Sonoma County Fair

Posted Friday morning

The Sonoma County Fair is going to make some changes in 2020, that will effect horse racing and the start of public schools. Yesterday The state horse racing authority voted to push back the 2020 racing schedule at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds by one week. So, the dates for the will be August 6th through 16th, which overlaps the start of school for many on August 12th. Junior Livestock competition will be jammed into the first week of the Fair. (photo courtesy Cal Racing)

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SMART To Larkspur

Posted Friday morning

SMART will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony today, and then begin service to the new Larkspur and Downtown Novato stations tomorrow. The new Larkspur station will offer a connection to the Bay Area for commuters and visitors alike using the Golden Gate Ferry. The Larkspur station will also serve as a gateway for tourists visiting Marin and Sonoma counties. (photo courtesy SMART)

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Drug Costs

Posted Friday morning

The price of prescription drugs could be coming down. Congressman Mike Thompson voted to pass the Elija E Cummings Lower Drug Cost Now Act that will establish a negotiation program to help lower the costs of high priced medication and hold drug companies that won't negotiate accountable. (photo courtesy Everyday Health)

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PG&E Reorganization Plan

Posted Friday morning

PG&E filed an amended Plan of Reorganization with the Bankruptcy Court in its Chapter 11 cases. The Plan reflects PG&E’s settlements with all major groups of wildfire claimants. PG&E believes its Plan satisfies all requirements of Assembly Bill 1054 and complies with the Bankruptcy Code. (photo courtesy PG&E)

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Fire Recovery Money

Posted Thursday morning

Nearly a half million dollars will become available for emergency recovery, to help support people affected by the Kincade fire and evacuations. $475,000 in grants will come from the Community Foundation Sonoma County's Resilience Fund, a long-term fire recovery fund first established after the 2017 North Bay Firestorm. Donations from Facebook, JP Morgan Chase, United Airlines and others have helped made the funds available that will be distributed through community organizations. (photo courtesy sonomacf.org)

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Drub Bust And Arrests

Posted Thursday morning

In Santa Rosa, the death of a child from an overdose of Fentanyl back in September has lead to the arrest of three people, and the seizure of drugs and equipment. Yesterday the SRPD Narcotics Team caught them at three different addresses trying to escape as officers approached. The team found 11 pounds of Red Rock heroin, the kind mixed with Fentanyl. It is now off the streets, and those responsible are in jail. (photo courtesy newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org)

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Local Naval Officer Commission

Posted Thursday morning

Another Santa Rosa native has been comissioned to command a combat vessel. James Hoey has taken the helm of the USS Charleston. Hoey graduated from Montgomery High School before making his career in the Navy. The 421-foot-long, 3,200-ton Charleston is equipped to take on fast-moving enemy craft, submarines and mines. Recently, Santa Rosan Brett Crozier took command of the USS Theodore Roosevelt. Both ships are based in San Diego. (photo courtesy, Navy.mil)

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FEMA Money From PG&E

Posted Wednesday morning

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is seeking nearly $4 billion from PG&E for its work clearing debris from burned-out properties and other services it provided to local governments and individuals after the 2017 wildfires in the North Bay and the 2018 Camp fire in Butte County. That money would come from the $13.5 billion PG&E has set aside to settle all remaining wildfire claims. Lawyers representing wildfire survivors are objecting to the idea. (photo courtesy Petaluma Argus Courier)

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Rebuilding Process

Posted Wednesday morning

Santa Rosa City Council unanimously voted to extend the contract with the consulting firm that is helping the rebuild process after the 2017 wildfires. An additional $3 million has been allocated for the staff of Bureau Veritas North America to process paperwork filed by homeowners rebuilding, with 700 still in the process of getting started. (photo courtesy World Property Journal)

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Voting for President

Posted Wednesday morning

The presidential election next year will have a lot of people voting with an independent status. The Sonoma County Registrar of Voters is sending postcards to voters who are registered with No Party Preference. The returnable postcard will provide information on how to receive the desired ballot. (photo courtesy Snopes)

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Homeless Camp

Posted Tuesday morning

The homeless camp along the Joe Rodota Trail will be the main topic of discussion at the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors meeting today. The closed door meeting will be used to offer plans for a new homeless shelter space. Santa Rosa isn't scheduled to meet about the issue until late January. Meanwhile the encampment has grown to over 100 tents, and over 200 people along the trail between Santa Rosa and Sebastopol. (photo courtesy The Petaluma Argus Courier)

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Cell Phone Service Study

Posted Tuesday morning

Today, the Santa Rosa City Council will meet to talk about allowing a study by Verizon and AT&T to install antennas and wireless tech on city owned utility poles. They will start with commercial areas before working in neighborhoods. The study will help Santa Rosa create rules to govern the Small Cell sites. (photo courtesy Change.org)

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Creative Sonoma Grants

Posted Tuesday morning

The Sonoma Copunty agency that supports the arts called Creative Sonoma has awarded grants for arts and culture projects. $338,500 has been awarded to 35 organizations across the county in sizes from $1000 to $33,000 to invest inthe creative activities that are produced here, including pop up creativity to enliven streets, sidewalks, alleys, plazas, and other open spaces. (photo courtesy County of Sonoma)

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PG&E Agreement

Posted about a week ago

PG&E has agreed to a $13.5 billion settlement to pay victims of wildfires going back to 2015. Bankruptcy Court approval of the settlement agreement would put PG&E on a sustainable path forward to emerge from Chapter 11 by the June 30, 2020, deadline to participate in the State of California’s go-forward wildfire fund. (photo courtesy PG&E)

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Santa Rosa Police Shooting

Posted about a week ago

A Santa Rosa Police officer fired shots at a man thought to be holding a rifle Saturday. The roads were closed at Fulton and Guerneville Roads Saturday afternoon after reports of a man who may have a firearm and pointing it a people and cars. The man didn't comply with the officer's orders and tried to run away as the officer shot at him, but missed. He was caught and an investigation is underway. (photo courtesy Santa Rosa)

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Fire Season Ended

Posted about a week ago

Fire Season officially ended today. Because of the recent rains and cooler temps, Cal Fire announced the transition out of peak fire season in Sonoma, Lake, Napa, Solano, Yolo, and Colusa counties. Statewide, firefighters from many local agencies responded to over 5,600 wildfires, and locally, CAL FIRE responded to 177 wildfires that charred 80,916 acres. (photo courtesy The Mercury News)

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