The Mina fire in Mendocino County is now 97% contained. As of the latest update, it has burned 98 acres just northwest of Covelo. The Mina fire started on July 8th, 2 structures have been destroyed by the fire, and one person has been confirmed dead. Fire crews are continuing mop-up operations today and trying to establish full containment. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
California is playing a role in this week’s Republican National Convention. Sixty-one officers from the CHP, Bakersfield, Fresno and Long Beach are in Wisconsin to begin helping with security today. The deployment was planned in May, before former President Trump was grazed by a bullet during Saturday’s campaign rally. He’s doing okay and flew into Milwaukee yesterday. Governor Newsom says “Public safety transcends party lines.”
Republican and Democratic leaders in Northern California are condemning the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump. Sonoma County Democratic Party Chair Pat Sabo says “None of us want to see somebody harmed through violence.” Sonoma County Republican Party Chair Matt Heath says this is “an opportunity to ask all sides to stop the violent rhetoric and focus on what’s best for the country.” Congressional Representative Mike Thompson is calling the shooting an opportunity for people to get behind his longtime efforts to pass stronger gun control legislation, including universal background checks.
California leaders are uniting after the attempted assassination of former President Trump. They all agree that violence has no place in our democracy. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she knows that firsthand, recalling the attack on her husband two years ago. She asked for prayers while Governor Newsom sent thoughts to Trump and everyone impacted by Saturday’s shooting at a Pennsylvania rally. Congressman Adam Schiff was also among many who reacted on social media. He’s the one who led Trump’s first impeachment trial in 2020 and wished him a swift recovery.
Home Depot will pay a settlement of $750,000 after violating gift card laws in Sonoma County. The settlement also involves several district attorney’s offices, which took civil enforcement action against the company. In California, stores are required to give customers a cash payout when they have less than ten dollars left on a gift card. But, an investigation found Home Depot wasn’t following that rule at several stores . As part of the settlement, Home Depot must also make changes to its registers and employee training practices.
Parts of Northern California could see some relief from excessive heat and wildfires, with chances of rain and mountain thunderstorms expected this afternoon and evening. Cooler temperatures are forecasted for Tuesday and Wednesday, potentially dipping below normal for the first time this July. However, triple-digit heat is likely to return this weekend.
The California Highway Patrol is adding 102 new officers. They graduated Saturday after an intensive 26-week training. Governor Newsom was there to welcome the class, saying they’re dedicated to protecting communities and making neighborhoods safe. The group will be deployed to offices across the state. This makes 816 cadets sworn in since the CHP launched a campaign two years ago to recruit and hire one-thousand officers.
The California State Fair is making history. It kicked off its 170th anniversary over the weekend with yesterday marking the first time visitors can legally smoke pot. A cannabis company with 15 dispensaries opened a consumption lounge for those 21 and older to try products from across the state. It’s fenced off and away from rides and exhibits. The lounge will open seven days a week but with limited hours Monday through Thursday.
Wildfires in California have burned 20 times as much land this year compared to last. There have been nearly 36-hundred wildfires so far, but more than 220-thousand acres of land have burned. By comparison, at this time last year, three-thousand wildfires burned a little more than ten-thousand acres of land. Experts say there is a great deal more fuel out there prompted by prolonged winter rainstorms. Combined with an extremely hot summer and gusty winds, they say that’s a cocktail for devastating wildfires.
A teenager was arrested Friday night at Carnival by the Sea in Fort Bragg. A press release from Fort Bragg Police Department said officers responded to a 911 call from inside the carnival that said someone was brandishing a firearm. Police stopped 18 year old Matreyus Meyer of Fort Bragg for questioning and found him to be carrying gang paraphernalia and a weapon. When police searched Meyer, they recovered a loaded gun with no serial number and a hatchet. Meyer was arrested and booked into Mendocino County Jail on multiple charges including carrying an unregistered loaded firearm.
Crews continue to fight the McNab Fire in Mendocino County that started yesterday west of Highway 101. The fire, burning between Hopland and Ukiah has burned 10 acres so far, according to the Cal Fire Mendocino Unit. Officials said the fire started just after 11am yesterday in the 800 block of McNab Ranch Road. Cal Fire reported it is 0% contained. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
