April | 2016 | 94.5 K-Wine / Max 93.5 FM

Monthly Archives: April 2016

News 04/29/16

A man from Ukiah has been charged with the shooting of a woman under the Russian River Bridge. The 20 year old woman was shot early this month as she camped near Talmage Road. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s office says she was shot during a domestic violence situation. Audiel Orosco Miranda arrested by the Highway Patrol on an unrelated warrant. The woman had a gunshot wound to her upper arm … telling deputies the suspect fired at least 15 times from a nearby Pear Orchard. Miranda was being held on an attempted murder charge with bail set at 300 thousand dollars.

The California Senate has approved a bill to permanently extend overtime for domestic workers. A temp law passed in 2013 requires nannies, caregivers and housekeepers be paid time-and-a-half if they work more than nine hours in a day or more than 45 hours a week. That law expires at the end of the year. The bill approved by the Senate extends it permanently. It cleared on a 25-10 vote and goes next to the Assembly. Democratic Sen. Connie Leyva of Chino says the bill helps make sure domestic workers are treated with dignity. Baby sitters are not included in the legislation.

A fire drill of sorts with a real air ambulance and firefighters. REACH Air Medical Services, South Lake County Fire Protection District and the Lake County Assistant Superintendent of Schools brought the drill to the Minnie Cannon After School Program last Friday, April 15th. The children in the after school program were taken over to the South Lake County Fire Protection District station in Middletown and met firefighters from Cal Fire, South County Firefighters and REACH Air Medical Services. Many of the kids had been evacuated during the Valley Fire, many having bad memories of helicopters and emergency vehicles. So the event was to show the students the vehicles and helicopter were there to keep them safe and to help.

Americorps in Lake County is accepting applications for the 2016-17 academic year. The group serves schools in Lake County through the Lake County Office of Education. They say they’re in need of a fulltime mentor and halftime and quarter-time preschool tutors; in-school and after school tutors; Hero Project and Healthy Start members. Those who join get a twice a month stipend and education award at the end of their service. It’s touted as a way to increase job skills, gain training, and network with school staff and administrators. For more information call 263-8796 ext. 241.

Continued progress reported on the city of Clearlake’s Visitor Center/Chamber of Commerce Center. The Record Bee reports there’s a new front door and framing for concrete work. The inside and outdoor work is out to bid, but they need volunteers to help with interior projects. They need folks with basic construction skills, like hanging light fixtures, cabinetry work, wood flooring work, experienced tile workers, and painters. To help out, call Jim Scholz at (707) 994-1545.

A home in Hidden Valley Lake’s been totally destroyed by a fire. The Stinson Road home burned but the garage and cars inside were saved. The family living there is safe but lost their home. The cause of the fire has not been determined.

The State Treasurer says embracing diversity ends up being way more beneficial for companies than not. John Chiang saying the report by the Calif. Public Employees Retirement System shows how companies with leaders who embrace diversity have better relations with stakeholders, attract better talent, and deliver stronger financial bottom lines. He says the demonstrated link of diversity and success sends a message to states and municipalities that condone discrimination against LGBTs and corporate bigwigs blind to the value added by women and minority executives. The report showing companies that have one or more women on the board had a higher share price and those who have male-only boards had lower share prices. And those supporting LGBT rights saw average returns 10% or higher.

Another meeting set for the Valley Fire Long-Term Recovery Task Force. The next update is Tuesday, May 3rd at Cobb Elementary School located in Middletown. The Lake County Administrative Officer had recently said the meetings would be suspended after the next meeting saying it’s best for county staff to concentrate on their work responsibilities, besides the recovery issues. An info sheet has been compiled for fire survivors which will be handed out at the meeting. The info sheet will also be available online at www.LakeCountyRecovers.com.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is closing their Lobby for the weekend. The public lobby is closing today at noon until Monday at 1:00 pm. The office says it’s necessary because of safety and security concerns due to work being done there. They have a phone number to call for any civil issues while the lobby is closed, at (707) 262-4080.

A new medical clinic that will have rehab services is opening in Willits. The new building in the Frank Howard Memorial Hospital is the Redwood Medical Clinic and Outpatient Rehabilitation Services. The space where the foundation and pharmacy are also being housed. The clinic can start seeing patients Monday in their 16 exam rooms. The clinic first opened to the public back in 2014 with primary care for the whole family including preventative medicine like vaccinations and yearly physicals; managing ongoing chronic illnesses and to treat non-urgent conditions.

A community forum’s been held regarding Measure U, regarding Mental Health services at the Old Coast Hotel. The League of Women Voters in Fort Bragg hosted the forum last Friday with about 4 dozen in attendance. The forum at the Redwood Coast Senior Center. If the measure passes it would ban all social service organizations in the Central Business District. The Advocate reports the city attorney having previously said if Measure U passes, the city wouldn’t be opposed to litigation. The measure would amend the zoning code. A retroactivity provision would most likely be unenforceable though.

There’s a revised plan for the state’s proposed high-speed rail project. The $64 billion plan proposing the train head from the Central Valley to the San Jose area before going to Southern California. The board has approved the move at a meeting in Sacramento. The CEO of the High-speed rail says they’ll put $4 billion into Southern California to prepare for the bullet train. The new plan cuts an expensive and difficult engineering job to tunnel through the Tehachapi mountains. The first stretch wouldn’t even start operating until 2025.

A man in a stolen car in Pittsburgh accused of leaving the car and jumping into a river to get away. Police say after the man was caught he ran naked from a hospital and hid inside a dumpster. James Williams first spotted in a stolen car Wednesday, the abandoned it, ran thru a recycling yard and tried swimming away in the Ohio River. But his foot got stuck in a barge rope.

A couple in Georgia says they’re suing Snapchat, saying the social media app’s “speed filter” was the reason a woman drove too fast, causing the crash that injured the husband. Wentworth and Karen Maynard filing a lawsuit against Snapchat and the 18-year-old driver who posted a snap of herself from an ambulance after the crash. The suit filed last fall says the 18 year old was driving and using a Snapchat filter putting the rate of speed a car is traveling at over an image. It said the driver was trying to hit 100 miles an hour when she hit the other car, sending it down an embankment.

The recreational Dungeness crab season has finally begun south of Humboldt Bay to the California-Mexican border. The recreational season was expected to end June 30th with the commercial season set to end on July 30th. The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment says recent test results showed the toxin, domoic acid was at low levels in Dungeness crabs south of the Humboldt Bay entrance and in Mendocino County. The Dungeness crab fishery is still closed though north of Humboldt Bay as officials are still monitoring crab domoic acid levels in that northern California zone.

