The Parkside Apartments project in Lakeport will likely be moving forward with the Lakeport City Council approving some funding toward it. At a special meeting last night, the council green lit a request from the city manager to ask the state for a grant extension for the project and also agreed to move about $2.3 million from the Bevins senior apartments project to the Parkside project. Lake County News reports it’s a reversal of course for the City Council which had previously voted against the money for the apartments near Westside Community Park because of concerns including safety and traffic flow. But the project itself had already been approved, it only needed this gap funding. The city manager says with that now done, building could start within a year.
Cal Fire will be closing nearly all the campgrounds and roads in the Jackson Demonstration State Forest for the season on Tuesday. October 1 is the typical zip-up date for the Forest due the start of the rainy season which can make it too dangerous for many of the roads and camp sites. Cal Fire says hikers can still use the roads, just no motorized vehicles. A few of them stay open through the winter including Road 350 to the Camp 1 Day Use Area and Road 700 to Mendocino Woodlands State Park.
State water officials are preparing for both extremes of drought and flooding as they get ready for the next Water Year. This week the Department of Water Resources put out their preview of the new Water Year which starts on October 1. They say it is somewhat unpredictable, coming off a record hot summer and with a looming La Niña weather pattern. They say over the past decade, climate extremes have posed significant challenges to water managers, especially the extreme hot and dry conditions that persist well past summer as we are seeing now. But we have also seen powerful winter storms which bring not only rain but extreme snow melt which can increase flood risk. To that end, DWR Director Karla Nemeth says they’ve invested in more accurate forecasting tools with their new $7 million California Stream Gage Improvement Program with the best available science and data for water management decisions.
A Cal Fire employee accused of starting five fires in Sonoma County has apparently spent time in prison and was an inmate firefighter. The Press Democrat reports Robert Hernandez of Healdsburg, who is charged with arson for five August and September fires, was convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in 2016 in San Bernardino. He was sentenced to six years in prison and eventually joined the Conservation Camp Program which teaches prisoners firefighting skills. He was discharged from supervised parole in 2020 and was recently working for Cal Fire maintaining fire engines during emergencies. Investigators allege he started the fires while off duty. He is currently being held without bail but has an October 11 bail hearing.
The annual Noyo Headlands Race is coming back in November. The 8th incarnation is set for Saturday, November 2 with a 5K Fun Walk, 5K Run, 10K Run, and half-mile kids’ run along the Coastal Trail in Fort Bragg. Day-of-race packet pickup and registration will be located at the start/finish line next to the Noyo Headlands Park parking lot at the end of West Cypress Street. The Noyo Headlands Race benefits Mendocino Land Trust in its mission to conserve and restore habitat and scenic areas, and provide public access to enjoy them. You can register up to the day of the race but do it by October 4 you will be guaranteed a race t-shirt in your preferred size. And for more hardcore runners, the Mendocino Land Trust says they plan to bring back half and full marathons in 2025.
