The outbreak at the Sherwood Oaks facility in Fort Bragg continues as 7 more residents have been sent to the hospital. The Mendocino County Public Health Dept. says they’re working closely with Sherwood Oaks staff the state and Adventist Health on the matter. There have been 20 Residents and 8 employees and 1 community member who have contracted the disease. 7 residents have also died, 6 on the premises and one at a hospital. There have been 6 residents and 5 staff members hospitalized. The administrator of Sherwood Oaks says it’s been a difficult time for everybody in their community and they appreciate the help and collaboration they’re receiving from the hospital and public health.
A revised health order is coming from the Mendocino County Public Health dept. The order will focus on outdoor gatherings in cars or in bubbles of people. Public health says it’s crucial for all residents to continue to follow current health orders to protect the health of the county.
A man from Oregon has been arrested after an attack on US Postal Service workers in Ukiah. Police say they got a call Friday morning to the Post Office on South Orchard Avenue to a man attacking postal workers. They say when they got there, there were 4 employees holding down a man who cops quickly handcuffed. They found a .40 caliber Glock pistol on him. Employees say Timothy Raybould parked in the employee parking lot and was looking into cars and acting suspicious so somebody approached. They told him to leave and say he attacked them. Others came outside to help, and say he attacked them too. One of them ended up with their hips fractured and went to a hospital. Raybould was arrested on several charges including suspicion of illegal weapons possession, possession of a controlled substance and battery causing great bodily injury.
Two seats remain open on the Willits Unified School District Board. They’re open to campaign for any resident 18 or older who’s registered to vote. The application deadline is this Friday for the four year position. The president and clerk position are open. If either of the trustees whose terms are expiring decide they will run again, then the deadline for applications is extended to Aug. 12th, a week from Wednesday.
A lawsuit regarding logging on the Gualala River in Sonoma County could be moved to federal court if a local nonprofit has their way. Friends of Gualala River have been fighting five years to move their suit forward. Now they’re working with the Center for Biological Diversity to get the Gualala Redwood Timber’s Dogwood Timber Harvest Plan stopped. The two entities filing together to sue Gualala Redwood Timber and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection claiming violations of the Endangered Species Act. They say the logging operations seriously harm the watershed and five federally listed endangered species.
A man with a criminal history taken down after dousing himself in gasoline and threatening to kill himself. Mendocino County deputies in a standoff with the man who was holding a lighter in his vehicle. The sheriff says that stopped them from being able to use tear gas or other gas agents on him, that are typically utilized in this sort of situation. A volunteer firefighter sprayed him and his vehicle until he finally emerged from the car and was taken down by a police dog. They also had a drone overhead and saw a long gun on the man who had broken out the window of his truck. That turned out to be a pellet gun. Mendocino Supervisor Ted Williams is also a volunteer with the Albion Fire Department and was on scene along with the California Highway Patrol, California Parks Service, Fish and Wildlife, Ukiah Police Department, Albion Fire Department, and a local ambulance company.
Another urgency ordinance will be considered by the Lake County Board of Supervisors regarding the coronavirus pandemic. This one looking to further enforce the health officer’s orders and the state’s on mask wearing and other restrictions. The meeting in hybrid format due to the pandemic, partly online, partly in board chambers. The Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace is giving his weekly update on the pandemic. After that the supervisors will consider an ordinance to fine folks who refuse to follow the guidance in county health orders. It says in the urgency ordinance that studies show facial covering can reduce respiratory virus infections and slow community spread of COVID-19. The proposed ordinance gives the Public Health Officer authority for appropriate action including fines or citations to businesses and individuals.
A fire is burning Colusa County, straddling the line with Lake County. The Sites fire was reported yesterday afternoon and by last night has burned 540 acres with 20% containment. There are some evacuations on Sites Lodoga Road and Squaw Creek Road in Colusa County. Yesterday afternoon about a dozen structures were threatened. It was windy too and Cal Fire said there was a dangerous rate of spread. There were also some road closures reported on the evacuated streets and for the community of Sites, a few others.
Somehow thieves have stolen a massive water tank from the Leggett Fire Station. The fire department says a 5,000 gallon tank was swiped over the weekend. The fire station power shuts the water pump, radio and garage doors was also disabled as the thieves made off with the tank. The fire department is asking anyone who may know something to call, they’re offering a $1000 reward for any information that leads to the recovery of the tank. The department says besides a financial loss to them, it’s a danger to the area when they lose power, if someone needed them, they couldn’t protect the community. On their Facebook page, they posted, “all volunteer members of Leggett Fire are disappointed that anybody would steal anything from a Fire Department. Karma comes back around.”
A man accused of murdering his daughter a few years ago in Hidden Valley Lake has had a court appearance regarding a doctor’s report. Steven Miller accused of shooting his daughter, Hannah Welch to death in May of 2017. At his preliminary hearing nearly a year later, the court found enough evidence to try him for murder, and for exhibiting a weapon. The court appearance over video with his lawyer and the prosecution to hear the mental health evaluation to see if he’s competent to stand trial after he pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. This is a continuation after a May 2018 mental health evaluation from three doctors all finding him incompetent to stand trial. Now a follow up report shows he’s competent to understand the proceedings against him. So another court appearance is set for December and a possible jury trial for next January.
The coronavirus pandemic is continuing to surge in Sonoma County, with the county passing 3,000 positive cases. And 2 more deaths at nursing facilities in the county. 32 people or 82% of the deaths in the county have been residents at skilled nursing homes and residential care facilities. The Press Democrat reports more than 250 nursing home residents and workers had become infected by the middle of last week, and of those 144 were residents. The newspaper reports most of the cases and deaths were at three facilities: Broadway Villa Post Acute in Sonoma and Petaluma Post Acute and EmPres Post Acute Health and Rehabilitation in Petaluma.
Six families have lost their home after a fire burns an apartment complex in Ukiah. The fire Friday morning at the corner of Observatory Avenue and South State Street. Ukiah Police and deputies from the Sheriff’s Office on the scene with Ukiah Valley Fire Authority helping to get everyone out of the building safely. There were no reported injuries and firefighters say they weren’t aware of any animals either injured or killed either. The apartment building had five units. Firefighters on the scene around 7 am and had to wait to enter to inspect because it was very hot inside for some time. They say it looks to have been accidental, where too many electrical appliances were plugged into a power strip, but since everything was too damaged, they couldn’t say what first caught fire.
