The U-S Forest Service and Dept. of Interior sending their Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) specialists to the Ranch Fire burn area to finalize the soil burn severity map. The team only on the southern area of the fire, since it’s still burning on the north. What they looked at was more than 191,000 acres, with the rest to be mapped later. So far, it shows about seven percent of the fire perimeter was considered unburned or very low, 27% was low, 59% moderate burn and another 6% was high severity. The assessment teams use the data to show areas where there could be future erosion and water runoff. The teams usually include scientists and specialists who consider emergency stabilization options for critical resources.
The Ukiah Planning Commission will once again take up the proposed construction of a tractor company on Talmage Road. The Daily Journal reports the commission will consider Garton Tractor’s construction permit at their meeting today. The review had been postponed at the last meeting after they approved a Major Site Development Permit last October. But there had been an appeal by a City Council member due to its proximity to the airport. So the size of the building has been reconfigured. The City Council referred the project to the Airport Land Use Commission which ended up being acceptable. The project will be considered tonight at 6 in City Council chambers.
The Mendocino Complex has once again gained acreage and dropped containment. The Ranch Fire’s grown another 6,000 acres, and is 67% contained. The fire’s burned about 357,600 acres. The River Fire stands at just under 49,000 acres and has been totally contained for several days. The complex together is 75% contained and is still expected to be totally contained by Labor Day weekend. The Ranch Fire was growing mostly northeast of Lake Pillsbury and into Glenn County, and in steep, rugged terrain in the north and northeastern areas of the fire area. 157 homes and 120 other structures have burned and another 1,050 structures are threatened. One firefighter was killed last week and a couple others have been injured.
Multiple grants are being applied for in Mendocino County to help with a new hazard mitigation plan and more. The Daily Journal reports the Fire Recovery Director told the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors they were applying for several grants that would also update safety elements and a grant for the Redwood Valley Water Infrastructure Project after the 2017 fires. The money could go to pay for two new staffers that would only be working on fire recovery, so other employees could do their regular jobs.
The latest Mendocino County CEO report to the Board of Supervisors says there were nearly 70 animals that had to be evacuated due to the Mendocino Complex between July 27 and Aug. 15. The report says the animals were from Lake County too and most of the Mendocino County animals were from Potter Valley. 33 cats, 32 dogs, three birds and a lizard were evacuated. There are still three dogs and three cats in Mendocino County not home. Besides that there were also 35 large animals evacuated to the Redwood Riders Arena. 13 horses, 15 goats, two cows, four chickens and a tortoise. There’s still one horse, two pigs and two goats there.
The Clearlake City Council is going to respond to the 2018 Grand Jury Report and will also speak on their own “Nepotism Policy.” The meeting this Thursday will also look at some local appointments to ad hoc committees and development agreements for three marijuana businesses. The Grand Jury report on various topics has to be done by state law within 90 days of getting the Grand Jury Report. The report this time was in the middle of June, so they have until the middle of September.
Retardant dropped after the fires in Lake County may create more weeds and algae. The retardant stops a fire’s growth, but when it rains this winter it could runoff into streams and Clearlake itself. Thousands of gallons of the red stuff dropped by Blue Lakes and Lake Pillsbury. Ash could also bring more invasive weeds. The Big Valley Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians is taking water samples and sending them to a lab and will reportedly be doing this for months to come. Apparently there’s also concern about fish die-offs after the same has happened from retardant in other lakes after fires.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors says yes, the Lucerne Hotel can be sold. A purchase offer’s been made by the Romero Institute, looking to put a school in the building. The New Paradigm University was the only bidder at $2.5 million which the Supervisors have given the thumbs up for at their Tuesday meeting. The County Administrative Officer says county staff have to verify the sale conditions before the County moves forward with the sale. A representative with the Institute at the meeting and thanks the board and others for allowing the university to make its home in Lake County.
Orchard Supply Hardware, the do-it-yourself franchise across the state is closing all stores before the end of the year. A spokesperson for its parent company Lowe’s has confirmed the closures. That means as many as 4,000 people will be without a job and store liquidations are beginning next week. There are more than 40 locations in the Bay Area alone, out of Orchard’s 98 locations. There are others across the state and in Oregon and Florida.
An ex cop accused of being the notorious Golden State Killer is going to trial in Sacramento County. The Orange County D-A says they picked the area because the case is so complex, and taking into consideration Joseph D’Angelo’s rights, location of the crimes and hardship for witnesses and victims. He’s accused of more than a dozen murders across the state in the 1970s and ’80s. They were deciding between six jurisdictions. DeAngelo is facing multiple other charges too including 13 counts of kidnapping and robbery. He had been arrested this spring in Citrus Heights which is of course in Sacramento County. There’s no trial date yet.
