News 8/12/2022

College savings accounts are being set up by the state with a little added in. Low-income families are getting the accounts with deposits of up to $1,500 per child as part of the CalKIDS program, administered by ScholarShare Investment Board. The program is for college advances for kids in low-income families, from first to 12th grade. Children are automatically enrolled. The amount a child gets is based on a Local Control Funding Formula. All Calif. newborn children will also get a boost no matter the family’s income. Those accounts start with $100. The state is putting up over $1.9 billion toward the accounts.

Sutter Health is getting some bad press as thousands of healthcare workers and nurses say they messed up their pay. A spokesperson for Sutter says they had put in a new human-resources and payroll system recently, which was complex. But at the same time says, most of their more than 50,000 employees got their checks as expected, but there were some data issues from their old system, so some of their employees did not get paid the way they should. She says they’re working diligently to fix the issues as soon as possible. Employees called out the company saying, in some cases, they lost thousands of dollars, in the meantime. Their unions say they immediately reported the errors, but they were not made good on.

The company that operates the Skunk Train, Mendocino Railway, is suing to use more railroad tracks. The company filed a federal lawsuit in Eureka against the City of Fort Bragg and the California Coastal Commission so they can more easily operate the railroad. The President of the Railway company says they want to expand but there are road bocks in their way. He says state and local agencies should not be allowed to disregard federal law by using state powers to get in the way of transporting passengers and freight. The company is trying to get the power to extend the railroad 13 miles north of Willits, which is where the Great Redwood Trail is being built.

It’s a big thumbs up in Clearlake for a new women’s clinic. The Clearlake Planning Commission all voted yes to allow the anti-abortion group, the Pregnancy Counseling Center of Ukiah, calling itself, Mendo Lake Women’s Clinic, to set up in town. They’ll be inside a building that used to be an eye clinic. The planning commission’s staff writes the clinic is a nonprofit, and its original clinic is located in Ukiah. The company is also known as the Center for Life Choices, which will fund the new clinic. The chair of the board says their mission is to stop the need for abortions by effectively serving pregnant, at-risk women by transforming their fear into confidence.

After both cities okayed the agreement, Clearlake Police will start to service Lakeport as well. Because of staffing shortages in Lakeport, the chief asked for help from his counterpart in Clearlake. After an agreement was drafted and both cities signed off, the work begins today. Lake Co News also reports the contract will allow Lakeport Police officers to work in Clearlake as well, if they’re ever in the same boat. The city of Lakeport is paying for the help. Lakeport police have had a mutual working relationship for years with Clearlake, and the agency says they have practically all of the same policies, procedures and training. To start, Clearlake Police will work a few shifts/week temporarily.

The Governor says he’s been working on ways to increase the water supply in the state as we continue to deal with hotter temperatures and lower humidity. Newsom has announced “California’s Water Supply Strategy, Adapting to a Hotter, Drier Future”. It comes after the previous announcement of $8 billion in investments the state’s already made to help store, recycle, desalt and conserve water to outpace climate change. The plan to reportedly bring the state enough water for over 8.4 million households by 2040.

In what’s being called a “catastrophic failure”, tens of thousands of fish have died at the UC Davis Center for Aquatic Biology and Aquaculture. The University says 21,000 fish were exposed to chlorine, and they’re investigating. But it’s an outside, independent review, so they can see where their systems failed, and what potential risks there are at similar facilities. The 5-acre facility is home to various aquatic biology programs, with more than a dozen species being studied at any given time. While this happened, they were studying environmental stressors on fish species including green and white sturgeon and the endangered Chinook salmon.

The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services is working on current fires they say, but also still completing recovery operations from fires last year. The agency announced over 99 percent of the private properties who had enrolled in the state’s Consolidated Debris Removal Program have been cleared of wildfire debris. There are some homes that don’t use the state program, instead opting to use private companies. Cal OES reported as of Wednesday of this week crews had pulled out metal, concrete, ash and contaminated soil from 1,773 of the 1,775 private properties enrolled in program. There was over 430,000 tons of wildfire debris cleared away across the state. And 67,000 tons of metal and concrete were recycled for new construction.

As the latest Legislative session is about done, there’s been a flurry of hearings. Some of the bills headed to the Governor’s desk, could become law or be veto’d. Some of the last minute proposals being considered include one of the Governor’s for new courts for the homeless so they can get mental health or substance abuse treatment. Another to limit using solitary confinement in jails and prisons, allow for the composting of human remains and increase family leave payments for lower-wage workers, though it wouldn’t take effect until 2024.  Some that died before moving on include, one by Republican lawmakers to cap the co-pay on insulin, another to approve procedures and drug prescriptions without getting insurance company permission first and another that could have allowed prosecutors to go after social media companies for knowingly addicting children.

News 8/11/2022

The man in Ukiah accused in connection to the death of a one-year-old has finally appeared in court. A couple of days ago Edward Two Feathers Steele refused to appear by video by the jail, but yesterday he was in attendance for his arraignment. It comes after two tots, one two-year-old and his infant brother were abandoned near the railroad tracks. In court yesterday, the judge in the case ordered his court appointed lawyer to make sure she had no conflicts, but then the DA asked for a new judge saying the current judge has been accused of prejudice so plaintiffs believe they can’t get a fair trial. The judge had previously been a public defender herself and Steele appeared before her previously in another matter. So no plea was entered, and Steele will have to appear again August 24^th. He faces life in prison if he’s convicted for second degree murder and child cruelty among other charges.

The fire burning across Humboldt and Trinity County continues to grow and send smoke into the air across Northern Calif. The Six Rivers Lightning Complex is moving pretty slow, but nonetheless has burned well over 11,000 acres. The complex is burning in rugged terrain near Willow Creek in Humboldt County and Salyer in Trinity County, where there have been evacuation orders in place. The fire has no 0% containment, but there have been no injuries and so far no damage.

A fire broke out in Kelseyville after some cars, boats and RVs went up in flames and it spread to nearby vegetation. The Pharo fire broke out yesterday afternoon but only charred about
1.5 acres.

A fire has engulfed a massive piece of construction equipment used by a logging company. Apparently, protestors none too happy about the work by the Humboldt Redwood Company being used to build roads in the Rainbow Ridge area torched it. Kym Kemp reports locals heard on scanners that firefighters were being sent to a vehicle fire in the area, but then revised, asking for a full wildland response. A large tractor had been set ablaze, but thankfully it didn’t spread to nearby brush and very dry fuels, thanks to the extreme drought. The news site reports protestors have been trying to stop the Redwood Co. from logging old growth trees for years. One protestor was living in a tree in the area a couple of weeks ago. On Monday there were reports of up to 3 dozen people in the area blocking the gate into the area.

A woman accused of driving a pickup and crossing to the other side of Highway 101 near state route 271 has been seriously injured along with two children. Sherrie Keener was in the pickup and came upon a box truck which was pulled over. For some reason Keener drove onto the shoulder of the 101 and hit the side of the truck. That driver had no injuries, but Keener had major injuries. A man with her was treated on the scene for moderate injuries. And the two kids were being treated in a hospital. Keener was also arrested before being hospitalized for felony DUI of drugs resulting in injuries to another person.

The Governor has nominated a new chief justice for the state Supreme Court. Governor Newsom has chosen Justice Patricia Guerrero, who was appointed to the court as an associate justice in February. She was the first Latina to sit on the court. The nomination comes after the current Chief Justice, Tani Cantil-Sakauye’s announces she was not going to go after a second term when her current term ends in January. Newsom says Guerrero, who hails from the Imperial Valley, has broken barriers and “enriched the highest court with her insights and deep understanding of the real-world impacts of the Court’s decisions in the lives of everyday Californians.”

