A man is dead after crashing his car off Highway 101 and going 100 feet down an embankment. The crash happened early Saturday afternoon, south of Willits. The car, a Chevrolet Malibu, came to rest on top of concrete barriers after flipping onto its roof. The man has not been identified yet, but authorities say he had an Oregon driver’s license and was in his 30s. The California Highway Patrol is working to determine the cause of the crash but says there is no evidence of drugs or alcohol being a factor.
CalFire is reporting the Park Fire is now 51% contained. Burning since July 24th, the fire has covered 429 thousand 388 acres. CalFire says they’ll rotate a new team into the area this morning, it’s a scheduled rotation to ensure the well-being of the team, according to the latest status update. Officials are asking that residents in the area of the fire be cautious as they are allowed to move back to their homes and look out for fire crews that continue to work nearby.
California is in the spotlight as the Democratic National Convention begins today. The state has the largest number of delegates arriving in Chicago at nearly 500. That includes Governor Newsom and almost two dozen lawmakers. They will all be on the floor supporting Vice President Harris who will formally accept the party’s presidential nomination this week. Early voting here starts in October.
There’s a new California law to help prevent car break-ins. Owners no longer have to prove their doors were locked. Governor Newsom signed a bill to close that loophole. Victims can now make their case by showing forcible entry. Senator Scott Wiener was behind the change and calls this a big step forward for accountability on auto burglary.
Attention homebuyers and sellers across the state. New rules went into effect over the weekend that change how commissions work. At the close of escrow, sellers can now decide whether to pay the buyer’s broker anything, and if so how much. Buyers will also have to negotiate how much they’re willing to pay the agent representing them. Most listings won’t be allowed to reveal that amount.
More Californians are earning a paycheck. The state created just over 21-thousand jobs last month and made history in the fast food industry, topping 750,000 jobs for the first time. It’s thanks in part to the minimum wage being raised to $20 an hour in April. Governor Newsom says the job growth highlights the strength of California’s economy which is still the fifth largest in the world.
Ukiah Valley Fire Authority says 4 people were rescued in two incidents at Lake Mendocino in the last 7 days. The first happened on Thursday around 3pm when two women in a floating raft were blown off the river just east of Lake Mendocino and reported they were not feeling well. UFVA responded and got them out of the water. No one was injured. Then Friday morning about 9:30, crews responded to two men who were out fishing and forgot to put the plug in their boat. They were pulled to safety, and reported no injuries.
One man is in the hospital after a crash near Fort Bragg. It happened just after 1 Saturday afternoon when the 84 year old man lost control on a curve. His Honda Civic when off the road, then flipped onto its roof just east of Highway 1 along the Mendocino Coast. California Highway Patrol said it was drizzling at the time and the roads were slick. The driver was taken to a hospital in Fort Bragg, but then flown to Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital where he was still in the ICU yesterday. The victim has not yet been identified, CHP said they’re still investigating the crash.
A crash with multiple injuries tied up traffic in Lucerne yesterday. California Highway Patrol said a Cadillac and a Jaguar crashed around 2:30pm at the intersection of Highway 20 and 12th Avenue. Two victims had to be transported by air ambulance to hospitals in other counties. Other victims were treated at the scene. Traffic was diverted for some time as crews worked to investigate the scene and clean up the wrecked vehicles. Lake County News reported one of the victims was not wearing a seatbelt.
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed ten bills that aim to crack down on property, retail and auto theft. During a news conference and signing ceremony on Friday, the Governor said the bills strengthen existing laws and provide new tools to stop organized retail theft. He added that this is “the most significant legislation to address property crime in modern California history.” Newsom was joined by Attorney General Rob Bonta along with retail, law enforcement, and legislative leaders.
