Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Stories of note

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The Latest

After Two Years at the Helm, Mendocino County’s Cannabis Director Kristin Nevedal Resigns

Prior to Nevedal, three ag commissioners, three cannabis program managers, and a Planning and Building Director also tried and failed to administer the cannabis ordinance.

Sheriff’s Department Investigating Disappearance of Willits Man

Press release from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Department: The Sheriff's Office is currently investigating the reported disappearance of Riley Hsieh who had last spoken with...

Crime

20-Year-Old Felon Arrested for Possessing Sawed-Off Shotgun and Ammo in Ukiah

"In the same grocery bag that the shotgun was located sticking out of, was a green metal ammunition container. Inside of the container was a box of Winchester .40 caliber pistol ammunition containing 100 live rounds."

Hash Oil, Firearms, Cash, Human Trafficking: Lake County Investigation Uncovers Illegal Cannabis Operation

"During the investigation, a large, sophisticated chemical manufacturing laboratory was located in the Middletown area.  The laboratory was using very volatile, combustible, and highly flammable chemicals for manufacturing concentrated marijuana, commonly referred to as hash oil."

Fort Bragg Police Deploy Taser After Man Allegedly Attacks Ambulance Crew

"He was able to free himself, utilizing the medical shears and began chasing medical staff around the ambulance while brandishing the shears in a threatening manner."

Fire

Fort Bragg House Fire Results in Significant Damage—Likely Caused by Bad Wiring

Chief Orsi learned from the home's owners they had purchased the property within the last year and had set to revamp it. He said the wiring was likely not up to code for many years installed by earlier residents.

[UPDATES]Barn On Fire, Explosions Reported at Albion’s Salmon Creek Farms

A barn is engulfed in flames at Albion's Salmon Creek Farms this afternoon and there are reports of explosions and the possibility of spreading to other structures.

[UPDATE]Structure Fire at Covelo’s Round Valley Indian Health Center

Covelo's Round Valley Indian Health Center is on fire this evening and firefighters on the scene are calling for mutual aid from nearby agencies as crews enter the structure to attack the flames
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The Bright Side

Ukiah Police Officer and Crisis Worker Partner to Address the Needs of a Mentally Ill Woman

"While I’m not sure of this young woman’s next steps, I can say that I’m beyond moved at the work that County Mental Health and our Law Enforcement have been able to come to in their collaboration."

Fort Bragg High School Students Make and Donate Pumpkin Pies for Community Thanksgiving Dinner

“We are so fortunate to have a program like this in our community—one that not only prepares our young community members for a bright future, but also generously contributes to a brighter today for our friends and neighbors."

A Round Valley Wailaki and a Hoopa Valley Woman Recieve $20,000 in Scholarships from SoCal’s Morongo Tribe

“Students like this year’s recipients will be the tribal leaders of the future."

Eco-Friendly Gardening Tips for Springtime Planting from the Friends of the Noyo River 

"As we plan our gardens this spring we should strive to be good stewards of Mother Earth and utilize the best eco-friendly practices that will provide the healthiest food with the biggest yields."

Mendocino County’s First Baby of 2023 Is a Girl

“She’s the best gift I could ever ask for."

Traffic

76-Year-Old Arcata Woman Dies, Two With Major Injuries After Ridgewood Grade Traffic Collision

"Due to the roadway conditions, the driver was unable to maintain control of the vehicle and veered out of control, into the northbound lanes of US-101 directly into the path of a silver Hyundai, traveling northbound on US-101 at the time."

Government

After Two Years at the Helm, Mendocino County’s Cannabis Director Kristin Nevedal Resigns

Prior to Nevedal, three ag commissioners, three cannabis program managers, and a Planning and Building Director also tried and failed to administer the cannabis ordinance.

Mendo’s Cannabis Department Faces Declining Revenue, Budget Overages, and a Multi-Million Dollar Reporting Error

Five county departments are projected to come in at more than $200,000 over budget. The mid-year report notes that the Cannabis Department is in the lead by far, with projections of being over budget by $662,000,

Fort Bragg Mayor Bernie Norvell Is Running for Mendocino County’s 4th District Supervisor

"It is my belief that collectively we cannot solve our problems until we recognize our inadequacies, identify plans that are not working, and start making concrete decisions that result in evident change."

Environment

Fish and Wildlife Launches Immediate Efforts to Save Clear Lake Hitch

"Historically numbering in the millions, Clear Lake hitch now are facing a tough fight to avoid extinction."

