Your Christmas tree has presumably fulfilled its joyful annual purpose, and it's now time to dispose of it safely and in the most environmentally friendly way possible.
Easy, right? Well, yes and no.
First off, never burn your Christmas tree in a fireplace or wood stove, experts say, because doing so can contribute to the buildup of flammable creosote.
Front and Center: The life and times of Christmas treesHere's what will be open and closed in observance of New Year:
Cities:
. City of American Canyon offices will be reopening 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3. The Senior Center will also be closed Monday, Jan. 2.
For Emergency Calls Only dial 911. For non-emergencies call American Canyon Police and Fire Department Dispatch (707) 253-4452.
Open/closed for New YearSolano County residents hoping to start 2017 as non-smokers can get help for free from the county's Department of Health and Social Services, Health Promotion and Community Wellness Bureau, which is offering free stop-smoking classes.
Solano's "Kick the Butts" smoking cessation program is a series of five classes for adults that focuses on overcoming nicotine addiction by using support systems, rewards, nutrition and stress reduction, "all in a friendly and comfortable setting," officials said.
New Year, new you -- free quit-smoking classes in Solano CountySome of the new California laws kicking in Jan. 1, include: . Minimum wage - California's minimum wage increases from $10 per hour to $10.50 for businesses with 26 or more employees. By 2020, it will rise to $15 per hour, but the law delays the increases by one year for smaller employers. . Assault weapons - California's already stringent gun laws are made tougher with voter-approved measures like one for those who own magazines holding more than 10 rounds being required to give them up starting Jan.
New 2017 state lawsThose who commute between Vallejo and San Francisco by ferry won't have to scramble for a late-night alternative with the launch of SolTrans' new Route 82 bus, officials of both the bus and ferry agencies announced.
"We don't want our Solano County citizens stranded in the City," SolTrans Executive Director Mona Babauta said.
New Route 82 bus fills late weeknight ferry ride gapSales tax in California drops .25 percent on Jan. 1, Board of Equalization officials said.
The statewide sales and use tax rate decreases one quarter of one percent, from 7.50 percent to 7.25 percent, with the new year, BOE officials said. The decrease in the statewide rate is effective for all cities and counties in California; though, in many jurisdictions, like Vallejo, the actual sales and use tax rate may still be higher than the statewide rate due to added district taxes.
State sales tax drops Jan. 1Vallejoans who may have noticed the "closed until further notice" sign on the door of the Gateway Plaza's Pasta Pomodoro restaurant might feel a little better knowing the local site is not the only one to close.
Bay Area media outlets are reporting that the San Bruno-based chain shuttered all 15 locations the day after Christmas.
Pasta Pomodoro in Vallejo, elsewhere, closed without warning2016 has been a good year for the local real estate market, an industry spokeswoman said Thursday, and a new industry report appears to bear that out.
"Year-over-year, we have had an increase in the number of homes sold as well as an increase in sales price," Solano Association of Realtors President Shelley Tappin said.
Solano home prices, sales, rise in NovemberHere's what will be open and closed in observance of New Year:
Cities:
. City of American Canyon offices will be reopening 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3. The Senior Center will also be closed Monday, Jan. 2.
For Emergency Calls Only dial 911. For non-emergencies call American Canyon Police and Fire Department Dispatch (707) 253-4452.
Open/closed for New YearVallejo police are searching yard to yard in central Vallejo for one of two people seen firing at a vehicle, Vallejo Police Department Lt. Kent Tribble said.
Reports of shots fired came in about 9:45 a.m. Thursday from the area of Starr and Wallace avenues, he said.
"People said they saw or heard shots fired," he said.
Police search for one of two people seen shooting at a vehicle in Vallejo on ThursdayVallejo's positive reputation in the Bay Area may be rising like bread dough, at least among artisan bread enthusiasts, local bread-maker Chiara Adorno said.
The Vallejo-based bread-maker and owner/operator of TenderFork Market now has a line of organic breads, including one called Vallejo Sourdough, that is gaining popularity in San Francisco and Berkeley, Adorno said.
Vallejo rising with new namesake sourdoughHere's what will be open and closed in observance of Christmas and New Year:
Cities:
. City of American Canyon offices will reopen 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3. The Senior Center will also be closed Monday, Dec. 26 and Monday, Jan. 2.
For Emergency Calls Only dial 911. For non-emergencies call American Canyon Police and Fire Department Dispatch (707) 253-4452.
Open/closed for the holidaysIt can be harder to drum up the spirit of the holidays when you're living on the street in Vallejo or, likely, anywhere else.
A man named "James" said he's been homeless for about 2 #xbd; years, making his bed most recently under a tarp in the tulies near the Raley's shopping center.
"It doesn't make much difference" that it's nearly Christmas Eve, James, 55, said Friday.
Vallejo Together takes meals to homeless encampmentMost auto burglaries happen when valuable items are left in plain sight, and this type of crime tends to spike during the holidays.
The American Canyon Police Department offers the following tips to help protect you from becoming the victim of a vehicle burglary:
. Don't leave valuables in your car.
Auto burglary preventionHere's what will be open and closed in observance of Christmas and New Year:
Cities:
. City of American Canyon offices will be closed Friday, Dec. 23, for the Christmas Holiday, reopening 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3. The Senior Center will also be closed Friday, Dec. 23, Monday, Dec. 26 and Monday, Jan.
Open/Closed for the holidaysNorair "Nor" Jemjemian was named Senior Vice President and Area manager for Kaiser Permanente's Napa Solano area, Kaiser officials announced Thursday. He started Nov. 21.
The Napa Solano area includes medical centers in Vallejo and Vacaville and medical offices in Fairfield and Napa.
Jemjemian brings with him more than 23 years of hospital, health plan, and medical group management experience, including 21 years with Kaiser Permanente in Southern California, officials said.