News 04/28/16

A judge in Lake County finds a man from Clearlake who spent almost 20 years behind bars is factually innocent. Luther Ed Jones Jr found guilty in 1998 for the molestation of his then-girlfriend’s daughter and sentenced to 27 years in prison. The order clears the way for a claim against the state. Jones was released from prison based on new evidence that proved his innocence. Back in February, the woman who, as a child, had been at the center of the case, admitted she had lied under pressure from her mother. Jones has filed a claim asking for almost a million dollars for his nearly 67 hundred days in prison.

The Clearlake Police Department still investigating a marijuana growing operation which has resulted in one arrest, finding a loaded handgun and 6,800 marijuana plants. Warrants served Monday at one house where Ricardo Perez of Napa was arrested. Investigators say they found 23 hundred plants in that home, some in the backyard and some in grow rooms. Police also say they found tunneled passageways leading them to more plants and processing operations. The home had been red tagged by code enforcement. Clearlake detectives say they also searched properties across the street where they found even more plants. Police say Perez was the only person arrested Monday but they believe more people were involved.

Serious turnover in Lake County. Lake Co News reports the county’s trying to fill positions of department heads after several retirements and resignations. The news site reports about 30% of the county’s estimated 21 department heads have left or given notice. The County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson and Board of Supervisors Chair Rob Brown agree, it’s unusual. The Board of Supervisors voted to hire a Special Districts compliance administrator this week along with a new Public Services director. Several others are working in interim leadership roles in various departments, including Social Services and Behavioral Health.

Sheriff Tom Allman and others have begun collecting signatures for the Mental Health Facility Development Ordinance. The Daily Journal reports they need to gather 2,502 registered county voter signatures to get the ordinance on the November ballot for consideration. Sheriff Allman at a gathering place in the Ukiah Natural Food Co-op yesterday getting signatures himself. He will also go out tomorrow to the Point Arena area, but others are working with him as part of a coalition to get improved mental health in Mendocino County. The Sheriff saying he’s confident they’ll have all of the needed signatures by the end of May.

Police in Russia say a 10-year old girl flew to St. Petersburg with no identification or a ticket. Transport police say the girl left Moscow and instead of going to school Tuesday, she hopped the plane. Russian news agencies report the girl boarded the plane with a large family with children. She was picked up at the St. Petersburg’s airport as she wandered unaccompanied.

Administrators with the Willits Unified School District looking into new safety rules after a bomb threat was reported at a local elementary school. The Brooktrails Fire Chief Daryl Schoeppner and WUSD Superintendent Patricia Johnson sent a letter to the Mendocino County Sheriff and say they’re considering installing surveillance equipment, replacing printer and computers with password protected devices and the way they share policies and procedures connected to school emergencies with parents. They’re also asking for training with police officers before fall classes start regarding procedures and protocols for school threats and evacuations. This after the April 14th finding of a note about a bomb on campus, which turned out to be a bogus threat.

Employment numbers for Mendocino County show more people are working. 70 more jobs over last year at this time. That after earlier estimates showed employment numbers were down in January compared with 2015. Unemployment is at 6.1 percent down from 6.7 percent in March of last year. But the state employment development dept. says the lower number was in part because some had left the county job force instead of finding jobs locally. Since the recession started jobs have been coming from a small section of employers, including the oil and gas industry; food, beverage and tobacco manufacturing; electronic and computer manufacturing; non-durable goods wholesalers; grocery and general merchandise stores; transportation and warehousing; professional and business services; health and education; and leisure and hospitality.

Tribal leaders at the Graton Resort and Casino say they’re half way done with construction of an addition. The 200-room hotel and convention center is next door to the Rohnert Park gaming complex. 500 supporters and construction workers heard from the tribal chairman on the progress Tuesday. The final steel beam was put on top the 6 story hotel. The 175 million dollar addition will feature the hotel and 20,000 square feet of event space. The casino will run the hotel. Its owned by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and operated by Station Casinos of Las Vegas.

Still mulling the idea of a permanent warming center in Lakeport. The Lakeport Ministerial Association presented their needs to the Lake County Board of Supervisors after the closure of their warming center. The Pastor Shannon Kimbell-Auth says they helped more than 80 guests at the warming center from January to the end of March and they had a smooth time mostly, but they did have concerns about security and the location of the center after a property owner was stabbed by one of their guests nearby. The pastor asked the board to appoint staff to work with them in the future on a new location. They also would like county money to train someone to help. No decision was made and they were told to talk to social services. The board looking for public input on the shelter.

No protection for the Delta. A new federal lawsuit filed last week saying state and federal regulators are not protecting Delta fish and the environment during the drought because of continued relaxed water-quality standards so water could continue to flow to cities and farms. The complaint filed against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency similar to what conservationists say, state water managers are letting the environment suffer disproportionately from the drought. Wild fish, including endangered Delta smelt and Sacramento winter-run salmon are suffering with the drought and decisions connected to 20 state water board decisions over three years to relax water flow and quality standards. The lawsuit filed by the National Resources Defense Council, the Bay Institute and Defenders of Wildlife.

Lakeport’s getting its own Bernie Sanders office. The Bernie for president office opened Monday. A grand opening is set for tomorrow afternoon at 4 with the public invited to attend. It’s located at 302 Armstrong St. in Lakeport. You can pick up all sorts of Sanders SWAG. The office is open M-F 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for voter registration, distribution of literature and other campaign materials and volunteering opportunities. Further voter registration information is available at (707) 263-2372.

News 04/27/16

The victim of a Sunday night murder in Ukiah has been identified. The Sheriff’s Office says it was 63-year-old Salvador Hernandez who was stabbed to death and Oscar Alvarez Carillo was arrested for the stabbing at a home on North State Street. Someone in the home called 911 while the stabbing was still happening, but Carillo ran off before police arrived. Deputies later captured him hiding inside a home that was under construction. He was flushed out by a Police dog. The Ukiah Daily Journal says an official told them Hernandez and Carrillo were neighbors who had an ongoing feud and Carillo may have been on meth during the stabbing.

