A man was caught after reportedly stealing a car and leading multiple area authorities on several car chases. Dustin Blakesley was arrested after he escaped police during a pursuit around Cow Mountain. A stolen car was reported Sunday out of Sonoma. MendoFever reports Ukiah Police were notified when the stolen car was seen on North State Street. When police tried to stop the driver, he sped away to the south. Police followed the driver on South State Street to Talmage Road, Old River Road and onto Mill Creek Road, where officers lost sight of the car. Ukiah Police accessed the GPS system of the stolen car and found the suspect near Guidivile Reservation Road. Blakesley was found sleeping in the drivers seat and arrested. Blakesley is connected to several pursuits; chased by CHP, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office and more, with multiple injuries reported. He had an active warrant and was taken to jail.
A blaze started just after 5pm last night near Laytonville off Steele Lane. The quarter acre fire slowly burned up to half an acre as it moved from brush to timber within minutes. Two tankers and an air attack including a copter responded to the fire with ground crews, according to KymKemp. By 5:30 it was reported the fire had been contained.
Ukiah Police issued a release on a stolen vehicle from Lake County. Police saw the stolen car going north on Dora Street. A car chase began when the officer tried to pull the car over. The suspect drove the car west on Mendocino Drive then north back to Dora Street to the Todd Grove Park area where witnesses pointed police toward the stolen vehicle. MendoFever reports the suspect reportedly crashed into a concrete retaining wall. The 17 year old suspect was id’d as the driver who also had a passenger with him who took off on foot. After a search with the help of a drone the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office weren’t able to find the passenger. The teen driver was booked into Juvenile Hall.
A winery in Sonoma County has settled with over 20 former employees who accused the winery of retaliating against them by speaking out about unfair working conditions. The Press Democrat reports Mauritson Farms in Healdsburg will pay about $328,000 to 21 farm workers according to the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board. The winery’s general manager said the settlement was a business decision. The plaintiff workers had visas to work as part of the H-2A program. A nonprofit, North Bay Jobs with Justice helped the employees with complaints about the winery’s denials of meal and rest breaks and mistreatment. As part of the settlement, the Agricultural Labor Relations Board will visit Mauriton Farms to read a notice to farm workers and post information about their rights.
The Redwood Credit Union is hosting their annual free shredding event this Saturday from 9am to noon at their branch in Ukiah on South Orchard Avenue. People can bring 3 boxes of confidential documents for their “Shred-a-Thon” with free shredding by Shred-It and e-waste collection by Conservation Corps North Bay. The Ukiah Daily Journal reports the e-waste collection includes old computers, printers, cell phones and other electronics. It’s a free event, but there is a place to donate money for Plowshares, a Ukiah nonprofit that gives hot meals to those in need.
A Lake county Superior Court case involving a Lakeport man charged with a hit-and-run early this year has assigned a new judge per the request of the district attorney. The Record Bee reports the trial is set for July 26th, with the new Judge Markham. Al James is the defendant and was not in custody during the new judge request. James pled not guilty and denied special allegations. It happened in January when CHP a crash on North Main Street in Lakeport injured a woman. When police got there, the driver had left. She was taken to Sutter Lakeside and later transferred by air to another hospital. James was charged with the crime and booked into jail with a bail set at $10,000. He was bailed out and is now facing a new judge for tomorrow’s court date.
California is starting a program to give gift cards to meth users who test negative for the stimulant. CalMatters reports the “contingency management” model rewards those for drug tests that are negative for meth. The US Department of Veterans Affairs has been using the program for decades. The program is growing with a recent waiver by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that will cover the costs. California is launching the pilot program in counties including San Francisco and Sacramento. Costs for the Recovery Incentives Program will be paid by CalAim, the most recent expansion of the Medical. Meth is the most common choice on the streets according to a recent study. If the program is successful, it will be rolled out statewide.
