By Connie Schielein In a milestone for public art, the City of Sonoma has officially accepted the donation of its first permanent monumental public sculpture by a local artist. Created by distinguished artist Peter Hassen, Cycles #3 is a striking 96-inch Corten steel artwork, featuring... Continue
Main Story
Stanford Professor Provides a Roadmap By Larry Barnett The world’s use of fossil fuels has been marked by successive crises and temporary solutions. The widespread use of coal for heating and power generation in Britain created generations of soot and pollution, and was replaced by... Continue
ONLY ONE MAN CHARGED IN DEATH OF JOHN FRANCIS AVILA, ALL FOUR SUSPECTS RELEASED There has been a major development in the death of 64-year-old John Francis Avila. Although four Sonoma men were originally arrested on suspicion of murder and conspiracy, only one now faces... Continue
Four suspects have been taken into custody on charges of murder and conspiracy following a violent assault at the Sonoma Plaza that resulted in the death of a 64-year-old Sonoma resident. On Monday, September 7, 2026, at approximately 10:30 PM, patrol officers responded to reports... Continue
Below is text and recommendations by Sonoma's City Attorney regarding an upcoming agenda item coming before the City Council at it meeting of September 16. Introduction The City is committed to ensuring meaningful access to City public meetings for members of the public with disabilities,... Continue
By Domenic Carinalli Sonoma County organic dairy farmer and conventional winegrape grower It’s been fairly warm, and the cows are doing very well. Milk production is about right. Prices are good. There’s a lot of people that are breeding their dairy cows to beef, which... Continue
Voters will make decisions on topics of housing, government fee increases, state finances, recall elections and more. PROPOSITION 1 California's housing crisis is on the ballot this November, and it carries a multibillion-dollar price tag. If passed, Proposition 1, also known as the Veterans and... Continue
By David Bolling I used to think Washington, D.C. was my home. I wasn’t born there but I spent the most significant years of the turbulent Sixties living there, working on Capitol Hill, living on the edge of Foggy Bottom, near the Watergate, on the... Continue
Friend and Collaborator of Sonoma Botanical Garden An authoritative figure in tree health, conservation, and education, Tony Kirkham, MBE, VMH, has helped shape public understanding of trees’ importance to ecosystems and human culture. Between 1996 and 2011, he partnered with Sonoma Botanical Garden (originally Quarry... Continue
County Needs More Analysis By David Bolling In a surprise announcement released on a County website last weekend, the Sonoma County planning department – Permit Sonoma – announced that the expected release of a new draft Environmental Impact Report for the proposed development of the... Continue