News 10/31/2022

Since there’s a threat to Humpback whales getting caught up in Dungeness crab traps, the start to the season is on hold. Both Humpback and Blue whales are in the area where anglers set their pots for the start of the season, which was supposed to be this Saturday. The traps can stay where they are, but they’re temporarily restricted in all fishing zones by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The commercial Dungeness crab fishery south of the Sonoma/Mendocino County line was set for Nov. 15th but will be delayed due to the amount of humpback whales and the potential for entanglement.

The Lake County Sheriff says he’s retiring at the end of the year. He announced on Facebook he’d retire a few days before his third term was supposed to start. It comes after an announcement by the Governor that certain law enforcement elected officials would have to stay in office 6 years instead of four to align with presidential elections, for some reason. Sheriffs and district attorneys will now be in office six years, just this one time, then every four years again. Confusing for sure. Sheriffs in the Emerald Triangle have spoken out including Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin who said the bill was a main reason he was retiring early. The legislation was apparently a way to get maximum voter turnout. Sheriff Matt Kendall says he thinks it’s partisan politics. And the Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal called it a power grab and Mendo DA Eyster said it was a bait and switch.

Improvements are coming to the North Coast from the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration. Congressman Huffman announced more than $8M dollars for the Port Infrastructure Development Program for port maintenance and improvements in Eureka and Crescent City. The money to repair crumbling infrastructure Huffman says will also help restore the global supply chain. Nearly all of the money is going to Cresent City for a new seawall and to repair and renovate a seafood packing and truck loading area. The Port Infrastructure Development Program awards money to improve safety, efficiency, or reliability so goods can be moved into, out of, around, or within a port.

Fentanyl poisoning is being blamed for one-fifth of youth deaths in the state of Calif. A study for the year 2020 showed kids 15-24 years old were dying because of the drug. That’s over six times the amount killed three years earlier. The report from epidemiology and health services researchers at UCLA also says most who die from the overdoses have no idea the drug is even contained in whatever it was they took in the first place. One of the study’s authors says they’re not trying to scare parents, just trying to shed a light on what’s happening, which is much different now after its dramatic rise in 2020. Fentanyl killed about 4,000 people in Calif. in 2020, double the amount in 2019.

Lake County Supervisors would like a raise. At their meeting tomorrow Supervisors are looking at a possible 38% raise, more to add to all of the recent pay bumps to county workers since 2019. It’s not on the timed agenda, so it will be thrown out to the ether, to raise members pay after a study justified pay raises for many 3 years ago. The classification and compensation study triggered the board approving $21 million raises during the pandemic. Now it’s their turn. The County Administrative Officer’s report shows the board did not take a raise, but doled out many. Right now they each make just under $64,000 a year and the chair gets another couple grand. They want well over $88,000.

North Coast Congressmembers John Garamendi and Mike Thompson say they’ve secured several million dollars for school meals. The USDA Marketing Service, the two Congressional members and Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry have announced $23 million as part of a CO-OP agreement for more nutritious, local foods for school meal programs. The money comes by way of the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program. The California Department of Education is buying and distributing food and drinks for kids through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. They also say they’re healthy foods and unique to their geographic area, with the goal of improving child nutrition and building new relationships between schools and local farmers.

California has an urgent reminder for parents this Halloween. The state Department of Public Health says to keep cannabis edibles away from children as some products that contain THC may look like candy, like gummies and lollipops. That they say could trick children into trying them. Officials say they’ve already seen several cases of that accidentally happening. They warn edibles can make kids sick and even cause some to die.

Several of Sonoma County’s law enforcement agencies say they’re trying to calm fears of kids getting rainbow-colored fentanyl mixed in with their Halloween candy tonight. Police say rainbow-colored fentanyl has been seen in the region, but there aren’t any immediate or known worries about trick-or-treaters being targeted with it. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office says there’s no evidence the dangerous and deadly opioid is being handed out specifically to children. Concerns started in August, when the DEA warned people to watch out for drug dealers targeting kids with opioids that look like candy.

A study of transportation needs and solutions is being conducted by the Mendocino Council of Governments. This is for the communities of Covelo, Laytonville, Brooktrails, Potter Valley and Hopland. This is a five-minute survey online they are asking the public to take. The Council staff says it’s the second round of public input after a series of community workshops in August. They say it’s to help them “quantify the needs” they heard about and also test some of the innovative ideas for transportation solutions they say are now emerging. Those participating can be entered into a drawing for one of five $100 gift cards. bit.ly/MCOGMobility.

For further information, contact project manager Loretta Ellard at lellard@dbcteam.net or 707-234-3434.

The next Jackson Demonstration State Forest Advisory Group is set at the Casper Scales. The meeting is 2 weeks from tomorrow, November 15th. The agenda will be released once they get closer to the date. The Jackson Demonstration State Forest Advisory Group (JAG) is part of the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection with a mission of advice and recommendations to CAL FIRE and the Board regarding issues relevant to the periodic review of the JDSF Management Plan required under Board policy; ongoing implementation issues; and policy matters relevant to JDSF.

For more information about the Jackson Demonstration State Forest visit:
https://www.fire.ca.gov/programs/resource-management/resource-protection-improvement/demonstrationstate-forests/jackson/

The Mendocino County Cannabis Dept. says they’ve been in touch with well over 100 applicants who are eligible for the Good Standing Portal. One hundred twenty-three (123) applicants were notified October 24th and 25th that they were eligible. They can access the portal starting tomorrow morning. The deadline is 11:59 p.m. on January 31, 2023. The Good Standing applicants who were deprioritized can still submit materials through the portal. But they won’t get reviewed until they meet the conditions to reprioritize their application. A reminder is going out weekly about the window to apply. Check the county’s website for more information.

Tens of millions of shares have been sold for the PG&E Fire Victim Trust so the utility can meet the rules set up for payments to victims under the bankruptcy filing. The company announced selling 35 million shares of PG&E stock to help pay victims of fires in Northern California from 2015 to 2018. As you may recall, the trust was set up back in July of 2020 and funded with cash and shares of stock as part of the company’s Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization. Almost 477,000,000 shares of common stock have been transferred to the Trust after another 750,000 or so were transferred in August of 2020. The Trust has reportedly paid out over $5.36 billion to victims of the 2015 Butte Fire, 2017 North Bay Fires, and 2018 Camp Fire.

