News

The names on the letterhead strike terror in the hearts of city governments across the state: Malibu-based attorneys Shenkman & Hughes since 2011 have made it their mission to call out local governments in California that elect officers by “at large” voting. Now it's Healdsburg's turn, to split its area into five districts for city council elections. This could be interesting...

A day in the life of Healdsburg Police: On Sunday, Nov. 10, at 1:12pm, it was reported that indicated that six or more juveniles were in a physical altercation at the roundabout on Healdsburg Avenue. Officers responded and the juveniles fled. Knives were located and multiple juveniles were detained...

When the sound and the fury, the smoke and the flames dispersed, Measure O went down to a definitive defeat, roughly at a 60-40 split. Clearly this was not what the Healdsburg City Council intended when in June they rationalized themselves into putting it on the General Election ballot.

A violent morning drama unfolded on the streets of Healdsburg just before Independence Day 2023. It resulted in the death of Abel Garza, a 41-year-old resident of Santa Rosa. Last week, more than a year after the incident, the criminal case against his accused killer, Romario Cisneros, was dismissed by the Sonoma County District Attorney.

Don't drive buzzed. "2:54pm A vehicle was stopped on Piper Street at Center Street for violating registration rules. A 38-Year-Old (YO) man was cited and released for possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of methamphetamine, driving without a license and lacking proof of insurance. A 47-YO man was cited and released for misuse of license and registration documents, violation of probation, violation of vehicle registration rules, violation of the open container law, and on outstanding Sonoma County warrants regarding driving with a license suspended for driving under the influence (DUI) and driving without a required ignition interlock device...."

Annnd another one bites the dust. This time, it’s the exclusive Center Street wine club belonging to Bill Foley, insurance billionaire and local hospitality magnate. It was called “The Society: Healdsburg,” and it just opened last November where his Banshee Wines tasting room used to be. (Banshee...

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...

One of Healdsburg’s core family wine brands, Williamson Wines, is getting rid of one of two downtown tasting rooms: the original pink, rustic-looking one behind the former Oakville Grocery space (now Acorn Cafe) on Matheson, off the southeast corner of the plaza. The building’s landlord is looking...

Proof we’re all living in a small-town rom-com: Newsweek just declared Healdsburg to be the No. 3 top “Christmas town” in the U.S., as “selected by our featured panelists and contributors and voted on by readers.”  The No. 1 spot went to Grapevine, Texas, for its “magical rides aboard...

On Tuesday night, four of the five residents on the ballot for the Healdsburg City Council whiled away the after-dinner hours downtown, waiting for the results of the day’s general election. Although newcomer Heather Hannan-Kramer was nowhere to be found, Ariel Kelley and her...