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.
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