The Mendocino National Forest is hiring for 2026. Among the positions available–dispatchers, equipment operators, crew members for handcrews, helicopter attacks, and hotshots, and other specialties. The jobs would be at any of several locations, including Upper Lake, Covelo, Willows, Paskenta, Elk Creek, and Stonyford. The Forest Service says the jobs are vital to wildfire preparedness and disaster response across federal and state agencies. Any U.S. citizen or national at least 18 years of age can apply- The deadline is October 29th at USAJobs.gov.
California is losing 40 million dollars after the U S Department of Transportation accused the state of not complying with a requirement that long-haul truck drivers pass an English language proficiency exam. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says California is the only non-compliant state. According to the Washington Post, the US DOT has pulled 6,000 truckers off the road for violations of language proficiency standards. The state is pushing back, saying that California‘s big rig crash rate is lower than the national average. Duffy says California faces more funding cuts unless it changes how it issues commercial driver licenses–CDLs–to follow federal guidelines about language proficiency.
A controversial mobile spa on the Big River south of Mendocino is closed, but the discussion about what should be allowed in that area continues. Residents say when MendoSouna opened in September, the smoke from wood-fired stoves in the spa saunas fouled the air in a protected stretch of the river in the Mendocino Headlands State Park. Cal Parks says a permit for the spas was approved as a special event to see if it was compatible with the area. The spa closed on October 15th. State Parks has opened a public comment period through October 30th to take input about whether MednoSpa–or similar businesses–will be allowed along the river in the future. The SpaOwners say they are locals who run the spa in an environmentally responsible way. They say they have no plans to reopen in the foreseeable future.
The tribal EcoRestoration alliance is planning a controlled burn. The burn is scheduled for October 21st–next Tuesday–on the lands of the Robinson Rancheria Pomo Scotts Valley Band and Habematel Pomo of Upper Lake. The burn is subject to cancellation due to weather or other conditions. Ignitions are anticipated to begin mid-morning with firing operations concluding by late afternoon. People near the burn area may see or smell smoke.
Less than before the state held its annual shakeout earthquake drill this morning. Some Californians felt the real thing. The Magnitude 3.1 temblor happened at 9:23 this morning in the Berkely learea. No reports of any damage