Jemjemian named Napa Solano Kaiser vice presidentSWAT was called out to the Glen Cove area of Vallejo on Wednesday night when a weapons search went sideways, a Vallejo Police Department spokesman said.
"We had a search warrant for weapons in the 100 block of James River Road, and when we were in the process of heading there, the two suspects left in separate vehicles," Lt.
Vallejo police nab armed suspects in Glen Cove areaA garbage truck fire in Benicia Wednesday afternoon was more visually spectacular than dangerous, a Benicia Fire Department spokeswoman said.
At about 3 p.m., the fire truck "may have hit a tree," causing a power line to come down, setting the garbage in the truck on fire, she said.
No injuries or damage was reported.
Garbage truck fire in BeniciaChristina McPherson of Vallejo said she thought it really made no sense that there aren't boutiques for men, especially considering most of the ones she knows are at least as finicky about their wardrobe as women are. So, she opened one.
The result is Chrissy Mac's Place at 1718 Sonoma Boulevard, which opened Nov.
A boutique of another, more masculine colorSandy Betts says she's convinced she escaped the infamous Zodiac killer nearly 50 years ago, and has been obsessed with bringing him to justice ever since.
Jerry Johnson, on the other hand, has been hooked on the case since a law enforcement officer came to him in his capacity as a federal agent in the late 1960s, with a story of a Zodiac encounter.
'Zodiologists' gather at Lake Herman Road to mark grizzly anniversaryDespite appeals from one man that city officials embrace legalized recreational marijuana, the American Canyon City Council on Tuesday, extended a temporary ban on outdoor cultivation and related activities until staff has time to study all the ramifications and make a sensible recommendation.
Council members passed an urgency ordinance banning outdoor pot growing for 45 days on Nov.
AmCan extends outdoor pot-growing ban, elects 2017 vice mayorMike Schmidt of American Canyon said he likes "watching kids' eyes light up, and the oohs and aahhs."
It's one reason he goes all out decorating his front yard for the holidays every year.
Schmidt and his family were one of two winners of a raffle drawing done as part of the city's holiday yard decorating contest this year.
No losers in American Canyon holiday yard decorating contestNapa County was released from U.S. Department of Justice Voting Rights Section oversight on Dec. 16 - oversight which has been in place since May because of problems with Spanish language election materials, county officials announced.
The release occurred because Napa County is no longer covered by the salient section of the voting rights laws following publication of updated census data by the US Census Bureau on Dec.
Napa County released from DOJ election oversightAMERICAN CANYON >> Recreational marijuana use may now be legal in California, but the American Canyon City Council will consider on Tuesday extending the moratorium passed Nov. 15 on outdoor cultivation and related activities while research is done for crafting permanent regulations.
The state of the city's long-term water supply options is also on the agenda for Tuesday's meeting, the public portion of which starts at 6:30 p.
Brakes further applied on outdoor pot growth in American CanyonTouro University California will likely launch a Doctor of Nursing Practice program next year, which will help address health care provider shortage in Solano County, school officials announced Monday.
Touro got interim approval from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges to launch a DNP program at its School of Nursing beginning in January, making it the only program of its kind in the county, school officials said.
Touro University Vallejo approved for new programMore than a half dozen bullets hit an American Canyon house while nearly a half dozen people were inside early Monday, Police Chief Tracey Stuart said.
Just before 1 a.m., officers responded to a report of shots fired at a residence on Via Pesaro, on the south-east side of town, she said.
Nine rounds were determined to have been fired, striking the front of a home there, she said.
Shots fired into American Canyon home early MondayA Vallejo woman was arrested after allegedly fleeing the scene of a crash only to stop and block someone's driveway a few minutes later, a Vallejo Police Department spokesman said Monday.
It happened at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, when green Pontiac Grand Am allegedly hit another vehicle in the 2600 block of Springs Road and fled the scene, Lt.
Vallejo woman arrested after fleeing scene of a crashAn overnight rock slide forced the closure of State Route 121 in rural Napa County between Vichy and Wooden Valley Road, and it will remain closed until further notice, Caltrans officials announced.
Caltrans geologists will have to determine if and when the rocks above the roadway have stabilized before the area can reopen, they said.
Napa County's State Route 121 closed by rock slideUnemployment was down in Solano County in November, but up in Napa County, according to the latest state figures, released Friday.
Solano's 5.1 percent jobless rate last month was down from 5.3 percent in October and below the year-ago estimate of 5.8. Napa's unemployment rate of 4.2 percent in November was up from October's 3.
Unemployment in November fell in Solano, rose slightly in NapaLegislation by U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson designed to help small employers provide health care for their employees was signed into law this week, his office announced.
Thompson's bipartisan legislation, the Small Business Healthcare Relief Act, was signed into law#xa0;on Tuesday#xa0;by President Obama after passing the Senate last week.
Thompson HRA bill signed into lawEdgar Camacho says one need not have an artistic bone in one's body to be able to turn out an acceptable painting, and he proves it every week at the art classes held at his El Comalito Collective, art gallery and gift shop, 302 Georgia St. in Vallejo.
A Mexico native who grew up in Napa, Camacho, 30, is an HIV counselor and a self-taught, mixed media, performance artist and writer.
Art gallery, gift shop, safe space thriving in downtown VallejoThe headline, Eve Stewart says, is that by summer 2018, American Canyon should have 70 new, affordable senior housing units, and not that a newspaper article reported instead that the city was creating a homeless village of so-called "tiny houses."
A Dec. 9 article in Western Nevada County's The Union newspaper, "was stunningly inaccurate" in describing a housing development soon to break ground in American Canyon, said Stewart, spokeswoman for the developers, 40-year-old Satellite Affordable Housing Associates, or SAHA.
Tiny houses village for homeless not in the works in American Canyon, despite reportsThree men whose lives were interrupted by war will finally get their high school diplomas as part of a veterans' event in Vallejo on Saturday, organizers announced.
