The Ukiah City Council is set to hear a report on the efforts of the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority to train more personnel as paramedics. It’s one of the agenda items for Wednesday night’s meeting. The Ukiah Daily Journal reports that the UVFA had requested close to $43,000 in order to train two Ukiah Valley Fire Authority team members as part of their ongoing efforts to maintain the necessary paramedic staffing aimed at ensuring high-quality emergency medical services for the region. Another item on the agenda is for the council to consider approving the recruitment of a Parks and Streets Operations Superintendent Position. The next council meeting is at 5:15 in person at the Council chambers or online via Zoom.
A former health services director who worked at the County of Lake’s Health Services Department for nearly two years is suing the County. Jonathan Portney, who was fired back in September of 2023, says he was terminated after the Board of Supervisors received a letter written by employees in his department. The letter stated that the staff expressed no confidence in his abilities as the agency’s Health Services director. Portney disputes that and claims he was fired because he spoke out about issues including race discrimination and harassment, illegal workplace conduct and unethical behavior involving local fire chiefs trying to influence entities to ensure they’d get the contractor they wanted for government work. The Lake County Record Bee says he’s asking for $20 million in general damages and is also suing for special damages and all attorney’s fees. The civil complaint was filed last month.
A new state bill plans to employ California firefighters year-round to address staff shortages and improve emergency response. The Fight for Firefighters Act proposes elevating around three-thousand seasonal firefighters into full-time roles to ensure more firefighters are available when needed. CAL FIRE Battalion Chief Liz Brown says it’s necessary because California’s fire season no longer threatens the state for just three-to-four months per year.
Congratulations are in order for Ukiah High School’s Mock Trial Team. The high school teams from Fort Bragg and Laytonville also did very well, but UHS are this year’s county champs! As a result, Ukiah High School will represent Mendocino County in the state finals, which will be held in Los Angeles next month.
The 2025 Lake County public safety heroes have been named. Representative Mike Thompson made that announcement yesterday, identifying Detective Michael Nakahara and Fire Chief Bret Butler. Thompson annually honors first responders who he says have gone above and beyond what’s expected of them. The Lake County Record Bee says Detective Michael Nakahara joined the Lake County Sheriff’s Department just 4 years ago and was promoted last year to the Major Crimes Unit. Last year, his commitment to his job led to the arrest and charging of a suspect who’s accused in the death of a teenager from fentanyl. That suspect will face trial next month. Fire Captain Bret Butler is the leader of the Lake Pillsbury Fire Protection District and is responsible for many important local projects, including procuring and installing mile marker signs along popular rural roads, and personally installing a solar system on Fire Station 2.
North Coast Congressman Jared Huffman and U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley are joining forces, by reintroducing a bill that sets aside federal funds to target declining kelp forests, which are crucial for marine biodiversity. In fact, a major decline in kelp forests, in particular the ones off the coast of Mendocino and Sonoma counties in 2013-14, are responsible for the drop in populations of several marine species, like the red abalone. The 2025 bill, called “Help Our Kelp Act,” would authorize $5 million a year in a new NOAA grant program to fund conservation, restoration, and management projects focused on kelp forest ecosystems. A similar bill was introduced last year, but stalled after being referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
A proposed bill in the state legislature could force insurers to pay homeowners for 100% everything inside the home without an itemized list. The bill, titled Eliminate “The List” Act, would apply to homes destroyed in natural disasters, according to the bill’s sponsor, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, and the bill’s author, State Senator Ben Allen. It’s part of a legislative package that includes 10 proposals to address wildfire mitigation and recovery, including protecting consumers from non-renewables and maximizing insurance payouts. Allen’s district includes the Palisades burn area.
Newly elected Ukiah City Council member Heather Criss got a first hand look at what first responders do with a ride-along with the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority over the weekend. During her 8 hour live tutorial with UVFA Captain Robb Ramseier, she learned how firefighter/paramedics are trained and how they respond to medical calls, along with how UVFA protects the city. Criss’s instruction also included learning how to hold a fire hose.
