In Washington, the U.S Bureau of Reclamation has awarded the Round Valley Indian Tribes and the Sonoma Water Agency $15 million. In Sacramento, committee assignments have been made official. We spoke with District Two Assemblyperson Chris Rogers about his committee assignments. And, closer to home, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has opened the north boat launch at Lake Mendocino. Meanwhile, in Ukiah, the Humane Society for Inland Mendocino County has closed due to a Parvo emergency, and Fort Bragg Mayor Jason Goedeke reported on a bridge safety meeting with Caltrans.

New documents filed in the Cubbison case show District Attorney David Eyster’s opposition to Chamise Cubbison more than two years before charging her with criminal misappropriation of funds. Among the documents, an August 30, 2021 email written by Eyster to then Supervisor Glenn McGourty could be central to the defense’s argument that Eyster was committed to finding a way to prevent Cubbison from serving as auditor-controller months before questions arose about improper overtime payments made to a payroll manager.

Nominated for two Academy Awards and for the National Book Award, Sayles is here to announce his latest novel “To Save The Man”.  He will be appearing at the Gallery Bookstore in Mendocino Village on January 22nd.  Sayles has published 8 novels and a short story collection. “To Save The Man” tells the dual story of the Carlisle Indian School and the Massacre at Wounded Knee.  It juxtaposes the life of Indigenous children who are forced to give up their heritage and the struggles of the Native American tribes who are forced onto reservations and allotments in what was known in the 1800s as The Territory.  Sayles talks about his inspiration for the novel, the hardships Native Americans faced, the prejudice and fear of the white population, and the impact on children.  In his novel, he details the lead-up to the massacre and takes the reader through the moments when the US Army gunned down hundreds of innocent Lakota Sioux.  The story is told through the eyes of Carlisle Indian School students.  According to Sayles, Carlisle was the blueprint for the Indian Boarding Schools that sprung up across the US and Canada causing immeasurable hardship to native populations.  

Gleaming stainless steel nets installed 20 feet below the sidewalk have cut Golden Gate Bridge suicides by 80 percent since they were installed over a year ago. Could similar nets stop future deaths in Fort Bragg?

On Saturday, January 18th, a sister march to the National Women's March on Washington will take place in downtown Ukiah. Women and their allies will begin at 12 p.m. at the Mendocino County Courthouse, and march to Alex Thomas Plaza, where they will gather to share music and information on a variety of issues pertaining to women’s advocacy and more. Jenn Procacci speaks with Lynda McClure, one of the organizers.

A body was recovered Tuesday afternoon around 4:30 p.m. near the cliffs just beyond Main Street in Mendocino.  In addition, a coroner’s investigation of human remains discovered December 23 underneath the Noyo River Bridge positively identified Roy Mora, a 15-year-old Fort Bragg teenager who vanished on December 7. And, a Mendocino County Sheriff's deputy was arrested in Ukiah for domestic violence.

Fort Bragg councilperson Lindy Peters provided an update at Monday’s council meeting on litigation around the proposed Grocery Outlook store at the southern end of town. The lawsuit filed by Fort Bragg Local Business Matters will be heard on February 3 at 9:30 a.m. in Superior Court in San Francisco. Peters also sponsored a resolution proclaiming Fort Bragg's support for immigrants that was unanimously adopted by the council but provoked pushback from some residents.

The annual count of Mendocino County’s homeless population is happening on Wednesday, January 29, and the organizers are looking for volunteers to participate on the coast and in the southern and northern parts of the county. In addition, the Willits City Council is seeking applicants for a vacant council seat. Applications are due January 15. As of January 8, there were no qualified applicants.

The City of Point Arena is moving forward on a plan to update the city's pier and to find revenue sources to help reverse a financial implosion that is requiring city employees to work reduced hours. One possibility is a campground in the Point Arena Cove. Meanwhile, a man was caught on camera siphoning 60+ gallons in fuel from Coastal Seniors buses.

Superior Court Judge Ann Moorman on Wednesday ordered the case against Chamise Cubbison, Mendocino County's former auditor-controller, to proceed to a preliminary hearing. Moorman will rule on an motion to dismiss after that hearing. On Tuesday the newly elected Board of Supervisors met for the first time. Among their first actions was to elect a chair and vice chair and limit public comment on specific topics to no more than ten minutes.