memory of George Floyd at the conclusion of Thursday's march June 4, 2020. A group stayed behind to join in a circle of silence for eight minutes and forty-six seconds, the time George Floyd was held down by Minneapolis police until he died.

With plenty of drama already, why not end the 2020 academic year at a drive-in theater? When Texas Governor Greg Abbott closed schools in March...

With plenty of drama already, why not end the 2020 academic year at a drive-in theater? When Texas Governor Greg Abbott closed schools in March because of the looming pandemic, school administrators in Eula worried it might mean going to a virtual graduation. Instead, an off-handed comment about holding it at the nearby Abilene drive-in subsequently turned into a workable solution. The Pirates had their commencement.

Zachai Castillo, 2, stands in the lap of Michael Tatum as he looks around at the other cars watching the slide show of graduating seniors...

Zachai Castillo, 2, stands in the lap of Michael Tatum as he looks around at the other cars watching the slide show of graduating seniors at the Town & Country Drive-In Theatre in Abilene, Texas May 22, 2020. Thirty Eula High School students graduated there, the district having rented the theater to comply with pandemic restrictions. With plenty of drama already, why not end the 2020 academic year at a drive-in theater? When Texas Governor Greg Abbott closed schools in March because of the looming pandemic, school administrators in Eula worried it might mean going to a virtual graduation. Instead, an off-handed comment about holding it at the nearby Abilene drive-in subsequently turned into a workable solution. The Pirates had their commencement.

Dillon Cannon sits in a pickup with his girlfriend Nicole Guerra before the start of the Eula High School graduation at the Town & Country...

Dillon Cannon sits in a pickup with his girlfriend Nicole Guerra before the start of the Eula High School graduation at the Town & Country Drive-In Theatre in Abilene.

Seniors watch as Eula High School Principal Wayland Damron presents diplomas, pausing for a photograph each time. “They set all this up for us, so...

Seniors watch as Eula High School Principal Wayland Damron presents diplomas, pausing for a photograph each time. “They set all this up for us, so I'm super happy,” said senior David Phillips, looking around at his fellow graduates. “I mean, a lot of kids probably won't get (a graduation).”

Chelsie Lane looks at her phone as Dawson Cannon watches the slide show for the Eula graduates. As darkness set, each graduate was highlighted in...

Chelsie Lane looks at her phone as Dawson Cannon watches the slide show for the Eula graduates. As darkness set, each graduate was highlighted in their own slide show featuring photographs from infancy to high school.

Dakota Carson (center) is lit by headlights as other Eula graduates and their families embrace and take pictures in the aftermath of commencement a the...

Dakota Carson (center) is lit by headlights as other Eula graduates and their families embrace and take pictures in the aftermath of commencement a the drive-in.

Silhouetted in the failing light, Eula High School graduates watch slide shows of their classmates. "It's kind of cool that (the school) went the extra...

Silhouetted in the failing light, Eula High School graduates watch slide shows of their classmates. "It's kind of cool that (the school) went the extra mile to make this work," said parent Brent Bristow. "To where they can at least have closure, at least have a graduation. It'll be a memory they'll have the rest of their lives."

Helen Keith reaches down to kiss her son Jamie Hutchinson goodbye as staff line the halls for an "honor walk" on his way to the...

Helen Keith reaches down to kiss her son Jamie Hutchinson goodbye as staff line the halls for an "honor walk" on his way to the operating room to donate organs that will be used to save others at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital on Wednesday, April 15, 2020 in West Ashley. According to Sharing Hope South Carolina a designated Organ Procurement Organization for organ and tissue recovery services approximately 120,000 people in the U.S. and over 1,000 in South Carolina are waiting for a life-saving transplant.

Lillian Bortez, 9, plays with a water noodle running though a sidewalk carwash along Grove Street in Wagener Terrace on Tuesday, August 11, 2020 in...

Lillian Bortez, 9, plays with a water noodle running though a sidewalk carwash along Grove Street in Wagener Terrace on Tuesday, August 11, 2020 in Charleston.

Rev. David Kennedy, a pastor at New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church stands in front of the closed Echo Theater where the Redneck Shop once stood...

