There are unconfirmed reports of a mountain lion wandering around Ukiah. A resident at the Autumn Leaves senior home said she spotted the big cat Monday night. She said the mountain lion killed a house cat before heading into a field at the end of Cooper Lane, near Lorraine Street and Orchard Avenue. Animal Control has been contacted, along with local law enforcement and the City of Ukiah. If you see the mountain lion, keep a safe distance, and bring all pets inside.
The number of wildfires across the state is up to 18 leaving California skies filled with smoke. Officials say even if you just smell smoke, you’re breathing it in. Ralph Borrmann with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District says if you smell or see smoke go indoors. Shut your windows and doors and put on the air conditioning to recirculate. Children, the elderly, and those with health conditions like asthma are especially vulnerable to wildfire smoke. According to the American Lung Association, the particles in wildfire smoke are so small that they can enter and lodge deep in the lungs, triggering asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, and even death.
The California Supreme Court is expected to file its decision Thursday on whether it will remove the “Taxpayer Protection Act” from the November ballot. The proposal would give voters more power in the process when state and local leaders raise taxes and fees. It would also require voters to approve future taxes and fees imposed by state and local governments. The measure is supported by business and taxpayer advocacy groups. Opponents argue it would block state and local government’s ability to pay for key services provided to taxpayers like road and highway improvements to public safety.
The California State Fair will be the first in the nation to allow the sale and consumption of cannabis. In an effort to destigmatize cannabis through education, advocacy and access, cannabis company Embarc will be hosting a dispensary and consumption lounge at the fair. An exhibition hall will also be dedicated to cannabis. There, visitors will be able to learn more about California’s history with cannabis and speak with farmers from the state’s top brands and farms. The California State Fair runs from July 12th through the 28th at Cal Expo.
The Sites Fire that erupted Monday in nearby Colusa County now sits at ten-thousand acres. Cal Fire says gusty, dry conditions have caused the fire to roughly double in acreage overnight. It’s still zero percent contained. The fire is burning along the eastern base of the coastal range to the west of the proposed location of the Sites Reservoir. Evacuation orders are in effect for the area around the fire. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
Governor Gavin Newsom reportedly is refusing to negotiate new crime bills unless his demand is met. CBS News California reports that a leaked email it obtained indicates Newsom won’t come to the table unless DAs and other supporters of an amendment to Proposition 47 drop the measure from the November ballot. Prop 47 was approved by voters in 2014. It reduced punishments for drug possession and thefts valued at less than 950 dollars. The proposed Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act would reverse much of Prop 47’s guidance. It has broad support from law enforcement and major retailers like Walmart and Target.
Governor Gavin Newsom is vowing to take cellphones out of schools. Newsom called for the action after U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy argued in favor of warning labels on phones similar to those on alcohol and cigarettes. Murthy says social media poses a mental health risk to young people.
Firefighters are gaining the upper hand on the Point Fire burning on the east side of Lake Sonoma and northwest of Healdsburg. Containment is up to 50 percent, an increase of 30 percent from Tuesday morning. Forward progress remains stopped. The fire, that started early Sunday afternoon, has burned 1,207 acres of land and has destroyed two structures. Winds are calming and humidity is rising. But, evacuation orders are still in place.
This fire season has already been nearly three times more destructive to part of the North Bay than the last three fire seasons combined. Cal Fire’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit says, between the Point and Sites Fires, eleven-thousand-209 acres of land have burned within the past three days. A combined four-thousand-442 acres of land burned in the past three years combined. Cal Fire has more than 17-hundred personnel battling the two fires.
Mendocino National Forest’s fire personnel have cancelled a prescribed burn they were planning for this week. They planned the burn for the Red Bluff Recreation Area but now say the increased fire activity and red flag weather have everyone working to support suppression efforts.
The 27th Annual Sierra Nevada World Music Festival that was scheduled for this weekend at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds in Boonville has been cancelled. The announcement was made late Sunday by the promoters, siting extreme financial challenges. Organizers said they need time to sort things out and are hopeful the festival will return to Boonville in the future.