News 10/28/2022

Cal Fire has lifted the burn ban. Cal Fire Mendocino Unit Chief Luke Kendall formally canceled the burn permit suspension and says anyone who has current and valid agriculture and residential burn permits can now get back to burning on permissible burn days. Agriculture burns must be inspected by the fire agency before you burn. You can get your permit online at the Cal Fire site. They’re only for folks who live in the State Responsibility Area or in the Cal Fire jurisdictional authority. You also have to check with the Mendocino County Air Management District to make sure it’s a permissive burn day.

Impaired drivers beware… The CHP and California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) are working together the next year on a campaign to slow the number of crashes caused by impaired drivers. Their “Don’t Drive Impaired” campaign runs through next September. The CHP reports 669 people were killed and 10,646 were injured in DUI crashes in 2020. They say they are preventable tragedies and there is a continued need to reduce impaired driving. The Office of Traffic Safety is paying for the campaign through grants for DUI checkpoints, and traffic safety education efforts throughout the state.

A new effort in Calif to protect humpback whales from getting entangled has begun. The Center for Biological Diversity is suing the National Marine Fisheries to force them to protect the endangered Pacific humpbacks from getting caught up in drift gillnets. There have been about a dozen entanglements over the last two fishing seasons. The lawsuit filed yesterday claims the fishery’s excessive harm to endangered humpback whales violates the Endangered Species Act by using the mile-long hanging nets, which are left overnight, to catch Pacific bluefin tuna, swordfish and thresher sharks.

Before that earthquake hit the Bay Area earlier this week millions people got shake alerts. It means those who registered through the ShakeAlert system had several seconds’ warning before the magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit near San Jose Tuesday. A pretty good-sized quake, the largest since the 2014 when a 6.0 hit Napa. The ShakeAlert operations team says over 2.1 million earthquake alerts were sent out. The Governor’s office says most of those were sent to Android smartphones. Those phones have the alerts manufactured into the phones operating system though. There were also about 100,000 users alerted through the free MyShake app for both iOS and Androids. The warnings generally went out to an area within 10 miles of the epicenter.

A new study says about 30% of blackened trees in the Sierra Nevada mountains died in the last decade. The UC Berkeley study showed from 2011 to 2020 fire, drought and drought-related bark beetle infestations killed a third of the forests in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range between Lake Tahoe and Kern County. The lead author of the study says, “it’s kind of a wakeup call.” The study showed not only a decline in the total conifer forest in the area, but also that half of mature forest habitat and 85% of high-density mature forests are completely gone or they’re now low-density forests.

Police are on the lookout for a teenage girl they disappeared from Clearlake. 16-year-old Lilah Ryan Allen is described as about 5’6”,180 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing pink zip up, black sweats with white stripe, and black vans. She was last seen at a bus stop on Austin Rd in Clearlake around 7:00am.

Congressman Mike Thompson made an appearance at the Moose Lodge in Clearlake Oaks. Thompson was the featured speaker at the October dinner for the Clearlake Oaks-Glenhaven Business Association at the Moose Lodge last night. He talked about items of interest for those in Lake County, for which he represents the entirety of since the 2020 US Census. Some of the items he covered included safe route for schools through a Community Development Block Grant Sidewalk Project, federal funding for infrastructure projects and money to move the Lake County Sheriff’s Office into the former National Guard Armory facility in Lakeport. He mentioned how excited he was too to be able to represent the entire county not, now just a chunk of it. Folks at the lodge got to question Thompson after his presentation.

A recommendation has been made by vaccination advisors for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for all kids to get a COVID-19 vaccine. But it’s so far not mandatory in Calif. The recommendation for children doesn’t mean a state needs to require it for attendance. If that happens the state Legislature or the state Department of Public Health would decide. That was attempted by the Governor and lawmakers, but it failed and it’s not expected to be picked up again unless there’s a huge surge in cases and deaths.

More than $300,000 is going to the City of Ukiah for broadband. The money to be used to dig groundwork for a new high-speed network. The $311,000 grant comes from the California Public Utilities Commission for the ‘City of Ukiah Digital Infrastructure Design and Implementation Plan’. The Community Development Department was at the city council meeting last week and informed it’s all just the first steps and once the design and engineering work is done, they hope for more grant money to finish the build out of the high-speed, broadband network. The work within city limits, including in unserved and underserved areas of the Public Utility Commission’s “California Interactive Broadband map.”

Nearly a half million dollars has been secured by the Lake County Winery Association to put Lake County wines on the map. The $440,476 grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) for the campaign “When You Think Wine, Think Lake County”. The initiative to attract younger consumers. Many Lake County vineyards supply grapes to Napa County. Lake County is thought of as an important wine grape growing region with family owned and operated wineries. The idea is to get younger generations looking for smaller production and boutique wineries, and authentic experiences to come to Lake County. For more info on the Lake County Winery Association promotions of the Lake County wine region,
visit http://www.lakecountywineries.org

News 10/27/2022

Free trees are being offered to PG&E customers as part of the company’s Energy-Saving Trees Program. The energy company is giving away 1,500 free trees for eligible customers across its service territory. Trees are being delivered for free compliments of the Arbor Day Foundation and PG&E. They will also explain where the best location would be on your property. You just have to plug your address into a space on a website to get your tree. PG&E’s offering its “Right Tree, Right Place” help so you don’t accidentally interfere with overhead or underground electric or gas lines. Those eligible are encouraged to sign up at http://www.arborday.org/pge. Customers can choose • Japanese Lilac • Kousa Dogwood • Little Leaf Linden • Service Berry

A massive fine is slapped on PG&E for a fire near Redding two years ago. The Zogg Fire broke out west of Redding and marched flames through over 56,000 acres. The company was already indicted on manslaughter charges for the fire which was blamed for 4 deaths. The fire was contained in less than a month, but state regulators say they’re fining PG&E $155.4 million dollars. The Public Utilities Commission blamed the company after a power line hit by a pine tree ignited the fire. The utility company has not had a break after it filed for bankruptcy for more fires it was deemed responsible for. The utilities commission says it’s reviewing the fine proposal.

