A woman arrested for a DUI has been found guilty by a jury. 27-year-old Desiree Leilehua Johnson, of Carmichael, was convicted Friday for a misdemeanor of driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, and also for driving with a blood alcohol of .08 percent or higher. That’s also a misdemeanor. There was also a special allegation against her that that blood alcohol measured .15 or greater, and the jury found that to be true. It was actually, 3 times the legal limit, at .24.
Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire had a guest with him during a virtual town hall on Mpox and the pandemic. Infectious Disease Expert Dr. Timothy Brewer from UCLA, appeared with McGuire to answered questions Thursday night. At the same time the Mendocino County Public Health Dept. confirmed the first case of Mpox last Friday. McGuire confirmed the new virus, what had been referred to as monkeypox, is now in almost every county in Northern Calif. There are vaccines available for those considered at high risk. There is also no evidence, they said, that the infection increases your risk of getting COVID, or the other way around either. They also advised it’s important to get the COVID booster which was just approved, and targets the original strain and omicron.
The California Air Resources Board has put out a new climate roadmap showing more offshore wind development, climate-friendly housing construction, cleaner aviation fuels and reducing miles traveled. The changes come as the state tries to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and fast track other projects in the state. The draft plan released in May from the state shows a bunch of projects the Governor hopes to get done to get to carbon neutrality by the year 2045. That includes trying to eliminate 91% of fossil fuels at a potential cost of $18 billion in 2035 and $27 billion in 2045. The air board won’t be doing much more as part of the plan until the end of the year.
Four people, including one juvenile have been arrested with a bunch of stolen checks and other people’s mail, a felony. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office along with Ukiah Police stopped a car on the 500 block of North Dora Street and found 2 adults and two teens, Marlen Nunez-Alvarez, Victor Martinez, Elijah Devinegomes and a 17-year-old male. They found over 50 stolen checks, personal documents, and US mail which belonged to people living in various parts of the county. They say some of the checks had been forged in the name of those arrested. Law enforcement officers are working with the US Postal Inspection Service to try to contact the victims. The group was arrested for various crimes including grand theft and conspiracy and booked into jail and juvenile hall.
Another town hall for the Ukiah Unified School District on Developer Fees. The meeting is Monday, the 26th, 2 Mondays from now. Ukiah Unified staff are hosting the meeting at the Ukiah Unified District Service Center where they invite community members to learn about what developer fees are and ask any questions. The meeting comes after a study by a consultant on the fees which are used to pay school districts to ease the impact of new development on school facilities. Nearly a decade ago, the school board decided to stop collecting the fees, but now the Board wants the Administration to come up with a new developer fee study. A draft study was presented to the Ukiah Unified Trustees during a public hearing on August 11th. There was one community meeting on the matter already. The Board will consider reinstating the fees at their meeting next month.
Another dead whale has washed up on shore on the Mendocino Coast. The humpback was found off Fort Bragg this time, by a resident biking on the coastal trail. There were a couple of rangers on scene too. Kym Kemp reports they were holding back with the location to lessen the amount of people milling around as scientists and researchers were on the scene figuring out next steps. It comes after a rare, beaked whale washed up in Fort Bragg in May, and a sperm whale washed up on Portuguese beach near the town of Mendocino. There were also reports of a dead mama humpback found at the Point Reyes national seashore.
A small wildfire has been quickly put out outside Ukiah city limits. The police scanner blared out that firefighters were responding to a grassfire yesterday afternoon by Oak Knoll Road and Fircrest Drive south of city limits. It was only about 15 minutes that firefighters had snuffed the flames. Mendo Fever reported hearing there had also been a decent sized spot fire doused nearby.
The Calif. Legislature approved a grant to workers who lost their jobs during lockdown. The $2,500 grants for people who were displaced from their jobs due to the pandemic so they can learn a new trade. The first 3,000 have received the grant this past spring and this summer. The state’s opening up the grants again for more people, those in the lower-income brackets who also lost their jobs or had their hours seriously cut during the pandemic. Workers who have kids under 18 will get half of the grant money allocated. The state is looking to reach as many as 190,000 people with the grants, called the Golden State Education and Training Grant Program.
California will be the first state in the country to have a ranking system for heat waves, much like hurricanes and tornados. The Governor signed the law Friday for new regulations for the
California Environmental Protection Agency to come up with the ranking system for extreme heat events by Jan. 1, 2025. It was part of a group of bills the Governor signed last week to protect residents from the oppressive heat that’s been made worse due to climate change. Newsom commented that last week’s “unprecedented heat wave” was “a painful reminder of the costs and impacts of climate change — and it won’t be the last”.
Adventist Health Ukiah Valley hospital reports achieving all three honor rolls by Cal Hospital Compare. The hospital is one of only nine to be named for excellence in maternity care, opioid stewardship and patient safety. The group releases three hospital honor rolls a year to accelerate hospital progress, recognize and celebrate hospital performance and support patients and families in choosing hospitals that best fit their healthcare needs. The Administrator for Adventist Health Ukiah Valley says it’s an honor to be recognized for excellent patient care. And the Calif. Health & Human Services Secretary says the annual measurements through Cal Hospital Compare helps them to applaud hospitals doing excellent work and show where improvement is needed.
