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The Lake County Board of Supervisors could choose an architect this week for the new sheriff’s office facility at the old national guard armory on Hoyt Avenue. The designer will have a budget of just under $250,000. The county got the armory property in a land swap with the state for some other property in Lakeport. The new department headquarters would replace the old office on Martin Street in Lakeport. The discussion is on the agenda for tomorrow morning, starting at 9:00. You can watch through the normal social media channels,

Lake County has lifted a boil-water advisory for water that comes directly from the south part of Clear Lake through private intakes. That advisory was put in place late last month due to a sewage overflow at a private residence on Burns Valley Road in Clearlake. That situation has been dealt with so the county health department has lifted the restriction. The department says is safe to recreate in the areas of Clear Lake around the city.. Before using the water from a system drawing water directly from the southern half of Clear Lake, County Health Services still advises customers to first throw out ice, flush faucets, and flush other appliances in order to ensure the removal of all potentially contaminated water.

News 02/22/2023

A man from Covelo ended up in the hospital after an attack by a pack of dogs. 26-year-old Mario Montes says nine dogs attacked him Monday while he was walking to get some food from a local restaurant. He says his walk on Tabor Lane was met by the dogs who all surrounded him, biting his legs. He says he punched three of them in the face and they finally ran away. You can see pictures of his legs riddled with puncture wounds on Mendo Fever. The news site reports the Director of Mendocino County’s Animal Care Services had one of his officers meet the victim at the hospital. But they don’t know who owns the dogs. Animal Protection also called Round Valley Police because they are supposed to enforce the animal control ordinance. Someone else was attacked by a dog last month too. Also in Covelo.

The Anderson Valley School District is hosting a College and Career Dinner. It’s happening next Tuesday evening at 5 pm at the Junior/Senior High School. They’ll have dinner served as attendees learn about how to get high school credits for college, college prep and career options like apprenticeships and career technical programs. Parents and students from fourth grade on up are encouraged to attend. But call first to your school to let them know you will be there so they have enough food. They have nearly 200 reservations already. The deadline for reservations is this Thursday at 3:45 p.m.

The Mardi Gras in Mendocino County went off without a hitch. Folks were out Saturday night in the town of Ukiah at the County’s economic, political and government center. The yearly celebration locally for Mardi Gras benefits St. Mary’s School with as much as $80,000 raised in one night. The money helps offset tuition for local families. Local baker Zack Schat was there cooking for what’s reported as a delicious dinner for 450 attendees. 

It’s not what it seems… A longtime local moving from Mendocino County to Hawaii needs your help. But it’s not about money for John Terwilliger, the former owner of the Elk Store. He needs help traveling to Hawaii and he will even pay your airfare…. What? John is on a fixed income and has enough to get someone over to Hawaii, help him settle into his new retirement spot, and get back. He doesn’t drive after a recent stroke. If you can help, call John Terwilliger (707) 353-0125

Congresswoman Barbara Lee is joining the crowded field to run for Senator Diane Feinstein’s seat after the 89-year-old long time politician announced her retirement. Lee posted a video to Twitter mentioning her background, her platforms like championing protections for survivors of domestic violence and being the only member of Congress to vote against military force after 9-11. Lee is also the former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. She’s up against firebrand Democratic Congresswoman Katie Porter and Adam Schiff, the lead prosecutor in then-President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial.

The Legislature will consider a new bill to mandate the California State University system give employees a full semester off for parental leave after a birth, adoption or first fostering a child. The bill would affirm and solidify the commitment by the state to support parents and the well-being of families. That’s the word by the Assemblymember who introduced the Legislation, Dawn Addis, D-Morro Bay.

A state lawmaker has put forth a bill that would require all-gender restrooms in schools. Democratic Senator Josh Newman of Fullerton’s bill would mean all K-12 schools in the state have to provide students a way to use an all-gender restroom during school hours. Right now schools are required to give access to students consistent with their gender, but it’s not explicitly noted there must be gender-neutral restrooms anywhere. Newman’s bill, SB 760, looks to change that. He says “schools should provide a safe and inclusive environment for all students… so they can thrive academically, socially and emotionally”. Newman is the chair of the Senate’s education committee.

Congressman John Garamendi has returned from a trip to Ukraine. The Northern Calif. congressional member was at the border with Poland to check on weapons at the front lines.  He says there have been concerns that American equipment was not getting to its destination to help Ukraine fight off Russian soldiers. But Garamendi says that was not what he saw with his own eyes. He says a plane landed and offloaded around 20 tons of weapons, rockets, artillery shells and much more.

We may soon have a new state mushroom. We don’t have one now, but there’s a bill being considered to make the Golden Chanterelle, only found under oak trees in California, as the state mushroom. The fungi recently picked in a poll put out by a nonprofit group in Berkeley. It beat five other choices winning 39-percent of the vote.  The Chanterelle is often used by chefs and home cooks.  Other state symbols include a bird, the Calif. Quail, or Valley Quail and of course, our flower is the California poppy.

A “Shelter Crisis”. The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has unanimously voted to put up managed encampments for the unsheltered.  The area would be secured and fenced and located at the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial building and, on the county’s, administrative campus.  Both are county-owned.  If it goes as planned, there could be as many as 80 tents spread across the parking lots at both spots.  The county is apparently trying to rid itself once and for all of the unsanctioned homeless encampments that keep appearing along the Joe Rodota Trail in Santa Rosa. 

People are still skedaddling out of California. The population was down by more than 500,000 people between April 2020 and July 2022. The amount leaving has surpassed the amount coming in by almost 700,000. The decrease was second only to New York, which lost about 15,000 more people than California, according to census data. The COVID19 pandemic really had the population sinking in Calif, more than other parts of the country. Experts say the main reason is high housing costs, and long commutes, crowds, crime and pollution like most larger urban centers. Plus being allowed to work remotely has also changed the data.

The local communications service provider known as Mendocino Community Network (MCN), which is owned by the Mendocino Unified School District, says there won’t be any more Fusion plan available to new subscribers. They will however make the plan available for the current subscribers already getting Fusion plan services. It comes as a new deregulation from the FCC takes effect which means larger networks, like AT&T don’t have to provide wholesale prices for unbundled network pieces for local exchange purchasers.

The USDA’s Forest Service says they’ve completed their aerial survey of the of tree mortality. The 2022 Aerial Detection Survey Summary Report shows “estimates of tree mortality and damage and depict broad mortality trends.” The Lake County Board of Supervisors recently proclaimed a local emergency because of Pervasive Tree Mortality. Then Napa and Mendocino Counties followed with their own States of Emergency. The report from the USDA shows a troubling trend in Douglas Fir trees dying off… same for Tanoak, but not nearly as much. True fir, California and Shasta red, white and grand fir also effected but mostly light to moderate intensity. From 2019 to 2022 it went from 1,000 Acres, 3,000 dead trees to 31,000 Acres, 590,000 dead trees.

Lake County is looking for volunteers for an 8-week training as senior peer counselors. Those who apply would work with Lake County’s seniors who struggle with depression, anxiety and loneliness. Senior Peer Counseling is administered through Konocti Senior Support. Those who are hired as counselors work to give emotional support, by listening and guiding a person through hard times. They could be grieving the loss of a loved one, or a person who is home after receiving medical care and needs to restart their daily lives. Counselors and clients must be at least 55 years of age.

Car insurance is going up. The California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara had approved rate increases after breaks given during the COVID lockdowns. Insurance companies were saying they were losing money, so higher rates for Geico, Mercury and others are creeping in. Customers are seeing the rate hikes with their renewal letters, and the companies aren’t done. More hikes are planned even though some of the companies have not refunded for premium overcharges early on during the pandemic as folks drove less and were in less accidents. The next hikes could be anywhere from 4.5% to as much as 20%.