After an armed robbery is reported in Ukiah, a group of men are arrested. Police say they got a call late last Sunday night to an armed robbery where three men and one woman were seen leaving the area. As we reported earlier this week, three Latino men and one Black woman were seen leaving the area in a red or maroon colored vehicle. A 42-year-old man from Ukiah says they were armed and swiped his phone by his house. He says the woman screamed that he crashed into her car, but he knew he did not. Then he says the three men jumped him, one had a gun. All four would-be criminals took off. Police put out an alert to find the car and a CHP officer stopped the car, finding a shotgun and the stolen cell phone inside. The four were arrested, the woman was actually an underage female from Clearlake, and the men were from Santa Rosa and Antioch. They’re charged with robbery, conspiracy, possessing a shotgun, accessory after the fact and giving a phony id to cops.

Part of the Weger Ranch up for grabs for the Save the Redwoods League. The nonprofit has announced it has an option to buy a conservation easement on part of the 3,862-acre Weger Ranch. It has a 1.25-mile border along the Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve. The conservation easement would mean the League would be able to buffer the old-growth redwoods at the same time expanding the redwood conservation there. It’s also part of the League’s Montgomery Woods Initiative which they announced in September. Then the League purchased the 453-acre Atkins Place property in partnership with California State Parks. This new purchase would also add an 80-acre section of Weger Ranch to be incorporated into the Reserve. Weger has a mix of coast redwood and Douglas-fir forest, and almost 400 old-growth trees on the property.

Two candidates who were running to be on the Fort Bragg City Council are out. Ricardo Garcia announced he and his family were intending to move from the area, so he wanted to be transparent about his plans. He says it was a difficult decision but had gotten a lot of support from the community. He wished all those still running the best of luck. This comes after Alberto Adalco said he would be withdrawing from the race a few weeks ago after he was caught on police bodycam footage trying to bully a cop, then urinating in public, which was also caught on camera. Not to confuse matters but another candidate who dropped her name off the ballot is now a write-in candidate for one of the four-year seats, Tess Albin-Smith. The election is two Tuesdays away.

Reports to police dispatch in Ukiah that a man was being beaten by another man with a crowbar. Police say they got a call to the intersection of Talmage Road and Airport Park Boulevard. Several people called dispatch to report the beating near the entrance to a Quick Stop gas station on the corner. They described the suspect as a Hispanic man with a long white beard and red shirt who had been riding a bike near the intersection. The victim left before police could question them.

Abortion is on the ballot for California voters. A hot topic nationwide after the Supreme Court tossed Roe vs. Wade this summer. An amendment to the state constitution to enshrine the state law as it stands now to permit abortion up to 24 weeks, or expand the timing to allow the procedure at any point in pregnancy, for any reason. Proposition 1 on the November Ballot. The constitutional amendment does not talk about viability as a limitation. But over the summer it came up in the debate for the proposition and at multiple committee hearings, where supporters weren’t sure what to do. Apparently, doctors were involved in drafting the amendment and they say they left the word viability out on purpose.

Another year of drought seems to be in the offing as forecasters say we can expect another La Nina weather pattern the rest of the year. Weather.gov says it could also get worse through the usual rainy season with nearly 100% of the state in moderate to severe drought. Lake Co News reports Lake County is in the severe drought category. And the City of Lakeport which relies on ground water wells in the Scotts Valley is asking folks to continue to conserve water when possible, even if it rains hard. Some of the things to consider skipping: hosing off sidewalks, driveways and other hardscapes, washing your cars, boats, RV’s, use recirculated water in a fountain or other decorative water feature, don’t water a lawn and allow water to runoff, turn off ornamental turf irrigation and use water-saving equipment in your home and outdoors.

The Lakeport City Council needs some candidates. After one member resigned to be on the Board of Supervisors, the city needs folks for two seats. First, in August, it was Mireya Turner who resigned because she was named as the new director of the Lake County Community Development Dept. Just this week councilmember Michael Green was sworn into the Board of Supervisors after being assigned by the Governor to fill Tina Scott’s seat after she resigned to take a teaching position. The council appointed George Spurr, a former councilman, to be the interim member for Turner’s seat, that term expires at the end of the year. The City Council will take up the matter at their next meeting. And the city will be accepting applications from Lakeport residents to serve the city. You must be 18 years of age to apply.

News 10/26/2022

A man from Potter Valley has died at the Ukiah Fairgrounds. Police say it was probably because the man had a medical condition. It happened Monday afternoon at Elliot’s Christmas Tree lot. Workers there found the man had died on the property’s west upper parking lot. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Dept. says detectives and CHP officers said they believed it was a “a natural related death”, but there will be a “standard coroner’s investigation” even though there were no obvious signs of foul play.

Microbusiness owners can still apply for a grant from the Microbusiness COVID-19 Relief Grant Program from the state. $2,500 grants are still being awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible businesses until the money is depleted. It’s compliments of the state in partnership with the Economic Development and Financing Corporation (EDFC) and is being funded by the California Office of the Small Business Advocate. To be eligible a business has to be open and operating, have a plan to stay that way, have been open and operating before December 31st of 2019, have less than 5 full-time equivalent employees and had <5 full-time equivalent employees in 2019 and 2020. And had less than $50,000 in business revenue in 2019. You also cannot have received a grant already.

Please contact EDFC at robert@edfc.org or by phone at (707) 234-5705 with any questions and support with the application process. Assistance is available in Spanish upon request.

A pretty strong earthquake has struck the Bay Area. The 5.1 magnitude earthquake yesterday just before noon near San Jose in Santa Clara County. The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) reported they were actively coordinating with local authorities to check for any possible damage or issues that came up after the earthquake and provide any assistance needed at state level. Apparently, as many as 100,000 individuals were alerted an earthquake was about to occur from the state’s earthquake early warning system. That notice varied from two seconds for those very near the epicenter to 18 seconds for those in San Francisco. It came just after the Great California ShakeOut Tour.

For more information on how to practice how to “Drop, Cover, and Hold On,” visit https://earthquake.ca.gov/.

The Mendocino County Planning Commission is planning to hear recommendations about rentals of single-family homes. The Planning and Building Services Director found that a county code related to Room and Board should apply to single-family housing rentals as transient habitation or accessory use as being customary, appropriate, incidental and subordinate to the principally permitted residential use of the property. The chair of the Planning Commission created an ad hoc commission last year on the matter of interpreting this county code. So next Thursday the commission will hear the recommendations from the committee. It might include adoption of a resolution to clarify the wording in the county code related to transient living in a single-family home.

