Many communities will hold observances to mark Memorial Day on Monday. The Ukiah VFW Post 1900, in conjunction with Lewis White Post 76, will hold its traditional ceremony to honor those who have died serving our country. The ceremony will be held in the tree-lined Russian River Cemetery on Low Gap Road in Ukiah starting Monday at noon. Potter Valley’s Memorial Day service is at Potter Valley Cemetery on East Side Road at 9 a.m. Former American Legion Lewis White Post 76 Commander Ralph Paulin will lead the ceremony, and Potter Valley Scout Troup 72 will assist.
A report that a woman who has filed a civil lawsuit against Ukiah Police Chief Noble Waidelich wants a jury trial in the case, but she may run out of time. According to Mendovoice.com, that lawsuit alleges Waidelich beat her and used witness intimidation to escape prosecution. Amanda Carley filed the suit in 2015 and it has pushed back several times. She wants a six-month extension allowed by rules enacted during the pandemic. Carley was a probation officer at the time and was engaged to Waidelich. She broke it off when she claims their relationship became violent. A judge will take up the matter and decide if the suit moves ahead or gets tossed out.
High school seniors who are homeless could get $1,000 from the state to help them out. Lawmakers will consider the guranteed income plan they say would help those students transition to adulthood The latest count shows about 15,000 homeless senior students. The money would be no strings attached and tax-free. The bill’s sponsors say that cash could break the cycle of poverty and put them on a stable financial footing. Governor Newsom wants to spend about 35 million dollars in his proposed budget for guaranteed money to several other groups like foster children and pregnant teens.
It’s fire season mostly year-round in Calif. But as we hit peak season, CalFire is reminding folks to prepare their homes by hardening them. They urge you to abate weeds and build a defensible space zone around your property. As the weather warms, that increases fire danger. Officials with the fire agency are providing tips for residents to ensure they prepare by retrofitting their homes to improve the chance it can survive a wildfire, especially because there have already been red flag warnings this year. Defensible Space is the buffer between a building and the grass, trees, shrubs, or other vegetation, which can stop the spread of a wildfire. They say to use gravel, pavers or other noncombustible materials there and remove all dead and dying weeds, brush and trees.
To learn more about how you can be prepared for wildfire, visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org
After reports of shots fired in Ukiah, police have arrested someone they say was involved. Police say a pickup was seen in the area of 200 Ford St. after several reports of shots fired. They saw a vehicle around the corner matching the description and detained two people. There were reports the pickup occupants had an interaction with a pedestrian. Cops gathered evidence and continued investigating and identified the shooter as Bryan M. Sanchez who happened to be on probation for a burglary. There was a 17-year-old with him. Police say there have been a bunch of other reports of harassing behavior by the driver and the victim, a woman. No word so far what set off the shooting incident.
A new scholarship by the Lake County Winegrape Commission has gone to a senior at Upper Lake High. The $5,000 “Future of Agriculture” scholarship went to Atlantis Jones at a recent Senior Scholarship and Awards Night at the high school. The new scholarship is being given to one student in Lake County going to a four-year university, based on academic achievement, financial need, and a demonstrated interest in agriculture. It’s part of a program the Commission worked on to inspire high schoolers with the Lake County Farm Bureau to develop “Cultivate – Careers in the Winegrape Industry”.
Like many places across the country this Spring, Caltrans had a Litter Cleanup Day. This week crews and volunteers poured out onto highways across the state, plucking up trash and debris. In District 1, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino counties, there was also a call-out to community members to join and pick up litter in their neighborhoods and nearby parks. It’s all part of Governor Newsom’s Clean California initiative, a $1.1 billion campaign over several years tasking Caltrans with keeping roads and waterways free of litter, creating thousands of jobs, and transforming state and local public spaces through beautification efforts.
Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry has announced a package of gun control bills in the Assembly after recent mass shootings in Buffalo, NY, Uvalde, TX and here in Sacramento several months ago. Aguiar-Curry says the U-S is the “only country in the world where the regulation of guns and gun-ownership is treated with such callous disregard, where no place is safe, including places of worship, grocery stores and elementary schools”. The package includes prohibiting gun manufacturers from marketing to minors, changes the definition of firearm and firearm precursor parts, addresses ghost guns, reduces the amount of guns one person can have, prohibits 3-D printing of firearms, starts a community violence prevention and recovery program and starts a 10-year firearm prohibition for anyone convicted of child abuse and elder and dependent adult abuse involving violence.
Stopped in its tracks… a case of unemployment insurance fraud in Calif. The Employment Development Department says they recently blocked a fraud attempt by criminals trying to rip off hundreds of millions in benefits from the state with paper and fax applications. They’ve sent notices to those who may be impacted. The agency says the crooks sent tons of fake claims in, about 40,000 more claims than usual. They were not paid, which saved the state more than a half billion dollars. A fraud specialist with the department says they have new fraud filters which stopped the constant stream of fraud attempts, schemes and criminal tactics.
Several thousand dollars has been gifted to the Ukiah Valley Trail Group to improve trails by Lake Mendocino. The group reports getting a $32,000 gift from Pacific Redwood Medical Group so they can realign and improve the trails between the Dam and Spillway. They also gifted $25,000 in 2019 to build the trail above City View Trail at Low Gap Park. The medical group’s fund is based on employee donations but managed by the Group. They say most full-time employees have been donating each month. They picked the Ukiah Valley Trail Group because the non-profit’s mission aligned with the ways they want to improve community health, encouraging physically active lifestyles.
After reports they may have to close down because of budget woes, the Mendocino County Museum in Willits was packed with folks showing support last Friday. That included local officials like the mayor, the 3rd District Supervisor, staff from the Willits Chamber of Commerce, volunteers, and local arts and history enthusiasts. They report more than 100 people came through the museum last Friday night. The mayor also reported the City Council was planning to bring a resolution to keep the museum open to the Board of Spervisors.
