KUKI News

Congressman Mike Thompson is hosting 2 events in Lake County today. A “Coffee with our Congressman” is from noon to 1 p.m. at the Grinders Steep Coffee Shop, on Calistoga Road in Middletown. He’ll also host a town hall at the Tom Aiken Community Hall at Kelseyville High School, 5480 Main St., from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes parts of Contra Costa, Lake, Solano and Sonoma Counties.

The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors Cannabis Ad Hoc Committee will hold a community meeting in Laytonville tomorrow evening to provide residents with an opportunity to hear a brief update and share their recommendations with the Ad Hoc Committee regarding potential revisions to the County’s Cannabis Cultivation Ordinance for Phase I and Phase III of the program. The meeting will be at Harwood Hall in Laytonville, tomorrow at 6:00 p.m.

The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office reports that a man who committed suicide yesterday, was an Air Force serviceman fleeing a court-martial in Nevada. On Saturday at approximately 4:00 PM an officer from the California Highway Patrol attempted a traffic stop on the wanted service member’s 2018 Jeep Wrangler south of Ukiah, which resulted in a pursuit northbound on Highway 101 until the Jeep turned onto Reeves Canyon Road, subsequently eluding apprehension. Air Force Special Agents responded to Reeves Canyon Road where they conducted overnight surveillance. Then yesterday, before 1:30 PM, a single gunshot from a firearm was heard in the immediate area.

A man was able to swim to safety after his vehicle went into the Navarro River Friday night. It reportedly happened east of the Highway 1 bridge. Albion Fire spent most of Saturday searching for the vehicle, and located it just after 6 pm.

Just under 100 people participated in the local Women’s March Saturday – which coincided with the annual march in cities across the country. Protesters gathered in front of the Courthouse Museum in downtown Lakeport to bring attention to women’s rights and human rights.

Senator Bill Dodd has introduced new legislation to improve conditions in California during wildfire-related utility power shutoffs such as those last year from Pacific Gas & Electric Co. which affected Lake and Mendocino Counties. Senate Bill 862 expands existing law requiring utilities to provide for customers with access and functional needs before commencing a public safety power shutoff. The bill also makes clear that such de-energizations are eligible for emergency declarations, freeing financial assistance for local government under the Emergency Services Act. Sen. Dodd says, power shutoffs must be limited in scope and duration, which is something PG&E has so far failed to do.

Lake County Board of Supervisors Chair Moke Simon gave the “State of the County” address this week in Middletown. He talked about improving the county’s image to make it more positive – to overcome the national media attention its received about local wildfires. Simon also talked about the need to work on improving roads and infrastructure, and reducing the high rate of county employee position vacancies. Simon also addressed the PG&E shutoffs, calling them detriment to the entire county in 2019, and said he hopes to make them less impactful on the county’s economy.

The Ukiah City Council approved fee increases for building permits and other services during their meeting this week. It’s the first overhaul of fees since 2003. The fees that will increase include: fees to the public for filing appeals; charging a new residential solar permit base fee; and increasing the fee for level 1 minor and level 2 minor planning permits.

The Lakeport Police Department, in conjunction with the Fairfield Police Department, are conducting a follow up investigation to locate missing person Walter Leland Stuart Jr who is a 55 year old white male with brown hair and blue eyes. Mr. Stuart is 6-feet tall and weighs 160 pounds. He was last seen by family in Solano County on December 19, 2019. In the days leading up to last Christmas, Mr. Stuart had contact with family members via telephone but has not had any contact with them since then. Police have information that he may have returned to the Lake County area including the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport. His photo has been posted at facebook.com/LakeportPolice. Anyone with information on Stuart’s whereabouts is asked to contact police.

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County has announced that just over $67,000 is available funding from its Field-of-Interest grant program. Nonprofit organizations from throughout Mendocino County are invited to submit proposals online by 5 p.m. Jan. 31. Learn more at www.communityfound.org.