Be prepared, Pacific Gas & Electric Company says they may have to shut off power due to a possible “dry offshore wind event”. The forecast over the next days could mean public safety power shutoffs for 16 counties they serve. That could mean lights out in Lake and Mendocino County, Sonoma, Napa and other counties in the North Bay region. The utility’s own meteorologists are monitoring the weather. The event is forecast for tomorrow and Wednesday. The company says they’ll send 48 hour notice to those affected by the wind event, as it’s mixed with the extreme to exceptional drought and extremely dry vegetation. Meanwhile, the Dixie Fire, the single largest fire in Calif. history is still burning in some of the counties where the warning also covers, Butte, Plumas, Tehama, and Lassen counties. 2730 Lake County customers and 240 Mendocino customers will be impacted.
The Dixie Fire is still raging across Northern Calif, threatening hundreds of homes, after already burning hundreds of homes and buildings. Thunderstorms Friday didn’t help the matter, because it contained barely any moisture, but it did carry wind and sent lightning strikes across the northern Sierra. And high temperatures came back Sunday with a vengeance. There were wind gusts recorded of up to 50 mph Saturday, moving the fire closer to Janesville, which is just east of Greenville, already desecrated by the massive inferno. The U.S. Forest Service reports working in crisis mode, deploying whatever firefighters they have left. Around 21,000 federal firefighters are on the ground, 6,000 of them on the Dixie. It’s burned over 570,000 acres and was 31% contained on Sunday.
A man reportedly fell near Hopland triggering a rescue. Mendo Fever reports Hopland Fire and Cloverdale Ambulance were called yesterday to the Geyser Road Exit south of Hopland near the Mendocino/Sonoma County line for a man who had suffered “extreme fall.” The 37 year old reportedly fell with someone else calling for help. Then a CalStar ambulance came to the scene to take the man out of the area.
A man’s been found dead alone in a car near Laytonville. The call yesterday afternoon to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office to report to the 101 and Fisherman Drive. Mendo Fever reports the man may have been driven to the area to meet the ambulance. That was later corrected to be Road 307 and Highway 101.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors about to join others across the nation requiring masks be worn in all indoor county facilities. The board will consider the matter tomorrow morning at their regular meeting where they’re also sure to receive an update on the pandemic from health officials. The urgency ordinance was already in play. The county administrative officer says the ordinance will stay in play until the transmission rate for the virus is at moderate or not more than 5.9 cases/100,000 and testing positivity not more than 4.9%. It’s currently 59/100,000 and testing positivity is 15.7%.
Water and Sewer rates are about to go up in Lakeport. The City Council is poised to approve a rate increase at their meeting tomorrow night. Lake Co News reports they’re opening the meeting to the public, but if you’re there and unvaccinated for COVID-19 you have to wear a mask. They’ll also have the meeting on Zoom. A resolution will be announced to increase the water and sewer rates, with a public hearing set for Oct. 19th.
A fire that had been burning in Hidden Valley Lake has been surrounded. Fire officials say the Coyote Fire burned nearly 130 acres. It started Friday after a car fire spread on Highway 29 near the Coyote Grade, north of Hidden Valley Lake. There was an evacuation order for a minute and a handful of outbuildings burned, but there were no reports of homes damaged or destroyed so far.
The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors having a public hearing on spending a couple million on renovations and management at an apartment facility in Ukiah. The project had been a hotel the city bought as part of Project Homekey. It’s been converted to housing for the homeless. They will also get an update from an ad-hoc committee tomorrow on ways to improve the early warning alerts we get when there’s an emergency or natural disaster. They will have a busy meeting as they’ll also discuss a recent grand jury report on technology. And interviews will take place for people who’ve applied to be on the redistricting commission, which has to happen after a US Census report, which is due any day. The Board will also decide what to do with almost $20 million from Pacific Gas & Electric as disaster settlement funds.
