Listen up if you’re out and about in Ukiah. The project to replace water mains and lines remains ongoing on Gobbi Street between Orchard Avenue and Main Street and some blocks may be completely shut down. Not to worry, because flaggers will help folks reach their destinations, but plan for delays. You should know that once water main and lateral construction is complete on Gobbi, maybe in a few weeks, crews will start again from Orchard and move westward towards State Street. Mendocino Voice says paving is tentatively scheduled for early to mid-June once school gets out.
California’s plan to ban gas cars by 2035 may not happen thanks to Congress. A Republican resolution that would repeal an Environmental Protection Agency ruling was approved by a vote of 246 to 164. Thirty-five Democrats joined Republicans in the U.S. House to support the repeal. The EPA approved a waiver for California in December that would make it possible for the state to phase out new gas-powered cars. State leaders claim it’s necessary to fight climate change.
The Clearlake Police Department ran a multi-agency outreach operation in collaboration with Lake County Behavioral Health Services and Lake County Adult Protective Services targeting the area’s homeless encampments. Police said the goal of the operation was to assess unlawful encampments, abandoned vehicles and trash, while also offering necessary support services to anyone who wants it and apparently 13 people responded. Police said all of the individuals were provided with printed resource guides for housing, mental health and social service programs available throughout Lake County, along with care packages. Lake County News says the operation targeted multiple locations, east of Walmart…an area known for illegal campsites, large-scale dumping and repeated fire hazards.
California is canceling vacation payouts for state workers due to budget cuts. In the 2022-23 fiscal year, the state paid over 98 million dollars for cashing out unused vacation time, but the program will be suspended for a second year. Uncertainty in the state’s budget is reportedly the reason. Employees are encouraged to use their accrued time off instead. The suspension of the program comes as the state faces significant budget deficits. It may also signal tougher budget complications for unions negotiating new contracts.
This year’s Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride or (DGR) is Sunday, May 18. It’s an event that draws motorcycle riders from all over the world, to ride to raise money and awareness for prostate cancer research and men’s mental health. Ukiah will again be represented as one of the nearly 900 cities hosting rides throughout the world. David Bookout, host of the Ukiah DGR team, says the Ukiah team has raised more than $66,000 for the DGR charity partner “Movember” Foundation in the six years it’s been participating. The Ukiah Daily Journal says last year, more than 50 local riders took to the bikes in the Ukiah valley, raising money and awareness for the DGR cause.
Mendocino County Planning and Building Services finished up its series of five stakeholder meetings this week in Ukiah. The goal was to tap into public sentiment regarding proposed short-term rental policies for the county’s inland areas. Mendocino Voice says the inland zone is defined as beginning where the California Coastal Zone ends, which varies throughout the area. Previous meetings were held in Fort Bragg, Boonville, Willits and Covelo,
MediaNews Group has acquired The Press Democrat and its sister publications from Sonoma Media Investments.Terms of the sale remain mum. The transaction included the Sonoma Index-Tribune, Petaluma Argus-Courier, North Bay Business Journal, Sonoma magazine, Sonoma County Gazette and the Spanish language La Prensa Sonoma. The Ukiah Daily Journal reports that The Press Democrat won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for its breaking news reporting on the Tubbs Fire.
