The federal shutdown will be hitting Mendocino and Lake counties with delays or cuts to local services. The BLM office in Ukiah could be forced to scale back, meaning delays for permits and unmaintained campgrounds at places like Cow Mountain and Berryessa Snow Mountain. Mendocino National Forest is bracing for furloughs too, with visitor centers and campgrounds likely closed while only fire crews stay on duty for emergencies. Local leaders say if the shutdown stretches on, it could stall FEMA grants and slow down housing and recovery projects that families and farmers here rely on.
Clearlake city leaders will decide Thursday whether to join Sonoma Clean Power and how to respond to a court ruling that overturned approvals for a hotel and road project. The Koi Nation had challenged the city’s green light for the 18th Avenue Road and Hotel Development, and an appellate court has now ordered those approvals to be tossed out. Also on the agenda: a new city fee schedule, a Breast Cancer Awareness Month proclamation, and recognition of local sponsors. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at City Hall and will be available online for the public.
The child sex crime case against a Sebastopol school counselor with ties to a Mendocino County biker group is not over, despite rumors online. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office says prosecutors have put the case against 66-year-old John Conant on hold while investigators keep working. Conant, who was listed as secretary of the Mendocino chapter of Bikers Against Child Abuse, will be released from jail for now. Deputies say he’s still considered innocent under the law, but the investigation is ongoing.
The city of Lakeport has launched its annual Business Walk Program, which runs through November. City staff, volunteers, and members of the Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee are visiting local businesses to share resources and hear about challenges facing owners and managers. Officials say the goal is to show support for the business community while gathering information to present to the City Council. Business owners will also receive an updated “Guide to Doing Business in Lakeport,” along with details on loans, workshops, and workforce services. City Manager Kevin Ingram says in-person visits are a key part of the city’s long-term strategy to strengthen and retain local businesses.
The California Secretary of State’s Office is fixing a mistake in the 2025 Voter Information Guide that mislabeled a congressional district. Officials say District 27 was incorrectly printed as District 22 in the guide. Secretary of State Shirley Weber says correction postcards will go out to households that received the error, emphasizing the slip does not impact the election itself. Weber underscored that providing voters with accurate information remains a top priority.
Ballots for Proposition 50 will be mailed to voters starting Monday. The measure would suspend California’s independent redistricting commission and allow lawmakers to draw congressional maps from 2026 through 2030, before returning power to the commission in 2031.
Mendocino County supervisors aren’t taking sides in the redistricting fight. The board recently rejected a resolution to support Proposition 50, saying state and national politics aren’t the county’s business Ad-Impact says more than $50 million has already been spent on television ads promoting the proposition.
