A very sad start to the new year for four Ukiah families as the result of an apartment complex fire very early this morning. Ukiah Valley firefighters were dispatched to the 1100 block of Dora Street where they found the first floor of a townhome burning and moving up towards the second floor. Firefighters were concerned that fire might spread to other structures but were able to contain the fire to just the original townhouse. Other tenants in that area were quickly evacuated by Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office deputies and officers from Ukiah Police Department.
The Laytonville Landfill has been shut down since 1993 due to many environmental protests. Now, scheduled maintenance of the landfill is leading to more groundwater testing conversation between agencies from the state and county as well as the Cahto tribe whose rancheria property sits adjacent to the site. The tribe will need to come to an agreement with those agencies to construct background wells and then that agreement will need approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Once that happens, the Head of the Mendocino County Department of Transportation says that new request for the proposals will formalize the County’s obligation to work with the tribe.
Those of us with pets know they are like four-legged family members and we always want the best for them. Now a controversial Lakeport store which has been accused of alleged animal abuse and neglect for over two years, is closing. Pet Country has received an eviction notice from the co-owner of the building that houses the store and has until the end of this month to clear the premises. That judgement was won in Lake County Superior Court last month. The owners and managers of the store have not only been accused of mistreating the pets but they also have not paid rent in six months. Pet Country is located on Main Street in Lakeport. No word yet on what the future will be for the animals currently housed there.
Started off with a rumble and a shake yesterday morning. An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 hit about 9 miles south of Rio Dell and about 30 miles south of Eureka. Just a couple of weeks ago Rio Dell was the epicenter of a stronger 6.4 quake. Two people died and more than a dozen more were injured in that quake. Some homes were shaken off their foundations and water systems were damaged and thousands experienced a loss of power. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said there were no injuries reported yesterday.
The year ended with the filing of a lawsuit in Sonoma County Superior Court by twelve female graduates of Sonoma Academy. It’s an 81-page suit and was filed by attorney Gloria Allred’s law firm. Along with the school, the suit names two former teachers and a couple of former administrators and alleges that all are guilty of acts of childhood sexual assault, harassment or molestation during the time at the school, located in Santa Rosa. This is the third such civil case against the school saying that the campus and it’s leadership failed over nearly two decades to protect female students from misconduct and abuse by the staff.
In just ten days the third round of the West Center StartUp Mendocino business accelerator program gets underway. Each of the twelve participating businesses receives a series of free trainings over 21 weeks, concluding with a public event at the Little River Inn on June 8th. The program is designed to show potential for their own businesses, the community and the economy of Mendocino County. This is a very valuable program where every participant will be shown business and financial planning, successful branding and marketing, time management, technology, e-commerce and business pitches.
Lots of rain usually means lots of problems on the roads and our storms last week were no exception. Heavy winds also brought down some trees. The presence of an atmospheric river, which is a long, flowing region of the atmosphere carrying water vapor through the air, could be a reality for us this week. Continued heavy rains can increase our chances of fallen trees in the roadways and even mudslides. Sometimes those hidden hazards can take up to a week to appear. So use great caution driving.
It’s been almost ten years that you and I have had to maintain a distance of three feet when you pass a bicyclist while driving. As of yesterday, a new law took effect that will now require us to change lanes if at all possible to provide even more space for the bike riders. The California Office of Traffic Safety says this will reduce the conflict points and risk of near misses or crashes. If you violate this law, it will cost you at least $238 in fines and fees and if a bicyclist is injured, that amount runs up $982.
Next week, Dave Kiff takes over his official role as Director of Sonoma County’s new Homeless Services Division. His appointment is part of a reorganization effort which will transfer the group focused on homeless services from the Community Development Commission to one of the county’s largest agencies, the Health Services Department. The effort is in response to a growing need for homeless shelters and services.
