Californians will vote for their next U.S. Senator in today’s primary election. Democratic Congress Members Adam Schiff and Katie Porter, along with Republican former baseball player Steve Garvey, are polling as the clear favorites. The top two vote getters will advance to a runoff election in November. The winner will get the Senate seat held by the late Dianne Feinstein and currently held, in the interim, by Laphonza Butler. Butler, who was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom after Feinstein’s death, is not running for another term. Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
A man is dead, and four Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputies are injured after a car chase and a shootout just west of Santa Rosa. The shootout happened early Monday, after the suspect’s vehicle and a patrol vehicle crashed through a wooden fence in front of a home. Both the suspect and the deputies fired rounds, but it’s not clear who shot first. One deputy was shot in the leg, two have hand injuries, and a fourth is in critical condition with a significant head injury. Deputies were first called after reports of a man brandishing a rifle. As deputies pulled behind his car, he stopped, got out and shot at them, before they fired back. He then jumped back in his car and drove off, starting the pursuit. That exchange of gunfire was separate from the one that later led to the man’s death.
A new report claims California will be drought-free for at least the next two years. In a report published on its website, AccuWeather forecasters say the winter storms from both last year and this year have set up California to have a large water supply well into 2026. Reservoirs have been refilled up and down the state from heavy rainstorms the past two winters. Meanwhile, the Sierra Nevada is once again dealing with a massive blizzard, where ten feet of snow has already fallen and several more are expected to fall this week.
The California Department of Forestry, Jackson Demonstration State Forest, and CAL Fire have cancelled their meeting of the Jackson Advisory Group. The meeting was scheduled for this Thursday, but officials said they need to appoint new members to the Jackson Advisory Group and select a replacement chair, and they need more time to accomplish both. A new meeting will be announced once it has been scheduled.
The public is invited to a meeting of officials from Mendocino county and the Mendocino County Homeless Services Continuum of Care. They’re looking for feedback on the Homelessness Action plan. The meeting will be held on Monday, March 11th at 1:30pm in the Big Sur Conference Room at the Social Services Building in Ukiah. You can also participate over Zoom, here’s the link: https://mendocinocounty.zoom.us/j/ 87907314091
A Lakeport man who was involved in a hit and run last month has died. Omar Romero of Lakeport was walking along Highway 20 on Valentine’s Day when he was hit by an SUV driven by Oscar Rosas of Clearlake. It happened just east of Bridge Arbor Drive near Upper Lake. Rosas left the scene but turned himself in the next day. He was arrested for hit and run, a felony charge. CHP says the incident is still under investigation, and more charges may be pending.
