There’s a new effort to fix California’s insurance crisis. The state is cracking down on deadlines in hopes of getting more homeowners covered. Companies must get approval from the Department of Insurance before raising premiums. That process, known as rate filing, will go back to 60 days with two 30-day extensions allowed. In the past, it’s taken much longer. This may entice providers to return to writing policies.
The clock is ticking to turn in nominations for the “Coolest Thing Made in California.” It’s your chance to give local companies statewide recognition. Anyone who wants to give a shout out to a product created here can do so by Thursday. Voting starts Monday and the top 16 will move on until they’re narrowed down to four, with the winner revealed in October. Last year, Tesla’s Model Y SUV beat out popcorn and a space telescope. Get your nominations in at Coolest Thing California dot com
It is crunch time as California looks to regulate self-checkout aisles. State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas is the author of the legislation and believes it also will create a need for more jobs. Known as the self-checkout bill, it aims to limit the number of items customers can purchase and will restrict even further the types of products they can buy at self-checkout lanes. Smallwood-Cuevas says she’s trying to remedy escalating retail theft losses for store owners and wants one employee monitoring every two self-checkout stands. The California Grocers Association sees the bill just as a way to add more labor costs to store owners. It’s expected to be heard in the State Assembly within the next week.
The Park Fire continues to burn. At the last update CalFire says it’s 39% contained. The wildfire has destroyed over 429 thousand acres since it started on July 24th. Strong winds yesterday made the fight harder, but CalFire reports crews were able to keep the fire within its current perimeter.
The new Mendocino County Courthouse could cost upwards of 150 million dollars. That’s according to the new revised design plans. The Judicial Council of California said this week that construction is set to begin in May of 2025, and the new courthouse should be finished by late summer 2027. Officials called the project the most significant public civic project in Mendocino County in 75 years. The new courthouse will be downtown Ukiah on Perkins Street near the Ukiah Train Depot. Mendo Fever dot com reports that Shannon Riley, the Deputy City Manager for Ukiah, is meeting with court and county staff twice a month to stay updated as the plans move forward.
Mendocino Transit Authority has announced the return of the Local 9 Evening Bus Service in Ukiah. Service will be restored as of Monday, August 19th. The service returns as part of a partnership with Mendocino College, according to a news release. It will be available to students who need hourly bus service between 5 and 11pm. Mendocino College students can ride for free, as long as students are currently enrolled, have a student ID, and a sticker for the current semester. Students can get more info at the Mendocino College Library. Get information on the Local 9 Evening Bus Service, like routes and schedules, at MendocinoTransit.org
A new fire was sparked on Monday east of Clearlake Oaks in Lake County. The Reservoir Fire is burning along Indian Valley Reservoir Road and Walker Ridge Road. CalFire says the fire started around 2pm on Monday, burning on both sides of Indian Valley Reservoir Road. Forward progress has been stopped, and the fire is 10% contained. It’s burned 68 acres so far. There are no reports of any injuries or structure damage.
