Two alleged gang members have been arrested in Fort Bragg after witnesses say they were threatening a kid. Fort Bragg police responded to a local business on a report of a juvenile being verbally threatened by two men. The men took off in a car before police got there but a look at the surveillance video showed police two men they knew – Pedro Guzman-Martinez and Emmett Williams. About a half hour later officers found their car. A search of Williams’ allegedly turned up a loaded, unregistered, high capacity handgun. Williams was booked into the Mendocino County Jail on several gun charges and both men face charges related to fighting in public and child endangerment.
Flags are lowered today in the city of Lakeport in honor of longtime congressional aide Brad Onorato who passed away last week of cancer at 66. Lake County News reports the city lowered the flags on city buildings and facilities to honor the service of Onorato who worked with Congressman Mike Thompson’s Senate and Congressional teams for 34 years including as deputy chief of staff. He was known as a fighter for Lakeport and Lake County but with great humor and knowledge and was easy to talk to. Details for a memorial service will be announced by Thompson’s office.
Noise and cannabis taxes are on the agenda for the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors when they meet this morning. The supes are set to discuss a proposal for a countywide noise ordinance that would bring it in line with cities like Fort Bragg and Ukiah that already have laws for quiet hours from 10pm to 7am and a cap on noise of over 85 decibels within 2,500 feet of another home. The punishment is a citation, not jail but the fines go up if you keep doing it. As for the county’s cannabis business tax, the supervisors will discuss lowering it for tax years 2025 and 2026 for cannabis cultivation and nursery operations, by 40% for 2025 and 35% for 2026. The meeting is at 9am.
The operators of the Skunk Train are reportedly suing the City of Fort Bragg alleging stormwater runoff is polluting railway property along the oceanfront. The Mendocino Voice reports the Mendocino Railway and parent company Sierra Northern Railway have filed suit in federal court. They say the runoff is coming from a mill pond on the former Georgia-Pacific site which the railway took over in 2021. A study of the area before the acquisition showed the presence of dioxin which is common in paper and pulp manufacturing, but the lawsuit alleges the levels are up to two times higher than what is considered safe. The Railways allege due to the “city’s acts and omissions” they face between $8 million to $50 million in cleanup costs. A hearing is set for November.
The Elem Colony of Pomo Indians of the Sulphur Bank Rancheria near Clearlake Oaks are among the tribes covered in a new gaming agreement signed by Governor Gavin Newsom this week. The new measure written by Senator Bill Dodd of Napa ratifies intergovernmental agreements between the state and seven Native American tribes. The agreements take effect immediately and lay out the rules but leave it to the tribes to decide if and when they want to offer gaming. Lake County News reports the Elem have plans for a casino but for now are working on building a travel center in Clearlake.
You can boost your garden and support young local growers with the Mendocino College Horticulture Department’s annual Plant Sale this weekend. They will have more than 300 varieties of vegetables, succulents, California natives, trees and shrubs, most of which have been cultivated by student employees. Officials say the program typically has 4 or 5 student workers who keep the beds and greenhouses going and the sale pays for their salaries as well as supplies and equipment. In all the program has four different certificates and degree programs. The sale is from 9am-5pm on Friday and 9am to 3pm on Saturday.
