The body of a missing Sonoma County man was recovered from a gray truck submerged in the Russian River Saturday. 74 year old Clifford Souza was last seen on Wednesday afternoon around 1 p.m. driving his gray Ford pickup truck. A Silver Alert issued on Thursday by the CHP for Marin, Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino Counties. Around 2:30 Saturday afternoon, CHP Santa Rosa officers responded to reports of a crash on State Route 1 north of State Route 116 and later identified the body as Souza’s after it was recovered from the gray Ford truck.
A fuel tanker and a car on Highway 29 tangled up on Saturday morning leaving a woman with major injuries. The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake office says 64 year old Brenda Lee Sandage was seriously injured in the wreck. It happened around 4 a.m. according to the CHP. Lake County News says they responded to a report of a head-on crash involving a fuel tanker truck near Lower Lake. Officials determined that Sandage was driving north on Highway 29 and entered into the oncoming traffic lane directly ahead of the fuel tanker truck. She was taken by air to Kaiser Vacaville while the driver of the fuel tanker was not injured. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Mendocino County cannabis growers will compete to see who can grow the best cannabis in the county. It’s happening at the first annual Mendo Cup tis Sunday in Willits. The Mendocino Producers Guild says the cannabis will be judged by a jury of marijuana breeders, growers and certified cannabis sommeliers called “ganjiers” will blind-judge cannabis flowers submitted from over 30 local small growers. According to the guild, all submissions must be grown in full sun conditions –– no lights, no grow houses. The Mendocino Voice says Awards for best flowers and breeders will be awarded during a ceremony co-hosted by comedian Sherry Glaser.
According to a recent article from the travel website Matador Network, the Van Damme State Park in Little River ranks as one of the 60 most scenic campsites in the US. It states that the park blends coastal access with ancient forest immersion and states a camper’s best experience is staked along the Fern Canyon Scenic Trail, an area where five walk-in campsites are nestled next to a brook in the dense redwood forest. You should know that Van Damme is also filled with pygmy forests, tidepools and has beach access.
Tonight’s Fort Bragg City Council is meeting at 6, either in person or via Zoom. A couple of items on tonight’s agenda include the presentation of the proclamation declaring April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the a proclamation honoring the 30th anniversary of Headlands Coffeehouse. That’s in addition to some housekeeping and other city issues.
There have been more than four-million downloads of the MyShake app. Governor Gavin Newsom says the app offers Californians seconds to get it together before earthquakes hit. According to the Governor’s office, since its inception, the app has delivered more than 5-million alerts for nearly 170 earthquakes. Officials encourage you to pair the MyShake app with the Cal OES Earthquake Readiness Guide. By the way, the app is free to download.
Peak fire season is around the corner and the governor’s office wants you to be prepared. This past week, Governor Newsom announced the state’s second C-130 Hercules airtanker is now ready for firefighting operations. Newsom also says even though the state is facing financial challenges he will keep funding wildfire resources. CalFire is also urging residents to prepare for the upcoming wildfire season by creating a five-foot zone around your home by trimming trees and removing dead plants.
The American Lung Association is giving Lake County high marks. Its annual State of the Air 2025 Report grades air quality an A through F scale by comparing local ozone and small-particulate concentrations with the federal air quality standards. Many areas within California were given failing grades, but not Lake County. Its air quality is rated in the top 25. Lake County News says the county received an “A” grade for Ozone, a “B” grade for short term particulate pollution, and is ranked the 23rd Cleanest County in the Nation for annual particulate average concentrations. You should know that the Lake County Air Quality Management District says strong local support for clean air measures is what has enabled the county to comply with not only the Federal Clean Air Standards, but also with California Standards for ozone and other air pollutants for the past 35 consecutive years.
A new Mendocino County Courthouse in Ukiah is going up near the railroad tracks crossing East Perkins Street. The $144 million project will be officially dedicated on Wednesday. The ceremony will launch the biggest civic project in the county’s history. The Ukiah Daily Journal says the ambitious project will take around two years to complete and is expected to bring in millions of dollars into the local community. It’s also expected to expand commercial business in Ukiah with new infrastructure and more commercial projects. Wednesday’s ceremony celebrating this milestone that has been 20 years in the making is at noon at the Ukiah Train Depot.
100 Women Strong Mendocino Coast raised over $21,000 at its semi-annual gathering at Eagles Hall in Fort Bragg. Three local nonprofits competed for the grand prize of $10,000, which was decided by a vote of the audience members. This year’s $10,000 winner was the Cancer Resource Centers of Mendocino County. The Mendocino Voice says the remaining $11,000 was split between the Montessori Del Mar Community School and the Noyo Food Forest. You should know that since 2023, 100 Women Strong Mendocino Coast has raised a total of more than $96,000 for local community organizations. The Community Foundation of Mendocino County supports the organization and its sister group, 100 Women Strong Inland Mendocino. Both groups are part of a grassroots national network of “giving circles” that targets investing at the local level.
