Clearlake Police are looking for a missing girl. 12-year-old Kianii Hill was last seen in Clearlake. She has black skin with long black hair and brown eyes. Kianii is 5 foot 4 inches tall, and weighs around 140 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black shirt, black shorts and multi-colored Crocs, according to Lake County News. If you have any information about Kianii Hill, please call the Clearlake Police Department.
The Lakeport City Council will consider the fiscal year 2023-2024 budget at its meeting at 6pm tomorrow evening. Lake County News reports the bottom line is about $30 million. Public hearings are scheduled for a resolution on revised personnel rules in an ordinance of the Lakeport Municipal Code. The council will hear a report on delinquent water, sewer and waste use charges and set up a public hearing before collection on the tax begins. The council will hear recommendations for the Dickens’ Faire and more.
There was a 4.4 magnitude earthquake Saturday night in Mendocino County. The US Geological Survey reported the quake over 7 miles from Ukiah at about 8:44pm. The Lake County News reports people felt it all in the central valley. There were over 400 shake reports by early Sunday morning. Residents in Lake County felt the shaking, with no damage reported yet. Multiple outlets report the epicenter was in the hills east of Highway 101 between Ukiah and Hopland.
The Henderson Fire was totally contained Friday evening. Cal Fire reports the blaze west of Clearlake Oaks took two days and 60 personnel to contain the fire. The Snell Fire is burning over a hundred acres in Napa county and was last reported that 90 percent was contained as of last night. The fire southeast of Middletown has 18 engines and two copters responding. Sunday, Cal Fire reported that forward progress was stopped and crews are mopping up.
Today is Juneteenth National Freedom Day. The governor issued a proclamation Saturday as the state celebrates Juneteenth as a state holiday for the first time under a new law this year. The day marks the slaves in Texas were the last to know President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The Bay City News reports Governor Newsom said the announcement in 1865 called for ‘absolute equality’ saying “Let us celebrate how far we have come and take stock of how far we must go to truly realize our nation’s founding ideals.”
There will be a procession for Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Captain Ronnie Boyd tomorrow. Captain Boyd died in an off-duty motorcycle crash on June 11th. Boyd and his wife Dena, who passed from the crash as well, were from Clearlake, according to Lake County News. The procession is tomorrow morning starting at 9:30 at the Napa County Coroners Office and will proceed on Highway 29 to the Twin Pine Casino, through Middletown to Lower Lake. Boyd worked with Cal Fire for the last two decades. He was promoted to fire captain in 2016. Memorial service information will be released at a later date. Traffic will be affected tomorrow morning on Highway 29.
The Planning Group of the Russian River Water Forum held a meeting last week. The group of stakeholders in the Eel and Russian River watersheds is looking for ways to go forward when PG&E surrenders its license to operate the Potter Valley Project. MendoFever reports that the Planning Group added three new members, including the Lake Pillsbury Alliance; Save California Salmon, and the Robinson Rancheria Tribe in Lake County. The group made initial categories of interest, including Collaboration and Process, Economic Development, Tribal Interests and more. PG&E provided clarity on their surrender, but were not at the meeting itself. Briefings are planned for this week. The Working group involved with Water Supply and Fisheries will meet Wednesday morning from 9 to 10:30am. The Water Rights and Water Management working group will meet this Thursday from 10:30am to noon.
The Ukiah Planning Commission denied a permit for the Redwood Credit Union to build a branch downtown. The Ukiah Daily Journal reports during the public hearing, residents expressed strong opposition to the new branch location. Commission members listed reasons for denial including the zoning code deviations. Another issue of contention was the lack of a site-specific traffic analysis. The project had been approved by the Design Review Board, but the Planning Commission voted to deny the request.
Caltrans announced some road work this week. As reported in t he Lake County News, Highway 20 work continues near Scotts Valley Road. Utility work on Highway 1 near Little River Airport Road began Friday with one-way traffic control. The Pudding Creek Road project continues in Fort Bragg with moderate delays and one-way traffic. Friday, work will begin in Westport at the Wages Creek Bridge and north of Hardy Creek, both with one-way traffic delays. As the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in Boonville wraps up today with one way traffic until late tonight.
Road work begins on Highway 20 today west of Road 300. Friday utility work begins at Broaddus Creek. Highway 101 work began yesterday at Reevess Canyon Road with slight delays. Emergency work in Willits from Water Plant Road to the East Hill Uncercrossing begins today with minor slowdowns. Also work at the Cumming Road Undercrossing begins today with a full ramp closure on Highway 101, drivers are asked to take a different route. There will be electrical work on Highway 101 between Smith River and Fred D Haight Drive today with delays until 5pm. Pavement work began on Highway 197 Friday.
The first dedicated tribal housing grant program in the state has cleared the Senate. In a release from Senator Mike McGuire SB 18 would create a tribal specific housing fund to build and rehab homes for rent and sale. According to McGuire in KymKemp, only 13 of 109 tribes in the state have been funded in recent history. The bill would create a separate housing program for tribal governments. McGuire named the Middletown Rancheria, the Round Valley Indian Housing Authority and other tribes supporting the legislation.
The Round Valley Indian Health Center is providing free medical, dental and even veterinary services through Thursday. The center is holding a training event in Covelo with the Department of Defense. MendoVoice posted the announcement over the weekend. The department’s Innovative Readiness Training Program will provide 70 service members to support the medical centers this week. The program aims to train military members in civil-military relationships to keep them ready to deploy.
California has a new performance assessment for literacy standards in education. The state got rid of the Reading Instruction Competence Assessment for a new standard that includes support for students who struggle. New state legislation also incorporates the California Dyslexia Guidelines for the first time, according to the Record Bee. The new standards will be implemented next year in Senate bill 488. The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing presented the new standards during its meeting on Thursday. Phonics are returning as the state changes literacy methodology. The commission is developing the certification process for teachers starting in the 2024-2025 school year.
The fight between Governor Newsom and Fox News continues. Newsom accused the broadcaster of airing a “doom loop about California” during an interview with host Sean Hannity. The Press Democrat reports the two went back and forth over taxes, guns and migration out of the state. This year, Newsom began a political action committee dedicated to helping Democrats and President Biden’s presidential candidacy. Hannity and Newsom discussed California’s efforts to restrict gun use. This month, the governor called for a 28th Amendment to the US Constitution that would reform gun control in the nation.
Florida Governor DeSantis is headed to California today, with a fundraiser this morning in the capital. Tickets to the event are $3,300 per person for the roundtable breakfast. DeSantis’ stop in Sacramento will be his first time in the state after admittedly sending a couple of flights full of migrants to California. California’s Attorney General Bonta has said the California Department of Justice is determining whether to charge the Florida governor for criminal or civil action. While DeSantis starts off in Sacramento, President Biden will begin in the Bay Area for a $6,600 per person reception, then head to Marin County to meet Governor Newsom on Tuesday. President Biden is in NorCal through mid-week.
The Mendocino Voice launched a survey last month, asking Mendocino County residents about their emergency preparedness. Over the last five years residents saw two the five largest wildfires in California’s history. 230 people asked questions and responded with information. Over 80 percent are signed up for Nixle and other emergency notifications. Their top concerns include wildfires, power outages, earthquakes and seasonal events. Residents would like to see better communication in the area’s emergency notifications. There is a list of questions and answers as well as emergency resources in MendoVoice.com
