The On The Grindstone Ranger district announced a wet weather trail closure. The closure went into effect yesterday thanks to heavy rain in the area. The wet weather trail closure will stay in place until the forest goes 48 consecutive hours without rain. Before you head out to the Mendocino National Forest you can check trail conditions and updates on trail closures on the forest social media pages and at the forest website.
The open enrollment period has started for the 2024-25 academic year, and Lake County parents have a new option. Shade Canyon, the county’s newest tuition free charter school, is now hosting walk-throughs. Interested families can check out the new school on the third Thursday of every month. Shade Canyon is a holistic and nature-based program designed for diverse learners, according to a news release. The curriculum focuses on arts, nature, and play. Enrollment is open now for kindergarten through 3rd grade students. Eventually the school will offer classes up to the 8th grade. Check out the new school at ShadeCanyon.org and plan to attend a walk through at 4335 Sylar Lane in Kelseville.
March is said to come in like a lion, that is for everyone but Mendocino County. Here, the month comes in like a whale. The Mendocino Whale Festival is scheduled for March 2nd, and it’s only one of the many area celebrations centered around the watery giants. Festivities start on the 1st with the Mendocino Whale Wars exhibit opening at the Kelly House Museum. Other events include Whale Festivals in Little River, Fort Bragg, and Westport. See the full schedule and get more information at MendocinoCoast.com
A man was injured when his car hit an embankment near Willits. California Highway Patrol responded to reports of a man lying in the road near the Brooktrails Golf Course just before 1:30 Monday afternoon. The man was reportedly driving his pickup when he hit an embankment on Goose Road. The driver was taken to a local hospital, his name has not yet been released. The cause of the crash is still being investigated.
A reminder, the California Public Utilities Commission has scheduled two chances to have your voice heard by AT&T. If you’ve got comments on their proposal to end landline service in Mendocino County, you can attend one of the public hearings tomorrow in Ukiah. The first one is at 2pm, and the second at 6pm at the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors chambers on Low Gap Road, Room 1070. The CPUC says there will be at least one rep from AT&T there to explain the proposal and answer questions. The meetings will also be streamed online. You can find the link here.
A crash along State Route 162 sent a vehicle into the Eel River. It happened just after 9 last night when a vehicle crashed near Dos Rios. CHP responded to the incident near mile marker 15. According to reports, two people were lifted from the river, one of them was a child. A firefighter reportedly suffered a medical emergency at the scene and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The cause of the crash is still being investigated. None of the victims have been identified, and there was no further information on the injured firefighter.
A landslide has closed the Avenue of the Giants. Caltrans closed the road yesterday afternoon between Lum Street in Weott and the Marin Garden Club Grove saying an active slide has made the road impassable. Officials said they do not have an estimated time for the road to reopen.
A hiker has been reported missing near Laytonville. Mendo Fever reports multiple agencies were looking for the missing hiker in a remote area southwest of Laytonville last night. The hiker was reported missing Tuesday morning after not returning to a meeting point on Branscomb Road. Laytonville and Westport Fire Departments and the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office were all assisting with the search.
An elderly woman is reportedly missing after a Mendocino county house fire. Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home on Little River – Airport Road just after 7:30 Tuesday morning after Cal Fire called them in to help look for a missing woman who lived in the home. CAL Fire reported the structure was still burning in spots and was unstable, which made it unsafe. Mendo Fever reported the woman’s neighbors saw law enforcement searching the woods around the home. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