Redwood Credit Union has given a truck away to a woman at their Lower Lake branch. Two Sundays ago the bank had a truck giveaway at a block party and Alexandra Valencia won the Toyota Tacoma worth $44,000. There were other prizes too for those in attendance. Other finalists won a television, Apple Watch, $500 gift certificate, and more. The credit union got over 2,800 entries from Lake County residents who are new members of RCU, referred a friend, or applied for a loan between July 5, 2022 and Jan. 21st.

The state could be working out more kinks in broadband and how its regulated. Assemblymember Jim Wood has introduced legislation, calling broadband an essential service saying it was realized even more during the pandemic. People need internet for work in an office and at home, for virtual classrooms, to see a doctor and to do their banking. Wood’s bill would regulate necessary functions of broadband, like how strong it is, how reliable its backup power is, blackout prevention, network replacement and, to be prepared for emergencies.

The Yurok Tribe in northern California is teaming up with the U.S. Marshals Service Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Initiative. The tribe was chosen as a pilot location for the Marshal’s plans for public safety issues, especially for missing endangered children. They are conducting virtual and in-person meetings with tribe members and the Marshal Service sharing information, identifying goals, and developing strategies to improving public safety for Yurok Tribe members, and the broader community. The Yurok Tribe is a leader in criminal justice matters related to the Indian community and has led efforts to bring attention to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons.

Another sign up is scheduled by the Mendocino National Forest for its wildland fire training program. Forest staff are registering interested parties at their Chico office. Every year they sponsor about 10 on-call wildland firefighter type-2 hand crews. They help with wildfire suppression locally and nationally for the season, typically May-November. The crews each contain 18-20 team members, a crew boss and three squad bosses. Crewmembers get 10 days of paid training and can then work as sawyers, saw swampers, or firefighters type-1, type-1 trainees and type-2. You have to be 18 years or older to qualify.

Applicants can register for the OC program in advance at https://bit.ly/2023-OC-Fire-Training.

For more information about the OC program, please contact Forest Training Officer Adam Coronado at adam.coronado@usda.gov or by calling the office at (530) 934-3316.

News 02/21/2023

Looking for canned cocktails, but unsure where to get them? Senator Bill Dodd has drafted a bill to make it easier for convenience store owners to offer them up. His bill allows 16-ounce cans of distilled mixed spirits that have a 10% alcohol content by volume or less to be sold in convenience stores. SF Gate reports certain businesses can carry the cans, but their licenses, type 21 ABC, are expensive. The rub is that many convenience stores only carry type 20 ABC licenses. That’s just for packaged beers and wines. Dodd’s bill would allow type 20 licensees to sell canned distilled spirits too.

The California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s wife, an Assemblymember, is removing herself from anything related to the budget for her husband’s office because she leads a legislative subcommittee overseeing the Justice Department’s budget. Assemblywoman Mia Bonta has recused herself from public safety spending. She is the head of Assembly Budget Subcommittee 5, for which Atty. General Rob Bonta’s agency, falls under. She put out a statement over the weekend saying she doesn’t think there is a legal or ethical conflict, but just the same, she has recused herself so residents “have absolute confidence in the legislative process.”

Artic cold temps are headed to the North Coast. The National Weather Service in Eureka is warning a cold front is headed our way, and with it, comes sea-level snow by Thursday. That means Ukiah could be getting some of the powdery, fluffy stuff. The cold will move in this morning from southwestern Canada with strong gusty wind along the coast and exposed ridges. The most wind is forecasted for Southern Mendocino and Lake Counties. Freezing temperatures are predicted to last through the weekend.

A new report says Mendocino County is falling behind in licensing legal cannabis grows. The report in SF Gate says just a dozen of the County’s 832 active cannabis farms have gotten their annual licenses. As opposed to more than 63% of farms in Humboldt County. The news site got the numbers from the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) directly. 49% of the state’s cultivation licenses have been renewed annually. The rest could lose their temporary licenses due to what farmers say, is the fault of county government officials. The Mendocino Cannabis Alliance has also sent a letter to the Governor and the Cannabis Control Director to help or the county’s industry could fail due to negligence by the county government.

People are preparing for spring and summer at the Lake Sonoma Marina. Staffers say their phone lines are lighting up with people interested in boat rentals and slip leases. Lake Sonoma Area Resort reports they’ve had an unusual amount of lookie loos, just coming to see the lake level after so many winter storms, and so many years of drought before this. Lake Sonoma went from a 40 year low the first week of December to about 99% of its water supply threshold in around 10 weeks. The general manager of Sonoma Water says they’re all shocked by the levels. They manage the water supply pool at lakes Sonoma and Mendocino.

Round Valley will be hosting an Earth Day Festival this year. It’s happening for the first time in three years. The Friends of the Round Valley Public Library will be hosting. Money raised will go to the Library and the Library Commons, their community center. They’re partnering with the Round Valley Indians, area schools and the greater community to bring the event into reality. Their theme is to bring awareness to the natural world. They will have student projects and presentations, educational movies, workshops, live music, library activities and a youth art show April 22nd from 11am to Dusk.

There’s a fundraiser for the Gualala Community Center being planned after a fire destroyed two of their buildings. They’re looking for community donations but will also try to get state and federal assistance so they can rebuild their gathering place. “The ‘Community Center ReBuilding Fund’ looks to raise more after one pledge of up to $100,000 from a local resident towards a matching fund campaign. Right now, they’re only accepting through US mail, but are looking for ways to expand beyond that. Contributions can be made payable to “Gualala Community Center” with a memo of “ReBuilding Fund” and mail it straight to the Gualala Community Center. They’re also looking for more volunteers to help with the rebuild. You can call the board of directors or email them gualalacc@gmail.com.

A warning has been sent to students at Cal Poly Humboldt because of a sex assault. The “Timely Warning Bulletin” was sent to be in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Act so that other students are not victims of a similar crime. The notice reminded to seek help from a trusted friend or to get support from the Campus Advocate Team which is open 24/7 and is a free resource. The assault reportedly happened in the Cedar Residence Hall, but no suspect was named and no description released.

A concert is being hosted by the Friends of the Mendocino College Coastal Field Station and Natural Sciences to raise money. The Alex de Grassi benefit concert is this Saturday at 7pm on the Ukiah Campus of Mendocino College to raise money for the Coastal Field Station. A professor of Earth Science at the college says de Grassi also has an Earth Science degree, but from UC Berkeley. But Dr. Steve Cardimona, added it is de Grassi’s musical talents that have captivated audiences for decades. The concert starts at 7pm. The fundraiser to add on to the goal of raising $250K. They reached about halfway last summer.

A renowned photographer from Mendocino County has died. Roger Franklin worked at the Ukiah Unified School District too but became popular in the county because of his many photos of concerts, car shows and other events. The 75 year old was known by his close friends and family as Rog. They say he used his camera to get into hundreds of concerts, beer fests and more, and in return he shared his work with musicians, promoters and performers for free. He died Jan. 27th and a memorial is planned for March 25th at Near & Arnold School of Performing Arts in Ukiah.

A free meal has been provided by the Ukiah Elks Lodge for first responders. On Friday, January 27th, the Sheriff, police, firefighters, EMS workers and search and rescue volunteers were invited to the Elks. More than 30 paid guests were there for dinner and Elks Club members served 19 meals free of charge to their honored guests.

A pedestrian has been killed by a driver in Lakeport. Police report an officer was on patrol and spotted a Beige 2002 Chevy Tahoe collide into a pedestrian walking westbound on Eleventh St. The officer asked for emergency medical aid for those hit and blocked off the area. But the pedestrian was declared dead on scene. The driver stopped and was not believed to be impaired by drugs or alcohol. They also told the officer they were not driving in an unsafe manner. Police say the investigating into what happened will involve toxicology reports. The names have not been released until the victim’s family is notified.

A new law that won’t allow law enforcement officers fired from one agency to hop to another has gone into effect. With that a former Former Bragg officer is the first officially decertified in the state. Christopher Awad worked in the Fort Bragg Police Department from 2012 to 2020 when he was investigated for misconduct related to a DUI where he arrested a woman, and later became friendly with her. The Mendocino County DA put him on the list 3 years ago as an officer with a bad record for not telling the DA about his relationship with the woman. Since then, Awad has gone public to say he believes how he was treated was unfair and retaliatory.

