Playlist 11/2/18

BENNY BLANCO, HALSEY & KHALID – EASTSIDE
ARIANA GRANDE – GOD IS A WOMAN
MARSHMELLO & BASTILLE – HAPPIER
BEBE REXHA – I’M A MESS
NF – LIE
JUICE WRLD – LUCID DREAMS
BAZZI – BEAUTIFUL
ARIANA GRANDE – BREATHIN
LOVELY THE BAND – BROKEN
CAMILA CABELLO – CONSEQUENCES
BRYCE VINE – DREW BERRYMORE
SILK CITY & DUA LIPA – ELECTRICITY
PANIC! AT THE DISCO – HIGH HOPES
SHAWN MENDES & ZEDD – LOST IN JAPAN
IMAGINE DRAGONS – NATURAL
CALVIN HARRIS & SAM SMITH – PROMISES
HALSEY – WITHOUT ME
LOUD LUXURY – BODY
DRAKE – DON’T MATTER TO ME
LADY GAGA & BRADLEY COOPER – SHALLOW
TRAVIS SCOTT – SICKO MODE
POST MALONE – SUNFLOWER
CHAINSMOKERS – THIS FEELING
LSD (LABRINTH, SIA, & DIPLO) – THUNDERCLOUDS
ALESSIA CARA – TRUST ME LONELY
DEAN LEWIS – BE ALRIGHT
KHALID – BETTER
TWENTY ONE PILOTS – MY BLOOD
DAN + SHAY – TEQUILA

PM News – 10/31/18

Some forest thinning taking place in the Mendocino National Forest after agreements were made with the Mendocino County Blacktail Association and the Mule Deer Foundation. The thinning of 600-acres of wildlife habitat improvement and hazardous fuels reduction if money’s available. So far they’ve cleared 170 acres contributions by partners and agency funds. The clearing of the acreage to protect areas from major wildfires in the Covelo Ranger District. They found some large oak trees crowding other trees which could make them more susceptible to getting infected by too many insects, disease and severe wildfires. They’ve cleared the area so deer can get the food they need to survive, thinning conifer, and hardwood trees to leave more spacing between trees.

A man in Fort Bragg has been arrested for showing a gun to another person at a campground. Mendocino Deputies get a call to the Wildwood Campground finding Christopher Doty had already left the area, but that he was holding either a shotgun or rifle. But the person who called police said they didn’t care to press charges, but did give a description of Doty’s vehicle. Deputies found the car later on Highway 20 headed towards the campground and stopped him. They say he would not comply and tried to get away at a high rate of speed. Deputies headed into the campground and heard multiple people yelling and screaming and found Doty nearly hitting another car, then running away, abandoning his car. He was finally found with 12 gauge ammo on him. There had been a loaded 12-gauge double barrel shotgun on his front passenger seat. He’s not allowed to have weapons due to his past and on probation. He was held in Mendocino County Jail and held on $40,000.00 bail.

A man in Ukiah’s been arrested on several charges after a reported domestic incident. Mendocino Deputies say Dean Stevens was headed south in the 800 block of North State Street and a sergeant knew there was a Be-On-the-Look-Out notice issued for Stevens. The deputy says Stevens gave him a fake name at a traffic stop then he started the car and took off. The Sheriff’s office sent deputies after him for running stop signs and speeding. He finally stopped and was arrested for felony evading, violation of parole, and providing a false name to a Peace Officer. He’s booked into the Mendocino County Jail and held without bail.

News – 10/31/18

The National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mendocino branch is opening an office in Ukiah. Tomorrow will be an open house at the new office at 2 p.m. They’ll be giving tours of the new space which features a lending library with books on mental illness and related subjects. This is a local branch of the nationwide grassroots mental health organization. The local organization is offering support for family members and others who suffer from mental illness. They also have classes and Crisis Intervention Training for law enforcement and first responders.

NAMI Mendocino’s Grand Opening will take place on Thursday, Nov. 1 at 564 S. Dora St., Suite E, Ukiah from 2 to 7 p.m. For more information, call (707) 485-2008.

A Grant Information Workshop’s taken place for the Community Foundation of Mendocino County. The event was Tuesday showing local nonprofits how to apply for several different grants the foundation offers. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been given out in the past. The Daily Journal reports there are two different grants to be applied for; the Community Enrichment Grant program for community-based projects that can benefit the general public, a significant subgroup of the population, or improve an organization; and the Field-of-Interest Grant focuses on a certain area of interest such as the environment, arts, human services, or keys in on a particular geographical area. Applications are available thru December 20th.