Nearly $14,000 in stolen tools has been found by deputies who stopped a man driving a stolen truck who was also suspected of burglarizing Hare Creek Nursery and Power in Fort Bragg. The theft of the tools was discovered Monday; and a short time later, deputies spotted the truck in the parking lot of the Willits Safeway and arrested the driver, Danny Spear. The truck had been reported stolen in Fresno. Deputies say they found moe than 2 dozen items stolen from Hare Creek including chainsaws, motorized trimmers, blowers and a water pump. Spears arrested for burglary, possession of stolen property and vehicle theft. He was being held on the Mendocino County Jail.

Mendocino County is one step closer to a new courthouse in Ukiah. The Superior Court has announced that escrow closed on the land purchase for the courthouse on about 4 acres of property from the North Coast Railroad Authority next to the old depot on Perkins Street. The new, secure building will include eight courtrooms, space for staff and court services, jury deliberation rooms, and separate holding rooms and elevators for in-custody defendants. The next step is for the Court and the Judicial Council of California to finalize the working plans and drawings. That step has been funded by the state. Construction is set to be finished in 2020.

A new building is quickly going up for a new Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant. Pictures of the new spot on the Daily Journal website showing the building up at the corner of Orchard Avenue and East Perkins Street. A spokesperson for the company says they’ve yet to set an exact opening date but they expect to be in business before the end of the year.

A dead humpback whale has turned up ashore on the Mendocino Coast. This is the second time it’s happened this past year. Two dead killer whales had also been spotted in Southern California over the weekend. The executive director of the Noyo Center for Marine Science says a young, female humpback was beached on the shoreline in Cavanaugh Cove near the town of Elk. They say they’ve not been able to get to the mammal by land or sea so they’ve not been able to get samples to figure out why she died. She reminds the public it’s illegal to touch a marine mammal, even if it’s dead and says people should just avoid the area, because as the whale decomposes, sharks will probably be drawn to the spot. Last April another whale washed up in the area.

The state legislature considers asking the Obama administration if it can sell health insurance thru Covered California to those who can’t prove they’re legally in the country. Democrats in the state Assembly Health Committee approved the measure which would mean the state could help integrate more people living in the country without authorization. The Affordable Care Act created health insurance exchanges in every state for folks to compare insurance plans and get possible subsidies. So far they’ve only been open to citizens and legal immigrants.

Numbers going up of people who say marijuana’s helped them stop taking painkillers as cannabis is pushed as a treatment by advocates for the abuse of opioids and illegal narcotics like heroin. Not a lot of research shows that weed works as a treatment for the addicted. But supporters say there’s more scientific literature supporting the idea now, including a study in the Journal of Pain which found chronic pain sufferers had a major reduction in opioid use when taking medical cannabis. Doctors in Massachusetts and California are experimenting with marijuana as an addiction treatment.

A major victory for animal lovers and for wildlife conservation as the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors agrees to a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and will immediately stop a contract with a controversial wildlife killing agency. The agreement under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) ends a lawsuit a group of environmental and animal protection groups brought against Mendocino County. It has to do with a contract the county had with Wildlife Services, under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to kills of coyotes, mountain lions, bears, bobcats, and other wildlife in Mendocino County each year. Now the county has to investigate benefits of a non-lethal predator control program if it wants to have another contract in the future with Wildlife Services.

A twenty-year-old college student in Ukiah’s the latest to win the Albert and Patricia Beltrami Scholarship at Mendocino College. Caitlin Luke is finishing up at Mendocino College in May with her degree in Business Administration. She graduates with a 3.99 grade point average and says she’s going to transfer to Chico or Long Beach State for her four-year degree in business with an emphasis in human resources. The scholarship provides students real life experience and exposure to internal workings of local government. She worked in the Health and Human Services Dept.

More than a dozen people in and around Sacramento have overdosed and died after taking a pill disguised as a painkiller. 14 people died after taking Norco that had been laced with fentanyl, a powerful opioid. Several people in the Bay Area have also been treated in recent weeks. This according to a report released yesterday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The patients in the Bay Area have all lived, some had experienced nausea, vomiting and difficulty breathing.

A 12-year-old girl in New York girl ran past her 5k race expectations, accidentally jumping into the half marathon, running another 10 miles over what she intended. LeeAdianez Rodriguez registered for the 5K last Sunday for the Rochester Regional Health Flower City Challenge. She thought she was late at the starting line and went along with everyone else, running the 13.1-mile course instead of the 3.1 miles. She says she figured it out about halfway through but she decided to finish. Her mom was worried though when she didn’t find her after the 5K, but they were reunited when she finished the half.

Permits are required for outdoor burning on State Responsibility Lands. As of this Sunday, May 1st Cal Fire’s requiring the permits for any vegetation fuel in the county. You can pick up the permits at the Howard Forest Headquarters Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Or at any other Cal Fire locations. Keep in mind some are not staffed daily though so call ahead. All numbers are listed on this radio station’s website:

Boonville Station, 895-3323

Covelo Station, 983-6499

Howard Forest Station, 459-7413

Fort Bragg Station, 964-5673

Ukiah Station, 462-7448

Police in a suburban Atlanta town saying selfies with an alligator is a bad idea. Peachtree City police say residents should also refrain from feeding the 6-foot gator known as “Flat Creek Floyd” while he floats in the sun, about 30 miles southwest of downtown Atlanta. The police dept says when Floyd was spotted early this month, the first time in 5 years, folks went selfie crazy, which is unsafe.

News 4/22/16

Several charges have been filed against a man from Red Bluff in connection to the shooting of another man in Lucerne. Jeremy Lee Bryant arrested Tuesday for the Monday night shooting of Michael Arreaga. Lake County News reports police believe Bryant broke into a home where he and Arreaga struggled over a gun ending in Arreaga being shot. He’s recovering in a hospital. Bryant is charged with burglary, assault with a firearm, attempted robbery and causing great bodily injury.

A woman from Willits on trial for allegedly embezzling half a million dollars from a Laytonville grocery store says she was framed. Christine Kelsay is accused of taking the cash over the seven years she worked in HR and accounting at Geigers Long Valley Market. She was arrested last June and her trial began last week with prosecutors citing evidence including dates of personal bank deposits corresponding with missing money and signs of living a lifestyle that the DA called “inconsistent” with her income. The Press Democrat reports Kelsey took the stand saying other people helped her and her husband pay for certain vacations and purchases, they both had income they hid from investigators, and other people at the store were taking the money and setting her up to take the fall.

