Clearlake Police are looking for a missing man named Charles Ness. He was last seen on Friday evening before at 6:30pm on a mountain bike on Old Highway 53 in Clearlake. He may have been headed to J&L Market, according to Lake County News. He is a white man just over 6 feet tall and weighs around 250 pounds. Ness has brown hair shaved short with hazel eyes. He was last seen in blue baggy jeans and a shirt. Please call Clearlake Police if you have any information on Charles Ness.
Clearlake Police have found a missing teen from last week. 13 year old Ismael Orozco was found after being reported missing Thursday.
A 6 six old was swept away in a river east of Covelo Saturday night. It happened at Etsel Ridge and Mendocino Pass Roads. The child was pulled from the water and emergency personnel began performing CPR. Sadly, the child passed away, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.
An ATV accident killed a woman over the weekend. Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputies and CHP are investigating an ATV tipped over on a narrow trail near Young Creek Road in Ukiah on Saturday. Apparently, the woman began tipping, got out and tried to stop the ATV from falling when the machine fell on her. The 54-year-old woman died on the way to the hospital. Authorities are investigating.
Willits Police were called to a rolling road rage incident where a man pulled a gun at another driver and followed them. Willits Police tried to stop the vehicle but the suspect sped away. CHP and the Mendocino County Deputies were brought in. The victim knew who the suspect was and led police to Shannon Henson, who was on probation. The victim said Henson tried to run their car with kids inside off the road. Deputies used a K9 officer who tracked Henson down. Henson is on probation and a convicted felon. He was taken into the county jail and charged with at least 7 felony violations, including domestic violence, stalking, child endangerment, assault with a deadly weapon and more, according to a Willits Police Department release.
The City of Ukiah is hosting an “All-American Picnic in the Park” tomorrow from 10a to 2pm at Todd Grove Park. Games, music, kids activities and more will be on hand for the Independence Day celebration. The Ukiah Valley Fire Authority will serve up free hot dogs until they are out.
CalTrans has reported some roadwork this week. On Highway 175 tree work will begin west of Diener Road on Wednesday with slight delays. On Highway 1 in Mendocino County bridge work continues in Fort Bragg on the Pudding Creek Road and Bridge with major delays weekdays till 7pm. On Highway 20 paving continues near Road 10. It began last Friday with 10 minute delays for travelers from 7a to 6pm. On Highway 253 utility work concluded last Friday at Singley Cattlepass. On Highway 271 road work in Piercy continue with a full road closure in effect weekdays from 7a to 6p.
California State Parks announced their work with location technology called what3words. The program gives dispatchers technology to help people when they get lost, stranded or otherwise need emergency help. In a posting in Lake County News, what3words gives users simple ways to communicate their location. It divides the area into a grid of 10 x 10 feet with letters for each square being a word. Every public space will have its own what3words address. The program is free to download on both Apple and Android devices. The program covers Earth and all of California’s 280 state parks and campgrounds. The what3words grid can also be used for directions to a specific place for people not experiencing an emergency.
The Emergency Warming Shelter Director Yvonne Cox was fired and spoke at last week’s board of supervisors meeting in Lakeport. During a public comment period, she discussed paying out of pocket expenses for last three months for food and cleaning supplies up to $2,400 per month. According to the Record Bee, she said her termination was a “hostile takeover” being replaced by someone who is inexperienced. She also said her replacement has been accused of “misappropriating funds.” Sunrise Special Services issued a release last week thanking her for her service. The Co-founder of Sunrise Special Services says they remain in compliance and good standing with the state and Lake County. The company said Cox’s statements were slanderous and accusations of illegal spending are false. The program manager at Lake County Behavioral Health Services says as of last week, the next phase of operating the shelter had not yet been awarded to the company, with another applicant in the wings.
Officials are predicting a marine mammal die off that is in Southern California will spread to the North Coast. The Press Democrat reports sea lions and dolphins are showing up poisoned by toxic algae. Domoic acid is the neurotoxin that is killing animals on the shore. There have been 20 people bitten by sea lions with domoic acid in their systems, making them more aggressive. Back in 2016 the Dungeness crab season was delayed due to high domoic acid concentrations in crab. This time, the toxin is being found in larger mammals. Rescue centers like the Marine Mammal Center in Marin County are keeping watch and groups along the North Coast are preparing.
A Mendocino County judge refused to reconsider an appeal by the Skunk Train Friday. Mendocino Railway requested Superior Court Judge Nadel to set aside her judgment a month ago, where she decided the railway did not have power to seize landowner John Meyer’s land for the train. The judge her limited arguments from the railway company in a hearing Friday, but said she was disinclined to reconsider her decision, according to the Press Democrat. The railway president says he will appeal, based on a letter from the California Public Utility Commissions confirmation of the train as a common carrier. The commission said they are a “regulated railroad, but not a public utility.” Meyer’s property west of Willits has been the center of the eminent domain claim by the Skunk Train for over two years.
California State University proposed higher undergrad and graduate school tuition by 6 percent each year, starting fall of 2024. Thursday, the school published the proposal that would raise rates by over $1,000 by 2028. Cal State leaders are proposing an increase each year for at least the next five years. CalMatters reports that the board will hear the formal proposal at it’s next meeting on July 11. If approved, they would vote on the tuition increase in September. With a $1.5 billion deficit, last spring raising rates was discussed to fill the budget hole. The proposal would increase the university’s revenue by nearly $150 million in year 1 and up to over $800 million by year 5.
A new law protecting pigs took effect on Saturday in the state. Voters approved legislation that gets pregnant pigs out of small cages where they can’t stand or turn. The state is giving farmers and retail stores time to adjust to the new rules to avoid pork shortages. The bill includes protections for laying hens and calves for veal. Proposition 12 was approved by voters in 2018 that mandated more space for sows, allowing the mother freer movement. The US Supreme Court upheld the law when pork producers appealed. KTLA reports pork ranchers have had to adapt to protect gestating sows without caging them in. Bacon, which can be frozen shouldn’t necessarily increase in price, but fresh pork may be a bit steeper.
As the wildfire season warms up and reminders about illegal fireworks are everywhere, the Humane Society for Inland Mendocino County is offering pet owners a handy tip to keep animals calm. Mendocino News Plus posted a Box Fan Hack on Facebook over the weekend. They say to aim a fan toward where fireworks sounds are coming from inside your home. They say it’s ideal for dogs with sound sensitivity, noise reactivity, thunderstorms and fireworks. The air currents bounce off walls and help break up sound waves. It makes hearing a specific sound outside harder and can help pets withstand our Independence Day booms.
Fort Bragg Police arrested a fugitive from Washington, wanted for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. In a release posted on social media, Charles Nutter was caught Friday night. Residents reported that the 30 year old from Spokane was seen at the Safeway acting erratically. There are no additional details as to how police were able to arrest Nutter.
Now that the U-S Supreme Court has declared affirmative action in college admissions unconstitutional, private colleges in the state will have to find other ways to support diversity in the schools. Public universities in California had to change their strategy back after voters banned race-conscious admissions, passing Prop 209 in 1996. Mamie Voight with the Institute for Higher Education Policy says schools should recruit heavily from high schools in low-income communities of color. Advocates also call on schools to promote equity by eliminating legacy admissions and beefing up financial aid to low-income students, according to the California News Service.