PG&E has given $5,000 to the City of Willits to help update the city’s Emergency Operations Plan. The plan updates public safety infrastructure thru the PG&E Better Together Giving Program. Last year the utility company provided more than 1,700 donations to Northern and Central California organizations who support education and workforce development, economic and community vitality, emergency preparedness and safety and environmental issues. The Willits Police Chief says it will help them prepare for natural disasters or other emergency situations. They’ll use it along with FEMA money from the past to update their plan with a consultant overseeing it.

A resident of Forestville fighting and winning against PG&E to have a large electrical utility tower taken down. Many complaints and the County itself got involved saying the base of the massive tower impeded roadside drainage and it was bigger than actually allowed. So a couple streets have to be closed down and power turned off for customers near the pole. The whole thing should be done by tomorrow. Sonoma County’s Permit & Resource Management Department issued a permit to PG&E last year to replace another pole, but apparently the pole turned out to be not had been applied for.

A campaign against impaired driving with the California Highway Patrol and the state Office of Traffic Safety continues. The program Reducing Alcohol Impaired Driving, also known as RAID officially started October 1st and is set to continue thru next Sept. focusing on education and enforcement. The RAID grant so the CHP can have more checkpoints, DUI patrols and classes to educate the public across the state. They’re trying to make roads safer and help educate the public about how dangerous it is to drive impaired. They’ll also be heavily involved in the state’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over efforts.

Another utility company blamed for a massive fire, one of the biggest to ever burn in the state. Southern California Edison admitted yesterday their equipment may have been what started one of two ignition points which turned into the Thomas fire which burned in California’s central coast last year. Flames were apparently seen by the utility’s power poles in Ventura County last December. Now the company says it thinks their equipment was associated with the ignition. There are also several dozen lawsuits against the energy company associated with the Thomas Fire, but the company had previously not admitted its equipment could be at fault. The company has not said if it may also be responsible for the second ignition area about 6 miles away. The fire was the largest in California history before the Mendocino Complex Fire this past summer. The Thomas fire burned 440 square miles and burned more than 1,000 buildings in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Two people died. Then mudslides killed another 21 people due to heavy rain coming down on scarred land.

Three students at a high school in Humboldt County end up in the hospital after eating pot laced brownies. Redheaded Blackbelt news site reports it happened yesterday after three sophomores at South Fork High School overdosed on marijuana laced brownies. The Sheriff’s office reports they went to the high school for a possible Health and Safety Code violation. They kept the whole thing on the down low due to minors being involved. Other students reporting a sophomore boy brought the pot brownies tos chool and handed them out. One girl who ate one had a seizure in abathroom and hit her head, another threw up in a hallway. A couple ambulances and local fire dept. responded and the three affected students went to a hospital. The sophomore boy reportedly taken from school by a deptuty. No word if he was cited or arrested.

Cops called out to an energy company in Charlotte, NC for a suspicious package which turns out to be a cassette tape. The small manila envelope with handwriting addressed from out of state to Duke Energy and then a bomb squad and police investigate finding the Journey cassette inside. The mailroom employees called police and a police dog also came in as the building was evacuated and roads were closed…

PM News – 10/30/18

A new agreement’s been reached by the Lake County Board of Supervisors and the Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association. The Association without a contract since January, but the new contract apparently doesn’t have a pay raise or an increase in healthcare benefits. The Association says the Sheriff’s Office is also facing a critical staffing crisis. The Association says the public isn’t really aware of the magnitude of the problem even though the Sheriff and Undersheriff have frequently voiced the problem. There’s a 30% vacancy rate currently. The Association warning citizens will have to wait for a response and sometimes they may not get a response at all. They add that it’s hard to recruit new deputies if healthcare benefits aren’t great. Right now out of pocket for a family is at more than $1,400 with other law enforcement agencies paying more and with better healthcare contributions. The Association calling on the County Supervisors to make staffing issues at the Sheriff’s Office a priority.

Due to dangerous fire weather conditions, with high winds expected in Northern California and Bay Area counties, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services has been strategically placing critical fire response resources including strike teams of fire engines, firefighters, water tenders and emergency dispatchers in designated impacted areas. This means there’s staff early this evening into tomorrow in Napa County, Marin County, Sonoma County, Contra Costa, Alameda and the Lake County Operational areas. They will all stay in place until the fire weather conditions have improved, and more staff could be added if needed. The National Weather Service has forecasted low relative humidity and winds that could hit up to 50 miles an hour or higher in isolated areas so there might be Red Flag weather conditions across parts of the North Bay Hills in Northern California well into tomorrow night.