A naturopathic doctor from Northern Calif. who delivered worthless COVID19 immunization treatments and bogus vaccination cards could be going to jail after her plea agreement was tossed. The judge in the case of Juli A. Mazi, of Napa, would not allow her to change her plea or back out of a plea deal. The judge also said no to the agreement, for a guilty plea to wire fraud and making false statements related to health matters. Mazi fired her lawyers and was representing herself. It’s the first federal criminal fraud prosecution of its kind related to forged vaccination cards for COVID-19.

The Governor has nominated a new chief justice for the state Supreme Court. Governor Newsom has chosen Justice Patricia Guerrero, who was appointed to the court as an associate justice in February. She was the first Latina to sit on the court. The nomination comes after the current Chief Justice, Tani Cantil-Sakauye’s announces she was not going to go after a second term when her current term ends in January. Newsom says Guerrero, who hails from the Imperial Valley, has broken barriers and “enriched the highest court with her insights and deep understanding of the real-world impacts of the Court’s decisions in the lives of everyday Californians.”

Another drinking water advisory for folks who take the water directly out of Clear Lake. Residents who live along the shore of the Lower and Oaks arms were warned by the county there is bad bacteria in the water, and boiling or putting chemicals in the water, won’t help. Those impacted can pick up 25 gallons /week of drinking water at filling stations, courtesy of Golden State and Mt. Konocti Mutual Water Companies. Last month the Big Valley Environmental Protection Agency sampled 19 locations and visible, harmful algal blooms were noted at 14 of the locations sampled. 16 of the samples were submitted to cyanotoxin levels. Five locations had dangerous levels and testing showed there might also be other contaminants in the systems too.

The list of parks who are getting grants from the California State Parks Foundation has been released. The 2022 State Parks Improvement Grant recipients include Mendo Parks. The $10,000 will be distributed across several parks, Mendocino Headlands, Jug Handle Nature Reserve, Van Damme, Russian Gulch, and the Navarro River Redwoods State Park. The state’s working with local indigenous tribes to update park brochures with new photographs and potentially all-new brochure artwork by contemporary Pomo artists. There will also be updated trail guides and public ADA accommodations noted therein.

Intro: State lawmakers are about to vote on twin bills to study and mitigate heat waves. If passed, there would be a heat-ranking system, similar to what’s in place for tornadoes and hurricanes. David Azevedo with A-A-R-P California says heat is the leading weather-related cause of death in the country.

 :14  "Older people are more susceptible to heat-related illnesses due to weakened cardiovascular systems, pre-existing health conditions, and the fact that many prescription medications used by older people impact temperature regulation and hydration."

Tag: California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment, in 2018, predicted that excess deaths due to extreme heat could hit 43-hundred per year by 2025, and 11-thousand by 2050 if trends continue.

Second Cut: Azevedo says one of the bills in the Assembly could fund projects to increase tree canopies, build shaded bus shelters, install so-called “cool pavement” and retrofit buildings to make them more heat-resistant.

 :14  "AB 2076 would also create an extreme heat and health reporting system, which will receive and analyze data from local health departments, clinics and hospitals to better identify where extreme heat is most negatively harming communities."

Tag: The bill would also create the country’s first “chief heat officer.” The two bills could get an up-or-down vote without a hearing.

News 8/10/2022

A fire has triggered evacuations in the tiny towns of Willow Creek and Salyer. Firefighters have spread out into Humboldt and Trinity counties where the Six Rivers Lightning Complex spreads. The fire has increased to more than 10,000 acres with zero percent containment. It grew 2,000 acres in the last day or so. The Trinity County Sheriff’s Department sent out a new evacuation warning yesterday afternoon. The Forest Service is also warning the fires that make up the complex can mushroom in size as they spread uphill, and that there could be extreme fire behavior. The area has not burned in years, so fuels are ripe to burn. Firefighters were preparing the area by wetting it down. Cal Fire is working with the US Forest Service on the Complex, which is the 3rd largest on Cal Fire’s map at the moment.

Controversy as the former Mendocino County CEO also speaks out on the so-called financial crisis the county is in. Mendo Fever interviewed former CEO Carmel Angelo who says the county has reserves of about $20 million dollars, at least it did when she retired earlier this year, and that the Board of Supervisors knew that. She says they were fully briefed about the jail construction project and labor negotiations with county employees. But she says recent criticism of herself, and the board is “wrong and unfair”. She went on to say if there’s a lack of fiscal leadership at the county level it’s due to the board. This comes after county finance officials, one former, said the board did not allow open comment and they don’t understand the financial complexities of operating the county.

The Lake County Planning Commission is considering a major use permit for a cannabis operation. Lamberti Farms is trying to get a permit for a marijuana grow in Clearlake Oaks. It includes a mitigated negative declaration after an initial study on over 430,000 square feet. They’ll also consider a request for a major use permit from Konocti Christian Academy for a new private school, of pre-K through ninth grade in Kelseyville. The school has been situated on land at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport.

An open house is being hosted by Caltrans to get public comments on a proposed wildlife overcrossing on State Highway 20. The town hall is next Thursday, a week from tomorrow in Contra Costa County, at the Williams City Hall at 6pm. They will show maps and other information connected to the plan, including the draft environmental document. Caltrans staff are on hand to answer any questions about the $9 million project about 10.5 miles west of Williams. They say the project will restore Tule Elk range and habitat connectivity between Cortina Ridge and Bear Valley.

Students are back in school already. Actually, tomorrow is the first day for kids to head back to the classroom in Lakeport. With that the School District has issued a traffic advisory to be sure they get to school safely. Along with Lakeport Police, school staff are reminding drivers to use extreme caution as they drive in school areas and on school grounds as they’re expecting heavier than normal car and pedestrian traffic in the mornings and afternoons. There will be more traffic cops in the area.

Free breakfast and lunch is being offered to children in the Potter Valley Community Unified School District. The District is home to about 275 students. The meals are being offered for the entire 2022/2023 school year. The only cafeteria for the schools is centrally located in the elementary school. It provides meals for three sites, the state pre-school, there at the elementary school, and the seventh-eighth grade junior high school and a comprehensive high school. They’re already been giving kids meals through their Seamless Summer Program for the last two years compliments of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), for free, to promote food security.

Another report has been released by the Lake County Civil Grand Jury, this one about the difficulty the county has finding and keeping a Public Health Officer. The jury also looked at why it’s taking so long for Human Resources to hire the officer as we’re still in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic. The report says they need a more “aggressive, proactive, user-friendly hiring and retention process/program for all vacant positions and with contracted search firms.” They recommend the county has a designated recruiter, better training, exit interviews and a more fluid process for succession and transition for new hires. The report says Human Resources has no dedicated person to follow up on hires, which could help minimize future turnover.

The death penalty could be on the table for a man from Occidental accused in the murder of a Lucerne man. 26-year-old Nova Maye Deperno is charged in the death of Ronald Meluso. He’s also charged with burglary, car theft and buying, selling and receiving stolen property after Deperno helped show deputies where the body was located. Deperno’s lawyer told the court he is not qualified to represent his client in the case if the county seeks the death penalty. The Deputy DA on the case says no decision has been made. The case will now be set for potential consideration of a new lawyer unless the death penalty is not sought. The next court date is next Tuesday. Deperno’s held in jail on more than $3M dollars bail.

Proposals are sought by the City of Lakeport for medium to large sized sculptures, or mixed or multimedia art installations for a new lakefront park in the downtown area. Those who are chosen will get between $5,000 to $20,000, depending on the size of their piece and the budget they need for materials, labor, installation needs, and any travel expenses. All interested are strongly encouraged to submit their proposals which are due by September 19th. There are no geographical restrictions for who applies. The art must be able to sustain outdoor environments and extreme weather. The art must be secured to the ground or a base.

For more information, contact Jenni Byers, Community Development Director, (707) 263-5615, Ext. 201, jbyers@cityoflakeport.com.