A new bill looks to come up with ways to beat back climate change with the help of some state agencies. Assemblyman Jim Wood’s bill asks the State Water Resources Control Board and California Department of Fish and Wildlife to find ways to improve climate resiliency and drought preparedness. Policies including diverting water in coastal watersheds when there are water shortages or dry years, coming up with dry-year water management plans, coming up with drought response measures for localities that help decide future investments in watershed health and water supply reliability. Wood commented that having consistent and predictable drought response helps both fish and people.

A man who used to live in Ukiah has been found guilty of felony assault with a deadly weapon. Timmy Cooper was also found guilty of personally inflicting great bodily injury on the victim. He used a chain on another person, breaking their arm. He also has four prior Strike convictions, including burglary, robbery and bank robbery with a deadly weapon. The case goes to the
Probation Department, but Cooper is facing 43 years to life.

A company truck from Redwood Valley Market had its catalytic converter stolen. Apparently store surveillance footage caught someone on camera early yesterday morning, pull up in a dark-colored sedan. Footage grabbed a shot of the driver’s face, but it was covered, maybe in a face mask. Mendo Fever is reporting this is the suspect in the theft. It’s about $4,300 to replace the catalytic converter, more than what the market says the truck is worth. And their insurance won’t cover the theft.

News 12/5/2022

The Diocese of Santa Rosa reports they’ll file for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection due to the amount of sexual abuse lawsuits filed against the Diocese. The Press Democrat reports the lawsuits started pouring in after the statute of limitations was lifted for a three-year ‘window’. The Diocese reports there could potentially be over 130 claims from all the way back to 1962 when the Diocese was first established, with most of the cases from the 70’s and 80’s. The Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Santa Rosa is filing the bankruptcy as an overall entity or umbrella like organization for the parishes and Catholic schools within the Diocese, but those entities are not part of the filing.

The Blue Zones Project Mendocino County says Taste Buds will be the first restaurant approved in Mendocino County. Taste Buds features Jamaican inspired food. On Wednesday they’re having a ribbon cutting celebration around dinner time that will include drinks and samples of the Blue Zones approved dishes. You can find more info on the Blue Zones Project Mendocino County at mendocinocounty.bluezonesproject.com and check out their Facebook and Instagram at @bzpmendocinocounty.

The new state Legislature is being sworn in as the Governor searches for ways to punish the oil industry for higher gas prices. Newsom says the oil industry is intentionally “price gouging” because of policies in the state that will eventually phase out our continued dependence on fossil fuels to slow climate change. The Governor has vowed to support bills with monetary penalties for exorbitant oil company profits, if there’s a special legislative session. The president has also threatened a higher tax on major oil companies unless they up production, but the Governor has not moved on that idea, even though he’s broached the subject in the past.

After the Mendocino City Community Services District Board of Directors moved for rate increases they heard from the public loud and clear, the price increases will stand. At the board’s meeting last Monday there were protest votes against the increases which would step up over five years to nearly twice what they are now. But the board only received 49 no votes out of 456 eligible votes. So, it passed overwhelmingly as they needed 222 no’s to lose. The sewer rate increase got 124 yes votes. And the groundwater management rate increase only got 46 no votes. So next Monday the board will revisit the topic and is expected to approve the rate increases.

Fee waivers have been created by the Fort Bragg City Council for Planning Commission appeals for low-income residents. Right now, the fee to appeal to the commission is $1,000. If they choose to though, the City Council can refund this fee if the appeal is successful. But many in Fort Bragg cannot afford the fee to begin with. There are situations where the fee can be waived, like if you’re living inside the 300-foot impact zone of the project to be appealed, and if you can prove financial hardship. There is also a limit to the amount, only one fee waiver per property per year. At the same meeting last week the city manager was authorized to complete the documents to buy 582 acres currently owned by the Mendocino Coast Recreation and Park District for three new reservoirs.

Clearlake is looking to extend existing commercial cannabis development agreements. Agreement holders will get seven more years, and the production fee will be lowed from 5% to 1%. A new business must get a regulatory permit and development agreement. Last week the City Council considered the extension for nine commercial businesses with a regulatory permit and development agreement with the city. There are 27 permits, more than the number of operators since many of them have multiple permits. The agreements are good for up to three years now, but would be able to extend for seven more, for a ten-year total.

Cal Fire had a visit out to the coast to discuss shaded fuel breaks in the Jackson Demonstration Forest. The agency held a meeting at the Caspar Community Center a few weeks ago to discuss with residents who live close to the forest ways they can extend fuel breaks outside of the boundaries of the forest. Stakeholders like community fire prevention organizations were also in the house delivering presentations to residents. The Mendocino County Resource Conservation District and the Mendocino County Fire Safe Council also discussed home-hardening, defensible space measures, and fire safety projects to protect against possible wildfires in the future.

A burglary has been reported at the Elk Store in Elk. The store reportedly ripped off Friday. One of the owners posted about the heist Friday on their Instagram account, calling it a “holiday season bummer.” They reported someone broke a window to the general store and deli and swiped thousands worth of merchandise. The crook or crooks also broke the store’s antique counter cash drawer. The owners say they’re still catching up from losses due to the pandemic, and say it’s a hard time for small businesses on the coast as it is.

At the White House state dinner, the Anderson Valley was in the house. Roederer Estate’s sparkling rosé was served when the French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte visited the president and first lady. Roederer Estate’s Brut Rose N.V. was served at the dinner, where there were also multiple other California-crafted products. The winemaker says the White House called to find a distributor in Washington DC, and they were “pleasantly surprised” and said they were “incredibly proud” for the opportunity.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has their annual “Shop with a Cop” outing planned. The lead officer for the event each year is Sheriff Sgt. John Drewery. He updated locals about this year’s event at the Judge’s Breakfast in Clearlake. Drewery has been leading the program since 2015 at the same time the Sheriffs and You Foundation donated $10,000 for Valley fire victims and it’s been growing yearly. It apparently began many years ago as a group of cops would pool together their own money to help disadvantaged children in the area with presents for Christmas. The next event is next Tuesday. Kids each get $200, with that they have to buy shoes, pants and a warm jacket and the rest is theirs to buy whatever they want.

Heads up to all who voted in Lake County… the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office reports a certification of the vote for the mid-term election which happened November 8th, will take place on December 8th, this Thursday. Any resident who voted by mail and received a “Signature Verification Statement” or an “Unsigned Ballot Envelope Statement”, the deadline to get those to the Registrar of Voters office is today by 5pm. They can be mailed, faxed or even emailed over. They cannot count your ballot otherwise.

Assemblyman Jim Wood is coming to the next Mendocino County Board of Supervisors meeting. The Board will first look at an amendment to the county code, then hear from the Assemblyman on end of year action in the Legislature for the 2nd Assembly District. Also during the meeting tomorrow, Supervisors will consider a mitigated negative declaration for the replacement of a bridge in Laytonville over Dutch Charlie Creek.

The Lake County Board of Supervisors is considering the appointment of a new sheriff-coroner after the current Sheriff, Brian Martin, announced his retirement. The new Sheriff-Coroner will take office until a permanent replacement is announced, and that person will serve through Jan. 2nd of 2025. According to Calif. law, the current highest-ranking officer will fill the position as interim sheriff-coroner. So that position will go to Captain Christopher D. Chwialkowski who’s next in line of authority. Chwialkowski will take over December 31st and serve until Supervisors have interviewed candidates. They will formally appoint someone after that. Interviews will take place December 20th. And finally they’ll consider adding Juneteenth as a county paid holiday.

