Mendo Local Weekly News Roundup — October 5, 2025
Rural post deliveries are cut in "optimization" plan, sneaker waves break on local beaches, and sunflower sea star sightings
Hello friends,
You can look for your ballots in the mail next week — and if they’re slow to arrive, it could be because of the U.S. Post Office’s new “Regional Transportation Optimization Plan.” Also in the news, Ukiah is set to get 22 miles in new trails, Point Arena has secured money to make needed repairs in Arena Cove, and “functionally extinct” sunflower sea stars have been spotted on the Mendocino coast.
📰 MENDOCINO COUNTY
Mendocino County ballots go out Monday for statewide special election on Proposition 50
By Bay City News, The Mendocino Voice
Mendocino County voters will receive ballots starting Monday for a statewide special election on Proposition 50, which proposes suspending current congressional district maps and creating new ones potentially favoring Democrats. The Registrar of Voters will open its in-person voting center in Ukiah on Monday, offering weekday hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Oct. 13 for Indigenous Peoples’ Day). In-person voting will also be available on Election Day, Nov. 4, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at more than 20 polling sites across the county.
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Postal Service changes cause delays at rural post offices
By Matthew LaFever, Independent Coast Observer
Residents along the Mendonoma Coast are reporting worsening mail delays and missing deliveries following Postal Service changes tied to a 10-year “Regional Transportation Optimization” plan. Outgoing mail pickups at Gualala Post Office have dropped from twice daily to once at 10:30 a.m. without public notice. Critics, including the Postal Regulatory Commission, say the plan harms rural communities that were already underserved.
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Paul Katzeff resigns from Mendocino Coast Hospital Board
By Frank Hartzell, Mendocino Coast News
Thanksgiving Coffee co-founder Paul Katzeff has resigned from the Mendocino Coast Hospital District Board after just months on the job, citing frustration over what he described as the board’s “lack of vision” and narrow focus on the district’s duties as landlord to Adventist Health rather than improving community health. Katzeff plans to launch a speaking tour to explain his decision.
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County pays $200K for little to show in lobbying contract
By Mark Scaramella, Anderson Valley Advertiser
Despite a $6 million deficit, Mendocino County continues to pay $42,000 annually to Sacramento lobbyists Shaw Yoder Antwih Schmelzer & Lange — totaling more than $200,000 over five years. Scaramella says the firm’s reported “accomplishments” are trivial or unrelated to county interests, such as supporting bills already in effect or opposing Los Angeles–specific legislation.
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Sneaker waves strike: nature’s unpredictable ocean hazard
By Frank Hartzell, Mendocino Coast News
Sneaker waves up to 15 feet hit the Mendocino Coast this week, creating life-threatening beach conditions. The National Weather Service warns that sneaker waves arrive without warning, urging beachgoers to stay off coastal rocks and away from the surf during advisories.
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Sunflower sea stars sighted on the Mendocino Coast
By Elise Cox, Mendo Local News
A Sonoma State University researcher and two recreational divers confirmed sightings of sunflower sea stars, thought by some to be functionally extinct. The rare sightings come amid North Coast KelpFest celebrations in Fort Bragg, offering new hope for recovery of the region’s kelp forests.
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Member of Mendocino County Bikers Against Child Abuse accused of child sex crime
By Matt LaFever, MendoFever
John Conant, 66, a Sebastopol man and former Bikers Against Child Abuse executive, was arrested in Sonoma County on suspicion of lewd acts with a child under 14. B.A.C.A. leaders condemned the alleged conduct and emphasized their zero-tolerance policy for abuse.
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🌉 ALBION
Caltrans finalizes environmental review for Albion River Bridge replacement
By Susan Wolbarst, Independent Coast Observer
Caltrans has released the final Environmental Impact Report for the Albion River Bridge project, clearing the way for construction starting in 2028. The agency selected a reinforced concrete arch design, citing broad public support and fewer environmental impacts.
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🏙️ FORT BRAGG
Hundreds attend Mendocino County’s first “Longest Table” event
By Elise Cox, Mendo Local News
The table — or more accurately “tables” — were set up on on North Franklin Street in two rows to accommodate more than 400 people. While the event was free, it quickly reached capacity.
read the full story.