A man in Willits has been arrested in connection to a breaking and entering and rape. A woman called police in January to say Marcus Caldwell had broken into her house and forced himself on her, raping her, then running away. Caldwell had been known to the victim before. Cops say Caldwell also cut electricity to the woman’s home before he went inside, but he denied ever being there. He volunteered a DNA sample though, which he said would clear him. Then last week, the results came in showing a match to Caldwell. The Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office issued a warrant for his arrest and he was charged with one count of forcible rape and held in the Mendocino County jail on $500,000 bail. He also has a no-contact restraining order against him prohibiting any contact with the victim.

News – 10/30/18

A young woman from Fortuna’s been arrested with a man, the two had more than 100 pounds of pot on them. In Missouri, 22-year-old Rosa Maldonado and Daniel Silva were arrested with 112 pounds of marijuana. Their arresting officer said when they were pulled over he observed the two, quote “sitting in a rigid posture.” When the officer spoke to them through the car window he could smell weed and dryer sheets, so he searched. That’s when four large duffle bags were found with all the marijuana individually wrapped at about a pound each. The pair were arrested for transportation of marijuana and Silva was also charged with being an undocumented foreign national.

The Fort Bragg City Council has approved Measure H to let voters decide if there should be a new tax to bring in several hundred thousand dollars. The initiative for the so-called add-on transaction to bring in more than 620-thousand dollars a year. City staff is estimating as much as a $150,000 a year hike in the city’s pension costs over the next seven years, then pension costs doubling by 2024, going from about $1 million to about $2 million. Measure H will be on the ballot next Tuesday. The City Council also talked about city pools at their meeting last week. The repair of city pools to cost more than anticipated so the city’s been doing temporary repairs and they’re now trying to find a contractor for the work after the last one stopped answering inquiries from the city.

Work in Ukiah on a fuel break which is supposed to protect the Western Hills is moving along. The Daily Journal reports the Ukiah Fire Marshal says a shaded fuel break will probably be worked on in coming weeks, in late fall or early winter, with completion by next fire season. They’re also planning upkeep on dozer lines in the same area, mainly from Low Gap Road to Highway 253. The city’s also working with Cal Fire on the Robinson Creek drainage area between Ukiah and Boonville where they’re considering a controlled, preventative burn this winter on 600 acres. They’re also working with neighborhood groups on preventative measures ahead of the next fire season.

Signups have begun for those interested in getting an apartment on Brush Street. A nonprofit – Resident Services for the Corporation For Better Housing is accepting applicants. The new apartment complex called Brush Meadow Apartments is similar to one in Calistoga which was dedicated to farmworkers and their families. The building, put up by Integrated Community Development said to be a “sustainable development” that will also be run with energy efficient appliances, solar energy and low water fixtures. It’s designated for farmworkers who have to meet income restrictions due to its funding thru the USDA. Rent will range from $400-$1,000 month depending on size.

For more info, call 833-422-4224 and leave a message with their “name, email address and phone number to get an email with information and an application.

Residents in Clear Lake Riviera concerned about a proposed cell tower. The Lake County Planning Commission may take up the matter in December, residents concerned about possible fire danger. The Record Bee reports some also saying it would get in the way of a safe evacuation in the event of a fire near the tower. It would be put up in a lot near a small vineyard covered in brush and feature an 85-foot tall “mono-pine” imitation tree. The tower could run cell service for up to four carriers. If it’s approved construction could start within three months. The Planning Commission has not approved the project yet and there’s so far no building permit. The commission is tentatively supposed to consider the project in December.

A vineyard worker in Napa has been killed in an accident with a grape-harvesting machine. The Press Democrat reports emergency crews got a call yesterday that the worker got stuck inside the equipment at Deconinck Vineyards. He’s been identified as 49-year-old Leon Marcelo Luna. His family says he was working next to the device and an item of his clothing got caught and the machine pulled him in.

