News 5/17/19

California Highway Patrol Ukiah will have additional officers out in force later this month, looking to cut down on motorcycle accidents. Officers will be watching for unsafe lane changes, drivers following too closely, improper turns and other violations likely to cause a crash. The initiative begins on May 25th and will conclude on September 30th. The Ukiah Area CHP is funding the effort with a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration called "Get Educated and ride Safe."

Diseases that kill the vines that grow the wine-grape are a threat to one of the biggest economic engines in the state. While the wine industry employees Californians, It also encourages tourism and preserves about 600,000 acres of California farmlands. Now a hand from Senator McGuire, who has introduced SB 449, extending the Pierce’s Disease Control Program, The Pierce’s Disease and Glass-Winged Sharpshooter board from 2021 to 2026. The California Association of Wine-grape Growers Family Winemakers of California and The Wine Institute endorse the bill, which is now on its way to the State Assembly for approval.

Staffing issues were blamed for the need to close the Mendocino County Museum in Willits on Sundays, a decision that was not well received by the community. Now, after debate and pushback, a new plan to reduce hours of operation on Saturday and Sunday has been presented. It was heard by the board during a meeting on the 13th. Another idea to help with the staff crunch is to increase the volunteer base. For now, the museum will operate from 10 am to 4:30 pm Wednesday through Sunday, but could soon change hours to Wednesday through Friday, 10 am to 4:30 pm and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 pm.

Filmmakers are coming to the area soon. The Mendocino Film Festival is May 31st through June 2. The roster of filmmakers attending will be released in the coming weeks. The festival draws more and more filmmakers and movie buffs from around the world every year while keeping a commitment to the local community. Films, panels, and special events offered at the festival are a great opportunity to meet filmmakers and movie buffs in Seaside Mendocino. Netherlands-born film director Harald Zwart, Emmy-winning editor Kim Roberts, Veteran film and TV actor Julie Carmen are just some of the famous names that will be participating. More info can be found at www.mendocinofilmfestival.org. Ticket sales have opened and are going quickly.

The loss of the Kelp Forest will have devastating effects on the environment, economics, and lifestyles. If you aren’t familiar with the crisis, you are not alone- the NOYO Center For Marine Science is planning a science talk to educate the public about the issue, and the "Help the Kelp collaborative". The Science Talk is scheduled for May 22nd, 6:30 pm to 8:15 pm in Fort Bragg at 338 No. Main street. On May 28th, its Lasers, Whales, Sharks, and Life on the Road. The skeletal remains of a 73 foot Blue Whale will be digitized. According to a release by the organization, it will be only the second Blue Whale ever digitized in 3D, and the most complete to date.

Cannabis growers will no longer be taxed when permits are granted, and instead after cultivation has begun following complaints that the practice was unfair and possibly illegal. The changes approved by Lake County Supervisors will delay the tax for up to 24 months following the granting of a permit.

$100,000 in spending has been approved to pay for a feasibility study for the Potter Valley project, to be finished by April 2020. The Daily Journal reports that $50,000 will be set aside by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors and another $50,000 from the County General Fund.

An old office building on Park Boulevard near the golf course, and a home on West Standley Street in the Western Hills will be demolished after getting approval by the Ukiah City Council this week. Neither building is habitable and is described as hazards by city officials.

The federal government yesterday nixed a plan to fund $1 billion dollars of California’s bullet train, endangering the entire project. A statement by Governor Newsom called the move an attempt to exact political retribution on the state. He says the decision is illegal and promises to challenge it in court. Federal Railroad Administrator Ronald Batory blamed a history of failures for the decision to revoke the funds.

The Alliance for Rural Community Health, or (ARCH) is a collaboration of community health centers in Mendocino County, and the group has donated $40,000 to the Mendocino County Office of Education’s (MCOE’s) career training program to support students studying to become medical or dental assistants. They are entry-level certifications, which are the first step in many people’s healthcare careers. Medical and dental assistants help coordinate patient care, escort patients to treatment rooms, take vitals, make sure medical and dental providers have the information and instruments they need for each patient visit, and then work with the patients after their appointments on next steps and schedule follow-up care. For more information, please call Tami Mee at (707) 467-5123 or visit www.mcoe.us.

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PM News – 05/16/19

A fire starts in the Palace Hotel, which fire officials say was human started. The Ukiah Valley Fire Authority out at the fire this morning with flames visible thru the windows of the old hotel around 6-15 AM. Firefighters broke thru a steel door to enter the building and quickly stomped it out. They say it was a debris fire. They’re not sure for warming or malicious mischief, saying whoever started it probably got in thru a door on Smith St. They also say the owner needs to secure the building better. Fire officials say it was very wet inside the building due to the rain, and that the rain was coming down inside and the building is collapsing.

