California is cracking down on retail crime like never before. In just hours, Governor Newsom will be in San Jose to sign a groundbreaking bill that targets serial thieves with up to three years behind bars. It allows police to keep repeat offenders in custody and make arrests based on a witness or video of the shoplifting. Businesses that report the crime will also be protected. So far this year, the state’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force has made a record 884 arrests and recovered $7 million worth of stolen goods.
There’s a new plan to save Californians money at the pump. Governor Newsom is taking on big oil companies again with a first-in-the-nation proposal. He wants to require they maintain fuel reserves when they go down for maintenance. This will avoid supply shortages that can lead to spikes in gas prices. Newsom says refiners need to act responsibly “instead of playing games to earn even more profits.” Right now, Triple-A shows the state has the second highest gas prices at $4.60 a gallon, down 14 cents from last month.
California residents will soon have options for storing their identification in a digital wallet. Last year, the state launched the mobile Driver’s license, or mDL, which allows drivers to store their license on their cell phones. The state has agreed to integrate Google Wallet and Apple Wallet for users who prefer those digital ecosystems. That integration is coming soon. The DMV says one-point-five million people are using a digital ID. Privacy groups raise concerns that the mDL app allows the state to track participants wherever they go.
The city of Windsor is upping its efforts to catch people driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Starting today, Windsor will have more police officers on its streets looking for suspected DUI drivers. There will also be a DUI checkpoint somewhere in the city from 6 p.m. today to 2 o’clock tomorrow morning. It’s part of the national Labor Day Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, which runs through September 2nd.
The Park Fire continues to burn in Butte and Tehama counties. CalFire reports it’s currently 47% contained heading into the weekend. The wildfire has been burning since July 24th across 4 counties. The latest update says humidity overnight helped keep the fire within containment lines. Today crews are working on repopulating some areas and increasing suppression and mop up efforts.
A Mendocino County Superior Court jury has convicted Curtis Bettencourt, of Ukiah, for a March 31st felony assault on a senior citizen during an unprovoked attack. The victim was reportedly attacked while on a doctor-recommended walk. According to a press release from the Mendocino County DA’s Office, Bettencourt was found guilty of felony assault. He’ll be back in court on August 29th to address potential aggravating circumstances. Because he has several prior felonies, Bettencourt will not be eligible for probation.
A fight with gunshots is being investigated in Kelseyville. Deputies responded to a home on Salmina Road on August 8th just before midnight for a domestic violence call with shots fired. They found 3 men in the home, one of them had a gunshot wound to the leg. Officers said the men were reportedly fighting because of alleged domestic violence, when someone pulled out a gun. The injured man was taken to a hospital and then released. No one has been arrested, but the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation is ongoing.
Firefighters from Ukiah Valley Fire Authority were able to quickly put out a vegetation fire on Wednesday. The fire sparked near Laurette Lane and Highway 101 north of Hopland around 3pm. It burned less than an acre before crews were able to get it extinguished. The fire was along railroad tracks in the area, and officials said smoldering railroad ties slowed down the mop up process.
