Representative Jared Huffman is apologizing to his constituents on a vote he says he regrets. House Resolution 798 condemned supporting Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations at colleges and universities. The House brought the resolution last week to help stop anti-Semitic statements out of institutions of higher education. The bill passed late last week, but there were 23 votes opposing it. Huffman chose to vote no on the resolution, but says he regrets his decision. The Press Democrat reports Huffman said “I screwed up folks.” He says by owning his error and issuing an apology to friends in the Jewish Community he can somehow lessen the pain and confusion the vote brought. He told the paper yesterday that the urgent humanitarian concerns of the region led him to a rushed decision.
The Lakeport City Council is meeting this afternoon and will authorize an agreement with Vanir for a navigation center feasibility study on area homelessness. The Public Works Director will ask for approval for the purchase of fencing for the newly named Xabatin Park. Meanwhile, the Lakeport courthouse project is nearly done with the design phase. It was selected last year and has been ranked on top of the statewide list of projects most in need of replacement with the Judicial Council of California authorizing the budget at nearly $84 million. Lake County News reports the Council along with the local court have been working on the 46,000 square foot building with construction scheduled to start next summer, putting it’s completion in 2026.
The City of Ukiah is announcing that the outdoor skating rink will start coming together in just under two weeks, on November 20th. MendoFever reports the rink represents a partnership between the Greater Ukiah Business and Tourism Alliance with th City and funding by local sponsors. It will be in the South School Street block downtown with the street closed to traffic from the 20th through the end of January. The ice skating rink will open on Saturday, December 2nd through mid January and will be open daily. The farmers market will meet next to the rink on Saturdays.
Lake County’s Community Development Services are hosting “How To Get A Business Loan” today from 11am to 1pm at the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center. The State of California’s Community Development Block Grant Program is funding grants with Lake County’s Small and Micro Business Assistance Program. The class will help people learn to access capital, how to build and repair credit and a look at how lenders consider loans.
The Mendocino County Divisions of Environmental Health and Planning and Building Services are announcing they are holding a Coastal Community Stakeholder Meeting next Monday, November 13th from 8am to 10am at the Fort Bragg Branch of the Mendocino County Library. The agenda includes an overview of current permitting processes, a discussion on recent updates and proposed changes as well as a community wide conversation on ways to make permitting more efficient and accessible to every resident. Short-term rentals ordinances will also be covered in other meetings scheduled for next Tuesday from 6 to 7pm at the Fort Bragg Veterans Memorial Building; November 15th from 6 to 7pm at the Boonville Veterans Memorial Building and toward the end of the month in Willits and Ukiah. County staff from each department will be at the meeting to answer questions.
The Fort Bragg City Council meeting set for tomorrow at 4pm. The agenda includes going over results from this years Police Salary Survey. They’ll go over ordinance 672, adopted in 1986 as to how the Police Department establishes a minimum standard of compensation, benefits and salaries. They are also set to discuss Mayoral rotation with a report on the nomination process for the mayor and vice mayor by the city council. A process of several cities in California like Arcata, Rancho Cordova and Redlands rotate to the next council member of honorary positions. The council will discuss the process or creating and ordinance it would require.
A woman was severely injured yesterday evening after being hit by a car in Lucerne. CHP reports it happened just before 5:30pm at State Route 20 and Grove Street as she got off a bus and began crossing the street. Witnesses say within seconds, she was seen lying in the road. Emergency responders were able to respond and get her to the hospital. MendoFever reports the scene was posted on the Scanner Lake County Facebook page. Authorities are investigating and searching for the driver of the hit-and-run.
Lake County Community Development Director will share the General Plan process update at the Sierra Club Lake Group community meeting next week, November 15th at 6pm. The Record Bee reports Mireya Turner, Community Development Director plans to discuss progress on land use planning, development agreements and visioning documents that will affect the future of Lake County. The General Plan has not been updated in 15 years. The discussion will be held virtually through video conference and live-streamed on Facebook. The meeting is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required to attend via Zoom. The director will talk about the next steps in the process and engage with audience questions and comments. The Sierra Club Lake Group says it’s a great time to consider a healthy ecosystem and recreation for residents.
Governor Newsom says the state is ready for the Sites Reservoir Project. The certification of the project this week moves the state toward fixing critical infrastructure projects to modernize the transportation system, ensure safe drinking water and create clean energy. Lake County News reports SB149 limits time an environmental impact report can be challenged in court, removing up to five years of red tape. The streamlining project is also uses federal funds to build and retrofit valuable infrastructure. Specifically, the Site Reservoir Project helps in designing reservoirs to capture water in the wet months and store it for use during hot and dry periods while making sure there is enough water supply for residents.
The Willits City Council plans to recognize November as Native American Heritage month during their city council meeting on Wednesday the 8th. They’ll go over an introduction of an ordinance on model water efficient landscaping, installation and maintenance in zoning requirements. Mandatory organic waste disposal reduction will be considered as an addition to the municipal code. The council will resolve authorization of a sidewalk ordinance amendment and more.
An accident in northern Mendocino County blocked the northbound lanes of Highway 101 yesterday afternoon after 4pm. KymKemp reports on the CHP investigation of an overturned SUV. Passengers in the vehicle weren’t hurt. Fire and emergency medical services were on hand from Leggett and Laytonville.
The Rotary Clubs of Ukiah will be hosting the 10th Annual Guitars for the Troops fundraiser in honor of Veterans Day. The event this coming Saturday will begin at 5:30 at the Carl Purdy Hall, Redwood Empire Fairgrounds. The Ukiah Daily Journal reports there will be dinner and live music at the event, with tickets available at the door or at the Mendocino Book Company. Funds raised will be used to gift guitars to veterans, as well as help local veterans organizations and projects, such as Canine Companions for Independence, The Community Foundation of Mendocino County Veterans Angel Fund, the Veterans Garden and local Rotary projects.
The Lake Pillsbury Alliance produced a video for Lake County officials about what would happen if the Potter Valley Project includes dam removal. The documentary illustrates significant financial devastation. The Record Bee reports Lake County could lose $750,000 if the Scott Dam were decommissioned along with taxes and other revenue from Lake Pillsbury. An organizer with the Alliance says water stored in Lake Pillsbury is distributed through the Potter Valley Project, which affects Scott and Cape Horn Dams and more. The water also supports million of dollars in agricultural benefits. In Mendocino County, agriculture brings in over $740 million in crops. County supervisors and others say the impact would be massive without Lake Pillsbury. The year-round water supply is a variable worthy of scrutiny as the Potter Valley Project decommissioning and watershed planning and projects continue.
