Mendo Local Weekly News — May 23, 2026
A foundational marine species disappears from the Albion River Estuary, the Boatyard shopping center changes hands in Fort Bragg, and a ordinance targets "nuisance" parking lots in Ukiah
🌱 MENDOCINO COUNTY
A Meadow Beneath the Water Vanishes, and With It, the Foundation of an Ecosystem
By Elise Cox, MendoLocal.News
The eelgrass beds of the Albion River Estuary have mysteriously disappeared, signaling a potential larger crisis along the Northern California coast. These underwater meadows—which serve as nurseries for salmon and crab, buffer against ocean acidification, and sequester carbon 40 times faster than forests—have been vanishing worldwide at an alarming rate.
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29-Year-Old Arson Suspect Arrested in Cloverdale After Setting Fire While Fleeing Police
By Frank Hartzell, MendocinoCoast.News
Luke Deramo, 29, was arrested Tuesday in Cloverdale on multiple felony arson-related charges after allegedly setting a series of small fires in the area. The transient suspect, who has a prior 2025 arson conviction in Mendocino County, was apprehended following a large-scale search after he allegedly climbed into a woman’s truck, vandalized it with a rock, and fled into nearby brush.
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🚔 COVELO
Arrest Made in Hit-and-Run Death of Former Covelo Fire Chief Bill Baker
By Frank Hartzell, MendocinoCoast.News
A 21-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with the hit-and-run death of former Covelo Fire Chief Bill Baker, who was struck and killed last fall after being dropped off by a hospital transport service.
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🏡 ELK
Sacred Rock Inn Enters Escrow
By Kat Gleason, Independent Coast Observer
The Sacred Rock Inn in Elk, which abruptly closed a year ago, is in escrow. Brendan Carlin of Ascendant Hospitality Ventures is the potential new owner.
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💰 FORT BRAGG
Fort Bragg’s Real Estate Boom: $13.1 Million Boatyard Center Sale Signals New Investment Wave
By Frank Hartzell, MendocinoCoast.News
Fort Bragg is experiencing a rare surge of private investment as iconic businesses and properties change hands. The Boatyard Center sold for $13.1 million to Argonaut Investments, while other major sales include the Grey Whale Inn, Chapel by the Sea, and the historic Well House West.
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Fort Bragg Launches First-Year Business Fee Waiver Program
City of Fort Bragg
The City Council approved a new program waiving fees for new businesses during their first year of operation in an effort to fill vacant commercial spaces and encourage entrepreneurship.
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City of Fort Bragg Launches Summer Internship Program for Youth
City of Fort Bragg
The City of Fort Bragg is seeking 5 to 7 paid interns, ages 15 and older, to work in various city departments from June 15 through August 7. Interns will earn $17 per hour during the eight-week program.
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💵 GUALALA
GCC May Have to Turn Down Million-Dollar Grant
By Kat Gleason, Independent Coast Observer
Prevailing wage requirements attached to a million-dollar USDA grant could increase the cost of rebuilding the Gualala Community Center by 16 percent.
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🚗 LAYTONVILLE
Driver Sentenced to 76 Months for Cannabis-Impaired Crash Killing Laytonville Woman
By Savana Robinson, The Mendocino Voice
Justino Faenzi-Glass, 44, of Santa Rosa, was sentenced to 76 months in state prison for causing a head-on collision that killed Sally Teegarden in 2025 while impaired by cannabis.
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🎶 NAVARRO
Second Annual Navarro-by-the-Sea Day Celebrates Historic Inn and Coastal Community
By Carole Brodsky, Ukiah Daily Journal
MendoParks is hosting the Second Annual Navarro-by-the-Sea Day on June 6 at the restored Captain Fletcher’s Inn in Navarro River Redwoods State Park. The free event will feature live music, tours, food, and raffles supporting continued restoration work. Organizers also announced plans to reopen Captain Fletcher’s as a state park visitor center and coffeehouse.
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🚧 POINT ARENA
Point Arena Seeks to Coordinate Sewer Replacement and Caltrans Projects
By Chelsea Randall, Independent Coast Observer
The Point Arena City Council voted to delay a decision on a Caltrans project for 60 days while engineers continue work on the city’s sewer system replacement plans. Caltrans warned additional delays could jeopardize the project timeline.