A couple hailed as heroes, especially the wife, during the days of the Valley Fire. Troy and Lisa Lunsford honored for helping folks who needed to evacuate from near Middletown that couldn’t do it alone. The regional American Red Cross presented the couple Real Heroes awards for rescuing seniors and providing them a safe, comforting place to stay for two nights. The two were among more than a dozen Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma county residents honored by the Red Cross for valor or for heroic service to others or to the country, to the community, to animals or to the environment. Lisa manages a company who sends in home assistants out to elderly residents.

Four community health clinics in Mendocino County have won about $5.5 million in federal funds. The announcement yesterday by Congressman Jared Huffman who says the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration awarded more than $16 million to the 11 health centers along the North Coast to be used for work at the centers who provide primary and preventive medical services to underserved areas. Huffman reports Mendocino Coast Clinics in Fort Bragg won $1.1 million; Mendocino Community Health Clinic in Ukiah, $2.4 million; Redwood Coast Medical Services in Gualala, $1.1 million; and the Long Valley Health Center in Laytonville was awarded $942,000.

Another step forward for a bill in the state Assembly to place an excise tax on medical marijuana which could bring in about $77 million a year. Assemblyman Jim Wood of Healdsburg’s bill cleared the Assembly Revenue and Tax Committee with no Republican support. It should be heard in the Appropriations Committee next. If it goes all the way to the governor, it would mean a $9.25 per ounce tax on cannabis flowers, a $2.75 per ounce tax on cannabis leaves and a $1.25 tax on immature cannabis plants from nurseries.

4-20 brought loads of trash after a celebration in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. KNTV reports (http://bit.ly/1NDgDbw) the San Francisco Recreation and Park Director of Operations saying the event had no permit and no event organizer so city crews had to clean it all up, at taxpayer expense. Tallies say more than 8,000 people were at Golden Gate Park Wednesday, or 4/20 leaving several bottles of soda and beer cans, food boxes and butts left scattered on the grassy lawn.

Elem Indian Colony Pomo members recently tossed off the rolls protest in Lakeport. Tribal members got disenrollment notices in the mail then Tuesday were out protesting. Protesters chanted slogans like “native lives matter” and “disenrollment is tribal genocide”. About 2 dozen people were on Main Street in Lakeport. The Record Bee reports they are challenging the latest wave of cuts in Elem tribal membership. It means they not only lose money and services but also housing and health care. The paper reports nearly 3 dozen Native American Pomo Indians from the Clearlake Oaks tribe got the disenrollment notices saying they’re no longer part of the tribe.

More water to be delivered in California this year than the last three years after spring storms nearly fill the state’s major reservoirs. Water districts report almost a million acres of farmland and 40 million residents are getting 60 percent of the water requested. The state Department of Water Resources announced the soaking in Northern California doesn’t mean residents should stop conserving because the state is still in drought. It’s the fifth consecutive drought year. Back in 2014, residents got as little as 5 percent of what they requested for the year.

The top lawyer in the California Legislature says Gov. Jerry Brown went above his authority when issuing an executive order regarding what he referred to as the most aggressive carbon-emission reductions in North America. It brings California into alignment with the European Union’s aggressive climate change standards. The order by Brown last year to lower carbon emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.

A couple of college students in hot water for an abduction… of a wild turkey. The bird found wandering streets smelling like beer and dealing with a broken toe, missing feathers and other injuries. The Orange County Register (http://bit.ly/22MmFNM) reports Tim the Turkey will be okay after disappearing from his pen over last weekend some time. Chapman University students Steven Koressel and Richard Brenton were released on their own recognizance.

News 04/26/16

A police officer from Ukiah’s been attacked by a man who’d been in a Denny’s resident refusing to pay. The police officer was told on his way things were getting hot inside the restaurant with the suspect taking a knife with him outside. The Daily Journal reports when the officer got there he found Timothy Fischer, who’s on probation, outside, visibly angry, yelling and waving his arms around. The officer tried talking to him but he wrestled with Fischer, who he says clawed at his face and eyes. A deputy came to the scene and helped take Fischer down. He’s charged with assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon and violation of his probation. The officer was not injured.

The public memorial service being held for Deputy Jake Steely is planned. This Saturday at noon at Clear Lake High’s Don Owens Stadium in Lakeport for the deputy who was pulled into the ocean by a rogue wave April 18th. His son was with him, but he’s okay. The deputy was flown to a hospital in Chico that day, but was declared brain dead at the end of last week. There was a procession with law enforcement from Lake County and around Northern California Sunday with Steely’s body. There will be shuttles for the public from the fairgrounds to the High School then back to the fairgrounds afterwards.

A man from Philo accused of stabbing several people during a domestic violence incident is also recovering after he was shot by one of the victims. Police say Lorenzo Rodriguez is in stable condition after being shot by an 18 year old man who the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office sayat first he was just trying to stop Rodriguez from hitting a woman at a home. But detectives say when Rodriguez pulled a knife against the 18 year old and another woman in the house, the 18 year old got a gun to defend them, and shot Rodriguez several times.

The City of Clearlake looking for a new logo so they’re inviting community members to submit a design in their logo contest. The City Manager tells Lake County News a city marketing ad hoc committee recommended a new logo so the contest would be good way to do it. At the last city council meeting, the Mayor asked the ad hoc committee to review the submissions and bring the council the best five to choose from, which they would reveal at their June 9th meeting. Artists of all ages are encouraged to submit either hand-drawn or graphic designs but they must be submitted as a J-Peg file. The logo must be circular in shape and include the words “City of Clearlake” and “Incorporated 1980.” Three-dimensional designs are encouraged. The winner will receive a $250 prize. The deadline for submissions is May 31st. Email it to the City Clerk Melissa Swanson at mswanson.

The Lake County Board of Supervisors is considering whether or not to use a county-owned property in Clearlake as the new hub for Lake Transit Authority. The board to consider the matter at this morning’s meeting. You can log onto the county’s website and watch the meeting under the supervisors calendar page. The discussion starts at 9:30. Apparently the transit authority needs a new transit point for riders to get connections between routes in the Clearlake area. The board’s also supposed to get an update from staff and agencies involved in wildland fire recovery.

Governor Jerry Brown’s selling his Oakland Hills home and many people came out to check it out. The home had an open house Sunday with a listing price of $2.6 million. The Press Dem. reports the 4,200-square-foot house has sweeping views. The three-bedroom home has an automated dumbwaiter, wood floors, wood ceiling beams and an open floor plan on each level with four full bathrooms and two half baths. The master bedroom has two walk-in closets, a sitting room and a huge bathroom.

