The Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office may be losing several key jobs due to federal funding cuts. The jobs that are in jeopardy of going away include three victim advocates and an attorney who handles the office’s most serious cases, including sexual assault and domestic violence. This is the first time in 15 years the D.A.’s Office is not getting any grant funding through the federal Violence Against Women Act. That funding pays for the attorney. The D.A.’s Office is expecting to lose more than 780-thousand-dollars in federal funding that pays for the jobs. On Wednesday, District Attorney Carla Rodriguez asked the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to step up and provide the funding instead, so those jobs are saved.
A 61-year-old Healdsburg resident who had been considered missing for nearly two days is back home safe. Marc Rodriguez returned home at about one o’clock Wednesday afternoon. That was about 39 hours after the last time he had been seen at home on Monday. The incident appears to have been a misunderstanding. Police say Rodriguez was visiting someone out of town.
In response to an Arizona law that bans almost all abortions, California’s legislature is pushing emergency legislation that would allow women from that state to come to California to get an abortion. Flanked by all of the members of the Legislative Women’s Caucus, California Governor Gavin Newsom says this law also protects doctors who could be criminally charged for performing an abortion in Arizona. The Arizona law, upheld by the state’s Supreme Court, bans nearly all abortions, and makes no exceptions for rape or incest. It does allow for an abortion only if the mother’s life is in jeopardy.
A Mendocino County inmate has died in prison. Harry Miller, of Anchor Bay, was convicted in the shooting death of his neighbor in 2019. According to state parole officials, Miller died of natural causes in his cell on April 6th. He was 75 years old. Court records show Miller shot his neighbors, Desiree and Paul Palestrini, after an argument over repairs they were doing on the driveway Miller shared with the couple. Miller was sentenced in 2019 to serve 142 months in state prison.
California is celebrating a major clean energy milestone. Governor Newsom will join other leaders in nearby Yolo County later this morning to reveal details. The area is the first in the state to completely wipe out its electric bill by installing solar panels on municipal buildings and properties. The state is on track to reach its goal of 90-percent carbon-free electricity by 2035 and 100-percent by 2045. That means energy will come from renewable sources like solar and wind, and zero-carbon sources like nuclear.
There appears to be progress in California’s insurance crisis. Allstate is getting ready to resume writing new home policies, though not immediately. The company confirmed this yesterday at a public workshop, saying it’s just waiting for the state to enact insurance regulations. That’s expected to happen by December. Allstate still renews existing policies but stopped offering new coverage in November of 2022, partly due to wildfire risk. Other providers have done the same or left the state altogether.
A new effort is underway to crack down on California protesters who stop traffic. Lawmakers are considering a bill to double fines every time someone is convicted of blocking highways and freeways. The assemblywoman behind the push calls it a public safety and health care risk. She took action after 78 protesters were arrested on a San Francisco bridge last year, but only given five hours of community service and 57-dollar fines. The bill passed one committee and now advances to another.
A Ukiah man died after an apparent medical event behind the wheel. First responders were called just after 5pm Wednesday afternoon for reports of an unresponsive man in the roadway near the Ukiah Co-op. What was initially though to be a pedestrian versus vehicle accident, turned out to be a man who suffered a medical event. A good Samaritan pulled the man from his vehicle and began CPR while another called 911. Emergency personnel on the scene were unable to revive the man. He has not yet been identified, as police continue to investigate the incident.
The California Highway Patrol needs your help with a death investigation in Lake County. CHP’s Clear Lake Area office says they’re looking for leads in the alleged murder of Andrew Gurrola, a father of 3 from Hidden Valley Lake. Back in October, police responded to the side of Highway 29 near Lower Lake for reports of a man with blood on his face trying to flag someone down. By the time CHP arrived, the man was unresponsive on the shoulder of the highway. He was pronounced dead of apparent gunshot wounds at the scene. Anyone with information about Gurrola’s death is asked to call the CHP’s Northern Division Investigative Services Unit. You can also send anonymous tips to 101tips@chp.ca.gov
City workers in Clearlake found a body on the side of the road yesterday. Clearlake PD has not released the victims name, but said it was a man in his 40s. The police got the call around 1:30 Wednesday afternoon from a Clearlake Public Works employee who was removing vegetation along Old Highway 53. Police said the investigation is ongoing, but they have not found any evidence of foul play.
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