The Governor is asking lawmakers to speed up cutting greenhouse gases and getting to 100% clean energy quicker. Newsom’s also reportedly trying to get new regulations from the state Air Resources Board for oversight on projects to remove carbon dioxide from the air and sequester it underground. The Governor’s been trying to get this all passed by the Legislature before the current session ends. The Assembly Speaker says they appreciate Newsom’s bold actions, and support it, and they’ve already been working on it. And the State Senate is also apparently looking over Newsom’s proposals.

Police in Ukiah are asking anyone who may have seen a car crash into a mom pushing a stroller to come forward. The accident happened Sunday night. Police and firefighter medics arrived in the area near the Redwood Empire Fairgrounds finding a woman down on the ground with major injuries. She was taken to a hospital, then flown out of county for further treatment. Her baby was also taken to the hospital but was uninjured. The driver of the car that hit them admitted to police he was driving. They say he seemed intoxicated, so they arrested him. German Dominguez-Galindo was booked into jail. But police say the woman may have been walking outside of the crosswalk, so they’d like to interview anyone who may have seen the incident.

News 8/9/2022

A man accused of being involved somehow in the death of an infant is refusing to appear in court. Edward “Two Feathers” Steele was accused earlier this week of abandoning two toddlers along the railroad tracks in Ukiah, one of which was found dead. He’s charged now with felony murder in the second degree. The man was ordered to go to court to hear the charges against him, but reportedly didn’t go into the video conference room at the Mendocino County jail for a remote hearing. The DA filed additional charges including “willfully and unlawfully with malice aforethought” killing the child, referred to as K.A. and child endangerment. Another child, a two-year-old boy, was also in the hospital for heat exhaustion after being abandoned. Steele is set to be arraigned today.

After the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors said they needed help with finances from the state, they’re being criticized by others. The meeting last week included talk about the price of the new jail, and it was even discussed that the county was dealing with a financial crisis, by at least one board member. Then the newly elected Treasurer-Tax Collector/Auditor-Controller reportedly sent a letter to the Board, pointing to misinformation at the meeting with no way to rebut that or have an open discussion. The last Treasurer Tax-Collector told at least one news outlet most of the board was “ill-equipped to comprehend the financial complexities” of running the county and there’s no way there’s a financial crisis.

A small fire is out after burning a building. Mendo Fever reports Ukiah Valley Fire Authority was called yesterday morning to the 400 block of Talmage Boulevard and found a commercial trailer on fire. They made quick work of it, so it didn’t spread to a nearby building. The battalion chief said it seemed suspicious in nature and was human-caused. The news site reminds us, the fire comes just three weeks after another blaze was determined to be suspicious too. That one gutted a couple of cars on the same block of Talmage Rd. But the battalion chief said so far they’re not connected to each other. But he did say there’s been an “unusually high number of human-caused and malicious fires. And that it’s a concerning trend during the drought.

The 29th annual Art in the Gardens event at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens was a success. The word after a weekend of local art at the gardens, featuring 30 artists. There was food and local vendors complimenting the art last weekend. The organizers told the Mendocino Voice people had a lot of fun. They sold out both days, and they could have maybe had more attendees, but there was limited parking. Pre-pandemic they had a one-day event, but this year opted for two days so folks could spread out more. And they say they’ll continue with that model.

More housing could be coming to Lakeport. The Planning Commission is considering a couple of projects at their next meeting. One of them is an application for architectural and design review to bring a nearly 3,600 square foot commercial metal building for storage/distribution of packaged snack foods; and the other for a zone change, environmental review and general plan amendment to bring in 128 apartments and 48 homes. The apartments would be situated inside ten two-story buildings. They would be two and three bedrooms. There would be 48 nearby attached homes too. They are also looking to put in a business office, parking and landscaping, and internal access roads. The meeting is tomorrow night.

The Lake County Registrar of Voters office is reminding about the General Election in November. It’s time to file for School and Special District elective offices for the November 8^th ballot. The deadline is this Friday. The filing period opened July 18^th. If you’d like to check out the list of offices up for election you can visit the Registrar’s website. It includes the calendar and handbook, filing requirements and all election processes.

The South Ukiah Rotary is trying to help curb the use of plastic in a campaign called “End Plastic Soup”, to make the rivers of the world clean and healthy. They have put out the word they’re joining other local partners this year cleaning rivers in our own communities. You can help them “Beat Plastic” by attending their next fundraiser. It’s happening, one week from Saturday, August 20^th at Barra Winery. They say it’ll be a night of great food, entertainment & a live auction, with proceeds going to projects on the Russian River and an International Project in Bosnia on the River Drina.

The Middletown Area Town Hall is providing updates on local projects at their next meeting. It’s happening this Thursday at the Community Meeting Room in the Library. It’s also on Zoom. There will be a panel giving presentations on the Rabbit Hill water tanks beautification project; the Hidden Valley Lake Greenview Restaurant; and the Maha Gueno Project. The group will also consider a proposed amendment for their bylaws and discuss a clarification for the qualifications for board nominees. District 1 Supervisor Moke Simon will also be there to deliver a report. MATH is a municipal advisory council serving the residents of Anderson Springs, Cobb, Coyote Valley (including Hidden Valley Lake), Long Valley and Middletown.

Police are searching for anyone who may know what happened to a Northern California teen who disappeared from a campground. 16-year-old Kiely Rodni, of Truckee, has not been seen since Saturday when she was at the Prosser Family Campground where there were over 100 kids and young adults. The Placer County Sheriff’s Office reports her phone has no service, and her car vanished. They’re calling it an abduction because they cannot seem to find her vehicle. The family is offering a $50,000 reward and are pleading for anyone with information to come forward.

PG& E is holding another Wildfire Safety Webinar and is inviting customers to hear their wildfire prevention efforts. The company says in order to keep customers and communities safe while the risk of wildfires continue growing in Calif., they’re evolving their wildfire safety program to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. As part of that, the webinar is happening tomorrow night over Zoom from 5:30 to 7 p.m. with energy experts who will provide a brief presentation. Then those in attendance will have time to ask questions. The event can be accessed through a link or dial-in at PG& E’s website, pge.com/ firesafetywebinars.

Some folks in the footprint of the massive McKinney Fire say they were never alerted to leave. An announcement never came from Siskiyou County officials or by text message from the emergency alert system. Many interviewed for a story who live around the fire area said they never got the alerts even though they had signed up for them, or they didn’t know they had to sign up. Since the fire is still active, officials say they can’t review the system to see what happened with the evacuation warnings. It was after the fact, after massive fires in Sonoma and Butte counties that they put money into improving their alert systems. But the McKinney Fire area is apparently the home to survivalists, off-the-grid folks and retirees who live there so they’re not bothered. The fire is holding at just over 60,000 acres and is 55% contained. 4 people were killed in the fire, trying to escape the flames, including one long time fire lookout.

News 8/8/2022

The Latitude Observatory is reopening. This Friday is the ribbon cutting ceremony and festivities follow from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Observatory Park. Visitors will be able to explore new family-friendly exhibits, outlining the rich history of the site, including stories of observers from across the globe who visited from 1899-1982, many stationed in Ukiah. They looked at the Earth’s wobble and more. Those visiting can pour over historic records and check out the original telescope. There’s also a short program to discover the constellations in a portable planetarium.

The state Dept. of Public Health is reminding to get your routine health exams. After the pandemic surfaced, many of use skipped check-ups and other vaccinations. Now the agency is reminding, as the new school year gets closer, to get your children their routine vaccines that may have been missed or delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. They’re also urging older Californians to remember their cancer screenings. As a reminder, there are many vaccine-preventable diseases, like whooping cough and measles, that can be highly contagious. And students and school staff with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable. And Cancer is the 2nd leading cause of death in Calif.

A woman and infant have been hit by a car near the Ukiah Fairgrounds. Mendo Fever reports it happened near the entrance to the fairgrounds early this morning. The woman reportedly walking with a one-year-old girl in a stroller when they were hit. An air ambulance was brought in along with two ground ambulances. Police were searching for a dark-colored SUV that left the scene but returned. They detained the driver. During the chaotic scene, a Nixle alert was sent out to avoid the area of North State St from Garrett Dr to Magnolia St.

