The City of Clearlake is joining the Konocti County Water District and Highlands Mutual Water Company to conduct fire hydrant testing in parts of each agency’s service area within the city. They’re focused on establishing an accurate and consistent hydrant testing standard in order to make sure that they are ready for an emergency. The testing measures the flow and pressure capabilities of a portion of hydrants in each agency’s service area to help so they are able to identify potential upgrades or maintenance needs. Mayor Russ Cremer says they want to do everything possible to keep residents and their homes and properties safe during a wildfire event.
Police arrested two Lake County men in connection with a shooting Friday night that injured a teenager in Nice. 19 year old Lakeport resident Logan Marschall, and 20 year old Ronald Medina, from Lucerne, were arrested, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Lake County News says the victim was evacuated by air to a trauma center. Neither of the suspects appear to have a criminal history and the investigation remains ongoing.
If you’re a Rite Aid shopper, listen up. Stores in Willits, Ukiah and Fort Bragg will either close their doors or change ownership in the next few months. It’s due to another bankruptcy filing. Officials say the company says most stores will stay open for now, but will not replace sold inventory. The Mendocino Voice says all locations will eventually shut down or be sold to a new owner by the end of the year. You should also know that Rite Aid says it will stop issuing customer rewards points for purchases and will no longer honor gift cards or accept returns or exchanges as of June.
California ranks 37th in the U.S. for meeting the needs of its residents.The ranking from U.S. News & World Report evaluates states based on eight categories and 71 metrics. Some are weighted more heavily than others. California ranked last in opportunity due to high living costs but excelled in health care, placing in the top ten. The report noted that many top states prioritize education, with five of the top ten states getting high marks in education.
Governor Newsom is announcing a plan to clear California cities of homeless encampments. He’s calling on cities across the states to effectively ban tent camping on sidewalks and parks. Today’s announcement calls for every local government to adopt and implement the policies "without delay." The crackdown on the state’s homelessness crisis comes as the state prepares for over three-billion dollars in voter-approved funding for homelessness and drug treatment centers. According to the 2024 Mendocino County Point-in-Time Count, there are 774 homeless individuals in the county, with Native American populations making up the highest number.
The Ukiah Planning Commission is set to continue the discussion regarding the creation of an open space zoning district to clarify the intent and purpose of the existing open space land use designation. According to a staff report ahead of Wednesday’s meeting, topics include habitat preservation, recreation, and wildfire resilience; identifying zoning standards and boundaries, targeting the ‘Western Hills’ areas. They’re also looking into exploring long-term management strategies. Wednesday night’s meeting is at 6 p.m. at the Ukiah City Council chambers. You can also watch the meeting online.
State Farm may be in the hot seat. California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara says he may soon launch a formal inquiry into the company’s practices. The comment was made during a recent Zoom meeting with hundreds of survivors from the January wildfires in Los Angeles. The survivors say the insurance company is making it nearly impossible to get any claims filed or answered. State Farm says they’ve received more than 12-thousand claims and paid more than over three-billion dollars to customers.
