Ukiah Police say a man charged with arson for a fire last week on the Great Redwood Trail was apparently out on probation for a vandalism charge at the time. As we reported last week, Jesus Delgado Jr. was arrested for the October 21 fire near Talmage Road and Waugh Lane. UPD alleges surveillance video showed Delgado lighting the fire and they claim when they arrested him he had three lighters on him including a torch-style lighter. But they say further investigation showed he was also on Summary Probation out of Mendocino County for vandalism. As of this morning he was being held on $25,000 bond.
We’re learning more about an incident that led to a shelter in place order for neighbors of an Alderwood Road home on Thursday. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office says deputies responded to a home after a woman reported being choked and threatened with a gun by her ex-boyfriend who has since been identified as Riordan Wilhelmi. The Sheriff’s Office says the woman also claimed Wilhemi’s mother was at the home and had been assaulted. When deputies got there they saw that Wilhelmi had barricaded himself inside the garage so they called in the SWAT team. They used a drone to spot him at which point he gave himself up. He was being held on no bail.
It’s top honors for Mendocino County wine growers from Wine Enthusiast magazine. Mendocino Winegrowers Incorporated says Mendocino has been named America’s Wine Region of the Year for 2024 by the magazine for not just the wine-making but also the history, sustainability efforts, and growing influence in the world-wide wine community. MWI says Mendocino County has about 15,000 acres planted to grapes with about 100 wineries operating at any given time and the county has 12 distinct American Viticultural Areas. The magazine also gives a particular shoutout to the Anderson Valley and the Pinot Noir festival every May.
A change in groundwater management oversight could lead to savings for users in the Ukiah Valley Basin. The city is getting ready to take over management of the Ukiah Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency from the West Yost consulting firm. Mendo Fever reports at the agency’s last meeting, Ukiah’s Director of Water Resources said he thinks the city could manage the agency for 40% less than the consultant. Among the reasons cited are that city workers earn about 50% less than what the consultants charge. There are reportedly some concerns that having the city manage the water agency is a conflict of interest since the city is also the biggest groundwater user and officials agreed to explore putting in some independent checks and balances.
More upgrades are in the works for The city of Lakeport’s Silveira Community Center. Lake County News reports two recent grants totalling $2.2 million will be used to update the electrical and HVAC systems which will not only make the center more energy efficient but also safer. Officials say the electrical system in the 1969 building was out of code with its older style panels and wiring and the upgrade also means it can handle the power from the new HVAC system. The grants will also help with accessibility and ADA compliance including ramps, wider doorways and updated restrooms. The city says that will make it more useful for more residents and community groups.
The recreational Dungeness crab season will open statewide on Saturday November 2 but not for everyone who uses traps. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife says traps will be temporarily prohibited between the Sonoma/Mendocino County line and Lopez Point in Monterey County when the season opens because there are still humpback whales around and they could get tangled in the trap gear. Recreational take of Dungeness by other methods, including hoop nets and crab snares, is allowed and use of recreational traps will be allowed north of the Sonoma/Mendocino County line. CDFW says they will do another risk assessment for the fisheries November 15 to see if they can modify restrictions. They will look at the Commercial Fisheries then as well.
Dredging of the Lucerne Harbor Park could start in about a week. The Lake County Public Services Department says they are set to start the project on Monday, November 4 and they think it will take about a month, until Monday, November 25. Lake County News reports the project was initially flagged as a necessity about five years ago but was delayed by regulatory issues and other red tape. In June the Lake County Board of Supervisors gave their final approval to the dredging plans and last month they chose a Marz Engineering of Ukiah to do it for just under $212,000. The harbor has never been dredged since it was built in 1965.
