Mendo Local Weekly News — January 18, 2026
Crab season opens, a shark attacks a surfer, and Mendocino County CEO Darcie Antle announces her retirement
🌲 MENDOCINO COUNTY
Mendocino County CEO Darcie Antle Announces Her Retirement
By Elise Cox, MendoLocal.News
Darcie Antle, who has served as Mendocino County’s chief executive officer and assistant CEO through years marked by drought, floods, wildfires, the COVID-19 pandemic and persistent financial strain, announced last week that she will retire at the end of June 2026.
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Fewer Homicides, Harder Math for Mendocino County Public Safety
By Elise Cox, MendoLocal.News
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office investigated just two homicides in 2025, a sharp reduction from prior years. But the rising costs of dealing with homelessness, substance use disorders, thefts and other crimes continue to outpace tax revenues.
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No Action on $30.6 Million in Delinquent Taxes
By Mark Scaramella, The Anderson Valley Advertiser
Mendocino County faces a severe budget crisis and criticism from the state auditor over its approach to financial management. Despite more than $30.5 million in uncollected delinquent taxes, the county continues to rely on hiring freezes, resignation incentives and deferred maintenance — measures the auditor warned could ultimately cost more and undermine operations.
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New Reservoir Technology Creates ‘Another Lake Mendocino’
By Elise Cox, MendoLocal.News
New management technology known as Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) saved an additional 30,000 acre-feet of water in the Russian River watershed over the past three years. By using 10-day weather forecasts to guide release and storage decisions, water managers may effectively be creating the equivalent of an extra Lake Mendocino.
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🦀 FORT BRAGG
Crab Season Opens in Fort Bragg
By Frank Hartzell, MendocinoCoast.News
The commercial Dungeness crab season opened Thursday at 12:01 a.m. in Noyo Harbor, with boats launching under new gear restrictions designed to protect humpback whales. Prices are up to $4.35 per pound, with fishermen hoping for further gains during the crucial first month of the season.
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Appeals Court Declines to Reconsider Ruling Favoring Mendocino Railway
By Joe Dworetzky, Bay City News / The Mendocino Voice
A California appeals court has denied a landowner’s request to reconsider its ruling that the owner of the Skunk Train has the authority to condemn private property in Mendocino County. The opinion was certified for publication Jan. 7, 2026.
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Original reporting on the December appellate ruling first appeared in the MendocinoCoast.News: Read the story
🏄 GUALALA
Surfer Injured by Shark at Gualala Point
By Karen Elowitt and David Torres, Independent Coast Observer
Tommy Civik, 26, was about 150 feet offshore near the mouth of the Gualala River when a shark grabbed his surfboard, briefly dragging him underwater. The force of the bite snapped the board in two.
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Tree Crushes Home, Woman Seriously Injured
By Chelsea Randall, Independent Coast Observer
A powerful storm early Dec. 24 brought tragedy to a family in Gualala’s Moonrise area when a falling tree crashed through a rental home, seriously injuring a local mother of three.
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⚡ UKIAH
Good News for Mendonoma EV Drivers Visiting Ukiah
By Susan Wolbarst, Independent Coast Observer
Mendocino County has installed 24 new electric vehicle charging stations in Ukiah — 12 at the County Administrative Center at 501 Low Gap Road and 12 at the Department of Social Services office at 727 S. State St.
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DUI Conviction in Head-On Crash Case in Hopland
By the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office
A Mendocino County jury convicted David Lee Roy McCarty, 39, of Redwood Valley, on two felony DUI charges after a head-on collision on the Green Bridge south of Hopland in September 2023 that seriously injured the other driver and two passengers. McCarty is scheduled to return to court Jan. 23, when prosecutors may present additional evidence ahead of sentencing.
🏊 VILLAGE OF MENDOCINO
Swimming in the Wild: Big River Swim Team’s Pandemic-Born Community
By Justine Frederiksen, The Ukiah Daily Journal
Formed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Big River Swim Team found friendship and support in a bracing daily ritual. What began with 25 swimmers has evolved into a tight-knit group of four women who swim two to three miles each day in the cold waters of the Big River.
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🏛️ CALMATTERS
California Tightens Requirements for Homelessness Funding
By Marisa Kendall and Ben Christopher, CalMatters
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration is imposing stricter conditions on counties seeking homelessness funding, including encampment regulations, pro-housing designations and measurable progress toward reducing homelessness.
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Medi-Cal Funding Fight Puts Pressure on Newsom
By Maya C. Miller and Jeanne Kuang, CalMatters
Health care advocates and labor unions are urging Gov. Newsom to find new funding for Medi-Cal amid potential federal cuts. Proposals include a controversial wealth tax on billionaires, which Newsom opposes, and alternative revenue sources now under discussion by lawmakers.
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