29 February, 2024 13:51

Mendocino County is urging residents to prepare now for a major storm headed our way tomorrow that could last into early next week. The storm could bring as much as a foot of snow to higher elevations in the Laytonville and Leggett areas, lesser amounts will fall over lower elevations, with rain and possibly hail along the coast near Fort Bragg and Point Arensa Parts of Lake County could also see significant snowfall. PG&E says it is ready for the storm with crews standing by to roll out to any power failures once it is safe to do so. The advice from Mendocino County is to stock up with the necessities like food, medicine, pet food, and anything else you might need for a couple of days inside. They’re advising against any early weekend travel and if you do drive out, be prepared for the conditions and give work crews plenty of space on the highways.

A woman from Laytonville has been convicted of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. The Mendocino County DA’s office says 71-year-old Jane Barisione was driving an unregistered vehicle with bald tires, going too fast on a rainy night last March 22nd when she crossed lanes on the Ridgewood Grade near Howard Station. She collided with an oncoming vehicle, killing the other driver and badly injuring a rear-seat passenger. DA David Eyster prosecuted the case. He says the testimony of two good samaritans who saw the crash was the key to Barisone’s conviction in the two-day trial in Superior Court.

The primary election is next Tuesday and the Mendocino Board of Elections says tomorrow is the last day it will mail out ballots. If you have lost yours, you should get in touch with the office. Mail ballots have to be in the elections office by March 12th. You can also drop them off there or at any of the polling places by 8 pm Election Day. You can find out all the rules to follow with your ballot and where to vote through a link on the county website.

Fort Bragg Police say a tip led them to a minor who is charged with several firearms offenses. Offices arrested the underage suspect after reports of an altercation involving a gun Tuesday evening near Fort Bragg High School. A search of the teenager’s home turned up an improvised 9-millimeter gun and ammo. The investigation into the case continues.
The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors has decided to put the Veterans Services Office back in its house on Observatory Avenue in Ukiah. The Office was moved in December when the office of Air Quality Management moved in. Veterans groups were upset with the move and now the council has reversed course and put the office back where it was. Supervisors hope to give a timeline for the move at their next meeting in March.

News for 2/29/24

The state’s water supply is looking good after back-to-back storms.  California’s third snow survey of the season will happen today.  It’s expected to show the snowpack is around 80% of average for the date, a big jump from last month’s 52%.  As of yesterday, rainfall stood at 103% of average, up from 82%.  Experts believe this is a big enough improvement to avoid major water shortages this year.  They say this new storm hitting the Sierra will help put the wet season on track to be close to normal.

California drivers are celebrating this Leap Day by saving money at the pump.  Circle-K is offering 40 cents off a gallon between four and 7 p.m. and half off car washes all day.  More than 200 gas stations are taking part in what’s being called Fuel Day Pop-up.  A leap year adds February 29th to the calendar.  It won’t happen again until 2028.

California lawmakers are pushing a series of bills they say would help the state tackle the rapid rise in retail theft.  Together, they make up the bipartisan California Problem Solvers Caucus.  One bill would allow for the prosecution of repeat theft-related offenses, while another establishes a new felony offense for those who pressure youth into committing theft.  Another bill would expand organized retail theft to include “cargo theft” in order to protect rail lines, shipping lanes and delivery trucks.  Other legislation would remove the sunset date for the definition of organized retail theft and would give one county superior court the authority to charge theft even if the crimes happened in multiple counties.

CAL Fire is looking for applicants to serve on the Jackson Recreation User Group Task Force. The Task Force helps develop policy recommendations and has other responsibilities related to recreation on Jackson Demonstration State Forest. They are looking for people who are experienced hikers, campers, equestrians, bicyclists, and more. Submit a letter of interest and your resume before March 28^th. Applications should be sent to:  Jackson Demonstration State Forest Department of Forestry and Fire Protection 802 North Main Street Fort Bragg, CA 95437 (707) 964-5674 JDSF@fire.ca.gov

A two-day coordinated effort between several Mendocino county law enforcement agencies saw several people arrested. Charges range from harboring a felon to perjury, and DUI to domestic violence. Agencies involved included the Ukiah PD, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, CHP, and the Fort Bragg Police department. Everyone who was picked up during the operation is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Officials involved said they hope the effort produces a safer environment for all Mendocino County residents.

