The driver of a car that hit a man in Fort Bragg last week has been identified. Police say it was a 91 year old man who hit Brandon Bazor in a crosswalk, but he said he didn’t know he hit anyone. The driver reportedly hit Bazor and left and Bazor ended up in the hospital with face and head injuries. Witnesses gave varying descriptions of the car. Surveillance video from over a dozen nearby businesses eventually showed three vehicles, unfortunately, all looking alike. The elderly driver was eventually connected to the accident, finding it was also a Chevy Bolt. The man said he was in the area the time of the crash, so the car was taken for evidence and the man’s driver’s license was revoked. His name was withheld with permission from the victim. Police have given the case to the DA’s office for further processing. There’s also a donation account set up for the victim at the Savings Bank of Mendocino County (referencing Account #04254355).
The Gov. has declared a statewide drought emergency. The action yesterday along with a statement urging residents to reduce their water usage as the state had its second driest year on record. Gov. Newsom asked individuals, families and businesses to cut back by 15% in July, but the state only saw a 5% reduction in water use. The proclamation also means local water suppliers will further implement water shortage contingency plans. The two largest reservoirs we count on in Calif, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, are at record low levels. We also get water from the Colorado River which had its first ever water shortage. Next year Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico will all have to cut their water use.
The Mendocino County Public Health Office has released a study for the Board of Supervisors on the current state of the pandemic. It shows the county’s testing positivity rate was 4.4%, down to 200/100,000/day. There were nearly 14 new daily cases/100,000. And right now we have 9 residents in Mendocino hospitals. 5 Mendocino residents are in out-of-county hospitals for a higher level of care. 4 are in Intensive Care Units. So far 87 people have died from the virus. There are also currently 2 outbreaks, one at a skilled nursing facility, and another in Round Valley. As of Thursday about 80.5% of residents 12 years and older had received at least one dose of the vaccine. The summer and early fall surges are slowing.
There may be some mask guidelines changing in Sonoma County. Public Health officials are considering a plan to lift the indoor mask mandate for vaccinated groups, as the Bay Area plans to do the same by the end of the year. The Public Health Officer gave an update to the Board of Supervisors saying the mask rule may be changed for “stable cohorts of fully vaccinated individuals.” That would include offices and workplaces, gyms, fitness centers, employee commuter cars, religious gatherings, college classes and other groups meeting regularly. It would be for groups of less than 100, all vaccinated and gather on a regular basis.
Snow and rain coming which is a good thing, but it could be a headache in burn areas where water would flow over scarred earth. As much as 6-to-8 inches of precipitation could continue through early next week which would end fire season. But the drought would continue, because what’s forecasted won’t really help restore supplies as the ground is so dry, the rain will just be absorbed. Any that does accumulate as runoff will barely feed streams, rivers and reservoirs. There is no flash flood warning. The first of the two storms was due yesterday into today, with another due tomorrow into Friday, enough to reduce fire risks. Another Saturday and Sunday will bring an atmospheric river — the first one since January, with another 3 to 5 inches of rain in some of the wettest areas.
They voted unanimously to raise the sewer and water rates in Lakeport. The city council unanimously voted yes last night. They also voted to lease part of the Carnegie Library and approved a new crisis intervention program putting police together with a local nonprofit. There was a public hearing on the proposed water and sewer rate increases for city residents with zero protests. The city needs to use the money for debt and capital utility projects. So within five years the average residential customer would pay about $30/month more. As far as the police department and the nonprofit, that’s Lake Family Resource Center for a Crisis Intervention Responder Program which the council also approved to provide help for people in crisis.
The proposed cannabis farming and processing business in High Valley is on hold. The Lake County Board of Supervisors rescheduled a hearing on the proposed operation for next month. The Lake County Planning Commission approved Sourz HVR Inc./Aviona LLC’s major use permit in July for the 1,640-acre High Valley Ranch, the former PSI World property, in Clearlake Oaks. But neighbors quickly complained about the smell, water usage and more. The appeal was supposed to be heard yesterday, but the board chair tabled it because some records on the matter had not arrived. Plus the supervisor whose district the proposed business would be in was absent. The hearing was therefore moved until November 2nd.
Another death has been reported from COVID19 in Mendocino County. The Public Health Office reported on the 87th death last night. They say the death was in a fully vaccinated, 80 year old woman with multiple underlying health conditions. The Public Health Office reminded about precautions to take for those vaccinated and not and that those who were not vaccinated to consider it, and those in the eligible group for the booster, to consider that. They also reported there was a positive case reported at the Home Depot in Ukiah. They say anyone who visited the business between Thursday, October 14th and Saturday, October 16th, that you may have been exposed to COVID-19, and should get tested if you’re unvaccinated, or be tested if exhibiting symptoms while vaccinated.
The Russian River water supply may stay low as a powerhouse that diverts water from the Eel to the Russian is offline. Pacific Gas & Electric says the Potter Valley Project will keep providing enough water for Potter Valley residents and the Russian River watershed. After the company claimed bankruptcy it said they no longer wanted to run the hydroelectric plant, so a regional partnership formed to explore buying it. PG&E says the powerhouse will take a year and a half to two years to be repaired. A spokesperson says it could cost as much as $5-10 million to fix. And since we’re in extreme drought conditions, the powerhouse wasn’t running this summer because PG&E couldn’t divert enough water to generate power. During routine maintenance early last summer, the found the transformer needed to be replaced.
