Since You Asked: What's moving into into old Big Lots space?

Q: Over the past month, I have noticed some work going on at the former Big Lots store by Food Maxx in Yuba City. I believe it might be a new store. Is this true? When will it open?

A: It's going to be the new home of Yuba City's Goodwill store, city officials said.

The Yuba City Goodwill is moving from its West Onstott Road location to 1242 Colusa Ave. Goodwill officials hope to open at the new location on Dec. 6, authorities said.

Building renovations should kick off this week, according to Tammie Rikard, a Yuba City community development technician.

Tolbert Construction of Sacramento is handling the building upgrades, Rikard said.

The local Goodwill store employs three full-time employees and has been in business in Yuba City since 1998, according to city business records. It also employs several part-timers, but exact numbers were not available.

Phone calls to Goodwill's Sacramento headquarters were not returned.

The Big Lots store left its Colusa Avenue location and moved across town to 1320 Franklin Road in September of last year, according to city business records.

Medicare fraud case

Q: What was the result of the case against the doctor from Yuba City accused of Medicare fraud?

A: The case is still pending in federal court.

Dr. Irving Schwartz is scheduled to make his next appearance today in US District Court in San Diego for pretrial motions.

Schwartz, a general practitioner, was indicted in June and arrested in July. He is accused in a $1.3 million Medicare scam.

He was released on a $75,000 bail bond, according to the US Attorney's Office.

Federal prosecutors believe Schwartz wrote dozens of spurious prescriptions for power wheelchairs between July 2007 and September 2008 for patients who didn't need them. Authorities said the Yuba City doctor received $300 kickbacks each time a co-conspirator submitted the bogus prescriptions to Medicare, according to an indictment unsealed earlier this year.

Schwartz established his practice in Yuba City in September 2007 on Queens Avenue.

Since You Asked is published on Mondays. Send questions to reporter Rob Parsons at the Appeal-Democrat, 1530 Ellis Lake Drive, Marysville, CA 95901, email him at rparsons@appealdemocrat.com or call 749-4785.