Winter weather is headed for Mendocino County this weekend and into next week. Forecasts indicate major impacts due to snow, high winds, and hail. By Friday evening travel will become difficult to impossible on the higher passes. Some high elevation areas are expected to get over a foot of snow. Road closures, power outages, downed trees and hazardous conditions are expected. All county residents are reminded to make sure you have adequate supplies of food, fuel, medicines, backup power, pet foods and other essential items on hand. Conditions could make it difficult or impossible for emergency responders to reach residents in rural areas. Officials ask you not to direct frustrations towards the first responders, road crews and utility line crews in the field as they work through challenging conditions. Stay off roadways unless travel is necessary. Remember to pull over and allow safe passing for roadcrews and first responders.

PM Update

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The Lake County Board of Supervisors is making its feelings on ATT’s plans to end landline service clear. The board has written a letter to the California PUC opposing the idea. The board letter says the proposal is dangerous because it leaves the county vulnerable, especially during wildfires and other natural disasters, when cell service may be unreliable. The board is also worried that some people, especially older people or people with disabilities might have trouble using any alternative to a landline. The board approved the letter 5 to 0 at a meeting this week. Now, the PUC will weigh comments–including from members of the public–before deciding on phasing out its landline services.

The Clearlake City Council has a special meeting this week to discuss applying for two state grants. One would fund 1.5 million dollars for code enforcement services, while the other would spend $400,000 for water infrastructure planning. The meeting is at 3:30 tomorrow in the council chambers in Clearlake. You can access it online–and see the agenda–on the city website.

It’s hard to imagine 12 feet of snow. You could DROP a basketball two feet into a regulation-height hoop. Six feet OVER your head if you’re six feet tall. That’s what they’re talking about for some high Sierra mountain elevations between now and the weekend. Oh, and winds of 100 miles an hour too. Needless to say, travel will be impossible then to places like Lake Tahoe, and north to Truckee. Forecasters say this could add up to the biggest storm in the Sierra Nevada region since they began keeping records 1880s

The state has hit a recycling company for fraud. Cal Recycles says it has fined a company called Recycling Services Alliance more than 140 million dollars for illegally filing claims for CRV on bottles and cans with thousands of faked weight tickets. Officials say that a hefty penalty sends a message that anybody who tries to defraud the recycling program is taking a big risk. The CRV was expanded at the first of the year to include Large fruit and vegetable bottles and cans, and on boxes of wine. Cal Recycles says there has been a recent drop in the number of people returning their containers to get their deposits back. The money you paid but don’t redeem goes back to the state to administer the CRV program

News for 2/28/24

Two California lawmakers are working to make Standard Time the only time.  They’re calling it “Ditch the Switch.” State Senator Roger Niello and Assembly member Tri Ta have introduced identical bills which would move the state to Standard Time permanently.  Scientific studies have shown that changing the clocks can increase adverse health effects, including heart attack and stroke.  Previous bills attempted to enact permanent Daylight Savings Time, which is not permitted under federal law and would not take effect until U.S. Congress acts.

In a press release, The Lake County Registrar of Voters announced they will conduct a manual tally of a minimum of 1 percent of randomly selected precincts following the March 5th presidential primary. The tally will happen on Tuesday March 12th at 9am at the Registrar of Voters office on North Forbes Street in Lakeport.  The selection of precincts for the manual tally will be chosen at random. Observers are invited to view the manual tally of the ballots but cannot interfere with the process. To get more information, contact the Lake County Registrar of Voters office.

