In Fort Bragg, they’re extending the nomination period for four open City Council seats. Those are for 3 four-year terms, and another two year term due to the Vice Mayor deciding not to run for re-election. So, filing for candidacy ends instead this Wednesday. As of last week, the original deadline, there were thirteen people who asked for nomination papers, but only two were returned. One for a current councilmember was certified after it was returned. During their last meeting the City Council proposed adding a 3/8 cent sales tax, but then decided to wait and not have it on the November General Election ballot. The money would go to pay for workforce housing because companies have been struggling to find new people due to a lack of proper housing. The tax, if it passes, could bring in about $800,000 annually.
The Mendocino Theatre Company’s Board of Directors announces new leaders. Last year, the Executive Director, Pamela Allen put in her notice after six years at the helm. The board announced it took six months to find a whole new team. The new Producing Director is Elizabeth Craven, Betty Abramson, Mark Friedrich, and Roxy Sevens are all associate Artistic Directors and Lorry Lepaule was promoted to Director of Youth and Alternative Programming. The board also has a new mission statement, anti-harassment policy, and say they’re committed to include more diverse work and artists in future seasons.
A motorcyclist has died after a crash into a white car in Ukiah. The Police scanner said medics on the scene performed CPR, but the motorcycle rider died at the scene. It happened on the southbound Talmage onramp to Highway 101. They had to close the onramp for a while after the crash, which is being investigated.
Three men have been arrested after reports six Hispanic men were seen walking in Ukiah with rifles, wearing camouflage clothing. The Sheriff’s Office responded Friday night on Bell Springs Road and were told there had been unreported armed home invasions in the area last year, and that six Hispanic men with rifles might have been involved. Three Hispanic men from Fresno were found, and while they had no rifles, they did have about 10 pounds of bud marijuana, packaged in one pound bags they were going to sell. They were arrested for transportation of marijuana for sale and conspiracy and booked into jail on $20,000.00 bail each.
A man in Willits has been arrested after reports he had been stalking someone in the area. Someone told Deputies about the man in the backseat of a car parked in their neighborhood, Alfredo Nunez Aguilar. They approached and found he was high on drugs, they say they saw a handgun and glass pipe. They ordered him to show his hands, searched him and found live ammo on him. They also found over 5 grams of drugs, binoculars, bolt cutters, wire cutters, and a game camera. He had a criminal background so he was arrested for being in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of a controlled substance while armed with a loaded firearm, being under the influence of a controlled substance while armed and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was held on $35,000.00 bail.
A local vintage shop says since so many people have been visiting the store, they’re donated more than $25,000 to several Mendocino County charities. Good Buy Clothes in Point Arena reports donating $25,500 to non-profits including, Acorn Windy Hollow Farms, Redwood Coast Educational Foundation, Gualala Food Bank, South Coast Food Bank, Meals on Wheels, Coast Community Library and Project Santa. The store sells donated new and lightly used items. They’re not taking in any donations at the moment due to excess inventory, and a lack of storage space. The store is run by unpaid volunteers.
Another fire has broken out near Yosemite National Park. This is the third this summer. This one is about 8 miles south-east of Yosemite Village. Firefighters within the park say the Red Fire, which comes after the Oak and Washburn Fires, has burned nearly 170 acres. It apparently started about 10 days ago, but then due to extreme heat, and dry weather with wind, the fire grew. It was started by a lightning strike August 4th. Visitors have reported seeing smoke. A spokesperson for the national park says they’re monitoring it, and right now it’s not a threat. He says there were other small starts the last week, but they’re all out now.
A woman shot by Deputies in Fresno reportedly showed them a handgun. 30-year-old Mariah Spate of Clearlake was pulled over for a traffic violation. She was found to have a warrant out for her arrest for a domestic incident last month, where the victim was shot in the face. Police say she was arrested and put in handcuffs, but somehow slipped out of the cuffs, produced the gun and pointed it at deputies through the window of a patrol car and fired. Two deputies shot back, hitting her. She’s in stable condition. And apparently a drone above was able to record the entire incident. Deputies went to remove her from a home because of an eviction notice, triggering the entire event.
Those fires that broke out in the Six Rivers National Forest continue to expand, but fire officials say they believe they are well prepared to beat the monster back. There were four fires making up the Lightning Complex which has burned over 19,000 acres. There is some containment now too, up from zero Friday, to 17% as of Cal Fire’s report late yesterday afternoon. A spokesperson for the Incident Management Team told the Times-Standard newspaper they’ve been working diligently, building hand and dozer lines, contingency lines, and have mapped out several plans for what direction the fire might take. He says they’re comfortable with the plan in place. The fires started August 5th during a thunderstorm, sparking 12 fires. There are now four large fires that make up the complex. Meanwhile, State Senator Mike McGuire tweeted last night that the skies above Northern Calif. were filled with smoke. He says Trinity County is “severely impacted” and parts of Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma & Lake Counties also saw smoke from Six Rivers yesterday.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors continues without one Supervisor, but there may be change coming. The board wrote a letter to the Governor for an appointment to the District 4 seat after Tina Scott resigned. That opened up a portal for online applications to fill the vacancy on the Governor’s website. The Record Bee reports Lakeport City Council Member Michael Green said he applied, adding that the only requirement is living in District 4. He’s been a City Council member for a couple of years, was a Planning Commission member in Lakeport and has experience as a journalist and working in the cannabis industry. If he’s appointed, then the City Council would have to have a special election to fill that seat.
Mendocino County’s holding a back to school vaccination drive. The Back to School Immunization Event for Tdap & Varicella is for middle school children this Friday from 2-6pm at Pomolita Middle School in Ukiah. The shots are required for children to be able to attend middle school. The inoculations are free for all Mendocino County students. A parent or guardian must be present, and your student’s vaccine records are required. Students going into 7th grade must be up to date with all immunizations required under California Law.
The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office has announced a county random alphabet drawing. That’s this Thursday at 11:00 a.m. at the Registrar of Voters office in Lakeport. The results of the drawing will be used to arrange the names of candidates on the County of Lake’s November 8, 2022 General Election official ballots for the legislative offices of State Senator, District 2 and Member of the State Assembly, District 4.
Thousands of Kaiser Permanente mental health workers are striking. Starting today the open-ended strike was supposed to hit Northern California and the Central Valley for what workers say are unsustainable workloads and long appointment waits, which is against a new state law that requires pretty immediate follow-up mental health care appointments for most patients. The National Union of Healthcare Workers is the union representing the workers and says Kaiser has been canceling thousands of behavioral health appointments with no alternative for the patients. The union also says they did however reach a deal with the healthcare giant on pay, but there are still outstanding issues, including staffing and giving providers time for both patient appointments and administrative tasks, and there is no negotiation date for that.
