A Ukiah man is facing prison time after being convicted on multiple charges in a domestic violence case. A Mendocino County jury found 55-year-old Sean Hammon guilty of inflicting traumatic injury on a cohabitant and false imprisonment, both felonies, along with giving false ID to a peace officer. Prosecutors plan to present additional evidence in a future hearing that could impact his sentence. Hammon remains in the county jail awaiting final sentencing.
A multi-agency crackdown on illegal cannabis grows in Humboldt and Mendocino Counties has wiped out thousands of plants in the past week. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Marijuana Enforcement Team, California Fish and Wildlife, and other agencies served multiple warrants, including one that netted 3,300 plants. Separate operations in Mendocino targeted unlicensed grows and trespass sites tied to environmental damage, with more details expected next week. Officials say despite legalization, some cultivation sites still involve serious crimes that demand focused enforcement.
A high-speed chase ends in handcuffs for a Ukiah woman in Cloverdale. Police say 31-year-old Maria Gonzalez hit speeds of 100 miles an hour early Thursday after a car break-in, but her escape ended when she hit a curb, disabling the car. Officers recovered stolen items along with suspected meth and marijuana from the vehicle, while a second suspect managed to getaway. Gonzalez is booked into the Sonoma County Jail on burglary, drug, and felony evading charges.
Ukiah city employees hit the streets this week for an “urban heat mapping campaign” aimed at pinpointing neighborhoods most at risk from extreme temperatures. The effort, part of the national Heat Watch program run by Portland-based Capa Strategies, used temperature sensors to collect data during morning, afternoon, and evening routes across the city. Organizers say the results will help fire departments, scientists, and residents understand how factors like shade, asphalt, and green space affect heat risk. A public heat risk map is expected to be released on the city’s website in about three months.
Three sentinel chickens near Upper Lake have tested positive for West Nile virus. The Lake County Vector Control say sentinel chickens, which don’t get sick from the virus, serve as an early warning system for mosquito-borne illnesses. Residents are urged to protect themselves by eliminating standing water, using EPA-registered repellents, and wearing long sleeves at dawn and dusk.
A suspect is in custody after residents helped track down and detain a man accused of setting multiple fires along State Route 36 near Swains Flat. Authorities say three small fires broke out Sunday, and on Tuesday morning a tip led a local man to confront the suspect, disarm him of a knife, and hold him until law enforcement arrived. Cal Fire says the blazes burned about a half acre, and the investigation into the suspected arson is ongoing.
California Governor Gavin Newsom says it’s full steam ahead on a plan to redraw congressional maps to help Democrats gain five more U.S. House seats next year. Speaking Thursday in Los Angeles, Newsom defended the move as a response to Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s similar effort for Republicans. He has called a special election in early November to put the new maps before voters. Newsom says he won’t stand by while Republicans try to “make democracy disappear.”