March is Women’s History Month and the national Women’s History Project will celebrate with the 40^th Annual Women’s History Gala Celebration on Sunday. Willits News reports the gala will highlight the work of 4 local woman who are being acknowledged for how they advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion. The gala will also feature live entertainment from several groups and poetry presenters. Betty Yee, former California State Controller, will be the keynote speaker. The Gala opens at noon on Sunday at the SPACE Theater on Perkins Street in Ukiah. Admission is a suggested donation of 10 dollars.

Aspiring local artists are invited to the Grace Hudson Museum for an Art In Motion Community Open Mic. It’s happening this Friday, March 1^st from 5 to 7:30pm. Bring a song, a poem, a short story, or a painting to fill the gallery. Sign up for a 10 minute slot to showcase your talents. The family friendly event is open to all ages. The Grace Hudson Museum  is on South Main Street in Ukiah. Call the museum or get more info at GraceHudsonMuseum.org

A Fort Bragg man has been found guilty of sexually abusing a 6 year old. Robert Hrbac was found guilty of Continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 years, among other charges last Friday in Mendocino County Superior Court. Hrbac’s co-defendant and wife Yani Beaty pleaded no contest to several felony charges of her own, including accessory after the fact. Hrbac is scheduled to be sentenced on April 4^th in Ukiah.  

The 2024 Congressional Art Competition is open now for digital submissions from Mendocino County high school students. Students in California’s 2^nd Congressional District can show off their artistic abilities which could lead to their artwork being put on display at the US Capitol Building in DC for a year. The winning student also gets a pair of round trip tickets to DC and will be eligible for a scholarship to the Savannah College of Art and Design. The Congressional Art Competition started in 1982, since then over 650 thousand high school students all over the country have competed. Submissions have to be in by April 18^th, and they’re only accepting them online. Here’s the Link.  

California has seized over 62 thousand pounds of fentanyl. That’s according to a report from the California National Guard outlining its counter drug operations from 2023. Governor Newsom made the announcement on Tuesday, saying since 2021 fentanyl seizures by CalGuard have increased over one thousand percent. Lake County News reports in order to crack down on the number of illegal drugs coming into the state, the Governor upped the number of CalGuard members deployed to ports of entry along the border by about 50%. The amount of fentanyl taken off the streets just last year in California was enough to potentially kill the global population. The DEA says a lethal dose is only 2 milligrams.  

PM Update

No injuries in a fire that destroyed a mobile home in Lucerne. Firefighters were called to the scene on 13th Avenue at Highway 20 just before noon Monday. It took a half hour or so to put it out, plus most of the afternoon for mop-up. The trailer was vacant, but firefighters say transients may have been staying there.

There is a BIG blizzard on the way in the mountains. Forecasters predict the storm will bring FEET of snow in some places starting Thursday and lasting into the weekend. Some Sierra peaks will see wind of up to 120 miles an hour. Our forecast is damp but much more tame.

Albertsons —the conglomerate that owns your local Safeway and Raley’s – won’t be merging with another big name in groceries anytime soon. The Federal Trade Commission says Albertson’s merger with Kroger would be bad for consumers and choke competition. The deal would be worth 26 Billion and create a mega-owner of dozens of market brands in California and across the US. Other retail news today about a big name–Macy’s says it is slimming way down. They’ll close 150 stores in the next couple of years. The Thanksgiving Parade is probably safe.

The state had hoped for a big payoff last week when they auctioned off items seized from 10 cannabis licensees who were behind a total of 14 million dollars in taxes. They didn’t cover the bill. At all. Even though the seized items included dozens of bongs, along with the usual government auction stuff like office supplies, the State only made a profit of less than $3,000 worth of goods.

News for 2/27/24

A man police say could be armed and dangerous is still on the loose more than a week after a shooting in Santa Rosa. Police are looking for 21-year-old Ukiah resident Nathan Little Bear Hoaglin, who is accused of shooting a man in the shoulder on February 18th. Police say, before the shooting, there was an argument between two groups. There is a warrant out for Hoaglin’s arrest for suspected attempted homicide. A $2,500 reward is being offered for information leading to his arrest.