California Lawmaker Introduces Bill to Expand Community, Wildlife Protections Against Rat Poisons

"In 2022 a pregnant mountain lion who was struck by a car and killed in Southern California had tested positive for rodenticide and so did her four unborn kittens."

A Brooktrails Bear Got Aggressive Striking a Resident Drawing Blood and Caught On Video Charging Family Home

We asked the Brooktrails resident if he would contact Fish and Wildlife to report what many would describe as human-wildlife conflict. He replied, "He is just a hormonal teenager and doing what bears do.”

Cannabis

After Two Years at the Helm, Mendocino County’s Cannabis Director Kristin Nevedal Resigns

Prior to Nevedal, three ag commissioners, three cannabis program managers, and a Planning and Building Director also tried and failed to administer the cannabis ordinance.

Hash Oil, Firearms, Cash, Human Trafficking: Lake County Investigation Uncovers Illegal Cannabis Operation

"During the investigation, a large, sophisticated chemical manufacturing laboratory was located in the Middletown area.  The laboratory was using very volatile, combustible, and highly flammable chemicals for manufacturing concentrated marijuana, commonly referred to as hash oil."

Mendo’s Cannabis Department Faces Declining Revenue, Budget Overages, and a Multi-Million Dollar Reporting Error

Five county departments are projected to come in at more than $200,000 over budget. The mid-year report notes that the Cannabis Department is in the lead by far, with projections of being over budget by $662,000,

Weather

President Biden Approves California’s Emergency Declaration—FEMA Deployed to Mendocino, Humboldt, Lake, and Other Counties

"Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency."

[UPDATE 9:05 p.m.: The Closures Begin]Crews Work Swiftly to Reopen Most of Mendocino County Major Roads—More Snow Expected Tonight

Mendocino County residents that live about 1,000' should prepare for the possibility that the same roadways crews worked diligently to clear today could once again be closed tomorrow morning.

More Snow Incoming—Travel Impacts Expected Across the Emerald Triangle Sunday Night Into Tuesday Morning

The winter weather wallops continue. Forecasts indicate Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity, and Lake Counties will be pummeled by at least two more winter systems bearing down from the Gulf of Alaska in the upcoming days. 

Utilities

Share Your Thoughts on Where to Install Electric Vehicle Charging Stations from Redwood Valley to Hopland

"MCOG is seeking input from countywide residents on where these chargers should be placed, since many households work, shop, or attend school in the greater Ukiah area."

Asm. Jim Wood Introduces Bill to Regulate Broadband Providers as a Public Utility

"Broadband has become an essential service in the daily lives of 21st century consumers and we know Americans agree."

Point Arena is First City in Mendocino County to Adopt 100% Renewable Electricity

"City Manager Paul Andersen said the wastewater treatment plant, City hall, the Coastal Seniors programs, city street lights and the hoist at the Point Arena pier all will now operate on clean electricity through a program called EverGreen."

Tribes

Bureau of Land Management, Wiyot Tribe, and UC Berkeley Partner to Improve Eel River Fishery

"Members of the Tribe’s natural resources department will work with a team from UC Berkeley to remove non-native Sacramento pikeminnow, which prey on juvenile native fish, and will track juvenile salmon to learn how much time they spend in the South Fork Eel on their migration downstream to the Pacific Ocean."

Health

New Research Finds That People Who Use Cannabis Early in Pregnancy are at Increased Risk of Poor Pregnancy Outcomes

“With recreational marijuana use becoming legal in more states, we need better data because patients are interested in understanding the risk of cannabis use in pregnancy so they can make an informed decision.”

Assemblyman Jim Wood Introduces Bill to Permanently Allow Critical Access Hospitals to Employ Physicians

“Critical access hospitals provide care to Californians who live in more remote areas and they have real challenges finding enough physicians to adequate staff their hospitals."

Drought

New State Policies for Drilling Wells Could Dramatically Increase Costs and Permitting Times for Mendocino County’s Farmers—Op-Ed

"The State of California has billions of dollars available for water infrastructure. The new rules put a tremendous burden on the county and farmers. Will the state provide funding for any of this?"

State Drought Manager and Atmospheric River Expert Featured in Sonoma County Town Hall on November 10th

"A third consecutive year of below-average rainfall in the Russian River watershed has left the region’s two primary water storage reservoirs, Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino, near historic lows."

A Lake of Summer Memories Is Now a Grim Symbol of Mendocino County’s Water Crisis

The quiet crisis building in the background of our Mendocino County lives is water. Sometimes a couple of photographs can tell the story better than any reporter could.

