After another wet winter and above average snowpack, warming temperatures and winds are quickly drying out the abundant annual grass crop.

The increasing fire danger posed by the high volume of dead grass and hotter, drier conditions in the region is prompting Cal Fire to suspend all burn permits for outdoor residential burning within the State Responsibility Areas of  Colusa, Napa, Solano and Yolo County.

This suspension takes effect  June 26 and suspends all residential outdoor burning of landscape debris such as branches and leaves.

Cal Fire will also be suspending all burn permits for outdoor residential burning within the State Responsibility Areas of Sonoma County, effective Monday, July 3.

“During this period we still encourage residents to work on creating that defensible space and complete home hardening projects to improve your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire should one strike near you,” Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Chief Mike Marcucci said. “Visit our website to learn what you can continue to do now, and how to do it safely, that way the best of intentions do not inadvertently create a spark that can ignite a fire.”

Since Jan. 1, 2023 Cal Fire and firefighters across the state have already responded to over 1,943 wildfires as of the most recent reporting period, June 19.

While outdoor burning of landscape debris by homeowners is no longer allowed, Cal Fire is asking residents to take that extra time to ensure that they are prepared for wildfires by maintaining a minimum of 100 feet of Defensible Space around every home and buildings on their property and being prepared to evacuate if the time comes.

Here are some tips to help prepare homes and property:

• Clear all dead and or dying vegetation 100 feet from around all structures.
• Landscape with fire resistant plants and nonflammable ground cover.
• Find alternative ways to dispose of landscape debris like chipping or hauling it to a biomass energy or green waste facility

The department may issue restricted temporary burning permits if there is an essential reason due to public health and safety.

Agriculture, land management, fire training, and other industrial-type burning may proceed if a Cal Fire official inspects the burn site and issues a special permit.

The suspension of burn permits for residential landscape debris does not apply to campfires within organized campgrounds or on private property.

Campfires may be permitted if the campfire is maintained in such a manner as to prevent its spread to the wildland. A campfire permit can be obtained at local fire stations or online at www.PreventWildfireCA.org.

For additional information on how to create Defensible Space, on how to be prepared for wildfires, as well as tips to prevent wildfires, visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org.

Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) honored Colusa County nonprofit Karen’s House as the 2023 Fourth Assembly District Nonprofit of the Year at the State Capitol Wednesday, June 7.

This is the eighth year the California Assembly has honored nonprofits throughout the state on California Nonprofits Day.

“Karen’s House is an incredibly valuable organization as the first and only domestic violence program in Colusa County,” said Aguiar-Curry. “As vice chair of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, I am so grateful for the services Karen’s House provides to women who are trying to break the cycle of domestic violence. I am thrilled to be able to honor such a fine group as the Fourth Assembly District Nonprofit of the Year.”

Founded in 2018, after the death of Williams native Karen Garcia, Karen’s House is the first domestic violence program in Colusa County and assists women and children with housing, food, clothing and personal hygiene needs.

Karen’s House also advocates on behalf of their clients by providing a safe space that promotes intervention, prevention, awareness and empowerment.

Karen’s House was honored with a resolution from the California State Assembly at an awards luncheon sponsored by CalNonprofits for their numerous contributions to Colusa County.

Representing Karen’s House were president and founder Cynthia “Tootie” Hackett and Colusa County Supervisor Kent Boes who also sits on Karen’s House Board of Directors.

“It was such an honor to be recognized as a 2023 California Nonprofit of the Year for our work to help victims of domestic violence in Colusa County. When a young lady I knew was killed at the hands of her boyfriend five years ago, I felt like there must be something we can do. I didn’t want her death to just be swept under the rug, so I started Karen’s House,” said Tootie Hackett, president and founder of Karen’s House.

Karen’s House is currently working towards their goal of opening and operating their own shelter, which would be the first domestic violence shelter in Colusa County.

Aguiar-Curry represents the Fourth Assembly District, which includes all of Lake, Colusa, Napa, and Yolo counties, and part of Sonoma County.

FORT BRAGG, Calif. — Caltrans reported that around-the-clock one-way traffic control will begin on Route 1 at the north end of Fort Bragg at the Pudding Creek Bridge starting Monday, June 19, and will continue until Aug. 29.

Traffic will be controlled with a temporary signal system. Motorists from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. can expect up to 20-minute delays Monday through Friday and 30-minute delays are anticipated on the weekends.

There will also be 10 nighttime closures during the following dates from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Construction will escort emergency responders over the bridge:

• Two nights from July 12 to 14;
• Three nights from July 17 to 20;
• Three nights from Sept. 11 to 14;
• Two nights from Sept. 23 to 25.

The safety project includes widening the Pudding Creek Bridge to accommodate two 12-foot wide lanes, two 8-foot wide shoulders, two 6-foot walkways and new bridge railings.

The project also includes “Complete Streets” improvements by constructing sidewalks on both sides of SR 1 from Pudding Creek Bridge south to Elm Street and north to Pudding Creek Drive and drainage improvements and relocation of the City of Fort Bragg’s waterline from the Pudding Creek Dam to Route 1.

For more information, visit https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-1/d1-projects/puddingcreekbridge.

Helping survivors of last year’s wildfires prepare to rebuild, California has completed state-managed debris removal operations for the 2022 wildfire season centered in Siskiyou County.

Debris removal crews cleared, tested and released all 218 enrolled properties impacted by the Mountain, McKinney and Mill fires.

Overseen by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, or Cal OES, and the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, or CalRecycle, the state works with counties to sign up households for the Consolidated Debris Removal Program to clear eligible fire-related debris from burned properties at no cost to property owners.