The state Senate says no to a bill to end longer jail and prison sentences for repeat drug offenders. Democratic Sen. Holly Mitchell says the bill would help with the disproportionate incarceration of minorities. It was only three votes shy of passing. It has been opposed by sheriffs, police chiefs and district attorneys who all say it’d be harder to come down on drug dealers. It would have repealed a 1985 law that allowed sentence enhancements for drug defendants who had prior drug convictions.

A nanny’s been arrested in Antioch for child abuse. Police say they got a call from the parents who reported they saw their caregiver hit and shake their 10-month-old child by remote camera. 23-year-old Mikayla Ririe of Antioch was arrested and held at the Martinez Detention Facility. No word on the condition of the baby who was rushed to a hospital.

There could be tobacco free schools across the state if an Assembly bill makes it to the state Senate. The Calif. Assembly has passed the tobacco use ban for all California State University and community college campuses. Assemblyman Kevin McCarty’s bill means a total ban on chewing, dipping, smoking or vaping natural or synthetic tobacco products. About 2.5 million people go to the schools which also have about 100,000 staff and faculty.

The state of Florida bashing California’s decision to raise the minimum wage. Florida’s economic development agency is pushing ads to run in Los Angeles and San Francisco media outlets, using taxpayer money. The ads are being paid for by Enterprise Florida’s marketing budget ahead of Gov. Rick Scott’s visit to California to try to convince businesses to relocate to Florida.

Jurors could be fined if they’re caught surfing the web. Legislation supported by state court officials would mean judges could fine jurors up to $1,500 for social media and Internet use violations, which in the past, have sometimes caused mistrials. The googling and surfing up to this point, have been dismissed with strong words from a judge. In 2011 a state law was passed against improper electronic or wireless communication or research by a juror to be punishable by contempt. But supporters of the new bill say a fine would be stronger.

An elementary school in Texas named after Robert E. Lee may be getting a new name after community members voted in new names. The Austin neighborhood voting on a unique list of potential names because of complaints that the name of the late Confederate general was offensive. But some of the new names include Donald J. Trump or “the Adolf Hitler School for Friendship and Tolerance”. Some of the other names mentioned, Harper Lee, Spike Lee and Bruce Lee. So far Trump’s name has the most support.

Officers from the Omaha Police Department losing a furry friend who’s been visiting them in their stations parking lot. The department’s been tweeting about their beloved squirrel pal. Now they’ve tweeted its untimely death, which they say is a mystery, but they’re not investigating. They did however cordon off the spot as if it were a little crime scene. The squirrel was so popular it had its own Twitter account, @OpdSquirrel.

Senior high schooler and Kelseyville pitcher Noah Lyndall pitching a two-hitter and rushing to save a life all in the same night. The Press Democrat reports Lyndall and family were in two cars after they stopped for dinner Saturday night. While on Highway 20 near Lake Mendocino, they narrowly escaped a high speed crash, but saw one car flying up a mountain and landing on its top. They witnessed a body fly out of the car, Lyndall wants to go to Medical School and has done a couple medical programs already at Berkeley and at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. So he rushed to the 16 year old boy lying on the ground and stayed with him until emergency responders got to the scene. The boy taken to a hospital with a concussion and multiple lacerations.

News 04/25/16

A man shot several times who may have also been stabbed is reported in stable condition at a Mendocino County hospital. The man was taken from the Pic & Pay Market in Boonville Saturday night after an off duty firefighter spotted him in the back of a vehicle and called for help. The Press Dem. Reports sheriff’s deputies and emergency medics went to the convenience store which is just across the street from the Mendocino County Fairgrounds. They say the man had multiple gunshots to his body which included five penetrating wounds, which they say may have been a combination of gunshot wounds and stab wounds.

Mendocino County’s Health and Human Services Agency is getting a new chief operating officer. Anne Molgaard was it the local branch of First 5 which helps to spread the word about health and safety of children for 15 years as its executive director. The Daily Journal reports Molgaard saying she’s sad to leave but excited about her new position. She’s expected to begin in about 3 weeks. She says she was surprised to be considered for the position after last year’s critical grand jury report on the county’s Family and Children’s Services department which said it was “understaffed” and “poorly managed”.

A minister in Northern California is in trouble with the law for allegations he sexually assaulted a teen over three-years. Martinez Police tell KRON TV Fernando Maldonado of Concord was arrested last week for multiple counts of sexual assault which includes unlawful intercourse with a juvenile younger than 14. He was arrested after the girl told police about the abuse she says has been going on since 2013. The man worked at the Morello Baptist Church in Martinez then went on to become the minister at Grace Bible Church in Pleasant Hill. He was held over the weekend on $725,000 bail.

Some security officers from St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake have been awarded recognition for their service during the Rocky and Valley Fires last year. The AlliedBarton Northwest Region’s 2015 Security Officers of the Year awards were handed out by the security company. Tiffany Piehler and officers Arsen Barbeau, Matthew Holt, Cyril Romberg, Michael Russell and William Stiles won the awards and Daniel Dudley, site supervisor at St. Helena Hospital Behavioral Health in Vallejo, and Mario Mojica, a security officer at Alta Bates Medical Center won the awards too. Dudley and Mojica for their help during the Rocky Fire relieving Clearlake officers who worked 12-hour shifts. The fire was within miles of St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake.

Congressman Mike Thompson, the chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, Elizabeth Esty, vice-chair of the Task Force, and Peter King led more than 110 colleagues calling on Speaker Paul Ryan and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi to say no to legislative language or “riders” to block oRchange language to appropriations bills that deal with gun violence. Thompson says the riders are legislative tactics trying to stop debate on gun violence prevention in the House at the same time take out provisions in must-pass spending bills that would help to get guns out of dangerous hands. Thompson says there’s been gun-related riders in previous appropriations bills without open debate which have put up roadblocks to reduce and prevent gun violence.

A fundraiser has brought in more than $3,000 to the Middletown Senior Center. The rummage sale proceeds are being used for the senior center’s Meals on Wheels Program which helps homebound seniors get prepared meals. Many Valley Fire victims were at the sale. The center’s board of directors had been collecting items for the rummage sale and helped the day of the fundraiser which followed the March-4-Meals fundraiser which was supported by the board members. The Senior Center is also taking part in the Middletown Square Park Chili & Salsa Cook Off on May 21st.

