A dire warning from leaders of several health care agencies in Mendocino County. A group called Incubate, which includes representatives of several agencies, says cuts to health care, along with potential increases in health insurance premiums, are about to create a perfect storm that could mean loss of care and loss of coverage for thousands of people in the county, especially low-income and senior residents. Group members say they’re looking ahead and planning how to best deal with what they call an impending health care crisis.
The Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa is moving ahead with the sale of two churches–including one in Hopland- as it deals with the fallout from the bankruptcy it filed in 2023 in the wake of the church sex abuse scandal. Among the churches being sold, St Francis in Hopland along Our Lady of Mt Carmel in Cloverdale. The diocese says it has to sell the properties because it is running low on cash as the bankruptcy case is going on. They estimate they’ll soon have less than 3 million dollars in the bank to cover operating expenses. Groups representing sex abuse survivors think the diocese is exaggerating the extent of its financial problems. SXt Francis in Hopland has been closed since the pandemic. The buyers are a group that includes members of the family who founded Mendocino County’s Fetzer Vineyards. They’ve announced plans to convert the building into a community center