Rev. David Kennedy, a pastor at New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church stands in front of the closed Echo Theater where the Redneck Shop once stood on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020 in Laurens, S.C. Kennedy spent years protesting the shop and now that he owns the building he hopes to transform the space to benefit the community. The Redneck Shop once sold KKK robes and swastikas and hosted neo-Nazi meetings before closing in the early 2000s.

The Harvest moon sets over the Charleston Harbor as a shrimper crosses paths before sunrise on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Today is the first of...

The Harvest moon sets over the Charleston Harbor as a shrimper crosses paths before sunrise on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Today is the first of two full moons this month also known as a micro moon appearing smaller and dimmer than a typical full moon.

Jesse Qualls, right, watches from the back of the his vehicle the burial of his brother, Joseph, an Army veteran at the Beaufort National Cemetery...

Jesse Qualls, right, watches from the back of the his vehicle the burial of his brother, Joseph, an Army veteran at the Beaufort National Cemetery on Wednesday, May 20, 2020. While typically it is tradition for a Military Funeral Honors of the deceased but due to COVID-19 this will not happen and the family members are asked to remain in their vehicles and limited to 10 people during the burial.

“We just got engaged” Victoria Mulligan yells out in the arms of her future wife Staci Huss as storm surge covers Myrtle Beach on Monday,...

“We just got engaged” Victoria Mulligan yells out in the arms of her future wife Staci Huss as storm surge covers Myrtle Beach on Monday, August 3, 2020.

Lakota McCarty, 5, places his transparent face mask after a his a session with Brooke Alexander his speech and feeding therapist on Friday, Oct. 23,...

Lakota McCarty, 5, places his transparent face mask after a his a session with Brooke Alexander his speech and feeding therapist on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020 at Charleston Pediatrics Rehabilitation in North Charleston. During the first several weeks of the pandemic Lakota would go to virtual therapy sessions for ABA, occupational, speech and feeding. Lakota is a child with autism along with a speech disorder called apraxia. A lot of children with autism during the pandemic saw a regression during the start of the pandemic because of availability with in person therapy. Lakota was one of those children his mother Teddy said.

Lakota McCarty, 4, stands outside of his home waiting for his sister to play in the inflatable water slide his mom had rented for the...

Lakota McCarty, 4, stands outside of his home waiting for his sister to play in the inflatable water slide his mom had rented for the kids as an activity to do during the pandemic on Thursday, July 16, 2020 in Goose Creek.

From left, Hayden McCarty, 11, and his brother Sam McCarty, 10, play sword fight with sticks as Lakota McCarty, 4, pretends to play right next...

From left, Hayden McCarty, 11, and his brother Sam McCarty, 10, play sword fight with sticks as Lakota McCarty, 4, pretends to play right next to them at North Charleston Wannamaker County Park on Friday, July 24, 2020. “It’s hard when you are a child and your childhood is kind of getting away from you," Teddy McCarty said.

After moving into their new home in Summerville Lakota celebrates his 5th birthday along with his brother Hayden's 12th birthday which are a day apart...

After moving into their new home in Summerville Lakota celebrates his 5th birthday along with his brother Hayden's 12th birthday which are a day apart on Monday, Oct 19, 2020. The family had plans for a larger celebration just with close friends and family but two weeks prior had a COVID-19 scare and immediately taken out of school to get tested, the family came back negative.

Teddy McCarty wakes up her son Lakota on his first day of school after being out for several months due to the pandemic on Tuesday,...

Teddy McCarty wakes up her son Lakota on his first day of school after being out for several months due to the pandemic on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020 in Goose Creek.

Teddy McCarty takes a few moments to relax before taking her children to school on the first day back after several months out from the...

Teddy McCarty takes a few moments to relax before taking her children to school on the first day back after several months out from the pandemic on Tuesday, Sept 8, 2020 in Goose Creek.

Lakota wears his transparent mask to help out his teachers reach his lips while communicating while traveling to school on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020 in...

Lakota wears his transparent mask to help out his teachers reach his lips while communicating while traveling to school on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020 in Goose Creek. Apraxia is a speech disorder that makes it hard for those trying to articulate using with their mouth.

