A body found in a house burned by the Mina Fire in Mendocino County may be that of a missing 66-year-old woman. The body, which was burned beyond recognition, was found Tuesday, inside a home north of Covelo. A woman who was reported missing, Dagmar Stankova, was last seen at the home on Monday, spraying flames with a fire hose. The house is one of two structures destroyed by the 98-acre Mina Fire, which is now 65% contained. Evacuation warnings in the area have been lifted. The final positive identification of the victim is pending an autopsy.
California is honoring a police officer killed in the line of duty. Governor Newsom ordered flags lowered at the state capitol, saying Matthew Bowen’s “service and sacrifice will not be forgotten.” The 32-year-old was making a traffic stop on his motorcycle yesterday when a car slammed into him. The woman driving reportedly tried to run off, but witnesses held her for police. She’s now in jail on charges of homicide and DUI.
The state is no longer drought-free. The latest map shows major changes for the first time in nine months. Twenty percent of California is now abnormally dry. This is due to record-breaking heatwaves and a lack of significant rainfall over the past eight weeks. Nearly all reservoirs remain full, but the return of drought conditions raises the risk of even more wildfires.
More California homeowners are bracing for sticker shock. One of the state’s largest insurers is asking to raise rates by an average of 34-percent. Allstate already hiked prices three times over the past five years. The company says it’s simply costing more to help residents recover from accidents and disasters. The request is larger than the 30-percent increase State Farm is pushing for. If approved, it would affect 350-thousand customers.
The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs will be taking more public comments about the tribal casino resort proposed by the Koi Nation. The Koi Nation wants to build the facility on more than 68 acres of land it owns outside of Windsor but is facing strong pushback from the community. Officials are opening another round of public comment after a more detailed draft environmental impact study of the project was finished. A public hearing will be held sometime in the next six weeks. The environmental impact study is available for public review but must be viewed in person.
Mendocino College is looking for a few people to join its Board of Trustees. Several areas have openings, including Area 1 serving Willits and Covelo, Area 4 serving Hopland, Boonville, and Mendocino, and Area 7 serving Lakeport and Kelseyville. Read more about the positions on the Board of Trustees and apply before August 9th at Mendocino.edu/board
A teenager is dead, and two others are severely injured after an ATV crash in Lower Lake. California Highway Patrol responded to the crash around 9:30 last night on private property on Schwartz Lane in Lower Lake. There they found an ATV had overturned and ejected the driver and 4 passengers. An 18 year old from Michigan was pronounced dead at the scene. The last two juvenile passengers were taken to a local hospital to be treated for minor injuries. Two other juvenile passengers were taken by helicopter to a Sacramento hospital for major injuries. According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, none of them were wearing safety belts or helmets. The cause of the crash is still being investigated.
A Fort Bragg man has been convicted of assault after a fight at Patterson’s Pub. According to court records, Brandon McClintic of Fort Bragg was convicted on Thursday of one count of felony assault by means of force likely to cause bodily injury, and one count of misdemeanor battery after he attacked another man outside Patterson’s pub in May of 2022. The attack was caught on the pub’s security cameras. McClintic will be back in court for sentencing on September 4th.
