Nine former cops from Chico got their badges back, they had lost them in the 2018 Camp Fire. The police chief presented the former officers with the badges last week, one way he says, to give them closure from the fire. Chief matt Madden says Chico and Paradise have always been a very close community. He looked at the unveiling of the badges as a way to help people still impacted by the fire and give them a chance to move on. Chico’s Faith Community Group put up the money and worked with others to get the badges replaced, since the police dept. couldn’t spend money to replace the former officers’ badges. The nine officers were two former chiefs, two community services officers, a lieutenant, a captain and three officers.
An agreement on an inflation relief package has been made with the Governor and lawmakers. The $17 billion package will provide Californians with up to $1,050 each from a new middle class tax rebate. The Governor tweeted it’s going to help folks buy gas and food. It works like this, those who make up to $75,000 a year, or joint filers at $150,000 are getting $350 each and $350 for one dependent for a maximum of $1,050. Anyone making up to $125,000, or $250,000 filing jointly, get $250 each plus $250 for one dependent for a maximum of $750. And for folks earning over $250,000, or $500,000 filing jointly, get $200 each plus $200 for one dependent for maximum of $600.
Chances are if you’re caught with pepper spray and give cops a fake name, you might end up in jail. That’s what happened last Thursday after Deputies on routine patrol in Ukiah find two people in a car, one of them gave a phony name to them. Deputies say Emmanuel Cazoriamejia had two active felony arrest warrants and one misdemeanor from Sonoma County. They say he seemed to be high on something. The passenger, Sarah Simon owned the car. Deputies searched and found drug paraphernalia and a pepper spray container, which she was not allowed to have. So the pair were arrested, Cazoriamejia for his warrants, false identification to a peace officer, and being under the influence of a controlled substance. He was being held on $56,000.00 bail. And Simon was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and being a prohibited person in possession of pepper spray and booked on $15,000.00 bail.
A man waving a gun around in Willits has been arrested. Police contacted Cody Caldwell and cuffed him. They say he was arguing with another man when the gun was revealed. Caldwell says that he felt threatened though, so he pointed the gun at the other guy. He was arrested after a witness told cops Caldwell was holding the firearm in a threatening manner. Plus, it was not a registered firearm, and it was first concealed. He’s charged with brandishing, carrying an un-registered firearm, and carrying a concealed weapon. On the way to jail he had a medical emergency and was taken to the hospital.
Seasonal fire restrictions are in place for Mendocino County. The Bureau of Land Management Ukiah field office issued seasonal fire restrictions for public lands effective immediately. The Ukiah Field Manager says there’s an increased risk of wildfires throughout the Northern California region, so they must do everything they can to prevent fires. So there’s no setting, building, maintaining, attending, or using a campfire or open flame of any kind, except within approved fire pits and grills with a valid California campfire permit. No target shooting, no chainsaws or other such equipment in forest lands. No smoking unless in a car or RV or designated areas. No welding or open flame torches or fireworks.
For more info about how you can prevent wildfires visit www.readyforwildfire.org.
A former, beloved teacher will be remembered at Yokayo School. The school’s Site Council unanimously voted to call the library the “Carl Morgensen Library”. The trustees voted unanimously at their meeting this month. The trustees president says they’re overjoyed by the naming for former principal Morgensen, who was devoted to teaching thousands of kids in Ukiah how to read and hundreds of teachers how to teach reading. Morgensen was first the Principal at Frank Zeek Elementary until he retired in June 1994. He left for Utah, but came back a couple years later and worked as a reading resource teacher at Hopland and Yokayo Elementary schools. And at the end of his 2nd time around, was the Principal of Yokayo. He died in August of 2020.
A death by drowning has been reported at Lake Berryessa. Mendo Fever reports there was a request yesterday afternoon around, 1:20 p.m. for a water rescue for a possible drowning by the Oak Shores Day Use Area. 20 minutes later an air ambulance was canceled along with other resources. They announced a recovery effort instead of a rescue, and a dive team came out.
Here’s a new event… urchin harvesting. Folks gathered 2 Saturdays ago at Van Damme State Beach for a live demonstration and hear about the overpopulation of purple urchin, strangling kelp and abalone populations along the coast. The inaugural UniFest was triggered by the COVID lockdown. The main organizer, Cally Dym says it was important to create events that wouldn’t need to be canceled due to the pandemic. MendoParks helps with the exhibits and educational programming in local parks, of which Dym is a member. She says they started with three events, the outdoor demo, a sake seminar and an uni lunch at Harbor House Inn. But they added more to it, with music and a screening of a trailer of a documentary about kelp deforestation.
Community members are needed by the Mendocino-Lake Community College District board. Elections for trustee area #2 and #5 in Mendocino County, and area #6 in Lake County are open. It’s a four-year term. Those interested should apply between July 18th and August 12th. The Board of Trustees of the Mendocino-Lake Community College District has seven members who serve the educational needs of the citizens of the district, regardless of national origin, religion, age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, race or ethnicity, color, medical condition, genetic information, ancestry, immigration status, sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, or military and veteran status.
For additional information please visit www.mendocino.edu/elections or email Mary Lamb, Executive Assistant to the President at mlamb@mendocino.edu or 707-468-3071.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors says yes to the latest budget for the new fiscal year, but there was concern raised about lower cannabis tax revenues. Lake Co News reports Supervisor Bruno Sabatier voted against the recommended budget because of staffing increases and a lack of an economic development plan. It’s been standard operating procedure for the board to accept the budget draft in June and approve the final budget by September. This year they’re looking at a general fund of just over $76,237,000, down nearly $7M. The cannabis cultivation and business tax was $6,704,000 at the beginning of the month, off about 1.6M from 2020-21.
They’re formally unveiling a new mural in downtown Lakeport with a nod to front line, essential workers. This Friday will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at 5pm by the Meals on Wheels Thrift Store. The mural was a gift to the community coordinated by the Lake County Arts Council in partnership with the City of Lakeport, Lake Family Resource Center, Lake County Rural Arts Initiative, Lakeport Main Street Association and others. The Lakeport Mayor Pro Tem says the COVID pandemic hit the community hard in many ways, and now is the perfect time to come together and thank those who couldn’t stay at home, like so many others, because they had to keep the economy and community moving. The mural was painted by a recent San Francisco State Univ. grad, Emma Wakefield of Loch Lomond.
As a reminder once again, Cal Fire Mendocino says fireworks are illegal in Mendocino County. The agency says as the Fourth of July holiday continues to be synonymous with sun, fun, barbecuing, and fireworks, two out of five fires during the holiday are caused by fireworks. They say fireworks are inherently dangerous, and children are at the greatest risk of injury. As we previously reported the CAL FIRE Unit Chief Luke Kendall is asking again to do your part to have a safe holiday, help prevent wildfires and injuries caused by fireworks. The risk of starting a fire after years of drought and with the current dry conditions is extremely high.
