New research is showing the devastating impacts of California’s recent wildfire seasons on freshwater habitats. A study from UC Davis examined three of the state’s biggest wildfire seasons – 2018, 2020 and 2021 – and how wildfire smoke affected lake habitats across California. Data showed water temperatures tended to be lower during those years because smoke particles in the air blocked sunlight from reaching the water. The smoke also affected the clarity of each lake. Researchers add the temperature changes can be linked to changes in algae production and oxygen content in the water. They looked at Lake Tahoe, Emerald Lake, Clear Lake, Castle Lake as well as a group of smaller lakes in the Sequoia National Forest.
COVID cases are rising slightly in California. UCSF’s Dr. Monica Gandhi says with travel increasing and more people coming into contact with each other, it’s easier for the virus to spread. State wastewater data shows an uptick in COVID cases over the past week. However, Gandhi says hospitalizations are staying low. Even though cases are increasing, they make up less than one-third of the cases compared to the same time last year Gandhi says the best way for people to protect themselves is to keep up with vaccines.
The California legislature is addressing the growing concern over the health and safety issues faced by firefighters. Assemblymember Matt Haney introduced the Firefighter Cancer Prevention Act which aims to ban the use of cancerous forever chemicals like PFAs in firefighter gear. One of the standards for the actual gear the firefighters wear is a light degradation resistance test. The test uses ultraviolet light to test the moisture resistance of the equipment to make sure it can hold up in the field. Currently, that test can only be passed by adding PFAs to the firefighting gear. Haney says cancer has replaced heart disease as the biggest killer of firefighters, and that California has an obligation to ensure firefighters are not exposed to cancer-causing chemicals from the very equipment designed to keep them safe.
A 16-year-old girl from Santa Rosa is missing. Addyson Elizabeth Hyde was reported missing on Monday afternoon, after leaving her family a message saying she was leaving the area. Authorities say Hyde has a medical condition that requires medication. Hyde, who sometimes answers to the name “Ace,” is white, five-feet, five-inches tall, 145 pounds and has brown hair and blue eyes.
A more than 130-year-old valley oak tree near Downtown Healdsburg will stay standing, at least for now. The tree was scheduled to come down on Friday. But, after a few people spoke up in its defense, Sonoma County officials decided to put its removal on hold. Two licensed arborists recently determined the tree is in declining health and has extensive root rot, making it unsafe. The tree’s fate is ultimately up to Sonoma County, since it stands on a county-owned parcel of land.
A fight involving several people disrupted a quiet afternoon in Ukiah. It happened yesterday near the intersection of Washington Avenue and Dora Street. Ukiah PD responded around 5:30pm to a reported accident between a vehicle and a pedestrian. What they found though, was a large fight between multiple people in progress. Officers tried to break up the fight and found one teenage girl injured and non-responsive lying in the road. The teen was taken to Adventist Health Ukiah Valley Hospital for a neck injury. The cause of the fight is still being investigated.
Police in Clearlake are looking for someone who may have hit a pedestrian and left the scene. Clearlake PD officers responded to a report of a woman down on State route 53 just north of Anderson Ranch Parkway just before 2am on Sunday. The woman is identified as a 23 year old from Clearlake. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said evidence showed she was hit by a vehicle that was traveling northbound in the number 2 lane. Anyone with any information is asked to call the Clearlake office of the California Highway Patrol.
