KUKI News

Ukiah Unified wants to hear from families and answer questions about the district’s eventual return to in-person instruction, so we they are hosting three Virtual Town Hall Meetings today, tomorrow, and Wednesday. Each town hall runs from 5:30-6:30 live on UUSD’s Facebook page or YouTube Channel. Tonight’s is a Spanish virtual town hall for all grades. Tomorrow night’s is an elementary school virtual town hall. Wednesday night’s is a middle and high school virtual town hall. Email your questions before or during a Town Hall to townhallquestions@uusd.net.

While Mendocino County’s public health officer thinks the holiday surge in new COVID-19 cases may be winding down – the county isn’t out of the woods yet. On Saturday, the Public Health Department reported 22 additional cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 3,256. 2 additional deaths were also confirmed, both from the Ukiah area. Lake County also confirmed an additional COVID-19 related death, bringing their total to 32. ICU capacity remaining for the Northern Region as of Friday was at 28.5%.

The master tenant of the Ghost Ship warehouse pleaded guilty to 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter. Derek Almena, who founded the Ghost Ship collective, was arrested in Lake County in June of 2017 in relation to the deadly 2016 warehouse fire in Oakland that killed 36 people. In May, Almena was released on bail to his Lake County home after being jailed since his arrest.

The Bureau of Land Management Ukiah Field Office, in cooperation with Cal Fire Sonoma Lake Napa Unit, plans to conduct prescribed fire operations in the Black Forest along Soda Bay Road, on the northeast side of Mount Konocti in Kelseyville. Pile burn operations are scheduled to start this week and may continue periodically through the winter and spring.

Clearlake Police will expand a hi-tech program that allows them to identify vehicles involved in crimes. The City Council granted Police Chief Andrew White’s request for additional funding for automated license plate readers, which capture computer-readable images of license plates. These devices allow law enforcement agencies to compare plate numbers against those of stolen cars or cars driven by people suspected of criminal activity. White says with the city’s current 14 cameras, 20 stolen vehicles were recovered, a kidnapping suspect was arrested, and police were able to get a lead in a drug-related shooting.

Mendocino County public health announced upcoming COVID-19 Testing Events in Willits, Hopland, Laytonville. The event in Willits is today from 8AM-11AM at the Sherwood Valley Tribal Office. Hopland’s event is January 29 from 8 AM – 11 AM at the Corner of HWY 101 / HWY 175. Laytonville’s is February 5th, 8 AM – 11 AM at the Cahto Tribal Headquarters

PG&E says new weather stations across Northern California significantly reduced Public Safety Power Shutoff events in 2020. Of the 1,000 weather stations and 340 cameras in operation throughout Northern and Central California, over 48 of weather stations and 12 cameras are in Mendocino County. More than 30 of the weather stations and seven cameras are in Lake County.
PG&E plans to install 1,300 weather stations by the end of 2021, creating a density of roughly one weather station for every 20 miles of electric lines in high fire-threat areas.

The California Energy Commission awarded $2 million to 10 California Native American Tribes for climate and clean energy projects, including the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians. The Scotts Valley Energy Company will get $248,000 for a feasibility study for a bioenergy plant and to produce a bioenergy feasibility tool.

A Mendocino man has been charged with murder for fatally stabbing his brother. Tuesday morning, police responded to calls regarding a stabbing in the 100 block of Laws Avenue in Ukiah. Upon their arrival, Jordan Luna was located in a second story apartment suffering from stab wounds and died at the scene. His brother, Jeremiah Luna, was also at the apartment and was booked into the Mendocino County Jail

The city of Lakeport wants your input about its effort to apply for grant funds to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The city of Lakeport is eligible to apply for Community Development Block Grant, CDBG, for Coronavirus Round 2 and 3 funding, and they want community input on the best use of these funds. The meeting will take place at 4 p.m. today, via Zoom:

Zoom: zoom.us/j/91777629308
Or call in +1 669 900 9128
Webinar ID: 917 7762 9308