The clock is ticking for some Californians to use or lose free money. More than 620,000 people have yet to touch their inflation relief payment sent by debit card. While those funds are safe until 2026, about $20 million isn’t. That’s how much is still unclaimed and going back to the General Fund tomorrow. This means the 40,000 people who never received the Middle Class Tax Refund in 2022 can still try to get it today.
A new summer food program is rolling out across California this summer. This will ensure about five-million children don’t go hungry once school is out. Families will start getting SUN Bucks through EBT cards in two weeks that can be used at most grocery stores, farmer’s markets, and other authorized sellers like Amazon and Walmart. The program offers $120 for June, July, and August. The deadline to apply is August 31st.
Firefighters will continue conducting a large, prescribed burn near Lake Sonoma today. Cal Fire and several local fire agencies are burning about 775 acres of grass, brush, and forested areas. That means people will probably see smoke above northern Sonoma County. The burn started late Thursday afternoon.
California’s top Democrats are pushing back on some cuts included in Governor Gavin Newsom’s May budget revise. Legislative leaders this week released their counter proposal to Newsom’s plan to close the state’s projected multi-billion dollar deficit. Their proposal rejects cuts to college scholarships for middle-income students, public health programs, subsidized childcare slots and housing development, but pushes for more cuts to prison funding. However, the proposal does align with Newsom’s strategy to minimize the use of reserve accounts next year. The plan is an agreement between Democratic leaders in the state Senate and Assembly. The legislature has until June 15th to pass a balanced budget before the start of the fiscal year on July 1st.
A Democratic California state senator arguing to keep pedophiles in prison longer is criticizing progressive members of her own party. Susan Eggman spoke on the California Senate floor, blasting her fellow Democrats who she said were seeking to water down the legislation. The bill, introduced by a Republican member, looks to hike the penalty to at least two to four years in prison and require sex offender registration along with a $25,000 fine. Eggman said that while she doesn’t want to see more people in prison, she thinks California needs to crack down on protecting minors. The bill currently sits in the Senate.
Construction crews in Ukiah will continue replacing the sewer lines on Main Street. Starting Monday, construction crews will move to the northern section of the project between Norton and Perkins Streets. Work will begin near the north end of the project and progress south towards Perkins Street. The work will require the closure of Main Street one block at a time in the work zone. This part of the project should take about two weeks if the weather cooperates.
A tree came down on a man while he was cutting wood near Laytonville. First responders arrived just before 1pm Thursday to a location near Branscomb Road, for reports of someone injured by a falling tree. A Ranch air ambulance was dispatched to take the man to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His name has not yet been released. According to Mendo Fever, Laytonville Fire Chief Matt Matheson said the victim was a civilian, and not affiliated with a logging company.
The case of the stolen American Flag in Willits has been solved. It turned out to be a misunderstanding. The flag in question was raised during a ceremony over Memorial Day Weekend and was reported missing to police on Tuesday morning. City workers who were assigned the task of putting up flags had reportedly replaced the flag on the old Rexall flagpole by mistake. A city worker went back on Tuesday to collect the flag, unaware that it was supposed to stay up. The flag and its storage box will be taken to the police department, closing the case, and clearing up any confusion.
