MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. — Weekend storms have triggered a landslide on Forest Road M1 at Bar Creek, about three miles north of the Eel River Work Center.

Forest officials have closed the road to assess damage and plan repairs.

Officials ask visitors and residents to avoid traveling in the area.

To reach areas north of the landslide, the alternate route is to take Forest Road M4 north to Forest Road M2. From M2, take Forest Road 23N39 (Espee Ridge Road) west.

The route will add approximately two hours of driving time, and conditions of those roads are unknown at this time.

In areas where a wildfire has occurred, significant rainfall and wind create hazards. Roads within the August Complex and Ranch Fire areas are subject to falling trees, landslides, rockfall, erosion, debris flows and flooding.

All visitors should be aware of the hazards of traveling through a burned area and prepare for an alternate route in case roads become impassable.

Households impacted by extreme wind and Public Safety Power Shutoffs in 14 California counties could be eligible for replacement of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/CalFresh benefits, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced.

This is one of many recent steps USDA has taken to ensure California residents in need have food to eat.

Rather than require SNAP households to report food losses individually, USDA allowed the state of California to approve automatic mass replacements for residents in certain zip codes in 14 counties who lost food as a result of the extreme wind and public safety power shutoffs.

The waiver applies to 18 zip codes in the following 14 counties: Amador, Colusa, Fresno, Glenn, Kern, Lake, Mariposa, Monterey, Napa, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Tehama, Tuolumne and Yolo.

More details will be made available through the California Department of Social Services.

SNAP participants in areas hardest hit by the disaster may have a portion of their October benefits replaced. SNAP recipients residing in other affected areas may request replacement benefits by filing an affidavit with the local office attesting to disaster-related loss.

The SNAP mass replacements announcement is the latest in a battery of USDA actions taken to help California residents cope with the wildfires that began on July 20, 2021, and its aftermath, such as:

— Approving Disaster SNAP to allow eligible participants in six counties (Lassen, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Tehama, and Trinity) to purchase groceries at SNAP-authorized stores or from select retailers online to meet their temporary food needs as they settle back home following the disaster.
— Approving a waiver to allow SNAP participants in nine counties (Butte, Glenn, Humboldt, Mendocino, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity) to buy hot foods and hot food products prepared for immediate consumption with their benefits at authorized SNAP retailers statewide through Oct. 28, 2021.
— Approving a timely reporting waiver for affected households in Shasta County through Oct. 22, 2021, allowing affected residents more time to notify the state of food lost as a result of the Fawn Fire that began on Sept. 22, 2021.

Individuals seeking more information about this and other available aid should dial 2-1-1. For more information about California SNAP, visit https://www.cdss.ca.gov/food-nutrition/calfresh .

LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Sterling Shores Mobile Home Park will have its fall yard sale on Friday, Oct. 29, and Saturday, Oct. 30.

The sale will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days.

There will be a great selection of household, shop and garden goods.

Take exit 108 at the Nice Lucerne Cut-off from Highway 29 and turn right onto Lakeshore Boulevard, then left into Robin Hill Drive and follow the road to the Sterling Shores park at 5830 Robin Hill Drive.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Scotts Valley Community Advisory Council will hold its next meeting on Monday, Oct. 25.

The group will meet at 5 p.m. via Zoom.

The meeting ID is 986 2616 1748, pass code is 173031. The meeting also can be accessed via phone at 1-669-900-6833.

Under old business, they will get an update on the request now in process to clear Scotts Creek beginning at the bridge at Hendricks and Scotts Valley Road and ending downstream from a newly installed culvert; hear about a stakeholders meeting for state and federal partners; and discuss the mapping of the Scotts Valley aquifer via helicopter scheduled for late October.

In new business, they will get updates on new use permits, the Scotts Valley Firewise Committee, the Scotts Valley Groundwater Protection Subcommittee, Assembly Bill 361, well monitoring program and expansion and consideration of an alternate meeting place.

The group will next meet on Nov. 22.

LUCERNE, Calif. — In light of worsening drought conditions, California Water Service requested to move into Stage 2 of its Water Shortage Contingency Plan in the Redwood Valley District with the California Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday.