A music video filming project turns into arrests in Hopland. Mendo Fever reports hearing on the police scanner about an incident forcing those involved to scramble out of the area with two cars chasing behind and shooting going on. The men leaving the scene reportedly stopped by the intersection of Highway 101 and West Road with two cars trailing them, who also pulled over. The news site reports three black men got out of one car and either ran away or jumped into a second vehicle. A nearby taxicab driver called police after someone requested a ride about three hours south. The news site also reports the three Black men may have also been involved in a cannabis robbery last month. The Sheriff’s Office sent out a shelter in place order in the neighborhood Friday, then soon after two men were arrested in Hopland.

Thousands of people gleefully back at the annual Redwood Empire Fair. They showed up at the fairgrounds this weekend to enjoy pre-pandemic fun once again. There was a Junior Livestock Auction which reportedly raked in more than $1 million on behalf of local young farmers. And apparently it was the girls who took home most of the Fair Market Steer awards.

After flash flooding, a massive fish kill was reported in Siskiyou County near Happy Camp. Photographs have gone viral showing thousands of dead fish in the Klamath River due to the McKinney Fire. The massive fire burning near the Oregon border has destroyed over 100 structures and killed four people. A spokesperson for the Karuk tribe said after a massive debris slide last Wednesday and Thursday, flows hit the main stem of the river at or near Humbug Creek and McKinney Creeks. The debris that flowed into the river strangled the oxygen flow which caused a massive fish die off. The fish then started to wash up downstream. Since the fire is still burning and it’s in a hard to access area, those studying the die off say it’s still too soon to tell the extent of the ecological disaster. The fire has charred over 60,000 acres and is 40% contained.

Some environmentalists who want the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant closed down finally are reportedly hitting a brick wall with the Governor’s office. The Governor had agreed some years back that the plant should be closed by 2025. And now that the date gets ever so close, environmental groups say the Governor, who claims to be a green energy advocate, is considering keeping the plant open beyond the 2016 agreement to close it in 3 years. The Utility Reform Network says Newsom’s concerned with the electricity grid, which may be seen as a political liability. His office says Newsom’s just focused on maintaining reliable energy, and still supports closing Diablo Canyon “in the long term.” PG&E claims the plant is still safe, otherwise not commenting on potential closure dates.

The McKinney Fire is still burning, mostly out of control. Nearly half of the fire has been surrounded near the California-Oregon state line. But firefighters are dealing with fast moving winds and low humidity, which is putting a major wrinkle in full containment of the 60,000-acre fire. So far it’s the state’s largest fire of 2022. Four people died trying to escape the flames last week. Both Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service are working the inferno. There was a red flag warning for dry and gusty conditions yesterday afternoon and evening. So far we don’t have updated numbers from Cal Fire. The fire has destroyed over 130 structures.

COVID19 guidance in schools could be changing before the new school year. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could soon put out an update. CNN is reporting it may include less of an emphasis on regular school screenings, relaxed quarantine protocols and less focus on social distancing. They’re also reportedly considering removing a recommendation for students to be regularly tested for the virus which was made at the end of last year as the omicron strain took hold and cases started to surge again. The agency will however encourage more ventilation in buildings. We could see the new guidance released sometime this week.

Now that there’s a new virus circulating, wastewater surveillance that started when the COVID19 pandemic broke, is being used for monkeypox. Wastewater being studied during the pandemic supposedly indicated how much virus was shedding. It was generally happening before symptoms showed up. This has been done in Israel to monitor for polio, and rarely here in the states. But research began after COVID came about by scientists at Stanford University, the University of Michigan, and Emory University to detect the virus. The same team is leading the same effort for monkeypox which has already infected more than 26,000 people worldwide, including more than 7,000 in the U.S.

3 more people have been arrested in connection to a shooting off the 101 in Hopland. The CHP reports someone was driving a Ford Expedition which was shot at and became disabled. The victim was not injured and cops say 3 men ran from his vehicle after the shooting. All were in another location in Willits before the shooting, then there was some sort of altercation involving several other vehicles. The victim who was shot at in the Expedition stayed in the vehicle, an Escalade took off too. The Escalade was found later in Hopland on a tow truck. Two men with the Escalade were found with a handgun and arrested. They also had a bunch of marijuana and cash. Three others, who were in the Expedition were found and also arrested. All five were booked into Mendocino County Jail. No injuries were reported.

We’ve got some more information on the story of a mom pushing a stroller near the Redwood Empire Fairgrounds being hit by a car. A man from Lake County has been arrested for DUI with bodily injury for the incident this morning. Police say German Dominguez Galindo was driving down North State Street when he hit the mom and one-year-old as they crossed the street outside of a crosswalk. Witnesses say the driver sped up for unknown reasons. The mother had to be flown to an out-of-county hospital and was reported in critical condition. And the infant was unharmed. Galindo did not flee; he stayed and was arrested after officers said they thought he seemed drunk. More charges may be coming for Galindo as they incident is investigated.

News 8/5/2022

A man from Ukiah is missing and wanted in connection to the death of an infant. Sheriff’s Deputies reported to a hotel where a concerned parent said two of their children were missing after being left in the care of Edward “Two Feathers” Steele. The one- and two-year-old boys were found near the railroad tracks, one was suffering from heat exhaustion. Someone nearby called 911 after seeing Steele with the children earlier. The 2-year-old was taken to a hospital. Then a search turned up the other child, the one-year-old, who was found dead nearby. An autopsy has been ordered to see how the child may have died and Steele was reportedly on the run and wanted in connection to the death. He’s described as a 32-year-old Native American man, about 6 feet tall, 185 pounds, with short hair, with a large tattoo on the side of his face.

An alert has gone out to be mindful of possible flooding in Ukiah, followed by another saying there was no threat of flooding in Ukiah. The National Weather Service for Northeastern Mendocino County put out the alert that there could be flooding by excessive rainfall of a training thunderstorm in part of Northwest California, including the following county, Mendocino. The alert said there could be minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas. Then the notice shortly after there was no threat and to carry on.

A woman from Ukiah’s in trouble with the law after a routine traffic stop. Deputies say they contacted the driver who was alone in the car, and say she gave them a phony name, but had no ID on her. They checked the records on the vehicle and suspected the woman was lying to them. Andrea Gonzales later admitted she gave them her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend’s name, then gave them a different name and date of birth. Deputies used a device called a Mobil Data Terminal, searching for her name, and again found she was lying. Gonzales was arrested and found with meth and a meth pipe on her. She was also found to be wanted for one warrant out of county warrant and five more in Mendocino County, so she was held without bail.

A series of cannabis assistance workshops are being jointly held by Mendocino County and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) this month and next. The workshops are for new and legacy farmers, and cannabis consultants. The county’s permitting staff and CDFW’s cannabis program staff are going to be on hand to answer project specific technical questions, compliance and discuss cannabis grant program opportunities. Representatives of the Department of Cannabis Control and the State Water Resources Control Board will also be available.

Meetings can be scheduled by emailing cannabisprogram@mendocinocounty.org. Please be sure to include “Mendocino Pop-Up” in the subject line of the email and include your preferred date, time, location and topic in the message. No walk-ins will be allowed. Masking is recommended.

Workshop dates:

Friday, Aug. 5 – 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Mendocino County – Agriculture Office
501 Low Gap Road, Ukiah

Friday, Aug. 19 – 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Round Valley Public Library
23925 Howard St., Covelo

Friday, Sept. 2 – 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Mendocino County Museum
400 East Commercial St., Willits

Friday, Sept. 23 – 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Mendocino County Library – Fort Bragg
499 East Laurel St., Fort Bragg

Friday, Sept. 30 – 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Harwood Hall
44400 Willis Ave., Laytonville

You can also visit wildlife.ca.gov/cannabis to learn more about permitting and Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreements. For more details on CDFW’s cannabis grant program, please visit wildlife.ca.gov/cannabisgrants.