Lakota McCarty, 12, smiles and laughs reacting to a cracker he was asked to lick for feeding therapy by Brooke Alexander at Charleston Pediatric Rehabilitation...

Lakota McCarty, 12, smiles and laughs reacting to a cracker he was asked to lick for feeding therapy by Brooke Alexander at Charleston Pediatric Rehabilitation on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020 in North Charleston. An exercise like this, Alexander explained, is more effective when it is conducted in-person rather than online.

Lakota McCarty and his sister Rainey McCarty, 8, play in their living room on Monday, August 31, 2020 in Goose Creek. Since they are close...

Lakota McCarty and his sister Rainey McCarty, 8, play in their living room on Monday, August 31, 2020 in Goose Creek. Since they are close in age the two of them have become great friends. Rainey helps take care of her brother with some of his home therapy he needs.

Lakota McCarty, left, waits at the bottom of a tree while his sister Rainey climbs to the top near their school on Monday, August 31,...

Lakota McCarty, left, waits at the bottom of a tree while his sister Rainey climbs to the top near their school on Monday, August 31, 2020 in Goose Creek.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has made many people feel unsafe in everyday places. Churches, businesses, public parks and beaches have been shut down due to...

The global COVID-19 pandemic has made many people feel unsafe in everyday places. Churches, businesses, public parks and beaches have been shut down due to the virus, leaving people limited places to go where they feel comfortable. One place that has become a sanctuary for some is the porch. Chris Dodson and Jonathan 'Mookie' Morant from Return of the MAC perform in a front yard on Saturday, April 25, 2020 in Charleston. Neighbors gathered on their lawns Saturday evening for the hour-long concert.

Every day Harold Wigdarr sits out off of King Street reading his book, catching up with mail or his guitar seen sitting in a flower...

Every day Harold Wigdarr sits out off of King Street reading his book, catching up with mail or his guitar seen sitting in a flower pot as a chair on Wednesday, April 29, 2020 in Charleston.

Connie Clasby smiles while holding onto her book "The Holdout" with her husband Daryl Knox and cat Sylvester on Tuesday, April 28, 2020 in Charleston....

Connie Clasby smiles while holding onto her book "The Holdout" with her husband Daryl Knox and cat Sylvester on Tuesday, April 28, 2020 in Charleston. "I haven't left the house in the last two months." Connie said. Only sending her husband out to Harris Teeter for groceries when needed.

Tripp Warren, 7, walks over obstacles while out on the porch with his mom Leigh Warren and dog Barley on Friday, March 27, 2020 in...

Tripp Warren, 7, walks over obstacles while out on the porch with his mom Leigh Warren and dog Barley on Friday, March 27, 2020 in Charleston. Colorful paper hearts are seen hanging in their front door as a sign of hope as neighbors walk by.

"We call this the porch." Jack Anthony Huggins said as he gives his cousin Maurice Royal, left, a haircut on Friday, May 8, 2020 in...

"We call this the porch." Jack Anthony Huggins said as he gives his cousin Maurice Royal, left, a haircut on Friday, May 8, 2020 in Charleston. "Everyone comes to the porch for their haircut." He said.

Lower King Street's hotels, shops and offices normally bustle with activity crowding the street and sidewalk in Charleston. A view from the Belmond Charleston Place...

Lower King Street's hotels, shops and offices normally bustle with activity crowding the street and sidewalk in Charleston. A view from the Belmond Charleston Place hotel shows a starkly different scene after outbreak restrictions were announced

A lone worker carries a mop through the stands at the North Charleston Coliseum, home of the South Carolina Stingrays. The hockey team's successful season...

A lone worker carries a mop through the stands at the North Charleston Coliseum, home of the South Carolina Stingrays. The hockey team's successful season under new ownership was cut short due to the coronavirus.

The Dewberry Charleston, temporarily closed, illuminated rooms to spell "LOVE" as a message of positivity. A number of hotels from small boutique to chains have...

The Dewberry Charleston, temporarily closed, illuminated rooms to spell "LOVE" as a message of positivity. A number of hotels from small boutique to chains have temporarily closed. Charleston's peninsula has seen the sharpest drop in occupancy.