The woman in the water was barely conscious when Sonoma County Fire District Capt. Heath Lesik swam through the surf to her. It was in the early morning hours Wednesday. She was perhaps 100 feet off Duncan’s Landing and was bruised and “icy cold” from being in the chilly ocean water. She also had other… Keep Reading
A team of “education rockstars will be on hand to provide information and hand out free backpacks and school supplies to kids who attend VOICES Youth Center’s back-to-school barbecue Thursday. Independent Living Program case manager LaDarius Spikes said the VOICES team hopes to hand out 100 free backpacks at the barbecue from 4-6 p.m. Thursday… Keep Reading
When celebrity chef Guy Fieri puts out a call for culinary help, chefs from around the country answer — sometimes at 2 in the morning. Especially when it’s to raise funds for Maui food industry workers and wildfire relief efforts. “Last night, I got a call from chef Ming Tsai saying he better be involved,”… Keep Reading
On the surface, the latest accounting of homelessness in Sonoma County produced good news: The number of homeless people in the county dropped 22%. But against that backdrop, the January single-day count known as the Point in Time Census shows major areas of concern persist, including: Rising Black homelessness. Black residents make up 2.5% of… Keep Reading
A specialty food nonprofit that tailor makes meals to meet individual medical needs is expanding in Santa Rosa. The land for Ceres Community Project’s future Santa Rosa headquarters was officially purchased in late July, laying out the path for construction to soon begin on the 18,500 square foot facility. The new headquarters will be located… Keep Reading
Months behind a state deadline, Sonoma County officials are close to finalizing a housing plan intended to support affordable housing development. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors will be asked to approve the blueprint, called a housing element, which outlines where and how to facilitate the creation of 3,824 housing units outside city limits over… Keep Reading
The developer of a proposed apartment complex on West Steele Lane that faced pushback from the Charles M. Schulz Museum and two other high-profile neighboring civic institutions has cleared a hearing before the City Council and is gearing up to submit construction plans to the city. The team behind the 1650 W. Steele Lane project… Keep Reading
On Aug. 1, the Sonoma County Fire Department celebrated the retirement of its beloved ‘furry friend’ and longtime search dog, Rocket, an 11-year-old Border Collie mix. Partnered with Windsor Fire Department Capt. Mike Stornetta, Rocket had been on the job for nine years. During that time, the pair had been deployed to several disasters across… Keep Reading
Cyrus Wind Dancer’s first exposure to clock restoration is now a distant — yet exceptionally clear — childhood memory. He was just 11 and was visiting his grandfather, who owned an old grandfather clock that stopped ticking in 1937. “I opened the door, and I just started working with it,” Wind Dancer said. “I got… Keep Reading
One Santa Rosa city council member called the move a “moral injury.” Another said they hope to see the city tell people where they can exist not just where they can’t. But ultimately all seven members of the Santa Rosa city council voted to repeal and replace city laws regarding camping on public property –… Keep Reading
