In Memoriam: Jack Trotter
Well-known Healdsburg history buff and decorated U.S. Marines veteran Jack Trotter passed away last week at the age of 80. According to the Healdsburg Museum, he was a "military historian and licensed antique appraiser" who advised the museum on "collections, research and exhibitions." More...
Rural Healdsburg Fire Caused by Driver With Busted Tire: Cal Fire
The alerts started flowing in this past Wednesday afternoon: A multi-pronged wildfire, consisting of three spot fires, was burning along Chalk Hill Road in the countryside east of Healdsburg and Windsor. Winds were high and grasses were dry. Locals held their breath while Cal Fire and various other...
Retardant Dropped on ‘Point Fire’ Destroys Vineyard: Report
One more thing to add to the Point Fire damage report I gave you over the weekend: A plot of wine grapes called Lago di Merlo Vineyards near Lake Sonoma may have been destroyed by some of the hot-pink fire retardant dropped by Cal...
The Wurst Restaurant Closes in Healdsburg: Here’s What’s Replacing It
The Wurst, downtown Healdsburg’s go-to sausage and burger spot at 222 Matheson St., quietly closed its doors for the final time last weekend after nearly 15 years in business. And just as suddenly, the owners of The Wurst have announced they plan to open a different...
Healdsburg Restaurant ‘The Wurst’ Getting New Owners
Down at the The Wurst sausage and burger spot at 22 Matheson St., an ownership change is in the works. Longtime owners Melissa and Kevin McDowell are currently in the process of handing off the restaurant to Healdsburg couple David and Elise Baeli, who used to run...
Case Update: Deadly Healdsburg Hotel Fight
The Press Democrat has an update on the shocking death in town last summer of Abel Garza, a 41-year-old father of three from Santa Rosa who police say attacked a group of hotel staffers in the pool area at Hotel Healdsburg earlier that day. One of the staffers,...
In Memoriam: Richard Iverson
Lifelong Healdsburg resident and World War II veteran Richard Iverson, who at one time owned a local hardware store, reportedly passed away in his sleep about one month ago — on the same night he celebrated his 97th birthday. From his illustrious obituary: "Richard served in the Navy during...
Healdsburg Rain Totals, River Levels
As I'm sure you noticed, we got a real walloping of rain over the weekend — pushing the Russian River up to the 15-foot mark in the spot where they measure it in Healdsburg, just upstream of Memorial Bridge. (Twenty feet is when they start...
Who Won Sonoma County’s 2024 Pruning Contest
The results are in for the 25th annual countywide grapevine pruning contest, which was held last Wednesday at Ferrari-Carano Vineyards in Healdsburg — and the takeaway seems to be that Geyserville pruners just do it better. Miguel Galvan, who works for VinePro Vineyard Management...
Healdsburg Vineyard Worker Dies in Tractor Accident: Update
We now know the name of the young vineyard worker crushed to death by a tractor in a Dry Creek Valley vineyard last week. It was Geyserville resident Ezequiel Orozco, 28, who "was driving the tractor on a muddy private road at 6355 Mountain...
Sports
Another new coach to lead Healdsburg team
It’s getting to be an old story: This is the third straight year a new coach will take control of the team, the sixth time in eight years. That must be counted as a factor for the disappointing record the Greyhounds have run up since their last winning season, 2013. Perhaps, say the faithful again, this year will be different...