Because of a shortage of staff, Lake County Animal Care and Control is closing for after-hours service. The agency put out a press release that they are trying to provide a timely response to urgent animal-related issues. They say services after normal business hours are not mandated by law, but they still try their best with staffing and resource limitations. So, with that they are temporarily suspending the after-hours service that might include picking up strays or loose animals starting next month. Weekdays they’ll be open regular hours and if you have after-hour needs, you will get a call the following day. There will be someone there on certain weekends in October. They are trying to hire more people, and as soon as they do, they will reopen for after-hours service.
The California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced a massive sweep of illegal marijuana. Almost one million illegally grown cannabis plants and over 200,000 pounds of illegally processed weed have been gathered by the State Department of Justice’s annual Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP) program. It’s about 3 months of work. Since 1983, they’ve eradicated over 33 million illegal cannabis plants. Atty. General Bonta says the state has the biggest, safe, legal, and regulated cannabis market in the world, but there are unfortunately illegal and unlicensed grows continuing. The work in 26 counties this time around. In Mendocino: 18 sites, 190,018 plants eradicated; Lake: 51 sites, 97,677 plants eradicated; Siskiyou: 52 sites: 68,130 plants eradicated; Trinity: 22 sites, 46,632 plants eradicated; and Sonoma: 1 site, 1,407 plants eradicated.
A well-respected history writer from the North Coast and newspaper columnist once again appears at the Grace Hudson Museum. Gaye LeBaron was one of the first to hear about plans for the new museum to be built back in the day. Hudson was a renowned and talented painter at the time of the talk. And LeBaron wrote several columns about the museum and it’s founder, Barbara Eversole who had raised enough money in the 1980’s to get the museum built. LeBaron was on hand again as Sonoma County philanthropist Norma Person’s husband Evert was honored with a naming for a new expansion of the museum, the Evert Person Courtyard. Evert bought Hudson’s first painting.
A teenager in Lake County is dead, and mystery surrounds the case. Police are trying to find anyone in Clearlake who may know why the 17-year-old boy was killed. They got a call early Monday morning to someone injured lying in the road and found the teen with a gunshot wound. Detectives were on the scene, but no more information was released to the public, nor a name of the deceased minor.
Congressman Mike Thompson is visiting the Middletown Area Town Hall. Those in attendance tomorrow evening will also meet some School Board candidates. The meeting is open to the public and will be streamed on Zoom too. Congressman Thompson will kick off the meeting on Zoom. He’s running again this November. Then the school board candidates will get a chance to speak as well. MATH is a local advisory council for residents in Anderson Springs, Cobb, Coyote Valley (including Hidden Valley Lake), Long Valley and Middletown.
A new black fence is being erected in Ukiah along Highway 101 north of Perkins. The fencing is reportedly replacing another stretch that was getting too old. It was put in in the 1960s and had been vandalized a bunch. The cost of the 7,500 feet of fencing is $2.6 million including materials, labor and equipment costs, per CalTrans.
Halloween is almost here and the Willits Center for the Arts has a bunch of activities for the kiddos that weekend. From Oct. 28th – 30th they start with the “High School Monster Dance”, then on Saturday, parents get their turn with the “The Haunted Ballroom: A Halloween Masquerade Gala” with live music. Costume winners have a chance to get up to $250 worth of gas. The gala is the Center’s biggest fundraiser of the year. They’re trying to raise money to replace the old gallery lighting system. And on Sunday they have a free costume party for the youngsters and their families from 2 to 4 p.m.
The Enchanted Pumpkin Patch celebration is coming to the Waldorf School of Mendocino County on Halloween. For a safe trick-or-treating outing with the littles you can visit the Calpella Campus. There will me theater skits happening along with treats. Local actors and actresses will be on stage to entertain. There’s also a Smoky Cauldron Café which will have light snacks, homemade baked goods, Black Oak Coffee, apple cider and hot chocolate. For more info: www.mendocinowaldorf.org/enchanted-pumpkin-path/, or at the Waldorf School office, (707) 485-8719.
There’s an epidemic across Calif. A new study reports especially in the Central Valley, cases of maternal and congenital syphilis are being reported. CalMatters is reporting the sexually transmitted disease is popping up in the poorer areas across California. Reporters did ride-alongs with an STD investigator who drives thru rural towns reporting to pregnant people on the findings. Rates have been skyrocketing to a point not seen in two decades. Congenital syphilis happens when a mom passes the disease to her fetus, and if it goes untreated it can cause severe neurological disorders, organ damage, and even infant death.
A man from Middletown found guilty of DUI (with alcohol while causing injury) and hit and run with permanent injury or death has been back to court. The prosecution asked for the victim to appear remotely during a restitution hearing to see how much the man should pay to his victim from the May 2019 accident. Joshua Ferrell was accused of crossing the double yellow line on Highway 175 and crashing head on into Cole Jensen. Both drivers had major injuries and Ferrell left the scene but was found later. Ferrell pleaded not guilty at the time, but evidence proved that he should be tried in the case which continues.
Schools across the state are dealing with a ransomware problem or cyberattacks. Ed Source reports Los Angeles Unified was the latest attacked by ransomware. The education news site reports school districts are getting cyber insurance, setting up automatic backups and installing beefed up security, like requiring double authentication for access to some data. And firsthand experience has pushed many to reevaluate the data they keep. In LA their attack was over Labor Day weekend, with the criminals posting some of the school district’s data online because they wouldn’t negotiate or pay a ransom. According to one estimate, ransomware attacks have happened to over 60 school districts, colleges and universities across the country this year alone.