Winds are supposed to be picking up so the Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit is beefing up resources in Lake County and across the North Bay as a precaution. Lake Co News reports on the red flag warning in effect thru tomorrow morning. The National Weather Service forecasting high winds and low humidity for the North Bay Mountains and parts of interior Northern California. It means there could be critical fire weather conditions with fast moving wind, low relative humidity and warm temperatures. Temperatures expected to be in the upper 70’s, then in the low 40’s overnight. Cal Fire reports hand crews and bulldozers at the ready 24/7 during these conditions with added emergency command center staff and others prepared to be in command and control functions if there’s a major fire.

Clearlake Police will now be the point agency for emergencies. The Clearlake Police Department had applied to be a 911 Public Safety Answering Point. They’ve been approved by the state. The Sheriff’s Office had been the answering point, but the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Public Safety Communications, California 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Branch has informed the police department they’re approved to take over. There had been complaints that when the sheriff’s office would transfer calls to police, there was a delay. So now the police department gets several thousand dollars to buy equipment for the transition. After all is set up, Clearlake Police can answer landline and wireless 911 calls in the city, including new text-to-911 calls.

The Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor has been given to four CHP officers and a deputy in the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department. Gov. Jerry Brown and the Attorney General Xavier Becerra presented the awards Monday. The award created in 2003 allows the governor to award the medals to public safety officers recognized by the attorney general for extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty. The officer’s agencies nominate them. Yuba County Sheriff’s Deputy Dan Harris, California Highway Patrol Officers Phil Agdeppa, Pete Gavitte, Whitney Lowe and Chad Millward all received the awards for extraordinary bravery, heroism, and courage.

A beating with a cane over a piece of pizza in San Francisco. Police say a woman beat a man to death with a metal cane. Harvey Grosser was killed in September. He was found with a skull fracture and died in the hospital. Police say it happened after the suspect got mad at the victim over a slice of pizza. Not a lot more is known about the incident. Jamila Moore was booked into county jail on suspicion of murder.

PM News – 10/29/18

A man found whipped in the head with a rifle in Southern Humboldt County. The man called dispatch himself and deputies went to the home, finding the caller was in some sort of fight with his dad because of his cat taking food off their barbecue. Red Headed Blackbelt news site reporting the son went next door to make sure the cat was safe, and got into an altercation with his dad, saying his dad, who was armed with a .22 caliber rifle at the time, possibly to shoot the cat, and they got into a struggle over the rifle and the son was hit with the barrel of the rifle in the head. The son hurt and dad got a cut on his hand. Neither wanted to press charges and the son went to the hospital in Garberville for treatment.

Three people have been arrested for heroin dealing in Humboldt County. The Humboldt County Drug Task Force serving search warrants and arriving with a police dog to a home in Eureka finding Carlos Sanchez-Gallego. They say he had almost 9 pounds of heroin ready to be sold with an estimated street value of about $270,000. Another man with him, Jose Ochoa-Ayon tried speeding away from the area in a different car. He was caught and cited for driving in a reckless manner and was not chased for safety reasons, but he was found soonafter nearby. Another man also caught nearby with drugs and possible drug money. The three brought to jail on various charges including possession of a controlled substance for sales, transportation of a controlled substance and criminal conspiracy to distribute heroin.

News – 10/29/18

The D-A has investigated a man detained by Lakeport Police in May who died later at a hospital, saying he died from a drug overdose. The Lake County District Attorney’s Office reports Anthony Cortez was showing signs of distress when police got to him so he was taken to a hospital. Police responded to the Anchorage Inn for reports Cortez was seen running back and forth on the walkway of the second floor balcony, barefoot with no shirt on, yelling at those around him, appearing agitated and waving his arms. He then walked into traffic and 911 dispatchers received multiple calls. He was handcuffed by arriving officers, who say he seemed to be in a state of cardiac arrest. The D-A reports the officers did nothing wrong. An autopsy showed Cortez died from acute drug toxicity and acute amphetamine overdose and not caused by members of the police department.

Several forged checks passed in Lake County leads to arrest warrants for four people. Police say Joshua Holden of Clearlake, George Meszaros of Clearlake, Maranda Medina of Clearlake and Jocia McCloskey, also of Clearlake have been linked to the manufacture of phony checks to look like they were issued to them by Rainbow AG and the Travelodge in Clearlake plus various other businesses outside of Lake County. Police say they searched Meszaros’ home and found items consistent with making forged checks. The four have been referred to the D-A’s office for formal charges to be filed. One of the accused is on Post Release Community Supervision probation (PRCS) for drug and weapons offenses with an active warrant for violating probation. The other three are on probation for drug charges.