The Konocti Fire Safe Council (KFSC) are going door to door to neighbors for evacuation preparedness. The community outreach on Soda Bay Road and Point Lakeview Road has reportedly been met with positive feedback. The Outreach Committee Chair says folks have been receptive to hearing how they can be prepared if there’s a wildfire. They’ve visited as many as 150 residents in the Westwind Mobile Home Park, Walnut Cove Mobile Home Park, and surrounding neighborhoods. The area shares a one lane road in and out.

News 10/18/2022

Governor Newsom has announced that nearly 3 years after it being put in place, California will end the COVID-19 state of emergency in February. The announcement yesterday that in light of way less cases and a drastic decline in deaths, the state of emergency he announced after the COVID19 outbreak in 2020 will finally end. The February 28th date means healthcare systems will have time to acclimate to the continued fight on their own, and possible surges in cases over the holidays should be long gone by then. The Governor says the emergency declaration was an “effective and necessary tool” that was used as a protection. He also says the state wouldn’t have gotten to where it is now without the state of emergency.

Cal Fire is continuing to work with the Army Reserves, Soldiers and their families to get them meaningful jobs and educational opportunities. The idea is to use technology, management tools, social networking platforms and hiring events with military and veteran service organizations like Vet Jobs, Recruit Military, Returning Veterans: Enlisting Their Skills for CAL FIRE Service (R.V.E.T.S.), and others. The P3O program views Soldiers as assets with quantifiable value and the program touts having transformed how both the Army Reserve and corporate America attract, develop, and retain talent.

Intro: This year’s open enrollment period for health insurance is right around the corner. But some employer-based health plans start their open enrollment even sooner than the November 1st date. People looking for insurance on the individual market can go to the ‘Covered California’ website, ‘CoveredCA.com.’ James Scullary, a spokesperson for the state’s health insurance marketplace, says people might be surprised by the choices they find.

 :17  "Many consumers are finding out that if they weren't eligible before, now they are – or if they got a small subsidy a few years ago, that's increased – so coverage may be more affordable than they thought. So really, regardless of your income, check out your options and see whether or not you can lower your monthly premiums."

Tag: The projected range in Calif. for premiums this year was was 581-dollars a month – a one-point-eight percent increase over 2021. But the majority of those getting their insurance through the marketplace in Calif also get subsidies to bring down their monthly bill. The subsidies began with the American Rescue Plan – and the new Inflation Reduction Act has extended them for another three years.

---

Second Cut: Dr. Rhonda Randall, chief medical officer at UnitedHealthCare, encourages people to consider their families’ unique needs when choosing a plan.

 :13  "Some things to consider are prescription drug benefits, mental health coverage, specialty benefits – things like dental, vision, hearing, critical illness insurance – and wellness programs."

Tag: This year, 13 insurers are participating in the Covered California exchange. That means people in all counties will have a choice of at least two plans, and 81-percent can choose from four or more plans.

A presentation is being made to the Lake County Board of Supervisors for a new countywide parks master plan. The Board is also looking at whether or not to hire outside legal counsel to respond to Pacific Gas and Electric’s wildfire mitigation activities in Lake County. Lake Co News reports the board will hear from BluePoint Planning first thing about their preparation for a countywide parks, recreation and trails master plan. The board already awarded the contract to the company. Then into the meeting, right before lunch the board will have a public hearing to look over the ordinance rescinding certain sections of the Lake County Zoning Ordinance relating to early activation. And towards the end of lunch a discussing regarding outside legal services regarding PG&E.

After the lockdowns many restaurants started to open up dining outdoors, and even on the street. Now the Lakeport City Council is considering outdoor dining design guidelines. They’ll also be going over amendments to the 2022-23 fiscal year budget. The meeting tonight will be open to the public, but masks are being encouraged along with social distancing. They’re also streaming on Zoom. The council is considering a contract with a company for the Lakeport Blvd at Bevins Street Project study report and a mutual aid agreement for emergency help along with the cities of Lakeport, Clearlake, Ukiah, Fort Bragg, Willits and Point Arena. There are several ordinances to consider on the agenda including some parade permits, development deals and professional service agreements.

Caltrans reports PG&E is going to start undergrounding utility lines on Highway 299. The work to be done to prevent catastrophic wildfires east of Willow Creek between Cedar Flat and Del Loma. Caltrans says PG&E undergrounding began this year in several regions. In Humboldt County they’re also along State Routes 70 and 89, so you should plan for delays when driving along any of the highways.

Governor Gavin Newsom said no again to allowing parole for Charles Manson follower Patricia Krenwinkel. It’s been over fifty years since she apparently wrote “Helter Skelter” in the blood of one of their victims on a wall. The Governor says the 74-year-old is still too much of a public safety risk to be allowed to go free. Newsom says “Krenwinkel fully accepted Mr. Manson’s racist, apocalyptical ideologies,” and that not only was she a victim herself of Manson’s abuse, but a main contributor to the violence and tragedy that became the Manson Family’s legacy. A two-member parole panel recommended she be freed last May. She was denied before this 14 times.

Some organizations that cater to kids in Ukiah, Hopland and Redwood Valley are trying to find volunteers to help with field trips and nature walks for environmental education. The UC Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC), Redwood Valley Outdoor Education Project (RVOEP) and UC 4-H Youth Development Program are sharing volunteer recruitment duties, all looking for people to work with youngsters. The volunteer work is suited to folks who don’t work during the week and a lot of the volunteering for the organizations is during the work week, but there are some spots on the weekends and at night. They’re hosting a volunteer event one week from tomorrow, October 26th from 10am – 1pm at Shippey Hall, Hopland Research and Extension Center in Hopland. Free lunch is being offered.

Participants are requested to register online for the event at https://bit.ly/volunteerhrec.

For further information, email hbird@ucanr.edu or call Hannah at (707) 744-1424, ext. 105.

The North Shore restoration project gets a green light in Lake County. Mendo Fever reports the acting forest supervisor has signed the decision for the project they say will improve community wildfire safety. It will cut back fuels in the wildland urban interface at the same time, restoring and reforesting charred areas after the 2018 Ranch Fire. The area covered is about 11 miles outside of Upper Lake by some neighborhoods on the north and northeast shores of Clear Lake. There were apparently a bunch of dead trees when the Ranch Fire broke out. The supervisor says it’s probably the largest project decision in the area. They will not only do prescribed burning, but also pile burning, hand thinning and mechanical treatment on some sloped areas.

Congressman John Garamendi working with his associate, US Senator Alex Padilla sending a letter to President Biden regarding an area of Lake Berryessa to expand the current National Monument to include Walker Ridge. The congressional members along with others are asking Biden to use his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906 for an expansion of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. The letter requests the Interior Secretary also order the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to rename “Walker Ridge” to “Condor Ridge” and “Molok Luyuk” in the Patwin language. The monument stretches from Napa County in the south to Mendocino County in the north.

California will be the first in the nation to mandate insurance premium discounts for home and business owners which have been made firesafe. The new rules say insurers have to reward customers who take wildfire safety precautions under the state’s Safer From Wildfires framework. The state Department of Insurance made the announcement Monday which included a checklist of the expert-recommended work for homes and businesses for wildfire protection. It comes as business and homeowners got seriously dinged with higher premiums over the last several years. Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara reported less than half of the insurance companies in California provide such discounts.

News 9/22/2022

A woman from Willits has been arrested after a traffic stop in Ukiah. Deputies say Brittney Bouley was the owner of the car but was not the driver. She approached on foot to check on the driver and was arrested because she had a warrant for her arrest. She was being held on $25,000.00 bail.

The Veterans Stand Down event is being held in Lake County. Vet Connect are hosting the yearly event so that local vets and active military personnel who are homeless, experiencing uncertain housing or are vulnerable in other ways get the help they need. The event today from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the Lake County Fairgrounds. Veterans need to show their ID cards and Lake Transit is offering veterans free rides to the Stand Down. Lunch is also being served by Vet Connect volunteers. The resources being offered include disability services, DMV, housing, homeless assistance, emergency preparedness, substance abuse counseling services, employment help and child support assistance.

