A man killed in a San Francisco stabbing attack last month, has been identified as Brandon Mitchell of Mendocino County, a member of Laytonville’s Cahto Tribe. Police say it happened near Mission and Washburn Streets where authorities found Mitchell and a woman had been stabbed. Emergency medial aid was given at the scene, but Mitchell was declared dead at a nearby hospital. Mitchell’s youngest brother told MendoFever that his brother and girlfriend were living on the streets when it happened just a few days before the new year. He said his brother had been shot around 10 days before, and tried to get aid from the Cahto Tribe, but was denied. A Tribal member reportedly said there was no room in the rehab center. The Mitchell Family learned yesterday that San Francisco Police had a suspect in custody. A funeral for Brandon was held in Laytonville last weekend.
King Tides are expected to continue today of up to about 7 feet by around 11 am in Mendocino Bay, Fort Bragg Landing, Westport and Little River. They happen a few times a year when the orbits and alignment of the Earth, Moon and sun combine to produce the greatest tidal effects of the year according to the California State Parks Mendocino’s posting online. The King Tides often show how high the high tide mark will be for the year. Officials suggest to always check a local tide chart before you go out to the beach and be aware of how tides will change throughout the day.
The Fort Bragg Police Department has two new officers who’ve completed police academy training and will forward onto field training in the city. Another recruit began police academy training recently as well. The Advocate News reports Chief Cervenka is working to bring in the new officers for his full service agency to increase the size of the department. Two years ago, the state legislature passed a bill mandating community colleges design a modern policing degree program by next year. Cervenka says California has a robust screening process that is important as each officer impacts the community.
South of Willits on Highway 101 officials are finishing cleaning up after a box truck crashed splashing diesel fuel in the roadway. MendoFever reports CHP says it happened around 5am Thursday, south of the Willits Grade near the center divider. Highway 101 was narrowed to one lane from Ridgewood Road to Mariposa Creek Road with hazmat crews on hand to clean up the scene. The roadway was reopened within a few hours.
Education advocates in California say they’re breathing a sigh of relief after higher ed was spared big cuts in Governor Gavin Newsom’s new budget proposal. The governor’s office is projecting a 38-billion-dollar budget deficit, which it says will be resolved through a mix of reserve funds and budget trimming. Jessie Ryan is executive vice president of the Campaign for College Opportunity. the budget does, however, cut a loan program designed to help universities and colleges build more affordable student housing, and it reduces the Middle-Class Scholarship funding by 289-million dollars, according to the California News Service.
California celebrates the California quail as the state bird, the golden poppy as the state flower and now the new state symbol, the California golden chanterelle mushroom. MendoVoice reports about two years ago the California Institute of Biodiversity conducted a survey, a poll of fungi up for the job. Shrooms like the lion’s mane and western jack-o-lantern were among the choices, but the chanterelle won with nearly 40 percent of the votes. Assemblymember Ash Kalra of San Jose introduced new legislation to name the fungi the state mushroom last February. Kalra said the California golden chanterelle was long-loved by Californians and is an important symbol of the state’s rich and unique biodiversity. Newsom signed the bill into law on the first of this year.
The Commercial Dungeness Crab season will begin in a week for the Bay Area and most of the California coast. The delayed season will open next Thursday, the 18th for commercial fisherman in the Bay area and south along the coast. The Press Democrat reports boats will have to work with only half their traps under limits to protect marine wildlife like whales. The season had been postponed for about two months to protect vulnerable whales and sea turtles from getting tangled up in fishing gear. Next week’s season opener extends from the Sonoma/Mendocino County lines south to the US Mexico border. The commercial Dungeness crab season already began for areas north of that area including Mendocino and Humboldt up the coastline. The Fish and Wildlife Department announced it is lifting the temporary recreational crab trap restriction beginning this morning at 8am from the Mendocino County line to Monterey County.
Mendocino County’s road signs are half missing. For example, the Ukiah Daily Journal reports for people headed north on Highway 101, you wouldn’t know you’ve entered Mendocino County, because the sign is gone, again. A Caltrans spokesperson says they put up a new sign, just weeks ago. Of the six state highways going in and out of the county, three signs are missing. They explained the signs are fixed with steel posts and rivets, making it as difficult as possible for people to grab. The cost to replace each panel sign is around $840. Caltrans hopes the fittings will be strong enough to endure as they replace sign after sign. Visit Mendocino explains gateway signs have been recolored from orange to green, after their signs were swiped as well.
Crews installing pipe in Ukiah’s Recycled Water Project worked hard to finish during the holiday break. However, the weather delayed their progress. Multiple days of precipitation slowed down work in the Purple Pipe under Low Gap Road, according to the Ukiah Daily Journal. Crews took advantage of better weather and installed pipe in front of Mendocino County Jail. From Low Gap Road, the pipe will now be installed north on Despina Drive. In a few weeks when that’s finished, they’ll continue down toward State Street for a section along Bush Street. Then crews will head toward areas past Highway 101, that may be more complex. The streetscape crew says they’re progressing on Phase 4, and that work is continuing as good as can be expected.
A Mendocino County estate north of Ukiah will go up for auction next month, after appearing in an HBO series. The East Ranch in Redwood Valley will be auctioned on February 3rd at 11am to the highest bidder. The Victorian structure starred in HBO’s “Sharp Objects” as the Crellin Estate, the home of Adora Crellin as she takes in her troubled daughter after being discharged from a psychiatric hospital. The Press Democrat reports the East Ranch includes a nearly 5,000 square foot barn, 50-75 acres of prime wine grape cultivation land with 7 natural springs and an 18 acre wildlife pond and bridge. The 7,500 square foot residence has five bedrooms, a library and an etched glass skylight. The estate was built in 1885 as a replica of a San Francisco Victorian.
Next week, the Mendocino County Museum will open up an exhibit called “Exploring Botany in Mendocino County.” Featured botanists in the exhibit include the owner of the McNamee Store in Fish Rock, as well as Edith Van Allen Murphy who recorded and illustrated Native American uses of plants for the US Plant Bureau and the famous “Lily Man of Ukiah,” Carl Purdy. MendoFever published a release from the county that notes the exhibit will feature sketches, illustrations, pressed plants and more by local artists, students and plant lovers of all types.