A proposed tax on state water bills has been rejected by the state senate that would have improved drinking water. More than 450 public water systems found in noncompliance in 2017 with safety standards. The Governor proposed a .95¢ tax on most residential water bills, but the Senate said no and has decided to use current tax dollars to improve drinking water in the state’s poorest areas. The Senate deciding to set aside $150 million of existing taxpayer money for those improvements. But the state Assembly still has not voted on the Governor’s tax proposal. A spokesperson for the Gov. says he supports a permanent and sustained funding source.

An elections committee created in Fort Bragg is no longer and the City Council decides to send an official letter to the US Navy about the sonar testing off the coast. The City Council unanimously approved sending a letter against the sonar and explosives training and testing in the ocean after a recent meeting with US Navy representatives. It comes after a group showed up for a meeting May 3rd that turned into one on one questioning. One council member requested more of a town hall setting, but apparently the Navy opted not to send a representative. The letter will be on the agenda at the next council meeting. And the Electoral System Review Committee Chair asked the council if they could disband saying members were “negative, unconstructive and sometimes belligerent.

Fort Bragg schools applying to the federal government for free meal service for school districts in low income areas. The School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to apply for the Community Eligibility Provision, a non-pricing meal service option after a discussion last month at a board meeting. The Nutrition Director had a presentation at that meeting recommending the board apply. If accepted, all students in the Fort Bragg Unified would get free meals, including breakfast.

News 5/16/2019

It’s official, the cause of the Camp Fire, PG&E equipment. Cal Fire out with its findings yesterday, that Pacific Gas & Electric lines in Pulga, and another near Concow and Rim roads started the deadliest fire in Calif. history. At least 85 people were killed in the fire that started last November. More than 153,000 acres burned and nearly 18,000 structures, making it the most destructive too. Cal Fire reporting “after a very meticulous and thorough investigation” it determined the Camp Fire was caused by electrical transmission lines owned and operated by Pacific Gas and Electricity located in the Pulga area. They added the fire started in early morning hours when high winds were blowing in red flag conditions causing “extreme rates of spread, rapidly burning into Pulga to the east and west into Concow, Paradise, Magalia and the outskirts of east Chico.” The investigative report has been forwarded to the Calif. Atty General and Butte County District Attorney.

A bear burned in the Camp Fire is returned to the woods. The bear cub was found in March with burns and starving. The Calif. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife suspects the cub’s mother probably died in the fire. The agency and the Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care Center helped heal the baby bear which was only around 15 pounds when it was found. The bear released in a grassy area near water, trees, berries and other food sources, and away from potential human contact. The orphaned bear named “Paradise” now up to 45 pounds.

Cal Fire reports this week’s rains not a great thing for fire season. That’s because it helps fuels grow, so there’s dead brush growing and new brush under it, also growing. Fire preparedness exercises happening in Humboldt this week with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Local inmate crews from Chamberlain Creek and Parlin Fork learning fire management and personal safety skills and also how they should conduct themselves in a Cal Fire Base Camp.

Vegetation management and controlled burns a hot topic across the state. In Mendocino County, the Board of Supervisors discussing the best ways to manage vegetation removal with the Air Quality Control District, controlled burns while monitoring air quality and reducing the impact of smoke on public health. It comes after the district announced a new permitting process for burns. They did take back one requirement though for a year-round air quality burn permit. The board and district also discussed a possible new coastal permitted burn zone in the county because of different wind patterns. They’ll take up the matter again at next week’s board meeting.

Since the Mayor of Clearlake resigned last week and the Vice Mayor moved up to Mayor and there’s a new Vice Mayor, a new council member is needed. Lake Co News reports now the Clearlake City Council is looking for applicants to fill the vacant seat, which expires in November 2020. The council is in charge of the city’s budget and figures out the level of public services and the future of the community including its growth, financing and strategic planning. Those seeking the position have to be Clearlake residents. They get a $300 stipend monthly.  Applications can be found on the City’s Web site at www.clearlake.ca.us or by contacting City Clerk Melissa Swanson at 707-994-8201, Extension 106.

A midair crash between a couple of crop dusters kills the pilots. The two crashed in the air near Pleasant Grove. The Sutter County Sheriff’s Office confirms Burton Haughey of Wheatland, and Brian Van Dyke of Rio Oso were killed in the crop duster planes. The FAA put out a statement saying they were informed of the crash over Striplin and they’re investigating along with the National Transportation Safety Board. The Sheriff’s office reports the planes about 150 yards away from each other at the time of the crash.

