Ukiah has a new police chief. Current police captain Noble Waidelich has been promoted to the job to replace former Chief Justin Wyatt. Waidelich had been interim chief since September 19th. City Manager Sage Sangiacomo says the new chief has what it takes to lead the department and will bring in new ideas about how law enforcement can best serve the community. Waidelich has worked his way up the ranks since joining the force in 2005, serving as a sergeant, lieutenant, and captain. He says he is honored to lead the UPD and promises to work together with the city staff, community partners, and residents to keep Ukiah safe, pleasant, and prosperous.
Police say a man from Clearlake who died last week was assaulted. Police Chief Andrew White tells Lake Co News that 44-year-old Steven Chrisman was found unconscious behind the Burns Valley Shopping Center on Olympic Park Drive last Saturday night. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives are looking at the case but they aren’t saying much yet. If you have any information about what might have happened to Chrisman you can contact Clearlake PD
The Middletown Unified School District has a new superintendent. Tim Gill will take over the top spot after the School board let go former Superintendent Michael Cox last month. Gill is currently the assistant superintendent of the Kelseyville district. He has ties to Middletown. His first education job was in Middletown, where he taught middle and high school math from 1990 to 2001. His sons are also graduates of Middletown High. New superintendent Gill’s first day in his new office will be next Wednesday. On September27th, the school board voted in a closed session to terminate its contract with Michael Cox after a performance review
The Cal Fire Mendocino Unit plans to lift the suspension of burn permits. Unit Chief George Gonzalez says as of Monday morning at 12:01 AM, people with current and valid agricultural and residential permits can now start burning on permissible days. CalFire must inspect agricultural burns, and others may be subject to inspection as well through the end of the peak fire season. Burn Permits are now available online from CalFire at https://burnpermit.fire.ca.gov. The permission is only for residents who live in the State Responsibility Area, or where CalFire has jurisdiction. Landowners still have to check with local fire agencies to determine any additional requirements and restrictions. You will also have to check in with Mendocino County Air Management District to confirm that everything is in order and that it is a burn day. Fires are only allowed on those days.
The National Forest Service is getting ready for some controlled burns in the Mendocino National Forest over the next few weeks. The goal is to burn off dry vegetation and manage the risk of UNCONTROLLED fires. No specific dates for planned fires just yet because officials say it is a complicated process to get just the right time, depending on conditions like wind, air quality, moisture, and the availability of crews. So far, the Forest Service has identified two locations for the prescribed burns on National Forest Land: The Howard Mill Piles and The Pine Mountain Piles. You can get the latest in real-time through the national forest’s Twitter and Facebook accounts.
A story we told you about yesterday has a positive ending. Clearlake police say 74-year-old Katherine Jackson has been found and is safe. She had been missing since she walked away from her home Wednesday. A passerby recognized Katherine from a Nixel alert and called the police on Thursday morning. Police say she apparently got lost after taking a bus ride.
You’ll get another chance to have your say in new political maps in Mendocino County based on the 2020 Census. The five-member Community-based Advisory Redistricting Commission has been working for the past several months on that complex process. Now, members will hold another input session next Wednesday at 6:15 at the Board of Supervisors office in Ukiah. The county got the census data late, so time is getting short. The county has to turn in its redistricting plan to the state by December 15th unless the legislature gives more time. The county website has all the specifics about what’s been done and what comes next.
The Ukiah City Council is moving ahead with an ordinance to ban small canisters of nitrous oxide, known as whip-its. The gas has a legitimate use as a propellant and for anesthesia, but some people inhale the gas for a quick high. That can be dangerous. The Daily Journal reports that council members told staff at this week’s regular council meeting to write a measure to outlaw selling the containers within city limits. City Lawyers say any law would have to be specific and aimed at stores like smoke shops that sell nitrous over the counter. The stick could be a threatened loss of a store’s tobacco license. Officials admit getting whip-its online is easy, but a step to keep them out of the wrong hands is a step in the right direction.
If you have unwanted prescription medicines at home, you’ll be able to safely get rid of them this weekend. Several p[olice agencies, including Lakeport PD, will take part in the DEA’s National Drug take-back day Saturday from 10am to 2pm. The drive-up location is on the west side of the police station on Main Street. Covid safety protocols will be in effect. Law enforcement holds these take-back events twice a year as a way for people to get rid of unused meds so the drugs don’t fall into the wrong hands or make their way into the environment. There are a few rules. Pills have to be in a clear Ziploc bag so the medicine can be identified. Police will also accept vape pens or other e-cigarette devices from individual consumers only after the batteries are removed. The take-back will NOT take back street drugs, needles, inhalers, or aerosol cans.
Governor Newsom wants tougher rules on oil and gas wells near schools, hospitals, and homes. The governor says the rules are about public health and dignity for people who live and work near those wells. His plan is just a draft. It will get a review through the regulatory process and is subject to public comments. Some groups are already weighing in. The western states petroleum Association says the governor’s proposal is not based on science and could lead to higher energy costs. Others say it is a good start linking oil and gas well locations to social justice. The draft plan would impose a 3,200 foot limit between oil and gas development and sites like schools, hospitals, and nursing homes. Around 2 million Californians live in areas that could eventually be considered too close to oil and natural gas wells.
The US Geological Survey is out with a scary warning about what might happen to cell service after a major earthquake in California. The USGS says a big quake could take down communication for days or even weeks near the epicenter and beyond, complicating access to 911 and delaying the response to fire and EMS calls. The report says cell towers cold fall, and the electricity that powers them could go out. A worst-case scenario says only 7 percent of mobile calls would get through. The report specifically looked at risks along the Hayward Fault south of us in the San Francisco Bay area, calling the fault a tectonic timebomb. The USGS says a cell service meltdown is just one of many vulnerabilities it found studying how the big one anywhere in California could affect the whole state and even the rest of the nation for a long time.
Congressman Mike Thompson will hold a virtual town hall next week. His office says he will take questions from fifth district constituents online next Wednesday from 6 to 7 PM. There is a limit of 500 participants so if you would like to take part, you’ll need to contact the congressman’s office. Since the pandemic started, Thompson has held 20 similar sessions.
