The dire warnings about the heat wave continue with the National Weather Service putting out a high confidence report about the heat. The alert says the heat will become significant this weekend into early next week with Triple-Digit Temperatures forecast. In Lake County they’ve set up ways to get out of the heat for sensitive groups. You can head over to Redbud Library in Clearlake and Peer Support Centers in Clearlake Oaks, Lakeport and Clearlake are opening during parts of the holiday weekend.
Saturday, 9/3
· Clearlake: Redbud Library*, Open 10am-5pm (14785 Burns Valley Rd, 707-994-5115)
· Clearlake Oaks: The Big Oak Peer Support Center, Open 12-4:30pm (13340 East Highway 20, Suite O, 707-998-0310)
· Lakeport: Circle of Native Minds Cultural Center, Open 12pm-4pm (525 North Main Street, 707-263-4880)
The investigation by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office into the former police chief of Ukiah is complete. The agency was looking into possible criminal conduct by former Chief Noble Waidelich. The report has been sent to the Mendocino County District Attorney, but no word what it says. It just a couple of days after one of the chief’s disgraced officers, Kevin Murray got off without jail time after a slew of charges including sex assault, harassment and intimidation. Waidelich was also fired which the city only said was because he was not a good fit for the city any longer. The Mendocino County Sheriff asked his counterparts in Sonoma County to look into charges so the investigation was not tainted. This case is reportedly separate from a civil case filed against Waidelich by his ex fiance who alleged he abused her and used his position of power to get her fired.
A fire broke out in Willits and the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) warned to be prepared to evacuate. The Warner Fire was downgraded and contained last night though so the evacuation warnings were downgraded to “situational awareness” for the Pine Mountain and Ridgewood Road subdivisions. Forward progress was stopped on the fire which burned about 109 acres yesterday. Besides the evacuation warnings there were roads closed in Willits and traffic congestion warnings on the 101 between Willits and Ukiah. Four structures were threatened
Power has been restored for folks in Northern Ukiah. PG&E reported as temperatures were soaring, they temporarily shut power off for nearly 1,100 customers yesterday afternoon. That included on the Ukiah campus of Mendocino College and Calpella elementary school. About 4 – 5 hours later the power flipped back on.
The Governor has declared a state of emergency because of the heat wave for the long weekend. There was also a flex alert triggered to lower energy usage between 4 and 9 pm.
A new restaurant has opened at the Noyo Harbor. The Slack Tide Café had their soft opening. The location in support of marine science education and research. You can hang around and watch the sea lions and harbor seals and enjoy local treats at the new café. 100% of the profits support marine conservation.
Redwood Coast Land Conservancy has announced the new Conservation Plan for Mill Bend Preserve. Money for the environmental science report and design came from the State Coastal Conservancy. The 113-acre Preserve serves as a entry point to Gualala, Mendocino, and Sonoma counties. The new plan has ideas on how to continue caring for the Preserve, including how to protect sensitive species and improve their habitats, prevent the spread of pathogens and invasive species, facilitate climate change resilience, and manage wildfire hazards. The public is invited to the open house 2 weeks from tomorrow, Sept. 17th at the Gualala Arts Center.
Please contact Redwood Coast Land Conservancy for any questions about the community open house https://www.rclc.org.
The hotter temperatures are not helping marine life. Over the last week several dead Chinook salmon were found over a 40-mile stretch of the Lower Klamath River. The Yurok Tribe’s Fisheries Department says they had died due to suffocation from a bacteria called gill rot. The Fisheries experts say we could see more dying fish in the days to come. They also noticed there were fish with so-called “Ich” infections. Those are caused by poor water quality and temperature changes. The Yurok Fisheries dept. head says it’s caused by low flows, unusually high-water temperatures and dams. The tribe is calling for more water to be released from the Lewiston Reservoir in Trinity County, to cool the river. Their request was granted.
Forget about the COVID vaccines, if your child has not received all recommended vaccines before they head back to school, they may be turned away. The state requires 10 different immunizations for kids to attend classes. But some kids weren’t getting their vaccines during the lockdown days of the pandemic so they’re unable to go back to school in person. About 10% of California students 4 to 6 years old didn’t get their measles, mumps and rubella vaccination. Health experts say it could be because wellness checks were skipped during the pandemic, there was vaccine fatigue and more vaccine hesitancy and even vaccine supply was an issue for some.
The state has added more energy to the grid as Californians buckle up for a hot weekend. The state will put another 4,000 megawatts on the grid that were not available during an event in July of 2020. Since that time the state has come up with emergency measures like adding generators and a Strategic Energy Reserve. But this heat wave is supposed to hit all of the west, so there could be limited resources in multiple states. The Governor says it’s the latest reminder of how real Climate Change is and how it impacts the everyday lives of Californians. He also says the state is taking steps for the immediate crisis, but it also reinforces the need for urgent action to end “dependence on fossil fuels that are destroying our climate and making these heat waves hotter and more common.”
First 5 Lake is looking for proposals from data geeks. They need someone or an entity to develop, implement and maintain a web-based, user-friendly data system for them. The agency has been funding early childhood systems and supports for young children and their families in Lake County for over 20 years. They say their vision is for a data system to address the need for increased access to an integrated, strategic, and user-friendly service delivery system that will continually adapt for their community.
Instructions for those interested in applying and the full Request for Proposals (RFP) packet can be found at www.firstfivelake. org. The deadline to submit proposals is Oct. 14, 2022, at 5 p.m.
If you have questions or would like further information, please contact the First 5 Lake office at 707– 263-6169.
