Leaders from Lake County, among those taking part in a California Public Utilities Commission workshop, to outline their concerns about continued landline phone service in rural areas. Tribal, public safety, and rural county leadership want to make sure the PUC protects that service as what is called a carrier of last resort. District 5 Supervisor Jessica Pyska, Sheriff Luke Bingham, and Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians Chairman Moke Simon represented the county to argue that copper wireline phone service is vital to many communities like those in Lake County. A T T is the designated carrier of last resort in much of the state, and last June, you’ll remember that the PUC denied the phone company’s request to stop that service. The commission is updating its rules, and those at the meeting say that without at least basic service, many people will be cut off from communication where cell service is spotty or non-existent, which could have serious, possibly life-threatening consequences in a disaster.
The National Interagency Fire Center is out with its prediction of fire risk for the summer–and the outlook for June, July and August puts northern California at an above-average risk of wildfire. The Firecenter says it saw a steady increase in wildfires in the last ten days April–to 147 percent of the average number for the month–mainly in the Southern,. Eastern and Southwest areas. They say it is not too early to think of wildfire preparation.
Police in Windsor have arrested a man after a bank robbery. They say they nabbed the Derrek Lamm of Windsor, not long after he held up the Wells Fargo Branch on Lakewood Drive Thursday morning. He showed the teller a demand note, grabbed the cash, and took off on a scooter. Police say they found discarded clothes nearby and followed leads to Lamm. They say evidence found in his car and at his home tied him to the holdup. He’s being held at the Sonoma County Jail without bond.
Fort Bragg officials say they’re making progress on the city’s municipal broadband project. They’ve started working in an area around Cedar and Lincoln Streets, going east, while another crew is working around Boatyard Drive and Harbor Drive. They’re boring holes into the sidewalks, preparing to run conduit underground for fiber installation. The city plans to provide affordable broadband to all parts of the city when the project is done.