The first person accused in the marijuana robbery and murder of a man in Laytonville two years ago is going to prison for several years. Michael Kane of Pleasantville, NY got 14 years behind bars for the murder of Jeffery Settler in November 2016. Kane pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter by use of a hatchet, and robbery of an inhabited dwelling while acting in concert with others. At Kane’s sentencing hearing last Friday, Settler’s parents and siblings were in the court. Many of them addressed the court, traveling to town for the proceedings from Texas. Six co-defendants are due in court this Friday for sentencing hearings. They’re all expected to also receive prison sentences.

City leaders in Ukiah give the green light to spend $20,000 to explore possibly buying the alternative energy, Potter Valley Project, a hydroelectric dam Pacific Gas and Electric says it wants to sell. The Daily Journal reports the city’s director of water and sewer agreed with the city council that they should do what they can to save the project. The dam goes back to the early 1900’s when it was built as a more reliable source of electricity for the city. It’s also not the first time they’ve discussed selling the project, back in the 1990s, when the Inland Water and Power Commission was formed. Each of the five entities that make up the commission, including the city and county are each expected to approve spending $20,000 ea to explore the potential purchase of the project.

The State is not enforcing a net neutrality law until a federal court decides if the FCC’s net neutrality order can preempt state laws. The Calif. State Attorney General Xavier Becerra working with the Department of Justice and cable and internet service providers so the lawsuit against Calif. is pending. It’s part of an appeal of the Federal Communications Commission’s recent order to end federal net neutrality regulations which is going to be heard in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington D-C. The state’s own net neutrality law was supposed to go into effect Jan. 1st.

A judge not agreeing with those against California’s high-speed rail project, the state’s not spending bond money improperly. The case picks up again this Friday with those against the planned project trying to get the judge in the case to change his mind. It comes one day after one small Central Valley town sued too, but that was settled. Voters approved the $10 billion project about a decade ago, to use bond money to build the high-speed train between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The trips expected to be three hours long and it would be the first high speed train in the country. But there’s been a slew of lawsuits and the project’s been plagued by giant cost overruns and delays.

A new report says all the fires in Calif. mean more floods and debris flows too. Federal, state and local officials at a press conference in Santa Barbara last week with the warning in the same place there were debris flows and floods last January after the Thomas fire left a major burn scar. 21 people were killed and two people were missing at one point. The state Department of Water Resources reported more than 7 million in the state are at risk of post fire floods. Most of the risk for homes downslope from scorched areas since the ground can’t absorb water.

Massive amounts of money spent on elections every year, but one of California’s most expensive races this time around, for the state Superintendent of Public Instruction. Two men running, both Democrats, Tony Thurmond, an East Bay state assemblyman and former social worker; and Marshall Tuck, who works in school administration after years in finance. The two have brought in more than $43 million to win the position. Thurmond getting loads of cash from teachers unions and Tuck by pro-charter school PAC money from outside California.

News 10/26/18

More than one or two dams in Lake County are listed in a report by the California Department of water resources division of safety of dams- including two operated by Lake County Sanitation district in Clearlake oaks and upper lake and the adobe creek and highland creek dams. All four are in Satisfactory condition according to the report..

The goal is to provide young people aged 14 to 24 with career pathways and future employment. Careerpoint Mendocino will offer career counseling, paid work experience and career information. The Mendocino offices are 2550 North State St. in Ukiah and 1211 Del Mar drive in Fort Bragg. more info at www.careerpointnorthbay.org.

The chore of cleanup continues after the Pawnee and Mendocino complex fires damaged buildings, and as of the 20th, officials say that all debris had been removed on almost half of 12 parcels for the Pawnee fire. Property owners have submitted rights of entry forms for over 150 property owners, and over 40 of those sites have finished removing debris. There are still about 190 parcels of land damaged by fire that still need work.

Here’s something you never considered on a trip to disneyland… Apparently the park along with Disney World are some of the most popular places to scatter the ashes of loved ones. It happens so much there’s a word for it- a HEPA cleanup. That’s what employees at the park order when they see visitors scattering ashes around the park. According to Disney insiders, HEPA cleanups happen at least once a month. The Haunted mansion according to employees is one of the most popular places in the park to leave the ashes. There are human ashes in flowerbeds and water rides. But before you plan a trip to spread you loved ones ashes- a spokesperson from disney says the practices is frowned upon, and will get you booted from the park

They’s probably say they were just doing their jobs, but 40 heroic firefighters are being honored for their work fighting the Mendocino Complex wildfires over the summer. Fire Chief Kenneth Herbert was there to see it in person as the men risked their lives fighting the fires. The 40 being honored were part of a regional strike team, which must always be ready to go with no notice, and has been called out six times this year.

