A recent evaluation by consultant ICF found that Mendocino County’s three publicly funded emergency shelters are operating effectively but face challenges like a lack of funding, high staff turnover, and rising demand. You should know that each shelter serves different groups: Redwood Community Services’ Building Bridges serves adults, Ford Street Project’s Unity Village serves families, and Mendocino Coast Hospitality Center’s Hospitality House serves anyone who is homeless. The Mendocino Voice says although all three shelters met federal standards and their county contracts, the report pointed out that the shelters are heavily reliant on local funding, which leaders say is not enough to meet current needs or expand services. The report also found that it’s unusual for a small, rural county to maintain three emergency shelters.
California lawmakers and Governor Newsom approved a budget to close a $12 billion deficit without major cuts to health care. The plan freezes new Medi-Cal enrollments and imposes $30 monthly premiums for patients with "unsatisfactory immigration status." So you know, none of the current enrollees will be removed, and there is still a six-month enrollment window. The budget also preserves funding for higher education. This comes as Congress debates Medicaid cuts under President Trump’s proposed “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which could cost California billions.
There’s an ongoing debate over federal land sales for housing, with more than 16 million acres of California’s forests and public lands potentially affected by President Trump’s tax and spending bill, according to the Wilderness Society. At-risk sites include parts of Sacramento’s Cosumnes River Preserve, and areas around Mono Lake, Mammoth Lakes, Yosemite National Park, Mount Shasta, and Big Sur. Utah Republican Mike Lee disagrees, saying the actual acreage is closer to three million acres.
The state of California has launched CalHeatScore. It’s a tool that rates heat danger from mild to severe and provides daily updates by ZIP code, including forecasts and cooling center locations. The pilot program follows a report highlighting extreme heat’s serious health risks. Those risks have caused thousands of hospitalizations and hundreds of deaths.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture has launched a new website, Experience California Agriculture, to help people easily find agritourism experiences statewide. The site features interactive maps and guides to attractions like vineyard tours, u-pick orchards, farm stands, farm-to-table restaurants, and more. Mendocino County highlights include wineries, farm stands, cider tastings at Gowan’s, and farmers markets. The Mendocino Voice says the department’s goal of the new site is to get more people interested in agritourism as a vacation destination option and educate the public on California’s diverse agriculture industry.
