The commercial Dungeness crab season is finally starting. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is opening the season Christmas Week, in fact, that Wednesday, Dec. 23rd. The delays had been due to meat quality in the northern management area (NMA) and the possibility of whale entanglement in the central management area (CMA). There have been some whales in the fishing grounds, the risk is going down and seen as safe for the commercial fishery. But the opening has a notice for the fleet to use their best fishing practices and look out for the areas where whales could still be congregating like around the canyon edges of Monterey, and between the Farallon Islands and Point Reyes.
The state of California looking to get in on the Federal Government’s antitrust lawsuit against Google. State Attorney General Xavier Becerra has reportedly filed a motion to join the case against Google’s parent company, Alphabet saying the company’s “anticompetitive behavior” is allowing it to unlawfully maintain a monopoly on internet search and search-based advertising. The Justice Department sued Google in October claiming the company uses billions they collect from advertisers then turn around and pay phone manufacturers to make sure they’re the default search engine on browsers, something the suit claims is harmful to consumers and stifles smaller rivals.
A man accused of sex with a student where he was a teacher in Kelseyville in court for a change of plea. Cory Michael Cunningham in Lakeport court where he entered a no contest plea to Sexual Penetration/Foreign Object with a victim under 18 years of age and Contact with a Minor with Intent for Sex. So it’s basically pleading guilty so other charges can be dismissed. The issue goes to the probation department for sentencing which won’t happen until February and will be on Zoom still, due to the pandemic. Cunningham had pleaded not guilty earlier this year to several felony charges and denied special allegations from an incident last year where the former music teacher was arrested after police say he was having an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old student.
Over 60 more cases of COVID19 have been reported in Mendocino County. 38 more yesterday and 22 Saturday. There’s now been a total of 1,991 cases and 24 deaths. There are 24 in the hospital and 3 in an ICU. Another 259 people are isolating.
The impact of the virus has hit Calif. Community colleges hard. The most dramatic enrollment drop in colleges from high school graduates. The data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. It shows in the fall while the coronavirus surged across the state and schools statewide went to distance learning, community colleges had a 30% drop in enrollments compared to last year when they only lost about one percent. California’s Community College system is the biggest in the country. There are 116 institutions with over two million students enrolled. Kids in high school looking at college decided against enrolling with 22% fewer enrolled this year, almost eight times the pre-pandemic rate.
Lake County Tribes and the Lake County Office of Education working on new curriculum on the history of the Lake County Pomo. The curriculum created by the LCOE’s Educational Services Department and will cover several subjects that are based in Lake County and meet State Teaching Standards. The Record Bee reports the schools deputy superintendent says they’re excited by the partnership, and the education director of the tribe says they hope all school districts will include the curriculum into their lessons. Apparently Upper Lake Unified has already introduced it into elementary school. It includes natural resources, oral traditions, ceremonies and gatherings, history, and language.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors will look at a new business recovery team, hear an update on COVID-19 and look to solve some zoning issues for a proposed cannabis operation at their final meeting of the year. The meeting tomorrow will be in person and online. The county has interest in a new Small Business COVID Recovery Team and is considering appointing Supervisors Eddie Crandell and Bruno Sabatier for spots on the team. They’ll have to also include someone from the Lake County Economic Development Corp. and two members who represent local business associations. In other business they’ll hear from the public health officer on the pandemic and the community development director will present a cannabis cultivation project, within a big manufacturing and processing operation, at the old Adobe Creek Packing plant in Kelseyville.
It’s goodbye and hello in the Lakeport City Council. They’re saying goodbye at their meeting tomorrow to members who are leaving and will welcome their newly elected replacements. It’s the final meeting of the year and will online be by teleconference due to the pandemic. They’re taking emailed public comment questions. The council will first accept the results of the November 3rd election and honor outgoing councilmembers, Tim Barnes and George Spurr who each served one term. Councilman Kenny Parlet and new councilmen Michael Froio and Michael Green will be sworn in. Then they’ll elect a mayor and mayor pro tem for 2021. The public health officer will be there too for an update on COVID-19 in Lake County.
Restoration work is being done in the Mendocino National Forest after the massive August Complex Wildfire that burned for 2 months and burned more than one million acres. The Burned Area Emergency Response, or BAER, team found 30 miles of road work to complete in the Forest in the Grindstone Ranger District. The team has already repaired over 30 miles of roads across the Complex area. The area will be temporarily closed to traffic for a culvert replacement. There will also be logging trucks and other road repair in the area so the forest service says to be on the lookout.
COVID cases continue climbing in California and across Lake County. The Public Health Officer updating the public before the weekend that they’ve had a total of 1,215 cases, and 22 people have died. There are currently 11 people in the hospital, 7 of which are not in a county hospital. He says while ICU capacity is the focus of the stay home order right now, the county’s at about 29% capacity. If any county falls below 15% they have a strict lockdown in place. But Dr. Pace says statewide it’s at about an 11% vacancy. Pace says modeling shows we are going to continue to see a dramatic surge in cases because of more travel and socializing at Thanksgiving, but if we can’t slow the expected spread, we will have trouble caring for everyone, due to inadequate hospital beds and staffing. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel Pace says, as the Pfizer vaccine should hit Lake County in days. They’re looking at a first allotment of 975 doses, first to hospital staff who continue to face exposure working on the front lines. After that it’s nursing home staff; then residents. The second tier for medical clinic staff, other essential workers then those at higher risk due to age or medical conditions.
A man in Redwood Valley has been arrested for being in a gang and carrying a stolen weapon. Deputies on patrol call early Friday see a man on a motorcycle commit various traffic violations so they turned on their lights. But the guy kept going so they followed him onto a dirt driveway where he eventually stopped. Andre Almeraz was detained, and a probable cause pat search found a loaded handgun; which was not registered to him. They found he was probably a member of a criminal street gang too so they arrested him. He’s held in jail on $15,000 bail for having a loaded handgun not registered to owner, being a member of a criminal street gang with a loaded firearm and carrying in a public place or vehicle.
A woman in Redwood Valley has been arrested on $30,000 bail after deputies went to her home on an arrest warrant. Tracie Wright had an active Felony Arrest Warrant for Assault with a Deadly Weapon Non-Firearm.
A man in Redwood Valley with a warrant out for his arrest has been brought in. Deputies went to Christopher Dick’s home yesterday and was arrested on his Felony Arrest Warrant for Negligent Discharge of Firearm & Possession of Firearm while Prohibited by Restraining Order. Dick has been booked into the Mendocino County Jail and held on $25,000.00 bail.
A probation search and gang compliance check ends in an arrest in Fort Bragg. Police say they went to a home last Thursday afternoon finding Alani Akhtab and with him evidence of gang materials and an unregistered firearm. He was booked into Mendocino County Jail for violating his probation and failing to register as required as a gang member.
Several thefts in Fort Bragg of lumber from a business, they finally nabbed a suspect. Police say Holmes Lumberyard has been repeatedly ripped off. A surveillance camera caught one of the thefts and pictures were grabbed of a suspect. They posted pictures on social media, and the same guy went back to the business just this past Friday. Police found Ryan Ivey there in possession of burglary tools so he was arrested for several misdemeanor violations and being in violation of probation. He was also found with meth on him. He was released that night. The next day he was found at a local motel where he was arrested before, but apparently he was not a registered guest. A search of his car and house turned up more burglary evidence including lumber and other items stolen from Holmes.
