As the state announces which counties can move forward in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, Sonoma County is left behind. Last week, officials were confident the county would move to the state’s less restrictive yellow tier, but orange it is. Public health officials say there are spiking cases especially in those in their 20s and 30s. They say it’s due to people getting together in groups, travel and spread in households. There were 184 new infections in the last 2 weeks. The Press Democrat reports 27% of it can be connected to household transmission, 22% to small and large gatherings of friends and family, and 8% was tracked mostly to travel outside the state. There’s also 44% with unknown origin.
The Gov. is proposing a multimillion dollar infusion of cash into homelessness programs and housing. Gov. Newsom is proposing an expenditure of $12 billion for those without shelter to get them into housing and to “functionally end family homelessness” within five years. He says he doesn’t want to just keep talking about it, he wants to take action. His deal includes $8.75 billion for an expanded pandemic program which turns hotel and motel rooms and other properties into housing for the neediest. And he wants to create housing where mental health and other behavioral services are provided on site. Currently there are an estimated 161,000 people experiencing homelessness, more than any other state.
A fire in Fort Bragg has been put out and an arrest has been made. Mendo Fever reports hearing on a police scanner that Fort Bragg Volunteer Firefighters were on the scene of a vegetation fire on the Noyo Bluffs on the north side of the harbor by the Mendocino Indian Reservation. The fire dept. reports the fire was in a homeless camp and because of high winds it was carried into vegetation, about “a quarter of the way up from the beach”. It burned less than an acre. Someone was reportedly arrested in connection to the fire, but no word if it was intentional.
After a stolen Jeep was spotted by a patrol officer in Ukiah by Redwood Ford, a man was arrested. Last Friday reports came in about a stolen Jeep Patriot from a car dealer. The owner of the lot told police nobody had permission to take it. The next day a patrol officer spotted it at a Walmart and called for backup, then approached. The officer says the man, identified as William Vaughn didn’t follow directions to get out of the Jeep and got out and ran. They went after him and arrested him, finding he was on probation and could be searched. There were window punch and lock pick tools and a used meth smoking pipe. He was booked into jail, but due to the pandemic was freed to return to court at a later date.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors has approved the drought emergency declared by the Sheriff last week. The board heard yesterday from the director of the Public Works, Water Resources and Community Development Dept. on drought conditions before approving the proclamation. Director Scott DeLeon presented a look back to the supervisors of precipitation numbers thru the years with the average rainfall at about 37.45 inches, but this year, it’s only 12.28 inches. Barely a tenth of an inch more than the driest year on record back in 1976. The last drought emergency declaration was in 2014. Clearlake is also at historically low levels. The Sheriff was at the meeting yesterday for the drought emergency ratification request for which the board voted in favor. The board can move to ask the governor for a diversion of emergency resources due to the drought.
The state’s utility regulator has ordered Pacific Gas and Electric to get back to work on its 2021 Wildfire Mitigation Plan update. The director of the California Public Utilities Commission Wildfire Safety Division has sent a notice to the utility company that they need to address critical issues and may give them only three months to add onto its plan to help quell future wildfires. The letter said the company has shown time and time again it’s not protecting its customers and repeated mistakes have led to devastating wildfires that have killed more than 120 people. The regulator’s Public Advocates Office has previously recommended rejecting PG&E’s 2021 Wildfire Mitigation Plan.
Volunteers are needed for the Konocti Fire Lookout. The 2021 fire season is upon us so prospective volunteers are being told to come to an orientation and general meeting at Kelseyville County Park this Sunday at 2 p.m. The volunteers can schedule themselves for eight or four hour shifts once they have the proper training. Volunteers at the Lookout are organized by the Forest Fire Lookout Association under the direction of Cal Fire. Right now there’s very limited staffing until this weekend, then there will be a lot more openings.
For additional information contact Association Director Jim Adams at 707-245-3771.
The Calif. Water Service is asking customers in the Lucerne water system to conserve water due to low lake level. The water system gets its water from Clear Lake. Lake Co News reports the District Manager saying they’re preparing for drought conditions by replacing, repairing, and upgrading infrastructure to minimize water loss; identifying and repairing leaks through a Water Loss Auditing and Control Program; and they’re developing a 30-year water supply and facilities master plan, updating its conservation master plan. They’re also offering rebates on high-efficiency appliances and devices; a free conservation kit including a special garden hose nozzle, high-efficiency shower heads, faucet aerators, educational resources; and a smart landscape program with installation of efficient devices and repair of irrigation leaks at no cost to customers. The utility covers Lucerne and parts of Duncans Mills, Guerneville, Dillon Beach, Noel Heights and Santa Rosa.
Visit www.calwater.com/conservation or contact the Redwood Valley Customer Center at 707-274-6624.
The Governor has added more counties to the drought emergency, the broadest since the former Gov. Jerry Brown declared the end to the last drought in 2017. Newsom spoke again, at the bottom of a dried out lake. Last month it was Lake Mendocino, this time, the San Luis Reservoir near Gilroy. The Governor did not announce mandatory water conservation, but the Sierra Nevada snowpack, almost a third of the state’s water, was at 59% of its historical average on April 1st and it’s melting and soaking into ground, not running into rivers and reservoirs. The Governor’s declaration is for 41 of the state’s 58 counties. He added 39 more after already declaring a drought emergency in Mendocino and Sonoma counties last month.
The Ukiah Planning Commission is considering a new cannabis business where the old Ukiah Custom Cabinets was located. Stephanie and Chelsea Lovell are applying for their business on Waugh Lane, “Crave Processing, Distribution, and Delivery”. Their application says their business has grown to a point where they need in house processing of raw cannabis material. They will use the 13,000-square-foot building for drying, trimming, weighing and packaging cannabis flower. They also want a small delivery only area within the facility. The Commission meeting is tonight at 6pm, online only.
A driver who was accused of a fatal hit and run of a man in Brooktrails last week has reportedly turned himself in. The CHP reports Aaron Manning of Willits came in the afternoon the crash happened to give a statement. Paul Brown was hit and killed by a silver sedan last Friday morning. A Hyundai crossed the eastbound side of Sherwood Road near Birch Terrace and hit Brown while he was walking along the road. The driver took off, but the car was reportedly damaged and seen by witnesses this week being towed away from the area. The CHP reportedly figured out what kind of car hit Brown because pieces of it were left behind at the scene.