Sonoma County is under a frost advisory until 9 this morning. The advisory kicked in at two a.m., with forecasters calling for overnight temperatures to fall to about 36 degrees. That’s about ten degrees colder than it was overnight Sunday into Monday. Forecasters are advising residents to take action to protect their pets, plants, and pipes from freezing.

California is bracing for what could be a low voter turnout.  Experts say it’s possible to fall under 30 percent for next week’s presidential primary.  As of Saturday, only seven percent of 22 million ballots have been returned.  Compare that to 2022, when 250 thousand had been received by now.  Of course, there’s still time for ballots to be mailed back or dropped off before next Tuesday.  Early voting is underway in Mendocino and Lake Counties.

More people are stepping up to serve the state. The California Highway Patrol is seeing a surge in job applications, up 94 percent last month compared to two years ago.  That’s the highest monthly number in seven years.  Governor Newsom says the CHP isn’t just one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the nation, it’s also the best.  The CHP is conducting an online hiring seminar tonight at 6:30 to discuss pay, benefits and what to expect during training. Here’s the link to the seminar: https://www.chp.ca.gov/chp-careers/officer/seminars-events#northernDiv

A San Diego federal judge has ruled it is ok to buy weapons like Billy clubs. The weapon along with batons and similar blunt objects have been outlawed in California for more than 100 years.  U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez says the prohibition unconstitutionally infringes the second amendment rights of American citizens and banned the state from enforcing the law.  California Attorney General Rob Bonta says he is concerned about the safety of communities.  Bonta says the judge’s decision defies logic and he’s appealing.

The Lake County Environmental Health Department is stepping up to help restaurants meet state requirements. If your restaurant or food facility needs a certified kitchen manager, they’re offering a special class and exam session next month. On Tuesday, March 12^th the class will be held in Lakeport. Participation will ensure compliance and also help your restaurant serve the community safely. Secure a spot for the food safety exam by calling Lake County Environmental Health.

The 2024 – 2025 Mendocino County Civil Grand Jury is now taking applications. If you’d like to sit on the grand jury, you have until March 31^st to apply. The 19 member grand jury serves for a term of one year and there are options to participate remotely. Grand Jury members will be paid $25 for full panel meetings and $10 for each committee meeting. Requirements for Civil Grand Jury Members and more information can be found at CA.gov. You can also get more info and pick up an application at the Superior Court on North State Street in Ukiah.

26 February, 2024 13:57

Three Mendocino County water districts are joining together into a new authority they say will improve water service in the region. The new Ukiah Valley Water Authority comes after an agreement between the Millview County Water District, Redwood Valley County Water District, and the City of Ukiah City Council member Douglas Crane calls it a historic turning point to coordinate water services. He says the UVWA will be able to apply for up to 50 million dollars for water infrastructure–things like pipelines, tanks, and wells. Staff for the authority will work for the city of Ukiah, and eventually, bills for all districts will come from the city.

A full agenda this week for the Lake County Board of Supervisors. It includes a discussion of plans to buy land for a new county park in Cobb. The county would spend $300,00 for the property on Highway 175. A public hearing will be part of the board’s meeting Tuesday. Also on the table is a letter to the Public Utilities Commission opposing ATT’s plan to discontinue landline services. Commissioners will also meet privately to talk about personnel and legal matters. The meeting starts at 9 AM at the courthouse. You can also take part by Zoom with a link you can find on the county website.

Another campaign to recall Governor Gavin Newsom. A group called Rescue California announced that initiative today. They have taken the first steps in what would be a long and expensive process. You’ll remember the governor survived the first recall vote against him in 2022. Organizers cite the state’s budget deficit, public safety, and immigration as the reasons for their efforts. They’ll have to get almost 1.4 million signatures by May to make the November ballot. The governor dismisses the effort. He calls it a waste of time and money.

