ORICK, Calif. – Staff from Redwood National and State Parks, the Yurok Tribe and the Department of Defense are collaborating this summer to repair, restore and enhance multiple facilities around the park in conjunction with the Air National Guard’s Innovative Readiness Training, or IRT, Program, which provides infrastructure construction training opportunities to Air Force units.

"This project exemplifies the power of partnerships and the impact of the Great American Outdoor Act and other federal funds," said Leonel Arguello, superintendent of Redwood National and State Parks. "Revitalizing these sites across the parks is not only preserving a piece of our past but also investing in the future of conservation. This partnership between the National Park Service, the Department of Defense, and the Yurok Tribe, will highlight our ability to collectively train, build, and serve the needs of our valued parks and promote the NPS mission of protecting and managing the nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage."

Projects the team will work on include infrastructure improvements at the Wolf Creek Education Center, rehabilitation at the Kuchel Visitor Center, and Redwoods Rising restoration work.

Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve members have completed winterizing two of the seven student cabins, added to the accessible trails around the campus, installed night sky appropriate lighting along trails, and assisted in the restoration of 30,000 acres of forest.   

“This project fulfills our annual two-week training requirement by offering high-quality, hands-on experience across multiple building trades,” said Major Josef Kallevig, the officer in charge. “Air Force Civil Engineers bring skilled craftsmen who work closely with our highly capable Yurok Tribe partners to mentor younger airmen and deliver lasting, high-quality results for the park and surrounding community.”

As part of their partnership with the National Park Service, the Yurok Tribe will provide oversight, materials, and specialized trades needed to complete these projects.   

The Yurok Tribe have an unmatched understanding of the landscape and broad working experience with the types of projects undertaken in this program, said Chairman Joseph L. James.
“As a tribe with veterans of every foreign war, we are excited to provide the best possible training for the 250 service members,” James said. “It is a huge privilege to share our unique knowledge and skills with those responsible for protecting our homeland.”
 
Redwood National and State Parks share in the perpetual stewardship of ancient coast redwood forests, waterways, and coastline on the homeland of Yurok, Chilula, and Tolowa peoples; for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of everyone; with a commitment to restoration of damaged landscapes.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has approved the prepositioning of firefighting resources in Sierra and Plumas counties in response to critical fire weather conditions forecasted to impact Northern California starting Sunday, July 20, through Tuesday, July 22.
 
A total of nine fire engines, three water tenders, and one dispatcher are prepositioned in Sierra and Plumas counties. 

These efforts ensure that resources are ready to respond quickly, minimizing the potential impact of new fires. 

This proactive approach has proven to be a critical component of California’s wildfire response strategy, reducing response times and containing fires before they escalate into major incidents.
 
Residents are urged to stay vigilant during this heightened fire weather period. 

The Governor's Office of Emergency Services reminds the public to:

• Prepare a wildfire action plan, including planning evacuation routes and packing a go-bag ready with essentials.
• Sign up for local emergency alerts to stay informed about changing conditions.

For more information on fire safety and preparedness, visit News.CalOES.ca.gov and Ready.ca.gov. 

Construction continues on Caltrans’ $43 million State Route 32 Rehabilitation Project in Chico to enhance safety, pavement conditions, and accessibility along a vital five-mile stretch through the city.

One-way traffic control with pilot car assistance is in effect 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. for nightly paving operations. Crews will start work next week at West Sacramento Avenue ending at 9th Street by the end of the month. 

Motorists should expect brief delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes when possible.

Daytime construction activities include electrical work and shoulder improvements at various intersections. These operations will not impact traffic flow. Crews are also installing temporary ADA-accessible curb ramps to maintain accessibility during construction at 5th, 8th and 9th streets.

Knife River Construction is the prime contractor. The project, which spans from Muir Avenue to the junction with State Route 99, began in April and is on track for completion by the end of the year.

Caltrans urges drivers to be alert for crews and equipment in the area, slow down through the work zone, and obey all posted signs for their safety and the safety of workers. The schedule is subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment or material availability, or other unexpected events.

Caltrans District 3 is responsible for maintaining and operating 4,385 lane miles in 11 Sacramento Valley and Northern Sierra counties. 

Caltrans reminds motorists to “Be Work Zone Alert” and slow in construction zones for the safety of travelers and crews performing these improvements.

On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the High Speed Rail Authority is suing the Trump administration over what he called a politically-motivated termination of $4 billion in federal grants to the project.

The lawsuit alleges that termination of the agreements is petty, political retribution, motivated by President Trump’s personal animus toward California and the high-speed rail project, not by facts on the ground. 

“Trump’s termination of federal grants for California high-speed rail reeks of politics. It’s yet another political stunt to punish California,” said Newsom. “In reality, this is just a heartless attack on the Central Valley that will put real jobs and livelihoods on the line. We’re suing to stop Trump from derailing America’s only high-speed rail actively under construction.” 

