Yet another death in Mendocino County from the coronavirus. The County Public Health Dept. reports being informed of the death yesterday and that it was a 49 year old unvaccinated man from Ukiah who died after contracting the virus. This means there have been 56 deaths. Once again Public Health reminds you to try to keep yourself out of situations that may expose you to the virus, especially because of the much more infectious Delta variant. And another reminder to please follow all CDC and CDPH guidance. And the agency says vaccination, masking and social distancing are still the best options for combating the Covid-19 Virus.
Just like they promised, Pacific, Gas & Electric has shut off the electricity for thousands in the North Bay due to fire weather. Last night over 14,000 PG&E customers had their energy turned off to minimize the threat of wildfires due to gusty winds. Customers in Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties lost power at 6 p.m. last night. There were thousands more across Northern California who were supposed to lose their power across 18 counties. About 11,000 in Lake and Mendocino combined. But the utility company’s outage map showed the outages were in mostly mountainous, rural areas. As you know the Public Safety Power Shutoffs are used in red flag warning conditions when there is hot temperatures, low humidity and strong winds.
More hot water for the former Mayor of Windsor who already resigned in shame after several women accused him of either sexual assault or harassment. Dominic Foppoli is now accused of possible conflicts of interest when he voted on a proposed development. Foppoli is being investigated by police in Sonoma County and Palm Beach, Florida. This latest investigation is by the Fair Political Practices Commission after an anonymous complaint was filed last month regarding the former mayor’s involvement in council discussions about a project proposed at the civic center. Apparently he’s part owner of a building and business the new development would be connected to.
County workers in Sonoma County added to the long list of places where you must be fully vaccinated to work, or get a weekly test. The Public Health Officer, Dr. Sundari Mase recommended it to the Board of Supervisors and they agreed that over 4,000 county workers need to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus or be tested weekly due to the surge of cases anew amidst the highly contagious delta variant. This comes after the county already agreed that all area first responders — law enforcement, fire and emergency medical employees also need to be vaccinated by Sept. 1st or be tested weekly.
The Mendocino County Public Health Officer at the latest board meeting saying the amount of cases and deaths in the county right now is “quite alarming”. As of yesterday, Dr. Andy Coren noted 27 people in the hospital, and six are in an Intensive Care Unit. He says that’s a lot more hospitalizations than last winter or spring, and six times higher than last month. Coren told Supervisors hospital workers were “burned out” and they weren’t taking on extra shifts as they did at the beginning of the pandemic, putting area hospitals in crisis mode. Likewise, the head of Adventist Health in Ukiah, Willits and Fort Bragg says there is brewing fatigue amongst staff, but says they are safely staffed. He also said 85 percent of their admissions are in non-vaccinated individuals.
Governor Gavin Newsom says since there are so many more infections and hospitalizations in California, he’s making sure hospitals have enough staff and resources. So the Governor has signed an executive order to that effect. It will allow health care workers from out of the state to come to work in California. It also allows some health care workers and emergency medical technicians to continue working in the state. It allows health care facilities flexibility to figure out ways to change around their spaces so they can fit more patients. It also talks about teachers and school staff who are retired, so they can come back short term to help out, without waiting a certain amount of lag time usual, in non-pandemic times.
State Sen. Mike McGuire’s hosting a virtual town hall on the coronavirus. It’s tonight at 6:30 p.m. live on Facebook or on McGuire’s website. You can also dial in or check out the webinar where McGuire is hosting a pediatrician from Kaiser Permanente and an infectious disease doctor from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. They’ll talk about the latest spike in cases and school this fall.
Mendocino Deputies along with other law enforcement at it again, breaking up marijuana grows, pulling and destroying weed and detaining many. No arrests were made as all of the cases are headed to the DA for possible charges. The teams went out last week with Border Protection agents first in Willits they found 29 people there and almost a quarter million in cash and almost 9,500 pounds of processed marijuana which was mostly destroyed, but kept some as evidence. Then it was off to another grow in Willits where they eradicated over 2,300 plants and found more in Willits along with 5 people amongst hoop houses. Nearly 5,900 plants were found at that location along with 1,376 pounds of processed pot, much of it destroyed on scene. There was also a ghost gun. Then they headed to Laytonville and found weed growing on private property that was clear cut with hoop houses on the property, over 2,000 illegal plants and almost 107 pounds of processed marijuana. In the same area, on BLM property, was 4,000 more plants that were destroyed on scene. Then back to Willits where 3 people were found, and 913 plants and almost 1,757 pounds of hanging/drying marijuana, which was also destroyed.
More homes in Mendocino County than anticipated are in the dark. PG&E increased the amount of homes in the Public Safety Power Shutoff after the National Weather Service in Eureka issued a Red Flag Warning. The power was turned out in Laytonville, some homes in the Brooktrails area, several along the Mendocino/Humboldt County line, and added on last minute were homes in and around Covelo, Redwood Valley, and Potter Valley along with others along the Willits Grade on the 101. And more in the South County, on Highway 128 through Yorkville and a section near the Mendocino/Sonoma County line east of the 101. There’s a charging center in Covelo at Keith’s Market and one in Laytonville at Harwood Hall. Gusty winds are expected thru tonight.
Lake Sonoma is at record low levels and the water is so warm that coho salmon are threatened at a state hatchery. The hatchery is at the base of a dam near Healdsburg. The Press Democrat reports there’s signs of disease in the juvenile fish which is already endangered in the Russian River. The newspaper reports federal biologists made an unusual move by bringing in 2,000 fish to a student-operated hatchery in Petaluma where high schoolers are watching over the fish with their science teacher. Casa Grande High School has a nearly 4 decade old United Anglers program which will care for the tiny salmon during the statewide drought. It comes as Chinook and coho salmon died off on the Klamath River due to record low precipitation.
A lawsuit’s been filed in federal court in Calif. to get the recall election stopped. The lawsuit alleges the recall is unconstitutional since it doesn’t allow the Governor’s constituents equal protection under the law which is guaranteed under the 14th amendment of the US constitution. The recall is set for Sept. 14th. The lawsuit was filed by two voters, R.J. Beaber and A.W. Clark with their argument by the Berkeley Law School Dean. The Dean Erwin Chemerinsky also penned an op-ed in the NY Times last week saying Newsom can get a lot more votes than other candidates and still lose his job and that violates a “core constitutional principle” that “every voter should have an equal ability to influence the outcome of the election.”
