Be careful at the coast. A High Surf Warning is in effect until 10pm tonight with the National Weather Service saying the Mendocino and Humboldt County coasts could see large breaking waves from 26 to 30 feet. They say it’s enough that breaking waves can sweep people off jetties and docks, and into the sea. And any boaters traversing the bar are urged to exercise extreme caution or stay in port until Tuesday.
It’s a mixed bag for opening the Commercial Dungeness Crab Season at the Mendocino Coast. On Friday the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the fishery will open from the Sonoma/Mendocino county line to the U.S./Mexico border beginning January 5 and be subject to a 50 percent trap reduction due to the still existing danger of humpback whales getting tangled in the gear. Meanwhile the commercial fishery from Sonoma/Mendocino county line to the Oregon border will be delayed until January 15 and then under a 25 percent trap reduction. CDFW says despite the shortened seasons the past few years, the California Dungeness crab fishery remains one of the state’s most lucrative, averaging close to $45 million per year over the last five years.
The work to dredge the Lucerne Harbor is reportedly done. Lake County News reports the project that started November 4 was finished a couple weeks ago and the boat launch is back open again. The Harbor had not been dredged since it was built in 1965 and had a large amount of silt creating trouble for some boaters. Marz Engineering did the work for around $212,000 and reportedly did it right on the schedule on which they had bid. As officials had planned and worked to get it done, each year it had to be planned around the Clear Lake hitch so it could only be done from mid October to late December. The dredging was monitored by the Robinson Rancheria and a consulting archaeologist for any artifacts although they have not said if any were found.
A rabid fox has been found in Mendocino County. The County Public Health Department says the wild fox was captured and tested late last month along the coast south of Little River after it was spotted acting unusually. Rabies can be spread from the bite of a rabid animal or from contact with the animal’s saliva and you need to get the vaccination pretty quickly to keep from getting the disease which, without treatment, is fatal. Health officials say if you encounter a wild animal, don’t touch it. And if you are bitten by a wild animal, get medical attention right away. If you see a wild animal acting strangely, call Animal Control. They also remind you to keep your pet vaccinations up to date.
The former lead nurse at the Low Gap Adult Jail Facility has been convicted of several sex-related crimes, much of it based on so-called “catfishing”. The Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office says Blake Dylan Bradley Cox pleaded guilty to eight sex charges as well as two gun charges with investigators saying he had 11 illegal assault weapons and 27 other firearms. The victims in the sex cases included minors and adults that Cox found online using a fake identity. Prosecutors also say Cox’s cell phone had images of child pornography and hidden camera videos.
Plowshares of Ukiah is hosting their annual community Christmas Eve dinner Tuesday afternoon. The community is invited to join them in their Community Dining Room from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. tomorrow. Plowshares Executive Director Michelle Shaw tells the Ukiah Daily Journal they will be serving Honey Glazed Ham with all the traditional fixings and will have gift bags for guests and toys for kids. They say on a typical day Plowshares’ dining room serves 250-300 guests but for the Community Christmas Eve dinner it will be closer to 400. Plowshares has been serving Ukiah for 41 years.
The Mendocino Land Trust is moving forward on buying the Bell Point area. The Land Trust says they are under contract to purchase the 157-acre blufftop parcel just south of Westport. They say the money comes from a $2.5 million grant from the State Coastal Conservancy. And they are also getting another $95,000 from the California Council of Land Trusts to help plan a new portion of the California Coastal Trail and they plan to return the property to Kai Poma which is a nonprofit representing three local Native American tribes who the Land Trust says will soon also own nearby Blues Beach. The Land Trust’s Director of Land Protection says the purchase means the property will be protected forever, opened to public access for the first time, and returned to local tribes for long-term ownership and management.
