California will close its commercial and recreational ocean salmon fishing seasons for the second straight year. This week, the Pacific Fisheries Management Council endorsed the option of a full closure through the end of the year. It’s largely due to a depleted salmon stock. A request for another federal disaster declaration has been made. It would be designed to address widespread economic damage caused by the closure of the fishing season.
State officials seized nearly 32-thousand pounds of illegal pot in the first three months of the year. The Governor’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force confiscated over 53-million dollars in illegal cannabis products in the first quarter. Governor Newsom called it a crackdown on people still operating in the shadows as California tries to cultivate a legal cannabis marketplace. Operations were conducted all over the state resulting in more than 54-thousand unlicensed plants eradicated, 32-thousand pounds of black market pot seized, and 11 firearms recovered.
A coalition representing over 500-thousand families is organizing support for a ten-billion dollar bond measure to save affordable housing projects from massive cuts. They hope to qualify it for the November ballot. The effort I s in response to sweeping cuts expected in state funding due to California’s 72-billion dollar budget deficit. It’s the state’s largest multi-racial, multi-faith organization consisting of lawmakers, clergy, and tenants. They’re launching their movement Monday in Sacramento with a noon press conference in the Rose Garden at the State Capitol.
One county is being named the deadliest just as Californians start planning their summer road trips. Of all the crashes in Humboldt County from 2017 to 2021, 40-percent involved drivers who were drunk or on drugs. A law firm pulled data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to make the top ten list. Amador County, about seven hours away, came in sixth. The rest were in Montana, Nevada, Wyoming, and Idaho.
Members have been selected to serve on Lake County’s newest advisory council. The Board of Supervisors appointed the 5 new members and one alternate at their meeting on April 2nd. The Big Valley Advisory council will represent the Kelseyville planning area, according to a news release. The new advisory council will meet for the first time on April 17th. The agenda for the first meeting has not yet been released.
Lawmakers are lowering California’s budget deficit by 17-billion dollars. They approved a series of spending cuts for things like vacant state jobs, school construction and welfare. The deal also delays money for public transit and rail lines and preschool and kindergarten facilities grants. Governor Newsom has estimated the budget shortfall at about 38-billion dollars but will update that number when he unveils his revised plan next month.
Dave Kliff, the director of Sonoma County homeless services division, is leaving the job after nearly three years. Kliff is taking the city manager job in Laguna Beach. Kliff says he’s been interested in becoming the top administrator for the Southern California city for many years. It marks another shakeup in Sonoma County’s homeless services landscape. The 53-year-old nonprofit Social Advocates for Youth, which served homeless young people, recently shut down after declaring bankruptcy in February.
The recusal of the judge, and other legal maneuvers are once again delaying progress in the criminal case against former Mendocino County Auditor Chamise Cubbison. She was supposed to be in court this week, but delays caused by County District Attorney David Eyster have pushed proceedings back to the middle of May. Mendo Fever reports that on Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Victoria Shanahan recused herself citing personal and professional ties to a special prosecutor that was hired by Eyster last month. The judge and the special prosecutor know each other and worked together in Sonoma County. This case has dragged on for the last six months, creating a financial burden for Mendocino County taxpayers. Cubbison, along with former county payroll manager Paula Kennedy are facing felony charges of misappropriating public funds.
