Some Mendocino County patients covered by Blue Shield may be out of service, with Adventist Health terminating the contract with the insurer. KymKemp reports the contract between the hospital group and Blue Shield of California was set to expire on December 1st. A press release from Adventist notes that Anthem Blue Shield patients may be able to get care for a period of time as a continuity of care service, and is advising customers to call the customer service number on their benefit card for details. Patients must ask their health plan for continuity of care and the doctor and hospital must agree to keep them as patients, according to the California Department of Managed Healthcare. Last year, Adventist reportedly complained that the insurer did not pay enough. Most public workers in Mendocino County are insured by Anthem Blue Cross. The hospital built a link for frequently asked questions with new information on the situation. Adventist operates 26 hospitals and 400 clinics across the west coast and Hawaii, with Blue Shield the third largest insurer in California with 4.8 million members.
There is an outbreak of the bird flu and Sonoma County supervisors have declared a local emergency. The order will mandate euthanizing more than a quarter million ducks and laying hens from a couple of local poultry operations. The Press Democrat reports the outbreak was first detected at a commercial duck farm before Thanksgiving. The emergency declaration will help get funding for public safety and emergency services spending to support businesses and over 200 workers affected as a result. State and federal agencies across the area known for eggs and poultry production have cited access and space issues and risk of contagion danger with a nearby watercourse. The birds will be taken to a landfill to properly handle the poultry with special linings in disposal pits to stop leaching. Around 1 million commercially raised birds within 5 miles of the area may be susceptible to the airborne virus. Officials urge poultry operators to keep flocks indoors and clean all equipment.
An internet outage that impacted a large part of Lake County and parts of Mendocino County is prompting the Lake County Board of Supervisors to meet for a special meeting tomorrow at 9am. Also on the agenda, Lake County News reports tht public comments will be submitted in response to PG&E’s draft surrender plan for the Potter Valley Project including the Scott Dam. The board will also consider adopting the Lake County Hazard Mitigation Plan. The board plans to go over grant funding applications with the County Sheriff and the Department of Parks and Recreation. Appointments will be considered to the Lakeport Fire Protection District Board of Directors and on the Mental Health Advisory Board.
The EPA is announcing the final cleanup plan for a mine site and residential soils in Clearlake Oaks. Lake County News reports the Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine Superfund site cleanup will include removing or covering contaminated residential soils, combining and covering mine waste piles and reducing mercury in the lake. Toxic levels of mercury and arsenic spread into nearby neighborhoods and into Clear Lake from mining operations through the 1950’s. The EPA held a 90-day public comment period and answered questions online and in person with hearings geared at the community and Tribal advocates. The department’s prior cleanups of the Superfund site worked to control erosion, the removal of contaminated soil, capping mine waste and more. The aim now is to continue and focus on reducing mercury pollution.
California State Parks are announcing over $35 million to the National Park Service for Land and water Conservation Fund grants across the state. In a release in KymKemp, funding will provide public agencies with the ability to buy land or develop recreational amenities like playgrounds, sports fields, dog and skate parks and more. Recommended applicants, including Lake County will be forwarded to the National Park Service for approval. One recommendation is the Cobb Community Park Acquisition with over $200,000 to buy nearly 13 acres to develop a new Cobb Community park. Following approval, grantees will take part in a mandatory grant administration workshop and begin work to complete their projects.
There is a possible arson case in a fire that destroyed a trailer in Cloverdale. The Cloverdale Fire Protection District crews responded to the blaze on Sunday at a former concrete plant. A witness reported seeing smoke around 4:30am on Berti Lane. The Press Democrat reports the former office building in the trailer was consumed, and had likely been burning for over an hour. Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze and spend a few hours putting out hot spots and mopping up. Arson is suspected as there was no gas or electricity operating on the property that had been shut down nearly 15 years ago. There were also multiple suspicious holes in the fence surrounding the lot. No one was injured. Fire officials are investigation where the fire started and what sparked it.
The Ukiah City Council is set to meet today and consider approving an amendment to the Western Hills Annexation Area to allow more development. The Ukiah Daily Journal reports city staff are preparing for today’s meeting with the purchases of land in recent years known as the Western Hills. The city reportedly plans to annex the land next to the western city limits for open space preservation, wildfire protection and limited development. The city proposed to allow 15 acres transferred to a developer for up to three parcels for single family units and more. The Ukiah Planning Commission recommended last month that the project be approved for one developed parcel instead of three. The council will consider the proposal and modification recommended by the Planning Commission at the meeting set for 6pm tonight.
Faculty at the largest US university system is striking for better wages. The AP reports California State University faculty will strike for four days across campuses for better benefits and pay. The union represents the California Faculty Association with around 29,000 professors, librarians, coaches and more who are seeking a 12 percent salary increase. The union is also working to expand parental leave from six weeks to a full semester. The chancellor’s office says the pay increase is not feasible.
The Mendocino Transit Authority Board of Directors will get a presentation on the draft Ukiah Transit Center feasibility study at their meeting today at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center at 1:30pm. Information published in the Ukiah Daily Journal reports the plan will focus on a recommended transit center site, north of Kohls on North Orchard Avenue in Ukiah. The public is invited as the project is aimed at including community and stakeholders input. The final plan is expected to be finished in January. The feasibility study is funded by the Mendocino Council of Governments with Local Transportation Funds.
The Russian River Water Forum Planning Group is meeting tomorrow from 10am to 1pm in the Ukiah Valley Conference Center. In the latest Russian River Water Forum update, the agenda includes presentations on the Eel River and discussion on the PG&E draft decommissioning plan. Representatives from Sonoma Water, the Robinson Rancheria, Potter Valley Tribe and others will be on hand to go over next steps for the Water Forum. They’ll go over the October Planning Group Meeting and accept public comments.
The Mendocino County Office of Education is engaging in their annual holiday charity for homeless kids. Foster and Homeless Youth Services have tags on their holiday display corresponding to age and interests. Volunteers within the office and local sponsors and residents are beginning to claim tags and go holiday shopping for kids across Mendocino County. Hundreds of children across the county lack a consistent and safe nighttime residence. The Office of Education works year round to provide basic needs like food, clothes and school supplies and work with the Foster and Homeless Youth Services Program to connect homeless students with resources. The community is invited to help out by choosing a tag from the lobby or donating with a check or money order. A $25 donation will mean a gift for one child. The gift drive runs through December 15th when gifts will begin to be distributed.
The California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group is meeting today to figure out a course of action, since an endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtle was found dead recently, entangled in fishing gear. It has implications for the Dungeness crab season, which may be further delayed. The California News Service reports this year’s crab season has already been delayed twice and could be pushed into the new year. Federal research shows that Pacific leatherback sea turtles have declined off the California coast by 90 percent over the last 30 years and are at risk of going extinct due to gear entanglements, loss of nesting habitat, and poaching.
