The California Attorney General’s Office will not be filing charges against former Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli, who has been accused of sexually assaulting multiple women. The Attorney General’s Office made the announcement on Thursday, about two years after it took over the investigation. A spokesperson for Attorney General Rob Bonta says the office doesn’t have enough evidence to support filing charges in cases not barred by the statute of limitations. Foppoli is accused of sexually assaulting women between 2002 and 2021.
Clarification and safety are at the heart of an effort to reform California school zones. A new bill aims to clear up speed limits with time-based standards instead of the usual “when children are present” rule. The new legislation will bring California in line with the majority of other states by using clearer time of day standards for school zone speed limits. The bill would also lower speed limits in school zones to 20 miles an hour or less and improve safety planning near schools.
California is taking another step in fighting the drug overdose crisis. The state has been giving away free naloxone kits, which reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Now, Dr. Mark Ghaly says the program is being expanded to include fentanyl test strips. California’s Health and Human Services Secretary says it’s another tool to bring down rising numbers of deaths from fentanyl. Eligible organizations will get the test strips and the effort will be tracked through the state’s Master Plan for Tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis.
An MCSO Sergeant saved a man’s life in Ukiah. It happened on Monday when the Sergeant was on routine patrol near Perkins Street Bridge. Just before 11am the sergeant reported that he saw a man tying a rope to the bridge, and then putting the rope around his own neck. The sergeant approached the man as he was attempting to get over the bridge railing. He was able to pull the man back onto the bridge and detain him. According to a news release from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, the man was taken to Adventist Health Ukiah Valley where he was connected to mental health resources.
The Speedway Gas Station in Ukiah was robbed this week. On Tuesday, Ukiah Police responded to a silent alarm call at the Speedway just before 4am. When they got there an employee reported a man they knew, Ryan Okerstrom, had come into the convenience store, shoved him against the wall, and stole two packs of cigarettes. Officers found Okerstrom nearby, reportedly smoking one of the stolen cigarettes. He was arrested without incident and taken to the Mendocino County Jail on a robbery charge.
A fundraiser for a local school is guaranteed to make you laugh. It’s the 3rd annual Comedy for a Cause and it’s being held on Saturday, April 13th. The event will be at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center on South School Street. Proceeds will benefit the Ukiah School Safe and Sober Grad Night and the Willits High School Class of 2024. You can get tickets at the Mendocino Book Company in Ukiah. The comedy show will feature comedian Mark Lundholm who has appeared on Comedy Central and Showtime and had his own one-man show on Broadway. Doors open at 6pm and the show will be hosted by Ukiah’s own Jake “The Bern Man” Bernie.
A reminder, the Lakeport Rotary Club is holding it’s 98th Annual Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday. It will be at That Ranch on Thomas Drive in Lakeport, rain or shine. Kids can hunt for close to 3,000 eggs including 300 eggs that hold special prizes. Gates open at 1:15pm and the hunt begins at 1:30.
The national weather service says we can expect a windy weekend in Mendocino County. Thanks to a low pressure system that’s moving through we could see winds gusting around 40 or 50 miles an hour this afternoon. Frost, fog, wind, and rain are possible until Easter Sunday morning. Forecasters said the sun should be back in the Ukiah Valley by Monday.
Millions of Californians are bracing for a possible new electricity charge. But the state says the goal is to actually lower your bills. State regulators are considering a plan to add a 24-dollar flat fee to help companies cover basic costs. This would allow them to reduce prices by about five-to-seven cents per kilowatt hour. The change would affect PG&E, serving Lake and Mendocino Counties. If approved, it could begin late next year or early 2026.
California’s Dungeness crab season isn’t lasting very long. Fishing will close early along most of the state’s coast on April 8th. Officials say it’s to protect humpback whales returning to forage from getting caught in the gear. They said it’s also why the season started two months late. The closure will run from the Sonoma-Mendocino County line to the border with Mexico. Recreational crab traps also won’t be allowed but other methods like hoop nets are okay.
More California ski resorts are keeping their slopes open longer. Thanks to Mother Nature dropping new snow this month. So far, four places have confirmed they will extend their season. Sugar Bowl and Kirkwood will both run lifts until April 28th. Palisades Tahoe and Mammoth Mountain have announced they’ll be offering an extra month past that, staying open through Memorial Day. Several others are set to close next month, but they could also decide to extend.