COVID-19

Mask and Vaccine Requirements Become Recommendations—Mendo Public Health Follows State and Dials Back COVID-19 Orders

"Mendocino County Department of Public Health and CDPH have used science to guide our health strategies throughout the pandemic."

Three Years After Californians Were Ordered to Shelter in Place, the Governor Terminates the COVID-19 State of Emergency

"Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation terminating the state’s COVID-19 State of Emergency, as previously announced in October."

Schools and Employers Should Allow Self-Attestation Rather Than Doctor’s Note to Return After Sickness—Mendocino County Public Health

“Most people will recover in their own home from flu or COVID without a problem”.

mendohistory

Gadgets Galore! A New Exhibit at the Mendocino County Museum ‘Reveals the Hidden Histories of Everyday Objects’

"Possers, stereoscopes, and graphophones? At one time, each of these gadgets was an invention – the latest and greatest item, and one everyone wanted to own."

New Book Explores the History of Mendocino County’s Renowned Orr Hot Springs

"The steaming hot waters emerging there have been soothing aches and pains for passersby long before pioneers arrived."

The Demolition of the Nearly Century-Old Howard Hospital Marks the End of an Era—City of Willits Considering the Future of the Site

“Our preference, of course, would have been to repurpose the existing building for something related to healthcare. But we couldn’t find someone who was interested in the existing facility…we just felt as though this was the most logical next steps..."

The Coombs Family, the Town of Littleriver, and Getting Married in 1872—Now at the Mendocino County Museum

"Discover how this prominent family helped establish Littleriver, blazed new trails, and of course find out what one wore for a wedding in 1872."

The Elder Magnolias of Ukiah’s Courthouse—A Living Link to the Town’s Beginnings 

“Ancient sentinels of a passing era. Their roots are entwined about the hearts of many who linger here and in the memories of the days of their youth consider them as friends of that happy time.”
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Community Events

Mendocino County Reads Celebrated Chef Sally Schmitt’s “Six California Kitchens” Accompanied by Food Events and More

"The homey tales and enticing recipes of Philo’s Apple Farm are part of Six California Kitchens as well as the inspiration for the Mendocino County Library choosing it as this year’s Mendocino County Reads book."

Mendocino College Presents Tony Award Winning Musical ONCE 

"Once tells the story of a guy who gives up on love and music, and a girl who inspires him to dream again."

Hog Farm Hideaway Music Festival Focuses the Spotlight on Women’s History Month

"As part of the lead-up to this exciting event, the producers are taking the opportunity during Women’s History Month to shine a spotlight on the many strong women who are involved on the stage and behind the scenes."

MendoMoments

MendoMoments: A Caspar Shack with the Patina of Time

They stumbled on a little shack, festooned with vines, door ajar, windows dusty with time. Miltmore said, "There was something enchanting about this beautiful, yet run-down little building, sitting just a little off of the main road."

MendoMoments: Lost in the Maze of Brooktrails

Seth Garcia found himself lost in the circuitous roads of Brooktrails yesterday evening when he looked up and beheld a sight. He was inspired to grab his camera and take a picture because he "liked how the road was windy and the sun was setting perfectly in between the trees."

MendoMoments: The Savage Surfers of the Mendocino Coast

The Mendocino County Surfer sees opportunity in the expanse, seeks order in the chaos, and feels calm in the storm.

Paranormal

A Traveler’s Haunting Encounter With a Mysterious Orb in the Darkness of the Mendocino County Night

This traveler crossed into the liminal space of root and rock and ridge and emerged forever changed. His experience cannot be authenticated. There are no photographs, videos, or corroborators. The only mark of those moments is a man forever trying to explain the unexplainable. 

Ukiah Cops, Point Arena Coasties, and a County Supervisor Recount Witnessing UFOs Above Mendocino County— MendoThrowback

Coast Guard Seaman Brad Roddy based at the Coast Guard Lighthouse Station in Point Arena claimed to see an object that "had a red-body light with a whitish light or glow on one end" and watched a "weird cloud formation" form around it.

It Was 59 Years Ago When Children in the Mendocino County Woods Met the Legendary Bigfoot

Far-flung residents of Mendocino County throw around “way out there” and “up in the hills". Nothing says we live on the frontier like being on the edge of Bigfoot Country. 

Op-Ed/Letter to the Editor

‘Grooming Us for Another Tax Hike’—Letter Writer Is Suspicious of Mendo Supervisor’s Call to Increase Transporation Funding

"If you want the County to provide you with basic services for which you are already paying, he says we need to cough up some more money."

