Police are revealing new information about the suspects arrested after a chase in Santa Rosa last week. The chase ended in a fiery crash at a gas station on Thursday night. Investigators say the man and woman who were arrested, both from Ukiah, were wanted for fraud. Two weeks ago, the pair allegedly pretended to be Santa Rosa police officers in order to steal a man’s credit cards and cellphone, by telling him his accounts had been compromised. The male suspect is out of custody, but the woman remains behind bars.
Assembly Bill 5 was signed into law in 2020 by Governor Newsom, and upheld Monday in court. The bill changes how some gig workers are classified as employees rather than independent contractors. The trucking industry was suing Attorney General Rob Bonta because they believed that classification as employees violated their constitutional right to work as independents. A California Federal Court ruled they are employees, meaning they receive benefits guaranteed by law, including minimum wage, unemployment, and sick leave.
Spring is here and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is asking residents not to buy or plant certain species. According to their website the CDFW warns certain plant species could cause damage to crops, livestock, scenic landscapes and serve as fuel for wildfires. Big Periwinkle, English Ivy and the Ice plant are some of the plants they want you to avoid. The California Invasive Plant Council says invasive weeds in pastures and farmland cost the US an estimated $33-billion a year. To see a list of species they want you to steer clear of go to Wildlife.CA.gov.
Californians who have been impacted by wildfires could soon receive tax breaks on settlement payouts. Two bills being considered would change the existing tax code. Republican Senator Scott Wilk’s bill would exempt all taxes on wildfire-related settlements. The California legislature has already approved tax breaks for some, but not all wildfire settlements. Another measure by Republican Brian Dahle calls for exemptions for any natural disaster, not just fire, if a state of emergency is declared by both federal and state governments.
A Ukiah woman suffered major injuries after being hit by a car on St. Patrick’s Day. Just after 10pm on Sunday, Ukiah PD responded to the scene on Talmage Road and found the victim still lying in the roadway. She was taken to a trauma center for treatment. Witnesses gave officers a description of the vehicle that hit her and fled the scene. CHP was able to locate the vehicle a short time later and found Juanjose Naranjorodriguez behind the wheel. Officers arrested Naranjorodriguez for DUI. He’s now facing several charges including fleeing the scene of an accident involving major injury and driving while suspended for DUI. He was booked into the Mendocino County Jail. The incident remains under investigation by Ukiah PD and the CHP.
Lake County Economic Development Corp. has announced they’ve partnered with the Lake County Chamber of Commerce and the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to launch a program benefiting Latino Business owners and entrepreneurs. The program will launch March 27th and will include training workshops and networking events over the course of 6 weeks. Lake County News reports the program is funded by a grant agreement with the Small Business Administration and the Governor’s office of Business and Economic Development. Click here for more information.