A man from Nice has been arrested after a routine patrol turned up a load of crimes. Deputies say they tried to stop the car for code violations September 12th, and say the driver pulled into
dirt turn out and got out of the car. Deputies identified him as Thomas Stricklin who did not have a valid driver license and his registration was expired. Inside the car was suspected methamphetamine, marijuana and a large amount of cash. They say he was probably going to try to sell the drugs, so they towed his car, and arrested him. He’s charged with various crimes, including Felony – Possession and Transportation of Controlled Substance for Sale, Misdemeanor – Possession of Marijuana for Sale and Felony – Possession and Transportation of Controlled Substance. He’s held on $25,000 bail.

A sex offender in Ukiah has been arrested for not registering and violating his parole. Deputies arrested 41-year-old Kenneth Dewitt after a call about illegal camping in a motor home. Deputies say they had to leave because they got another call for service, at the same time dispatch informed Dewitt was a sex registrant who had not followed the law and registered where he was. They found him later, believing he did not meet the deadline for his annual registration and also a 30-day registration as a transient. He was also on parole so he was arrested and held without bail for being a Sex Offender who Failed To Register, Sex Offender Failed To Register Transient and for violating his parole.

A group of wineries all involved in one organization; WineAmerica have released a new study on the industry that says it will bring in over $276 billion to the American economy this year. The new study by an economic research firm and co-sponsored by WineAmerica was touted by Congressman Mike Thompson along with Congressman Dan Newhouse of Washington. The two are Co-chairs of the Congressional Wine Caucus. The study also says the industry has 1.84 million jobs and pays over $90 billion dollars in wages. The study shows wine is produced in all 50 states. Thompson says it also provides unique tourism opportunities and contributes to local economies.

Intro: California needs tens of thousands of workers over six years to continue building a broadband network that brings high-speed internet to underserved areas. The federal government is awarding almost 6 million dollars to the Communications Workers of America to supercharge their workforce training program. Frank Arce with the C-W-A says the union is partnering with the Chabot-Las Positas (shuh-BOW las poe-ZEE-tus) Community College District in the Bay Area to expand their apprenticeship program.

 :09  "We're planning on focusing on underserved communities, really making sure it's a locally based workforce, people of color, women, veterans, and young people. "

Tag: The plan is to open three more paid apprenticeship training programs over the next few years in the Fresno, Chico and L-A areas. The state is set to allocate more than 5 billion dollars to extend high speed internet in rural areas. And the Infrastructure Act will send hundreds of millions in federal funds to bolster the effort.

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Second Cut: Arce says the grant also will allow C-W-A to partner with employers to lift up working families.

 :12  "It’s a great opportunity for people to get some skills and set themselves into a solid middle-class job. We're taking advantage of this opportunity that we're building our infrastructure in the country to see if we can get some Californians out to work."

Tag: Arce says in the past, unscrupulous subcontractors working for telecom companies have cut corners and treated workers poorly. But he adds, this publicly funded program will raise the standards to require high-quality materials, workmanship and employee benefits.

That crazy heatwave a couple of weeks ago made history, as we know. Ukiah was 117 one day, an all-time high. Plus, it stayed over 100 degrees for days on end, it seemed in inland Mendocino County. The Mendocino County Public Health Office is warning it could happen again. Mendocino Voice reports Social Services staff made hundreds of calls to make sure those without shelter, those getting in-home support, at-risk youth, foster families, and PG&E medical baseline customers were contacted. Public Health told the news site they were concerned mostly about lower-income families and individuals and finding ways to stay in touch with them. There were cooling stations during the hottest hours of the day but only if there are more than 3 days above 100. The news site also reports the state is coming up with new protocols for these heatwaves, which are sure to continue.

That woman from Redding who faked her own kidnapping is going to prison for 18 months. Now that the sentencing occurred video has been released of Sherri Papini and her husband with detectives at the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office from Aug. of 2020 when she was found to be lying. Detectives told Papini who supposed kidnappers, 2 Hispanic women would not be found because she was actually with her ex-boyfriend who she asked to come get her in Redding and bring her to his home in Costa Mesa. And that he told detectives was the real story. After that her husband left the room. He filed for divorce this fall and has sole custody of their kids. Papini was charged with lying to the FBI and fraud.

The massive Mosquito Fire is still burning, but the rain that came down has helped build more containment. More residents have also been allowed to come home after the fire burned over 76,400 acres. There was a risk of flash flooding early this week though — over the burn scar. The fire is 49% contained with acreage mostly holding. At one time over 11,000 residents were evacuated. There are still several thousand firefighters on the scene putting out hot spots on the fire which started two weeks ago. There is warmer weather coming today, so Cal Fire reports being cautious. The Mosquito is California’s largest fire of 2022 so far. Nearly 80 homes have been destroyed and 13 others were damaged.

A man riding his bike on Main Street in Willits had major injuries after an accident. Police say the man was headed south, then snaked quickly across the street getting clipped by a car. He was thrown from the bike and hit his head on the ground, sustaining major head injuries. The bicyclist is still in a coma at a hospital in Santa Rosa. At the time kids were going to school so the street was pretty busy. Baechtel Grove Middle School posted on social media that some students saw the accident happen and they were providing counselors for any student in need. Police said the man was known to cruise around town on his bike and they had no permanent address for him.

The Lake County Board of Supervisors has released their response to the latest Civil Grand Jury Report saying they didn’t agree with all of the recommendations, but they valued the work done. The report on the Mt. Konocti Fire Tower which needs work. With that the Board said they may re-lease it or acquire it from Cal Fire if the state won’t fix it. They said they may make it a fixture in the park for its historic value and since the state has been putting billions of dollars into fire work, staffing the tower is not that expensive. There were also many other sections of the report on cannabis income, managing feral cats, and buying a mobile van for animal shelter staff for vaccination and sterilizations. The report also covered local disaster agencies which the Board of Supervisors also didn’t entirely agree on how to work within the requested changes.

The Federal Government’s stimulus after the start of the pandemic will be used to build a sustainable fuel processing facility for the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians. The Department of Commerce is distributing $5 million from the American Rescue Plan to the Scotts Valley Band of Pomos in Kelseyville to help the tribe with renewable energy through the American Rescue Plan’s Indigenous Communities program. The money to pay for site work and buying equipment for a woody biomass processing facility. The work to bring the community firewood, pellet-based fuels, and other bioenergy products. The governor says the investment will help the tribe bolster their community’s economic and climate resilience.

An investigation is being requested in Lucerne into the Elijah House. The Record Bee reports the shelter which had been operating out of the old Juvenile Hall had residents from various Northern California counties including Mendocino cleaning highways as part of their Back 2 Work Program for transitional residents from local shelters. The program was apparently in partnership with Caltrans and the Butte County Office of Education. But Lake County was not listed as being part of the program, even though Elijah House workers were transported from Lakeport and Ukiah to work on the highways. The Lucerne Area Townhall is asking their chairman to file an official complaint with the Civil Grand Jury about this, the official paperwork on the Elijah House nonprofit being out of date and reports they may have mistreated crew members, which included claims of sexual harassment and wages withheld.

News 9/14/2022

The man suspected in the disappearance of a woman from Round Valley is out of prison, but in a local jail. Negie Fallis, is believed by Khadijah Britton’s family and others, to be involved in her disappearance in February of 2018. He’s in Mendocino County jail, and out of federal prison after over two years for possession of a firearm by a felon. Fallis was booked into jail back in 2018 after being seen holding a gun to Britton and forcing her into a car. Charges against him back then included kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, corporal injury to a spouse, and burglary. But the charges were dismissed. He’s been in and out prison since. Now he’s accused of violating his Post Release Custody Supervision.

Some folks in Santa Rosa and beyond felt some shaking. A magnitude 4.4 earthquake hit after 6:30 last night and not too far behind was a 3.9. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the 4.4 at 6:39 p.m. about 2.4 miles north-northeast of Santa Rosa and the 3.9 at 6:40 p.m. about 2.3 miles north of Santa Rosa. Geologists say the temblors hit on the Rodgers Creek Fault, which has the potential for an even stronger quake. The last bigger earthquakes on the fault were back in 1969 and were 5.6 and magnitude 5.7 near Santa Rosa. No injuries or damage was reported.

