A Fire Weather Watch has been issued for Lake County. The National Weather Service says the watch will be in effect from 5am Sunday through 5pm on Monday. A Fire Weather Watch means conditions exist for wildfires. Forecasters are saying there will be a persistent dry air mass over Lake County on Sunday and Monday. The dry air will bring humidity levels way down, and that mixed with high winds, could help a wildfire spread should one start. Residents should be aware and practice fire weather safety.
A new step is underway to fix the home insurance crisis. State regulators released maps this week of the areas most at risk of a fire and it’s about half of California. They highlight all of the far northern area, nearly all of the Sierra Nevada, along with most of the Central Coast and pockets in Southern California. The maps are being used to give providers three options for more coverage.
There’s a new push for another state symbol. The Senate is expected to vote soon on designating the black abalone as California’s official seashell. The lawmaker behind it says the endangered marine snail is the ideal choice to represent the threat of climate change and honor its history with Native American tribes. If approved, the bill goes straight to the governor. The state has 44 symbols including a dinosaur and a mushroom.
A former employee of a now-closed Red Lobster restaurant in Sonoma County is suing the company. George Parker has filed a class-action suit, claiming Red Lobster fired employees without notice. Red Lobster, facing bankruptcy, abruptly closed several of its restaurants across the country last month, including the only one in Sonoma County. California’s WARN Act requires larger companies to notify employees of mass layoffs 60 days in advance. The law firm representing Parker says its client wants other workers who were suddenly let go by Red Lobster locations in California to join the lawsuit.
The California state Senate has passed a bill that would prohibit schools from adopting certain parental notification policies. The legislation will ban school districts from implementing policies that require staff to notify parents if a student starts using a different name or pronoun at school. Critics say those policies don’t consider the student’s consent or their physical and mental well-being. Opponents of the bill say it infringes on parental rights. Passing the Senate 29-8, the bill now heads to the state Assembly for a vote.
Governor Gavin Newsom is cracking down on fentanyl smuggling in the Golden State. Newsom is doubling the number of California National Guard service members statewide and at ports of entry along the border to prevent illegal drugs from coming into California. The number of service members that are being deployed goes up to nearly 400 from 155. Newsom says the state’s Counter Drug Taskforce is helping hold smugglers accountable and take deadly drugs off the streets.
The Ukiah Valley Fire District has called a special meeting. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 18th at 6pm in the Council Chambers on Seminary Avenue. Agenda items include a discussion of the Fire District and Fire Authority Budget for Fiscal year 2024-25 and a discussion of bringing in a contractor to evaluate the district’s parcel taxes. See the full agenda at CityofUkiah.com/meetings
