That probable aftershock to the December 20th Rio Dell quake has displaced more people in the town. On New Year’s Day a 5.4 magnitude earthquake triggered nerves after the 6.4 magnitude a couple of weeks ago. Inspections of more homes left folks without a place to stay. The Rio Dell City Manager says there are more than 170 residents who cannot live in their homes now after the two large earthquakes rumbled through Humboldt County. Inspectors reportedly red-tagged 49 more homes in the New Year, for a total of more than 120 homes condemned. There are more inspections planned over the next days coming from the state. There are also 19 yellow-tagged homes. Water services were also disconnected for some, but there was no new boil water notice.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has announced applications are being accepted for scholarships from kids in high school, and current college students and continuing education students. The energy company’s two engineering network groups and 11 employee resource groups are giving out over 150 awards worth over $200,000 to support and advance diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. They give out the scholarships each year between $500 – $6,000 for scholastic achievement and community leadership. Many of the recipients are the first in their families to go to college.
Millions of dollars from the federal government’s Infrastructure Law are coming to Calif to respond to the drought. The projects will reportedly bring clean, reliable drinking water for some communities in the West with projects like groundwater storage, rainwater harvesting, aquifer recharge, water reuse, ion exchange treatment, and other ways to help stretch the amount of water supply. The BLM Commissioner says drought resilience is more important now than ever and that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help stabilize water supplies and “allow families and farmers to respond to the challenges posed by drought.” One of the recipients is the California Land Stewardship Institute, Creating Long-Term Water Supply Resiliency for the Communities of Ukiah Valley and the Upper Russian River, $1,531,635
A tree has fallen in Fort Bragg which is blocking part of Old Coast Highway. Mendo Fever reports the California Highway Patrol’s Incident list has a tree down near the 18500 block of Old Coast Highway which took down powerlines with it, impacting various utility poles in the area. This means there were almost 1,000 customers of PG&E without power. The energy company was listed as on the scene overnight and Mendocino County road crews closing Old Coast Highway until sometime today to remove the tree.
With the heavy rain comes reports of snow flurries in Mendocino County. Laytonville, Brooktrails, and other northern inland locations reported to local reporters along with downed trees. Mendocino Voice reports snow, rain and fast-moving winds are continuing as another atmospheric river hits Northern Calif. There’s more snow possible in higher elevations of northeastern Mendocino County. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Eureka reports snow is forecasted in elevations of 3,000 feet, and a dusting of snow is also possible in the Covelo area. Up to 6 inches of rain has also been forecasted across Mendocino County for this week after a soaking the last week. The heaviest rain is expected tomorrow. There may be some areas of flooding, in the usual places, like near the Navarro River.
The new Lake County Sheriff has been sworn in. Sheriff Rob Howe had the oath of office administered yesterday at the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office in Lakeport. Howe’s colleagues, family and friends gathered in the office with the Registrar and former Sheriff Brian Martin whose last day was December 30th. Howe was appointed by the Board of Supervisors Dec. 20th. He will fill the last couple of years of Martin’s 3rd term, which was required until the next General Election by a new law. Howe will run the office until January of 2025, unless he runs for office in that election and wins. Then he will be sworn in again at that time.
A new contract will be amongst the topics at the first Clearlake City Council meeting of the New Year. There will be various proclamations and appointments at the meeting Thursday and a presentation to city staff and volunteers in recognition of service. One proclamation will declare January – Human Trafficking Awareness Month. One piece of business is an employment services agreement with Timothy Hobbs to be the city police chief. He’s been the interim chief since last month when the former Chief Andrew White left for the City of Martinez. There are also a couple of public hearings Thursday, one for building codes and the other to extend a temporary closure of some area roads, due to illegal dumping.
In Lakeport they’ll have their first City Council meeting of 2023 right away. At the meeting tonight the council will hear updates on the Brown Act, look at a potential telecommuting policy for city employees and consider traffic safety-related complaints. The city manager will make that presentation along with a traffic safety update. The council will take up regular business such as continuing the local emergency due to COVID19. They’ll also approve a resolution to rescind another one and revise the Master Pay Schedule, and look at some planned road work.
A man from Fort Bragg has been arrested for DUI. On New Year’s Eve, Fort Bragg officers say they saw a car blow through 2 stop signs and pulled the driver over. They found Juba Kenyon Jr. may have been driving while high on a stimulant. They searched the vehicle and say inside were a bunch of packages of suspected meth, and almost $1,700 cash. His car was towed and more search warrants were attained for the car and two addresses, where officers say they found another guy, and detained him, Nathan Tupper. Inside one home was almost 3 ounces of meth, 13.4 ounces of weed, 9mm ammunition and narcotics sales paraphernalia. So, Tupper was arrested and held on $50,000 bail. Then the car and another home found more meth, suspected fentanyl, multiple prescriptions, a Glock 9mm (ghost gun), ammunition, digital scale, and narcotics packaging paraphernalia. So, Kenyon, Jr. was further charged for multiple crimes and held on $250,000.
This could be a record-breaking year for snowpack in the Sierras. So far, we have the second-largest snowpack at this time of year in twenty years. And more snow is on the way this week too. We can’t say if this will stop the drought this year, as last year started out similarly, ending in well-below average snowpack last Spring. State water officials are going up to measure snow at Echo Summit, south of Lake Tahoe, for the first snowpack survey of this winter, something that’s normally done each month. The statewide average on Saturday was 162% of normal compared to historic averages, just past last year. Last year, was 160% of normal just about this time of year, but the season ended at just 37% of normal.
State Route 175 had to be closed after a semi-truck got stuck over the side of the highway near the Hopland Rancheria. The 65-foot semi was reportedly attempting a turn this morning about 2 miles east of the Rancheria when the driver got stuck, hanging off a cliff. The CHP was helping navigate the scene which they were calling a traffic hazard. By about lunchtime a tow truck would try to help as both lanes of SR-175 were temporarily blocked.
Snow in Napa County… Last night there was a dusting of snow on the Mount St. Helena grade above Calistoga. There was some slipping and sliding as drivers were in the dark and on the ice. So some tow trucks had to be brought in to help. It came with the “atmospheric river” which dropped as much as 5 – 6 inches of rain in some areas and about a foot of snow in the mountains over the holiday weekend, and ahead of another atmospheric river arrives tomorrow and Thursday where another 3 or 4 inches of rain is expected in parts of Northern Calif. and up to 3 feet of snow in the mountains with wind of up to 50 miles per hour.
