Mendocino County is getting a major boost with nearly $35 million headed its way for long-overdue road and bridge upgrades. The funding includes $13.9 million to resurface U.S. 101 through Hopland, add new guardrails, signage, and ADA pedestrian access. Another $8.3 million will replace the Eel River Bridge on Route 162 near Longvale, while Laytonville will see $5 million in culvert repairs and $3.7 million for the Long Valley Creek Bridge. Caltrans says additional projects will stabilize slopes near Covelo and improve fish passage on Route 128.
Facing a budget crisis, the Ukiah Senior Center is shutting its doors every Friday, cutting key services for local seniors. Executive Director Liz Dorsey says the center is running a $15,000 monthly deficit on $90,000 in expenses, forcing reductions in food distribution, lunches, transportation and activities. The thrift store provides about $13,000 a month, but county funding is set to vanish next year as costly repairs pile up. Dorsey says the move was a reluctant one, but seniors can pick up Friday meals a day early to make sure no one goes without food.
The Ukiah area is getting a boost in law enforcement with two new California Highway Patrol officers hitting the streets. Officers Paulina Garcia and Celeste Marquez recently graduated from the CHP Academy in Sacramento and will now train alongside seasoned officers in Mendocino County. The CHP says the 26-week academy prepares cadets in traffic enforcement, crash investigations, firearms and community policing. Their arrival brings the number of women on patrol in the Ukiah office to three.
Hundreds of people are out of their homes due to a wildfire burning in Napa County. The Pickett Fire broke out Thursday in Calistoga and had spread to over 12-hundred acres as of late Thursday night. The Calistoga Community Center opened its doors to evacuees who were hoping to get to come back to their homes later today. Several wineries were also in the evacuation zone. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Governor Gavin Newsom is leading former Vice President Kamala Harris by six points in a new Politico poll of California Democrats looking ahead to the 2028 presidential primary. Analysts say Newsom’s sharp attacks on Donald Trump have energized his base, while Harris is still viewed favorably but dogged by concerns over whether she can win nationally. Harris has already ruled out a run for governor, keeping the door open to a presidential campaign. The poll also tested support for Pete Buttigieg, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Gretchen Whitmer, and Josh Shapiro.
A new Politico-UC Berkeley poll shows most Democratic voters oppose gerrymandering, with 70 percent calling it unacceptable. Still, some Californians support redrawing maps in response to Republican efforts in Texas. Governor Gavin Newsom wants to suspend the state’s independent redistricting commission until 2030, a move that could boost Democratic representation. Lawmakers are set to decide today whether to place the measure on the November ballot.
Erik Menendez will stay behind bars after California parole officials denied his release Thursday in San Diego. He and his brother Lyle are serving 50 years to life for killing their parents in 1989, a crime they later claimed was self-defense after years of abuse. At the hearing, board members pressed Erik about his prison record, including reported gang activity. Lyle Menendez faces his own parole hearing later today.
