Some new numbers outline the dimension of homelessness in Mendocino County. The annual point-in-time count done early this year showed 779 individuals experiencing both sheltered and unsheltered homelessness – 227 of those individuals were in shelter, and 552 of those individuals were unsheltered. 40 Volunteers with the Mendocino County Homeless Services Continuum of Care fanned out on January 23rd to tally the number of people with no permanent home as of that date. Those behind the count say this year’s figure is more accurate than in the past because they used a consultant to plan the survey and because of increased participation by tribal Governments and Communities. Local, state, and federal governments use the point-in-time figure in their efforts to tackle the issue. MendocinoCOC.org has an in-depth look at the results.
Lake County residents are sharing their ideas about a new county park. Around 3 dozen people were on hand this week at a meeting to gather public input on the planned John T Klaus Park that will take shape along Highway 20 east of Clearlake Oaks. The land was donated to the county in 2022. The county called the meeting a listening session, and what they heard included ideas like trails. a visitors center, a community garden, and an event stage. Public Service Director Lars Ewing says the project is in its early stages. The next step is honing ideas into a preliminary plan with more public input planned along the way.
Ground has been broken in Willits for a project that will eventually bring more access to high-speed internet to more subscribers. It’s called a middle mile segment of infrastructure along Highway 101 that will pave the way for those higher speeds in a corridor from Humboldt County to the Bay Areas. Meanwhile, the city of Ukiah is applying for some federal funding to hook into that infrastructure for a fiber network to serve city facilities and residential and business customers. It would offer speeds much faster than currently available. The PUC will take up the city’s request for that 5.6 million dollar allocation, City officials say that faster connection would go a long way to address the growing demand for those services at a reasonable cost.