A new partnership has been announced between Mendocino College and Arizona State University for seamless transfers. The new MyPath2ASU™ program would allow Mendocino students to plan ahead for their transfer to ASU. It includes tools for the transfer students from accredited, U.S. institutions after the student earns enough credits or gets an associate degree from a community college or university. The vice president of Student Services at Mendocino College says they’re proud to partner with ASU on ways “to increase transfer opportunities” which will open doors for students by giving them access to high-quality educational programs and the resources of a large university.

District 4 has a new supervisor in Lake County. The Governor appointed Michael Green to take over for Tina Scott last week. Green was sworn in yesterday morning by the county’s Registrar of Voters. It was added to the agenda, but Green will not be working on the Board until next year. He has to resign also from the Lakeport City Council. The Lakeport City Manager Kevin Ingram and Assistant City Manager/Finance Director Nick Walker were there for the swearing in. The latest interim Public Health Officer gave a COVID update to the board too. Dr. Karl Sporer says the pandemic is waning and we are fortunate, but there’s also concern about a wave this year. He also spoke about flu and COVID vaccines and the upcoming flu season, mixing with COVID which likes to peak in cold weather as more people gather indoors.

The Lake County Planning Commission is taking up work on county parks. When they reconvene this week the commission will have a public hearing on improvements to more than a dozen parks including in Clearlake Oaks, Kelseyville, Lower Lake, Lucerne, Middletown and Nice. The plan by Public Services is for multiple improvements to restrooms, planting trees, and installing shade structures, signs, drinking fountains, trash bins and benches.

The winners of the latest Mendocino Coast Healthcare Foundation Excellence in Nursing Award have been announced. The 2022 Charlene McAllister Excellence in Nursing Award goes to Emily Anthony, an ICU, Critical Care Nurse at Adventist Health Mendocino Coast; and Chama Rasheed, a Certified Nursing Assistant and Medical Records Manager at Sherwood Oaks Post Acute Care. The award recognizes and promotes exemplary dedication of nurses on the Mendocino Coast and for caregivers who work to positively impact patient outcomes and experience, serve as role models for their peers, and embody nursing ethics in their work. Six other nominees were also recognized.

That woman from Nevada supposedly seen lighting a fire in Lake County will finally have her day in court. 39-year-old Nickelina Rose Williams of Fallon, Nevada was arrested one year ago after a fire erupted along Highway 29 around the time she was seen nearby. A CHP officer who responded says he saw Williams walking along the highway on the southbound side near the fire’s ignition point. She told the officer she knew nothing about it, but witnesses placed her there with a lighter, which the officer found. She was found incompetent to stand trial, but her competency has been restored with medication and she’s due in court for her preliminary hearing Monday.

News 10/25/2022

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) continuing to be proactive against possible wildfires is conducting aerial patrols in Marin, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, and Humboldt counties. There are helicopter patrols scheduled as part of their Vegetation Management Program to locate any dead or dying trees. They started the patrols yesterday, checking electric transmission lines including in Clearlake, Lower Lake, Kelseyville, Middletown, Lucerne, Clearlake Oaks, Upper Lake, Lakeport, Cobb (Geysers), Hopland, Mendocino, Gualala, Fort Bragg, Philo, Ukiah, Elk and Point Arena. They could be flying out of Ukiah and flights may hover as low as 300 feet. They should be done with all of the work Friday, depending on the weather.

A strike by therapists at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California is over as the union members gave the thumbs up for a new contract. This puts an end to a 10-week strike, the longest by mental health workers in the nation’s history. Most union members voted to accept the new contract after two days of back and forth. The National Union of Healthcare Workers represents 2,000 non-psychiatrist therapists in Northern California for Kaiser. It’s a 4 year contract that will be retroactive to September 2021, expiring in September 2025.

A new report says most students in the state of California are behind in school. The national report shows less than half of students polled were proficient in reading and only a third were performing at grade level in math. These are the first statewide test scores since 2019 and could prove there’s been a learning loss due to the pandemic and at home school, instead of in-person, face to face learning. The state superintendent of public instruction says indeed, there’s a lot of work ahead, and that “gaps that we were working to close before the pandemic have persisted.”

Three people who’ve been accused of ripping off victims of the massive Tubbs fire in 2017 cannot plead no contest. The three family members, a husband, wife and their daughter, who were working as building contractors, are accused of cheating 16 survivors of the fire out of cash. At the family’s sentencing hearing yesterday, the judge tossed out the trio’s no contest plea, from back in April. And during a court recess, some of the family’s victims said they just wanted closure, but others said they hope the latest development means the defendants get a stiffer sentence.

Gas prices are still declining, thankfully. The average price for a gallon of regular dropped three-cents overnight to $5.80… still high, but still, it’s 32-cents less than last Tuesday and 19-cents less than a month ago. Marin County was at around five-68, Lake County at five-72, Mendocino County around five-83, and Napa County has five-89.

As we head into the colder months in California, health experts say we could see another surge in COVID. There are reports of various coronavirus subvariants slowly arriving in the state. In Los Angeles County and the San Francisco Bay Area, they are seeing a change. There had been a steady decline in new cases. Right now, one of the omicron subvariants, known as BA.5 is the dominant version across the country. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported over 60% of all new coronavirus cases were that strain.

Looking for a new furry companion? The Clearlake Animal Shelter is in need of not only people to adopt, but to foster too. Last week at the last City Council meeting there were shelter staff on hand who talked up the animals that can be made part of your family. They said, as of last Thursday, that there were 30 adoptable dogs and 70 were being held at the shelter. Apparently, there’s a crisis across the country with way too many animals available for adoption. Some shelters have even stopped accepting animals. They also say volunteers who can help exercise the dogs are also welcome.

The Great ShakeOut had millions of Californians registered. 9.8 million in all and thousands here on the North Coast. That included individuals, families, schools, businesses, and other organizations who pretended they were experiencing an earthquake and practiced what they would be doing, should a real earthquake occur. There was a 23% increase in the amount of registrants along the North Coast this year. If you are not signed up for the alerts, check out MyShake and if your county has their own alert system.