A small fire in Ukiah has been quickly contained after ignited in dry grass by the intersection of North State Street and Orr Springs Road. The fire broke out last night just before 7:00 p.m. and was contained within ten minutes. It blackened an area about 100’x50′ off Highway 101. There was a report that a woman was seen running from the scene after.

A fire near Clearlake has broken out. Yesterday afternoon the fire started by the intersection of Highway 52 and Ogulin Canyon Rd. The fire had quickly grown to about 5-7 acres and was said to be moving fast. Highway 53 was closed, and an evacuation was ordered. Mendo Fever reports hearing on the scanner that someone saw someone else start the fire and followed them. About a half hour later the fire had grown to ten acres but was controlled before burning any structures. Lake Co News reports a woman named Angela Smith who admitted she started the fire, was arrested. The fire burned 17 acres and evacuations were canceled and roads reopened.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is hosting a wildfire safety webinar on prevention steps. The workshop next Wednesday is for customers to hear plans and provide the utility with feedback. PG&E experts are giving a brief presentation on their wildfire prevention efforts; they’ll offer resources to help customers and communities before, during and after wildfire safety outages; and share improvements and updates to PG&E’s safety technology and tools. The webinar is from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

The event can be accessed through the link or dial-in below or through PG&E’s website, http://www.pge.com/firesafetywebinars.

Click this link to join: https://bit.ly/3nKIAc9. Attendee dial-in: 800-619-7898; conference ID: 5949849.

More information and resources to help you and your family prepare for and stay safe in the event of an emergency can be found at https://www.safetyactioncenter.pge.com/.

A new report says places where there are wildfires may be contributors to more lung disease. The American Lung Association says as wildfire season is in full swing, they’re not sure yet if lung cancer can be caused by wildfire, but at the very least they are known to contribute to poor air quality, air pollution and more particles in the air. Over 17,000 people in California will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year according to the Association. They also say this year more than 9,600 will die from the disease. The American Cancer Society says the disease is generally caused by smoking tobacco, genetics, second hand smoke, radon and asbestos exposure and air pollution.

The massive McKinney Fire is not moving as fast as it was, but the containment is still quite low. 4 people have been killed by the nearly 59,000-acre fire along the Oregon Border and 100 homes or other buildings were destroyed. Some residents in the tiny town of Yreka have been allowed to go home as the fire moved on and firefighters made headway in rainy weather. But fire officials warned at a community meeting this week that temperatures will go up, and humidity will go down, which could cause the fire to balloon again. The fire remains only 10% contained.

A Homeless Action Plan is being put into play in Lake County. On Tuesday the Lake County Board of Supervisors considered the Plan after a presentation from Lake County Behavioral Health Services. The Record Bee reports there were only 3 board members at the meeting Tuesday to consider an application for more than a half million dollars in funding for a Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) grant. Most of the money is earmarked for a shelter to provide permanent housing to homeless and developmentally disabled adults in Nice. The supervisors asked for amended language in the application to add low-income housing to the plan, so amendments were added and the plan was approved.

Of all of the things the Lake County Grand Jury are investigating, the latest release was on the abundance of stray or feral cats. The report released as animal shelters are unable to take in many more animals during the Empty the Shelter month across the country. The report says the amount of cats being born in the county each year is contributing to the overcrowding and usually ends up with the animals being euthanized. So, the report goes on to say, they need a better long-term solution in the county to alleviate the overcrowding. The investigation came after a complaint by a resident in Clearlake. They recommended setting aside more cannabis income to help corral the animals for three years. With that they could buy a van for shelter staff and volunteers to use for vaccinations and sterilization procedures.

There are three open seats available on the Ukiah City Council. Those interested have until next Friday to file their paperwork. The City Clerk said at the last council meeting they’ve had five people pick up paperwork so far. They were noted as three incumbents and two challengers. The terms are for four years, ending in December of 2026. Those interested have to be at least 18 years of age, a Citizen of the United States, and a registered voter residing within the city limits of Ukiah.

Nomination papers and guides are available at City Hall, 300 Seminary Ave., by scheduling an appointment with the City Clerk’s office at 707-463-6217, or by email at cityclerk@cityofukiah. com.

News 8/4/2022

Still out of control, but firefighters have finally corralled part of the massive fire burning near the Oregon border. The McKinney Fire, which has killed four people is reported at 10% containment as weather was favorable for the fight. The fire has burned more than 57,500 acres. The area of the fire near the town of Yreka is contained and evacuation orders were downgraded. There are still around 1,300 residents under evacuation orders. The fire didn’t move much yesterday after heavy rain fell. But one of the leaders in the firefight said it’s a “sleeping giant right now”. They expect to surround a spot fire today which is 1,000 acres. The fire has destroyed over 100 homes and other buildings.

A report from the state Auditor’s Office shows a custodian who had been with the Department of General Services was getting $185,000 in pay and benefits between 2016 and 2020 even though he wasn’t working full time. The investigative report says the custodian with his supervisor faked time sheets and training records, so it looked like he had been working full time, but he hadn’t even worked at all for much of those four years. The report says as payment, the custodian gave a percentage of his pay to the supervisor. The custodian stopped working in December 2016. Investigators say the supervisor was getting about $1,300 cash monthly for the scam. A new manager hired in December 2020 caught onto the scheme.

The supplemental law enforcement contract between Clearlake and Lakeport has been approved by the Lakeport City Council. Lakeport has had staffing issues and Clearlake will provide help until the other department is fully staffed up. Last month Clearlake’s city council gave the plan the green light, and on Tuesday Lakeport followed suit. The departments have worked together in the past, and both chiefs say the new agreement will allow that to continue as they may have staffing shortages, which is currently happening in Lakeport. There are 13 sworn officers, and in Clearlake there are 24 – and one-part timer.

The Lakeport City Council has decided to find all of the past due/delinquent utility accounts and put liens on the homes. After a public hearing on the matter Tuesday the council approved a resolution to send the $8,000 worth of unpaid bills to the Lake County Auditor-Controller’s Office to be included on the property tax roll. That means the properties will have a lien so the city won’t get any money until the homes are sold. The city also reportedly applied to get money from the state to pay off the unpaid utility bills.

A former veterinary hospital can be used for the United Disaster Relief. The Ukiah Planning Commission approved a permit for the building on Airport Park Boulevard. A representative says they’ll comply with city codes and put a screen on an outdoor storage area along with a solid fence or wall. But they apparently don’t have the money right now and will start a fundraiser campaign to raise the cash. She also said there have been burglaries there, with people cutting the current fencing and stealing tarps so they’ve been unable to maintain the carports they’ve been using for storage. They’re putting in palette racks for the time being to secure items out of sight.

A group of environmental activists say they’re suing PG&E for decommissioning the Potter Valley Project because it will harm the salmon and trout populations in the Eel River. The groups also say it violates the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). The hydroelectric power plant diverts water from the Eel to the Russian River using two dams. coho and Chinook salmon and steelhead trout could be further endangered by the project being decommissioned, the groups say. Friends of the Eel River, California Trout, Trout Unlimited, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, and the Institute for Fisheries Resources have filed a notice of intent to sue under the Endangered Species Act, giving 60 days warning, which was June 15th. The Mendocino Voice reports PG&E has not made a move.

A dead sperm whale has washed ashore in Mendocino, then sank down to the seafloor as it was being towed back to the beach. Mendo Voice reports the Noyo Center for Marine Science says Monday they were hoping to perform a partial necropsy to find out how the animal may have died and wanted to collect its skull to display on exhibit to no avail. It first showed up near Portuguese Beach in a cove. The center was working with various fire personnel, the coast guard and scientists to try to move the carcass to study it. They say the whale was between 40 and 45 feet long and they’ll continue to study its fall to the sea floor.

