Only 8 acres have burned, but Cal Fire says they’ve got the Mustang Fire in Lake County 75 percent contained. It was quick work too, Cal Fire reported the containment lines about five hours after the fire was first reported. They were working thru the night on the fire, to put out hot spots and mop up. There was no evacuations, injuries or property damage reported late last night. The fire was burning in Middletown north of Santa Rosa. They were reporting the fire might get to 10 acres and was located in the “#ValleyFire burn scar from 2015.
A service dog from Hopland has been reported missing. Arlo, or Loo, is the service dog for 26 year old Isabella Gentry who needs help due to having seizures. The dog went missing last October after being let out of a fenced yard. Gentry says she can’t go most places now without the dog she found on Craigslist when he was a 4 months old. A woman from Ukiah’s been helping Gentry try to find the dog who was lost in rural Mendocino County.
The Governor has announced he feels confident Cal OSHA will also drop almost all mask wearing and social distancing mandates when the state fully reopens. The state is set for that tomorrow though, and Cal OSHA is supposed to meet Thursday. Gov. Newsom says he expects a favorable outcome when they convene. He says there will no doubt be worksite regulations, but since he’s unsure when the new rules will take shape, he didn’t say if the state will wait to lift some safety protocols. That could mean that the current rules, for masking and distancing, stay in place, for now in workplaces. The Governor says he thinks Cal OSHA will stay aligned with what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines are. He says he’ll get involved if needed to “clarify any ambiguities.”
A building in Garberville caught fire over the weekend. Redway Fire and Garberville Volunteer Fire and Cal Fire all reported to the apartment complex behind a Catholic Church. They say there was heavy fire when they got there so they called for more help. The building was seriously damaged and many residents lost their homes. 3 apartments were gutted, 2 were damaged, but they could not be lived in at the moment. Also, the church, Our Lady of the Redwoods had damage in the back of the building. Apparently the fire started in one of the apartments, then spread. PG&E shut the power off to the building and a fire investigator was called. Red Cross was also there to help the displaced residents.
Another pot bust, this time in Potter Valley. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office reports its Marijuana Enforcement Team was investigating the grow where they had previously served a search warrant for growing illegally. Several thousand plants were eradicated from the spot last August. Deputies found hoop houses there this time and served a search warrant along with the Major Crimes Task Force June 2nd. They say when they arrived with the search warrant, four Hispanic males ran and have not been found. Three Hispanic females were found in a trimming room, one of them was only 16. Deputies found, eradicated and ultimately destroyed over 3,740 cannabis plants and another 115 pounds of hanging bud. The DA’s office is looking at the case for possible prosecution.
After a traffic stop in Covelo, deputies found a man driving who had 2 felony arrest warrants. So they searched his car and found meth and 9mm caliber ammunition. Since the man was a convicted felon, he’s not allowed to have a gun or ammo. Kenneth Hanover was arrested for two felony arrest warrants, possessing ammunition and possession of a controlled substance and held on $30,000.00 bail in Mendocino County Jail.
A solo car crash near Fort Bragg has ended with one death and 3 injuries. Mendo Fever reports the CHP reported to the incident on Highway 20 around mile marker 3., finding four people in the car along with two kids. An 11-year-old was reportedly having seizures and another child said they had stomach pains. Deputies and the coroner were on the scene. The scanner said one person was airlifted to another county for treatment. No other info was immediately available.
The Governor’s making it official, lifting his executive orders for the pandemic. So there’s no more Blueprint for a Safer Economy, his new order is called, Beyond the Blueprint and begins tomorrow, officially ending the state’s Stay-Home Order. So physical distancing, capacity limits and the county tier end. Many of the executive actions Newsom took in March of 2020 to respond to the pandemic will be no longer, and other provisions continue, like allowing pharmacy technicians to administer vaccinations against COVID19. The Governor announced almost 40 million vaccines have been administered. He says many restrictions will be lifted and they’ll monitor virus activity on a day-to-day basis while remaining vigilant to protect public health and safety as the pandemic persists.
A decent sized earthquake hit the Cobb area. Late Saturday night the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed a 4.1 inside the Sonoma County line near Big Sulphur Creek. It was centered 5.8 miles west of Cobb and 13.8 miles north of Healdsburg. They had shake reports from Lake, Napa and Sonoma counties.
Since the state is fully reopening tomorrow, Lake County Superior Court is updating its operational protocols. Lake Co News reports there will still be a limited number of cases on the court calendar, that they will continue to encourage physical distancing in court facilities, they’ll monitor and apply state, local public health and Cal/OSHA guidance on face coverings as appropriate and continue to do some work remotely when needed. Revised guidance was released last week ahead of the Beyond the Blueprint guidance that starts tomorrow: face coverings for indoor events where there may be unvaccinated persons. Remote appearances will continue for those who already had them set up, and many events around trials will continue at the fairgrounds.
New COVID protocols up for discussion by the Lake County Board of Supervisors. The board will also take some time to recognize LGBTQ+ Pride Month. The meeting tomorrow morning will cover mask requirements and social distancing as the state reopens and new guidance came out in the last several weeks from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Mendocino County Public Health Officer reporting on the local COVID19 surge. Dr. Andy Coren reported Friday hospitalizations were up and even though the number of infections were down elsewhere in the state, and worldwide, we are seeing a surge like we did last winter. Dr. Coren says the cases are in those who’ve not been vaccinated. 7 people were in the hospital as of Friday, two in an ICU. There are no outbreaks, but there is community spread. Some cases were reported in 4 restaurants or bars and in a private school. The Pub and The Office, and at Applebee’s and Diggers Bar and Ukiah Junior Academy. He said for the most part people are being cooperative, but some have refused to speak with contact tracers. He said even if the state reopens, stricter protocols could remain in Mendocino County.
A man in court for DUI and went to trial had a hung jury in his case. The Mendocino County District Attorney reported the Superior Court jury came back from deliberating on Friday. The foreperson announced that the jurors couldn’t agree on verdicts against Michael Pimental of Sacramento. He was charged with driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and driving a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol .08 or greater, both counts charged as misdemeanors. The judge declared a mistrial, so the charges stand and there was a continuation in the case until June 25th. There could be a retrial set at that time.