So those sexually abused by priests don’t sue, some Roman Catholic dioceses in Calif. are compensating victims. The Sacramento Bishop put out a statement saying it’s part of their effort to own and atone for the church’s failure to protect kids and young people abused by Catholic priests. So six dioceses in California are creating the program including in Los Angeles, Fresno, Sacramento and San Diego. The program to start before the end of the summer. Anyone accepting the compensation has to promise not to sue. Calif. dioceses have already paid almost $1.5 billion in settlements to thousands of abuse victims over the last twenty years.

A man working for years at one of the biggest wine companies in the country has been killed in an ATV accident. Luis Gonzalez Valencia of Santa Rosa died after his vehicle rolled over in a vineyard in Bennett Valley. The 62 year old had worked for Jackson Family Wines 25 years. His daughter noticed he hadn’t come home when he was supposed to from work and found him under the overturned all-terrain vehicle. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Dept. reports he was wearing a helmet as he inspected irrigation lines. This is the first time Jackson had a fatal accident at one its vineyards.

 

PM News 5/15/2019

Two men in Willits arrested after a woman ends up in the hospital following an assault. Mendocino Deputies got a call about a woman who says she was assaulted by Silas Young and Aaron McIvor last Tuesday night in the Brooktrails area. The woman dating Young and was friends with the other guy. She says they were drinking together at the home, then Young got upset with her, pushing and choking her. She started to scream for help, but Young covered her mouth. She was taken to another house where police got a call about a woman screaming for help. But deputies were at an armed robbery and couldn’t respond so Willits police came out, but left when she said she was fine. Then deputies got a call to the hospital after the woman says the two men both attacked her after Willits police left. Young and McIvor were found and arrested on multiple charges including domestic battery and assault. McIvor held on $70,000 bail and Young on $25,000.00.

The Gov. is pardoning two former Cambodian refugees who were facing deportation for crimes when they were young adults. Kang Hen, of San Jose, had pleaded guilty to being a getaway driver in an attempted armed robbery in 1994. He’s been in the country since he was 9, but surrendered April 1^st after finding out he was wanted for deportation. And a pardon for Hay Hov, of Oakland. He was found guilty of solicitation to commit murder and participating in a street gang in 2001. He’s a naturalized citizen who was arrested by immigration officials in March. The two both brought to the US legally as kids and now petitioned Gov. Newsom for pardons saying they’ve moved on and are holding jobs and have families. The criminal convictions no longer something a judge can use against them to deport them. They can still be deported though. These are the first pardons for the new Gov.

 

News 5/15/2019

Wilbur Hot Springs is for sale. For a cool ten mil, you can own the 1,700-acre off-the-grid health retreat. Clothing is optional in the springs located near Williams in Colusa County. The 80 year old owner of the property, Richard Miller has had the property for nearly a half century. He says he’s hoping a health fanatic buys it. The sale includes the European-style inn, several cabins and a main building that has a couple of large dining rooms. There’s also a library, kitchen and wraparound porch, plus several outbuildings including massage rooms, yoga studios, saunas, camping sites, hot baths and cool springs. There are also many hiking trails.

A new Registrar of Voters has been named in Lake County. The Board of Supervisors has appointed Catherine McMullen as the Registrar, effective June 24^th. The Board Chair Tina Scott made the announcement, introducing McMullen to county residents. Scott says there were four very strong candidates. McMullen was last at the Multnomah County Elections office in Portland, OR, creating and managing an award-winning Voter Education and Outreach Program. She hails from Kelseyville though and graduated from Lower Lake High.

Sonoma and Mendocino Counties closer to a management agreement for the Potter Valley Project. Local water agencies working to make it a reality, so the diversions from the Eel River to Lake Pillsbury can continue to help fill Lake Mendocino. Congressman Jared Huffman announcing the Sonoma County Water Agency, Mendocino Inland Water and Power Commission, and California Trout, Inc., are all working together on the Potter Valley Project planning agreement and a so-called two basin solution. PG&E was going to sell the project, but then claimed bankruptcy and pulled back. The next step is a filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to operate the project.

The Ukiah City Council has to decide if it’s okay to demolish two buildings, one the old Anton Stadium office and the other, a home in the western hills. This on the agenda of the council this week after it was pulled last month. The contract of nearly $37,000 to demolish the two dilapidated buildings. The stadium office was temporary and is no longer in use. It’s also apparently leaking; the ceiling is collapsing, and asbestos was found inside. And the old home in the hills is on the verge of collapsing with asbestos found there too. The meeting tonight at 6 in council chambers.

Pesticide an issue on the docket for the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors; where it’s being used, how much, and what’s the chemical makeup of said pesticides. The board agreed to have county staff begin working with the Agriculture Department to get pesticide application details from those who use the chemicals in the county. They want to know what the chemical ingredients are, the amount to be used, and where, then publish all of the info on the county’s website for more transparency around the issue. They’re also looking to make it easier for potential pesticide users to see what is allowed.