Thursday’s action comes as the project enters the track laying phase, is actively building across 171 miles, has built more than 50 major railway structures — including bridges, overpasses, and viaducts — and completed over 60 miles of guideway. 

In the last year, high-speed rail has marked significant progress — with all environmental reviews spanning 463 miles from Los Angeles to the Bay Area complete, the electrification of Caltrain complete, trainset selection underway, station and track construction on deck, continued work with partner rail systems to create a southwest regional high-speed rail network, and more than 15,000 good paying jobs created. Passenger service is expected in the coming years, between 2030 and 2033.

High speed rail is a key part of Governor Newsom’s build more, faster agenda delivering infrastructure upgrades and creating jobs throughout the state.

As part of the ongoing investigation into the origin and cause of the Esparto pyrotechnics facility explosion, the Cal Fire-Office of the State Fire Marshal, or OSFM, has taken action to suspend the pyrotechnic licenses of Kenneth Chee of Devastating Pyrotechnics Inc. and Craig Cutright of Blackstar Fireworks who were identified in conjunction with the facility.

The Cal Fire-Office of the State Fire Marshal is conducting a thorough and comprehensive investigation and cannot comment on specific details related to the investigation at this time. 

“The OSFM remains committed to keeping the public informed and will release relevant information that does not affect the integrity of the ongoing investigation as it becomes available,” Cal Fire said in its announcement.

“While our arson and bomb investigators have completed their evidence collection from the explosion site, the investigation remains very active,” said California State Fire Marshal Chief Daniel Berlant. “We continue to remain laser focused on this investigation as the family and the community deserve answers. The effort to find the cause can take time, and it is our responsibility to ensure we provide a thorough and accurate investigation.”

On July 1, the Esparto Fire Protection District Fire Chief, acting as incident commander, requested OSFM take the lead on investigating the origin and cause of an explosion at a pyrotechnics facility in Yolo County, named the Oakdale Incident.

OSFM said this type of incident is very rare as facilities like this are required to follow California fireworks/pyrotechnic devices storage requirements: Title 19, California Code of Regulations, Division 1, Chapter 6, Article 8 and Federal explosive storage requirements, Code of Federal Regulations, Title 27, Part 555, Subpart K.

NORTH COAST, Calif. — Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley said Tuesday that she has fled murder charges against a Napa man for a homicide earlier this month.

Ramiro Ochoa Mendoza, age 36, is facing charges in connection with the murder of Noel Batres, age 47, also of Napa.

In addition to murder, Mendoza faces allegations that the murder involved the use of a deadly weapon; the murder exhibited violence, cruelty, viciousness or callousness; that the crime shows an increasing level of seriousness from previous crimes; that the defendant had a prior prison term, was on probation or parole, and that he had prior poor performance on probation or parole.

It is alleged that Mendoza killed Batres and left his body under the Third Street Bridge, on the banks of the Napa River at Soscol Avenue, where it was discovered on the afternoon of July 3.

Mendoza had previously been granted mental health diversion by the Napa County Superior Court but failed to comply with the program.

In early 2025, the defendant faced multiple criminal charges in Napa County. He was arrested on April 27 for violating a restraining order, violating his Post-Release Community Supervision, or PRCS, and resisting arrest. 

Two days later, on April 29, the court raised concerns about his mental health competency to stand trial and appointed two doctors to evaluate him.

By May 28, both physicians concluded that Mendoza was not competent. The court dismissed the PRCS violation, in accordance with the law, and despite numerous attempts by defense counsel to dismiss the cases outright, the court followed the Legislature’s direction and ordered mental health diversion for the defendant with supervised release for the two remaining misdemeanors. 

Senate Bill 317, which was designed to decriminalize mental illness in low-level offenses, significantly amended Penal Code sections 1370.01 and 1370.2 – a defendant can no longer be restored to competency when they are only charged with misdemeanors. Instead of criminal prosecution, the law requires the court to conduct a mental health diversion hearing.

Mendoza promptly failed to appear in court for his mental health diversion review and was found to be out of compliance with the diversion program. 

Because the law prohibits prosecution from continuing in cases where a defendant is deemed incompetent on only misdemeanor charges, the court had no choice but to dismiss both remaining cases and did so on July 8.

Three days after his court no-show and the dismissal of his two misdemeanor charges, on July 11, Mendoza was taken into custody by Napa Police officers and charged with the murder of Batres.

“This case highlights the real-world impact of the recent legal reforms, where courts are required to prioritize mental health treatment over traditional prosecution, even when defendants exhibit an unwillingness or inability to comply with court-ordered programs,” said Napa County Deputy District Attorney Katie Susemihl, who is prosecuting the case against Mendoza.

No further information regarding this case will be released at this time, as DDA Susemihl prepares the People’s case against Mendoza. 

The defendant appeared in court Tuesday afternoon for an arraignment hearing, he is held without bail at the Napa County Department of Corrections.