KUKI News

The current tipping fee for mixed organic waste.is going up at Cold Creek Compost. The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors voted to amend the county’s contract to have a one-time adjustment increase to $36 per ton, effective March 19.

Flood waters continue to recede in Lakeport, but Library Park remains closed. Repairs to the park may be delayed further if there is more rain this week. It was closed last month due to flooding from the winter storms. As of this morning, Clear Lake was at 8.97 feet rumsey.

The Mendocino County Sheriff will hold a Coroner’s Inquest in the Hart Family case. It’s been over a year since the vehicle with members of the Hart family inside, went over a cliff along the Mendocino County Coast. That crash resulted in the deaths of Jennifer Hart, her wife Sarah, and their 6 adopted children. Jennifer was driving, and was legally intoxicated. All of the vicitms have been accounted for, accept for those of Devonte Hart, who is presumed dead. Sheriff and Coroner Tom Allman will be holding an inquest in Willits, on April 3 & 4, to present the findings of the year long investigation to a jury. The inquest will be live streamed at: facebook.com/MendocinoSheriff/

According to a new study that ranks the health of communities- Lake County is listed as the least healthy in the state of California. The overall ranking comes from several factors including health behaviors, like smoking, drinking, and access to exercise opportunities. It also looks at social and economical factors like unemployment and children in poverty. According to the data – 30-percent of children in Lake County live in poverty. Mendocino County – which ranks #44 on the list – has 27-percent of children living in poverty.

The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors is considering the creation of a committee that would focus on ways to combat climate change. The advisory committee on climate action, would conduct public outreach and recommend possible actions for the county to take to combat and prepare for effects such as drought, wildfires and flooding. Currently there is an ad hoc climate change committee.

Members of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, Lakeport Police Department and Clearlake Police Department will on hand for the next Coffee with a Cop event happening Friday morning from 7 to 9 a.m. at Adventist Health Clear Lake Medical Center’s coffee kiosk, located at 15630 18th Ave. in Clearlake.

A Ukiah woman has been arrested for an alleged attempted child kidnapping. According to the Mendocino County Sheriff Office, deputies were dispatched to “The Villas” apartment complex on Laws Avenue on Friday in Ukiah. Family members told them a woman in the parking lot was holding the hand of a 7-year-old boy and was physically leading him away from the complex. They shouted at her and the boy pulled his hand away. Deputies searched the area and located a woman who matched the description and took 34-year-old Demetrie Rose Pike into custody.

During their meeting this week, the Lake County Board of Supervisors will have another reading of the amended hazardous vegetation abatement ordinance. The Lake county Fire Chiefs Association is asking that amendments be made to increase the minimum required defensible space size from 30 feet around a structure to 100 feet – in accordance with state law.

A home was destroyed in a fire on Orr Springs Road in Ukiah. People online reported a possible explosion that happened before the home went up in flames Friday morning. No one was at the two-story residence which was fully engulfed when fire crews from the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority, Cal Fire, and the Hopland Fire Departments arrived. The home was reportedly used as an Airbnb rental. The UVFA says cause of the fire still under investigation.

State Sentator Bill Dodd has introduced legislation that would place an independent third party such as Cal Fire in charge of overseeing electric utility corporations’ compliance with tree and vegetation-trimming requirements to reduce wildfires. Currently utilities decide that, and Dodd says, “It’s clear that the current standard is not working.” The bill will be set for its first policy committee hearing in the coming weeks.