The Point Cabrillo Light Station will open this weekend for special tours. The State historic park will host exclusive Lighthouse Lens Tours this Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 2pm. You can climb to the top of the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse and check out the 1909 Fresnel Lens, look out over the Mendocino Coast, and listen to the stories of the docents from the Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association. Tours are 10 dollars for adults, and 5 for children, with all funds benefiting the maintenance and preservation of the park. Get more details at PointCabrillo.org
Parts of Lake, Mendocino, and Sonoma Counties are under an excessive heat warning through Thursday night. Forecasters are calling for highs between 95 and 108 degrees in areas of the Sacramento Valley. Tomorrow is expected to be the hottest day of the week, with temperatures in the triple digits. There will also be an elevated wildfire risk, due to a dry wind coming from the north. The National Weather Service is reminding people looking to beat the heat in local waterways that rivers and streams are still running cold and fast.
The founder and CEO of Sonoma County’s outgoing homeless services provider billed the county for five hours of work while she was at a Denver Broncos game. That’s according to a report from the Press Democrat, citing a photo Michelle Patino, the CEO of DEMA Consulting and Management, posted to Facebook on November 20th, 2022. The game started at one p.m. Pacific time. But, on her federally required time sheet, Patino said, between ten a.m. and three p.m. she was working as Director of Nursing for a homeless housing site at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. That cost taxpayers 375 dollars.
The largest utility in California is working to reduce the risk of fires around its lines. PG&E has been using early detection to track weather dangers and identify hazards as quickly as possible. Officials believe the danger will stay low through next month but then return to normal in August. The other goal is to strengthen the electric grid, using new technology to keep the lights on. The company says planned power outages will likely happen less often.
A former California assemblyman is now serving in Congress. Vince Fong was sworn in yesterday to finish out the term left open by former House speaker Kevin McCarthy, who left in December. The 44-year-old beat the sheriff of Tulare County in last month’s special election for District 20. Both men were already on two ballots in March including the statewide primary. They’ll battle again in November for the full two-year term.
California is trying to make community college more affordable. The state just submitted a proposal to the Department of Education to allow students without a high school diploma to access financial aid. Governor Newsom says everyone deserves the opportunity to pursue their dream career and a higher education degree, regardless of background or credentials. If approved, this would affect about four-million people.
