The new Costco is finally opening. The 141,000-square-foot warehouse finally opens tomorrow. The Daily Journal reports on a tour the paper took of the new facility on Airport Park Blvd. 230 people have jobs at the big box store that’s been years in the making. The store is south of the Ken Fowler Auto Center. The newspaper reports all of the paving and roadwork that has been ongoing for several months is done. There are still some finishing touches outside like certain street lights aren’t lit up.
Public hearings are being held by the Bureau of Cannabis Control across California so residents can hear about proposed laws and rules for commercial medicinal and adult-use cannabis. August 7th at 10 AM at the Hilton Oakland Airport, then August 14th at 10 AM at the Millennium Biltmore in L-A and on August 27th also at 10 AM at the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria in Sacramento. The bureau also published the proposed new regulations in the California Regulatory Notice Register which regularly shows formal rules in process of being adopted. The public comments are being accepted both in writing and during these forums. They will not take any public comments on the phone.
The City of Clearlake is starting road construction on the east side of the city. The city announcing the Dam Road Extension Project is starting in the area known as the Avenues. Apparently noted during the Clayton Fire that there needed to be another way out, so this project will put in another exit route which will connect the Avenues to Dam Road. The City Manager Greg Folsom says he thinks it’s going to be one of the most important projects in years and that those living nearby will be pleased with the outcome, saying there will be better access to local schools, Walmart and a new Tractor Supply and Big 5. The project will run more than a million dollars and comes from a Series A Redevelopment Bond fund.
The city of Santa Rosa is going after PG&E for the October firestorm, filing a lawsuit against the utility giant. The Press Democrat reports the lawsuit due to damage caused by the historical and devastating fires last October. The lawsuit was filed one week ago, but it was announced yesterday at the City Council meeting. Santa Rosa follows Sonoma, Lake, Mendocino and Napa counties who are also all suing PG&E for the fires where 5,300 homes burned in Sonoma County alone, killing 24 people there. A spokesperson for Santa Rosa says they’ll consolidate their suit with the other local government lawsuits against the utility. The final Cal Fire report on the Tubbs fire is not done, but it had already been determined PG&E power equipment caused 16 other major fires across Northern California last October, including those others in Sonoma, and in Lake, Napa and Mendocino counties.
The Lakeport City Council says no it’s not going to put a measure on the ballot to totally ban safe and sane fireworks. Apparently there had been complaints from residents about the fireworks because of the potential for fire danger. The Board of Supervisors has considered the fireworks ban and four supervisors even signed a letter to the city council about the sale of the fireworks saying it should end due to the wildfires in the past, present and for the extreme risk of more. There were also letters of support in the council agenda packet for the ban from the Lake County Fire Chief and Northshore Fire Protection District.
Anyone interested in running for Lakeport City Council can grab an application packet. The official nomination papers are available now for those interested. There are two open spots, they are for four year terms. Those interested have to be registered to vote and live within Lakeport city limits. And the deadline is August 10th. The candidates have to be nominated so they have to gather signatures of registered voters. The county clerk has all nominating guidelines and more.
The first death from whooping cough this year announced in California. The state Department of Public Health reported an infant in San Bernardino died from pertussis, the first infant confirmed to have died of the disease in Calif. since 2016, when there were two deaths. The head of the department says it’s a tragedy as the disease is preventable and that immunizations are the first line of defense for an ever present disease like this. The agency reports between 50 to 200 babies have to be hospitalized each year with pertussis. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state’s health dept. continue to recommend expectant mothers get a whooping cough booster shot the soonest they can between 27 and 36 weeks of pregnancy, even if they had the immunization previously.
The city of Willits receives a grant so it can install a couple of electric car charging stations. The money granted from the Land Trust for the charging stations in public parking lots so that four cars can charge at a time. The stations are not online yet, but have been put in already. The city planner says they’re just waiting for PG&E to light up the charging stations which should be online by the end of July. But apparently it could take longer as the utility is working on summer wildfires.
A Walmart store in Tennessee had to be closed down for several hours after a raccoon went inside and could not be caught. There were customers waiting outside the retailer Monday morning in Covington who were told they had to stay closed until the captured the critter. The company called out a wildlife removal service who were in the store for several hours looking for the raccoon. No injuries were reported during the escapade.