They’re still looking for a permanent police chief in Ukiah after the last one was fired. So the City Council has voted to hire an executive placement firm to find Chief Noble Waidelich’s replacement. This will be the fourth new chief in as many years. 3 head-hunting firms gave proposals to the city. City staff and an ad-hoc committee chose Mosaic Public Partners out of Placer County. The cost would be $38,000 and needs to be added to the budget. The city never told us why Waidelich was fired after first being placed on administrative leave for an ongoing criminal investigation. The city manager at the time of his firing said he was no longer a fit. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the former chief.

The Governor has announced the state’s launched a new website to help those who need abortions. Abortion.ca.gov is accessible for those who need to find an abortion provider and also gives information on abortion rights, different types of abortions, paying for the procedure, and more. It includes info for California residents and non-residents dealing with restrictions or outright bans like in Texas, Tennessee and Alabama. The site is in English and Spanish, and the state says it will also be translated into other languages too. The site is up a day after South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham introduced a national ban on abortions after 15 weeks of conception.

Three administrative sites on the Mendocino National Forest are being temporarily closed for hazardous material cleanup. It’s happening through the end of the month at the High Glade lookout, Keller Place and Beaver Glade fire station. The closures are to protect the public and contractors during the work. They’re asking the public to avoid the cleanup operations and if you come upon any heavy equipment on forest roads to be cautious. The 2018 Ranch Fire burned the High Glade lookout area. The Beaver Glade fire station and historic Keller Place cabin burned in the 2020 August Complex.

It’s been almost 14 years, but the Kelseyville Unified School District superintendent is leaving. Dr. Dave McQueen has announced he’s retiring next year. That will be after the 2022-23 school year, next June. The Kelseyville Unified School District Board of Trustees is looking for qualified applicants to take over next July. McQueen says he’s spent his entire career and lifetime in the district. And that all of his kids have graduated from Kelseyville High. The district will post the superintendent’s position this week with the deadline for applications as Oct. 12th.

An update is to be delivered to the Clearlake City Council on the recreation center feasibility study. The council’s also looking at a mutual aid agreement with several other cities in Lake and Mendocino counties tomorrow night. The second phase of the Recreation Center Feasibility Study will be high up on the agenda, but the mutual aid agreement for Clearlake, Lakeport, Fort Bragg, Point Arena, Ukiah and Willits would mean the cities and two counties would meet regularly. There, they would discuss issues, share ideas and give support with the City of Ukiah leading. At the beginning of the meeting the council is meeting some dogs up for adoption from the city shelter and read a proclamation declaring Sept. 23^rd as Native American Day.

Public libraries across the state will be getting a shot in the arm after the Governor announced millions in grants for the institutions. Over a quarter billion dollars will be distributed to libraries in 172 cities in 34 counties, including Lake County. The $254 million is part of the first round of the Building Forward Library Improvement Grant Program. It includes nearly $1,100,000 for Lake County’s four libraries. In Lakeport, Middletown, The Redbud Library and the Upper Lake Library, with the most for Lakeport. Newsom says the libraries across Calif. are the “hearts of communities across the state and our hubs of learning, discovery, and oftentimes — safety”.

They’re hosting a free harvest sharing at the Grange in Willits. One week from this Sunday, on Sept. 25th from 9:30 a.m. to noon for all interested. There’s also a pancake breakfast the same morning. Head to the back of the Grange for the Harvest Sharing. There will be tables accepting donations of food related items to give away, plus you can take whatever you and your family might need. To top it off, the entire thing is free. They’re also inviting herbalists to bring culinary and/or medicinal herbs, fresh or dried. They are setting up a table just for that.

Since we’ve had such hot weather, wine country may be threatened. The climate crisis, first starting with a deep frost, then hot weather and drought have dried out vineyards. Wine-grape production is supposed to be down about 4% this year to 3.5 million tons. The USDA reported the numbers, which local owners say could mean they have the second-smallest crop for the last ten years. The last time the harvest was damaged since then was due to fires in 2020. Experts say vineyards are getting dangerously close to more damage due to even more intense and frequent weather disasters.

News 12/29/2021

Sonoma County is asking local companies to get their employees to get the COVID booster or be tested twice a week. The county’s Public Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase is making a strong recommendation, not a mandate. She’s also recommending those unvaccinated or unboosted to wear a mask while indoors. It comes as cases are rapidly rising in the state and to prevent even more outbreaks. The county’s rethinking its own vaccination and testing mandate for county employees after Mase’s recommendation. The county has also recently issued some new health orders for local school employees, emergency responders and those at dental offices, pharmacies and temporary disaster shelters to get boosted or test twice a week.

The first state in the union to hit 5 million COVID cases is Calif. The state dashboard went over the milestone yesterday after the holiday weekend. The state Department of Public Health posted the updated case numbers, also noting more than 75,500 deaths. The first case in California was nearly two years ago, January 25, 2020. It was nearly a year before the state hit one million infections, last November and it’s taken off from there. Texas has the next highest, more than 4.4 million and Florida topped 3.9 million as of Sunday.

The Ukiah Unified School District’s music department has come back live and continues in the new year. Two in-person holiday shows this month were some kids first experience performing on a stage in front of a huge audience. Teachers said they did great and the electricity of a live audience with the kids all dressed up was gratifying. The next performances will happen next spring and some students may be able to travel to see the San Francisco Symphony perform Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring”.

There are still hundreds of people without power after a winter storm, impacting Humboldt, Mendocino and Trinity counties. About 9700 customers were still waiting for their power to be restored as of dinner time last night. PG&E has not given an estimated time of restoration. A spokesperson for the utility company says crews have been working non-stop patrolling lines to find the problem. She says there were downed trees and access issues because of all the snow impacting higher elevations. They need to bring in specialized equipment for some remote areas. About 3,000 PG&E customers in Southern Humboldt and Northern Mendocino are in the dark, more than half in Mendo.

A man from Covelo arrested after a multi-car crash was pretty drunk, according to police. Willits Police say Jared Reed Thompson hit six vehicles before taking off and being found passed out in his car. Police gave him a field sobriety test and say he “blew almost four times the legal limit for DUI”. Police also say they got a call to a crash, finding 2 cars were slammed into at a Safeway, then three more at the gas pump there, before a final head on crash. Thompson’s charged with several crimes including DUI, felony evasion of a police officer and felony hit and run resulting in death or injury.

If you want to adopt a pet, now is the time in Ukiah. The shelter is reporting being at a critical point with the dog population. They say they have to start to increase the amount of adoptions they have been doing or could be faced with putting healthy dogs down. Local rescues are full, their partner organizations are also full and they have more and more dogs coming in every day. They report not having to euthanize animals for years, because they had the space and resources, but not anymore. They say if you know anyone who may be interested, to PLEASE come forth to adopt. It’s free, all you have to pay for is the $25 license. For more info and to see pictures of the dogs and to submit applications, go to: www.mendoanimalshelter.com You can also call them: 707-467-6453.

A car crash near Leggett after a car may have hit ice ends with some minor injuries. Mendo Fever reports hearing about the accident on the scanner traffic and the California Highway Patrol Traffic Incident Information Page showed several people may have been injured after the car went off the 101 near Leggett. The news site reported the car couldn’t be seen on the road and may have crashed over the bank near Little Dan Creek.  The crash yesterday morning of a woman and 7 year old child in a Honda CRV. The woman and child had non-life threatening injuries and the car, which rolled 600 feet down an embankment, had major damage.

