Lake County is hosting a micro business owner training event in Middletown tonight Community Development Services will host the event focused on Business Start-up and Expansion in 2023. Its part of the County of Lake Small and Micro Business Assistance program, funded through the state’s Community Development Block Grant program. Attendees will get help with developing a business plan, knowing the customer, revenue and cost forecasting, funding businesses and workforce development. The event is free but space is limited, check out lakecountyca.gov for more. Call the Community Development Services for questions or to reserve a space.
A Cloverdale resident is suing PG&E for trespassing and cutting down scores of trees. The Press Democrat reports the woman says PG&E went on her mother’s property and took down trees worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. In the complaint Arlene Kock says the utility removed 48 mature oak trees along her mom’s property on Dutcher Creek Road. Kock says an arborist valued the trees at over $200,000. Her mother passed away last year. She filed a lawsuit against PG&E, her lawyer says crews worked beyond the public right of way to remove trees, far from utility lines. PG&E is required to keep lines clear of hazards including trees. Kock says six trucks parked along her mother’s property and left damage. She says crews put logs into a nearby creek bed and damaged a dam as well.
Representative Jared Huffman and other lawmakers will discuss tribal criminal justice over Tribal lands and protections for missing or murdered Indigenous people. In a release in KymKemp, legislators report the concerns Tribes have about cross-jurisdictional cooperation and lack of data on missing and murdered Indigenous cases. Public safety has been affected on tribal lands due to lack of funding in tribes from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The group is asking for the Government Accountability Office to study the impact of Public Law 280 enacted 70 years ago. The law cedes criminal jurisdiction from the federal government to the state. A Yurok Chief Justice says there are less federal resources for tribal courts, law enforcement and public safety systems.
A Ukiah man was sentenced to 12 years in prison for stabbing someone to death. Leslie Adelman was convicted of voluntary manslaughter for killing a man with a knife after he allegedly stole spices from the back of his truck. In a release in MendoFever, both homeless men were in the parking lot of Social Services on South State Street in March of last year when Adelman reacted by knifing the other man. He pled guilty last month and was sentenced this week.
Lakeport officials are urging people to be safe and sane with their fireworks. A safe firework area will be set up at the end of Fourth Street near Clear Lake, according to Lake County News. In all other parts of the county fireworks are illegal to use. Codes are in place that prohibits fireworks within 10 feet of a home residence. Lakeport is within the only area of the county that allows safe and sane fireworks from the 1st to the 4th of July. You can text FIREWORKS to 888777 for information for the city of Lakeport’s fireworks area.
In Sonoma County only Cloverdale will allow limited use of fireworks on the 4th. All fireworks must be sealed Safe and Sane, all others are illegal. The use of safe and sane fireworks will be allowed in Cloverdale from 11am to midnight on Independence Day, according to the Press Democrat. All fireworks must be lit at least 10 feet from residences. Cal Fire says people should light fireworks away from people, buildings and flammable spaces. They say fireworks should be soaked in water after they’ve gone off.
There will be a special joint meeting for the City Council and the Planning Commission of Clearlake for a cultural resources training event. Tomorrow morning at 9am the meeting will be held at the council chambers in Clearlake City Hall. There will be a tribal consultation on projects regarding AB 52. The council will discuss approval for a temporary street closure for the 4th of July parade, according to Lake County News.
There was a two car crash in Ukiah yesterday afternoon at Airport Park Boulevard. Around 3:45pm a Subaru hit a Ford Fiesta near the Quick Stop gas station, according to MendoFever. Two people were taken to area hospitals by ambulance. Authorities are investigating.
A heat wave is headed to the area just in time for the holiday weekend. The National Weather Service forecasts high temperatures across NorCal of over 100 degrees. An excessive heat watch is in p lace for northeastern Mendocino County and Lake County. MendoVoice reports the weather alert is in place from tomorrow through Sunday. Some may get dangerously hot conditions including in Covelo. There’s a heat advisory in Ukiah and Hopland through Saturday. There aren’t any PG&E public safety power shut-offs as of yet. Fort Bragg, meanwhile, will be sunny and cool. Officials say people shouldn’t be strenuously active during the heat watch and those with health issues should stay cool indoors or near the shade.
News state laws go into effect July 1st. The Firearm Industry Responsibility Act, AB 1594 goes into effect and mandates a code of conduct to prohibit false advertising and requires that sellers closely monitor who they sell to. SB 731 automatically seals criminal records after 4 years, if there are no further offences. SB 301 requires online re-sellers to keep track of information on high volume third party sellers in an effort to stop the sale of stolen goods. And the Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act with the Middle Class Housing Act allow construction of multi-family housing on commercially zoned properties. The laws also increase health benefits and pay for construction workers, according to the Press Democrat.
The EPA is granting about $52 million for projects in the Bay Area for climate resiliency works. The department made the announcement yesterday aiming the funds at projects to protect and restore wetlands and water quality and create climate change resilience on underserved regions in the Bay Area, including in Sonoma County. It’s part of the Infrastructure Law and Justice40 Initiative that promises disadvantaged communities, according to the announcement in Lake County News. The California State Coastal Conservancy will get $5.5 million to restore ponds, marshes and levees and will be provided guidance on shoreline adaptation.
The Fort Bragg City Council met this week and discussed the Street Sales Tax that is set to expire at the end of next year. They are considering including the tax in the next election in November. According to the Advocate News the tax makes Fort Bragg a “Self-Help City”, making it eligible for money from the California Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account to go to street projects. The council also clarified policy for future zoning changes to allow outdoor dining. The council intends to update the Inland and Coastal Land Use and Development code to let restaurants keep their outdoor spaces. The council also approved a salary increase for the City Clerk and Public Works Operations Manager to be more competitive.
