category 94.5 K-wine News
The status of CalFresh benefits during the government shutdown remains up in the air, with a judge’s ruling this afternoon that Washington must send contingency payments to the state, which administers the program. However, the ruling comes too late to prevent at least a temporary delay in benefits that would usually be loaded onto EBT cards at midnight. Officials with food banks in both counties predict high demand as the benefits come to a halt for thousands of residents. California and 21 other states had sued to force the payments from a federal emergency account.
All available CHP officers will be wearing their uniforms, not costumes, this evening. They’ll be out on saturation patrols tonight into early tomorrow, looking for drivers who have gone overboard with their Halloween partying and chosen to drive. During last year’s 12-hour Halloween enforcement period, CHP investigated nearly 500 crashes statewide. About 90 of those involved were impaired drivers, resulting in two deaths and more than 60 injuries. CHP officers also made nearly 120 DUI arrests during that period.
A report says the Trump administration is planning to allow oil drilling in a large area off the Mendocino Coast. According to the Houston Chronicle, a list of scheduled West Coast lease auctions for oil and gas drilling includes the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and other protected areas in the Pacific that have been off limits for oil rigs since 2008. The plans to open offshore drilling over the next five years also cover most of the Atlantic coast except Florida and parts of the Bering Sea in Alaska. There is already criticism of the proposed leases. Congressman Jared Huffman is among those saying the oil is unnecessary and that drilling poses a risk to the environment, both offshore and on land. The Interior Department isn’t commenting on the report.
The National Weather Service says we could be in for more heavy rain next week. A series of atmospheric rivers is expected to sweep ashore Tuesday and Wednesday and could bring a couple of inches of rain along with high winds.
If you’ve lost your iPhone in Willits, the Willits PD may have it. The department has put up a Facebook post saying it found a phone that slid off a car roof or somehow ended up on the side of Sherwood Road on Thursday afternoon. And sent out a 911 call that it was an accident. You weren’t, but it was. The phone took a beating, but while the screen is shot, the case saved the body. There is a number taped to the back, so if you think it’s yours and can identify it, you can get in touch with the Willits PD to get it back.