A Concord man has been arrested in connection to the burning a local church’s rainbow flag. The pastor for the Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church says it’s been painful to see the hate in the midst of their ongoing message of love, inclusion, forgiveness and reconciliation, even to those who they say would harm them. 22 year old John Hurst was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of committing a hate crime. His arrest after multiple vandalism incidents involving the rainbow flag that flew outside the church. The pastor says she was there Sunday and witnessed two men climb up a cross standing under the flag and break the flagpole. It was replaced last Monday, then found to have been burned Tuesday with a note in Spanish that said, “All evil will be eradicated.”

The community is invited to the grand opening of the Kelseyville Senior Center as it prepares for several new programs. On May 2nd the community’s invited for the grand opening and luncheon at 11 a.m. at the old Post Office building at 5245 Third St. There will be several volunteers on hand that day. The new hours at the center are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. starting in May. There will be daily lunches served, Zumba classes and Tai Chi. The center’s also offering card games, painting, crochet, needlepoint and knitting. To volunteer, or for more information, call the center at 707-279-2175.

Three weeks after the recreational Dungeness crab fishery opened on the Sonoma Coast, it’s now on in Mendocino and most of Humboldt County. It comes after the latest test results showed domoic acid levels in crabs in Humboldt Bay and south into Mendocino County were no longer a human health risk. Domoic acid is a naturally occurring toxin which crabs build up due to the persistent harmful algal bloom which closed down the commercial Dungeness crab season for about four months. The crab fishery north of the Sonoma/Mendocino line is still closed.

An accident outside Ukiah brought out the California Highway Patrol and Ukiah Valley Fire Authority. The crash caused a disruption in telecommunication service for some customers in the area too. The van hit a telephone pole in the 2000 block of North State Street between Kunzler Ranch Road and Orr Springs Road over the weekend. So AT&T had some outages Saturday afternoon. They brought out technicians to resolve the problem. The CHP has not released information on the solo crash.

Two cars have been reported stolen from a local car repair shop in separate incidents within days of each other. Police in Ukiah releasing the info in their weekly crime report. The All-In-One Automotive Repair and Towing shop on North State Street reported the first incident around 8 a.m. April 14th with someone taking a 1996 red Mazda pickup truck with a white camper shell sometime over the week prior to their report. The truck was found with no suspects id’d. Then 4 days later they got another call about a stolen vehicle. That ripoff sometime between April 15 and April 18, a tan 1999 Mazda 626 sedan was taken from the parking lot.

A domesticated tiger’s been captured after it was seen cruising a neighborhood in a South Texas city wearing a leash. The Conroe Police Department reported getting several phone calls Thursday from folks who spotted the young, female tiger. Officers say the tiger seemed to be tame. They had not found its owner as of this weekend.

Gilbert, AZ Police shaming a teenager they say spit on one of their patrol cars. The department posted screenshots on Twitter of a video showing a teen spitting with a caption that said “Andrew, thanks for the video with the evidence against you!” They also posted other screenshots with a reflection of the kid spitting. It’s all be deleted since its initial release. The department’s Twitter account said later they weren’t going to arrest the spitter, just publicly shame him.

A teenage boy who led cops on a high speed chase in Northern California ended up crashing, then turned himself in. Police in Rohnert Park say they saw the kid early Saturday morning running a stop sign. They tried to get him to pull over, to no avail. They say he was traveling at speeds of more than 90 mph until losing control, hitting the sign and several bushes. The driver ran off, but two passengers in the car were held. The 14 year old eventually turned himself in and got booked into juvenile hall.

A JetBlue flight attendant police say tried to sneak a suitcase full of cocaine into Los Angeles International Airport in court pleading not guilty to a federal charge. Marsha Gay Reynolds in court Friday on the charge of possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. Police say she was busted during a random security screening at LAX in March. She had left her carry-on luggage with security, kicked off her shoes and ran down an upward-moving escalator, then about 70 pounds of cocaine was found in her luggage. She surrendered later in New York.

Playlist 4/28/16

FIFTH HARMONY-WORK FROM HOME

G-EAZY W/BEBE REXHA-ME, MYSELF & I

LUKAS GRAHAM-7 YEARS

MEGHAN TRAINOR-NO

MIKE POSNER-I TOOK A PILL IN IBIZA

ZAYN-PILLOWTALK

ALESSIA CARA-WILD THINGS

ARIANA GRANDE-DANGEROUS WOMAN

CHAINSMOKERS (THE) W/DAYA-DON’T LET ME DOWN

DJ SNAKE W/BIPOLAR SUNSHINE-MIDDLE

DRAKE W/WIZKID & KYLA-ONE DANCE

GWEN STEFANI-MAKE ME LIKE YOU

IGGY AZALEA-TEAM

JAMES BAY-LET IT GO

JASON DERULO-IF IT AIN’T LOVE

JUSTIN BIEBER-COMPANY

NICK JONAS W/TOVE LO-CLOSE

RIHANNA-KISS IT BETTER

RUTH B-LOST BOY

TROYE SIVAN-YOUTH

ZARA LARSSON W/MNEK-NEVER FORGET YOU

FLUME W/KAI-NEVER BE LIKE YOU

GRACE W/G-EAZY-YOU DON’T OWN ME

HAILEE STEINFELD W/DNCE-ROCK BOTTOM

MAJOR LAZER W/NYLA & FUSE ODG-LIGHT IT UP

PANIC! AT THE DISCO-VICTORIOUS

PINK-JUST LIKE FIRE

PITBULL W/ENRIQUE IGLESIAS-MESSIN’ AROUND

SIA-CHEAP THRILLS

BEBE REXHA W/NICKI MINAJ-NO BROKEN HEARTS

BELLY W/THE WEEKND-MIGHT NOT

DAYA-SIT STILL, LOOK PRETTY

ELLE KING-AMERICA’S SWEETHEART

HALSEY-COLORS

JEREMIH-OUI

MELANIE MARTINEZ-PITY PARTY

TWENTY ONE PILOTS-RIDE

News 04/21/16

A Lake County Deputy’s still in critical condition after being swept into the ocean by a rogue wave at Mendocino Point. He was under water for more than ten minutes. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office says Deputy Jacob Steely was airlifted to a hospital in Chico where he’s being treated in their Neurological, Trauma, Surgical, Intensive Care Unit. His 11-year- old son who also ended up in the water was treated and released from Mendocino Coast District Hospital and appears to be making a full physical recovery. Steely’s been with the Sheriff’s Dept since 2010 after a stint as a police officer. He’s done patrol work and SWAT, and is a canine handler. The Sheriff’s Office says he’s showing small signs of improvement but faces a long, uncertain road. If you’d like to help his family with medical expenses a fund has been established at Mendo-Lake Credit Union in Lakeport.

