Regional
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Every 10 years, supervisorial districts are redrawn so that each district is substantially equal in population.
This process, called redistricting, is an important part in the election process and helps to ensure that substantially the same number of voters are in each district.
After the ballots for this year’s election were mailed, Mendocino County officials learned that some voters whose district had changed were not mailed the ballot for their new district.
New ballots have been sent to those affected voters. Based on information provided by the Elections Office, it is estimated that less than 300 voters might be impacted.
“The districts were redrawn in 2021 and we are finding that some residents may not realize that they are in a different supervisorial district than the last time they voted,” said County Chief Executive Officer Darcie Antle. “There may be some confusion and we want to provide clear answers to voters, so we are urging them to check our website to verify which district they are located.”
To verify your voting district, you can go to the County website located at: https://gis.mendocinocounty.org/portal/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=11e075ede3104623aa9458521b32538f.
It shows the boundaries of the Supervisorial Districts in which residents reside.
“We are receiving information that some voters may be confused by the fact that they are in a new district post the 2021 redistricting and that they have, in fact, received the correct ballot. To ensure this, we want everyone who has a question to visit the website and check the Supervisorial District number and match it with where they reside and vote,” Antle added.
She also encouraged anyone who wants to report an issue with their ballot to call 707-234-6819.
Antle said Mendocino County is continuing to work with the Mendocino County Elections Office which conducts all elections in the county.
She added that the Elections Office has informed the California Secretary of State’s Office of these issues.
Mendocino County continues to seek advice and guidance from the California Secretary of State’s Office as well as Mendocino County Counsel’s Office.
“Most importantly, we want to assure voters that they will receive and get the proper ballots and that every vote will be properly counted,” Antle said. “We are going to be working overtime to get to the bottom of what occurred and to ensure voters receive the proper ballots.
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- Written by: Ukiah Branch Library
Join the Ukiah Branch Library on Friday, March 15, from 3 to 5:30 p.m.
Wool needle felting is a fun way to create imaginative and quirky creatures.
This event is for ages 12 and up, reservations are required, and the event is sponsored by the Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library and the Mendocino County Library.
To make your reservation or find out more information, please visit www.mendolibrary.org or contact the Ukiah Branch Library at
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The county of Mendocino was made aware on Wednesday of candidate and resident concerns that voters may be receiving ballots from the incorrect supervisorial districts.
The initial belief is that the 2021 redistricting may not have been correctly imputed into the voter files.
“We want to bring this new issue to the immediate attention of Mendocino County voters as soon as we learned of it,” said County Chief Executive Officer Darcie Antle. “We are investigating the issues with the Register of Voters Office and their vendor. We are seeking guidance from the State of California’s Secretary of State’s Office.”
Antle added, “Most importantly, we want to assure voters that they will receive and get the proper ballots and that every vote will be properly counted. We are going to be working overtime to get to the bottom of what has gone wrong and to ensure voters receive the proper ballots.”
The county of Mendocino is also seeking assistance from Renne Public Law group, one of the state’s top municipal government law firms, in determining next steps.
- Details
- Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
In recent weeks, misinformation about black bears has been circulating online and on flyers posted throughout the Lake Tahoe community.
With all this information swirling, it can be challenging to tell inaccurate information from facts — supported by science. The Tahoe Interagency Bear Team, or TIBT, is here to help.
TIBT is a collective of bear experts across state and local agencies who study and understand these animals and have devoted much of their professional lives to ensure the health and well-being of the Lake Tahoe Basin’s black bears.
TIBT would like to set the record straight by debunking some of those claims and educating the public about the real issues and dangers this misinformation poses.
Tahoe bears may at times seem like a unique bear species due to their general lack of fear and boldness around humans, but these black bears follow the usual biological patterns of black bears across California and Nevada.
Whether living in or visiting bear country in the Lake Tahoe Basin or beyond, this information should clarify what is really needed to help wild bears survive and thrive.
The claim: Bears need human help denning during hibernation
Many have seen photos and videos perpetuating the myth that property owners and residents should allow bears to den under homes and in crawl spaces.
Some may have even seen people encourage this unwanted behavior by laying out hay and other materials for the bears.
But most homeowners don’t even know a bear is under or around their home until it has already established a makeshift den.
Bears will tear out wood and insulation, exposing pipes to freezing temperatures or damaging them in the process. And once a bear gets nice and cozy, it can be difficult to get it out. This increases the chances of human-bear conflict and habituated behavior.
Bears have evolved to comfortably survive winter without human help so it is very important to board up all crawl spaces around homes to discourage bears from setting up camp and damaging property.
The claim: Bears are starving, and people need to feed them
False! Black bears are some of the most resilient and adaptive animals and they can tailor their diet to what is available around them. It is true that bears need a lot of calories, especially in preparation for winter but giving them handouts will not set them up to thrive.
Giving a bear food will teach it to keep coming back and possibly investigate further by breaking into homes, vehicles and garbage bins.
This behavior will also condition cubs to do the same and continue a cycle of human-dependent bears. Human food and garbage are not good for bears and can make them sick and damage their teeth, leaving painful abscesses that can lead to death.
And importantly, feeding bears is illegal in the states of California and Nevada.
Bears instinctively forage on a variety of natural foods including insects, plant material and carrion (dead animals) and have a vital biological role to play in the health of forests, from spreading seeds and fertilizing through their scat to curbing disease and keeping insect populations in check.
If people teach bears to search for food in neighborhoods or other developed areas, that biological role is lost. Even after an incident like the 2021 Caldor Fire, where a huge swath of vegetation was burned, wildlife biologists saw bears find natural ways to survive like the resilient omnivores that they are.
The claim: Bears belong in neighborhoods
It can be exciting to see a big, beautiful animal like a black bear in a neighborhood, but that is not where bears belong. Neighborhoods have roads with cars, which bears must cross in order to get to the unhealthy human food and garbage in developed areas.
By allowing bears to comfortably live in or pass through neighborhoods, the chances that they will get struck and killed by vehicles increases immensely. If a bear is in a neighborhood, encourage it to move on by scaring it away so that it can lead a safe, natural life in the forest.
The claim: Don’t call the experts
TIBT is dedicated to creating the best environment for bears to thrive and remain wild in an ever-growing, ever-changing environment like the Lake Tahoe Basin. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, or CDFW, and the Nevada Department of Wildlife, or NDOW, should be the first point of contact for any bear-related incidents or questions.
CDFW and NDOW have dedicated and committed black bear experts who will help navigate any human-bear conflicts.
Learn more about keeping Tahoe bears wild at TahoeBears.org and BearWise.org.
To report bear incidents or conflict in the Lake Tahoe Basin, use the following:
• In California, contact CDFW at 916-358-2917 or report online using the Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at https://apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir.
• Non-emergency wildlife interactions in California State Parks can be reported to its public dispatch at 916-358-1300.
• In Nevada, contact NDOW at 775-688-BEAR (2327).
• If the issue is an immediate threat, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.
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