The Gov. looking at subsidizing more for people in need of health care. Governor Newsom looking into ways to offer subsidies of around $100 a month for those earning 600% of the federal poverty level towards their insurance. So a family that makes $150,000 a year could qualify. Right now the federal government offers help to those at 400% of the federal poverty line. It’s in the governor’s latest budget, currently being negotiated in the legislature. He spoke about it yesterday at a round table with small business owners. The idea to be paid for by taxing the uninsured, like Obamacare’s individual mandate which was recently eliminated.

The vice mayor of Clearlake is now the new mayor. After the sudden retirement of Mayor Nick Bennet last week, the city council has named his Vice Mayor Russ Cremer as the new mayor of Clearlake and Dirk Slooten is the vice mayor. The appointments at a special council meeting Monday. They voted unanimously on the spots until applications come in to fill the mayor position permanently. Cremer says all of the residents of Clearlake registered to vote are encouraged to apply. They’re accepting applications until June 4^th with interviews two days later. Whoever is appointed will have to run for election after Bennet’s term would end.

A new policy agreed to for collecting taxes for growing marijuana in Lake County. The Board of Supervisors approved the resolution, deferring collecting any Measure C taxes until a business starts growing, instead of the day they get their permit. Some saw that rule as unfair. The previous cannabis cultivation tax code was adopted in 2016 after Measure C passed which says taxes would accrue after a business is authorized for legal cannabis cultivation, then it was changed to when a business got their permit.  But a land use lawyer wrote to the Record Bee that that might be illegal.

Some people who’ve been living in a FEMA trailer camp since the October 2017 fires are about to be homeless… again. The neighborhood of trailers with fire survivors is gradually being closed but local officials got an extension for some still there until early summer. It’s held at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds’ RV park. It was once home to 120 FEMA trailers. Friday was the last day, but seven renters get to stay until July 10th. 15 already left Friday though. 230 families once stayed in temporary FEMA housing. 5,300 homes were lost in Sonoma County in the 2017 firestorm.

Yes to the Habematolel Pomo tribe’s application for a piece of their land to go into federal trust. The Lake County Board of Supervisors allowing the tribe to put the ½ acre parcel into trust, so the federal government holds it for the tribe. The County Administrative Officer says the county will only lose a small amount of property tax on the move. The tribe applied to the Bureau of Land Management for the trust for the property on E. State Highway 20 in Upper Lake. The tribe had a mobile home there they removed. They’ve put up a new one and say they’re developing it to be used for elder care and early start for children programs.

A man caught with several handguns in Eureka several years ago going to prison. The suspect, a 19 year old at the time allegedly went into a business thru a rooftop sky light, disarmed the alarm and made off with 55 handguns. Eureka police named Jesse James Marquez as the suspect but he moved to Oregon right after the burglary. Cops working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) kept working the case and a federal arrest warrant was issued for the guy last year. He was arrested last summer outside Eureka and charged with theft of firearms from a dealer and sale of stolen firearms. He pleaded guilty Monday and got 33 months behind bars with another 3 years of supervised probation afterwards.

A man in Pennsylvania wanted for yelling at another man and chasing him with a baseball bat. The victim says the Brackenridge man also mooned him, calling him a racial slur. The victim recorded the whole thing then ran away. Eric Clark told to stay away from the victim, but then contacted him thru Facebook Messenger so he had a warrant out for his arrest for terroristic threats, ethnic intimidation, simple assault, harassment and open lewdness, plus harassment and disorderly conduct.

 

 

News 5/14/2019

Shaded breaks coming to the Brooktrails area in Willits. At a meeting of the city council last week a CAL FIRE Battalion Chief updated the public. The city applied for a Greenhouse Gas grant for the breaks last spring at the same time the Gov. declared a state of emergency, directing the state’s “most wildfire-vulnerable communities” to come up with projects the state could pay for to reduce fire fuels. Out of the 200 communities noted as vulnerable, only 35 fuel-reduction projects on about 90,000 acres, were approved. But Willits and Ukiah were included in the group. The list of projects came from fire plans listed as priority fuel reduction projects to be implemented immediately to protect communities vulnerable to wildfire.

A man from Fort Bragg has died after he fell off a horse Mother’s Day weekend. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office reports 54-year-old Servando Gomez at a Mother’s Day event with family and friends Saturday night. A horse reportedly brought to the party for the group to get a picture with and as Gomez was on the animal it spooked and reared up. The man fell off and deputies say may have been hit in his stomach with the saddle horn. He was complaining of stomach pain, so medics were called. He died at a hospital later.

