President Biden plans to meet the Chinese President, Xi Jinping next week in San Francisco. The Asia-Pacific Cooperation Summit kicks off tomorrow. The AP reports the White House has planned on the visit for weeks, for the leaders to discuss trade, Taiwan, climate change and more. The administration aims to keep lines of communication open to work together on global issues. The Chinese President is scheduled to join the summit on Tuesday. Thousands of protesters are planning on joining the action as well. Contentious issues may be covered, including the Chinese spy balloon that traveled over the US, and Taiwan’s independence. Biden may also urge Xi Jinping to influence North Korea on missile tests as well as go over Iran’s influence in the Israel Hamas war.
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 5pm at the Carl Purdy Hall at the Redwood Empire Fairgrounds. The Ukiah Daily Journal reports there will be dinner, dancing 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 veteran’s 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.
Casa of Mendocino and Lake County is hosting an event this weekend. The “Sips, Eats & Sweets” event will happen at Barra Winery Sunday at 3pm. There will be silent auction and local cuisine to raise funds for the organization. The CASA program helps abused and neglected children in the court system with support and guidance.
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 10 am 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. County staff from each department will be at the meeting to answer questions.
California is investing a million dollars into the Mendocino Construction Corps. The program, according to reporting in the Ukiah Daily Journal, helps high school students train as builders, plumbers and other trades. The Mendocino County program is a local version of the North Bay Construction Corps having worked with hundreds of students in nearby counties train for and get jobs. State Senator Mike McGuire announced the program yesterday in Ukiah. He said the funding will help hire a coordinator for the program and cover the cost of it for five years. McGuire says the state will need almost half a million construction and trade job workers within the next 6 years, filing a gap in Mendocino County for new housing.
The Fort Bragg City Council is holding a special session on Monday at 4pm. The council is expected to go over a request for proposals on the biosolids treatment and disposal facility study at the wastewater treatment plant. They’d like to minimize their resilience on outside contractors and decrease the carbon footprint associated with hauling off waste and instead provide a treatment and disposal option for commercial compostables with drying equipment as they work on the wastewater collection system master plan. The council will consider an update to the city’s personnel rules surrounding catastrophic leave program. The Agenda details the closed session agenda including ongoing litigation with the Mendocino Railroad. The city council will also go over a report on the recruitment for the positions of City Manager and City Clerk.
A new Ecological Staircase trail guide is being introduced tomorrow at Jug Handle State Reserve at 10am. MendoParks with California State Parks just completed its yearly Ecological Staircase Pygmy Forest display by local botanist Mario Abreu at the Ford House, according to the Mendocino Beacon. The information has been updated to include details about plant life on the trails and on the Pomo Indian cultural display that was put together with the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians. The new guide details Shelter Cove to the Navarro River and the ecosystem around it. MendoParks staff will be on hand to guide 5 mile hikes.
Authorities in Mendocino County are looking for a couple of vehicles and 4 armed men, allegedly involved in a Laytonville robbery. KymKemp reports just before 6:30 pm last night, 4 Latin males with multiple firearms fled an alleged robbery in a silver Ford truck with Texas plates and a white Jeep. They were last seen headed south on Highway 101. Authorities were sent to southern Mendocino County to look for the group.
California roads can be dangerous and CHP and local law enforcement agencies are seeing more aggressive driving and speed. A $2.5 million grant awarded to CHP will help agencies enforce laws aimed at road rage and reckless driving through their SPEED II program. Speed Prevention, Education and Enforcement Deterrence campaigns will run statewide. In the last couple of years speed was a factor in almost half of all fatal crashes and those that injure passengers the most. A CHP Commissioner tells Lake County News that the combination of proactive enforcement and community education aims to decrease the threat of speed and aggressive driving, making roads safer for everyone.
Mendocino County District Supervisor John Haschak has delivered his monthly update to local media. He writes in the midst of controversies involving the finance department there is a chance to get rid of wasteful practices, modernize policies and provide better and more efficient services. Haschak notes the need for the mental health wing of the new jail, noting the upgrade will cost $44 million, about $18 million more than originally estimated. He says bureaucratic delays, supply chain issues and other problems have delayed the construction and led to increased costs. Haschak notes the additional funds will be borrowed from money in Measure B funds, and will be repaid.
A big storm is headed to the North Coast next week. The National Weather Service notes a low pressure system could bring up to 2 or more inches of rain. Coastal mountains could get even more rain, up to 4 inches. The storm is set to hit the area Tuesday and bring in winds from the south. The Press Democrat reports flooding will be minimal. There could be water built up in low lying areas, with minimal damage expected.
Thousands of customers who have home, auto and rent policies are seeing their insurer leave the state. Farmers Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Company is the latest to be destabilized by climate change, inflation and fire damage costs. Residents in NorCal have seen several insurers leave the state and face significantly increased costs with little choices. More people are having to go to the state’s FAIR Plan at a high price, and the Press Democrat reports is becoming unstable. The California Department of Insurance is trying to help with discounts for those who harden their properties against fire and other damaging events. Some insurance companies hope reevaluation of what’s happening could help lawmakers ease restrictions. It could be years for policies and regulations to take shape and actually affect the crisis.
The Mendocino District Attorney says a convicted murderer could be released on parole. Cameron Whitlock was found guilty in 1990 for the murder with a firearm of a Mendocino Coast contractor. Whitlock was also convicted of robbery and auto theft. He apparently shot Wallace Kuntz twice after getting into the contractors truck. He pulled the body out and tried to burn it to hide the crime. He was sentenced to 20 years to life after a sentence reduction. He applied for release on parole beginning in 2002 about 5 times. At a parole hearing this week, local authorities and the victim’s family appeared to speak against parole. The parole board approved his release on parole. Governor Newsom has the authority to reverse the decision within the next 3 months.
California State Parks are offering free admission this Saturday for all veterans, active duty and reserve military. In a news release from the parks department this week, the Parks Director says the move aims to recognize the sacrifices that our nations military and their families have made and continue to make in service of their country. The Press Democrat reports parks in Mendocino County that are offering free entrance include the Russian Gulch, Standish-Hickey and Van Damme State Parks. Lake County parks including the Anderson Marsh State Historic Park and the Clear Lake State Park are participating as well.
There is a new mobile application for EBT cards. The California Department of Social Services with the state EBT project are providing the ebtEDGE Mobile Application and cardholder portal, and it is available today. Lake County News report the new app will help residents access their card information to set safety features and more. It has developed biometric access, gives cardholders the ability to freeze transactions, more efficient and swifter card replacement and more to stave off fraud and help users. Current cardholders can access the new online tool at ebt.ca.gov or by calling Customer Service for more details on the new technology.
Beginning after midnight tonight, drivers headed east on Route 20 will see a shift as they cross the new bridge crossing the Russian River and East Side Calpella Road. Golden Gate Media reports it is part of work on the Calpella Bridge Replacement Project, costing just over $32 million. Drivers will temporarily not be able to turn left onto Road 144, or from Road 144 to eastbound 20. The detours and blocked lanes will last through next spring. Crews are connecting the existing road to the newly constructed bridge alignment The estimated completion is set for 2025 and aims to significantly modernize and fortify transportation corridors in Mendocino County.
