Temperatures up, masks off

Sunny skies, brown lawns, preemptive power outages. Ah, summer. When the super hot weather returns (from its vacation in Seattle), so will the threat of fire and PG&E’s Public Safety Power Shutoff program. You remember, that’s when the utility-formerly-known-as-bankrupt shuts off power in advance of... Continue

$2b County budget approved — so what’s funded?

It feels like just yesterday that the Board of Supervisors adopted the budget for the 2020/2021 Fiscal Year. Budget hearings were one of many things delayed last year amid the challenges and uncertainty as Sonoma County grappled with the impacts of COVID-19. This year was... Continue

The sweepstakes winner scam

My wife received a phone call and an email the other day announcing that she was a first-place winner in the Reader’s Digest Sweepstakes; $5.1 million was awaiting deposit into her bank account. Wisely, she made no response on the phone other than to say... Continue

Sonoma County awarded $37 million FEMA grant to mitigate wildfire risks

In an announcement that Supervisor Susan Gorin said took the Board by surprise, President Joe Biden announced that the County of Sonoma will receive a $37 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for wildfire risk reduction. “Because Sonoma County knows all too well... Continue

Sen. Dodd: virtual Town Hall on schools, reopening & innovation

Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, will host a virtual town hall July 13 on schools, reopening and the role of innovation during the pandemic featuring California Superintendent Tony Thurmond and other distinguished panelists. The town hall will be streamed live over multiple channels and broadcast on... Continue

Happy Independence Day, Sonoma!

The Sonoma Volunteer Firefighter Association continues Sonoma’s 4th of July Celebration tradition with a grand fireworks show. (Note there will be no Plaza party or parade this year.) The pomp begins with a car cruise through the Sonoma Valley organized by the Devils Darling’s starting at... Continue