Plastic shopping bags are reportedly being sold by large retailers in California, which is against the law. The report by Reuters news agency says the retailers were also misleading customers by selling the bags with language and symbols on them leading them to believe the plastic bags could be recycled. A state-appointed commission detailed how the bags had the “chasing arrows” logo and the words “recycle” and “recyclable” on them. This according to the California Statewide Commission on Recycling Markets and Curbside Recycling who is now asking the state attorney general and CalRecycle to curb the practice, calling it illegal labeling which could lead to more plastic pollution.

The Humboldt County Jail has had quite the outbreak of COVID- 19, but things seem to be calming down. Two more cases were reported Monday after thirty-six inmates and about a half dozen staffers tested positive. The outbreak started a couple of weeks ago, but the Sheriff’s Office says they have it controlled now. The 69 bed housing unit where it happened was at 70% capacity. Corrections staff say all who tested positive were taken from the unit so they could isolate. They had been testing daily due to the outbreak but are reportedly back to weekly testing after 3 days of all negatives.

A couple of fires have been reported in Ukiah, but neither one anything big. The Ukiah Valley Fire Authority says they got a call to two structure fires Monday, one of them was at a large apartment building on Village Circle. That fire turned out to be exhaust from a dryer vent. But about 4 hours after that there was another report of an apartment complex on fire, but it turned out to be a dumpster fire. They reported it seemed suspicious in nature.

The Lake County Board of Supervisors have turned in their new maps for redistricting. They had their second and final reading to approve the new supervisorial district boundaries last week with approval unanimous. It has to be done each decade after the US Census. After a bunch of meetings since this summer with a consultant and county staff the five supervisorial districts changed slightly. A resolution to approve the maps was approved 2 weeks ago, then last week the final vote. The deadline was Dec. 15^th.

A man from Clearlake has been arrested on various charges after police say he smoked a bunch of meth the got in his car and drove in Ukiah. Police say Michael Sorrell was driving without a license, in a bike lane, erratically, and when a cop tried stopping him, he kept going. The officer activated his emergency lights, to no avail. They say he kept driving in an unsafe manner with wanton disregard for the public. Officers followed for over 2 miles, then he crashed into a curb causing front end damage to his car, so he got out and ran, but landed in a blackberry bush and finally surrendered. Police found drug paraphernalia, weapons, and burglary tools so he was booked at the Mendocino County jail for multiple charges.

News 9/27/2021

A man in Middletown has been arrested after deputies on routine patrol saw him walking amongst several cars behind a convenience store, thinking he might be tinkering with the cars. The deputy went up to the guy, identified as 26 year old Travis Minor of Kelseyville, who said his car ran out of gas. But the deputy knew he’d been arrested before for doing the same thing. He was stopped and given a field sobriety test, to see if he was high. The deputy couldn’t get a straight answer out of Minor about his car so he was arrested for being high. The deputy also found he had a Mercedes key on him and saw a Mercedes down the street from the convenience and the key matched it. But the car had just been reported stolen. The owner of the car was apparently an acquaintance of Minor’s but he didn’t have permission to take the car. Minor was booked into jail for being Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance and Vehicle Theft.

A Local Assistance Center is opening in Mendocino County for those impacted by the Hopkins Fire. But it’s not happening for a week and a half. The Center is a single location where people affected by a fire can tap into disaster assistance relief programs and services. Several different representatives from local, state, nonprofit and other agencies come to the Center to help victims.  It’s happening for Hopkins victims in Redwood Valley, next Thursday, October 7^th from 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM at the “Old Jehovah’s Witnesses church”. They’re requiring masks and social distancing due to the pandemic and will have hand sanitizer, and conduct health screenings.

For more information, please contact the Disaster Recovery Team at (707) 234-6303 or disasterrecovery@mendocinocounty.org.

A man from Willits has been arrested after a domestic violence situation. The Sheriffs Office reports getting a call two Tuesdays ago to the 20000 block of South Main Street in Willits finding the couple, a 47 year old woman, and 50 year old Kelly Fonsen, who the woman said had been drinking with her all day. Deputies say the pair got into an argument and the woman was injured and needed medical attention. She was taken to the hospital for treatment and Fonsen was arrested for Domestic Violence Battery  and Battery Causing Great Bodily Injury and booked into jail on $25,000.00 bail.

Two men have been arrested for drugs and weapons charges, one of them also had a fake police badge. Deputies got a call two Tuesdays ago to a burglary next to the Leggett Volunteer Fire Department. Apparently firefighters spotted a couple cars and two men nearby loitering. A Fire Captain approached and one flashed a badge, saying they were a US Marshal, but then took off. Deputies saw the two cars on the 101 in Laytonville and stopped one. Daniel Gorman was stopped and detained while the car was searched, a replica gun was found with drugs and blank ammo. At the same time a CHP officer saw the other car parked and contacted Austin Shealor who was on parole and found he was involved in the earlier burglary. He was also found with drugs. He too was arrested. The charges for both included Burglary, Conspiracy, Carrying a Loading Gun, Wearing a Peace Officer Badge fraudulently and Possession of Narcotic. Gorman was held on $15,000.00 bail and Shealor was held on No Bail due to his parole.

A couple in Laytonville have been arrested for Robbery, Burglary and Conspiracy. The Sheriff’s Office says a week ago Sunday they got a call to reports of a robbery, but a woman reported there, Miranda Mullins of Willits was already gone. Deputies say they found another woman had cashed a large check with Jacob Sanderson of Ukiah. Then a couple days later Mullins walked into that woman’s home without knocking and demanded money. And the woman thought she had a gun so she gave her money and Mullins left with Sanderson and a third party. They were found after a BOLO alert and arrested. Mullins and Sanderson were booked on $150,000.00 bail.

The State Legislature has unanimously approved bills to try to avert these catastrophic fire seasons we’ve been dealing with for years. The Governor signed a new law that creates a “dedicated workforce” who are charged with overseeing wildfire prevention and preparedness. The bill authored by Assemblyman Jim Wood creates a new branch of the office of the State Fire Marshall to work year round only on fire prevention, including fuel reduction and hardening homes.  There are already several programs with Cal Fire in play that would all come under this one new branch.

Yuba Community College is working with PG&E for a microgrid power station at the School’s Lake County Campus. The College District’s Governing Board has approved Woodland Community College, part of the Yuba Community College District, will get a temporary microgrid power station in front of the campus.  Apparently it’s only during wildfire season, so this fall, because when wildfires happen, power is turned off as part of PG&E’s public safety power shut-off events. So the Lower Clear Lake area would continue to get power. The college’s board approved the move this spring. The temporary and permanent stations will give power to a one-two mile area during any intentional power downs.

A man has reportedly died near the Wildwood Campground after being crushed by a tree. Mendo Fever reported hearing about the incident on the scanner this weekend. The report that paramedics were called to the 29000 block of Highway 20 near the campground after the elderly man was hit by the tree and killed. No word how the incident occurred.

Six more people have died due to COVID19 in Mendocino County. And this is a report from Friday, during the Public Health Officer, Dr. Andy Coren’s regular update. There have now been 82 people who have died from the virus in the county. Dr. Coren reported almost 89-percent of those hospitalized are not vaccinated, adding “the vaccines are very effective against severe disease, hospitalizations, Intensive Care Unit admissions, and deaths.” Also on Friday, he reported more than a dozen people were in the hospital with the illness, five in an ICU, where there remains only 18-percent capacity. Dr. Coren says the surge of cases has slightly leveled, but he expects more again after Halloween and the year end holidays. He also spoke about booster shots, but there’s no guidelines from the state on that yet.

The judge that’s been handling the PG&E case for months heard from the utility about the Dixie Fire. The company says they had considered turning off the power on the line that they believe may have been involved in the massive fire. They also answered who’s allowed to turn off power in an emergency and why it took so long to get to the scene of the dangerous line. The company says a distribution operator can shut off a line, and one considered that on July 13^th, but apparently they found a circuit breaker was closed and no excessive ground current was found. They also say there was no indication of an emergency. The company told the judge they continue investigating after a tree fell on the so-called Bucks Circuit line. It was ranked as the 11th most dangerous line they had.

