A man in Lakeport had his preliminary hearing and will now face trial for assault with a deadly weapon and threatening a school officer, amongst many other charges. Morgan Matthew Jack will be back in court Tuesday on several of the charges, like threatening to kill his girlfriend in Lakeport. Deputies reported to the home they lived in and Jack was arrested, but he would leave the home. They say they heard him fiddling with a gun, then he fired a rifle in their direction. They called out SWAT teams and other backup and after a couple hours he was arrested. A police K-9 from Clearlake helped take the guy down. He and a few officers had minor injuries after the incident. A pellet gun was found with him. The man had previously been charged with a murder in 2008.
As expected, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or Cal/OSHA has updated workplace COVID safety rules. Fully vaccinated people don’t have to wear masks and it’s on employers to make sure those not wearing a mask are actually vaccinated. But they can also allow people to just say, ya I’m vaccinated. For those who are not, they must continue to wear masks or respirators indoors, and socially distance themselves away from others. Employers have to have masks available too. No masks are required of anyone outdoors unless there has been a virus outbreak. Then all workers must wear masks and social distancing must be maintained. No more barriers anymore though, again unless there’s an outbreak.
Mendocino Coast Healthcare Foundation reports finishing a fundraiser to build a Physiology Lab classroom on the Coast. The $72,000 was bolstered with a $30,000 grant so next spring, students who take the Physiology course, which is mandatory for nursing, they’ll be in the new classroom. The college reminds the country is facing a healthcare crisis, and with that a projected shortage of nurses, especially in rural areas. Some students have had to travel 3 hours or so for classes, but now the trip will be shorter.
Cal Fire reminds fireworks are illegal and if you are caught using them you could be fined or jailed. The Mendocino Unit of Cal Fire’s chief says everyone should have a safe holiday and help prevent wildfires and injuries caused by fireworks. Anyone in possession or caught transporting or using fireworks in Mendocino County is in violation of the law and they have zero tolerance. They’re working with local law enforcement and firefighters to take fireworks and prosecute those found in possession of them. You could also be held liable for firefighting costs and any property damage costs.
A car fire sparked some brush in Upper Lake. The fire quickly grew to over 40 acres yesterday afternoon near Highway 20 and the Reclamation Cutoff. Around dinner time Cal Fire tweeting that the fire had stopped forward movement and was 80% contained. And there were no reports of injuries or damaged buildings. The CHP had closed a portion of Highway 20 near Nice and Lucerne, but the highway had reopened by 7 p.m.
Another Flex Alert has been called by the Calif. Independent System Operator, Cal ISO. Last night was the first alert ahead of summer. From 5-10pm last night they were asking for reduced use of energy. And tonight, from 6-9pm, the same. The excessive heat warnings across the state had Cal ISO asking for voluntary conservation, things like setting your thermostats to 78 degrees or higher and avoid using washers, dishwashers and other major appliances. The Governor has also signed an emergency proclamation so certain permitting requirements are waived. This allows power plants to do what’s necessary to meet the demand for electricity. It states there is “extreme heat peril” facing the state this week.
The California Fish and Game Commission has voted for summer steelhead to be listed as endangered in four North Coast watersheds. The proclamation for the Eel, Mad, and Mattole Rivers, and Redwood Creek as Endangered under the California Endangered Species Act. The move after a petition circulated by the Friends of the Eel River. The agency has also listed Klamath spring Chinook as Endangered after a petition by the Salmon River Restoration Council and the Karuk tribe.
Summer School should be packed after months of at home learning during the pandemic. Cal Matters reports over $4.5 billion dollars was sent to schools from the state, they’ve seen summer enrollment numbers jump by ten times the normal amount of kids. Some schools are offering summer programming for the first time ever. The state’s two largest districts, Los Angeles and San Diego are offering in-person summer learning for all students. In Los Angeles, a bunch of classes are already full and in San Diego about a quarter of all students enrolled for summer school.
A new report from City Staff in Ukiah says about half of all residents eligible have been vaccinated against coronavirus. The city’s Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Tami Bartolomei said about 60 percent had gotten their first dose too. Anderson Valley was amongst the highest in the county. Along the coast they were in the median to high range, but out in Elk and Casper it was much lower. Also at the latest City Council meeting they discussed tossing to the state’s color tiered system, no more masks in many indoor spaces for the fully vaccinated and other changes to the state’s emergency orders put in place at the height of the pandemic. Bartolomei also told the council there will be a cooling station during these hot days at the civic center from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. where they will have water and socially-distanced chairs for people to sit in.
A state of emergency is in place due to the excessive heat. The Governor signed the order as residents are being told for the second day to voluntarily conserve energy during the early evening hours. The emergency proclamation suspends some permitting requirements and allows power plants to operate at a higher capacity if needed to meet the demand for electricity. Cal ISO said earlier this week if people follow the voluntary energy reduction there may not need to be any rolling blackouts. Last August there were 2 days of power outages impacting over 200,000 people, the first rolling blackouts in 2 decades.
The Governor says it’s time to get back to work. Those who are receiving unemployment after losing jobs due to the pandemic will have to prove they’re actively seeking work in order to continue getting benefits. Federal law says the unemployed must actively look for work to be eligible for unemployment benefits, but it’s waived due to the pandemic as businesses were ordered to close. Not anymore, as coronavirus cases are falling and more people are getting vaccinated. And many state employers, and indeed nationwide, say they’re having trouble finding workers.