A candidate forum got a good turnout in Fort Bragg. The League of Women Voters held the forum October 14th ahead of the mid-term election next month. They also live-streamed the event on the Fort Bragg City Government video site. They had a total of eight candidates there, and another turned in written responses to the moderator. There are four city council seats currently open. Three are for four-year terms, and one is a two-year term. That seat has only one candidate, Lindy Peters.

News 10/24/2022

Another whale has washed up in Mendocino County. The dead humpback was the second in two months along the Mendocino Coast north of Fort Bragg and the fourth since spring. One found back in May was apparently a rare species, a beaked whale that was found close to Jug Handle State Reserve. And just a few months back, in July, a Sperm Whale washed up in a cove near Mendocino.

Prescribed burning is planned for the Old Briceland Ridge Project. The burn between Garberville and Briceland on about 16 acres should send smoke into the air today. It’s near some other burns that had been planned in the area near old fire lines. It’s to extend a shaded fuel break over the ridgeline. The work to thin the overgrown forest understory and burn downed and dead vegetation. There will be firefighters on scene and members of the local prescribed burn association all dependent of course, on weather conditions. This is a permitted burn even though CalFire has not yet lifted the fire season burn ban.

Fentanyl in pill and powder form has been found after a routine traffic stop in Fort Bragg. The driver identified as 21-year-old Jonathan Martinez was pulled over for using a cell phone when drugs and cash were found on him, leading to a search of his car and home. Police say they first saw about a pound of marijuana in the car, out in the open, then oxycodone pills and about $300 cash were found. The driver had also just been released from jail for selling weed. They got a search warrant for the man’s home and found more oxy, 13 grams of suspected powdered fentanyl, Xanax, digital scales, and over $12,000. He’s booked on sales/transportation of a controlled substance, sales/transportation of cannabis, violation of a court order, and operating a cell phone while driving.

Someone has called Deputies after being harassed by another person they had a restraining order against. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office reported getting a call to a home near Whitethorn about Wade Patrick Hayes. A court order says he’s not allowed to be near the person who called for help, nor was Hayes allowed to have guns or ammo, which he was found with. The reporting party says Hayes was at the bottom of their driveway threatening and yelling at them. Hayes was arrested for violating the court order and making criminal threats. His home was searched, and a loaded semi-automatic rifle was also found along with more ammo. He’s further charged with possessing the firearm and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm he was being held on $20,000.00 bail.

After an armed robbery was reported in Ukiah, police were searching for a maroon Chevy Corsica. Police say there were reports of an armed robbery in the 600 block of Talmage Road where several people were seen in the Corsica with a sawed-off shotgun. The person who called police say they swiped his cellphone. The car was seen later with three Hispanic men in face masks and one black female. The CHP caught up with the car and detained the four inside who were in possession of a shotgun.

Reports of a vegetation fire along the Mendocino Coast had firefighters on the scene. The report this weekend from the town of Mendocino where one structure was threatened. The spot fire was behind a home under a canopy and one fire engine responded and put it down.

A man from Santa Clara found living in Willits is in trouble for not registering as a sex offender upon his relocation. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office says Donald Wiltse may have failed to register since 2021. They arrested him and booked him on $15,000.00 bail.

The Governor has appointed a new Supervisor for District 4 in Lake County. After the last Supervisor left to take a job on as a teacher, Governor Newsom announced Michael Green would take the seat, but not until after the New Year. Tina Scott resigned in August and the Board was discussing for several weeks how to fill the seat. The county’s administrative officer thanked the Governor for taking time out to appoint Green, and says he’ll be sworn in tomorrow. Green has been a member of the Lakeport City Council since 2020 and has to resign that seat because he cannot serve in both capacities.

Jobless numbers are in, and the state reports a record low unemployment rate. In Lake County, the report is that the September’s unemployment rate was 4.2%, down 2/10ths from a month before. And over two points lower than 2021. In Mendocino County, the rate was even lower for September at 3.2%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was pretty close to that, at 3.5%, down from 3.7% in August and 4.7% in September of last year. Lake Co News reports the state of California also added jobs each month of the last year and has recovered 99.1% of the jobs that were lost during the lockdowns related to the coronavirus recession from February to April 2020. Neighboring counties were also fairly low, with Napa at 2.6%, Sonoma at 2.5% and Yolo at 3.1%.

Over one million dollars in improvements are coming to libraries in Lake County, thanks to state grant funding. The Governor announced more than a quarter billion dollars in grants to public libraries across the state in September. The money from $439 million set aside for the first round of the Building Forward Library Improvement Grant Program. Lake County got nearly $1,100,000 for its four libraries. That means the Lakeport Library will get over $633,000; the Middletown Library is getting over $193,500; Redbud Library is getting almost, $254,500; and the Upper Lake Library’s receiving $18,600.

The Mendocino County Registrar of Voters has officially announced what to do if you have not received a mail-in-ballot or lost yours. Registrar Katrina Bartolomie announced last week they’ve only had to reissue two ballots so far for the November General Election, and both were in the same neighborhood. On Thursday she released instructions for getting a replacement mail-in ballot for voters who believe theirs has been lost or stolen in the mail. Someone reported to Bartolomie that all neighbors on Road D had their ballots stolen. The Mendocino Voice reported there were also reports by the Registrar of the same thing for the primary in June. If you think your ballot may have been stolen or lost, you should call the Registrar so they can cancel that ballot and reissue a valid one.

Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire says the Skunk Train has been rejected a takeover bid for 13 miles of the Great Redwood Trail. The Senator reported last week the Federal Surface Transportation Board said no to Mendocino Railway’s attempt to interrupt miles of trails that will ultimately link the Bay Area to Humboldt County on the former rail line all along the North Coast. He says the win also means protections for 175 miles of rail line forever through the rail banking process; and that groundbreaking along the Great Redwood Trail can begin. There also happens to be a town hall with McGuire on the decision and the plans ahead, tonight at 6:30. RSVP on his website: https://sd02.senate.ca.gov/october-24-great-redwood-trail-master-plan-kick-town-hall

The CEO’s report in Mendocino County talks about the planned expansion of the Ukiah jail. CEO Darcie Antle says the jail expansion project is continuing through the end of the year, and that right now they’re working on parking and safety during continued construction. The report touches on the work being done on the West Campus Fiber optic build-out for the jail and General Services building, also until the end of the year. Antle also reports that as far as the Building Division, there are more permit reviews for smaller projects for field inspectors during office hours on all sorts of projects. The county also received money for more vehicle charging stations and new and replacement generators at certain facilities.

