Ukiah police say a November 18 drug investigation quickly expanded into three raids across the city and ended with four people in custody. The first stop turned up 37-year-old Rolando Ruiz, who officers say was carrying fentanyl and a wad of cash. At a second home, detectives say they walked in on 39-year-old Michael Lamun trying to flush fentanyl while meth, Xanax and more cash sat nearby. The night wrapped up at a local hotel, where officers arrested Joseph Jensen and Alannah Biancardi after reportedly finding fentanyl, guns and the supplies needed to package and sell it.
Mendocino Community Health Clinic says longtime Willits native Kimberly Silva is coming home to join Little Lake Health Center as a family and psychiatric mental-health nurse practitioner. Silva brings more than 40 years of experience to the job, including 17 years at San Francisco General and time with Humboldt County Behavioral Health. Chief Medical Officer Justin Ebert calls her approach “whole-person” care and says she’ll be treating both everyday medical needs and mental-health challenges
Coldwell Banker Mendo Realty has kicked off its annual holiday food drive and is asking the community to drop off nonperishable items at its Ukiah and Willits offices. Donations will benefit the Ford Street Project in Ukiah and Willits Community Services, and every donor gets a shot at a weekly $10 coffee gift card. With food banks feeling the squeeze from federal funding cuts, the drive is focusing on high-need staples like shelf-stable milk, grains, canned meats and veggies.
California’s utility regulators are considering a plan to trim profit margins for PG&E, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric to below ten percent, a big shift after more than 20 years of higher returns. The companies say the cut could make it harder to invest in needed upgrades, but critics insist it won’t noticeably change what customers pay. A final vote from the Public Utilities Commission is expected in December.
The California Highway Patrol is halfway through its Thanksgiving “holiday enforcement period,” which stays in effect through Sunday as travel picks up across the state. Officers in Mendocino County are stepping up patrols, zeroing in on seat belts, speeding and drunk driving. CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee says last Thanksgiving was a deadly one, with 36 people killed statewide and six of them not wearing seat belts. The agency also made more than 1,100 DUI arrests and handed out about 26,000 seat-belt tickets during last year’s holiday stretch.
Rep. Mike Thompson is taking on a new role in Washington after being appointed to House Democrats’ Rapid Response Task Force and Litigation Working Group. Party leaders say they tapped Thompson because of his deep record of service, from the battlefield to the Capitol, and his ongoing push to defend democratic norms. The group is already involved in numerous lawsuits and bills aimed at pushing back on what Democrats describe as unconstitutional moves by the Trump administration.
A Mendocino County chef is stepping onto the national stage as Apple TV’s new series “Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars” features Matthew Kammerer of Elk’s Harbor House Inn. Kammerer already holds two Michelin stars and a sustainability-focused Green Star, and he’s one of the rare competitors chasing a third. His kitchen operates in complete silence to support his ADHD, and nearly all his ingredients come from a sprawling 300-bed farm that grows most of what the restaurant serves. The show leans into his hyper-local style, highlighting dishes like his farm-raised red abalone with rice and a sauce made from every usable part of the shellfish.
The pace of Christmas celebrations will pick up quickly now. Among the traditions continuing this year, the Clear Lake Rotary is planning its 32nd annual community Christmas party. It will be December 13th at Burns Valley Elementary from 10 to 2. It will feature a free meal, activities for kids, health screening for adults, and toys for the little ones. Organizers say it’s a chance to bring together people of all ages in a joyful, family-friendly environment in the spirit of the season. Christmas…just 28 days–4 weeks–away.
