At a special meeting of the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors an item was approved so the new Cannabis Program Manager can say no to any non-compliant Phase One applicants instead of extensions or fixes. The Daily Journal reports many applicants don’t respond to make changes or have multiple violations. Cannabis Program Manager Kristin Nevedal told the board if they have to keep chasing people down who don’t respond, they don’t have time to process the ones who are following the rules so they can receive a yearly license and full permit. The board is also going to use outside lawyers to help further that idea. And the board is also looking at how Humboldt County has been doing code enforcement and considering buying a satellite imagery set up to help with code enforcement.
A chaotic online public hearing in Windsor as residents spoke over each other yelling resign to the mayor who has been accused of rape and sexual misconduct. The Press Democrat reports people in the meeting were yelling at, swearing at and calling the mayor a rapist. For several hours Mayor Dominic Foppoli listened and did not respond. The newspaper reports four hours in last night, he announced he would exit the meeting “out of respect” and the other two council members voted, demanding Foppoli resign. But Foppoli voted against the motion and left the meeting which continued for 2 ½ more hours. There were over 1,000 people in attendance during the 6 hour meeting over Zoom.
Power regulators are reportedly going to reprimand Pacific Gas & Electric for continued neglect of its electrical grid. The California Public Utilities Commission is sending official notice to the utility saying it’s not working hard enough to reduce wildfire risks because it still has old, faulty equipment and hasn’t trimmed or removed enough overgrown trees that could touch or fall onto nearby power lines. The Public Advocates Office, a watchdog agency says the state should reject the utility company’s plan to prevent wildfires at the Public Utility Commission’s meeting today.
As talk of severely dry conditions continues, it’s looking dire on the Oregon-Calif. border. Farmers relying on an irrigation system at the border found out they’re only getting a tiny amount of what they normally get due to drought conditions. The Gov. of Oregon says they’re paying full attention to the drought and she’s working with Congress, the White House and other federal agencies to get help. One of the Indian Tribes impacted by possible irrigation pumping into the region says even with added pumping, they’re facing a “catastrophic loss” of salmon this year. And another Tribe sued the Bureau of Reclamation this week to make sure they have the minimum water levels in Upper Klamath Lake for sucker fish saying it’s repugnant how the ecosystem has been mismanaged.
A man from Willits has been arrested after arguing between a man and woman led Deputies to their residence. Deputies contacted Thomas Maddox after seeing a woman at the house with visible injuries on her face including bruising around her eye and a cut on her lip. They also noted, Maddox had a visible injury on a hand. The two had apparently argued before it got physical. But deputies found Maddox was on formal and summary probation and not allowed alcohol, had to obey all laws and have only peaceful contact with the woman. So he was arrested for domestic battery and violation of probation and held on $35,000.00 bail.
A man from Ukiah is reportedly wanted in connection to an attempted robbery at a market. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office reports 25-year-old Seth Smart is on the run after the attempted robbery at Contreras Meat Market on Talmage Road. Deputies say the man had a big knife on him and tried to pry open a cash register. It was also reported he may have also had a gun. He was seen getting into the passenger side of a brown Jeep Cherokee. He’s described as a White man, 6 feet tall, 175 pounds, with blue eyes and blonde hair, seen wearing a beanie and camouflage clothing.
Police have arrested a man in Ukiah after a couple of fires broke out, calling them arson. It happened Tuesday night around dinner time near pocket park. Officers arrived to find a fire in Doolan Creek, but they were able to use fire extinguishers to smother the fire. Firefighters got to the scene then found another fire along the railroad tracks, east of the Redwood Empire Fairgrounds. They say the two were arson and started checking the area. They say a resident contacted them who said they saw a man by the railroad tracks with a propane torch light a flower and some grass on fire, but stomped it out. They found a man by the Grace Hudson Museum matching the description. He’s identified as Thomas Hidalgo who had the torch and was wearing burned clothing. He also had a dirk or dagger so he was arrested. He was also on probation so he’s booked into jail on violation of that and arson and held on $50,000.00 bail.
A two car crash ends in seven people injured. Mendo Fever reports a Black BMW and a Black Honda Ridgeline crashed bringing out the CHP, Anderson Valley Fire and State Parks officers. They brought in two air ambulances. The road was blocked for a time. The reporter for the news site heard the incident on a scanner and reports the two vehicles had major front-end damage. Three people ended up in the hospital, one of which at Santa Rosa Memorial, after being transferred from Ukiah. Others got medical treatment at the scene.
A string of car thefts reported in Lakeport lead police to a shout out to the public to be cautious. Lake Co News reports police saying there had been a “significant increase” in vehicle thefts. Nearly a dozen reports since the beginning of the year. Last night police reported if the trend continues it would mean more car thefts than last year, when 31 people reported their car stolen. 28 of which were found. In 2021 so far six of 12 have been recovered. Police are reminding to keep your windows and doors locked, park in well-lit areas, not to leave your car running and leave it, don’t leave your keys inside and to take all valuables with you or place them out of sight.
The lawyer for a woman from Novato who’s charged with killing 2 people from Clearlake in a drunk driving crash is raising concern about her mental competency. 22 year old Keilah Coyle made her first appearance in court Tuesday for two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, negligent vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, gross vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence causing injury. There were also special allegations of great bodily injury and an enhancement for more prison time if convicted for causing death to more than one person. Her lawyer brought up doubt about his client’s mental competency in the case. She’s accused of driving head on into a van last month, killing the driver and passenger. She was found to be under the influence of alcohol. Now she will be evaluated for the court to see if she’s competent to understand the proceedings and help in her own defense. She’s in jail on $2 million bail.
Congressman John Garamendi and a couple of Senators, one Republican, the other a Democrat have reintroduced the “Made in America Act”. Garamendi along with Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Republican Senator Mike Braun of Indiana looking to strengthen “Buy America” requirements for major infrastructure projects funded by the federal government that support American businesses, manufacturers and workers. It will set federal programs apart to fund infrastructure projects so that building materials like steel and iron are manufactured in America. It mandates the U.S. Department of Commerce ensure manufacturing processes support American jobs.
The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors is having their second special meeting on Cannabis permitting. A group of concerned citizens is passing around a flyer who say allowing more permits threatens agriculture, rangeland and the environment, not to mention it’s threatening the water supply and fire safety. The vote Monday night by the Board will open up rural lands and open spaces, the concerned citizens say, to large commercial cannabis grows. They say they voted Measure AF down in 2016 which would have expanded cannabis grows on rangeland, and now want supervisors to do the same. They’re asking citizens to show up to voice their opposition. The board is however expecting a large turnout for public comment Monday, so the comments will be done first come, first served. The flyer circulating is sponsored by 3rd District Supervisor John Haschak, the former director of the Department of Forestry, Richard Wilson, a retired CalFire division chief out of Willits, William Bradley, as well as other prominent citizens from the county.