Questions of whether recent spikes in consumer costs have been caused, at least in part, by price gouging aren’t going away. Attorneys General in more than 30 states, including California, are working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to determine just how much consumers have been affected, and whether any suspicious activity by corporations is at play. The California News Service reports beyond price structures, the U-S-D-A notes that states will also be on the lookout for conflicts of interest, misuse of intellectual property, and anti-competitive barriers across the food and agriculture supply chains. Business groups like the U-S Chamber of Commerce oppose the move, calling it an “overreach.”
California water authorities estimate about 3.8 million acre-feet of water went to underground reservoirs this year after a wet winter and spring. That amount of water fulfills about 11 million homes annually. The Sacramento Bee reports data released last week is helping depleted underground basins that were emptied during the years long drought. Experts say it’s not enough. The Central Valley needs between 2.3 to 7 million acre-feet to charge their groundwater. Governor Newsom set a goal earlier to fill reservoirs an average of 500,000 acre feet per year, the Department of Water Resources says more is needed. California recently did aerial surveys using electromagnetic imaging to map recharge areas. Years of over-pumping have left vulnerable communities without water. So far this year, about 316 wells are dry.
In the Mendocino County’s CEO report released this week, they announced health and wellness sessions. The Employee Health Benefits team will host Health and wellness benefits Trainings tomorrow in Willits. Two more sessions are scheduled for August in Fort Bragg, and September in Ukiah. There will be morning and afternoon sessions. Included will be flexible spending information, wellness monetary incentives and tips and resources to save money and utilize benefits to stay healthy.
The Lake County Library will hold their “Happy Trails Hiking Book Club” this Saturday at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park in Lower Lake at 8am. It happens on the last Saturday of each month. This month’s theme, according to the Redbud Library is marsh or wetland. Members can read any book having to do with the theme and chat with a group on a hike. Coming next Tuesday, as the first one of the month for August the Garden Book Club will meet online at 10am.
The Willits Police Department will host National Night Out a week from today at Bud Snider Park. Smokey’s BBQ will have food. Patrol cars will be on display and there will be activities for kids, a DJ and more. National Night Out is happening across the country to build up community relations with law enforcement and residents. It starts on August 1st at 5p and runs through 8pm.
A company has been buying land surrounding Travis Air Force Base for the last 5 years. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month, that Flannery Associates have spent about $1 billion buying up land around the base. SF Gate reports the agricultural land that mostly surrounds the base has been bought by the company from Rio Vista to Solano. The purchases urged Congressman Garamendi to track down who makes up the Flannery Group, based in Delaware. The Congressman said the company paid five to ten times the normal value, and is asking why? Some reports show most of the company’s investors are from the US, with a few in Great Britain. There is a military investigation as to what the company plans to do with the newly acquired land.
Express Registration for the Lake County Campus of the Woodland Community College will begin on August 5th. Application assistance, counseling and financial aid resources will be on hand. The event will also include a Culinary Round-Up on the 5th for culinary students to learn about a certificate program as well as an Associates degree. LCC also has over 50 degree and certificate programs available for anyone to pursue their academic goals. The college is ranked in the top 40 of community colleges in the nation. Lake County News reports the school has classes for students of all ages. LCC also has English programs to help non-native English speaking people advance in the language. The event is set for a week from this Saturday, August 5th from 10am to 2pm.
The Wonder Fire near Shasta Lake has burned 100 acres so far. It started yesterday afternoon just after 4pm and was fueled by windy conditions. There are multiple reports on the wildfire, burning in steep terrain. Crews have worked throughout the evening last night to work on control lines. Authorities have kept the evacuation of the area around the Bridge Bay Marina in place. Residents around the south side of Shasta Lake remain on high alert as crews try to get a handle on the fire. Since then, road closures have lifted. As of this morning, crews had the fire at 10 percent containment. A CalFire release lists about 200 personnel and 14 agencies helping in the fire fight. A NOAA image shows the plume of smoke from the Wonder Fire, as well as the Flat and Bedrock Fires burning in west Oregon.