Even though it was a thumbs down for two supes, the Mendocino County Board said yes to continue working on a countywide water resource team. In partnership with the University of California Cooperative Extension, the county would work to find ways to provide necessary water for county residents. They’d also address long-term needs for clear systems of countywide water governance. Mendo Voice reports it’s going to cost the county, so there was some back and forth on the hiring of a hydrology expert and starting necessary grant writing which could cost the county hundreds of thousands of dollars. Three supervisors approved of moving forward, while two dissented, 3rd district Supervisor John Haschak and 4th district Supervisor Dan Gjerde.

A woman from Ukiah accused of DUI has been found guilty, but just for misdemeanors. The jury delivered their verdict against Sydney Shackman in a half hour. She was convicted of misdemeanor driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, misdemeanor driving a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol .08 or greater, and failure to provide proof of motor vehicle insurance, an infraction. When she was pulled over in January of 2021, she admitted she was driving the car, which had gone down an embankment. She was given field sobriety tests and failed, registering a .11 blood alcohol test. She also pleaded guilty in court to a separate misdemeanor failing to appear in court after signing a promise to appear.

The City of Ukiah has put out a statement six months after adopting their Equity Action Plan.  The Diversity and Equity Committee says there have already been multiple accomplishments. Those include a new mobile-friendly ADA-compliant website including a language section. There’s a new employment recruitment portal; expansion of the Movies-in-the-Park program for more neighborhoods; added inclusion questions to all board, commission, and committee applications; city staff have put together a multidisciplinary, mid-management team to improve recruitment, retention, and promotion practices. And staffers are working on an employee diversity, equity, and inclusion training plan.

The California State Teachers’ Retirement System is in the red on investments for the first time since the Great Recession of 2008.  CalSTRS is in charge of pensions for almost one million current teachers and retirees. They reported a minus 1.3% return on its portfolio with the year-end value down over $8.5 billion dollars. It was a year after a record investment gain in 20-21 of 27.2%. The pension system says the decline was due to market volatility complicated by inflation, rising interest rates, the pandemic and the continuing war in Ukraine.

A union representing mental health workers at Kaiser Northern Calif. is preparing to strike. 2,000 workers announced an open-ended strike will begin a week from Monday, Aug. 15^th. They say it’s due to high clinician workloads and patients who have to wait for weeks or months to get the care they need. Their union says as demand for care surged, therapists are frustrated and leaving in droves. A union representative says they don’t take the strike lightly, but they have to finally take a stand and “make Kaiser spend some of its billions on mental health care.” Kaiser currently has over 4.5 million enrollees.

The nonprofit – Economic Development & Financing Corporation (EDFC) is working with Mendocino County to start the California Microbusiness COVID-19 Relief Grant Program. They’ll be awarding grants of up to $2,500 for local microbusinesses who’ve been seriously impacted by the pandemic. The amount a business can receive, and the eligibility requirements, are set by the funder, the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA). The program was launched to give relief to the hardest-to-reach micro businesses and entrepreneurs.  The grant portal opened July 26^th and will continue to award the money until they run out.

News 8/3/2022

A bit of a mess at the latest Mendocino County Board of Supervisors meeting. Supervisors talking finances and the new jail taking too long. Supervisor Ted Williams said the CEO’s office should get in touch with the state controller for help. The board discussed the jail construction documents delaying the project as the state examines them. The new CEO said she didn’t know why it was taking so long either. Also on the docket why some county workers are still without a new contract. SEIU Local 1021 workers want a raise, but that’ll cost the county over three million dollars. Williams called for financial transparency, including incorporating recommendations from an outside auditor. Supervisor Glenn McGourty said the county needs properly trained financial minds, then the board agreed to ask the state for more money for the jail and ask the state controller to step in and help with finances.

They say they’ve won. The Forest Protectors of Jackson Demonstration State Forest (JDSF) say the California State Board of Forestry has put an indefinite “hold” on all operations, awaiting their Government-to-Government talks. The activist group says they demanded a moratorium at the forest until there was government-to-government Co-management. The publicly owned 47,000-acre forest is under an outdated CalFire management plan. That triggered a campaign last year with protestors on forest property, interrupting logging operations of old redwoods. Things heated up after CalFire approved a timber harvest near the small coastal town of Caspar. Letters, phone calls and petitions circulated to stop it, with no luck until now.

Packed Mendocino Coast Healthcare District Board of Directors meeting. Last week the board discussed their new website, last year’s minutes moving to the site without approval and sending a letter regarding the Adventist Health – Anthem insurance partnership. There was some contention about the minutes being posted online without the board’s review, and board members became frustrated with each other about that. The board chair shared the new website’s migration of old information to the new site had some items not noted as draft documents. The board decided to pull the minutes from the website then took up the matter of Adventist Health and Anthem Insurance contract negotiations. The president of Adventist Health Mendocino Coast was on hand assuring they don’t want to split up.

Members of the public at the latest Willits City Council meeting have requested an update to local tobacco retail licenses to ban flavored vape products. They heard about statitistics in youth vaping and potential flavor bans, retail restrictions near youth friendly locations and product placement and advertising. Also during the meeting the Third District Supervisor John Haschak was there to talk about the tax proposal for fire services. And the council all voted yes for a Mutual Aid Agreement with six municipalities, four in Mendocino County and two in Lake County to exchange certain equipment, staff overlap and materials to be shared as needed.

We’re still not doing as good as we can conserving water. The latest report says there was a tiny improvement from July 2021 to this past May. The Governor last summer asked for a 15% reduction when he declared a drought emergency. We saw an 8.5% reduction in May, but not so much in Southern California where it was only 2.2% less. That meant the entire state average was only at a 3.1% reduction compared to May 2020. It may mean a mandatory reduction if it keeps up. A spokesperson for the Governor says businesses and residents need to step up. She says the administration will continue monitoring the conservation numbers, especially the early June numbers before they see if they need to make further changes.

A fire in a Ukiah creek is being reported as arson. That’s the word from the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority on yesterday’s fire in Gibson Creek near South Orchard Avenue. Some witnesses reported seeing the fire around mid-morning near a big tunnel. One police officer responded using a fire extinguisher as the UVFA Battalion Chief got there. A crew came down too to make sure it was doused, hosing it down. The chief said it was definitely “human-caused” and that the tunnel is used a lot as temporary housing. He says a large log was burning and was not being used for cooking or warming up. They have no suspects and are trying to see if there are any local surveillance cameras that caught anything.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is in Lake County pruning and felling trees, so they don’t come into contact with power lines. It’s the last bit of work to prevent wildfires in high fire-risk areas along about 94 miles of overhead power lines. Those in Cobb and Cobb Mountain, Clearlake Oaks, Glenview, Kelseyville, Lower Lake, Loch Lomond, and Morgan Valley may encounter folks inspecting power lines and preparing trees to be taken down or trimmed. PG&E workers will go out to customers and share their plans with the community. The company says they’ll work individually with any customers needed if there’s safety work to be done on their property.

A great success is what the Lakeport Home Wine and Beer Makers’ Festival is being called. The event at Library Park, also known as Winefest is the biggest annual fundraiser for the Lake County Symphony Association (LCSA). A lot of the money raised helps to support youth and community programs like music lessons and scholarships. That pays for things like transportation and lodging costs for non-local musicians. This was the first in person event in a couple of years because of the pandemic. The event’s been happening for more than 20 years as a way bring in regular funds for the Symphony.

A fond farewell to an old hospital. A gathering is being planned for folks to come together and share stories, pictures, or anything else related to the old Howard Memorial Hospital in Willits. The organizers plan to sit in the shade on the back lawn along Poplar Street. They’ve not confirmed a date yet, but say there will be refreshments and time to reminisce about the old, beloved hospital that was part of the community since 1928.