The American Legion Manuel L. Quezon Post 603 will honor World War II Veterans and commemorate "World Peace II" at 1 p.m. at the Vallejo Veterans Memorial Building, 420 Admiral Callaghan Lane, they said.
Honoring veterans focus of event in Vallejo on SaturdayAMERICAN CANYON >> City officials may move closer to banning outdoor pot cultivation anywhere in the city, if the Planning Commission agrees with a staff recommendation.
The commission's next meeting, set for 6:30 p.m., Thursday, includes a resolution to recommend the city council approve a Municipal Code amendment prohibiting outdoor cultivation, processing and manufacturing of recreational marijuana in all zoning districts in the city of American Canyon.
American Canyon to consider banning outdoor pot growth citywideMore Solano County homeowners may have bought their properties at exactly the wrong moment in history, which might help explain why a higher percentage of homeowners here are under water in their mortgages than elsewhere in the country, even though values here are rising faster than nearly anywhere else, a local real estate expert said Friday.
Home equity up by billions nationally, though more still under water in Solano than elsewhereKaiser Permanente medical centers in Vallejo and Vacaville were named Top Teaching Hospitals of 2016 by the Leapfrog Group, a national organization that compares hospitals' performance on U.S. standards for safety, quality and efficiency, Kaiser officials announced.
"To have both our Vacaville and Vallejo hospitals recognized as among the very best in the nation is a true honor," Kaiser Permanent's Napa Solano Area physician-in-chief Steven Stricker said.
Kaiser Vallejo, Vacaville named top teaching hospitals by national groupAnyone who didn't get their fill of Greek delicacies during Vallejo's Greek Festivals in July and October has another chance this weekend with the Greek community's annual Christmas bake sale, organizers said.
Held every year for about 40 years, the bake sale features the results of several days of intense work by some of the local Greek Orthodox Church's older women, they said.
Vallejo's Greek community's annual bake sale this weekendIn Vallejo, as in most of the rest of the world, it's pretty easy to find holiday gifts with a Christmas-like feel.
It's more rare to find holiday gifts with a Jewish flavor, but that's exactly what Vallejo's Congregation B'nai Israel is offering during Sunday's Annual Chanukah Boutique.
Every year for more than a quarter century, Vallejo's only synagogue has held this event, which raises funds for its religious school, principal Mary Schwartz said.
Holiday shopping with Jewish flair offered in Vallejo on SundayAmy and Scott Yacullo moved across the country with their children to take over ownership of Vallejo's old Grocery Outlet and so far say they couldn't be happier.
The couple took over operation of the Admiral Callaghan store some three months ago, but only recently held a grand re-opening event.
Vallejo's old Grocery Outlet has new ownersAMERICAN CANYON >> An emotional start to Tuesday's City Council meeting included a recognition of ousted City Councilwoman Joan Bennett's many years of service and the swearing in of Mariam Aboudamous - the newcomer who won her seat in the Nov. 8 general election.
There was more than one standing ovation, from in front of and behind the dais, as the election winners were congratulated, but, the main focus for the first part of the meeting was on Bennett, whose list of involvements and accomplishments are apparently legion.
Newly configured American Canyon City Council meetsGeorge Hunter spent most of Saturday night digging through garbage cans in downtown Vallejo, looking for the box containing his family history that was stolen out of his car during the Mad Hatter Parade.
The Sonoma resident said he had brought the 100-plus years of family documents, photos and mementos to surprise his son for his birthday, as the son, Max Hunter of Vallejo, is working on the family genealogy.
Local family offers reward for return of stolen historical documents, photosThe Napa County Election Division has certified the results of the Nov. 8, 2016 Presidential General Election, which are posted, along with precinct level breakdowns for all contests, on the Napa County website http://ift.tt/2hf5pEm, officials announced Tuesday.
"I am pleased that once again Napa County voters turned out in greater numbers than the statewide average of approximately 75.
Napa County final election results certifiedUntil now, being without personal transportation, getting to the Vallejo school district, the Veterans Administration and other facilities on Mare Island could be quite the challenge.
But, at least between now and the end of February, bus service is available between downtown and the island, SolTrans officials announced.
New, temporary bus service between downtown Vallejo and Mare IslandThe face of the American Canyon City Council changes Tuesday as outgoing longtime City Councilmember Joan Bennett is bid farewell, and returning councilmember Ken Leary is sworn in along with newly minted Councilmember Mariam Aboudamous.
The results of the Nov. 8 General Municipal Election will be officially accepted and a proclamation made honoring Bennett for her years of services on the American Canyon City Council and Fire Protection District Board.
Adieu to the old, in with the new, back to business at American Canyon City CouncilAmerican Canyon Councilwoman Joan Bennett lost her bid for a fifth term in the Nov. 8 election, according to final unofficial election results released by the Napa County Registrar of Voters Office.
Incumbent Kenneth Leary defeated Bennett by 102 votes, to win re-election, while attorney and business owner Mariam Aboudamous won the second open American Canyon City Council seat, starting out in first place and never losing her lead.
American Canyon 2016 election results means change on City CouncilHelp make sure every child gets a toy this Christmas.
That was the philosophy behind the latest Toys for Tots drive hosted by Vallejo-based car club Boyz Under the Hood.
"The kids gotta have something," said member Ron Scrivner, as he helped unload a trunk full of presents Saturday morning.
Christmas donations sought for Tots in American CanyonThe American Canyon Fire Protection District, in conjunction with the United States Marine Corps Reserve, is again this year, sponsoring the "Toys For Tots" drive in American Canyon. Anyone wishing to donate new, unwrapped toys for children up to age of 16, can bring them to the sites listed below; through Dec.
American Canyon Toys For Tots accepting donations for 2016 driveA day before most families huddle around tables to give thanks, one Vallejo woman is showing her appreciation to the community by giving back to those who need it most.