The work at the Ukiah Wastewater Treatment Plant to fix the water storage basins has begun. The backwash basins damaged in this winter’s heavy rains. The city’s director of water resources Sean White says the basins are being improved after they cracked like egg shells. He says their walls will now be thicker and more steel will be used in their construction, along with other minor improvements. The city had to move fast on the repairs, declaring them an “Urgency Item” so there was a faster bidding process, with the city directly approaching contractors.

The man accused of setting the 2016 Clayton Fire has his trial postponed. Damin Pashilk of Clearlake is accused of setting that fire and several others. The Record Bee reports during a recent hearing for Pashilk, there was a request for a two to three week delay on a possible settlement. Pashilk is in custody in Lake County with the matter continued until today. He’s pleaded not guilty. There was enough evidence in a preliminary hearing earlier this year to charge him with the fire and several other felonies and special circumstances. The Clayton Fire burned nearly 4,000 acres and burned 300 structures, including 180 homes.

A woman from Northern California has been tossed in jail, accused of abusing her four adopted children. Police say Patricia Taylor adopted four girls who are between 11 and 16 years old now. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s office says the woman was arrested last week after a 14-year-old ran away from their home in Placerville, claiming years of abuse by the 63-year-old. Taylor was charged with torture, child abuse, false imprisonment, willful cruelty to a child and lewd and lascivious conduct of a child and held on almost $1.5 million bail.

The Clearlake City Council has decided to accept applicants who want to be the mayor. Mayor Nick Bennett resigned last week for health reasons, saying he was leaving the state.  So the council had to fill the seat and a special meeting to determine how was held last night. The new City Manager Alan Flora said they could either have a special election, but that couldn’t happen before the March 2020 primary due to state law, or they could appoint someone before July 8^th. The council then voted unanimously to appoint a new mayor. So the council will accept applications then have a special meeting in July to choose someone. Also at the meeting, the council decided on leadership roles without a mayor. The Vice Mayor Russ Cremer will continue until the new mayor is chosen. Anyone interested in being the new mayor can get their application thru the city clerk.

A police dog has been found safe after vanishing over the weekend. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office reported Sunday night one of its law enforcement K9s disappeared in Kelyseyville around 8-30. 8-year-old Dozer, a yellow lab was found the next day safe.
The sheriff’s alerted the public around 5 p.m. last night, the dog was fine.

A traffic stop leads to the arrest of one person and a ticket for another. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office reports stopping the car in Calpella because of an expired registration. The car pulled into a business parking lot and the deputy found the driver, Christopher Ray of Lakeport had a suspended license. The passenger in the car, Suelamatra Castillo of Nice apparently gave a fake name to the deputy who found drugs and paraphernalia in the car. Castillo also had a warrant out for his arrest for being a felon in possession of a firearm in Lake County. Ray got a ticket to appear for having drugs and a suspended license and Castillo was taken in for the warrant and giving a fake name.

A man in Covelo’s been arrested after a domestic violence call. A woman saying she and her boyfriend got into a fight last Thursday night. Cops say the woman was living with Robert Hanover. She says herself, Hanover and his 13 year-old son were at their home and Hanover was drunk and grabbed her by the throat and starting choking her until she could barely breathe. She says he then threw her to the ground and kept choking her until she passed out. When she woke up, she says she ran away. When cops got there they say they noticed the woman had injuries consistent with her story. Hanover found nearby in his car and was arrested for felony domestic battery and child endangerment and was held on $25,000.00 bail.

A man in Fort Bragg has been arrested for being wanted on three warrants. Brandon Stone wanted for failing to appear on a felony matter, felony battery resulting in serious bodily injury, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Cops also found more drugs and paraphernalia so he’s charged with the same all over again. He was booked into County Jail on $80,000.00 bail.

Lake County Behavioral Health announcing grants available thru the Housing Dept. It’s for emergency housing in Lake County. The money from the federal government, nearly $125,000 for Rapid Rehousing Programs, and the same amount for Emergency Shelter or Rapid Rehousing Programs. More money may be available thru the state this summer. Those applying should be part of a nonprofit or government agency serving those who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless in Lake County.

For more info:
http://www.hcd.ca.gov/grants-funding/active-funding/esg.shtml#application

A man in Ukiah busted on a domestic violence call. Police get a call from a woman who they find standing in front of her home. She says Dylan Washburn assaulted her. The two live together and have a kid together, but he wasn’t there when police arrived. Deputies say the two had a heated argument, and the man grabbed the woman by her neck. They say she had injuries on her arms and legs consistent with her story. So Washburn was arrested for felony domestic violence battery and held on $25,000.00 bail.