We may be about to deal with some Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) in Lake County. The forecast calls for possibly windy weather, especially to parts of Northern and Central California starting over the weekend into today. That mixed with the severe drought and dry vegetation is a lethal mix for possible wildfire ignition. PG&E sent two-day-ahead notifications to nearly 6,000 customers in 13 counties and two tribal communities just in case. They say they might have to de-energize powerlines, but that less than 100 people in the counties would be impacted. PG&E activated its Emergency Operations Center last week just in case. Customers were being notified the end of last week with either a text, email or robo-call.

http://www.pge.com/pspsupdates.

News 10/21/2022

There could be some power shut-offs next week starting on Sunday due to high winds. Pacific Gas and Electric says a public safety power shutoff, or PSPS, is likely on Sunday, October 23 and Monday October 24 with high winds and dry conditions forecast. Lake County News reports the counties under watch for Sunday are Lake, Butte, Colusa, Fresno, Glenn, Kern, Napa, Stanislaus, Tehama and Yolo. On Monday, counties under watch are Lake, Butte, Kern, Napa and Tehama. You can get the specific addresses for the shutoffs on PG&E’s Website PSPS page.

A case of alleged criminal misconduct against former Ukiah Police Chief Noble Waidelich is reportedly now with the state Attorney General’s Office. The Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office tells the Daily News they have forwarded the investigation done earlier this year by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office to the Attorney General. The Mendo DA has not released details as to what Waidelich is suspected of doing; he was placed on administrative leave in June just a few months after starting as Ukiah Chief. The Mendocino DA asked Sonoma to lead the investigation to avoid any potential conflict of interest.

Potential homebuyers in Clearlake could get help from the city if a new plan comes together. At their meeting this week the Clearlake City Council gave staff the green light to develop a proposal for a new homebuyer assistance program. Lake County News reports the goal is to keep workers from leaving the city for more affordable areas. The City Manager reported that the average home price in Clearlake is around $240,000 but new construction would cost around $420,000 for a 1,200 square foot home.

The Mendocino County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder says they’ve discovered an error in the party endorsement section of the Mendocino County Sample Ballot booklet for the 2022 General Election. They say the endorsement section for the California Democratic Party should include for US Senate (Full Term) Alex Padilla and for U S Senate (Partial Term) Alex Padilla. They say they apologize for any inconvenience.

Vote By Mail ballots have been mailed to all active registered voters in Mendocino County. The County Clerk-Recorder says they were sent on October 11 so if you haven’t received your ballot yet, call the County Of Mendocino Office of Assessor County Clerk Recorder for a replacement. And they confirm they have been hearing of election mail being stolen out of mail boxes so if you believe your ballot was stolen call them so they can immediately cancel the ballot and issue you a new one.

Ukiah musician and artist Spencer Brewer and his wife, artist Esther Siegel, have published a book on assemblage art. “Lost and Found – Assemblage Artists of Northern California” has 330 photos of the ‘visual jazz’ of repurposing everyday items into sculpture. You can order a copy online at http://www.lostandfound.art or find it at Mendocino Book Company, Edgewater Gallery, the Grace Hudson Museum and Partners Gallery. They will be doing a series of book signings as well next month.

A suspected arsonist has been nabbed in Red Bluff. On Wednesday CalFire Law Enforcement Officers arrested Shane Heard of Red Bluff and charged him with multiple counts of arson to forest land, use of an incendiary device, and enhancements due to the ongoing State of Emergency. Heard is being held on $6.6 million bail. Cal Fire is thanking the residents of the community for their vigilance and for providing information which helped to capture Heard.

The CalFire Tehama Glenn Unit and Corning Land and Cattle Company are planning a prescribed Vegetation Management Program burn next week. Weather permitting from October 28-30 they are planning to burn 1500 acres west of Rancho Tehama Reserve. Burning will begin at 10:00 am and finish at 5:00 pm each day. They say smoke may be visible in the Rancho Tehama, Paskenta and Flournoy areas and to also watch out for fire trucks staged in the area.

CalFire has added more than 1,200 acres to the Demonstration State Forest system. It includes 1,151 acres of Sierra Nevada forestlands in the American River headwaters in Placer County, the second of a three-phase project to create a permanently protected 2,600-acre Demonstration State Forest spanning the Upper American and Bear River watersheds. The property was formerly owned by Pacific Gas and Electric and has been transferred to CalFire through PG&E’s Land Conservation Commitment. CalFire will own and manage the property but the Placer Land Trust holds the conservation easement that prohibits development. The final phase will be to add 1,200 acres near the Bear River which they plan to acquire from PG&E early next year.

If you have a teen driver, the CHP says it’s gotten another grant from the Office of Traffic Safety to help promote safe driving behaviors for teens. The CHP says car crashes are the No. 1 killer of teens in America and it’s not just because of cell phones – it’s also eating, drinking, changing the music, or simply talking with friends in the car. The grant will allow for CHP officers to make appearances at schools and community events and to conduct distracted driving enforcement during National Teen Driver Safety Week in October and National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April.

News 10/20/2022

CalFire says so far, so good on the prescribed burn at the Parlin Fork Conservation Camp in Fort Bragg. If you’ve noticed the smoke around Mendocino and Lake Counties the prescribed burn started Monday with crews completing a 12-acre plot of the 200-acre total prescribed burn plan. Yesterday they did a 15-acre plot. They will continue the burn periodically, on days that weather conditions and air quality allow, through October 28 or until it’s all done.

Investigators say a Sonoma Valley man shot by Sonoma County sheriff’s deputies Saturday night in Sonoma was armed with a makeshift gun and he was firing at one of the deputies. The Press Democrat reports the man is in critical condition but is expected to survive and may face charges of attempted homicide of a police officer. Investigators characterized the gun as an “improvised firearm” and say it was made of pipe and black tape. The deputies were not hurt in the incident and both are currently on paid administrative leave.