The utility will host a public meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 10, to educate Redwood Valley District customers about Stage 2 restrictions, which include outdoor watering limits and increased water waste penalties, and provide information on conservation programs and tools available to help customers reduce their water use.

The workshop will be held virtually at 6 p.m. on Zoom at https://calwater.zoom.us/j/96087482453.

Cal Water representatives will provide details about new irrigation restrictions as part of Stage 2 and discuss current prohibited uses of water.

Some of the restrictions include:

· Outdoor landscape irrigation is limited to two days per week between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 a.m., unless local ordinances state otherwise. Odd addresses water on Tuesday and Saturday, even addresses water on Wednesday and Sunday, and properties without street addresses water on Wednesday and Sunday.

· All leaks, breaks, or other malfunctions in a customer’s plumbing fixtures and/or irrigation system must be repaired within five business days of written notification by Cal Water.

· Vehicles may only be washed with a hose that has a shutoff nozzle or similar device.

· Water may not be used on driveways or sidewalks, unless for health and safety purposes.

· No watering of outdoor landscapes may occur during and within 48 hours after measurable rainfall.

· Restaurants may only serve water upon request, and hotels and motels must provide guests with the option of not having towels and linens laundered daily.

Customers will be receiving detailed information in the mail about Stage 2 and the meeting. The presentation will be available online at www.calwater.com after the meeting. If approved by the CPUC, Cal Water’s application would become effective Dec. 14, 2021.

“Just like the last drought, we are taking a customer-first approach and are here to help residents and businesses understand the requirements of Stage 2 of our Water Shortage Contingency Plan — which we have been preparing for since the last drought,” said Tavis Beynon, interim district manager.

“We also want our Redwood Valley District customers to know that we are here to help them reduce their water use as we face increasingly serious drought conditions. As part of our promise to provide customers quality, service, and value, we offer a variety of conservation programs and encourage them to take advantage of these resources to help save water every day,” Beynon said.

At the meeting, representatives will also provide details about Cal Water’s industry-leading conservation programs to help save water every day, including:

· Lawn-to-garden rebate of $3 per square foot of lawn removed and replaced with low-water use landscaping

· Spray-to-drip rebate of $0.50 per square foot of landscaping converted from standard spray irrigation to a drip system

· Rebates on high-efficiency appliances and devices, with certain rebates recently doubled

· A free smart landscape tune-up program that includes an irrigation system evaluation along with installation of efficient devices and repair of most irrigation leaks

· A free conservation kit that includes a garden hose nozzle with shutoff valve, high-efficiency showerheads, faucet aerators, and more for residential customers

Program details and additional conservation resources can be found on www.calwater.com/conservation.

Cal Water’s Redwood Valley District serves approximately 3,200 people through 1,900 service connections in Lucerne, Duncans Mills, Guerneville, Dillon Beach, and a portion of Santa Rosa and about 2 million people through 492,600 service connections in California. The utility has provided water service in the area since 2000. Additional information may be obtained online at www.calwater.com.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — Due to the forecast for rain, the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day event hosted by the Lakeport Police Department on Saturday, Oct. 23, will take place indoors.

It will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the lobby of the Lakeport Police Department, 2025 S Main St.

This will not be a drive-through event, as previously announced.

Please park in either the front or side parking lots and proceed to the lobby. Masking and social distancing requirements relative to vaccination status remain in effect.

Lakeport Police Department to participate in Prescription Drug Take Back Day Oct. 23

Items they will accept are all over-the-counter or prescription medication in pill, tablet, liquid, cream or capsule form including schedule II-V controlled and non-controlled substances.

Pills need to be emptied out of their containers and placed in a Ziploc-style plastic bag. They do not take pills in paper, as they need to easily see the contents to make sure there is nothing in the bag they can't take.

They also will collect vape pens or other e-cigarette devices from individual consumers only after the batteries are removed from the devices. The agency stressed it will not be responsible for removing the batteries from the devices.

Items they will not accept are illegal drugs, needles, inhalers or aerosol cans.

Since the Lakeport Police Department started participating in the prescription Take Back Program in January of 2019, it has collected 706 pounds of prescription drugs, many of which were dangerous narcotics including opioids.

“This protects our community by keeping these drugs from being diverted to illegal use and keeps it out of our environment and water,” the department said.