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💧 POTTER VALLEY
Southern California Water Agency Confirms It’s Exploring Potter Valley Project Acquisition
By Elise Cox, MendoLocal.News
The Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District confirmed it is evaluating a possible acquisition of the Potter Valley Project, the century-old infrastructure system diverting water from the Eel River into the Russian River watershed. The agency said no decisions have been made but acknowledged ongoing discussions and information gathering.
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📊 UKIAH
Ukiah City Council Discusses Annexation Challenges as County Releases Financial Impact Analysis
By Justine Frederiksen, Ukiah Daily Journal
Ukiah officials continue grappling with the city’s proposed annexation plan as Mendocino County released a preliminary financial analysis projecting rising long-term costs tied to staffing, road funding losses, and tax changes.
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Ukiah City Council Takes Aim at ‘Nuisance’ Parking Lots
By Savana Robinson, The Mendocino Voice
The Ukiah City Council unanimously adopted a new ordinance reforming off-street parking requirements and targeting vacant parking lots considered public nuisances.
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One Drunk Encounter, One Broken System — The Politics and NIMBY Pressure Keeping Treatment Centers Out
By Frank Hartzell, MendocinoCoast.News
A recent Ukiah arrest serves as the backdrop for a broader look at California’s failure to replace shuttered mental hospitals with local treatment centers, leaving police, emergency rooms, and jails to manage addiction and mental illness crises.
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Fire Crews Quickly Contain Ukiah Wildfire Sparked by Mobile Home
By Frank Hartzell, MendocinoCoast.News
Firefighters stopped a wildfire west of Ukiah Tuesday night after a burning house trailer ignited nearby vegetation along Low Gap Road. Crews contained the fire to less than 0.2 acre.
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Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op Board Issues Statement
By Roger Coryell, The Mendocino Voice
The Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op board issued its first public statement after a worker walkout disrupted operations. The board declined to discuss personnel matters but affirmed its “determination to move this organization forward and create something strong enough to serve this community for decades to come.”
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Medium Art Center Celebrates Five Years of Community Connection
By Carole Brodsky, Ukiah Daily Journal
Medium Art Center is celebrating five years of arts programming, youth exhibits, workshops, and community events in Mendocino County. The organization has grown from a pandemic-era idea into a major local cultural hub.
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🎬 VILLAGE OF MENDOCINO
The 19th Annual Mendocino Film Festival Returns
By Alessandra Rizzo, The Mendocino Voice
The Mendocino Film Festival returns May 28–31 with 80 films from 35 countries, including environmental documentaries, Sundance selections, and local productions focused on kelp forest decline.
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🍻 WILLITS
Willits City Council Approves Downtown Entertainment Zone, Rejects Catastrophic Leave Policy
By Elise Cox, MendoLocal.News
The Willits City Council approved a new downtown entertainment zone allowing alcoholic beverages during permitted events in designated downtown areas between noon and 9 p.m.
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Ex-Willits Hospital Worker Found Guilty of Spiking Drink, Sex Assault Charges
By Elise Cox, MendoLocal.News
A Mendocino County jury convicted former respiratory therapist Matthew Ryan Mayo of sexually assaulting a colleague after secretly drugging her beer with zolpidem in 2020.
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Brooktrails Fire Fundraiser
By Mathew Caine, Willits Weekly
Thirty-two golfers gathered for a fundraiser benefiting the Brooktrails Fire Department. Proceeds will help purchase a new rescue tool used to free crash victims from vehicles.
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🏛️ CALIFORNIA
Newsom Signs AI Executive Order to Study Worker Protections Amid Tech Layoffs
By Khari Johnson, CalMatters
Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order directing state agencies to study ways to reduce job losses caused by artificial intelligence, including retraining programs and severance protections.
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California Moves to Make Cheaper E85 Fuel More Accessible to Drivers
By Alejandro Lazo and Yue Stella Yu, CalMatters
California lawmakers advanced legislation making it easier for drivers to convert vehicles to run on E85 ethanol fuel, potentially lowering fuel costs amid high gas prices.
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California to Share Immigrant Driver Data with National Database
By Khari Johnson and Wendy Fry, CalMatters
California is preparing to share detailed driver’s license information—including data on more than 1 million unauthorized immigrants—with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators to comply with the Real ID Act.
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