A man’s arrested in Fort Bragg after a fight was reported at a trailer park. Police get a call Sunday morning finding Andrew Hurtado walking on the westbound side of Highway 20, bleeding from a wound on his face. A deputy saw and started talking to him, finding he’d been involved in the fight at the trailer park. Plus he was on formal probation. When the deputy tried searching the guy, he says he resisted and obstructed the Deputy’s attempts. So he was handcuffed, searched and found to have a bunch of prescription pills. He’s charged now with possession of controlled substance for sale, violation of formal probation, and resist /obstruct a peace officer. Later they found he may have also vandalized a trailer at the park, so he’s further charged with felony vandalism and held on no bail.

 

 

PM News – 05/13/19

A dispatcher receives an honor for the way she handled the October 2017 wildfires in Sonoma County. KT McNulty works in the 24-hour dispatch center in the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office. The International Academies of Emergency Dispatch has named McNulty Dispatcher of the Year. She says those nights in October are a blur now, but does remember telling several people to get into a pool, then duck down as the fire came through. But her boss isn’t as humble saying there weren’t fire dispatch protocols in place because it was such a unique situation at the time. She was the supervisor in the dispatch center and is now the operations manager

After the October 2017 firestorm an area of Sonoma County totally destroyed, now rebuilding. Pepperwood Preserve, a 3,200-acre tract in the Mayacamas Mountains poised to start building. The former development northeast of Santa Rosa now has drafted plans and county permits. The president of the nonprofit who maintains the property says they’re shovel ready. The Press Democrat reports they’re under-insured. The Tubbs Fire destroyed 95% of the preserve and structures on the property from the 50s, so they say they’ll do sustainable design instead.

Emergency plans to reduce Highway 1 to one lane at Gleason Beach due to a crumbling cliffside. One-way traffic control started today so Caltrans can shore up the area. They’ll put up barriers and have temporary stop lights for traffic control on the 1,200-foot section of Highway 1 between Bodega Bay and Jenner. They say there will be five to 10 minute delays going thru the area for several months. The area has been eroding for about twenty years with a dozen homes falling off the edge of the highway or being removed. This winter’s rains highlighted how the area needs more work with more chunks of earth falling off. Caltrans coming up with a permanent solution but it’s been held up with red tape.

A lockdown in Woodland after a threat of a shooting. More than 1400 students had to stay inside last Friday after the threat, which turned out to be bogus. But parents came to the school anyway after hearing rumors of a gunman. Notifications went out to parents, but it was first being posted about on social media sites. Woodland police said they had search teams in the area at the time students were locked down in classrooms. They say it’s normal protocol in a situation like that. After a couple hours school buses took groups of students to a park to be reunited with families.

News 5/13/2019

The last of the Special Election ballots in Lake County for Measure M are still being counted. The Registrar of Voters office says there are still 69 ballots that came in after election day but were postmarked on or before May 7^th. The vote to give more money to the Lakeport Fire Protection District. There are 48 ballots needing further review and 1 Provisional Ballot. 438 ballots in all were turned in. The official canvass is still happening, the Registrar has 30 days from the Special Election date to certify the election results. The preliminary tally had Measure M winning with more than the required 66.7% supermajority.

A town hall for Ukiah residents to talk with city staff and consultants about the downtown Streetscape Project. The forum last week at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center about the work happening on State Street. The Public Works Director explaining the road used to be part of Highway 101 and therefore not designed to be a downtown corridor. The city’s going to pay for the project with state and federal grants to reduce the amount of lanes downtown, also known as the road diet, also adding a left turn lane between the two sides of the street. They warned of traffic on parallel streets to State during construction, but the consultant says it’s a temporary issue that will work better in the end. The work is supposed to start next January.

After a car hits a pole in downtown Ukiah, more than 1,000 residents lose power. The accident Saturday morning in the 1000 block of North State Street near the Goodwill store. 1,120 people lost power, but crews had it back online in about a ½ hour for most. A handful had to wait until later that morning to have their power turned back on. The car also hit a fire hydrant, so Public Works crews had to turn the water off and repair the hydrant. Someone reported to police they saw the driver run from the scene. The passenger in the car, was arrested for being drunk in public.

Fires, heavy rain, and now a more severe and early mosquito season. Vector Control says it’s due to the atmospheric rivers in the North Bay this year, leaving stagnant water behind. The Marin/Sonoma Mosquito & Vector Control District reporting a 119% increase in calls for service compared to last year. They say the last time this happened was 3 years ago. In Lake County, mosquito spraying started back in February. A reminder to remove standing water around a property.

Senator Mike McGuire working on refining the emergency alert system after years of wildfire devastation. Under McGuire’s proposal telephone companies would have to alert state emergency officials if they were having an outage affecting 911 or emergency alerts. Right now phone companies don’t have to report anything in real time about service outages. But Senate Bill 670 would change that, requiring the companies to immediately alert California Office of Emergency Services about outages. So far the bill has unanimous support in two legislative committees. It has to pass the Senate Appropriations Committee though before a full vote on the Senate floor.

