Santa Rosa Police are investigating a Redwood Valley man with firearms violations. Last weekend, police pulled Frank Pomilia over for speeding. The 21-year-old had a couple of AR-15 rifle magazines and an unregistered, loaded 9 mm handgun in the console of his truck. MendoFever reports he was arrested and booked into Sonoma County Jail for possession of a loaded firearm and more.
New work on water infrastructure is set to begin as the City of Ukiah installs new storm drains. Crews are continuing to work on switching to a new water service infrastructure. If water to a home or business needs to be turned off during the work, people will be contacted at least 3 days in advance. The city released an update in MendoFever that says the street work in the city will also include a joint trench for new underground electric lines as well as phone and cable lines. Tree removal and sidewalk demolition was delayed last week and is expected to happen this week. The city is working to lay down ADA compliant sidewalks with new curbs and gutters. Construction in Ukiah continues to be active Monday through Friday from 7am to 6pm.
The Mendocino National Forest will see continued prescribed burns this week at Howard Mill and in the Grindstone District. And in a Forest Service Update, the department is announcing the Grindstone District staff installed two new corrals at Ides Coves Horsepacker Trailhead. Firefighters had been using the trail system in the Yolla Bolly Middle Eel Wilderness for practiced impact tactics and protection of natural resources in the wilderness after it closed due to the Slide 1 Fire earlier; the closure order has since been lifted. The Forest Service is also reaching out the public for upcoming summer 2024 job opportunities. The positions will be posted starting October 26th through November 8th on USA JOBS with positions in fire, recreation, wildlife, archeology, engineering and more.
The Lakeport Police Department is urging residents to be aware of tools and resources on trespassing and more. Lake County News reports there is a new Trespass Enforcement Authorization Information Page on their website. The page has an expressed waiver, description of ineligible properties and process for submitting a letter to the police. It allows the department to enforce no-trespassing on private property in Lakeport with enforcement action after voluntary compliance and warning don’t work. There is also a place to submit concerns that aren’t urgent to the Lakeport Police on their webpage.
The Grass Roots Institute is launching a campaign to ban new gas stations in Mendocino County. MendoFever reports this weekend the group is hosting an event with a community organizer and leader in Sonoma County’s movement to ban new fossil fuel stations in Sonoma County. This Sunday, the 22nd at noon at the Caspar Center, the Grass Roots Institute will make the case in avoiding new toxic chemical leaks and pollutions sites, support the transition to emissions free transportation and more. Woody Hastings is an environmental activist in the area and has worked with a coalition opposing new gas stations since 2019.
The Redwood Valley Elementary School is up for sale again. The Ukiah Daily Journal reports in the Ukiah Unified Board of Trustees meeting last week, they passed the resolution to sell the surplus property and is looking for bids of the lot at 700 School Street. The real estate won’t be sold for less than $900,000. The timeline to accept bids has been extended by the district through January 18th. At that meeting in the beginning of 2024, the district plans to open sealed bids and also accept oral bids on the property, which is being sold as-is. They’ve also extended the closing date to 90 days following a Purchase and Sale Agreement. Prospective bidders can check out the property next week, Wednesday, October 25th at 10am for a walk-thru and site specific information.
Good news for tax filers, the IRS is postponing tax deadlines to November 16th for most taxpayers in the state. Last winter’s natural disasters spurred the department to postpone tax payments to October 16th. In a release issued in KymKemp, the IRS says most people and businesses in California now have an extra month to file their 2022 returns and pay any tax due. The relief is based on FEMA disaster declarations of severe winter storms, flooding, landslides and more this year. Residents or businesses who had uninsured or un-reimbursed disaster related losses can claim them on their 2022 or 2023 tax filings. There is also a special disaster distribution available for some to make a hardship withdrawal and more.
Advocates for electric vehicles and clean air are urging the Environmental Protection Agency to take aggressive measures as it decides on new emissions rules for medium and heavy-duty electric trucks. With the growth of e-commerce, truck traffic has increased significantly, so the nonprofit CALSTART and other agencies offer incentives for companies to offset the cost of building the power and charging infrastructure necessary to spur the transition to zero-emissions trucks. The California News Service reports public utilities are also mobilizing to expand service to the E-V truck charging network. The E-P-A is expected to finalize the rule by early next year.
The Peregrine Audubon Society will be hosting Carrington Hilson on Elk in Coastal Northern California on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Ukiah City Council Chambers. The presentation will be on elk research and management in coastal northern California, including Del Norte, Humboldt, and Mendocino counties. The focus of work is to obtain a comprehensive assessment of elk populations and their ecology in Northern California. This study is working to estimate population and compare several survey techniques to monitor elk populations. The group is also examining habitat use, resource selection, behavior, disease, and cause-specific mortality. This information will allow long-term elk monitoring program that allows for management and conservation of elk.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is hosting an online outreach meeting for licensed hunters regarding hunting programs in the Bay Delta Region. The meeting will be virtual and is scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, October 18th from 5 to 7pm via Microsoft Teams. The department will give updates on habitat conditions, wetlands and hunting access for the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area Complex and the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area. Hunters are encouraged to comment, ask questions and engage with department specialists as part of an annual outreach meeting.
In a landmark moment aimed at addressing California’s pressing water challenges exacerbated by climate change in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law SB 659, officially titled the California Water Supply Solutions Act of 2023. In the Russian River Flood Control and Water Conservation Improvement District release, the legislation directs the California Department of Water Resources to provide actionable recommendations to develop additional opportunities that increase the recharge of the state’s groundwater basins without reducing the amount of water available for environmental purposes. The bill also requires the plan to protect safe drinking water and maintain a high level of water quality.
Lake County Library’s Literacy Program is planning training tomorrow. The Lakeport Library will hold an in-person, no-cost New Tutor Training on Wednesday, October 18th from 11am to 4pm. The Literacy Program Coordinator will teach techniques for teaching adults to read, write and speak English. Bilingual Spanish speakers are encouraged to come and support adult learners interesting in learning English for the first time. With complete training, tutors will be matched with adult learners in settings around the county. The program also offers GED and High School Equivalency test preparation, digital literacy, citizenship application help, written driving test assistance and more.
Negotiations have been successful between Kaiser Permanente and unions representing those who work there. Cal Matters reports twice in one year workers have walked out saying they are striking for better pay and increased staffing levels. The unions told Kaiser last week that they are prepared to walk out again at the beginning of next month. The health care institution then announced a new contract with steep raises over the next 4 years. Meanwhile, Governor Newsom signed a new minimum wage for health workers, raising it to $25 an hour over the next 10 years. The new contract between unions and Kaiser will raise pay for nearly 70,000 workers in the state by 21 percent within 3 years. The new contract agreement was praised by Vice President Harris. Union leaders say the wage bump and other commitments will create long term stability for the workforce.
There is a new invader in the Russian River Watershed, the New Zealand mudsnail. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife are confirming the presence of the invasive species at Warm Springs Hatchery near Lake Sonoma. Lake County News reports the snails were found in a pipeline and in an aeration pond during a survey. Warm Springs Hatchery releases salmon and steelhead into Russian River tributaries in the lower basin. Officials are doing everything to halt the mudsnails spread. Biosecurity measures are increased at the hatchery with help from the US Army Corps of Engineers. Boaters and other visitors to the Russian River watershed are being asked to decontaminate all equipment used in the water.
