The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office reporting a phone scam with someone pretending to be from US Customs. The Sheriff’s Dept. has put out a statement assuring the public it is not a true call and that someone is just pretending to be a Customs Agent saying they intercepted a package filled with drugs and need a return call. The Sheriff reminds not to call back or talk to whoever it is and to report the activity to them or your local law enforcement agency. They remind also not to give any personal info out including banking info or social security numbers, credit card info or your home or business address.
The 101 outside Laytonville that had been closed due to the punishing winter rain and snow is fully reopened. The work was ongoing to get the road reopened yesterday with no estimate as to when it would reopen, then suddenly an announcement on the Caltrans District 1 social media pages with pictures before and after. It showed a large tree down and massive, big rig behind it. It had been closed in Mendocino County from Cummings to Reynolds Highway, north of Willits because of stranded and stuck big rigs and cars, and downed power lines and trees on the highway. They reported crews had been out working to remove those trees and get vehicles towed from the area at the same time utility companies would be repairing the fallen power lines. They added that they appreciated the public’s patience.
A gun fired and law enforcement out and about trying to find out where in Ukiah the shooter went after someone was hit in the leg. It happened yesterday in the Safeway parking lot, police responded to someone with a wounded leg and a scanner report that a suspect took off toward Gobbi Street. Surveillance footage was being checked out from a nearby business.
The Lake County Continuum of Care has received a grant to make more emergency help available during the pandemic. Their 630k Emergency Solutions Grant comes from the CARES Act to prevent, prepare for, and respond to individuals and families experiencing homelessness or getting homeless assistance in the county and are at risk due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The money can go for various purposes like outreach on the street, prevention services, and emergency shelter for prevention, preparation and response to the virus, housing vouchers, rapid re-housing programs, eviction prevention, and housing relocation. Recipients can also use the money on training on infectious disease prevention and mitigation and for hazard pay for staff working directly to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus in those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
A man from Fort Bragg has been arrested for resisting arrest with violence. The Sheriff’s Office reports Alexander Ramirez was seen drunk and yelling at a restaurant. Workers there say he wouldn’t leave and laid in the road. When approached by a deputy, they say he took a fighting stance, the deputy overpowered the man and arrested him. He also found he was on parole. Deputies say he continued making verbal threats. He was taken to a hospital first to be checked out, then off to jail he went where he was held on $30,000.00 bail.
A man in Gualala’s been arrested for a burglary and looting. Deputies say Santiago Amado Castro-Rossi of Vallejo was connected to a rip off at Pacific Woods Glass. His car was seen in the area and connected to him. They found it later about a mile from the business with Castro-Rossi nearby. They say he had a bunch of construction tools in the rear of the vehicle. And when they searched they found items the Glass company reported stolen that were valued at $6,000.00. Not only that, they found a loaded gun, heroin, Xanax and possible fentanyl. He’s arrested for Burglary, Possession of Stolen Property, Looting During a State of Emergency, Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession of Ammunition by a Prohibited Person and because of the pandemic, he was originally not going to be held in jail because they’re non-violent crimes, but a judge reversed it and ordered $50,000.00 bail.
The Russian River gets close to flooding in Jenner as high surf closed the mouth of the river. It’s forecasted to reach 10 feet today and 12 feet by tomorrow unless it breaches. A Sonoma Water spokesman says they don’t think the sand there will be stable enough for heavy equipment and personnel to be on the beach so they can mechanically breach the sandy berm across the mouth. Apparently it’s not the first time this winter this has happened at the mouth of the river as the water level rises. The water yesterday reportedly pretty close to the Jenner Visitor Center, which floods at 10.3 feet. The visitor center did flood this month already, but just the parking lot, then the berm gave way.
No offshore oil leases being allowed in Calif. per the Biden Administration. They’ve placed a temporary shield on expanding oil development which was allowed under the Trump administration as of two years ago. The new executive order by President Biden says new oil and natural gas leases on public lands and offshore waters must await comprehensive review by “multiple federal agencies”. Congressman Jared Huffman has also announced he would introduce two measures to permanently protect the West Coast and the Arctic from any new oil or gas leases. Huffman is an environmental attorney by trade.
Mendocino County is hosting more vaccination clinics, this time for in-home support service workers, in Ukiah and at Mendocino High. These are the first doses for this group. They’ll also inoculate some who got their first Moderna doses January 4th and 7th. That’s happening next Wednesday at the Redwood Empire Fairgrounds from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
A democratic lawmaker from San Francisco says he wants black bear hunting banned. State Sen. Scott Wiener introduced “The Bear Protection Act” which is sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States to ban the sport hunting season. The bill would however allow bears to be killed with a permit if it’s to protect public safety, livestock and for scientific research. Wiener says the animals have faced “unprecedented habitat loss due to climate change and wildfires, and continued sport hunting in California makes survival an even tougher climb”. He says public opinion polls have shown support for such a move. But the animal’s population has been climbing in recent years and hunters have not been hitting their quotas because of new rules about hunting with hounds. Supporters of the hunt say it’ll deprive the state of revenue from hunting permits. Last year the state made almost 1.4 million on the hunt.
A police officer from Ukiah’s may be arrested for allegedly going into a woman’s hotel room and sexually attacking her. The Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office reports charging Kevin Murray with burglary, sexual battery and possession of meth for an incident at the Super 8 Motel on South Orchard Avenue last November. Charging papers say he went into the hotel room twice. He’s been placed on administrative leave for nearly two months. The police department reports the City of Ukiah and the Ukiah Police Department are supporting and cooperating with the criminal investigation and conducting its own administrative review. No word so far if the officer has been arrested and booked into jail.
The Board of Supervisors talking about the pandemic and the use of Measure B mental health funds. The Daily Journal reports that Chair Dan Gjerde commented about the insurrection and attempts to overturn the election and says he’s grateful that in Mendocino County, it’s “nothing like what we saw in D.C.” he added he’s hopeful the we can all come together as a country, something not seen in recent years. Then the board got down to the business of hearing from the Public Health Officer Dr. Andrew Coren with good news that the holiday surge looked to be plateauing, but there are new strains of the virus being monitored. He didn’t say if any had surfaced locally, but they have in Lake County. The board also got an update on Measure B from its Oversight Committee, but their report and the money left in their fund is apparently not up to date. That info has to be submitted to the board 2 weeks before any discussion due to the Brown Act. So a current report will be provided at the next Mental Health Treatment Act Citizen’s Oversight Committee meeting.
The Fort Bragg City Council had to cut their meeting short due to a staff emergency, just as Waste Management was asking for a new one year contract. The Advocate reports a representative of Waste Management offered a new one year contract last night and asked the city not switch to a new provider saying they would not raise their rates. They also noted they were confused when hearing the city was interested in making a switch over to C&S Waste Solutions. There was also public comment on the matter before the meeting was cut short. No action was taken.
94.5 K-Wine / Max 93.5 FM 