For the first time since the COVID19 pandemic started, Mendocino College had in person graduation. The 49th Commencement took place a couple of Fridays ago, May 20th. The last time they had an in-person commencement was 2019, so this time, they invited graduates from 2020 and 2021 to join this year’s grads to walk together. The Superintendent/President Tim Karas told the graduates to use their “knowledge, skills, and experience to build communities, shine a light on inequities, and encourage others to join us”. Adding the new graduates, could “do anything.”
It’s been almost two years since a fire broke out and burned into the Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Almost 97% of the park, the oldest in the state, burned. It was August of 2020 when the CZU Lightening Complex charred the park and killed one person. 86,000 acres burned and almost all of the park’s buildings, campgrounds and trails burned along with almost its entire old-growth redwood forest. Officials said its recovering though, with nearly every large old growth redwood tree showing regrowth, “with green needles sprouting from blackened trunks and branches”. And with that they’ll return to limited access on days after Independence Day. Full access won’t be for several years.
Some private Calif. colleges say they want to limit trespassing on campuses, especially by people who try to get in to harass students. It’s considered a misdemeanor, but private colleges are only allowed to give out a warning letter. Now some lawmakers are looking to change that saying the no-trespassing letters are ineffective. The Senate bill, if it passes, would change part of the state’s criminal code for public colleges or universities and public and private K-12 schools, to include private institutions and give a police officer or officer of the school more power. Punishment for a violation would be a fine of under $500 or imprisonment in county jail for no longer than six months, or both. It passed the Senate unanimously and moves to the Assembly next.
A proposed policy for the University of California has been tossed that would have required high school ethnic studies courses, calling the rule narrow, ideological and activist. Professors put a draft forward saying they’ll fight for the right to teach high schoolers about the heritage, history, culture and struggles of historically underrepresented groups in Calif. The UC Board of Regents were set to consider the proposal, but after several drafts, the Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools or BOARS, has stalled due to the debate on the matter nationwide.
After a small airplane went down near Willits, the family of the pilot says he had traumatic head injuries after trying to save his girlfriend. Mendo Fever reports the aircraft crashed Monday east of Willits and the pilot is on life support after he threw himself on top of his girlfriend when he knew they were going to crash. The girlfriend has reported internal injuries after she pulled her partner from the plane. The FAA’s preliminary report says the plane crashed after it experienced engine issues while landing on a private strip, then burst into flames. Apparently the pilot was trying to land on an airstrip on land owned by his family.
Former Sheriff Tom Allman out with praise for his successor on the job, Matt Kendall. Allman penned a letter to the editor on mendofever.com saying he has seen Kendall grow from Deputy into a strong leader. He says he trained Kendall, who in 1991 was promoted from the jail, then worked in the North County. He says back then, he was energetic and smart, and listened and learned. Allman says after watching Kendall’s career for more than 30 years, he’s seen him mature into a true and disciplined leader with ethics. The letter is an endorsement for Kendall to continue as Sheriff.
Congressman Jared Huffman says he’s drafted legislation so communities can better deal with flooding after wildfires. His Post Fire Flooding and Debris Flow Act would include slowing and preventing flooding and debris flows after wildfires with grant money. It would make these catastrophes eligible under FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and create a pathway so state and local governments can move swiftly if a storm is coming, so land, property, lives and public infrastructure are protected. A companion bill has been introduced in the US Senate by Senator Alex Padilla.
A fire burning in Napa County has blown up in size to 570 acres. A Nixle alert went out for mandatory evacuations in the area of 1300 Soda Canyon Rd. out to a dead end and there are road closures to accompany that. The Sheriff’s office had Deputies going door to door telling residents to leave as the fire spread at a moderate rate yesterday. They reported there were ground and air resources working the fire to slow the spread. The so-called Old Fire was only 5% contained last night and an evacuation center was set up for residents.
Two hikers had to be rescued from near Shelter Cove, but one didn’t make it. The pair were swept into the ocean Sunday afternoon a mile north of the Black Sands Beach trailhead. The Shelter Cove Fire Chief told Mendo Fever they had two ocean rescue units and two beach rescue units on the scene along with various other emergency responders. There was apparently a group hiking together, when the two were swept away into the rough ocean water. The two were taken out of the water and back to the marina. Only one was conscious and the other was declared dead at the scene by paramedics. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office reported they were investigating how the pair fell into the water.
State Senator Bill Dodd’s legislation to extend gaming compacts of over 2 dozen tribes has been approved. Dodd says it gives the state more time to negotiate long term agreements and allows tribes to continue on a path toward more self-sufficiency and economic development. Some tribes had already agreed to new 20-year gaming compacts with the state. They had temporary extensions that were supposed to expire at the end of the month, but Dodd’s bill gives them all an 18-month extension. It includes the Cahto Tribe of the Laytonville Rancheria, Hopland Band of Pomo Indians, Manchester Band of Pomo Indians of the Manchester Rancheria, Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians, the Robinson Rancheria and the Sherwood Valley Rancheria of Pomo Indians.
A man from Kelseyville who police say was driving drunk lost his passenger in a crash, and faces charges. The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office arrested 27 year old Adryan Segura after his passenger, 28 year old Amy Maurie Walker-Allen died in the crash. Police say he crashed near the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff after making an unsafe turn, went off the road and down a grassy embankment, hitting a wire fence. Segura also had major injuries and was determined to be under the influence of alcohol.