Isabel Reyes, mother of the late Eric Reyes, organized a free Thanksgiving meal complete with all the fixings Wednesday for the residents of the Travel Inn Hotel at 160 Lincoln Road East.
Vallejo mother gives thanks by giving backLocal senior citizens appear to have been targeted by criminals threatening their Social Security benefits in an apparent attempt to steal their identities, Napa County District Attorney's Office officials said Wednesday.
"Our office has been notified that local seniors have recently received calls from someone claiming that their Social Security benefits have been suspended," they said.
Seniors targeted with Social Security threatsThough the lead is widening, fewer than 100 votes separate the second- and third-place candidates for American Canyon City Council, said Napa County Registrar of Voters John Tuteur with the release of an updated ballot count on Wednesday.
The fifth unofficial interim results of the Nov. 8 Presidential Election are posted on the Napa County website at http://www.
Lead widens in American Canyon City Council raceThe second of only two new-concept Round Table Pizza restaurants opened about a week ago in Vallejo's Safeway Redwood Plaza shopping center on Admiral Callaghan Lane, company officials announced.
The other Pizza Wings Brew is in Dublin, though the owner of the Vallejo franchise, Gundeep Sethi, plans to open a third in the South Bay, a company spokeswoman said.
Round Table's new concept eatery opens in VallejoHere's what will be open and closed today in observance of Thanksgiving:
• City Hall in Vallejo, Benicia and American Canyon are closed Thursday and Friday.
• Solano and Napa county offices are closed Thursday and Friday.
• The Solano County and Napa City-County libraries are closed Thursday and Friday.
Open/closed over Thanksgiving holidayNAPA >> Vine Transit and the Napa Valley Transportation Authority are celebrating the holiday season by trading free rides for food donations for the needy, agency officials announced.
Starting Friday, and running every Friday through December, Vine Transit will offer free rides to passengers who donate non-perishable food items for its FreeFridayFoodDrive.
Free bus rides in Napa for food donationsThe Benicia Historical Museum kicks off its annual Christmas Tree lot fundraiser on Friday.
This is the seventh year that the Museum at the Arsenal has held this fundraiser, and it's the biggest one of the year. Money generated goes to everything from exhibit installations to overhead.
The lot will be up in partnership with Genesis House, whose clients will assist shoppers in selecting the perfect tree.
Benicia Historical Museum opens Christmas tree lot on FridayThe number of millennials in Solano County is growing, but why this might be is something of a mystery. It doesn't appear to be following the national trend, a new study found.
A local real estate expert says that, as usual, the explanation can be found in the area's location, location, location.
Millennials are landing in Vallejo, but why?The people who run SolTrans, the local bus service for Vallejo and Benicia, say they're aware that shopping locally is good for the local economy. They are therefore offering free bus rides throughout Vallejo and Benicia over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, they said.
"Vallejo and Benicia have some pretty amazing local shopping opportunities," SolTrans officials said in a news release.
Free, discounted bus rides for local holiday shoppingVallejo Fire Department and PG&E officials say the kitchen tends to become the most dangerous room in the house over Thanksgiving, and urges residents to be extra careful.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, cooking is the leading cause of home fires on Thanksgiving Day, and a cooking fire is three times more likely on Thanksgiving than on any other day of the year.
Vallejo Fire Department urges residents to be careful in kitchen on ThanksgivingA Vallejo man was taken into custody Sunday night after he was allegedly found in a motel parking log with illegal drugs apparently packaged for sale, Vallejo Police Department Lt. Herman Robinson said Monday.
Police got a call about a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot of the Travel Inn on Lincoln Road East around 10:30 p.
Vallejo man caught allegedly trying to sell drugs out of a car in Vallejo parking lotHigh school senior Bethany Donato may not live in Vallejo right now, but she left behind an important legacy when she moved out of the country with her family -- a way to help prepare young children to succeed in school and life.
Donato said she started Books n' Blankies in April to empower mothers to read to their young children.
Vallejoan Bethany Donato works for child literacy from overseasTwinkling lights are up along First Street, and Benicia is revving up for the holidays.
The city is again inviting shoppers to "skip the mall, shop small" by taking part in the annual Small Business Saturday on November 26. So-called big-box retailers dominate Black Friday, but independent shops are hoping that customers will patronize locally owned, smaller businesses as well.
Small Business Saturday coming to Benicia on Nov. 26The city of Benicia will soon face a fiscal challenge: What to do with all the money a new sales tax is bringing in?
Voters passed Measure C two years ago, adding a one-cent sales tax to local purchases. So far, the tax has generated $700,000 more than anticipated, with a projected $4.4 million dollars coming in this fiscal year, Economic Development Manager Mario Giuliani said.
Benicia council to grapple with Measure C surplusNAPA >> Napa County Health and Human Services Agency is getting $11.3 million over the next five years -- $2.26 million per year -- as part of a state grant targeting chronic homeless and those at risk of homelessness, county officials announced Monday.
"This grant represents a dramatic investment in the services that are crucial to community efforts to end chronic homelessness," agency director Howard Himes said.
Napa County gets more than $11 million to fight homelessnessBy Brooke Edwards Staggs
Bay Area News Group
A lot of the details about how California's new recreational marijuana law is going to work are still as fuzzy as one's thinking can be after a toke or two.
Though a good chunk of the state's voters approved a measure legalizing pot use for those 21 and over, the measure still gives employers the right to fire you for it.
OK, so, pot's legal. Now what?The holidays in American Canyon kick off Dec. 2 with the Holiday Tree Lighting, the first of a slew of planned activities -- including another day of snow in the park -- that organizers hope exemplify the "Magic of the Season."
The annual tree lighting has outgrown the senior center, so this year, it's moved to Shenandoah Park, said Parks and Recreation Department Director Creighton Wright.
