News

It couldn’t be an ordinary first day back to school at West County High School in Sebastopol, on Thursday, Aug. 12. Teenagers of the new consolidated school milled about and threw their arms around friends, though a staff person offered blue surgical masks as they headed to the outdoor stadium for a rally.

Cloverdale’s water restrictions are tightening to a 35% mandatory reduction in water use. The Cloverdale City Council unanimously voted on Aug. 11 to declare a Stage 4 water shortage emergency, and to increase its water reduction goal for the city from 25% to 35%. The decision comes a little over a week after the State Water Control Board issued curtailments for senior water rights holders in the upper Russian River, which includes Cloverdale.

The Windsor Town Council made concessions and delayed the enforcement date of an update to the town’s tobacco retail ordinance in response to strong and continued opposition from local convenience store owners, at its meeting Aug. 4.

The 32nd annual Summer Olympics have come to a close in Tokyo, Japan. There were moments of lifetime achievements, world records, tears and raw emotions, a few lessons about mental health and stress, transgender milestones and, overall, a surprisingly successful collection of games, competition and camaraderie — all under a cloud of a global coronavirus pandemic.

Tuesdays in the Plaza continues

Cloverdale’s Clover Theater, which has been shuttered in some form since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, is preparing to reopen this fall.

After months of reluctance, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday mandated that all California school employees be vaccinated for COVID-19 or be tested weekly.

Teens headed to West County High School in Sebastopol this week are in for another year in the school of life, marking two years since student were able to have a traditional first day of school.

Incoming animals

Aug. 11 meeting will bring water shortage stages to the forefront