Mendocino County says it’s been approved to work toward calling the county a Blue Zone for its employees. Blue Zones are said to be areas around the world where people live exceptionally long lives. The Blue Zones Project was created to help communities learn to emulate those areas with healthier eating habits, regular physical activity, and two other things the creators say are key to those areas; social engagement, and a sense of purpose. Mendocino’s CEO says the Mendocino Blue Zone Project has been approved by the parent organization for its program to improve employee health by encouraging daily exercise, creating safe, accessible spaces for walking and biking to and from work, directing social engagement to foster connections among employees and providing resources to help employees find and pursue their purpose.
Dredging of the Lucerne Harbor is on the agenda this week for the Lake County Board of Supervisors. In August the County put out of a Request for Proposals to dredge 2,500 cubic yards of sediment from the Harbor and received just two bids – one from Steelhead Constructors JV of Redding, which submitted a bid for around $1.1 million, and one from Marz Engineering of Ukiah which submitted a bid for around $212,000. Officials say after assurance that Marz had factored in the prevailing wages, they chose the lower bid and are set to vote on it tomorrow morning. The dredging is on a timeline as it has to be done between the seasonal cycles of the Clear Lake hitch.
Three people from Covelo are facing drug, weapons, and other charges after Ukiah Police recognized one of them for an active warrant. UPD says Thursday morning an officer on patrol on Airport Park Boulevard saw Ryan Roydowney and Buck Leggett near a car in the parking lot of the Quick Stop. The officer reportedly knew there was a warrant for Roydowney so he called for backup to arrest him. A woman behind the wheel of the car, Morningstarr Hoaglin, was allegedly found with a loaded unregistered gun and a search of the car allegedly turned up several pounds of pot and some high-end bows and arrows. UPD says Hoaglin was arrested on charges related to those items and Leggett was arrested for a parole violation for being near the drugs and the weapons.
Governor Newsom has signed into a law some revisions to improve the Feather Alert. Like the Amber Alert for children and the Silver Alert for seniors, the Feather Alert was created two years ago to help find missing Indigenous people. But its author, Assembly Member James Ramos, acknowledges that it had some flaws that led to very few requests from tribes to the CHP actually being activated, with only two alerts actually going out in the first year and only one missing person found. Ramos wrote the revision which he says streamlines the process, requiring law enforcement to respond within 24 hours of a request and letting tribal governments communicate directly with the CHP.
Two people are hospitalized following a police chase through Mendocino County. Officials say the Friday night chase reached up to 100 mph along Highway 101 and Route 20 through Ukiah, Redwood Valley, and then ended with a crash on East Side Potter Valley Road. Mendo Fever reports the CHP and Mendocino County deputies detained two men, both of whom reportedly had priors and two people were transported to a hospital, one with a broken arm and another with chest pain. There is no word yet on where those arrested are from or for what reason the chase started.
A swath of wetlands near Clear Lake Oaks is on the road to being preserved in perpetuity. The Lake County Land Trust says they have received approval of a $975,000 grant from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to buy the 85 acres east of Clear Lake Keys. Lake County News reports the Land Trust learned about the area from some people who live in the Keys and partnered with environmental consultant HANA Resources to work on acquiring the land and start planning some restoration projects including removing an improperly constructed stormwater diversion ditch. And the Land Trust says they and HANA are also talking with the Elem Colony on partnering for restoration and co-management of the land. Officials say the habitat includes great blue herons, cormorants and egrets.