Let it snow in American Canyon ... againBaseball and softball seasons might be over in Benicia, but that doesn't mean that the Parks & Community Services Department isn't thinking ahead to spring.
Ball fields throughout the city are closed because they are being treated and renovated to get ready for 2017 games, a spokesperson from the department said.
Benicia ball fields closed for resoddingThere was no movement up or down in the unemployment rates in Solano and Napa counties in October, according to the latest state figures, released Friday.
The unemployment rate in Solano County was 5.3 percent in October, unchanged from September, and below the year-ago estimate of 5.7 percent.
Unemployment rates holds steady in Solano, Napa in OctoberA driver crashed into the dining area of a McDonald's on Thursday in Benicia. The Benicia Police Department is treating it as an accident.
An 84-year-old Benicia resident pulled into the lot at 1602 2nd Street around noon when she "inadvertently pushed the accelerator instead of the brake pedal," a Benicia Police Department spokesperson said.
Driver plows into Benicia McDonaldssThe American Canyon City Council race is still too close to call, with Napa County Registrar of Voters John Tuteur's release Thursday of the first, unofficial post-election night summary report.
It's a waiting game you just have to learn to live with, one of the candidates said.
"The waiting is frustrating but there is really nothing that can be done but wait," incumbent councilwoman Joan Bennett said.
American Canyon City Council election results still unclearSeniors from Jesse Bethel High School in Vallejo have seen the future, and it's green.
Almost 50 kids from the Engineering Academy traveled to Mare Island on Thursday and visited both the U.S. Forestry Service and the Blu Homes factory as part of Career Day.
The students were introduced to men and women who work in environmental and engineering fields that focus on sustainability.
Jesse Bethel High teens explore green jobsSolano Town Center, AKA the Solano Mall's second annual ShareTheSpirit program, is offering holiday specials for a month, starting Thanksgiving weekend, mall officials announced.
The event includes a new, month-long Gift-A-Day Giveaway campaign, and a Thanksgiving special from their 'Oh, So Simple Rewards' program, they said.
Solano Town Center offers holiday specialsTemporary traffic shifting on Interstate 80 in the Fairfield area is expected next week, Caltrans announced Thursday.
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and its project partner, the Solano Transportation Authority, will begin shifting traffic on northbound and southbound Green Valley road at the new Green Valley Road/Interstate 80 (I-80) over-crossing, officials announced.
Overnight freeway closure in Fairfield next weekAMERICAN CANYON >> The West Coast craves its chocolate, and the Barry Callebaut company is obliging by investing another $20 million to expand its American Canyon facility, creating an unknown number of new jobs, company officials announced.
The company finished a first wave of expansion in March, officials said.
Local firm expanding chocolate production by millionsCity council members will explore the possibility of making American Canyon a "sanctuary city," and unanimously adopted a 45-day moratorium on outdoor marijuana cultivation at Tuesday's meeting -- both issues in response to the recent general election.
"Ours is a very diverse community and we have many immigrants; some documented, and some not," Councilmember Joan Bennett said from the dais.
American Canyon, sanctuary city? Pot police? Who knows?A Vallejo man got a very different encounter than he'd planned Tuesday night, when a handful of men stormed the motel room he'd rented for a session with a prostitute, and evidently made off with his car and other belongings after beating him unconscious, Vallejo Police Department Lt. Herman Robinson said.
Vallejo man attacked in motel room for his wallet, carA man left a Vallejo convenience store Tuesday night with nothing but his own hand-written note and the Vallejo Police Department after him, after a failed robbery attempt, Vallejo Police Department Lt. Herman Robinson said.
There were two clerks on duty at the 7-Eleven at 2800 Georgia St. when a black man, about 24 to 26 years old, approximately 5-foot-6 and about 170 pounds came into the store, Robinson said.
Guts and language barrier prevents Vallejo store robberyA Vallejo man was in custody Tuesday night after leading police on a car chase through town, police said.
Officers tried making a traffic stop on a green, 1996 Mustang at Ohio and Calaveras streets, but the driver failed to yield, choosing instead to lead officers on a chase through a residential neighborhood "at speeds up to 60 miles per hour," Lt.
Unlicensed Vallejo diver nabbed after brief car chase Tuesday.People in Vallejo and elsewhere are reacting to Tuesday's election in some unhealthy ways and an event is planned here to try and help people wrap their minds around it.
But, if you're itching for a protest or a riot, Wednesday's Vallejo Community Circle on Immigrants is not the place for you, organizers said.
Vallejo Latinos, others, concerned with election results, holding talk WednesdayThe bugs have been worked out of the new SolTrans local Route 20 schedules, and are now designed to improve reliability on the recently extended route and provide a better customer experience, agency officials said.
The new plan went into effect Monday, agency officials said.
New maps and schedules can be found at www.
SolTrans tweaks troubled new Route 20When it comes to fire forensics, 33-year Vallejo resident John DeHaan, literally wrote the book -- the textbook that is most used nationwide by those going into the field of arson investigations.
Basically, DeHaan is a real Sherlock Holmes, surrounded by books, pamphlets and plaques, in his unassuming offices on Georgia Street downtown Vallejo.
Vallejo man whose book on fire/arson investigation is most studied, to retireAMERICAN CANYON >> The first phase of the Napa Logistics Park project is complete, its developers announced Monday.
DivcoWest -- a 13-year-old real estate investment company -- and Orchard Partners, a diversified real estate investment and development firm, are partners on the project, which city officials expect to generate jobs and revenues.
American Canyon's new warehouse park's phase one is doneA Vallejo man in his mid-30s was arrested and hospitalized after rolling his car and being partially ejected on a Vallejo freeway off ramp on Sunday, CHP and Vallejo Fire Department personnel said.
The man rolled his silver 1996 Toyota Camry onto its roof at about 7 a.m., and tried crawling out on his own, but couldn't, Vallejo Fire Department spokesman Kevin Brown said.
