A setback for plans to build a high-end development in Lake County. Lake County news reports a judge has ordered a new environmental impact statement for the Guenoc Valley Mixed-Use Development Project near Middletown because the county didn’t include the risk of wildfires in the study. Legal experts say it is the first time a California judge has ruled that wildfire risk must be considered when planning a development. Lawyers for Guenoc Valley say they are studying the decision before deciding what’s next. The project would add 5 luxury hotels, resort cottages, and other pricy amenities over 16,000 acres. The Board of Supervisors gave its OK to the first development phase in 2020. Environmental groups sued, which led to the court’s ruling.
Arson charges against a man accused of setting a fire on the Great Redwood Trail near Doolin Creek in Ukiah earlier this week. Ukiah police say a witness saw a man set that fire and run off on Cherry Street Monday morning. Officers used surveillance video to identify that man as Jesus Delgado, who they picked up later on Orchard Avenue. Officers report he had three lighters on him. The fire department says the fire could have put a lot of people at risk if they hadn’t quickly put it out before it could spread,
A Mendocino County Jury has convicted a man on felony charges related to two vandalism cases after a four-day trial. The DA’s office says Jesus Hererra of Ukiah did thousands of dollars in damage when he took a splitting maul to three cars parked on East Gobbi Street in March 2023. Police found him sitting in the driver’s seat of one of the smashed-up cars when they arrested him. Hererra was arrested again this March and charged with using a maul on the front door of a home in Willits, causing more than $1,000 in damage. A court hearing next week will take up aggravating factors, including whether or not a 2012 felony conviction can be used against Hererra. He will be sentenced after that issue is resolved.
A new poll shows a proposition to raise California’s minimum wage on the November 5th ballot is losing support. According to a poll out this week, the Public Policy Institute of California, which backs Proposition 32, 44 percent of those asked favor the increase. That’s down from polls showing 60 percent support last November and around 50 percent support in September. Opponents say they worry about the cost to businesses. Supporters say the current minimum of $16.50 an hour is nowhere near enough to make ends meet. Including the minimum wage, there are a total of 10 statewide propositions on the ballot this year. There were 7 in 2022.
Plans for a skate park in Covelo are moving forward. The group behind the Round Valley Skatepark Project says it is now in the design phase and they’re trying to raise money and finish land acquisition to get the project off the ground. They’ve been working on the idea for two years. Organizers are planning an all-ages fundraiser a week from tomorrow at the Covelo Rec Center on Airport Road, with music, dinner, and a silent auction. The Art and Soul Festival runs from 5 to 11 PM.
CHP is planning a new outreach to Spanish-speaking communities. Highway patrol leaders say they’ll use a state and federal grant to strengthen relationships with the Hispanic community and make roads safer for everyone. The money will go to Spanish-language traffic educational material and traffic safety programs statewide, led by Spanish-speaking officers, CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee says it fits in with his department’s goal to keep roads as safe as possible.
