News

It was Assistant City Manager Andrew Sturmfels' last meeting in Healdsburg before he begins work for Sonoma County, but the same old City Council was on the dais to double-down on their controversial decision to set a 5-district limit for Healdsburg's new government....

On Christmas Eve, at 8:40pm, multiple RPs in the city indicated they heard gunshots or fireworks. One RP stated the sound was by the river, and another stated the sound came from the area of March Avenue and Lupine Court. Officers responded, but did not see or hear anything in either area. Aggrieved reindeer?

Voters this November overwhelmingly approved Prop. 36, which both modifies and adds key changes to California law. That includes prosecutors being able to charge people convicted of various third-time drug offenses with a so-called treatment-mandated felony, which would direct them to substance use disorder or mental health treatment in lieu of up to three years in jail or prison.

"There are experiences, people and places that can either be good for you or bad for you. Which way they tilt at any particular time may depend on your mood or their mood or forces beyond your immediate control. An example for me is social media..." says Rob Brezny, noted astrologer.

The grumbling attained legal emphasis  just after Christmas, when on Dec. 26 Healdsburg attorney Jon Eisenberg filed a letter with the city that raised a number of alleged Brown Act violations during the lead-up to the Measure O vote in November, violations he clearly is prepared to take to court. He then raises concerns about the Dec. 16 City Council meeting itself, suggesting that additional Brown Act violations took place in that process as well...

There’s been a new face on the campus of The Healdsburg School this fall: Tracie Mastronicola, has officially become the fourth Head of School for the 14-year-old independent TK-8 school at 33 Healdsburg Ave.

Here are the latest business openings, closings and other goings-on, from a new place to get a fresh juice or smoothie, a hot old winery and a hot new bakery, plus a new fire station to cool things down if it gets too hot for Healdsburg.

A recent article in this paper made reference to the Brown Act, and it warrants explanation what exactly that is. Most people have the correct understanding that it relates to government transparency, to ensure that public business is conducted in an open and transparent...

Monday, Dec. 16: An officer stopped a vehicle on Matheson Street at Center Street for suspicion of having expired registration. The vehicle displayed a license plate that did not belong to the vehicle. Through a search of the vehicle, officers located a loaded handgun and about half an ounce of suspected methamphetamines. A 36-YO woman and 51-YO man were arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance and having forged or altered registration.

There’s a tradition in the news biz, at year’s end, of retracing all the major stories that unfolded during the 12 months prior. It feels like a healthy exercise—an opportunity to zoom out and let the bigger picture sink in, free from the frantic 24-hour news cycle (or, weekly in our case). It’s also a great reminder, though small-town life can seem humdrum, that we’re surrounded at all times by modern-day lore and legend...