Winter is far from over, up in the Mountains. A new storm could bring 10 feet of snow to ski areas near Tahoe and over Donner Pass. Nothing but clouds and showers for us through the week

News for 2/26/24

The investigation into a fire that destroyed a house in Mendocino County has turned into a murder case. On Friday, the remains of Linda Mercurio who lived at the home were found in the rubble after the fire, which happened last Tuesday morning in Little River. Crews responding to the fire say they saw the woman’s son come out of the nearby woods in an “altered state.” Police later searched those woods and found Fletcher Pinkham’s guns, ammunition, clothes, and vehicle, before arresting him. Investigators say evidence shows Pinkham may have shot his mother to death then set the fire to destroy evidence. Pinkham, who has been charged with murder, is due in court this morning. It’s not Pinkham’s first brush with the law, he was accused of stabbing a 17 year old back in 2005 during a botched drug deal.

A man suspected of robbing several businesses in Lake and Mendocino County has been arrested. Tyron Brennen was taken into custody on Friday in Lakeport. Police have connected Brennen to a string of commercial burglaries dating back to November of 2023. Investigators said Brennen targeted gas stations and mini marts and broke into safes and ATMs at several locations in both counties. He allegedly used a power saw to cut through exterior walls to get inside the businesses. He was tracked and eventually caught thanks to video surveillance footage. Burglary tools and a collapsible ladder were found during a search of Brennen’s vehicle.

Police are identifying a woman that was killed last week when she tried to cross a road in Lake County. April Magri was walking from the south to the north side of State Route 20 last Wednesday evening while it was raining. She was hit by an oncoming car. Medics were unable to revive Magri, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 12 year old Willits girl who went missing on Friday has been found. Payton Maxfield went to a neighbor’s house on Friday evening and asked for a ride to her dad’s because he forgot to pick her up from school, according to Maxfield’s aunt Danielle Mercado. According to Mercado, the neighbor dropped Maxfield off at the home of a family member that did not have visitation rights to the child. The girl’s father went to the home with police, but did not find anyone inside. According to an update around 10pm, Payton was reportedly found safe and was under the care of Child Protective Services.

Mendocino County residents should be on the lookout for some road work this week on Route 1. On Wednesday crews will be doing some electrical work just south of Gallaway at Signal Port Creek Road. Traffic will be down to one lane from 9am to 2pm, you can expect delays through the work zone. Emergency work also continues on Route 1 at Frog Pond Road this week. It’s down to one lane from 8am to 6:30pm daily.   

The 40^th annual Clearlake Oaks Catfish Derby is coming up. It’s a one of a kind event that attracts about a thousand anglers and their families to the area. The Derby will be held at the Clearlake Oaks fire Station from May 17^th to the 19^th. There will be 10 thousand dollars in prizes up for grabs. On site registration will start at noon on May 16^th, but advanced registration is already open online.

One of California’s most polluted properties will finally get cleaned up soon. The EPA has stepped in to start the $94 million project that aims to reduce the toxic threat at a site along the shore of Clear Lake. The Sulfur Bank Mine was a mercury mine that operated from the 1860s until the late 1950s. Gold miners used its  mercury to separate gold from ore during the gold rush. Today the site of the mine is listed as an EPA Superfund Site. Its 160 acres are contaminated by arsenic, mercury, and other toxins. In November, the EPA approved the cleanup project, partly funded by the bipartisan infrastructure law. Work is scheduled to start in 2025 and officials said they hope the project is finished by 2029.

There will be a community wide gathering on March 30^th to honor late Mendocino county Superior Court Judge David Nelson. Nelson passed away on February 17^th at the age of 77. He was a Minnesota native who moved to Mendocino County in 1974 after getting his law degree.  The community gathering will be held from 2 to 4pm on March 30^th at SPACE on West Perkins Street in Ukiah.

The Grindstone Ranger District and Stonyford OHV trails lifted their wet weather trail closures on Friday. Officials said they worked on maintenance on several of the trails last week while the weather dried out. The Forest Order for the Upper Lake Ranger District is still in effect. Deer Valley Campground and OHV trails are still closed due to storm damage. Officials hope to provide an update on conditions soon. Trail users can check the Forest Service website for the latest updates.