A sculpture garden on Cobb Mountain finally complete after the Valley Fire burned in the area. The Record Bee reports longtime Lake County resident Michael Newman putting the finishing touches on his front yard’s garden. His was one of six homes that survived the massive fire. 45 homes burned in the neighborhood. Newman’s been collecting art and putting it in his garden for several years, some of it melted in the fire. He says his devotion and memories of his spiritual teacher saved his garden.

A doctor from Lakeport has been ordered to register for life as a sex offender. 57 year old Nephrologist Mohamad Moutaz Almawaldi entered no contest to a misdemeanor charge of sexual battery after a plea deal. The sentence suspended for three years, but he has to register as a sex offender and stay away from the victim. The victim worked for him in his office and reported he had forcefully kissed her and pulled down her shirt. Almawaldi arrested in February for the 2017 complaint. He was indicted last year. He also had to pay more than $700 in penalties and fines and served one day in jail.

A new dispatcher and officer have been sworn into the Clearlake Police Department. Lake Co News reports there was a swearing in last Thursday during the City Council meeting. The Police Chief Andrew White swore in new cop, Melinda Wymer, and new dispatcher, Kristiana Outen. Wymer went to a citizen’s academy in the department then worked various jobs at the dept. before becoming an officer. And Outen worked in the local CHP Explorer program. The Chief says they now have five female officers out of 24 sworn personnel.

Lake County Supervisors considering a tribal trust application. The meeting tomorrow morning will also include a discussion on streamlining cannabis rules. The untimed item for a possible response to the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ looking for comment on the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake’s recent land acquisition application. The tribe wants to move a half acre of property in Upper Lake into trust. County staff is recommending approval. Then the board sitting as the Lake County Air Quality Management District to consider a more streamlined process for cannabis cultivation temporary and provisional permits and for tax collection. There will also be a closed session on appointing a new Registar of Voters.

The Red Cross gets a helping hand in Clearlake Oaks with a signature campaign, the Home Fire campaign. AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps Team Blue 2 helping spread the word, making sure community members can protect themselves in the event of a fire. About a dozen young adults from across the country helping to install free smoke alarms and show residents how to use them and discuss fire prevention and safety. They went to more than 30 homes. The campaign, Sound the Alarm, has installed more than 1,600,000 smoke alarms in all.  To learn more about Sound the Alarm, visit www.redcross.org/sound-the-alarm.

PM News – 05/10/19

The Gov. is not supporting a fund for people in the path of deadly wildfires in case they need to do retrofits, instead he wants Californians to "harden" their homes. This comment after releasing his latest budget. Gov. Newsom not specifically vetoing the idea by Assemblyman Jim Wood for a $1 billion fund, but also not getting behind the idea. After releasing his budget revisions yesterday, Newsom saying he supports fire-resistant roofs and other ideas for homes to be protected in the case of a massive fire. He also mentioned a newspaper report showing homes built with stricter codes survived last year’s deadly Camp Fire. The bill Wood authored is in the so-called suspense file, meaning legislators have to look into its costs. Wood says he’s still going to push for the idea.

A great turnout reported for the 4/20 drug turn back event in Mendocino County. The drug takeback and 3X3 Basketball Tournament attracting about 150 residents. The county reports 16 pounds of meds turned into Mendocino County Public Health during the event. The Health Dept. reports there’s been an increase in Fentanyl found on the streets and they’re taking measures before it becomes a full blown crisis. They say decreasing the amount of pills that are prescribed for pain, more treatments made available for those with addiction, providing naloxone to reverse overdoses and educating the community are strategies being exercised locally.

News 5/10/2019

A lively meeting with representatives from the United States Navy regarding military testing and training set for the fall of next year. Navy officials at Dana Gray Elementary School last Friday with a packed room, mostly folks not happy about the plan off the north coast. The meeting set up where officials were one on one with attendees, which the Advocate reports, was not a popular format. But some broke off into a large group, peppering officials with questions across the room. The meeting about how ocean animals might be affected by the training and testing. Some asked about whales washing up dead in the U-K, but it’s not known why the animals died. And the vice-chair of the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors brought a letter from the board, in opposition of the testing.

Send comments through June 12^th to nwtteis.com or by mail to:

Naval Facilities Engineering Command Northwest

Attention: NWTT Supplemental EIS/OEIS Project Manager

3730 N. Charles Porter Ave.

Building 385, Admin, Room 216

Oak Harbor, WA 98278-3500

The City of Ukiah will stop chalking the tires of cars parked in certain areas. It comes after the city of Saginaw, Michigan in court about chalking tires, had the practice ruled unconstitutional. In Ukiah there’s only one parking enforcement officer chalking tires downtown and handing out tickets. The city reportedly spends $60,000 a year on the fines and penalties and work associated with chalking and ticketing downtown. Chalking is supposed to stop next year after the city council decided to use parking meters downtown instead. The Daily Journal reports the city’s aware of the Saginaw case, and are investigating if that could be a thing in Calif. eventually too.

