PG&E says it is nearly done getting the lights back on in its local service area. Latest reports show around 100 customers out in Mendocino County and just a handful in Lake County. CHP is still reporting two road closures–Highway 175 near 1-0-1 in Hopland and Highway 128 in Navarro. The Mendocino Saheriff’s office says drivers need to use extra caution this evening as there still may be road hazards and flooding in unexpected places. The advice is never to drive around barriers or into standing water, even if it looks safe. Governor Newsom says the state is deploying all resources needed. The storm has moved on with significant impacts hitting southern California. Locally, rainfall totals were as high as 3 inches.
Mendocino County is looking for a campground host for the summer. The Parks Department says the volunteer hosts at Indian Creek Campground have quiet, reserved spots with full hookups, landline phones, and a PO Box. The hosts would greet visitors and help keep the campground clean. There is a monthly stipend between May and October. The county’s Facebook page has the information.
The House has passed a bill we told you about last week to give a tax break to wildfire victims. The measure, co-sponsored by Congressman Mike Thompson, would exempt relief and settlement payments from federal income taxes. The vote was bipartisan. The Senate takes it up next. If it passes, President Biden is expected to sign it.
If you buy ammunition in California, a judge has ruled you no longer have to pass a background check. The ruling takes effect immediately, but AG Rob Bonta says he will appeal and wants the judge to stay the ruling until it works up through higher courts. California was one of a few states that required a separate check to buy bullets or shells. The judge says the extra background check violates the Second Amendment because people can’t use their guns for self-defense without ammunition. The attorney general says that the ruling puts the public at risk. Other gun control laws are also under appeal in California, which has some of the strictest such laws in the US.
