After that giant rainstorm over the weekend, we could see more. The National Weather Service reported heavy rain near the Mendocino and Sonoma County line and in some places as much as 3.5 inches fell. Forecasters say the Yorkville area in southern Mendocino County saw the most. Along the coast much less rain fell, but the welcomed moisture was as much as 2 inches in some spots. The Airport got nearly 2 inches and was just below the record rainfall for Sunday’s date. The Weather Service is also predicting more potential rain with thunderstorms into tomorrow.
The latest Calif. Coastal Cleanup Day was a success. Tens of thousands of residents across the state came out last Saturday for the 38th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day. It’s said to be the single biggest yearly volunteer event. The California Coastal Commission has been sponsoring the event which was back to pre-pandemic work. Over the last two years it was self-guided. Not this year though as there were over 600 in-person cleanup sites across California and they were reported to be near or at full capacity. They were plucking tons of trash off beaches, shorelines, and waterways in almost every one of the state’s 58 counties.
State Senator Mike McGuire is applauding the package of bills the Governor signed investing in climate action. He commented that the bills the Legislature passed along with setting up a $54 billion climate action budget, will speed up the state’s clean energy policy goals. McGuire spoke at a press availability last Friday with the Governor and other legislators in Vallejo. McGuire did say however that more work is needed but what Newsom signed last week was, “some of the most consequential action taken by this state to tackle the climate crisis in decades”.
Those in California suffering through the high gas prices could soon see relief. After several months of waiting, the state is offering a tax refund. The one time payments could total up to as much as $1,050 for some. The $9.5 billion rebate package will be distributed between next month and January. The Governor and Legislators agreed to a deal for the rebates this summer as gas prices exploded and inflation took hold. Governor Newsom reportedly wanted to start the payments sooner, when gas hit an average of over $6/gallon, but lawmakers continued working on who could get the refunds and how much they would be.
The state is working to align marijuana use with alcohol, by telling businesses they cannot use a workers offsite or outside-of-work use for hiring or firing decisions. On Sunday the Governor signed a bill into law which says employers may not discriminate against staff members who use marijuana outside of work hours and away from the workplace. It goes into effect in 2024. California will be the 7th state in the nation to put a similar law in place, prohibiting employers employment decisions to be based on a drug test that does not show they’re currently impaired. Some advocates say urine tests are a highly offensive invasion of a worker’s bodily privacy. The law does however still allow drug screening to be used for hiring at some jobs.
The old Eagles Hall in Fort Bragg is being refurbished by the Skunk Train operator. Efstathios Pappas and his wife Miranda are apparently going to live there after giving the old building a major facelift. They could also offer it for recreational use for rent too. They closed escrow on the property last week. The General Manager of the California Western Railroad and the Skunk Train since April apparently saw the building and plunked down the money. The hall goes back to the early 1900’s. It was the local chapter of the Socialist Party of America at one time. It was built with materials paid for with “comrade loans” and constructed by volunteer labor.
Tissue samples have been taken from a dead humpback whale that washed ashore near Glass Beach in Fort Bragg last week. Scientists from the NOYO Center decided not to remove the 25 ½ foot long animal, instead they took a fin which is currently composting to allow some of it to deteriorate and later display the bones and flipper at the Center for Marine Science. Mendo Voice reports there was a team from Mendocino Equine and Livestock at the site too. They brought an X-ray machine for the fin to help the Noyo Center know how to properly position the bones. And CalPoly Humboldt researchers did a necropsy to see how it died.
After an armed robbery report in Garberville, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s office reported chasing a couple of suspects over the Humboldt/Mendocino County line but didn’t catch them right away. Someone called to report the crime and gave deputies a description of the car the pair were in. Deputies tried to stop them, but they kept going and Deputies lost them because it was unsafe to keep up. More Deputies at the home where the crime happened found a guest had been there from Los Angeles and assaulted the resident, holding him at gunpoint. Corey Brim and Daylen Hamilton were later identified as the two men who were on the run. Cops from Mendocino and Lake Counties were involved in the pursuit of the suspects’ along with the Highway Patrol. The two were finally arrested in Lake County by the CHP on various charges including assault with a firearm, battery with serious bodily injury and resisting or reckless evading of a peace officer.
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