Vallejo man partially ejected from rolled car, arrested and hospitalizedA Vallejo man was in custody Sunday night after police found there was a domestic violence warrant for his arrest when they responded to a domestic violence call at a Vallejo residence, Vallejo Police Department Lt. Herman Robinson said.
Johnnie Reed, 32, of Vallejo, was arrested in the 100 block of Michigan Street, Robinson said.
Vallejo man with domestic violence warrant, arrested for domestic violenceA Vallejo felon was arrested Sunday after police found a loaded, stolen gun in his car, Vallejo Police Department Lt. Herman Robinson said.
Officers contacted Kevin DeCarlo, 20, of Vallejo in the 800 block of Eastwood Street at abut 10 p.m., because he was parked facing the wrong way and more than 18 inches from the curb, he said.
Vallejo felon arrested Sunday with loaded, stolen gun in his carA Vallejo man with a $25,000 warrant out for his arrest was in custody early Monday after someone spotted him and called police, Lt. Herman Robinson said.
Police responded to the 100 block of Carolina Street at about 12:45 a.m. Monday, where Ricky Petty, 55, of Vallejo was found, and officers discovered there was a $25,000 warrant for his arrest out of Solano County Superior Court on assault with a deadly weapon charge, Robinson said.
Vallejo man arrested on $25,000 warrantA Vallejo man was arrested early Monday in Vallejo in a vehicle reported carjacked out of Richmond on Sunday, Vallejo Police Department Lt. Herman Robinson said.
Officers stopped a black Ford Mustang at about 1 a.m. at Valle Vista and Tuolumne, that was reportedly taken in a Richmond carjacking on Nov.
Vallejo man arrested early Monday in possession of a carjacked vehicleKaiser Permanente Medical Center-Vallejo honored its military staff on Veterans Day. The Friday event took place beneath the flagpoles at the main entrance and was attended by employees, local politicians, soldiers from Travis Air Force Base, and others who wanted to thank them for their service.
Eight men and women were cheered as they accepted bronze "Allie" coins of gratitude for serving their country.
Kaiser Medical Center honors its veteransAt least a few people wiped away tears during the keynote speech by Air Force veteran Ellen Hatfield at the American Canyon Veterans Day ceremony Friday.
Organizers of Friday's event said they expected at least the 300 or so who showed up last year. This is the third year the event's been held at the Community Center Gym, instead of Veterans Park, in deference to the unpredictably of November weather, Parks and Recreation director Creighton Wright and Mayor Leon Garcia said.
American Canyon Veterans Day event brings some to tearsCity officials hope to get ahead of the newly voter-approved statewide recreational marijuana law, by imposing a temporary ban on outdoor cultivation as part of their commitment to keeping America Canyon a safe community, according to Tuesday's meeting's agenda.
The city in January banned medical marijuana dispensaries for similar reasons.
Not so fast on recreational pot use, American Canyon officials sayThere will be more ferry service to and from Vallejo starting in January, ferry officials announced this week.
The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) Board of Directors this week approved adding six morning and afternoon/evening trips to the Vallejo ferry schedule starting Jan.
Increased ferry service to, from Vallejo starts with the new yearIn the hope of addressing the too-high number of people in Vallejo in danger of developing diabetes, Touro University has launched a free Touro Diabetes Prevention Program, they announced.
"Are you at risk for developing diabetes? Tired of managing your weight on your own? We understand it can be tough.
Help prevent diabetes with free Touro programAMERICAN CANYON >> Come January, this city will be home to a new Tractor Supply Co. store, a U.S. rural lifestyle retail chain which will employee 15, and add a regional shopping option, company officials said.
W.R. Newman & Associates started work on the store at 418 Napa Junction Road -- the firm's 50th in California -- in early June.
New Tractor Supply Company store taking shape in American CanyonThis year's Vallejo Education Business Alliance (VEBA) Gala features the head of the entire Cal State University system board, and organizers want her to know that Vallejo supports its institutions of higher learning, event organizers said.
The funds raised from this third annual event will provide college scholarships for Vallejo students, but, it's even more important this year, alliance member and former Vallejo City Councilman Tom Bartee said.
California State University system big wig, coming to Vallejo's Cal MaritimeThe proverbial fat lady has not yet sung and the city council race here is not yet over, with just 14 votes separating the second- and third-place finishers in the American Canyon City Council race, Napa County Registrar of Voters John Tuteur said Wednesday.
A seat on the council seemed assured Wednesday for newcomer, attorney Mariam Aboudamous, 29, who has unofficially gotten the most votes, so the race now appears to be between incumbents Kenneth Leary, 65, and Joan Bennett, 77, who are in second and third place respectively as of Wednesday.
It's not over 'till it's over in American Canyon City Council racekstclair@timesheraldonline.com
Benicia's Incumbent Mayor Elizabeth Hughes has won her run for re-election, beating her opponent Mark Hughes by only 109 votes.
The Benicia City Council is also getting a bit of a shakeup, with Planning Commission member Steve Young capturing 26 percent of the vote and unseating incumbent Christina Strawbridge at 23 percent.
Bulletin: Patterson edges out HughesIncumbent City Councilmember Joan Bennett lost her seat on the American Canyon City Council to newcomer, attorney Mariam J. Aboudamous, 26.4 percent to 24.9 percent, according to the most recent Napa County Registrar of Voters information.
Aboudamous unofficially has the most votes, at 1,626, followed by incumbent Kenneth Leary's 1,547.
Bulletin: Longtime American Canyon City Councilwoman loses seat to newcomerAMERICAN CANYON >> As they awaited early election results on Tuesday, the candidates for American Canyon Mayor and City Council each expressed a philosophical attitude most hope will be shared by the rest of the country whatever the outcome of the general election.
Early results Tuesday had Garcia winning handily and both incumbents also leading.
