Ukiah could be in line to get nearly $500,000 over the next 18 years as a participant in settlements with three large drug companies over the community costs of the Opioid crisis. In a major settlement nearing between several State Attorneys General and drug makers McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen and Janssen, California and its cities and counties could to receive up to $2.2 billion in Settlement Funds over the next 18 years to be used for substance use prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery. Ukiah’s share would reportedly be around $488,000.
Several Mendocino County water agencies are asking Pacific Gas and Electric to increase the water flow coming through the Potter Valley Project. The Ukiah Daily Journal reports that due to a problem with the project’s transformer bank, PG&E is only sending 45 cubic feet per second as per their minimum flow requirements for the East Branch Russian River and contractual obligation to the Potter Valley Irrigation District. The County says with Lake Mendocino at 36% capacity, there isn’t enough water to meet basic health and safety needs and they want the flow increased to 140 cfs.
The Lake County Health Department says while the Omicron variant has not yet been identified in Lake County, surrounding counties are finding it and it is almost certainly spreading through the community. In a statement Thursday officials said they anticipate a large climb in cases in the coming weeks, and they encourage businesses, schools, and families to prepare for many people testing positive and getting sick. They encourage vaccinations and boosters saying they seem to provide good protection from serious illness from Omicron as seen in the US and around the world with the booster offering important additional protection. They also suggest you familiarize yourself with how to get tested, which you can find on the Lake County Health Department Website.
Both kids and adults can take part when the Lake County Library’s Winter Reading Challenge begins on Tuesday, January 4. The library has Challenge programs for pre-K, kids, teens, and adults. And children who can’t quite read on their own can still sign up and parents can record the books that they read together. And it’s not just books – you can also do the Challenge with Ebooks, audiobooks, comics, or whatever you’d like to check out from the library and read. You can register for the challenge on the Lake County Library website or by stopping by your local branch.
The water level in Clear Lake has gone up a bit this week, with end of year rain and snow making for a slightly better water year this year than 2020. Lake County News reports while Lake County is still in its second year of extreme drought and Clear Lake has been at its lowest since the drought of the late 1970s, the Lake has risen nearly a foot and a half since in the last two weeks. There’s also been a huge recent boost to the snow pack with the California Department of Water Resources reporting the Northern Sierra at 145% of normal, the Central Sierra at 162%, and the Southern Sierra at 167%.
The first Sonoma County Dungeness crab of the season has gone to Market. The commercial fishery opened on Wednesday, more than a month late, but just in time to get the crab for sale for New Year’s Eve. The Press Democrat reports the Sonoma Zone was the last to open because of lingering migratory whales and other marine mammals that could have gotten entangled in fishing gear. Most other Dungeness fisheries opened on December 1st. As for the price, one fisherman who brings his catch to Bodega Bay said it’s being sold in the seafood department for $9.99 a pound.