Fort Bragg Grocery Outlet groundbreaking slated for spring 2026
By Devon Dean, The Mendocino Voice
After years of litigation, Fort Bragg’s long-debated Grocery Outlet is set to break ground next spring. The project was delayed by legal challenges from a local business coalition but has cleared its final court hurdle.
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Judge allows murder case against alleged fentanyl dealer to proceed
By Elise Cox, Mendo Local News
A Mendocino County judge has ruled that Kailand Ignacio Garcia must stand trial for second-degree murder in the fentanyl overdose death of Fort Bragg teen Alyson Sanchezllanes, citing sufficient evidence of implied malice.
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📬 GUALALA
Postal Service changes cause delays at rural post offices
By Matthew LaFever, Independent Coast Observer
Mail pickups and deliveries have been sharply reduced in Gualala under new USPS “optimization” plans, leaving residents frustrated over returned mail and late bills.
read the full story
🌲 NAVARRO
Camp Navarro’s “Deep End” closes festival season in the redwoods
By Terry Sites, Anderson Valley Advertiser
Hundreds gathered at Camp Navarro for The Deep End, the final “family music campout” of the season. Bands including ALO, Hot Buttered Rum, and Everyone Orchestra performed amid rain fall in a joyful, creative celebration.
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🍇 PHILO
Philo man pleads guilty to two felony sex charges, highlighting court transparency crisis
By Linda Little, Mendocino Coast News
Ryan Clayton Davis, 42, pleaded guilty to two felony sex charges involving a minor. His case underscores California’s recent decision to restrict public online access to court records, limiting press oversight and transparency.
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⚓ POINT ARENA
Arena Cove Boating Access Project receives $224K grant
By Karen Elowitt, Independent Coast Observer
Point Arena has secured $224,000 from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to replace the aging boat hoist and gangway at Arena Cove. Construction will temporarily close the pier to vessels through late November.
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🌄 UKIAH
Ukiah approves new 22-mile trail system in western hills
By Justine Frederiksen, Ukiah Daily Journal
The Ukiah City Council unanimously approved the Lookout Peak Trail Project, creating 22 miles of new trails for hiking, biking, and running. The Ukiah Valley Trail Group donated $50,000 and will help build and maintain the system.
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🪨 VILLAGE OF MENDOCINO
New Deal–era bridge cornerstone seeks museum home
By Frank Hartzell, Mendocino Coast News
Caltrans is offering a historic corner post from the 1930s Jack Peters Creek Bridge to a local museum, calling it a “heavyweight piece of Mendocino and American history.”
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🚦 WILLITS
Toxic workplace report, $2M deficit dominate Willits City Council meeting
By Elise Cox, Mendo Local News
The Willits City Council accepted a grand jury finding that the city had a toxic workplace culture and approved a 2025–26 budget using $2.1 million in local tax revenue and $73,000 in reserves to balance the general fund.
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California Conservation Corps opens new Mendocino Center in Willits
By Mathew Caine, Willits Weekly
The CCC celebrated the grand opening of its new Mendocino Residential Center in Willits, home to 80–100 corps members who will live, train, and volunteer throughout the region.
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📰 CALMATTERS
Newsom vetoes license plate reader regulation bill, raising privacy concerns
By Khari Johnson and Mohamed Al Elew, CalMatters
Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have tightened oversight of automated license plate readers, saying the rules would hinder investigations despite privacy concerns over data misuse.
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California sues El Cajon over controversial license plate data sharing
By Wendy Fry, CalMatters
Attorney General Rob Bonta has sued the City of El Cajon, accusing police of illegally sharing license plate reader data with agencies in over two dozen states — raising privacy concerns for immigrants and those seeking reproductive care.
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🩺 NOTABLE PRESS RELEASES
Adventist Health names new North Coast Network president
By Adventist Health
Parker Pridgen has been appointed president of Adventist Health’s North Coast Network, overseeing six hospitals and more than 90 clinics across Mendocino County.
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