Millions of dollars could be coming our way to help with the state’s housing crisis. The state senate is considering a bill that will bring services and programs like permanent housing to rural areas and larger metropolitan areas as well- 6.6 million for Mendocino County alone. The legislation being considered will focus on residents who are chronically homeless, or at risk of chronic homelessness and may be suffering from drug and alcohol addiction and mental health issues.

It took 7 years of careful planning and preparation by the California Department of Public Health, ad now a new 14,700 square foot state of the art emergency department, intensive care unit and helipad has opened their doors. The new facility boasts 19 private treatment rooms, negative pressure rooms for highly contagious patients and two trauma rooms. Eight critical are rooms were built with state of the art technology, and space for family bedside. The hospital began accepting patients today.

With the holiday season about to kick off, the whole family will enjoy getting out into nature and picking out the family Christmas tree together, and tree permits will be available starting Nov 1st for a fee of $10.00. The permits are first come, and can be picked up at the Upper Lake Range Station at 10025 Elk Mtn Road, or you can fill out a form and mail in for a permit http://tinyurl.com/h8x4hwd. If you have a fourth grader, present a fourth grade pass, get a free permit courtesy of the Every Kid In The Park initiative. More info at www.everykidinapark.gov

The results are in, and students at Ukiah Unified School District are improving in both math and english. The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress tests were taken by students back in May. English scores improved for grades 3 and 5, and were flat for eighth graders. By 11th grade, just over half of students met the ELA standards. Math scores were also up for grades 3, 5 and 7. More info can be found at www.caaspp.cde.ca.gov

After creating a committee back in July to study Mendocino County’s Cannabis Cultivation Ordinance with instructions to report back supervisors with recommendations, the Board of Supervisors will hold a meeting on Monday from 5:30 to 7:30pm open to the public at Willits Community Center. The recommendations covered at the meeting will officially set in stone, and meant to inform the community on the committee’s progress and hear the recommendations on revisions to the ordinance.

News 10/25/18

Headquarters will be the Northshore Fire Protection District in Clearlake Oaks when they 37th annual catfish derby gets underway from May 16th to May 19th. The derby will raise money for scholarships and important causes around the community. Over 1000 people re expected to take part, about 40% coming from Lake County alone

The wind will come sweeping down the plane when Oklahoma! opens at the Soper Reese Theater in Lakeport tomorrow. Tickets run between $17 and $22 in advance, and up to $27 at the door, and are available now at www.soperreesetheater.com. The show will run though Nov 11th.

Gearing up for election day takes a lot of preparation, and the Lake County Registrar of Voters office is up for the task. The are set to start testing voting equipment on Tuesday of next week at 9am. If you would like to attend, the testing will be in the Registrar of Voters office on the second floor, room 209 of the Lake County Courthouse in Lakeport.

A pet store in San Diego fond a surprise waiting in an black duffel bag left on their doorstep. Inside was a thee fool alligator! The owner of the store told ABC that he is happy the alligator was left at his store instead of releasing it into the wild. The alligator will be kept in a turtle tank until game officials pick it up.

The Clearlake City Council meets today for a closed session at 5:30pm, the public portion begins at 6pm today in the council chambers at Clearlake city hall on Olympic Drive. Updates to the Clearlake Municipal Code and gym equipment for the Clearlake police department are on today’s agenda, along with possible approval of a Community Development Block Grant program for code enforcement.

Lake County residents can get up close to nature in pontoon boat rides provided by Redbud Audubon. The guided tours are paid for by one major fundraiser, and volunteers are critical to the program’s success. It’s a big commitment though, because volunteers must get licensed, and the number of boats and volunteers have decreased in recent years. If you are available to help out two weekends this spring, April 27th and 28th, and May 4th and 5th, contact Redbud Audubon. You must own a pontoon boat in good condition and have experience driving boats.

The lower lake high school football program had a huge need for equipment, and the California Fire Lawyers have answered that call, donating $2200 to the program for the purchase of new hitting bags for practice and other gear for the team.

