A car and semi get tangled up in Ukiah sending two people to the hospital. Mendo Fever reports the accident happened Tuesday afternoon near the intersection of North State Street and Parducci Road. The CHP reports one of the people had to be flown to an out of county hospital due to the severity of their injuries. 37-year-old Curtis Bettega from Clearlake was reportedly parked in his Cadillac Escalade on North State Street and went to make a u-turn when the other driver, 49-year-old Michael Renno of Willits, on Parducci Road driving a semi stuck the Escalade. Bettega, was the one who had to be flown to Santa Rosa Memorial, but has since been released. The news site reports a passenger in the Escalade, Mindy Pratt was taken to Adventist Health Ukiah Valley to treat minor injuries. Alcohol or drugs are not considered a factor in the crash.
A vandalism spree in Ukiah leaves a trail of damage behind. Police report five businesses were struck in the area of South State Street and Luce Avenue yesterday morning. Windows were shattered and soon after, Michael Domanowski was found “inside a near-by business” and arrested. Police say video surveillance from three of the businesses helped police, who then contacted Domanowski. They say he had evidence linking him to the crimes. He’s charged with felony vandalism. The businesses hit are reported to be Express Mart, Downtown Dogs , The Center for Hope church, ABC Supply Company, and Stephanie’s Signature Hair.
A man reportedly shooting a gun floating down a river. That’s what Mendo Fever is reporting, that scanner traffic had Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office and the State Parks Dept. requested to investigate reports of shots fired near Big River about 3-4 miles up Haul Road. The Sheriff’s report said the guy was floating down the river, in an area known for duck hunting, and firing a rifle.
The Gov. has announced spending billions to reopen schools in a safe manner during the pandemic. Gov. Newsom announced yesterday there will be new protocols and safety measures so schools can safely reopen. He says his phased approach to slow the spread of the virus will include testing, ventilation and personal protective gear in schools. 2 billion dollars will be pored into the effort. Newsom said it’s most important to get back to in person learning, especially for the youngest children, others with disabilities or limited access to technology at home and for others struggling the most with distance learning. Lawmakers reportedly worked with the Governor’s office on the plan so schools have the needed resources for safety precautions to reopen classrooms. Distance learning will still be okay for parents who want their children at home, instead of in person.
Several hundred doses of the new coronavirus vaccine have arrived and have gone into the arms of local healthcare workers in Lake County. The County’s Public Health officer Dr. Gary Pace reports getting 1,300 doses so far which they’re administering as fast as they can. At the same time, Dr. Pace also remarked that the county is seeing continued surging cases with hospitals full, but he says, fortunately, not overwhelmed. So far the county has had 1,819 positive cases, most of them are recovered. 23 people have died. 12 are currently in the hospital. Dr. Pace says the vaccine distribution began a couple of weeks ago and they’re following state guidelines to first give the first shot to health care providers, first responders and staff at skilled nursing facilities. So far 600 shots have been administered. Pace says the two local hospitals – Sutter Lakeside and Adventist Health Clear Lake, emergency medical services and all three skilled nursing facilities have immunized most staffers who wanted the vaccine, all of their second doses will be administered in coming weeks.
New rules on allowing inmates to help fight fires. This year was different as one of the most devastating wildfire seasons on record, some inmates couldn’t help due to the pandemic. But about a third of those on the frontlines have been prisoners. They have not been allowed to be firefighters once they’re released until now. A new law will allow formerly imprisoned firefighters to get hired in fire departments. Now former prisoners who took part in fire programs can apply and have their records expunged. A court must rule individually on getting their records cleared, then they can apply for fire certification. The California DA’s Association was against the idea, but the bill’s author says those committed to turning their lives around deserve a second chance.
A new scholarship fund has been set up at Mendocino College. The college foundation started the Charlie Barra Perpetual Scholarship for any student graduating from Ukiah High, who wants to be an agriculture major at Mendocino College. Barra had been popularly known as Mendocino County’s “godfather of grape growing.” He worked in farming and grape growing more than 70 years, and was said to have never missed a grape harvest. He was also a passionate advocate for Mendocino County, the California North Coast Grape Growers Association, and spent more than 20 years in public service. The perpetual scholarship to honor his legacy will give a yearly $1,000 scholarship in perpetuity to an agriculture major at Mendocino College.
State health officials watching the COVID19 cases rise since Halloween and are said to be worrying about what’s to come after Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. Residents were warned not to gather or travel, but we’ve seen a surge of infections since the end of November. Things looked to be plateauing in the Bay Area and much of Northern California, but the state Health and Human Services Secretary, Dr. Mark Ghaly says he’s worried about “exposure upon exposure”. Ghaly says infections could be amplified if folks who caught the virus over the holidays spread it at New Year’s Eve parties. Health officials have been pleading since Thanksgiving for people to stay home and stay safe. They say if you’ve been exposed there could be a 24-48 hour window where you’re symptomatic but don’t know, potentially spreading the virus.
A $60,000 scholarship for high school seniors is being offered for the 20th year in a row by Medicom. The company’s scholarship program offers a $1,000 World Class Scholarship to 60 high school seniors interested in furthering their education. Those who win the money can decide if they want to use it on post-secondary college or vocational training from an accredited institution. They must start in the fall of 2021. Those who get the scholarship are judged on academic achievement and leadership. You can grab an application at the website. The deadline to apply is February 15th.
A woman from Gualala has been reported missing after calling family to say she was upset and walking into the woods. Mendocino Deputies set out to search for Kerry Bonanno along with other community members, family and friends. So far the woman has not been spotted after vanishing yesterday. She’s described as being a White woman, 5 foot 6, 130 pounds with blonde hair, blue eyes. It’s unknown what she was wearing when she left her house. The Sheriff’s Dept. is asking anyone who may know where Bonanno is to call. They say they’ll be sending out Search & Rescue teams today with a bloodhound tracking dog to help.
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