There could be some power shut-offs next week starting on Sunday due to high winds. Pacific Gas and Electric says a public safety power shutoff, or PSPS, is likely on Sunday, October 23 and Monday October 24 with high winds and dry conditions forecast. Lake County News reports the counties under watch for Sunday are Lake, Butte, Colusa, Fresno, Glenn, Kern, Napa, Stanislaus, Tehama and Yolo. On Monday, counties under watch are Lake, Butte, Kern, Napa and Tehama. You can get the specific addresses for the shutoffs on PG&E’s Website PSPS page.
A case of alleged criminal misconduct against former Ukiah Police Chief Noble Waidelich is reportedly now with the state Attorney General’s Office. The Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office tells the Daily News they have forwarded the investigation done earlier this year by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office to the Attorney General. The Mendo DA has not released details as to what Waidelich is suspected of doing; he was placed on administrative leave in June just a few months after starting as Ukiah Chief. The Mendocino DA asked Sonoma to lead the investigation to avoid any potential conflict of interest.
Potential homebuyers in Clearlake could get help from the city if a new plan comes together. At their meeting this week the Clearlake City Council gave staff the green light to develop a proposal for a new homebuyer assistance program. Lake County News reports the goal is to keep workers from leaving the city for more affordable areas. The City Manager reported that the average home price in Clearlake is around $240,000 but new construction would cost around $420,000 for a 1,200 square foot home.
The Mendocino County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder says they’ve discovered an error in the party endorsement section of the Mendocino County Sample Ballot booklet for the 2022 General Election. They say the endorsement section for the California Democratic Party should include for US Senate (Full Term) Alex Padilla and for U S Senate (Partial Term) Alex Padilla. They say they apologize for any inconvenience.
Vote By Mail ballots have been mailed to all active registered voters in Mendocino County. The County Clerk-Recorder says they were sent on October 11 so if you haven’t received your ballot yet, call the County Of Mendocino Office of Assessor County Clerk Recorder for a replacement. And they confirm they have been hearing of election mail being stolen out of mail boxes so if you believe your ballot was stolen call them so they can immediately cancel the ballot and issue you a new one.
Ukiah musician and artist Spencer Brewer and his wife, artist Esther Siegel, have published a book on assemblage art. “Lost and Found – Assemblage Artists of Northern California” has 330 photos of the ‘visual jazz’ of repurposing everyday items into sculpture. You can order a copy online at http://www.lostandfound.art or find it at Mendocino Book Company, Edgewater Gallery, the Grace Hudson Museum and Partners Gallery. They will be doing a series of book signings as well next month.
A suspected arsonist has been nabbed in Red Bluff. On Wednesday CalFire Law Enforcement Officers arrested Shane Heard of Red Bluff and charged him with multiple counts of arson to forest land, use of an incendiary device, and enhancements due to the ongoing State of Emergency. Heard is being held on $6.6 million bail. Cal Fire is thanking the residents of the community for their vigilance and for providing information which helped to capture Heard.
The CalFire Tehama Glenn Unit and Corning Land and Cattle Company are planning a prescribed Vegetation Management Program burn next week. Weather permitting from October 28-30 they are planning to burn 1500 acres west of Rancho Tehama Reserve. Burning will begin at 10:00 am and finish at 5:00 pm each day. They say smoke may be visible in the Rancho Tehama, Paskenta and Flournoy areas and to also watch out for fire trucks staged in the area.
CalFire has added more than 1,200 acres to the Demonstration State Forest system. It includes 1,151 acres of Sierra Nevada forestlands in the American River headwaters in Placer County, the second of a three-phase project to create a permanently protected 2,600-acre Demonstration State Forest spanning the Upper American and Bear River watersheds. The property was formerly owned by Pacific Gas and Electric and has been transferred to CalFire through PG&E’s Land Conservation Commitment. CalFire will own and manage the property but the Placer Land Trust holds the conservation easement that prohibits development. The final phase will be to add 1,200 acres near the Bear River which they plan to acquire from PG&E early next year.
If you have a teen driver, the CHP says it’s gotten another grant from the Office of Traffic Safety to help promote safe driving behaviors for teens. The CHP says car crashes are the No. 1 killer of teens in America and it’s not just because of cell phones – it’s also eating, drinking, changing the music, or simply talking with friends in the car. The grant will allow for CHP officers to make appearances at schools and community events and to conduct distracted driving enforcement during National Teen Driver Safety Week in October and National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April.
