There was an update released by the Mendocino County Sheriff of the drowning in the Russian River on Saturday. The body was identified as Jorge Medina, from Ukiah. Medina was pulled from the East Fork of the river just before 4pm. Someone at the scene with Medina tried to do CPR until emergency responders got to him and tried to revive him, but they were unable to. It happened when Medina waded into the river to get relief from the heat, reportedly complaining of a bad headache.
The US Geological Survey reported an earthquake near Rio Dell early this morning just before 4am. The magnitude 3.1 quake reportedly rolled through the Eel River Valley, according to KymKemp. The epicenter was about 5.5 miles west of Rio Dell. There are reports of people who experienced the quake in Fortuna.
The car crash reported south of Ukiah yesterday may have been due to someone driving under the influence. Ukiah Police released new information today about the collision yesterday morning just after 10am. Police identified Malia Donovan drove a Jeep north on Highway 101 near the Rivino Winery. Brian Bozeman was driving a Tacoma also going north. Donovan’s Jeep lost control after hitting the Tacoma and rolled off the road and went up in flames. She was able to get out of the Jeep before becoming fully engulfed. Firefighters were able to contain the fire. Northbound traffic was slow as a life flight arrived to carry Donovan to the hospital. Police believe alcohol was a factor.
A special city council meeting was held last week in Ukiah to go over the vision to improve the downtown area. A presentation was given by the Director of Innovation and Inspiration at Blue Zones along with the Executive Director of the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute to workshop infrastructure plans for the future. The Ukiah Daily Journal reports the meeting highlighted recent work on State Street and put a focus on infrastructure improvement. Greenway median plans and one-lane roundabouts were discussed to make it easier for people to walk around downtown and improve overall traffic safety. Development to improve property value includes transitioning to an urban form and increase property values by 800 percent. The City Council voted to move forward with the concepts of the workshop.
The Scotts Valley Community Advisory Council will meet today at 5pm at the Scotts Valley Women’s Clubhouse in Lakeport. The meeting will include Fourth District updates, roadwork and more for Scots Valley roads, Clear Lake hitch in the area and groundwater updates. They’ll discuss Scotts Creek in and out put, efforts to clean it, rehab and repair and more. The council will also discuss plans for the Fall Neighborfest.
There was a brush fire that claimed a building during the blaze on Saturday in Clearlake. The fire was going uphill when it was stopped after burning about an acre. The Vegetation Fire was reported by Lake County on social media. There were evacuations in the area round Benton Drive and Barbara Road. 200 homes were threatened until firefighters were able to stop the burning. Aerial resources were used as well as multiple ground crews. Another fire was reported Saturday near the East Side Potter Valley Road and Burris Lane according to the Mendocino Sheriff.
A car chase became a ground search in Ukiah with two men ran away from police near a golf course next to Todd Grove Park. MendoFever reports scanner traffic pick up information on two white men trying to escape authorities when they were stopped an elementary school just after 3pm. They two headed into the golf course. There was an aerial and ground search last reported. Suspects were still at large and police believe they may be armed.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors will meet tomorrow morning to discuss extending the emergency homeless shelter’s agreement. The second amendment with Sunrise Special Services would extend the shelter through October and the board will also increase compensation for this and next fiscal year for just under half a million dollars. The board will go over delinquent water fees and collections of delinquent water and sewer fees. The board will discuss litigation on the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project in the closed session.
The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors have two cannabis prohibition proposals on their agenda. As industry regulations have been codified, the county is working to clarify policies and regulations. Cannabis prohibition zones, or CPs, add more restrictions. If the board approves the zones, marijuana crops won’t be allowed for a decade if most of neighboring people get special board approval. The Planning Commission will hear from residents who want the prohibition zones and make recommendations to the board. KymKemp reports tomorrow, the board will hear a proposal for a CP in Redwood Valley. The commission first heard the proposal in May, but did not make a recommendation. The commission last week approved a CP east of Willits, excluding one small operation that is in the permitting process. Two growers in Redwood Valley have secured attorneys if the zones are approved to fight for their business.
Motion-sensor cameras have picked up wildlife returning to the once burned area of the Mendocino Complex Fire of 2018. UC’s Hopland Research and Extension Center on the Russian River is about a dozen miles south of Ukiah. Small and medium mammals have been studied through the center and released a study today. It’s one of the first such works to look at wildlife before and after a megafire. IN the report, researches say six of eight animals in the study were more resistant to the impact of the fire and showed up to the same spots. The coyote, black tailed jackrabbit, gray fox, raccoon, striped stunk and bobcat all seem to adjust to the burn. The western gray squirrel and black tailed deer were found to be more vulnerable and did not return as frequently as the other animals. Small areas of trees and brush spared by fires provide areas for animals to find shelter. The study will help fire mitigation efforts as prescribed blazes help keep some forest in tact.
Mendocino County released their CEO report with updates on county plans and strategies. The office released an update on the late winter storms when the county was added to the Major Presidential Disaster Declaration. Disaster Recovery Centers helped residents register for assistance. 320 Mendocino County residents applied and 123 were approved for nearly $600,000 in direct disaster assistance for the first round of winter storms of late December. The Second round of storms in February also impacted the county with widespread damage. Initially, FEMA did not approve the county for the Individual Assistance programs through the declaration, but finally addressed the equity concerns and got the final approval for that assistance program. The Disaster Recovery Center in Willits and the Mobile centers helped affected residents apply for help through last week. 366 residents registered with FEMA and 161 of those were approved for about $1.4 million in direct assistance.
Governor Newsom announced a $4.5 million program to help undocumented workers. The state’s pilot program will give help to undocumented farm workers who deal with pay issues and extortion along with a long list of other complaints. Newsom says farm workers are the backbone of our economy… and California continues efforts to support immigrant families. The project for legal help aims to focus on state labor investigations, case review services and legal advice. The Press Democrat reports the United Farm Workers Foundation reacted saying farm workers must be able to enforce their rights without threat of retaliation.
In the first round of Medi-Cal cuts, nearly a quarter of a million California residents’ benefits have been suspended. The Record Bee reports as of July 1, over 20 percent of the 1 million residents who were due to reapply for coverage didn’t make the cut, according to health officials last week. Eligibility rules were paused during COVID, but the process has begun again. State officials are trying to reach enrollees multiple ways to verify them in the program. Officials are urging people to watch the mail and make sure your contact information is correct, so that Medi-Cal can work to cover you. The state has to review nearly 16 million residents in the next year. The good news is that those who may have had benefits stopped can apply to reinstate coverage. Almost 40 percent of Californians were on medical during the pandemic. Covered California is an alternative transition.
In a released CEO report out of Mendocino County, they announced that Behavioral Health and Recovery Services were granted over $9 million to help fund the Whitmore Lane Psychiatric Health Facility. The funds were awarded by the California Department of Health Care Services Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program. The center has plans for community education and awareness events including back to school resources for Ukiah, Willits and Fort Bragg.
