News

Sonoma County Regional Parks is finding new ways to engage with folks during the COVID-19 pandemic, and on May 29 they offered a free webinar on fire ecology, the study of how environments change and adapt after a large wildfire event. While wildfires leaves burn...

On Wednesday, June 3, 200 people converged on the intersection of Highway 12 and Main Street in downtown Sebastopol to protest the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police. The protest was organized by Jonah and Lily Balakhaneh and was designed...

Analy High School wrapped up its first drive-thru/walk-thru graduations today. Families decorated their cars, drove to the front of the school and watched as their graduates walked up to pick up their diplomas from a safely distanced portion of assembled staff.

There were plenty of surprises at the Palm Drive Health Care District Board meeting last night. The biggest surprise was that the two hot button issues that most of the public had shown up to hear about — the setting of the tax rate for next year and the fate of the Gravenstein Health Action Chapter — had been removed from the agenda during a 5-minute open session earlier that day, when no members of the public were present.

Jefferson Elementary teachers and staff drove around Cloverdale for a parade Wednesday morning, June 3. The car parade was a sunny-day sendoff for Jefferson students, who start summer break this week. 

Tourism and unemployment

Enough—On June 1 and 2, protesters gathered on the Town Green between 3 and 6 p.m. to demand equity and action in the wake of the death of George Floyd, a black man, at the hands of white police officers. While social media posts and activity in Santa Rosa prompted some local fears, the group that gathered on the Green was peaceful and supportive, chanting and inciting passing cars to honk in support. Mayor Dominic Foppoli, vice mayor Esther Lemus and councilmember Deb Fudge joined with protestors to show their support and solidarity. Photos Heather Bailey and Lorene Romero

Sonoma County will slide a bit deeper into its next phase of reopening this week. On Tuesday, June 2, Sonoma County Public Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase announced that she’s OK’d the reopening of coastal parking lots and daytime visiting hours at beaches. The county has also indicated that it plans to allow additional businesses to open or expand their operation in the coming days.

Approves resolution for outdoor activity permit to allow businesses to expand onto sidewalks 

Essick’s earlier refusals met with series of rebukes, calls for resignation