A Department of Fish and Wildlife chased a Cadillac Escalade up to speeds of 100 mph southbound Hwy 101 near Willits. According to reports, CHP joined the pursuit and set a spike strip up. Around 10pm last night, after a tire was damaged, the car crashed on southbound 101 near Coyote Valley. One suspect fled the car on foot. Another person was at gunpoint in custody.
Willful defiance suspensions may be banned permanently in California, if a bill is passed and signed into law. Current state law bans suspensions for students in K-5th grades for non-violent acts. The Senate Bill 274 would expand on the ban for middle and high school kids, and make willful defiance suspensions disappear. Willful defiance includes ignoring the teacher, talking back or disrupting class. Some say disciplinary actions affect Black, Latino and indigenous students more, leading to higher dropout rates. Teachers could still suspend students for more severe behavior, including violence, having drugs, theft or bullying. State teachers associations would like to see the bill amended, before they endorse legislation.
CalFire is announcing at over $142 million has been awarded for investment in projects to capture carbon and the restoration of burned forests in the state. 27 grants have been green-lighted with projects on state, local, tribal, federal and private lands in 24 counties. Prescribed burning and fuels reduction treatments are included in the approved projects, to return forests to more fire, drought and pest resilient conditions. Most of the award projects will benefit disadvantaged or low-income communities, while also providing jobs and reducing risks to communities. And the good news continues, with $115 million intended for wildfire prevention this summer.
Vice President Kamala Harris announced several North Coast projects to strengthen resiliency of the coastline with grants from the federal government. Some projects include Mendocino County, focusing on salmon habitat recovery, abalone breeding and floodplain work. In MendoVoice online, the Nature Conservancy in Mendocino County has planned an $8 million project to help restore California Coast Coho salmon habitats on the coastline. The restoration will focus on three rivers, improving floodplain water storage capacity and increasing in-stream complexity.
Residential real estate sales are increasing, but still down from last year’s sales. The Lake County Association of Realtors’ latest report shows single family home sales are up from February’s numbers. The Lake County News reports a surge of buying at the start of this year, but it is slowing down. Homes are still selling near their asking price. The median sale price for a single family home in the county was about $330,000, about $100,000 higher than February, and about the same price from a year ago.
The Russian River Flood Control & Water Conservation Improvement District says that only remnants of California’s three-year drought remain after winter’s atmospheric rivers pummeled the state. The U.S. Drought Monitor reported that areas of drought cover less than 9 percent of the state, down from about 100 percent at the start of the water year. Areas in the far north and southeast remain dry, at just over a quarter of the state. Lake Mendocino is at about 96 percent full and Lake Sonoma at just over 100 percent. There will be a Russian River Water Forum meeting on May 17th from 10am to 3pm at the Ukiah Conference Center.
A developer and Sonoma Clean Power are buying two solar projects. One of the projects in Ukiah will include energy storage. Both projects will contribute to Sonoma Clean Power local resource plan for its EverGreen service, the first and only one to offer 100% renewable, locally generated energy 24/7 through solar, energy storage, and geothermal power. In Mendofever online, the solar and storage projects will work with energy generated by an existing geothermal power plant, one of the largest in the world. Both projects in Mendocino County will begin construction next spring, and should be finished in early 2025.
Roadwork continues in Lake County this week. Utility work west of Upper Lake near Scotts Valley Road will have one-way traffic from 9am to 4pm. Drivers should expect 15 minute delays there. On Highway 29, emergency work began yesterday from Saint Helena Creek to Spruce Road. One way traffic is in place from 7am to 5:30pm delaying drivers about 20 minutes. Also, emergency work in Lower Lake from C Street to Spruce Road continues this week, with one way traffic during business hours, creating 20 minute delays.
Ukiah Unified School District Trustees are declaring today as School Bus Driver Appreciation Day. Last year, Ukiah bus drivers drove more than 1,400 students every day, totaling over 78 thousand miles. The fleet has 16 Type I buses and 8 electric buses. The school district wants to also highlight driver’s aids and all transportation staff. There is still a need for more bus drivers in Ukiah, and throughout the state. If you’re interested in bus driving locally, stop by in person at 511 South Orchard Avenue in Ukiah and consider joining the team.
The Lake County Weed Management Area has announced its annual invasive weeds tours, this year offering two tours days. Staff from the University of California will discuss how invasive plants have reduced native wildflower populations in Lake County. Areas of the reserve where wildflowers have been restored by removing invasive species will be highlighted. This event is sponsored by the Lake County Department of Agriculture and the Lake County Resource Conservation District.
Sen. Mike McGuire will host Lake County’s Town Hall with guests from Cal Fire Northern California Region. The community is invited, as officials discuss wildfire preparedness and prevention. The virtual town hall will take place at 6:30 p.m. next Tuesday. The conversation will cover how the state is responding to fires, what type of resources are available this summer and fall and what people can better prepare themselves for wildfire season.
Gov. Newsom issued a proclamation yesterday, declaring this week as “California Library Week. In a release he says “There are 1,127 public libraries in California …. Libraries are the heart of our communities. They provide Californians of all ages and all backgrounds with the resources they need to succeed and thrive. During National Library Week, we celebrate the countless ways that libraries enrich our communities.”
Rep. Mike Thompson announced Denise Rushing as the 2023 Lake County Climate Crisis Champion for California’s Fourth District. Climate Crisis Champions demonstrate efforts to protect the environment in the community to combat the ongoing climate crisis, according to the Record Bee. They advocate for the urgent need for climate action and work to inspire others to get involved. As a Lake County Supervisor, Rushing led two of the largest public solar installations in the western US.
The Clean Water Act of 1972 was admittedly violated by the U.S. Forest Service. The agency admitted yesterday in federal court that fire retardant has been used to fight wildfires. The agency says it’s only one of many tools they have, saying the chemical has had minimal impact to waterways. The lawsuit, filed by an Oregon-based environmental group in Montana, argues the retardant, an ammonium phosphate is toxic to aquatic life. An attorney with the DOJ says retardant is only used for about 5 percent of wildfires, and less than 1 percent ends up in waters. The Forest Service has filed about 460 intrusion reports in California, where retardant has been used. There were drops in national forests in Mendocino County, Six Rivers, Lassen and Shasta. Environmental groups would like to see increased buffers around waterways.