Today is the Great California ShakeOut, a chance for you to practice what you would do when an earthquake hits. At approximately 10:20, MyShake App users will get a test notification encouraging you to practice “Drop, Cover and Hold On”, wherever you are, in the event of an earthquake. The test drill will have an audible tone along with verbal messaging that says, “This is a test of the earthquake warning system.” It’s not a County run exercise, it’s purely voluntary. You can find the app at https://myshake.berkeley.edu. It’s available in both the Apple App Store and on Google Play.

Ukiah’s Community Development Director has approved a permit for an indoor mini-golf course on South Orchard Avenue. Parking was the main concern for whether the business is appropriate for that spot next to CVS, but the Ukiah Daily Journal reports the Planning Manager cited the opinion of city planning staff that there is plenty of parking in the 440 space parking lot nearby and the mini-golf would likely have mostly opposite hours from businesses next door. The developer reportedly says they plan to promote it as a family-friendly, all-ages attraction.

Assemblymember Jim Wood of Healdsburg is touting the start of the first leg of a high speed internet installation called the Middle Mile that will allow internet service providers to provide connections to unserved or underserved Californians. The 10,000 mile network, made possible by $6.5 billion in funding from SB 156, will be the nation’s largest when fully constructed. Wood says with one-in-five Californians not having access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet, this is the biggest investment California has made yet to fix that.

A new study suggests the California wildfires of 2020 that destroyed more than 4 million acres of forest doubly erased 16 years of progress in tackling climate change in the state. The study done by researchers at UCLA and the University of Chicago called “Up in Smoke” claims the 2020 wildfires released around 140 million tons of carbon dioxide into the air. That’s around twice the 71 million tons the state managed to reduce in carbon emissions from 2003 to 2019.

Factory Pipe in Ukiah recently played host to more than 100 Mendocino County Shop and Welding students to give them an up-close look at a true state of the art manufacturing business. The Ukiah Daily Journal reports Factory Pipe held a “Manufacturing Day” for students from Ukiah High, Mendocino College, Clearlake High, Laytonville High, Willits High, Round Valley High, Sequoia Career Academy and South Valley High on October 13. The kids took a tour of the operation and got to watch Factory Pipe’s real-time production of exhaust systems for motorsports.

As you get ready to winter your garden, the Ukiah Branch Library will be hosting a workshop on “Fall Seed Cleaning”. It’s Saturday, November 5, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. You’ll learn how to clean, dry and store vegetable seeds from your garden including both wet-seeded and dry-seeded crops like tomatoes and beans. The Library says it will be a hands-on class where you’ll learn to clean, winnow and sift seeds and yes, if you have seeds ready to clean, you can bring. The workshop is free to the public, thanks to the Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library and the Mendocino County Library.

News 10/19/2022

Another call to expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. This week Congressman John Garamendi, Congressman Mike Thompson and other California senators and representatives sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to expand the National Monument to include Walker Ridge. Lake County News reports President Barack Obama designated the national monument in 2015 but officials say Walker Ridge is among sacred lands within and around Berryessa Snow Mountain that are central to indigenous origin stories.

The man police suspect to be a serial killer responsible for six murders in Stockton and Oakland has been formally charged with three of them. On Tuesday Stockton resident Wesley Brownlee was charged with the deaths of three men. Prosecutors have not yet said if or when they will charge him with the other three. Investigators say the five 2022 homicides in Stockton and one last year in Oakland followed the same factual patterns and the shots were from the same gun.

Mendocino College has a new transfer alliance with Arizona State University. Officials say the program called MyPath2ASU allows students to take the steps needed at the start of their Mendocino college experience to successfully plan a transfer to ASU. They say the program includes guaranteed general admission to ASU and admission into a MyPath2ASU major choice as long as all the requirements are satisfied. The program reportedly has more than 400 course-by-course guided pathways into degree programs.

If you are looking at doing some earthquake upgrades to your home, registration is open in Mendocino County for the “Earthquake Brace + Bolt Program”. Homeowners in Fort Bragg, Mendocino, Redwood Valley, Ukiah, and Willits are encouraged to take advantage of grant funding to offset the cost of seismic retrofitting of your primary residence. Eligible homeowners could get up to $3,000 to help offset the cost of seismic retrofits that brace the cripple walls of older homes and bolt houses to their foundations. Apply online through November 29 https://www.earthquakebracebolt.com.

The owners of a Calistoga landfill are selling it to Waste Connections. The North Bay Business Journal reports Upper Valley Disposal & Recycling is selling the embattled Clover Flat Resource Recovery Park which they’ve operated since 1963. COO Christy Pestoni reportedly made the decision following the death of company founder Bob Pestoni last year saying the acquisition was in the best interest for the family as well as the community. The Journal reports for the last several years Clover Flat has reportedly been the subject of complaints alleging stormwater issues, wildfire risks and pollution.

A Northern California health official is expressing concern that a new subvariant of COVID-19 could lead to a winter surge. The UC Berkeley infectious disease specialist tells the Press Democrat the BQ. 1 and BQ. 1.1 subvariants of the omicron subvariant BA.5 were barely detectable in September but appear to be growing quickly. He says it likely won’t be a severe surge because many people are either vaccinated or have antibodies but he’s concerned that people are not keeping up on boosters due to what some in health care are calling “vaccine fatigue”.

There’s a community rally set for Thursday at the Calfire office in Ft. Bragg to protest CalFire’s proposal for “co-management” of the Jackson Demonstration State Forest with Indigenous Tribes. Mendo Fever reports the rally is in response to a September 26 letter from CalFire to the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians Historic Preservation Officer offering co-management of just 75 acres of the nearly 50,000 acres of publicly owned forest and with reportedly no mention of protection for Sacred Sites. The rally will begin at Fort Bragg Town Hall Thursday at 1:30 and march to the CalFire office.

News 10/18/2022

Governor Newsom has announced that nearly 3 years after it being put in place, California will end the COVID-19 state of emergency in February. The announcement yesterday that in light of way less cases and a drastic decline in deaths, the state of emergency he announced after the COVID19 outbreak in 2020 will finally end. The February 28th date means healthcare systems will have time to acclimate to the continued fight on their own, and possible surges in cases over the holidays should be long gone by then. The Governor says the emergency declaration was an “effective and necessary tool” that was used as a protection. He also says the state wouldn’t have gotten to where it is now without the state of emergency.

