The Ukiah City Council trying to curb homeless camps to take a vote on a city camping ordinance. The Daily Journal reports it comes after a giant encampment was removed off Airport Road this year. As many as 50 people were camping at the site between the airport and the railroad tracks, living in tents and other shelter-like homes and cars. The Ukiah Police Chief told councilmembers last month about evicting the campers because it was a public health and safety risk due to increased crime and fire danger and pollution of a nearby water body. Now the City Council will vote on an “Urgency Ordinance” that nobody can be cited for violating the Camping Ordinance unless they were previously told about available shelter with space there and they refuse. It also says where people cannot camp and the hours. The meeting tonight at 6 at City Hall.
4 day weeks at schools in Leggett to continue. The only two schools in the tiny town are 90 miles apart, Whale Gulch School and Leggett Valley School. Because of that distance and how rural the town is, there are only four days of classes for kids from kindergarten to 12th grade with about 120 students in all. But the state was trying to expand the district to five days due to federal funding needs. And the Leggett school district was reportedly about to be fined $27,000 too. The principal of the schools says they worked with State Senator Mike McGuire to correct the issue and a bill was passed so the school could permanently operate four days a week.
Another earthquake hits Calif., but this one was in Northern Calif. After the two major earthquakes of 6.4 and 7.1 in Ridgecrest over the July 4th holiday weekend, a 4.3 hit the San Francisco Bay Area yesterday. It hit about 1:11 p.m. around 7.5 miles beneath the earth’s surface with an epicenter in the East Bay, about 7.5 miles east of Blackhawk and 17 miles southeast of Concord. Some folks in the East Bay reported feeling it and even out to Santa Clara too. There was also a 3.5 aftershock about 20 minutes later.
A continued lawsuit about marijuana delivery in California. The case in Santa Cruz County. A cannabis company suing the county saying it’s violating state law not allowing them to deliver to out of county retailers in some unincorporated areas. The suit filed by the East of Eden Cannabis Co. after it says the county threatened a possible criminal investigation and threats to revoke its license if they continued delivering to unincorporated areas. The Monterey County based company is asking to be allowed to resume deliveries and declare the county rules “void and unenforceable.”
A logging truck driver is recovering after a crash near Upper Lake. The one car crash on a private road outside the Middle Creek Campground, close to the edge of a private road. Firefighters went to the scene, finding the truck on its roof and the driver trapped. Lake Co News reports a heavy rescue rig was sent to the incident with several fire units, Cal Fire and the CHP also responding. An air ambulance was flown in, took the driver to an out of county trauma center. No word on his condition, but they say he was conscious when he was removed from his rig.
A veteran cop in Lakeport honored by the City Council as he leaves for a job in Sonoma County. The Mayor Tim Barnes presenting a proclamation to Jason Ferguson for his 21 years with the force. He leaves Friday to be the new police chief in Cloverdale.
Apparently Ferguson was one of the first cops in the city who was paid at the same time they went thru the academy. While employed there, he received 25 written commendations for his performance.
Unanimous support for a contract to work on the Lampson Field Airport runway. The Board of Supervisors all voted yes yesterday for the asphalt slurry seal project to a Utah company, Maxwell Asphalt Inc. of Salt Lake City. They’ll get just over one million dollars, with 90% of that money coming from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program funds, another 5 percent from Caltrans and the rest thru a local contribution. There will be minor repairs to the pavement that’s there, and new stripes and markings. The company doing the work was the only one to bid on the project.
The final update for the 2018 California Water Plan has been released by the Department of Water Resources. Every five years there’s an update to the plan as mandated by the Calif. Water Code. It includes the latest technology and science and an overall strategic plan for water to be managed across the state. After a five year drought, loads of floods across the state, verified sea level rise, and historic wildfires, there’s been much to include since the last Water Plan Update in 2013. The Director of the Department says it’s a new climate reality to respond to. And with that there are about 19 new priorities including improved watershed management; stronger infrastructure resiliency; restoring ecosystem functions; and working for under-represented communities and addressing regulatory challenges.
A man in Lakeport charged with killing his dad and trying to kill his mom in court for a doctor’s report hearing. Steven Michael Fredericks lawyer had previously said he doubted he was mentally competent to stand trial. A couple of doctors have examined Fredericks and one turned in their report last month, but the other doc’s report didn’t come in because he’s no longer taking patients in Lake County. The lawyers agreed to hear only from one doctor and waive a jury trial. The report in evidence now finding Fredericks indeed incompetent to stand trial and that he wouldn’t be able to understand the criminal proceedings or assist counsel in a rational manner. The proceedings against him are therefore suspended until he can be restored to mental competency.
A noose has been found hanging at Stanford University. An investigation has begun to find the source of the noose found last weekend hanging off a bush near a residence for summer students. The school says they’re investigating it for now as a “suspicious circumstance,” but may change it to a hate crime, if additional evidence warrants that. There are high schoolers and counselors, including many minorities, at the residence for a summer program, with some telling NBC Bay Area they felt threatened and scared.
A man and woman in McKinleyville arrested after reports of an armed robbery. A woman told deputies she was supposed to get a ride from Travis Mann and Sherry Jo Bennett to do some errands in Arcata but when they got back to McKinleyville, Mann stopped the vehicle, got out of the car, pulled out a gun and removed the woman from the car, taking her purse and leaving. Deputies found the car later, which was reported stolen from Washington state. A female matching Bennett’s description was seen nearby and they later found the man in a home. They found a weapon believed to be involved in the armed robbery, stolen property and car keys for the stolen car. The pair booked in jail on various charges including robbery and possession of stolen property.
A man from Reno’s denied getting off death row for the 2008 rape and murder of a college student from Mendocino. A unanimous rejection to James Biela’s motion to get a new hearing regarding his appeal they denied in April looking for a new penalty phase for his trial connected to the attack on 19 year old Brianna Denison and for the sexual assault of two others near the University of Nevada, Reno campus. His lawyers say his public defenders in the case should have objected to improper evidence regarding a history of domestic violence and animal abuse. The justices agreed with that but said it wouldn’t even have mattered without the evidence, saying the penalty would have been the same.
A reporter for the Advocate and Mendocino Beacon newspapers has died. The newspapers report 34 year old Kelci Parks of Fort Bragg died unexpectedly last Friday morning. Police say there’s nothing to indicate there was any foul play and they’ve got an autopsy planned for this week to find out what caused her death. Blood Analysis and Toxicology reports could take 4-6 weeks to complete. She reportedly died at the home she shared with her 12 year old son. The Oklahoma native was an award winning photographer, journalist and barrel racer. A memorial is planned for Kelci this Saturday at 2 p.m., at the Russian Gulch State Park recreation hall. The Advocate is accepting any condolences for her son RJ and their family.
The family of a man missing more than a month, finally recovered from Lake Mendocino earlier this week, is thanking rescuers and others who helped in the search. Vincent Soto’s family released a statement after the 40 year old and his 62 year old father went fishing and both died. It’s believed dad had a heart attack or stroke, his body found soon after they went out on the water. Vincent was missing more than a month with search and rescue teams looking with overhead help, underwater help, dogs and water cameras and underwater robots. The lake was even lowered some to see if the body could be spotted as Soto’s family kept vigil on the dock since the accident. His cousin, Theresa Rodriguez released the statement for the family thanking the sheriff’s dept., all allied agencies who helped and private companies who spent weeks searching for the younger Soto.