“Removing disaster debris gives survivors a path to rebuild,” said Rachel Machi Wagoner, director of CalRecycle. “We thank our state, local and federal partners for their shared commitment to assisting the communities devastated by wildfires.”

State crews cleared burned metal and concrete, ash and contaminated soil from the last of the 183 homes, as well as 7,027 wildfire-damaged trees in danger of falling on public accessed roads.

“We’re proud to work with our partners to ensure wildfire survivors can properly recovery and rebuild following an intense fire season,” said Ryan Buras, Cal OES deputy director of Recovery.

Cal OES continues to provide technical and financial assistance to Placer, El Dorado and Madera counties managing debris removal from the Mosquito and Fork fires.

Among the communities affected by the 2022 fires was historic Lincoln Heights in Weed, one of the oldest rural Black neighborhoods in the west.

California has safely cleared over 23,000 disaster destroyed properties from 60 fires since operations began in 2007.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley announced on Friday the sentencing of convicted murderer Christopher “Roly” Young to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the shooting death of 18-year-old Nathan Gabriel Garza of Fairfield.

Young’s sentencing is the culmination of a thorough investigation and lengthy trial in which Napa County Deputy District Attorneys Taryn Hunter and Diane Knoles proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was solely responsible for the Aug. 16, 2020, murder.

Several of Garza’s friends and family members were present in court today including his mother, Tracy Garza, who read a witness impact statement to the court.

“My world, my family, my very being was shattered when Nathan was taken from us,” she said. “It has taken almost three years for the justice system, the honorable men and women in law enforcement and the Napa County District Attorney’s Office, and a panel of brave and dedicated jurors to find Christopher Young guilty of all charges, describing and depicting the ruthless murder of my son Nathan Gabriel Garza. No parent or loved one should have to see or hear what we have endured during this process. We live with this knowledge and horrifying images every moment, of every day, of our lives.”

On May 11, a Napa jury convicted Young, age 26, of Martinez, of first-degree murder in connection with the killing of Garza, who was shot twice in the back by the defendant while fulfilling curbside delivery orders at Safeway in American Canyon where he worked.

Immediately after shooting Garza from the Cadillac sedan he drove to Safeway, Young sped away from the parking lot and abandoned his vehicle nearby on Cattail Drive.

Napa County Sheriff’s deputies apprehended Young shortly after receiving several reports of the defendant hopping fences and entering back yards of neighborhood homes.

The jury also convicted Young of shooting from a motor vehicle, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, and giving false information to a police officer, and found true the special circumstances of personally and intentionally discharging a firearm, firing a weapon from a vehicle with the intent to inflict death, and of lying in wait.

Judge Elia Ortiz sentenced Young to two consecutive terms, one term of life without the possibility of parole and the other of 28 years to life.

Judge Ortiz also ordered a restitution amount to be paid to Garza’s loved ones and to the California Victim Compensation Board.

Garza was a recent graduate of Rodriguez High School and was working a summer job at Safeway in American Canyon before continuing his studies at Diablo Valley College.

He was a young man who had his whole life ahead of him before he was ambushed by Young, who was a stranger to him, Napa County Deputy DA Knoles said.

“Thankfully the jury saw through Young’s contrived defense and convicted him on all charges and allegations,” Knoles said. “The defendant has not demonstrated a shred of remorse for Nathan or for his devastated family. We are grateful that this sentence provides justice by ensuring that he will never again be a threat to anyone and that he will be punished to the fullest extent possible.”

Continuing its strong first quarter momentum, the Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce, or UCETF, conducted a highly coordinated operation in Kern, Tulare and Kings counties on May 11 and 12.

The extensive multiagency operation served 51 search warrants on 52 illicit cannabis cultivation sites, resulting in over 50,000 illicit cannabis plants being eradicated and over 1,300 pounds of processed cannabis destroyed.

The estimated cash value of the illegal cannabis is over $42 million. Along with this large seizure, officers located six sites with banned pesticides/chemicals that illegal growers were using on their cannabis crops. Thirteen firearms were also seized along with 125 grams of cocaine.

Personnel from 13 different state and local agencies, including 130 officers, participated in the operation, which had been coordinated for many preceding weeks.

“The support, dedication and hard work of this multiagency taskforce speaks volumes to the success of this operation, which prevented a huge amount of illicit cannabis from entering the supply chain,” said David Bess, Chief of Enforcement for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). “This is disruption at its finest. These communities can sleep better knowing these illicit operations have been shut down.”

Several criminal charges will be filed with the Superior Courts for various crimes related to illegal cultivation of cannabis, felon in possession of a firearm and environmental crimes, which ranged from use of banned pesticides to allowing pollutants to enter ground aquifers.

Participating agencies included: CDFW, Department of Cannabis Control (DCC), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, California Department of Toxic Substances Control, California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, California State Water Resources Control Board, Kern County Sheriff’s Department, Kern County Probation Department, Tulare Sheriff’s Department and the National Guard Counter Drug Operations.

Between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2023, UCETF seized 31,912 pounds of cannabis and other cannabis products that had an estimated retail value of $52,644,020. In addition, 52,529 cannabis plants were destroyed, $95,646 in cash was confiscated and four firearms were seized. Read more about the Q1 results.

Created in 2022, UCETF has been charged by Governor Newsom to better align state efforts and increase cannabis enforcement coordination among state, local and federal partners. The taskforce is co-chaired by the DCC and CDFW and coordinated by the Homeland Security Division of Cal OES. The taskforce includes more than two dozen local, state and federal partners working together to disrupt the illegal cannabis market.