Mendocino County Detectives are continuing to investigate a potential homicide in the death of 60-year-old Mark Terry II of Willits. Terry’s body was found Sunday in a field near the 35000 Block of Eureka Stagecoach Road. Detectives say the location and condition of how Terry was found make it suspicious. They are asking to hear from anyone who saw him or his red work truck or maybe saw someone near the truck while it was parked near the intersection of Coast and Mill Streets in Willits, between April 7th and 17th. The red work pickup truck has a black rack and license plate 4V28673.

4 men have been arrested in Clearlake in connection to an illegal marijuana grow. Officers served two separate search warrants Tuesday, which they say resulted in the seizure of more than 350 marijuana plants, 21 pounds of processed marijuana and two firearms. Clearlake residents Jose Ceja Lupian, Jose Ricardo Olmedo, Justin Louis Raab, and John Jockamo Ambroselli were all arrested and charged with cultivation, but Lupian was allegedly found to be in possession of two firearms, for which he is prohibited due to a prior felony marijuana cultivation conviction and Raab was also charged with meth possession.

North Coast Assemblyman Jim Wood hoping to bring more doctors to rural areas, something that could benefit Mendocino County hospitals. Wood’s bill could bring docs to several rural health clinics and critical access hospitals prohibited from the Corporate Practice of Medicine across the state. The bill would allow rural hospitals to employ physicians. The state prohibits docs from certain areas as a way to prevent unlicensed individuals or business corporations from involvement in health care related decisions. So that means doctors can’t get jobs at the hospitals, but are instead like independent contractors.

High marks once again for Mendocino County for clean air. The American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air report has been released taking a look at ozone and particle pollutants from 2012 to 2014. Mendo got an “A” grade for ozone pollution and short-term particle pollutants. Then it was Lake County with second place for the cleanest air in the country for both ozone and daily particle pollution. Lake was off one spot, taking the number one position last year. The president and CEO of the American Lung Association in California says North Coast residents should be proud of the great air quality in the region. She says everyone could do more for all regions of the state to have clean air to breathe such as wood burning being taken down to a minimum.

The Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa says its closing its housing operations for Valley Fire survivors. By the end of June the 19 families still in refurbished rooms will have to go. The rooms were supposed to be available briefly after last September’s fire, then Konocti Harbor agreed to housing deals being extended. Folks in the rooms are paying $1,000 a month which includes utilities.

California’s got its first West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes for the year. The skeeters found in the San Fernando Valley’s Sun Valley area. The Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District says mosquitos are normally found in summer months, but the season can start sooner. The first positive mosquito last year was found in Sylmar in March. 53 people died after coming into contact with the insects that carry the virus last year. That set a state record, the most since the California Department of Public Health started recording cases in 2003. It was also the most in any U.S. state.

A man from Willits has been killed in a five car crash that closed U.S. 101 for about three hours south of Watershed Road. The CHP reports the roads were wet at the time of the crash. The Mendocino County assistant coroner’s office reports the man was a 63 year old from Willits in a 2003 Mazda. The CHP reported Kenneth Walters of Eureka was about to pass a slower moving bus in the slow lane when he was cut off by another driver. That driver lost control and spun out in front of another car. Then a couple other cars crashed, unable to avoid what was already happening. One man died, another had major injuries and several others had minor injuries.

The Willits Unified School District is facing sanctions after a California Highway Patrol report showed a couple of unsatisfactory ratings for the district’s transportation department. The CHP’s Motor Carrier Safety unit reported to the district’s board of trustees that the WUSD had two unsatisfactory ratings associated with random drug and alcohol testing. If the district gets a third unsatisfactory rating, the CHP could turn the violations over to the state attorney general for action.

A local woman away at college during the Valley Fire has won a national competition for a design concept for rebuilding. The Press Democrat reports Samantha Millard-McEvoy of Middletown entered and won an Interior Design Educators Council regional award. The award for Rebuilding a Community looks at a new gathering space to be built of fire-resistant steel, concrete and brick. It also uses material salvaged from the fire, as construction components or repurposed into art.

Revised cannabis cultivation permits are not going to be available in Mendocino County until at least October. The news announced by the county’s Marijuana Ad Hoc Committee at the April 18th Board of Supervisors meeting. The County’s Chief Planner says the delay’s needed to look into procedural concerns over environmental impacts and zoning changes. The Board of Supervisors listened to several hours of discussion on revising Mendocino’s cannabis cultivation ordinance. Currently proposed draft regulations require compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to make sure there’s no environmental impacts of the ordinance.

Nearly a dozen women tossed from the Napa Valley Wine Train which started the viral hashtag #Laughingwhileblack are settling their racial discrimination lawsuit. The settlement details are confidential and the wine train’s owners still have to agree to the settlement’s terms. The women part of a book club called Sistahs on the Reading Edge filed suit claiming discrimination and defamation after they were taken off the train at St. Helena, part way through their excursion for being disruptive.

New Mexico’s got a new law that shows if drunken driving offenders are let off too easy, according to social media anyway. The state’s going to start paying staffers from Mothers Against Drunk Driving to monitor court hearings by judges routinely lenient in drunk driving cases. The group’s going to send details about sentences to state officials who will note repeat offenders and the judges in tweets. The state’s one of many using social media to publicize crimes by repeat offenders. The governor says it will show the failure to crack down on those convicted of multiple DUI violations.

An underwater robot looking for the Loch Ness monster found something, a dark, monster-shaped mass, but tourism officials say the 30-foot long blob, is not the monster, it’s just a prop left over from a 1970 film. A model of a submarine monster sank while making a film called, "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes" . The idea that the monster is there has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors a year to the region.