The Governor has signed a new climate-spending bill for about $15 billion dollars. The money would be used for zero-emission school buses, starting smarter agricultural practices and to pay for help in urban areas living in so-called “heat islands” and more. The Governor was at the Sequoia National Forest last week near a massive fire saying the spending was needed due to the “challenges of extreme weather patterns.” The bills were part of the last spending package in the budget which his opposition says didn’t have money water storage projects for new reservoirs, something voters asked for back in 2014. The bill includes money for wildfire prevention like clearing dead trees and brush that start fires and make them more intense. More for drought response like water recycling. And for ways to battle extreme heat like tree planting and boosting green space.

A man from Lucerne reported missing last month is still missing. 63 year old Ronald Meluso was last heard from August 18^th and reported missing about a week later. The Sheriff’s Office reports he may not have a car and has not tried to reach family, friends, or law enforcement to get help. They also say he has not been returning phone calls. Relatives also told deputies the behavior was out of character for Meluso. Deputies have been searching ever since in multiple areas and have served several search warrants too. They’re asking anyone who may know where Meluso is to call the Sheriff’s Office.

We’re getting close to the end of California’s eviction moratorium. The moratorium put in place when the state shutdown during the height of the pandemic. This Thursday tenants will have to find a way to make good on back rent or risk being removed by their landlords for not paying rent. The Press Democrat reports about 7% of tenants are behind on rent in Calif. which adds up to an estimated $3.5 billion in debt. Renters will still have some protections until next March like applying for rent relief from the state.

News 5/28/2021

The state’s trying to incentivize folks to get the COVID19 vaccine by doling out cold, hard cash. The Governor announced yesterday there will be prizes from a total pot of $116.5 million. $1.5 million each will be given to 10 Californians, the largest single of any state. The gov. says there will also be gift cards of $50 for personal use or grocery store cards to 2 million people who get vaccinated. When the state fully reopens June 15^th, there will be a drawing to award the 1.5 million dollar prizes. 30 other people with get $50,000 each. The smaller win drawings start June 4^th.  The prizes are for anyone 12 and older who gets at least one vaccine shot. An immunization database will automatically enter people into the drawings. The Governor looking to have all the wins distributed by June 15^th.

Several people coming together at the Arbor Youth Resource Center after a mural featuring a missing and possibly endangered indigenous woman was completed. Khadijah Britton of Covelo is believed dead and has been missing for 3 years. Her family believes her ex-boyfriend abducted her at gunpoint and her case has turned cold. At the mural unveiling yesterday, a celebration, with several speakers, dancing and prayer. Shane Grammar painted the mural with the support of the Drug-Free Communities Coalition Director and Project Coordinator. There were also several volunteers. The mural shows Britton, a symbol for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s movement and a large red handprint, which is a compilation of hundreds of individual handprints by those at the celebration.

The Mendocino County Public Health Office says there’s been a spike in COVID-19 cases. And the health officer says the spike could mean the county moves back to the more restrictive Orange Tier ahead of the state totally reopening next month. They’re encouraging everyone to get the vaccine, get tested if you suspect you may be infected and isolate. They’re also recommending the continued use of masks in most circumstances for those vaccinated and not. Dr. Coren says there could be more cases after this holiday weekend from gatherings and then later, graduation celebrations. He says to hold gatherings outdoors, limit indoor gatherings, wear masks in crowded spaces and the rest of the protocols we’ve gotten used to this past year.

For more information about COVID-19 vaccines, testing, masking, and gatherings contact the Mendocino County Public Health COVID-19 call center at 707-472-2759 or visit our website at: mendocinocounty.org/community/novel-coronavirus.

The CHP along with police and firefighters at an incident after someone reportedly doused some bales of hay with gasoline and ignited them. Mendo Fever reports scanner traffic says the suspect, who was arrested, tossed the flaming hay bales onto Old River Road, south of the Mendocino County Office of Education. There were several firefighters on the scene. The scanner info also said the suspect may have mentally unstable or a danger to himself or others.

A burglary in progress call has ended in the arrest of two people in Little River. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office reports getting a call Tuesday morning finding a man and woman had left a home in a dark colored Volvo sedan. They were seen on the shoulder of Highway 1, but the car was empty. Deputies and a CHP officers surrounded the area and found Richard Olstad and Monique Valador. The pair were positively id’d by witnesses to the burglary and arrested. It was found also that Olstad was on parole with a felony arrest warrant and a misdemeanor for domestic violence. Olstad was charged with First Degree Burglary, Parole Violation, Commit Felony while on Pre-Trial Release for Pending Felony and held on $120,000 bail. Valador for First Degree Burglary, also Felony Probation Violation and Commit Felony while on Pre-Trial Release for Pending Felony and held on $75,000.00 bail.

A man accused of robbing a Burger King in Willits last year is going to prison. The Mendocino County DA reports getting a call from a retired Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputy in the drive-through. He had seen two men in the parking lot taking a giant bag of marijuana from a young man and young woman by force. They tried to run towards Laytonville but then were seen by an off-duty Lake County DA investigator who followed their rental car as other law enforcement responded. One of them was arrested and charged with robbery in the second degree, he’s 25 year old Christian Izac Flores of Long Island, New York, who was convicted by plea of robbery in February. He was in court this week for sentencing and got 180 days due to credit for time served.

A man from Ukiah’s been arrested after reports of an argument between a couple in Redwood Valley. When deputies got there they say the man had left the area. He’s identified as Joshua Colcleaser, but deputies say they found there was only an argument and no crime. But it was found the guy was on probation out of Lake County which includes a search clause. Deputies found pepper spray on him, which he’s not allowed to have. So Colcleaser was arrested for being a felon in possession of tear gas and for a probation violation. But due to the COVID protocols he was freed with a promise to return for his court date.

After an argument in a parking lot in Ukiah, a woman was arrested for manslaughter. The Sheriff’s office reports a patrol deputy observed the argument and arrested 41 year old Jade Anderson of Sacramento after she gave a fake name of Jane Smith. She was identified soon after the deputy started to try to find out if she knew the man she was arguing with. The woman gave two other fake names and finally admitted she had a warrant out of Sacramento for domestic violence. They found she had a felony warrant for manslaughter so she was arrested and held without bail.

Before the DA could charge for a crime, an arrest warrant was issued in Laytonville for vandalism. Widely called a Ramey Arrest. It happened at Geigers Market, Pour Girls Coffee, Frontier Communications and the Laytonville Unified School District. Deputies say they got a call to a string of vandalism incidents at the businesses and identified the possible perpetrator as Antonio Rodriguez and a search warrant was obtained for Rodriguez’s home. He was not home but deputies connected him to the vandalism. He was found later, arrested and booked into jail on $15,000.00 bail.

The former mayor of Windsor in more trouble, this time for possibly using campaign cash to pay a former girlfriend and an employee at his family’s winery in Healdsburg. An anonymous complaint filed last month about expenditures by Dominic Foppoli for spending campaign money on alcohol and airfare. The complaint is being investigated by the Fair Political Practices Commission before a formal investigation is opened. The former mayor resigned just this past Monday after nine women accused him of various crimes including rape, sexual abuse and misconduct from this past spring and dating back to 2003.

More unemployment claims again. The state’s claims up a second week in a row, but nationwide filings are sharply down. Nearly 72,000 new initial claims have been filed for the week ending May 22^nd. That’s up 1,500 from the week before. And 60% more than before times, January and February of 2020, the last months before the state was shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Fire reported at Solid Waste of Willits. The transfer station had to temporarily close Wednesday after a fire in a dump trailer which ignited surrounding trash. Apparently a foul odor could be detected throughout the city of Willits.  Mendo Fever reports the Little Lake Fire Protection District and Brooktrails Fire Department were on the scene, quickly dousing the fire. Police reported to the scene too. The site manager says at one point flames towered above at about 8 feet high. He says it seems a customer may have dumped hot coals into the dump trailer and they found a burnt mattress near the fire.