Mendocino County’s Department of Transportation Is ‘Spread Thin’—5th District Supervisor Calls for More Funding

"With the reduced crew size the department cannot provide the services the public expects. Crews will make every effort to fill the worst of the worst potholes as soon as possible."

Letter to the Editor: Coastal Commission Approves Piecemeal Destruction of the Albion Gateway to the Coast

"Caltrans says it’s about safety. The truth is, Caltrans’ goal is to build, piece by piece, a straighter, faster Highway 1 from Navarro Grade to Dark Gulch — a mini freeway pointed straight at Caltrans’ proposed demolition of the historic Albion River Bridge."

Police Logs

Education

Anderson Valley High School Teacher Beth Swehla Honored as California Finalist for Ag Educator of the Year

"As a finalist, Swehla will receive a $500 cash prize and be recognized on stage at the 95th Annual State FFA Leadership Conference in Ontario later this week"

37th Annual Mendocino County Science and Engineering Fair & S.T.E.A.M Expo 

“As a parent, I'm always looking for fun activities to do with my children, and the Science Fair’s S.T.E.A.M. Expo is the perfect activity for families to enjoy together."

Rural Communities Housing Development Corporation Interested in Redwood Valley School Property

"The RCHDC was the only eligible entity that responded to the District’s Notice of Offer to Sell Surplus Property during the window that opened on December 18th, 2022, and closed on February 16th, 2023."

Community

Call for Entries for “Impressions: A Printmaking Exhibition” Juried Art Exhibition

"Printmaking techniques include, but are not limited to: woodcut, linocut, etching, engraving, lithography, screenprinting, and letterpress."

MendoFever Is Now On Instagram!

Instagram, at its core puts photography front and center, which we admire and look forward to the platform showcasing the images we painstakingly seek out to bring our stories to life.

Collective Action Helps Mendocino County Weather the Storm

"In Mendocino County, coastal residents experienced extensive power outages, downed trees, property damage, and loss of life. In Willits, a dangerous sinkhole opened at a culvert in front of Creekside Cabins & RV Resort, forcing the relocation of over 60 residents."

Cold Cases

Nearly Twenty Years After a Siskiyou County Woman Was Murdered, a Suspect Has Been Charged with Her Death

"This arrest is the result of the determination of our investigators and reflects our faithful commitment to pursuing justice for victims of violent crimes and their families."

Khadijah Britton’s Family Wants More Than the Feather Alert Notification System—They Want Justice

Khadijah Britton's grandfather hopes the Feather Alert system could bring someone home in the future. But, the notification system seemed trivial knowing with each passing day, his granddaughter’s case grows cold.

The Spread of Suspicion: The Unsolved Murder of Mendocino County Cannabis Legend Les Crane

"The first evidence pointed to a home invasion, in the nearly two decades since then, the shifting eye of suspicion has landed on everyone from law enforcement to loved ones."

Negie Fallis, the Lead Suspect in Khadijah Britton’s Disappearance, is Out of Prison and Back in Local Court

Khadijah Britton went missing over four-and-a-half years ago. During that time, Negie Fallis, the man law enforcement suspects made her disappear, has spent nearly two-and-a-half years behind bars. Fallis has managed to elude criminal prosecution for his suspected role in the disappearance of Khadijah.

Fairfield Man Arrested After DNA Links Him to Cold Case Homicides from 1980 and 1986

"A Fairfield man has been arrested in connection with multiple homicides spanning three jurisdictions and more than three decades."

49 Years Ago, A Southern Humboldt Woman Was Killed on Her Way Home for Christmas by the Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murderer

Instead of returning home, 23-year-old Miranda woman Theresa Walsh was killed by an unknown suspect. Instead of getting to hold her son again, Walsh would become one of six women who fell into the web of a predator stalking and preying upon the young women of Sonoma County. 

Mendonoma

A Point Arena Bobcat Amidst the Dry Grass—A Dispatch From Mendonoma

"The markings on a Bobcat's coat are unique to itself, just like our fingerprints!"

A Pine Cone and a Pygmy Nuthatch—A Dispatch from Mendonoma

"They arrive at dusk and leave at first light...unless they hear Ravens. Then they become silent and wait inside until the danger has passed over them."

The Bald Eagle and the Shadow—A Dispatch from Mendonoma

"Sara Bogard saw this Bald Eagle coming in for a landing on the sand by the P'Da Hau, aka the Garcia River."