American Canyon candidates wax philosophical while awaiting election resultsNAPA >> What's to become of the Old Sonoma Road property will be discussed at a meeting next week hosted by Napa County, officials announced.
The meeting is scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Monday at Harvest Middle School, 2449 Old Sonoma Road, in Napa, they said.
This is the first of three meetings designed to collect input from neighbors and those impacted by the planning project, officials said.
Napa community meeting Monday about Old Sonoma Road propertyBenicia has resumed using goat herds to control vegetation and hopefully reduce the risk of wildfires.
The Benicia Fire Department is employing herds from Goats R Us throughout the city, primarily near property lines that border open space. The herds started grazing on Sunday.
The goats are just part of the City's Vegetation Management Program, which also includes disking, or the use of heavy equipment to remove plants.
Goat herds return to BeniciaVice-Mayor Mark Hughes is challenging incumbent Elizabeth Patterson in Tuesday's Mayoral election.
Hughes has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Economics from the University of San Francisco and an MBA in Human Resource Management from Golden Gate University, he said. He recently retired from PG&E after 36 years, and has several titles including Director of Human Resources and Director of Safety, Health & Claims, he said.
Mark Hughes challenges incumbent for Mayor of BeniciaElizabeth Patterson has been the mayor of Benicia since 2007 and is seeking re-election on Tuesday.
When asked her favorite thing about Benicia, she had a lot to say. "How can you compare a sunset in Benicia, a favorite thing, to the Peddler's Fair, another favorite thing, to Art Walk or Wine Walk or the Coastal Cleanup?" She also mentioned restaurants, opening days for soccer and little league, the Blessing of the Fleet, and "just quiet time.
Incumbent Mayor Patterson seeks re-electionPolice are looking for thieves who struck a gas station clerk with their vehicle in American Canyon.
At approximately 9 p.m. Wednesday, two men entered the Arco Gas station at 3462 Broadway St. next to the Napa Valley Casino.
The suspects each grabbed a case of Red Bull energy drinks and left the store without paying.
American Canyon Thieves hit clerk with vehicle while escapingBattalion Chief Steve Brassfield was tapped by Napa City Manager Mike Parness to replace Mike Randolph as Napa Fire Department chief, when he retires at the end of the year, it was announced.
He will step into his new role on Jan. 1.
Randolph's retirement on Dec. 31 after nearly 28 years of service was announced in September.
New fire chief named in NapaMario Saucedo says he looks forward every early November and the annual visit from the loved ones he's lost. Tradition says the dead come to join the living during the annual Dia De Los Muertos festival.
A Dia De Los Muertos -- Day of the Dead -- event is planned for Saturday afternoon in downtown Vallejo.
Welcoming home to Vallejo the dearly departedAMERICAN CANYON >> The completion of another part of the Vine Trail in American Canyon was dedicated earlier this week, with a ribbon cutting attended by several local and regional big wigs.
"We had quite a dignitaries list including Congressman Mike Thompson, Assembly Member Bill Dodd and staff from State Senator Lois Wolk's office, in addition to the Mayor, Vice Mayor Joan Bennett and Council Member Mark Joseph," Parks and Recreation Department Director Creighton Wright said.
More Vine Trail through American Canyon completed, dedicatedPostal customers are still upset about "snorkel boxes" installed at the new Vallejo facility at Valle Vista Avenue and Couch Street.
"This is the worst, the stupidest design I've ever seen. But I expect no less from the federal government."
So said a Vallejo resident named Jim who declined to provide his last name at the city's new main post office where the so-called "snorkel boxes" were installed wrong last month and are still not fixed.
Vallejo's new main post office 'snorkel box' snafuAMERICAN CANYON >> Negotiations between the city and its Teamsters Union-represented workers, broke down last week and dozens of them filled City Council Chambers for Tuesday's meeting to express their displeasure at officials they see as enriching management and neglecting workers.
Two council members and City Manager Dana Shigley said they're confident an acceptable solution will be found.
American Canyon unionized city workers at negotiation impasse, demand raisesRichard LeMieux went from the high life to homeless and back and wrote about it in a book called "Breakfast at Sally's: One Homeless Man's Inspirational Journey."
Now a homeless advocate, he's the keynote speaker for a discussion on homelessness at Vallejo's Touro University from 6:30 to 8 p.
Riches to rags and back free presentation at Vallejo's Touro UniversityBy the time Rep. Mike Thompson's constituents turn to him for help, they've typically tried everything they can think of and failed to wrest money owned to them from the federal agencies that owe it. Nevertheless, in 2016 alone, Thompson's office recovered nearly $2 million for people in his district -- a good chunk of it in Solano County, the Democrat's office staff said.
Thompson recovered nearly $2 million for constituents in 2016American Canyon police were kept busy early Monday arresting criminals from other cities, Police Chief Tracey Stuart said.
It started at about 12:30 a.m., when an officer contacted someone who didn't belong in front of the Holiday Inn, Stuart said.
The man, Aaron Justin, 41, of San Francisco, appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance, she said.
Parolees from Bay Area arrested in American CanyonLou Bustamante likes a good drink.
The Vallejo resident is a "spirits professional," which in the Bay Area foodie world of artisanal cheese, organic quinoa, and foraged frisee means, "this guy knows his booze."
He's an expert, and earned that title through years of working in bars, restaurants, and as a food journalist covering drink brands and trends.
Vallejoan Lou Bustamante wants to show others how to partyAlong with the annual parade of ghosts and goblins this Halloween, prepare yourself for hordes of Harley Quinns prowling the neighborhoods, as that comic book/movie character appears to be the most popular costume this year locally and nationally.
The white-faced, platinum-haired fictional supervillain first appeared in Batman: The Animated Series in 1992, and she's a featured character in a new film, which likely helps explain why some store workers say her costume seems to have its own super-powers - the ability to disappear into shoppers' carts.