A new year brings new beginnings…and a new van! Generous gifts from the T .R. Ericksen Foundation and the Cleo Foundation made it possible for the Boys and Girls Club of Ukiah to purchase a 12-passenger van for use in 2023. Staff members will also be certified and trained to drive the club members from their schools to the club as well as around the Ukiah community for various activities.
This Wednesday afternoon marks the next meeting of the East Region Town Hall. The Lake County group will meet at the Moose Lodge located on Moose Lodge Land in Clearlake Oaks. On this month’s agenda are the Lake County Geothermal Project Watchlist, the Clearlake Oaks consolidated lighting district, an update on commercial cannabis cultivation as well as a request for review by the Community Development Department and Sulphur Bank Mine Superfund Site public outreach. That meeting will begin at 4pm.
2023 started off with a rumble and a shake yesterday morning. An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 hit about 9 miles south of Rio Dell and about 30 miles south of Eureka. Just a couple of weeks ago Rio Dell was the epicenter of a stronger 6.4 quake. Two people died and more than a dozen more were injured in that quake. Some homes were shaken off their foundations and water systems were damaged and thousands experienced a loss of power. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said there were no injuries reported yesterday.
The year ended with the filing of a lawsuit in Sonoma County Superior Court by twelve female graduates of Sonoma Academy. It’s an 81-page suit and was filed by attorney Gloria Allred’s law firm. Along with the school, the suit names two former teachers and a couple of former administrators and alleges that all are guilty of acts of childhood sexual assault, harassment or molestation during the time at the school, located in Santa Rosa. This is the third such civil case against the school saying that the campus and it’s leadership failed over nearly two decades to protect female students from misconduct and abuse by the staff.
In just ten days the third round of the West Center StartUp Mendocino business accelerator program gets underway. Each of the twelve participating businesses receives a series of free trainings over 21 weeks, concluding with a public event at the Little River Inn on June 8th. The program is designed to show potential for their own businesses, the community and the economy of Mendocino County. This is a very valuable program where every participant will be shown business and financial planning, successful branding and marketing, time management, technology, e-commerce and business pitches.
Lots of rain usually means lots of problems on the roads and our storms last week were no exception. Heavy winds also brought down some trees. The presence of an atmospheric river, which is a long, flowing region of the atmosphere carrying water vapor through the air, could be a reality for us this week. Continued heavy rains can increase our chances of fallen trees in the roadways and even mudslides. Sometimes those hidden hazards can take up to a week to appear. So use great caution driving.
It’s been almost ten years that you and I have had to maintain a distance of three feet when you pass a bicyclist while driving. As of yesterday, a new law took effect that will now require us to change lanes if at all possible to provide even more space for the bike riders. The California Office of Traffic Safety says this will reduce the conflict points and risk of near misses or crashes. If you violate this law, it will cost you at least $238 in fines and fees and if a bicyclist is injured, that amount runs up $982.
Next week, Dave Kiff takes over his official role as Director of Sonoma County’s new Homeless Services Division. His appointment is part of a reorganization effort which will transfer the group focused on homeless services from the Community Development Commission to one of the county’s largest agencies, the Health Services Department. The effort is in response to a growing need for homeless shelters and services.
A new year brings new beginnings…and a new van! Generous gifts from the T .R. Ericksen Foundation and the Cleo Foundation made it possible for the Boys and Girls Club of Ukiah to purchase a 12-passenger van for use in 2023. Staff members will also be certified and trained to drive the club members from their schools to the club as well as around the Ukiah community for various activities.
This Wednesday afternoon marks the next meeting of the East Region Town Hall. The Lake County group will meet at the Moose Lodge located on Moose Lodge Land in Clearlake Oaks. On this month’s agenda are the Lake County Geothermal Project Watchlist, the Clearlake Oaks consolidated lighting district, an update on commercial cannabis cultivation as well as a request for review by the Community Development Department and Sulphur Bank Mine Superfund Site public outreach. That meeting will begin at 4pm.category