The state has settled with one of the country’s largest rent-to-own companies, Rent-A-Center. A $15.5 million dollar settlement has been agreed to after claims the company misled and overcharged tens of thousands of customers. The Attorney General Rob Bonta reported yesterday after an investigation into the company’s “kiosk” business in furniture stores. They found since 2014 the company was inflating their cash prices about 15% higher than the true retail price, along with other supposed violations related to over 100,000 contracts through the company’s Preferred Lease line.

A man who lost his home and potentially four pets in the massive McKinney Fire had a glimmer of hope. James or “Mac” Benton found his 3-month-old Pitbull pup, Patches. The puppy had a moment of fame when it was found in the desolate remains of a neighborhood. Benton says he was escaping the fire Friday in the town of Klamath River and thought his animals were all accounted for, but when he noticed they were not, he turned around, but the flames and smoke overcame him, and he had to leave. Benton lived with several other people on his property and one he has not been able to get in touch with. Four people have died in the fire so far. Around 100 homes or other buildings burned in the fire. Meanwhile, Patches was found at the Rescue Ranch, a nonprofit dog rehab and adoption center in nearby Yreka.

News 8/2/2022

Due to the continuing outbreak of the monkeypox virus, the Governor has declared a State of Emergency. That’s to try to get ahold of more shots of the vaccination. The California Department of Public Health is working with the Newsom administration to coordinate a response to monkeypox, find more vaccines and lead outreach and education efforts on accessing vaccines and treatment. The Governor announced the state was working in an urgent fashion across all levels of government to slow the spread of the virus. He says they’re working with the federal government to secure more vaccines, raise awareness about reducing risk, and stand with the LGBTQ community fighting stigmatization.

A fire breaks out in Ukiah and citizens try dousing the flames. It happened July 22nd in the 100 block of Lake Mendocino Drive. The Deputy who responded was in the area and was told by witnesses they saw a man walking near the fire. 72-year-old Jimmy Hendry was found nearby and told the Deputy he saw a woman named Monica start the fire and run away. But apparently Deputies knew the area had surveillance cameras. Hendry gave them his contact info and left. After Deputies got ahold of the surveillance footage, they confirmed it was Hendry who was alone in the area when the fire started. He was arrested for Recklessly Causing Fire to Forest Land and booked into jail on $157,500.00 bail.

A woman from Covelo has been arrested in connection to a possible rip off of Costco gift cards. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office was told 300 gift cards, each with a value of $30.00 were purchased from grant money given to the Round Valley Tribe. Deputies say the cards were all redeemed or used in May by various people at the Ukiah Costco. So, they looked at surveillance footage, identifying multiple people using the gift cards. Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force officers, Deputies and Probation Department staff served three search warrants in Covelo, finding evidence linking the gift cards to the locations. They also found firearms, ammo and a suspect, Kassandra Phillips. They say she worked at the location the gift cards were removed from and arrested her for embezzlement and grand theft and held on $15,000.00 bail.

The Lake County Board of Supervisors will officially ask the Governor to appoint a new member. After District 4 Supervisor Tina Scott resigned to take on a teaching position, the board will consider sending a letter to the Governor’s office for a successor. Scott’s last day was July 31st. Lake Co News reports the Board was considering a special election to be folded into the General in November, but the letter the Board is thinking of sending asks for timely action to fill the vacancy by appointment for the remainder of Scotts term. Also, this morning, the Board will hear from Supervisor Bruno Sabatier regarding an appeal for a decision by the Lake County Planning Commission for the Bottle Rock Farm FJA Trust Cannabis Project. He says there are several violations on the project property.

Some fixes need to be made on playground equipment at a park in Fort Bragg. The City’s Public Works Department is closing the Wiggly Giggly Playground at Bainbridge Park for repairs. The playground area and restroom will be temporarily closed as maintenance crews work there tomorrow all day. Both the playground and restrooms are expected to open later tomorrow or Thursday. For more info, you can get in touch with Fort Bragg’s Department of Public Works.

Sexual misconduct violations may have been swept under the rug in the Cal State University system… for a time. Ed Source reports 54 faculty members, coaches and other non-management employees at a dozen CSU campuses violated sexual misconduct and discrimination policies in cases settled or resolved between 2017 and 2021. The report says not all were kept that quiet, as there were some terminated, or they resigned. The university system released the information on the violations which included unwanted sexual advances, like requests for sex, unwanted touching and kissing, and discrimination based on gender and race. The information was just released considering other recent controversies about how the college system handled sexual harassment complaints and disciplined employees.

A recent report states one reason the COVID surge seems so high again, is that many people are being reinfected. The state’s Public Health Dept. reports in the first few weeks of July they documented over 50,000 reinfections. That was 1 in 7 of the new COVID cases through the middle of the month. It’s because of the more contagious and vaccine resistant sub-strains of omicron. They say you can get the infection again just weeks after a recovery. The state has already seen nearly ten million cases since the pandemic first started. The state Department of Public Health said there were more than 350,000 reinfections in the last 10-11 months, with the most happening the first week of last September when the delta strain was rising. But only about 2% of the cases were known reinfections.

The huge fire burning in the Klamath National Forest has killed two people. Apparently, the pair were found in a car Sunday in a driveway as the fire forged a path near Highway 96. The fire broke out Friday and mushroomed in size to more than 55,000 acres, creating it’s own weather system with dust, smoke plumes and flames. Thousands have been sent from their homes near the California-Oregon border. There’s video posted online from the highway showing blackened trees, burned out cars on the side of the road that had their wheels melted to the earth and destroyed buildings. The Klamath National Forest Supervisor posted on Facebook that in the first hours of the fire they knew they had lost several structures in and around Klamath River, including homes. There’s no confirmed number, but the Siskiyou County Sheriff says they’ve sifted through about 100 homes so far.

Lake County has announced a new Assistant County Administrator. Stephen L. Carter, Jr. was appointed after previous fiscal leadership positions in the County for the last seven years. The County reports Carter has prepared financial forecasts for County-wide fiscal planning and management activities, was a trusted authority on the Board of Supervisors’ purchasing policies and practices and supported staff in other financially focused roles. Staff knowing him, the press release says, as an effective trainer and highly creative problem solver, informed by years of experience and a strong theoretical foundation in Business Administration.

Adventist Health Ukiah Valley has announced they’re extending their contract for another two weeks with Anthem Blue Cross. The contract was supposed to expire July 18th but was then extended two more weeks. That ended yesterday as negotiations between Anthem Blue Cross and Adventist Health continued. There was a statement released at the end of last week, they extended again until August 16th as both sides continue to actively negotiate in good faith with the goal of reaching a mutually agreeable contract. The two healthcare giants have been working together for years and say they’re both committed to a new contract agreement.

An achievement for Amber Alerts. It’s been twenty years since the system was created in CA. The California Highway Patrol works with multiple agencies and the public to try to find missing children. So far they report the alert system has helped reunite 376 missing kids with their families. The commissioner of the law enforcement agency says it’s so successful, because “we are all caretakers in our community”. AMBER stands for “America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response Alert”. It was developed in 1996 for 9-year-old Amber Hagerman who was abducted and murdered in Arlington, Texas and is used nationwide. In Calif. the system went into effect in 2002.

For more information regarding AMBER alerts, visit http://www.chp.ca.gov/newsalerts/ amber-alert.

A public hearing is set for the Lakeport City Council on delinquent utility accounts. The meeting tonight will cover 18 parcels with delinquent bills. It’s about $9,230 worth, as noted by the city’s Finance Department. The city has to first notify delinquent account holders so they have an opportunity to make good on their account. They get a delinquency notice monthly. Final notice was sent out to the delinquent accounts, as of May 31st, and should have been received by property owners by July 16th. Also during tonight’s meeting, the council will be asked to give their approval for the Police Chief to enter into an agreement with the City of Clearlake for supplemental services because of staffing challenges.