A protest at the State Capitol by hundreds of farmers against a proposal to bolster water flows in a major California river, which they say will actually mean less water for farms in the Central Valley. But environmentalists say it’s a good thing, especially as it relates to Salmon fisheries. The State Water Resources Control Board is preparing to discuss a proposal to double the amount of water flowing to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. But it means there would be less water diverted to farms and it would protect the state’s lower salmon population. There were estimates of only 10,000 fall-run salmon in 2017, compared to 70,000 in 1985.
The Governor about to sign a bill the legislature’s approved to stop bail for criminals and instead replace it with a risk-assessment system. That makes Calif. the first state to end a bail system for anyone waiting for trial. So there would no longer be bail set which some state senators say discriminates against low-income people. The author of the bill, Sen Bob Hertzberg of Van Nuys, says the current system is unfair to the poor and that money bail doesn’t make anyone safer or ensure suspects come to court.
Ukiah Police Dog Bugsy has died. The police department announced Bugsy had been sick and having troubles with his legs and found to have a brain infection. They say he wasn’t strong enough to fight the infection and died peacefully surrounded by his family, and handler. He had been a narcotics K9 with the Police Department since 2010. They report over the 7 years with the department he helped bring in multiple drugs and more than $200,000. As of late he was a serving with School Resource Officer De Lapo in the Ukiah Unified School District.
For those impacted by the wildfires in Lake County, the California Department of Social Services has announced help from Disaster CalFresh food assistance. For a family of four that brings in a monthly income of $2,755 a month, they may be able to get as much as $640 in food assistance through the program. Applications are being accepted thru the end of the week and thru Wednesday of next week. The USDA approving the state of California’s request for Disaster CalFresh food assistance as part of the recovery effort in Lake County. The program nationally is known as the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or D-SNAP. Apply thru the Dept. of Social Services in Lake County for your Disaster CalFresh benefits which are distributed thru an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card.
WHO CAN APPLY?
Individuals and families who lived or worked in Lake County may be eligible for Disaster CalFresh food assistance if the household experienced at least one of the following as a direct result of the wildfires:
Damage to, or destruction of the home or self-employment business;
Loss or inaccessibility of income, including a reduction or termination of earnedincome or a significant delay in receiving income due to disaster related problems; or
Disaster-related expenses (e.g., home or business repairs, temporary shelter,evacuation, food loss, etc.) that are not expected to be reimbursed during the disaster benefit period.
Households already participating in CalFresh are not eligible to receive Disaster CalFresh food assistance, but may be eligible to receive supplemental benefits, which brings a household up to the maximum allotment level based on their household size. Households already participating in CalFresh may contact their local agency to request supplemental benefits by phone or in person. CalFresh households residing in the following zip codes at the time of the disaster- 95458, 95464, 95485, 95493, 95453, 95423, 95451, 95443, and 95435 will automatically receive supplemental benefits on their EBT card. They will not need to contact Lake County Department of Social Services or visit the Disaster CalFresh site in person to receive this benefit.
WHEN TO APPLY
Individuals and families affected by the wildfires who are seeking food assistance may apply for Disaster CalFresh beginning August 22, 2018, by visiting Lake County Department of Social Services offices. Additional application sites and more information is available at http://www.cdss.ca.gov/Disaster-Help-Center.
In addition, individuals or families with new needs for assistance due to the wildfires may always apply for regular CalFresh benefits and CalWORKs cash aid at their local Social Services Department or online at www.benefitscal.com.
QUESTIONS: CALL YOUR COUNTY
Lake County: (800) 628-5288
The Mendocino Complex fires well over the 400-thousand acre mark. The two fires, at almost 410,500 acres with 7,950 acres tacked onto the total overnight last night into today. The Ranch Fire is the one in the complex still burning with the River fire totally contained. The fires started burning the end of last month burning thru Lake County and gutting 157 homes and 120 other structures. As we’ve been reporting one firefighter from Utah was killed last week, it happened during a retardant drop operation with a tree coming down on him and several others. The new acreage on the Ranch fire on its north and northeastern sections, apparently some of it though from backfiring operations by firefighters. The Ranch Fire now has blackened 361,562 acres, and is 67 percent contained with full containment expected September 1st.
There will be no grand jury indictment, instead it’ll be a preliminary hearing in the Golden State Killer and East Area Rapist case. The D-A on the case told CBS Sacramento she’s not going for a grand jury indictment which prosecutors can do so cases go to trial quicker. But instead to a court where witnesses can speak out too. Witnesses will be in the court and speak with the suspect in the room. The prosecutor saying when a grand jury is used the defense cannot cross examine witnesses because they’re not present. She also told the TV station she’s not decided if she will try for a plea deal in the case, saying that’s premature. Several cases against Joseph De Angelo will all be rolled into one case with a trial expected next year or thereafter.
