Valley firefighter killed on Highway 12
Brian Fletcher, 27, a Kenwood Fire Protection District firefighter, died in a motorcycle accident Sunday just north of Kenwood
Fletcher was traveling westbound on Hwy. 12 approaching Adobe Canyon Road at about 6:30 p.m. when a car driven by Diane Trembley of Kenwood traveling in the opposite direction made a left-hand turn in front of him, according to the California Highway Patrol. Trembley was not injured.
The accident remains under investigation.
A memorial service for Fletcher will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa.
Planning Commission eases pain of doctor shortage
The Prima Medical Group is an important step closer in opening a new facility in Sonoma Valley aimed at stepping up recruitment of long-needed primary care physicians in the community.
The Sonoma City Planning Commission approved a use permit application for the Marin County-based Prima—a physician own and operated group which facilitates the relocation and recruitment of physicians—that allows them to occupy 6,000 square feet with in a vacant two-story office building known as the Old Bowl Center at 19310-19312 Hwy. 12.
Prima’s focus is to provide office space, medical equipment, information technology and other support services to primary care physicians so they can avoid the initial burden of up-front expenses while building new medical practices.
Prima has been looking at local properties that would support at least four primary care physicians and their staffs.
The project architect, Vic Conforti, told the commission the exterior of the building has been completed and is ready for tenant improvements.
Prima said it already has three physicians lined up for the new building. They are Brian Sebastian, Subhash Mishra and Diane Weissman.
