CalFire Mendocino Unit has scheduled a prescribed burn for about 100 acres on Jackson Demonstration State Forest. The burn will start this Saturday, weather permitting, and last until Friday the 24th. Residents are advised that smoke and aircraft will be visible in the areas of Willits and Fort Bragg during the controlled burn.
Ukiah Police found a man sleeping in his car in the Wells Fargo Parking lot on South State Street on Sunday. Officers were dispatched to the bank just before 2pm for a report of someone sleeping in a running vehicle. They woke up Joseph Ornelas, who was reportedly suspected of being under the influence. When they searched Ornelas, they found he was carrying drug paraphernalia and suspected methamphetamine. Officers then searched the vehicle and found a reported ghost gun under the driver’s seat. Ornelas was arrested and now faces several charges including being under the influence of a controlled substance while armed and concealing a loaded unregistered firearm.
The new waterpark at Cal Expo is no longer expected to open this year. California Dreamin’, which will replace the old Raging Waters waterpark on the site, is now expected to open in 2025. Silverwood Entertainment, the owner of California Dreamin’ says rather than modifying existing rides and attractions, a complete rebuild is needed. Demolition is expected to start this summer, followed by construction. Silverwood Entertainment is also waiting on permits from the state. The initial target grand opening date was Memorial Day.
Lawmakers in Sacramento are debating allowing sober homeless shelters to receive state funding in California. The state legislature is debating two bills that would allow homeless shelters that require people to be drug and alcohol free to also be eligible for state funding. Cal Matters says the state has banned funding for sober homeless shelters since 2016. AB 2893 from Assemblymember Chris Ward would allow up to 25% of state homeless funding to go toward sober housing and shelters. Assemblymember Matt Haney, who wrote AB 2479, says people looking to get away from drugs and alcohol should also have options.
Caltrans has launched a new interactive map that lists over 300 projects funded by Clean California with 643 million dollars. Clean California is a billion-dollar initiative launched by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2021 to remove trash from state highways and city streets, beautify areas, and promote community cultural connections through public art. The map allows users to search for projects by county, city, zip code, or address and includes project details such as cost and the government agency or agencies responsible.
Over 100 new officers were sworn in at the California Highway Patrol Academy graduation in Sacramento over the weekend. The new officers will report to one of the 103 area offices throughout the state. The hiring comes as part of the CHP’s effort to fill one thousand open positions. The academy received over 7,600 applications in the first four months of 2024, a 100% increase from the same period in 2022.