News 04/20/16

A Lake County deputy is on life support after he and his 11-year-old son were swept out to sea by a rogue wave near Mendocino Point. The Deputy was face down in the water Monday and had been in for more than 10 minutes when Mendocino volunteer firefighters pulled him out. He was resuscitated and then flown to a hospital in Butte County. His son was said to be alert and physically in good condition when he was pulled from the ocean. There is no exact word yet on how they ended up in the water in the rocky area where there is no walkable beach and it’s also not clear whether the they were both swept out by the wave or the father went in after the son. Lake County News reports witnesses saying at one point they were about 100 feet from the shore.

The name’s been released of a man from Middletown who died following a car crash in Lower Lake last week. The CHP says Jerry Verlin Cheesman was driving north on Highway 29 north of Diener Drive Thursday night when he lost control and the car went off the road and hit a tree. The CHP says Cheesman was found outside of the car and it wasn’t clear if he had gotten out on his own or had been thrown from the car during the crash. He was flown to Santa Rosa Memorial where he later died. The CHP says drugs or alcohol are not suspected but have not yet been ruled out until test results come back. They are also awaiting autopsy results to rule out a medical condition.

The Mendocino County Office of Education is hosting a job fair this Saturday, April 23, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Ukiah. They are encouraging not only educators and administrators, but also those with experience in clerical or accounting, building and grounds maintenance, bus driving and maintenance, food service, nursing and physical therapy. The Office of Education says Mendocino County schools have about 80 current job vacancies which will be showcased at the Education Jobs Fair. Northern California colleges and university programs will be on hand to talk with applicants about requirements for teaching credentials and opportunities to acquire additional job skills. For more information go to the website edjoin.org. The job fair is at the Mendocino County Office of Education building at 2240 Old River Road in Ukiah.

A controlled burn is planned in Hopland by Calfire. The University of California Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC) working with Cal Fire is conducting the burn at the extension center east of Hopland tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM. Fire officials say it should last until 6:00 PM with smoke visible throughout the Ukiah and Hopland areas. They say it’s to help with ongoing research in vegetation management in California chaparral. They will have it all under extremely tight restrictions and say if there’s any indication the research Vegetation Management Program cannot be conducted in a safe manner, due to high winds or local fire activity, the control burn will be cancelled.

A date for the opening of the new Willits bypass has been updated. The Caltrans bypass Construction Manager went in front of the Willits City Council last week saying they intend to have the bypass complete in November. He told the council there’s an opening celebration tentatively set for Sept. 16th but contracts allow the contractors to complete as late as Nov. 8th. He says they’re working closely with the contractors to get the bypass open as soon as possible, but he also says he’ can’t definitively say what the actual opening day will be. Full time construction is supposed to start the first week of next month, weather permitting.

The Little Lake Fire District has canned the parcel tax it was going for so the dept. could pay for a new firehouse. An ad hoc committee met a couple Friday’s ago and decided not to go after the tax initiative for various reasons, like the ballot already being quite complex this November, with other local tax and initiatives. The committee saying they didn’t want the parcel tax to get lost on the ballot so they’ll research other methods of raising money, that might just take longer. The firehouse would be built where it stands today. There are already architectural renderings and a scale mockup that can be shown to the public for public approval of the funding. A fundraiser in June for Frontier Days is still planned.

A group of baby geese got separated from their mom on Highway 101 near River Road. The babies were rescued and relocated by a CHP officer who went to the gaggle after being alerted by concerned drivers. The CHP reports some drivers called Saturday night to get help rescuing the birds who they say were on the edge of Highway 101 at River Road. An officer patrolling the area found the mother goose and reunited her 5 goslings with her saying it looked like they were prepared to walk right into traffic to be with her.

The grass crop is thicker and drying out so the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority is encouraging property owners to mow their lawns. Fire officials say the grass is still pretty green, but it will be a short time before it’s dry, increasing the fire danger. Yearly inspections for tall grass and weeds are beginning soon too so the dept. will let property owners know how to maintain a fire safe property. They also remind homeowners that leaves and other debris can build up in gutters or on parts of the roof over the winter months which, after it dries out, can also create a significant fire hazard.

A man from Petaluma has been arrested on suspicion of DUI after walking into a CHP office to report a crash he was in over the weekend. Donald Gendron went to cops yesterday, waited in the lobby of the Marin County CHP office and when several officers noted a strong smell of alcohol coming from the front office, they started interviewing him. Gendron talked to one officer and the officer said Gendron smelled like alcohol, had red and watery eyes and showed other signs of intoxication. He told the officer he drove himself to the office. He then failed a sobriety test and was booked into Marin County Jail.

Many Californians believe the state’s still in extreme drought conditions, even after all the rain this winter, so they say they’ll keep on conserving water. That according to a new poll released last Thursday by the Field Research Corporation. They sampled 800 registered voters across Calif., the fifth time since April of 2014. The intent to track Californians’ changing attitudes about the historic 4 year long drought. The Field Poll found 76 percent of those who responded called the water shortage serious last year, now it’s at 62 percent. The Sierra snowpack is at 66 percent right now, a major improvement over last year at this time when it was just 5 percent.

A local economic expert says Mendocino County should attract tourism by positioning the area for its “wine, food and weed.” The economics professor at Sonoma State University and director of the Center for Regional Economic Analysis told a group together for this year’s Agriculture Business Coalition Economic Outlook to hop on board before someone else does it. Robert Eyler says people are looking for not only a place to eat five-star food and drink five-star wine, but also to smoke five-star weed. He says Mendocino County could be at the forefront of the movement but says Lake County could also attract the same sort of tourism dollars. Some in attendance at the conference said the challenges could be a lack of housing and inadequate broadband infrastructure.

New structural firefighting turnouts are coming to the Potter Valley Fire Dept. for most of its 25 volunteers. The Fire Chief says they generally only buy one or two sets of new turnouts that cost anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000 per set. He says the bigger buy was possible after several donations from the public. There have been 2 fundraisers ea. Year, both are upcoming, the annual Poker Tournament, which lands on Saturday, April 23rd this year and the yearly Firemen’s Chicken BBQ, which will be on May 28th as part of the Potter Valley Memorial Day Celebration.

A man accused of the murder of a another man in Fort Bragg last year is being arraigned. Fort Bragg Police say they arrested Caleb Dain Silver in connection to the death of Dennis Boardman last December. Silver’s been in jail in Santa Clara County since the murder, but under another name. He’s back in Mendocino County as of last weekend where he’s held on suspicion of murder, personal use of a deadly weapon, vehicle theft, receiving stolen property and a misdemeanor charge of tampering with evidence. He is being held without bail. His arraignment set for today.

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Playlist 4/21/16