Get ready for an October weather surprise. The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat advisory for tomorrow morning through Wednesday evening for Lake and Mendocino Counties. Highs could range from 97 to 110. That’s a big departure from the usual early fall average of pleasant mid-70s to low 80s. As with last summer, the advice is to stay inside as much as possible, stay hydrated, and stay in touch with those who are not equipped to deal with the heat.
There’s a new move to toss out charges against suspended Mendocino County Auditor Chamise Cubbison and fired payroll manager Paula Kennedy. The latest defense filing claims that the case against Cubbison and Kennedy is nothing more than “he said she said”, mixed with local politics and allegations of lost or mishandled evidence. The two were charged last October with misusing county funds to pay Kennedy more than she was owed. But lawyers say Cubbison herself asked for a review of the disputed payroll in September 2022, after Kennedy complained she was owed for hundreds of hours of extra work done during the pandemic. The case remains in its preliminary stages with the judge yet to rule on issues about evidence–including questions about the county’s e-mail archives. DA David Eyster isn’t commenting on the latest legal maneuvering.
If you live in Lakeport, you’ll have a chance to clean up and make room before the holiday rush comes around. Community cleanup day is October 12th with an opportunity to toss out household trash, including old electronics, household furniture, and appliances. You won’t even have to get out of your car–staff will unload the material. It’s on the 12th from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the public parking lot of the Fifth Street boat ramp in downtown Lakeport. They won’t take Refrigerators, hot tubs/spas, air conditioners, construction debris, used tires, and household hazardous waste. It is for residents only and you’ll have to show proof. The city website has the information,
Governor Newsom has vetoed a controversial bill that would have put more reins on artificial intelligence. He calls SB 1047 too restrictive and said it would have choked innovation. Many big tech leaders had urged him to say “no” and some Hollywood players and internet safety advocates think the governor caved to pressure from Silicon Valley. They warn that without limits, AI could go off the rails and turn into something out of an apocalyptic movie. The governor DID sign 17 other AI-related bills dealing with deep fakes, AI watermarking on images, digital likenesses, and AI-generated disinformation.
It’s not just you. Verizon is reporting major issues with its network today across California and the rest of the US. Other carriers that use Verizon infrastructure–like Xfinity–are reporting issues too. The main complaint is that the phones are stuck in SOS mode with no way to make non-emergency calls. The company says it is working on it but, so far can’t say what is causing it.
