Firefighting crews are getting traction on a fire in Lower Lake. Yesterday afternoon, around 3:30pm, a fire was reported on Clayton Creek Road. Fire crews including Cal Fire air resources were dispatched to the Creek Fire that spread quickly. The fire was burning north of Highway 29. The sheriff asked for a ‘leave immediately’ evacuation of Main Street in Lower Lake from from 53rd to Bonham. A ‘Be Ready’ evacuation warning was issued for nearby areas. Less than two hours later, the blaze had grown to around 28 acres. By 6pm last night, evacuation orders were downgraded. Firefighters are continuing to work on the Creek Fire that held at 28 acres and is 65% contained as of this morning. Last night, mandatory evacuations in and around Lower Lake were downgraded to warnings or were cleared. Part of Highway 29 was closed and has since reopened. Cal Fire says firefighters will stay in the area into today to work on total containment, watching hot spots, and mopping up.
California Department of Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is urging residents and businesses to look over their insurance coverage to make sure they have the resources to prepare for possible disasters. The department issued a release in Lake County News promoting resilience and getting affordable insurance options. High temperatures and wildfire risk remains a threat in the state, and the commissioner says their Safer from Wildfires regulations have a multi-tiered strategy to help. The Department is working to expand availability of insurance discounts and recently granted discounts for FAIR Plan policyholders. Lara says to use your smartphone to create a record of your belongings, keep your insurance paperwork easily accessible and make a solid plan with your family or business colleagues.
The Mendocino County Sheriff began the installation of the Mendocino County Peace Officers Memorial outside their office in Ukiah. County CEO Darcie Antle and the Facilities and Fleet Department worked with the Sheriff’s Office to finish the planning and concept. Fort Bragg Electric finished work for the foundation and conduits for lighting. The Memorial was designed and created by Bell Memorials and Granite Works with help from Machine Inc, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff. Yesterday, the office announced an unveiling to be held tomorrow at 5pm at the Sheriff’s Office on Low Gap Road. The public is invited to join local law enforcement officials and families and friends of fallen peace officers.
A couple of bills are moving through the legislature that would help community colleges in California house students. CalMatters reports the bills would allow colleges to keep funds they’ve already gotten, with help from the state in paying the funds back. Without the bills, community colleges were pulling out of housing projects when over a billion dollars was pulled from affordable housing in June as the governor was addressing the state budget shortfall. The state will help cover annual debt payments that will allow schools to go ahead with housing plans in a new bond arrangement.
The Mendocino County Fair and Apple Show is announcing dates for the 95th annual event. September 22nd thru the 24th in Boonville, people of all ages can enjoy live music, horse shows, the California Wool and Fiber festival, rodeos and more. MendoVoice reports the fair will be open from 9am through midnight at the fairgrounds. There will be wine and apple tasting daily with a classic car show and parade Sunday at noon on Highway 128.
The Mendocino board of Supervisors will meet next Tuesday at 9am for the open session and meet with the Mendocino County Water Agency, Public Facilities Corporation, In Home Supportive Services Public Authority and Air Quality Management District. The board will continue at 1pm in a closed session. In their agenda, the board plans to meet with labor negotiators. The board plans to confer with legal counsel on existing litigation with Your Town Online, Inc vs. the county.
The only tribally owned opioid treatment program in the state, New Life Clinic in Ukiah is making treatment easier than getting drugs, according to the medical director. The Willits News reports the center has been in operation for two years, with medically assisted methadone treatment, urgent care, mental health and more. They say they engage patients in services after they’re off meds. Since their beginning, New Life Clinic has seen 70 percent of patients remain in treatment. They see about 100 patients a day in need of medication assisted treatment for addiction and are expanding. With Mendocino County the highest in the state of opioid overdose the clinic works to change that. They’d like to see more residential treatment. The Ukiah Recovery Center is the only one in the county.
A woman who started the Bart Fire two years ago is set to spend four years in prison. Amy Holland of Willits was sentenced this week in Mendocino County Superior Court after conviction of malicious arson. In a release in KymKemp, the court heard testimony from one of the victims of the fire near the Walker Lake sub off Black Bart Road in July of 2021 during Tuesday’s testimony. The fire burned two buildings, one, part of a local pottery business. Holland was ordered to pay the victim and her insurance company nearly a quarter of a million dollars. Additional restitution was reserved for two more victims and Cal Fire, for expenses of putting out the fire.
California may soon require judges to consider whether a parent affirms their child’s gender identity when making custody decisions under a bill that passed through the Senate yesterday. The Press Democrat reports the vote was split along party lines. Democrats argue the bill would help protect the well-being of LGBTQ+ kids whose parents are divorcing. All Republicans voted against the bill saying legislators were interfering with parents’ decisions. The bill would include gender affirmation as a factor courts should consider in custody proceedings, including if a parent has been abusive. If the state Assembly agrees to amendments made to the legislation, it will head to the governor’s desk.
The final defendant, the third suspect who was involved in the 2020 Covelo Road armed robberies and kidnappings of two cannabis money couriers will spend 19 years in prison. Jesus Estevan Vargas Jr. took the DA’s last and final plea/sentence ‘bargain’ to serve nearly 2 decades in state prison. In a release in MendoFever, the Sheriff’s Office reports Vargas took the no contest plea Wednesday along with two co-conspirators in the crime that took place in September, 3 years ago. The target of their scheme was nearly $700,000 when they dressed as law enforcement agents and pulled over the courier vehicle on Covelo Road. Vargas’ sentence includes a special enhancement for a violent felony, leaving him with now two strikes under state law.
The Mendocino City Community Services District is being asked to record its meetings. In the agency’s monthly meeting at the end of August, restaurant owners attending asked for clarity on how the district will deal with tents in town including lot coverage and water allocation. The board said there will be a public meeting on the subject of the enhanced restaurant spaces. The Mendocino Beacon reports the board has created an ad hoc committee to get more information and will work with the County and other local agencies. Superintendent Rhoades said they have finished most of the annual sewer mains cleaning and reported FEMA will cover about $36,000 in damages from the storms in January. The District says the facility is experiencing system failures and needs $6,000 in emergency repair of a critical component.
