by Ben Christopher. This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. East Palo Alto, like cities across California, has a law on the books that forces developers of new housing projects to foot the bill for the state’s shortage of affordable... Continue
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Review of wildfire catastrophe models paves way for insurers to close coverage gaps statewide for homes and businesses An announcement from the The California Department indicates it had completed the review of three forward-looking wildfire catastrophe models, which will help stabilize insurance rates and increase... Continue
The Youth Rehabilitation and Opportunity Act, if passed and signed by the Governor, would make a person who was convicted of a controlling offense that was committed when the person was 25 years of age or younger and for which they were sentenced to life... Continue
The California Fire Chiefs Association is pleased to announce that Chief Steve Akre has been elected President-Elect for 2025–2026. Chief Akre brings over 37 years of fire service experience, including the past eight years as an active member of Cal Chiefs. He currently serves as... Continue
My brother Gordon, his wife Marian, and I had returned from our fifth road trip gathering family history. We had searched through county records, newspaper archives and historical museums, hunting for birth and death records, local articles, pictures, deeds, wills, and old maps – things... Continue
The Rotary Club of Sonoma Valley has announced Beth Fox as its club president for the 2025–2026 Rotary year. A member since 2016, Fox has served in several leadership roles within the club, including chairing the fundraising and youth service committees. Outside of Rotary, Beth... Continue
Throughout the entire month of August, Redwood Empire Bank is asking our community to come together and collect 15,000 cans of protein to help nourish our neighbors facing hunger. Why protein? Protein is one of the most requested—but least donated—items at the food bank. It’s... Continue
Grieving for my wife is a mix of sadness and reflection, including some survivor’s guilt. I always figured that with my history of heart disease I’d be the first to go, but life turned out otherwise, as it so often does. In the two months... Continue
Wine industry leaders in Sonoma County are exploring the creation of a Wine Improvement District (WID) as part of a plan to reverse declining interest in wine among younger consumers. The proposed WID would introduce a small, self-imposed tax on direct-to-consumer sales – including those... Continue
Nine times every week last year, on average, federal immigration officials requested information about people held in the Sonoma County jail, the Sheriff’s Office has reported at an annual hearing that provides public transparency about its interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The... Continue