News Staff Raymond Buenaventura, Lake County’s public defender, has been hired as Monterey County’s chief public defender, effective December 1, with an annual salary of $273,245, just two years after he was hired to lead the newly created Lake County Public Defenders Office.. Monterey County supervisors approved the hiring on October 14, citing his legal knowledge and … Read more
A beach hazards statement remains in effect for coastal Mendocino County through Friday evening, as another long period NW swell arrives on the heels of the swell earlier this week. There is an increased threat of sneaker waves expected, with beach runup over 15 feet. Avoid rocks, jetties and steep beaches.
Gina Rae Bean, 47, of Fort Bragg, was sentenced to 36 months in state prison for a fatal 2019 hit-and-run and subsequent probation violations. Bean struck and killed 21-year-old skateboarder Calum Taite Pulido on Highway 1, then fled the scene. After a September 2021 conviction, Bean received a suspended three-year prison sentence in December 2021, … Read more
The Lake County Planning Commission this week will hold a public hearing on a proposed major use permit and categorical exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act for Esther Formula USA Corp. for its facility in Lakeport. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m., tomorrow, Thursday in the Lake County Courthouse
Two Fort Bragg men, Douglas Kenneth Hance, 45 and Jose Francisco Plascencia, 25, were arrested early Tuesday following a report of a female being forced into a white sedan on North Main Street late Monday night. Hance faces charges including kidnapping, false imprisonment with violence, and conspiracy, with a $100,000 bond. Plascencia faces multiple felony … Read more
On Tuesday around 2:55 p.m., a pedestrian was reportedly struck by a vehicle on Sherwood Road near Birch Terrace in the Willits area. Emergency personnel were dispatched to the 24000 block of Sherwood Road for the vehicle-versus-pedestrian collision. CHP requested medical response due to possible injuries, the pedestrian opted for transport in a personally owned … Read more
A beach hazards statement remains in effect for coastal Mendocino County through Wednesday morning. There continues to be an increased threat of sneaker waves.
On Monday, Nathaniel Hueners, 22, was sentenced to 30-years-to-life for the April 2024 drive-by murder of 45-year-old Elizabeth Williams in Clearlake. The shooting was a case of mistaken identity during a gang dispute. Hueners was arrested three days later, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder mid September. His sentence was doubled due to a firearm assault … Read more
The Fort Bragg City Council has approved a $300,000 federal grant for a Utility Bill Assistance Program on October 13. This program provides one-time payments up to $800, directly to providers, to help eligible Fort Bragg households (at or below 80% of Mendocino County’s area median income) avoid utility shut-offs. Applications are available at City … Read more
The Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake has received an almost $2 and a quarter million FEMA grant to establish a state-of-the-art emergency alert system for tribal members and Northern Lake County, especially for wildfires. This will fund IPAWS-compatible sirens, NOAA Weather Radio enhancements, a satellite-based alert pathway for redundancy, and the Everbridge 360 Public Safety … Read more