A patch of Riverside Park has burned due to a campfire. Several burned logs and trees near the Russian River reported by park goers April 23^rd. Staffers with the City of Ukiah went to the park to investigate the area which they reported was about 200-square-feet in size. The Fire Authority says they think the fire began from someone cooking or warming themselves and it probably spread in the middle of the night.

The new county budget a topic of discussion with the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors this week. The latest quarterly budget report discussion ahead of budget hearings June 4^th and 5^th. The Daily Journal reports the presentation showed some departments over budget, including the County Counsel, Economic Development Dept., Court Collections, Human Resources, Public Defenders, Alternate Defender, Sheriff-Coroner, County Jail, and Animal Care. But staff at the meeting saying there’s money to cover the overages. The County CEO says even though some departments are projected to go over budget, staff will help those departments figure out how to lower costs.

A woman from Ukiah lost on Cow Mountain after a hike, spends the night there. The Sheriff’s Office reports the 56-year-old is a “well-known and avid hiker” who went out on Sunday afternoon near the gun range on Cow Mountain and got lost in the dark. Deputies went out looking for her. She says she could hear them, but couldn’t signal them or get thru some thick foliage to get to them. So she spent the night out there and Monday morning Search and Rescue teams went out, but she had already made it out at first light. The Sheriff’s office reminding to always have emergency supplies with you. The same morning, they helped a couple who got stuck in the snow, driving thru the Mendocino National Forest, reminding folks to check the forecast before heading out.

PG&E reports on their new approach to fire season with a Wildland Fire Mitigation Plan. A representative from the utility company with a presentation for the Lakeport City Council Tuesday saying there are multiple projects they’re working on including monitoring wildfire risk at an operations center in real-time. He says they’re installing as many as 1,300 weather stations before 2022, Lake County has four of them. The company also helping to install about 600 high-definition cameras. Lake County got one of the cameras.

The Lakeport City Council says yes to a nearly $200,000 makeover of City Hall. They’re working to put in American Disability Act-compliant access for the administration and finance payment counter, remodeling some offices in the planning department and making room for more storage in the council chambers. Bridges Construction came in at more than the allotted amount but amended their bid after talking with the city engineer. They were the lowest and only bidder.

The Gov. releases his latest budget proposal with another surplus in the budget. The last budget in January carved out more money for schools, childcare, affordable housing, health care, wildfire prevention and paid some pension debt. The budget bill is passed in June each year. He is proposing no more sales tax on diapers and feminine products, increasing a state tax credit for low-income families with young children, adding more childcare money and two weeks of paid family leave for any parent of a newborn to the six already in place. No word how the state will cover that.

The Mayor Clearlake Nick Bennett retiring as he moves out of state due to health reasons. Lake Co News reports Bennett made the announcement last night at the end of the city council meeting. They were working on commercial cannabis rules and equipment needs for the Public Works Department, then he announced it would be his last meeting as he was leaving Lake County this Sunday. He’s served on the council since 2016. A special meeting called for Monday to talk about how to fill the seat.

A man from Southern California exposed to asbestos in Ukiah has won $3 million dollars in court. 80-year-old Ervan Groves sued D.W. Nicholson Corp., who did work at Masonite Corp. where he worked from 1964-1999. He has terminal cancer he says was caused by asbestos exposure after D.W. Nicholson installed mechanical, electrical and piping equipment at Masonite. His lawyer says D.W. Nicholson never told Masonite employees they might have been exposed to asbestos, then didn’t clean up the asbestos they left behind.

The U.S. government once again trying to get oil and gas drilling leases approved on wide swaths of federal land off-limits since environmentalists sued in 2013. The Press Democrat reports the Bureau of Land Management finishing the plan for oil and gas leases on as much as 800,000 acres of the Central Valley and Central Coast. They also recently finished a draft plan for drilling on more than 1 million acres around Bakersfield. Environmentalists sued the Obama administration looking for new drilling and now criticizing the latest efforts. The BLM says their plan would be for as many as 75 new wells drilled over the next 20 years with a small amount of that as fracking.

The latest state budget shows the legal marijuana market is not paying the state what was anticipated. The Newsom administration reportedly revising what it expects to collect from cannabis tax revenue through June 2020. The state expecting $223 million less than projections last quarter. The Press Democrat reports that means there was slower-than-expected marijuana sales due to a still thriving black market and state regulators playing catch up with demand for licensing. But the Gov. says he thinks it’s going to take five to seven years for the legal market to reach its potential.