Federal money has been allocated by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development in the form of housing vouchers for families in the city of Santa Rosa along with Sonoma and Mendocino counties after last year’s wildfires destroyed over 3000 homes in Sonoma county, and 300 in Mendocino County. The three municipalities are expected to receive 3.5 million dollars, a much needed boost amid the state’s housing crisis and sky high rent prices.

Thanks to a one year grant, California Highway Patrol will be working at local schools and community events all across the state to address the number one killer of teens in the country- car accidents, many of which are caused by distracted drivers. The Teen Distracted Driver’s Education and Enforcement Grant will help spread the message: focus on the road ahead and get where you are going safely. A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has found that drivers aged 15 to 19 have the highest amount of drivers who were distracted at the time of an accident.

Today from 5 to 7:30pm at the Middletown United Methodist Church on Armstrong street is your last chance to register for “Spirit of The Season,” and help build holiday gift baskets for children. The program offers Christmas presents and food to residents across South Lake County who meet certain requirements. If you want to apply for the assistance, stop by today and bring your kids christmas wish list, and shoe and clothing sizes with you to choose three gift ideas under $25.00. You’ll also need proof on income and residence.

He grew up in Upper Lake and served worked in the fire service for 42 years. Now after 7 years ac chief of Northshore Fire Protection District, Jay Beristianos has retired. Mike Ciancio has worked as deputy chief for several years, and will replace Beristianos to lead the district’s 21 firefighters.

A thanksgiving staple for years, the Greenbean casserole was invented by Dorcas Reilly back in 1955 after she combined green beans and cream of mushroom soup, calling her creation Green Bean Bake. Reilly passed away this month of Alzheimers, but her road to immortalization began when she went to work in the home economics depart at Campbell’s where she first came up with the recipe. The recipe didn’t get the highest rating during taste tests at Campbell’s, so she kept working on it until she got what we all know and love to see on the table every year for Thanksgiving. The Green Bean Casserole.

Just in case there was any lingering doubt, the man responsible for stealing a case of beer from a restaurant this week in England is NOT Ross from Friends, and David Schwimmer proved his innocence yesterday after a pic of the criminal was released showing a man, who is the spitting image of the beloved character from Friends. Schwimmer posted a video to twitter yesterday of himself in a store, carrying a case of cans dressed just like the suspect. The caption reads “officers, i swear it wasn’t me- as you can see, I was in New York. To the hardworking Blackpool police, good luck with the investigation #itwasntme”.

Why did the cobra cross the road? Because he had help by a professional snake catcher. In a scene caught on camera, the snake was slithering down a buy road in India when a man who works as a snake catcher saw the Cobra in danger of being run over. The man jumped off his bike and stopped traffic so the snake could safely slither to the other side of the road. Annoyed drivers can be heard honking their horns in the video, but the snake catcher was was unfazed.

News 10/24/18

The plan is to focus on updates and the status of broadband in Mendocino County. The Broadband Alliance of Mendocino County will reconvene on Friday Nov 2nd at the community foundation of Mendocino County at 204 S Oak Street in Ukiah from 10am to noon. The alliance has also planned upcoming quarterly meetings for 2019, on March 1st, June 7th, Sept 6th and December 6th.

Nobody would blame you for thinking that the fire season is over. After all, it is almost November. But the ban lingers for Mendocino County, just like it did last year. The burn ban, which is usually lifted in October lasted until the end of November last year, and continues for now, so the burning of leaves and debris piles is still prohibited.

Three suspects were been arrested after leading Mendocino County Sherifs office on a high speed chase that started on Eastbound highway 20, with speeds as fast as 80 to 100mph according to the police report. The chase went into Lake County where the driver started weaving in and out of cars, even crossing over into oncoming traffic to get away from deputies. In the end the bad guys were stopped when spike strips were laid on Red Hills Road near highway 20. All three occupants in the car were arrested on an assortment of charges.

The Crypt Keeper’s Maze will be part of this year’s event when the Haunted Lake County haunted house will be open this Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10m. Proceeds benefit Lake County Fire victims. Admission is just $5.00 per person.

A can of raid would probably have done the trick. but a man in Fresno had other ideas about how to kill black widow spiders he found while house sitting for his parents last night. Instead of running to the store, he opted for a blowtorch to get rid of the arachnids. His idea backfired when the house caught on fire, requiring twenty nine fire fighters to tap out the 2 alarm fire. The second story and attic of the home were damaged in the incident.