A man was caught after reportedly stealing a car and leading multiple area authorities on several car chases. Dustin Blakesley was arrested after he escaped police during a pursuit around Cow Mountain. A stolen car was reported Sunday out of Sonoma. MendoFever reports Ukiah Police were notified when the stolen car was seen on North State Street. When police tried to stop the driver, he sped away to the south. Police followed the driver on South State Street to Talmage Road, Old River Road and onto Mill Creek Road, where officers lost sight of the car. Ukiah Police accessed the GPS system of the stolen car and found the suspect near Guidiville Reservation Road. Blakesley was found sleeping in the drivers seat and arrested. Blakesley is connected to several pursuits; chased by CHP, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office and more, with multiple injuries reported. He had an active warrant and was taken to jail.
As high temperatures become more extreme, California officials are looking at the economic impact on workers. CalMatters reports the welfare impacts from heat-related work injuries costs California about $500 to nearly $900 million annually. Information from the Washington Center for Equitable Growth Study shows high temps causes about 20,000 injuries per year. A new state committee is set to use data to create policies to protect workers. When days are over 100 degrees, the heat leads to a 10 to 15 percent increase in injuries. The advisory committee met at the end of last month for the first time, and is working on legislation to prevent heat related injuries. Outdoor heat isn’t the only issue the committee will tackle, but indoor heat has negatively affected workers too. UPS is actively confronting heat rules in their workspace. Their union reached an agreement yesterday after threatening a strike, with more heat protections and higher pay.
New health-care subsidies for low-income families are expected to soften the impact of rising premiums. On Tuesday Covered CA announced that premiums will go up by an average of 9-point-6 percent in 2024. However, state and federal assistance will counteract the increase for most of the one-point-six million people enrolled in plans from the state marketplace. A new state cost-sharing program is targeted to people who make about 34-thousand dollars a year for a single person and 70 thousand for a family of four. The California News Service reports people who are currently enrolled will be notified of premium changes and whether a different plan might help them qualify for more assistance.
Adventist Health Clear Lake just got accreditation from the American college of emergency physicians for their Geriatric Emergency Department. Lake County News reports about a quarter of residents in Lake County are 65 years and older, and the age group is growing. The accreditation means the hospital’s protocol-driven approach with geriatric patients is top notch. To get it, Adventist Clear Lake follows best practices to quote, ensure compassionate, specialized care” to the population. The hospital has a specialized doctor and nurse on staff who have specialized training and meet criteria. ERs typically process 60 percent of Medicare patients who are vulnerable.
Fort Bragg Police arrested an aggressive man who was threatening employees at the Boatyard Shopping Center with a stick and tried to carjack someone in the parking lot. Jason Colson of Fort Bragg threatened officers when they arrived as well. Police tased Colson but missed as he fled toward the road. Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputies came to help as Colson ran onto SR 1 in the middle of Hare Creek Bridge threatening to jump. The scene stopped traffic as Fort Bragg officers tried to de escalate and negotiate with him for two hours yesterday. Officers were successful and Colson dropped the wooden batons and surrendered to police. He was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, carjacking, vandalism and more. Police are asking for anyone with information about Colson to call.
California’s opioid deaths rocketed up 121 percent from 2019 to 2021, with a majority of those linked to fentanyl according to CalMatters. Fentanyl is relatively cheap to make and has become an increased threat in every corner of the nation. The cheap highly potent synthetic opioid is often laced in counterfeit pills sold to people. Lawmakers have dozens of proposals for legislation and are holding special hearings. Health officials and more are pushing for more fentanyl test strips to be distributed and available for people to detect fentanyl. The most recent state data shows nearly 6,000 people died after taking drugs that had fentanyl in them last year. The rural north coast has seen the majority of overdose deaths including in Mendocino County.
What may be the largest petrified trees on planet Earth are for sale. The Petrified Forest in Sonoma County covers 500 acres of permanently preserved forest that had been a tourist attraction for over a century. The family who owned the space since 1914 is putting it up for sale for $12 million. The Press Democrat reports the property includes oak woodland, a gift shop, café, living quarters and party barn in over 8,000 square feet of space. Healdsburg Realty and Artisan Sotheby’s International Realty are listing the property which includes a mile of Porter Creek. The Petrified Forest has about 30,000 visitors yearly. The history of the forest was recorded when in 1870 a Swedish homesteader found petrified wood there, created by a volcanic explosion that sucked the oxygen out of the forest an created rock-hard fossils.
There are openings for a nomination process to get into West Point at the US Naval Academy, the US Air Force Academy and the US Merchant marine Academy. Representative Mike Thompson announced the opportunities yesterday. Lake County News reports Thompson made the announcement to encourage eligible students to take advantage of the opportunity. Interested applicants must be US citizens and meet specific requirements and medical qualifications. Those who have made academic achievements, are leaders and have a commitment to serve the country should consider the options available. Applications must be postmarked by October 2nd. Students can call Congressman Thompson’s office for more details.
Kaiser Health Care workers picked up picket signs and began striking yesterday. Workers say shortages in staffing are negatively affecting patients as well as doctors and other healthcare workers. From the Bay Area to the Capital and throughout the state, health workers say they’ve had to pick up more of the workload without the right equipment to care for patients. KCRA and the Press Democrat report pressure on workers is unhealthy. Workers say seeing Kaiser’s profits in the tens of billions of dollars is unsettling, and they’d like to see more hiring, and better pay. Unions are negotiating with the organization to improve operations, services and benefits for existing workers. Some staff are demonstrating during their lunch hours, not wanting to leave patients with no help.
The California State Controller published payroll data for state departments, courts and CSU for 2022. Almost $28 billion in payroll was listed on the Government Compensation in California website. Lake County News reports nearly 400,000 positions are listed on the site. Locally, Lake County Superior Court had 44 employees with wages total about $2.7 million with about half a million in retirement and healthcare. Last year, Superior Court judges in Lake County made over $200,000. State law requires municipalities to report their annual salaries to the controllers office. People can check out the government website and search by region and other data categories.
California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment finds vulnerable people in Mendocino County and other rural NorCal regions are disproportionately affected by climate change, according to MendoVoice. The disenfranchised often suffer more and are less equipped to deal with climate catastrophes. Governor Newsom has set about $48 billion for the next five years for climate projects and infrastructure. California Climate Adaptation Strategy projects including the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians work to turn a motel into affordable housing have been used as models for state funded climate adaptation. Compounding climate disasters are expected to rise, combining floods with fires, droughts and extreme heat events. The Voice reports Mendocino County temperatures are expected to increase about 7 degrees in the next century.
In a Forest Service Update, the Mendocino National Forest announced some offices will be closed for training today through Friday. The visitor information offices in Upper Lake and Covelo will reopen Friday afternoon. The Willows information center will close tomorrow only. In their announcement, the forest also announced open positions. The Forest Service is looking to hire forestry technicians. The position helps the forest service to promote the natural resources and promote engagement with the public.
A special workshop to reduce stress is planned for a couple of weeks from now. The free workshop called “Building Resilience: Self-Empowering Tools for Reducing Stress and Trauma as Close as Your Own Hands.” Lake County News reports the Kelseyville Presbyterian Church is hosting the event. The first session is Saturday, August 12th at 4:30pm with a second session the next day at noon. The workshop highlights ways to relieve stress through body based skills to help balance yourself. Techniques like breathing and visualization are part of the session as well as Tai Chi, emotional freedom tapping, acupressure and more. The event is hosted by Reverend Judy Slater, who is trained in healing. She is active with the Red Cross and works with people on anxiety and emotional issues.
