Downtown Healdsburg Gets Drone Fireworks Show
At one point, the Healdsburg City Council was discussing the possibility of switching to drone fireworks for our town’s annual Fourth of July show, largely as a fire-safety measure. Judging by the city website, it looks like they decided to stick with the old-fashioned kind....
Healdsburg’s Historic Simi Winery Might Get New Owners Soon
The San Francisco Chronicle made a bold prediction early last month: “This will be the year of California winery closures.” Here in Healdsburg, from where I’m sitting, the 2025 wine-industry shakeup has looked more like a Great Reshuffling — aka, wine bosses selling off certain properties or reshaping their...
‘Edge Esmeralda’ Event Kicks Off in Healdsburg
Remember when I told you about the Edge Esmeralda "popup village," a monthlong festival for futuristic ideas coming to Healdsburg for all of June? Well, the start date is upon us: Programming officially starts tomorrow. The two young women at the head of the...
‘Amy’s Wicked Slush’ Stand Burns in Healdsburg
This is a tough one. Late Tuesday night, a fire reportedly burned out the old Amy's Wicked Slush building next to Memorial Bridge — once a hotspot for frozen desserts and other Boston favorites. Sonoma County photographer Tenaya Fleckenstein, who was at the scene...
In Memoriam: Yasuko ‘Suzie’ Buchignani
A member of the local Buchignani clan and familiar face in the Healdsburg wine industry, Yasuko "Suzie" Buchignani, passed away earlier this month at age 79. Here's the story of Suzie's life, from her obituary: "She was born on March 9th, 1945 in Fukuoka,...
Car Hits, Kills Man Walking on 101 Near Healdsburg
Something really awful happened on the freeway just south of Healdsburg a couple of nights ago. A man was killed in the wee hours while walking along the northbound 101 between the Airport and Shiloh exits, according to the California Highway Patrol. Here's the...
Dogs Rescued From Russian River in Healdsburg
During the stormy winter weather earlier this month — on Saturday, March 9, in Healdsburg — two dogs reportedly had to be rescued from the Russian River's swift waters by a crew from North Bay Animal Services, a nonprofit shelter down in Petaluma. "Rascal and...
Healdsburg Suspect Named in Regional ‘Scam Enterprise’
A young woman from Healdsburg has been arrested along with three Santa Rosa residents for running what police call an elaborate, $7.8 million "money laundering and international telephone scam enterprise" with victims all across the United States, many of them elderly. It took a team of...
Rediscovering DeLoach Vineyards
After 20-plus years in the wine industry, I can admit that I am guilty of writing off a winery or brand or assuming I know it well enough, only to later realize that it has been so long since I’ve actually visited the winery,...
Healdsburg Schools Are Now in Session
Hard to believe this is already happening, but indeed: Thursday was the first day of school for the Healdsburg Unified School District.
“The 2024-2025 school year has officially begun!” district officials wrote on Facebook. “Mr. Lancaster upheld his tradition and serenaded our HHS Students during drop-off...










