A Fort Bragg man is in jail after shooting a man and fleeing from police. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office reports yesterday morning before 7am a man was found with a gunshot wound on Highway 20. The victim was hiding behind a truck in his own yard after being shot by Vladimir Ginzburg, who also shot into the victim’s home. Deputies arrived within minutes and surrounded a house nearby when Ginzburg escaped from the back into a forest. He was captured and taken into custody. Authorities found several ounces of cocaine in Ginzburg’s car. He was arrested for attempted murder and possession. Ginzburg is being held in lieu of a quarter million dollar bail.
Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputies are investigating a drowning on the Eel River yesterday. Anthony Sasso reportedly drowned after jumping in the river near Dos Rios. A witness says the Laytonville man jumped from a rock about 30 feet above the river, appeared to be in distress and went under. It happened near Highway 162 southwest of Covelo. Authorities were alerted to the possible drowning around 4:30pm. Sasso was pronounced dead by 6pm. The Press Democrat reports its Mendocino County’s third drowning in about a month. Officials are warning people to be careful of strong river currents, and wear life jackets when going into the water.
The East Region Town Hall will meet today at 4pm at the Moose Lodge in Clearlake Oaks. The guest speaker is the General Manager of the Clearlake Oaks County Water District. Commercial cannabis cultivation projects and a task force update will be included in a report.
Hazardous air quality conditions are making skies in the inland regions of Mendocino County hazy. In Anderson Valley and the Highway 101 corridor from Laytonville to Sonoma County the air quality index has again risen to be unhealthy. The Flat Fire burning in Oregon continues and was only at about 14 percent containment as of this morning according to sources in Oregon. According to MendoVoice the wildfire in Oregon has grown to over 25,000 acres with smoky conditions impacting the area again.
EBT card skimming is trending in Lake County. The Lake County District Attorney’s Office of Welfare Fraud Investigation Unit is warning residents of multiple reports of the crimes in the last two months. Lake County News reports people who receive help from CalFresh, the SNAP program and more are being stolen from. In June, investigators went to retail stores in the county to show employees how to ID skimming devices. They discovered a device and removed it. Authorities with Lake County are monitoring the trend and working with area residents to stop the skimming and help those who’ve been stolen from get new cards. Residents who are suspicious of skimming devices and more should call the Lake County District Attorney’s Office.
A pair of retail thieves are working together in Ukiah. Last night the Costco on Airport Park Boulevard a couple men rushed into the store and left with six televisions. Authorities responded just after 6:30pm on reports at least two men with tattoos driving a red Toyota 4-runner got away with over $1,000 worth of the electronics, according to video monitoring in the store, according to KymKemp. Police are investigating.
With retail theft on the rise, Willits City Officials are meeting this afternoon to discuss shoplifting with local businesses and the Willits Police Department. Stealing is a year round problem, that Willits Police Chief says ebbs and flows, according to the Ukiah Daily Journal. There are usually upticks during the summer months. The meeting today will happen at 2pm in Willits City Hall on Commercial Street as the community comes together to learn how to prevent thefts and prosecute the criminals.
Ukiah Unified Schools are looking for someone to fill the vacant board member seat in Trustee Area 6. MendoFever reports there will be a special election this November for the position. The school district needs someone to be on the school board to help students, shape policy and be a leader in the community. Interested candidates should get nomination forms from the Mendocino County Clerk on Low Gap Road in Ukiah. Candidates have until the 11th to get the paperwork filed with the Registrar of Voters.
An update in the Lakefront Park project was given to the Lakeport City Council meeting yesterday. The Record Bee reports the Public Works Director discussed delays due to weather and updated the estimated timeline on the project to be complete in September. Originally the project was slated to be complete by May. The seven-acre park will include a basketball court, amphitheatre, splash pad, public art and more. Funding for the project came from a nearly $6 million grant from the city. The Lakeport City Manager said it’s been a five year project that is coming together. The next Lakeport City Council meeting is set for August 15th at 6pm.
Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputies are investigating a shooting in Hopland. A victim was found with life-threatening injuries Sunday morning near Highway 175 and Old Toll Road. He was driven to the Cal Fire Hopland station according to the Press Democrat. There were multiple calls on shots fired in the area. The victim had a gunshot wound and was airlifted to a Sonoma County Hospital. Police are investigating. If anyone has information about the shooting, they’re asked to call CHP.
State water officials announced a new plan to source water from sewers. Purified sewage water could help the state recycle the valued resource. New rules would mandate extensive treatment and monitoring according to CalMatters. Some of the steps to purify the water include high pressure reverse osmosis, oxidation, high intensity UV light and more before getting to the process of regular water treatment. Groups of engineers and water quality scientists worked for over 10 years to codify 62 pages of procedures to treat sewer water. It takes a lot of processes and energy, but gives California a renewable and reliable source of water. The new rules were released last month and are still being finalized. The State Water Resources Control Board may vote on the policy by the end of the year.
The Jackson Demonstration State Forest announced there are 75 new firewood permits available. CAL Fire Mendocino Unit issued a release yesterday saying next Wednesday, the 9th, firewood permits will be available starting at 2pm for up to two cords per household. The permits will be available through October or until supplies are gone. There is a new map of available wood supply. Because of the Sudden Oak Death disease, permit sales are limited to Mendocino County.
The Blue Ribbon Committee for the Rehab of Clear Lake has over $1.8 million from the state budget. Lake County News reports Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Aguiar-Curry has been working on the project and thanked Governor Newsom for the state’s support. The Blue Ribbon Committee was created under legislation that includes $15 million for land for the Middle Creek Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration Project. The latest round of funding ads onto the $3 million already invested in lake improvements to restore Clear Lake. The project includes helping restore habitat for the Clear Lake hitch. Several projects are centered on the area including the Adobe Creek Hydrology and Groundwater Monitoring with the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians. An Airborne Electromagnetic Survey of Lake County Ground Water Basins will help researchers and Scotts Valley Aquifer Evaluation Project will help with future development, stream flow and more.
The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors is reacting to the strike that county employees announced this week with SEIU 1021. The County Human Resources Manager tells MendoVoice that the county denies the union’s allegations of bad faith bargaining. Union members say the county recently discouraged employees from attending supervisors’ meetings with stricter requirements. The Chapter President said workers who request time to attend the meetings were denied multiple times. The union went to the Public Employment Relations Board with the county’s unfair practice complaint, for the second time in as many years. The HR manager reacted by asking the state to dismiss any charges against the county on procedural grounds. Further action by the board is not expected until next month, when the board returns from their August recess. It’s been over a month now, that the employees have not received a renewed contract.
Governor Newsom is appointing Tai Milder as the first director of the Division of Petroleum Market Oversight. The position was made within the California Energy Commission. According to Lake County News, it’s an effort to hold Big Oil accountable. The announcement yesterday is part of the Governor’s plan to halt price gouging. Milder served in the US Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and has a history of investigating and prosecuting companies that harm consumers in their corruption. The new office was approved this year and just took effect in June. The Division of Petroleum Market Oversight has been set up to follow the oil industry daily to note any illegal actions, including industry misconduct or market manipulation and make a recommendation to the attorney general for prosecution. A new interactive dashboard was created by the Energy Commission to create transparency in the oil and gas industry.
