The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department says an investigation that started with a report of a stolen bike ended with the discovery of a woman’s body. Deputies responded to the area of Ackerman Creek near the 2200 block of North State Street where they found the woman, identified as Elizabeth Dockins, dead inside a tent. She is believed to have been a transient living in the Ukiah Area. The coroner’s initial finding is that she died of a drug overdose, but an autopsy and toxicology tests will be done to confirm that.
The Guidiville Rancheria has been awarded a fraction of what it wanted from the state to demolish the old palace hotel in Ukiah. The state Department of Toxic Substances Control l has decided to allocate only $200,000 dollars to the tribe, which wants to tear down the property for redevelopment. They wanted millions to underwrite the costs because of toxic waste at the site. An agency review found that using the special state money for demolition was not allowed. Mendofever.com reported this week that the agency was concerned that the Rancheria would use the money with private investors for the development, under the guise of toxic cleanup. Guideville will have to decide if will accept the reduced award or seek a meeting to before it is finalized
A report says the ATF with help from DEA and Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office has conducted a major raid in Redwood Valley. Community members nearby tell MendoFever.com that the agents converged on the property on Laughlin Way Wednesday and detained several people. The DEA isn’t commenting beyond saying it was the lead agency, while the sheriff’s office confirms that deputies were involved to assist