Two more bodies have been found in the blackened land of the McKinney Fire in the Siskiyou National Forest. Two others were found Sunday in a car along Route 96 in a driveway. A couple trying to get away from the flames were overtaken. The second pair were found at another house along the same highway yesterday, one of the only roads in and out of the area near the Oregon/Calif. border. The Sheriff’s Office says there is nobody else missing. The community of Klamath River has been decimated by the fire which grew tens of thousands of acres in a day, after breaking out Friday. More than 100 homes, sheds and other buildings have burned. Thankfully some rain came down and helped firefighters slow the spread of the fire, but there’s still no containment and the fire is considered to be out of control. It’s burned nearly 56,000 acres.

Congressman Jared Huffman along with 39 other House Reps have sent a letter to the Treasury Secretary and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner to get the IRS to review the status of the Family Research Council (FRC) and find ways to prevent abuse of IRS church status. It comes after an investigative report showing the Family Research Council’s church status application and IRS approval was obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. The congressional members are also asking for a better review process for organizations seeking church status so if they’re not actual churches, so they’re unable to abuse the tax code. Other Congress members from Calif. who signed the letter were Linda T. Sánchez, Adam Schiff, Norma J. Torres and Karen Bass.

News 8/1/2022

A celebration over the weekend for the winners of this year’s Redwood Empire Fair VIP Awards. The pre-fair kickoff dinner is also a celebration for the winners. Those include, the Agriculturist Award. This year it went to John Harper, UCCE Livestock and Natural Resources adviser and county director for Mendocino and Lake Counties. He’s been the director for about 15 years for each county. The business award this year, to Adventist Health. The faith-based health care system has almost 2,000 people working for them. And they claim to have given out over $670 million in aid for education, research, community health improvement, subsidized community health care, and free and discounted care to the poor and elderly. And this year’s Blue Ribbon Award goes to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team.

A massive fire is burning in Siskiyou County, blowing smoke across Northern Calif. The Klamath National Forest Service reports nearly a dozen fires burning in the region and another pair in the Six Rivers National Forest. The largest is the McKinney Fire which has already burned nearly 52,500 acres–it is 0% contained. The fire just started Friday. It triggered evacuations in the region of 2,000 residents. News reporters in the area say some residents were trying to get down Highway 96 as their homes burned behind them. Kym Kemp reports several homes and structures have burned along with vehicles. There was an RV park off the highway near Klamath River, west of Yreka. This is the biggest fire in California this year…so far.

US Senator Dianne Feinstein has reportedly introduced a bill that will help wildfire victims and their families. It’s co-sponsored by her partner from Calif. Senator Alex Padilla, along with Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper. A companion bill was introduced in the house in March by Congressman Mike Thompson to protect those impacted by fires, potentially instigated by PG&E equipment. After the utility company was found guilty of negligence for fires in 2015, 2017 and 2018, PG&E had to set aside a trust with $13 billion dollars for payments to wildfire survivors. But thousands say they’re owed more or other payments as part of their settlements. The bill aims to get rid of associated taxes, which can be considered income. And they can deduct their lawyer’s fees too, if this passes.

Tis’ the season… For the Civil Grand Jury reports. This one in Lake County. And it’s about abandoned vehicles. The jury calling them a blight. But also admitting it’s expensive to get rid of them because the vehicle registration fees the county is collecting don’t cover the cost for abatement. Some of the other findings in the report say all Code Enforcement agencies are dealing with staffing issues or just taking on other more urgent, investigative and enforcement responsibilities at the moment. The report is titled “Persistent Blight on the Landscape: Abandoned Vehicles in Lake County”. The report recommended there be two full time Code Enforcement officers for abandoned vehicle abatement, and to have the Clearlake Police Department dedicate a Code Enforcement officer full-time too.

A woman from Clearlake found guilty of arson in Lower Lake received two year’s probation.  Kayla Renee Main was seen by witnesses lighting fires which were quickly put out. When officers approached, she denied any wrong doing, but had evidence on her, proving otherwise. She had to go through some mental health treatment. And was found guilty by the court. The county Probation Officer said the woman admitted a history of substance abuse. She got formal probation, but will be monitored electronically, go to drug treatment and counseling, and have a curfew. She did get a year in jail, but with time served and good behavior, she doesn’t need to serve.

A pregnant woman from Ukiah has been killed in a fire. It happened last Friday. Police reported to the Redwood Manor Apartments early in the morning for a fire in one apartment. When medics arrived, they found a man and two kids outside, a 13-year-old boy and a seven-year-old girl. There was still a 41-year-old woman inside at the time, the mom to the kids. She was reported to be seven months pregnant and could not escape with the others. She was found by firefighters inside, already gone. Neighboring apartments were reportedly damaged too, but everyone else was able to evacuate safely.  Police and firefighters say they don’t think the fire was suspicious and police are investigating anyway.

Congressman Jared Huffman among other Legislators are pushing federal legislation due to climate change. Last Thursday Huffman and other lawmakers from Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico introduced the Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act to help in the recovery and rebuilding of communities impacted by climate-caused disasters and help pay for climate resiliency and mitigation efforts, and fire suppression. Huffman commented while in California from DC, that if you live here in the West, “wildfire and drought are very much on our minds right now”. The bill looks to get ahead of potential harm to communities, helping them respond to water shortages, invest in drought-proof infrastructure, improved water technology, ecosystem protection and restoration, and job training and education for the water sector workforce.

A little more headway on that fire burning near Yosemite National Park. So far the Oak Fire in Mariposa County has burned 19,244 acres. Full containment is expected by the end of the week, right now it’s at 67%. It started about a week and a half ago. Firefighters working to shore up the fire line in rugged terrain, a steep area called Devil’s Gulch. The fire has destroyed nearly 200 homes or other structures with nearly 600 threatened. At the same time Pacific Gas & Electric was also working to get the power back for over 3,100 customers in the area. Most of them, outside of about 700 were restored. And the energy company had no estimate when the last ones would get their lights back on.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has finally released two decisions regarding water interests in the Eel and Russian River watersheds. The commission gave the green light to a major reduction in the flow of water that moves through the Potter Valley hydropower project into the East Branch of the Russian River. The water coming from Lake Pillsbury is being reduced with the Irrigation District getting about 5 cubic feet per second, but up to 50 on demand. PG&E still owns the project but is looking to be done within a couple years. The water could get too hot for fish habitat and will be monitored. Another decision went against the claims from environmental groups that the Commission could change the Potter Valley Project’s annual license to include more protection measures for wildlife. That license expired in April. But they did not agree with that argument and denied a request for an Endangered Species Act consultation, but wants the area monitored on PG&E’s dime.

The Mendocino County Health Dept. has released some info on Monkeypox. The virus, like a smallpox, originated from animals in Central and East Africa and rarely jumped to humans or out of Africa. But since May of this year, human cases have been confirmed in America, and in Calif. there were over 430 cases as of last week.  But the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reported the risk from monkeypox to the general population is very low. It feels like a flu, with fever, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and general body aches, and a rash can develop that can be painful too. Anyone infected should isolate at home until that rash fully resolves, scabs have fallen off and a fresh layer of skin has formed. The lesions usually persist for 3 weeks. It generally spreads with direct contact, but also on soiled bed linens or towels, and respiratory secretions during prolonged, close, face-to-face contact.

The Gathering of Community Leaders is co-hosting a Youth Big Time for Round Valley. The Youth Big Time event is this Friday and Saturday, and vendors are still needed. The organizers say it’s a way to get kids together in a safe and sober environment just to have fun, be kids, and show them their community is here for them. There will be vendors, organization booths, various group games, raffles, and traditional dancing. Lunch is provided to all who attend.  The event is hosted solely through grants and donations from the community which allows them to provide prizes for the raffle. The event is at the Hidden Oaks Park Dance Arbor in Covelo.