PM Update

An 11-mile stretch of Highway 128 along the Mendocino County Coast is closed after a rockslide. CHP and Caltrans say the slide forced the closure both ways between Highway 1 and Flynn Creek Road near Navarro Beach. There is no ETA for reopening. You can get the latest information on CalTran’s QuickMap page.

An improving picture of respiratory viruses and Covid. The state says hospitalizations for RSV are trailing off, as they usually do in late February and early March. Also, after a spike just after Christmas, Covid positive rates have dropped to 7.1 percent. Flu levels have seen a corresponding dip. Health experts say if the trends continue, we could be near the end of Flus and RSV season until fall. While Covid numbers are also down, experts say we could still see peaks and valleys into the spring and summer.

Kudos to a student from Middletown High School for her poetry reading skills. Lily Morita was the winner in a recent “Poetry Out Loud” competition in Lake County. Four students from Lake County Schools took part in the contest sponsored by the Lake County Arts Council and the California Arts Council. Lilly’s winning recitations of two memorized poems mean a trip to the state final Poetry Out Loud Competition in Sacramento and possibly beyond

The “No Pets” clause in many apartment leases could go away under a bill proposed in the assembly. Assemblymember Dave Haney’s bill would prohibit landlords from barring pets from rentals. Haney says 70 percent of Californians have pets and 70 percent of landlords won’t allow them. He says that imbalance is making the state’s housing crisis worse by limiting rental choices for millions of pet owners. His bill would also eliminate monthly fees in places that do allow pets and limit the amount landlords can ask you to put down for a pet deposit. Property owners oppose the idea. They say pets can cause significant damage, meaning higher rent for everybody to cover damage expenses

The recent storms have made for an unusual sight in one of the driest and hottest places in the world. Part of the salt flats of Death Valley has been turned into a six-mile-long, three-mile-wide lake. It isn’t very deep–just a foot or so, and very salty, but visitors have taken advantage of the water, venturing out in kayaks. The lake won’t last. It will dry up as the temperature rises

News for 2/23/24

The Jackson Demonstration State Forest Advisory Group will be meeting on March 7th. The meeting will be held at the Fort Bragg Lions Club on East Redwood Avenue. The meeting is scheduled from 9:00 a.m.  to 4:30 p.m. and will include a field tour. The agenda includes a review of projects for 2024. The Mission of the Group is to provide advice and recommendations to CAL FIRE and the Board of Forestry. The meeting is open to the public. For more information, visit Fire.ca.gov

Edith Ceccarelli, who was the oldest living person in America and the second oldest living person in the world, has died. Ceccarelli died Thursday afternoon in Willits, at the care home where she had lived for the past nine years. Ceccarelli, who went by Edie, celebrated her 116th birthday on February 5th. She was also the longest living Californian on record. Loved ones say she died in her sleep.  

California is taking more sexual predators off the streets.  The CHP joined several agencies in a four day human trafficking operation last week.  Agents and officers went undercover to arrest 12 suspects.  They’ve all been charged with using the internet to look for potential victims.  Attorney General Rob Bonta says the exploitation of children isn’t something his office will tolerate.  He points out an estimated 500-thousand online predators are active every day, calling it a “stark reminder” of all the work that still needs to be done.

The homelessness crisis in California is taking center stage in D.C.  Governor Newsom will meet with White House officials again today.  He’s discussing the state’s key priorities which include more resources to support people with behavioral health needs and those living on the streets.  He spent his first day in the nation’s capital insisting that FEMA keep its promise to reimburse local governments for sheltering homeless during the pandemic.

Some Northern California Girl Scouts are riding high after an out of this world moment.  They used a ham radio to make live contact with the International Space Station yesterday.  The troop came up with the idea on their own and spent months preparing.  They had ten minutes to ask an astronaut questions, ranging from experiments she’s working on to how she spends her free time.  After it was over, the girls received special merit badges.

As we head into the weekend, the national average price of gas is up slightly to $3.27 a gallon. In California, the average cost this week was around $4.63. The price to fill up in Ukiah is averaging about $4.50 a gallon.