Cal Fire is continuing to work with the Army Reserves, Soldiers and their families to get them meaningful jobs and educational opportunities. The idea is to use technology, management tools, social networking platforms and hiring events with military and veteran service organizations like Vet Jobs, Recruit Military, Returning Veterans: Enlisting Their Skills for CAL FIRE Service (R.V.E.T.S.), and others. The P3O program views Soldiers as assets with quantifiable value and the program touts having transformed how both the Army Reserve and corporate America attract, develop, and retain talent.

Intro: This year’s open enrollment period for health insurance is right around the corner. But some employer-based health plans start their open enrollment even sooner than the November 1st date. People looking for insurance on the individual market can go to the ‘Covered California’ website, ‘CoveredCA.com.’ James Scullary, a spokesperson for the state’s health insurance marketplace, says people might be surprised by the choices they find.

 :17  "Many consumers are finding out that if they weren't eligible before, now they are – or if they got a small subsidy a few years ago, that's increased – so coverage may be more affordable than they thought. So really, regardless of your income, check out your options and see whether or not you can lower your monthly premiums."

Tag: The projected range in Calif. for premiums this year was was 581-dollars a month – a one-point-eight percent increase over 2021. But the majority of those getting their insurance through the marketplace in Calif also get subsidies to bring down their monthly bill. The subsidies began with the American Rescue Plan – and the new Inflation Reduction Act has extended them for another three years.

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Second Cut: Dr. Rhonda Randall, chief medical officer at UnitedHealthCare, encourages people to consider their families’ unique needs when choosing a plan.

 :13  "Some things to consider are prescription drug benefits, mental health coverage, specialty benefits – things like dental, vision, hearing, critical illness insurance – and wellness programs."

Tag: This year, 13 insurers are participating in the Covered California exchange. That means people in all counties will have a choice of at least two plans, and 81-percent can choose from four or more plans.

A presentation is being made to the Lake County Board of Supervisors for a new countywide parks master plan. The Board is also looking at whether or not to hire outside legal counsel to respond to Pacific Gas and Electric’s wildfire mitigation activities in Lake County. Lake Co News reports the board will hear from BluePoint Planning first thing about their preparation for a countywide parks, recreation and trails master plan. The board already awarded the contract to the company. Then into the meeting, right before lunch the board will have a public hearing to look over the ordinance rescinding certain sections of the Lake County Zoning Ordinance relating to early activation. And towards the end of lunch a discussing regarding outside legal services regarding PG&E.

After the lockdowns many restaurants started to open up dining outdoors, and even on the street. Now the Lakeport City Council is considering outdoor dining design guidelines. They’ll also be going over amendments to the 2022-23 fiscal year budget. The meeting tonight will be open to the public, but masks are being encouraged along with social distancing. They’re also streaming on Zoom. The council is considering a contract with a company for the Lakeport Blvd at Bevins Street Project study report and a mutual aid agreement for emergency help along with the cities of Lakeport, Clearlake, Ukiah, Fort Bragg, Willits and Point Arena. There are several ordinances to consider on the agenda including some parade permits, development deals and professional service agreements.

Caltrans reports PG&E is going to start undergrounding utility lines on Highway 299. The work to be done to prevent catastrophic wildfires east of Willow Creek between Cedar Flat and Del Loma. Caltrans says PG&E undergrounding began this year in several regions. In Humboldt County they’re also along State Routes 70 and 89, so you should plan for delays when driving along any of the highways.

Governor Gavin Newsom said no again to allowing parole for Charles Manson follower Patricia Krenwinkel. It’s been over fifty years since she apparently wrote “Helter Skelter” in the blood of one of their victims on a wall. The Governor says the 74-year-old is still too much of a public safety risk to be allowed to go free. Newsom says “Krenwinkel fully accepted Mr. Manson’s racist, apocalyptical ideologies,” and that not only was she a victim herself of Manson’s abuse, but a main contributor to the violence and tragedy that became the Manson Family’s legacy. A two-member parole panel recommended she be freed last May. She was denied before this 14 times.

Some organizations that cater to kids in Ukiah, Hopland and Redwood Valley are trying to find volunteers to help with field trips and nature walks for environmental education. The UC Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC), Redwood Valley Outdoor Education Project (RVOEP) and UC 4-H Youth Development Program are sharing volunteer recruitment duties, all looking for people to work with youngsters. The volunteer work is suited to folks who don’t work during the week and a lot of the volunteering for the organizations is during the work week, but there are some spots on the weekends and at night. They’re hosting a volunteer event one week from tomorrow, October 26th from 10am – 1pm at Shippey Hall, Hopland Research and Extension Center in Hopland. Free lunch is being offered.

Participants are requested to register online for the event at https://bit.ly/volunteerhrec.

For further information, email hbird@ucanr.edu or call Hannah at (707) 744-1424, ext. 105.

The North Shore restoration project gets a green light in Lake County. Mendo Fever reports the acting forest supervisor has signed the decision for the project they say will improve community wildfire safety. It will cut back fuels in the wildland urban interface at the same time, restoring and reforesting charred areas after the 2018 Ranch Fire. The area covered is about 11 miles outside of Upper Lake by some neighborhoods on the north and northeast shores of Clear Lake. There were apparently a bunch of dead trees when the Ranch Fire broke out. The supervisor says it’s probably the largest project decision in the area. They will not only do prescribed burning, but also pile burning, hand thinning and mechanical treatment on some sloped areas.

Congressman John Garamendi working with his associate, US Senator Alex Padilla sending a letter to President Biden regarding an area of Lake Berryessa to expand the current National Monument to include Walker Ridge. The congressional members along with others are asking Biden to use his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906 for an expansion of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. The letter requests the Interior Secretary also order the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to rename “Walker Ridge” to “Condor Ridge” and “Molok Luyuk” in the Patwin language. The monument stretches from Napa County in the south to Mendocino County in the north.

California will be the first in the nation to mandate insurance premium discounts for home and business owners which have been made firesafe. The new rules say insurers have to reward customers who take wildfire safety precautions under the state’s Safer From Wildfires framework. The state Department of Insurance made the announcement Monday which included a checklist of the expert-recommended work for homes and businesses for wildfire protection. It comes as business and homeowners got seriously dinged with higher premiums over the last several years. Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara reported less than half of the insurance companies in California provide such discounts.