Firefighters getting control of the Bell Fire. There had been an evacuation warning in place, but it was lifted. As of last night fire crews were closing in on the last 30% or so of containment line. The fire has burned 50 acres and is 65% contained. There was an evacuation order, then it was lowered to a warning. There was a shelter set up in Laytonville for those ordered to leave their home, but folks had to stay in their cars for a while because of the pandemic. The fire was burning near Bell Springs Road and Foster Creek Road. There were other fires burning yesterday too, one north of Gualala near Big Gulch Road and Highway 1. And another one in Laytonville in the 5500 block of Branscomb Lane. There were Nixle alerts sent out for the fires.
The Mendocino Film Festival has year round programming, plus they’ve announced dates for their yearly film festival. The 15th Annual Mendocino Film Festival will happen in June of next year, the 2nd through the 5th. The year round programming starts with Cinema in the Redwoods, that’ll be Stand By Me (1986), in partnership with Fort Bragg’s historic Skunk Train, this coming weekend. Hop on the train at 6:30 p.m. get a round trip to the screening, bottomless popcorn, a drink at the bar. The next event is the third weekend in September. And separately they’re starting to bring back their Classic Film Series the first Wednesday of the month, starting Oct. 6th For more information, visit MendocinoFilmFestival.org
Lamda is here. This is a new variant of the COVID-19 virus. Following Delta, the strain comes out of South America. There’s been more than 150 cases in Calif. It’s possible it’s even more infectious and we’re not going to say for sure, as researchers say more studying is necessary. But word is out there that this strain could be resistant to vaccines. We also don’t know for sure if it’s as infectious as the delta variant now ravaging the state. The Lambda variant came out of Peru. It first surfaced there about a year ago and is spreading fast across South America.
There’s a new CEO for the Lake County Chamber of Commerce. The last CEO Melissa Fulton has retired so the President of the Chamber Bobby Dutcher reported after a lengthy process and up to 15 applicants, they chose someone already on the Board of Directors for the Chamber. Laura Sammel will run things moving forward. Sammel says first on the agenda is to listen, and listen some more, then keep listening, as she has a huge learning curve. She says she wants to get out and meet and talk to people in the agency and the business community, then she’ll meet with city and county officials and state representatives.
Due to the recent surge in delta variant COVID-19 cases, the Taste of Lake County has been canceled. The Lakeport Main Street Association Board made the decision about the Aug 28th event as cases of the virus keep mounting. The event was set for loads of eating and drinking, and even though it’s outside, the organizers felt it wouldn’t be safe. They’re alerting their sponsors that they have to cancel for the second year in a row. The group says they’re planning for next year already. The Record Bee reports so far the Pumpkin and Dia de los Muertos Festivals on Oct. 2nd and the Dicken’s Fair on Nov. 27th in downtown Lakeport are still set to go on.
The county has reported a new high of COVID19 cases. Last Thursday, as we reported, was the highest single day of cases, 95. Dr. Andy Coren, the county’s public health officer reported there were about 38 cases/100,000 people a day last week and he thinks this week will be in the mid-50s. He added that “Northern California had the worst case rates in the state” with surges in Humboldt, Del Norte and Lake counties actually worse than in Mendocino County. He also says the case rates may be lower than in reality as testing rates are down. But hospitalizations are up. There were about 11ish hospitalizations in July, now there are twice as many, and 8 people are in an ICU bed. He says the numbers now are higher than last winter and more than 95-percent people of those in the hospital have not been vaccinated. Dr. Coren gave his Friday address adding only 25% of county ICU beds are open.
No, inmates in prison are not allowed to have marijuana, even if it is legal in the state. This from a new ruling by the state Supreme Court which overturned a lower court ruling that said prisoners could have weed if they didn’t consume it. That meant, they could have up to an ounce of marijuana. But the Supremes said it went against common sense and took sides with the state attorney general who said California’s marijuana law did not apply to Californians in prison.
Another person has died from COVID19 in Mendocino County. Public Health announced being notified a 63 year old Willits woman became the county’s 55th death. Public Health is reminding during this latest surge in cases to use caution when putting yourself in situations that could expose you to COVID-19, especially considering the new more infectious Delta variant. Public Health asks that you follow all CDC and CDPH guidance. Vaccination, masking and social distancing remain the best options for combating the Covid-19 Virus. The individual in question was not vaccinated and had multiple underlying comorbidities.
