Cal Fire crews quickly contained a vegetation fire near the Humboldt-Mendocino County line yesterday afternoon. The Hansen Fire was reported just after 5pm on Hansen Ranch Road near Millstead Road, sparking initial confusion over the exact location. Air and ground resources arrived within 30 minutes, knocking down flames that had spread from grass into timber and damaged one structure. Officials say the blaze burned about an acre, with the potential to reach five acres, before suppression efforts stopped its spread.
Ukiah’s new Volunteer Coordinator is calling on residents to help tackle trash and graffiti across the city. Since starting the part-time role, Ed Donovan has organized multiple cleanups and joined volunteers in picking up litter at parks,along creeks, and public spaces. City officials say the goal is to tap into the community’s untapped volunteer spirit to improve public areas and boost morale. Anyone interested in joining future cleanups can email Donovan at edonovan
A workshop in Willits this Sunday will give residents a chance to weigh in on the removal of the Eel River’s Scott and Cape Horn dams. Hosted by the Sierra Club Mendocino Group and Friends of the Eel River, the event will cover the dams’ impact on native fish, potential restoration efforts, and how to ensure cleanup of the Lake Pillsbury site. Attendees can help draft comments to federal regulators, with the goal of keeping the dam removal process on track and free from delays.
Sutter Lakeside Hospital says it’s “disappointed” that unionized health care workers plan to picket outside its Lakeport campus today. The hospital says the action comes just one week into contract negotiations and believes progress is best made at the bargaining table, not through public demonstrations. Leaders stress that patient care will not be affected and that all facilities remain open and fully staffed. If it happens, the protest will be the first at Sutter Lakeside in more than three years.
Eureka police say a man accused of stabbing another in broad daylight is now behind bars. Officers arrested 41-year-old Dane Harold Lawrence Sunday, a day after the attack in a Fourth Street alley that left the victim with a non-life-threatening chest wound. Surveillance video, witness statements, and the recovery of the suspected knife linked Lawrence to the crime, and the case remains under investigation.
California lawmakers could reveal new congressional maps this week aimed at flipping five Republican-held House seats. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas says the plan will be crafted in a transparent process, with voters having the final say in a special election this November. Governor Gavin Newsom frames the effort as a counter to Republican-led redistricting in Texas. The proposal needs two-thirds approval in both the Assembly and Senate before it can go on the ballot. Lawmakers have until August 22 to call the election.
For the third year in a row, California lawmakers are pushing a bill critics say would weaken the state’s long-standing open-meeting law. Senate Bill 707, , would allow key local government advisory boards to meet entirely online, limiting in-person public access. Opponents, including the ACLU and League of Women Voters, warn the change would reduce transparency and accountability for bodies that often shape major policy decisions. Supporters argue the bill modernizes outdated rules and makes it easier to recruit and retain board members.