Move over Cinderella, 2016 is the year of the supervillain/hero costumesTwo major open space areas' improvement projects are set to move forward at Tuesday's City Council meeting as council members consider awarding contracts for work on the Newell Open Space Preserve and the Clarke Ranch master plan.
Council members are expected to consider a $52,623 contract with Questa Engineering Corp.
Two major American Canyon open space projects may move forward TuesdayEditor's note: Heading down the home stretch of Campaign 2016, one in a series of looks at local races.
By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen
rzrihen@timesheraldonline.com @RachelVTH on Twitter
AMERICAN CANYON >> Lifelong local Doug Lindsey, 59, said he's running for mayor to try and make progress on some of the city's most stubborn problems.
American Canyon mayoral candidate Doug Lindsey focused on stubborn problemsEditor's note: Heading down the home stretch of Campaign 2016, one in a series of looks at local races.
By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen
rzrihen@timesheraldonline.com @RachelVTH on Twitter
AMERICAN CANYON >> Incumbent Leon Garcia, 73, seeks his fifth term as mayor of American Canyon.
A registered nurse and nurse instructor by trade, Garcia was the city's first elected mayor, having first served one council term before winning the mayor post in 2006.
American Canyon incumbent Mayor Garcia seeks time to complete what he startedIndications are that the Vallejo area real estate market is slowing, though it's still in the top three nationally, two recent industry reports reveal.
The hottest real estate market in the country for several consecutive months, Solano County was No. 2 in September and No. 3 this month, according to Realtor.
Vallejo area slips to nation's No. 3 hottest real estate marketThe second installment of the 2016 Greek Festival is this weekend and the ladies of Vallejo's Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church were up to their elbows in galatobourik, baklava, spanakopita and other delicious goodies Thursday, in preparation.
The first installment was in July.
2016 Vallejo Greek Festival, Part II, this weekendA bicyclist was severely wounded early Thursday morning after being struck by an American Canyon police officer's vehicle in Vallejo.
The officer was traveling southbound on Sonoma Boulevard at 1 a.m. looking for a black car that was believed to be linked to a burglary, said American Canyon Chief of Police Tracey Stuart.
Bicyclist struck by American Canyon officer in VallejoBENICIA >> The City of Benicia will unveil its new emergency response siren system during a test on Wednesday at 11 a.m.
The "AlertBenicia" system is an upgrade from the older system, including both sirens and software. The city urges citizens not to call 911 on Wednesday when they hear the sirens, as it will only be a test.
Benicia to test its new emergency alert systemIf you know of a local woman who is struggling to care for a family -- parents, disabled husband or children -- and who wants and deserves a hand up, Soroptimist International seeks nominations for its Live Your Dream Award, organizers announced.
The women's service club offers a cash stipend and an opportunity for a woman head-of-household, with dependents trying to improve her standard of living and enrolled in an education program to obtain added skills and training, they said.
Vallejo Soroptimists seek financial award applicantsNewspaper articles about a band of Native Americans seeking to build a casino in Vallejo have mischaracterized the tribe's motives and members want to set people straight, a tribal spokesman said.
In an op/ed sent to the Times-Herald, Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians Chairman Gabriel Ray said the tribe is entitled to establish a homeland and build a casino in Vallejo because present-day Vallejo is part of the tribe's ancestral lands.
Pomos seek to create long-needed homeland, casino, in VallejoPhase one of a two-phase project creating a mixed-use shopping plaza where the old Cadillac dealership-turned homeless encampment once was, is complete, in Vallejo with the opening of the new Arco station and mini-mart on Sonoma Boulevard at Yolano Drive.
And it's already seeing customers.
Aaron Dan of Lockehouse Retail Group, the leasing agent for what will eventually be the new Yolano Plaza, said "a larger retail component" for outside the gas station, is still being sought.
Formerly blighted Sonoma Blvd. corner in Vallejo re-purposedA Pinole man was arrested by American Canyon police Tuesday after leading them on a car chase into Vallejo, American Canyon Police Chief Tracey Stuart said.
At about 2 p.m. on Tuesday, an officer attempted to stop a black Mercedes AMG on southbound Highway 29 at American Canyon Road for not having license plates or temporary registration, Stuart said.
Pinole man arrested in Vallejo backyard after car chase from American CanyonWednesday Oct. 26, marks the last of the Wednesday Night Live Music Series and Food Truck Mania events downtown for 2016, organizers said.
The event is set to return in the summer of 2017, they said.
This last hurrah for the year, will feature the Nzuri Show Band from 4 to 8 p.m., as well as a family-oriented Digital Movie @ the Park, all at the Vallejo waterfront, organizer Askari Sowonde said.
Last Wednesday Night Live/Food Truck Mania event in Vallejo this yearContact:
NAPA>> Allison Haley was tentatively appointed to replace Gary Lieberstein as Napa County District Attorney, the Napa County Board of Supervisors announced Tuesday.
She will be Napa County's first female D.A., officials said.
Lieberstein announced his retirement earlier this month after 31 years of service - 18 of them as the elected district attorney.
Napa's new D.A. named, first woman in the postAndre Jones says he hopes to have his "feel-good" giant Vallejo mural finished before the holidays, assuming the weather cooperates.
The Richmond resident who won a mural contest in July, started work Friday on an enormous painting to grace the side of the building at 301 Georgia St.
So far, "The Gateway to Vallejo" mural - a stylized depiction of the city's landscape - is a coat of primer on the side of Jim Barcewski's Georgia Street building.
Work on huge Vallejo-celebrating mural begins downtownVictims of domestic violence will be remembered at a candlelight vigil in Vallejo on Thursday, organizers said.
"A Candlelight Vigil of Remembrance and Hope" is being held in front of Vallejo City Hall in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, they said.
From 6 to 7 p.m., the gathering at 555 Santa Clara Street will begin with a "Call to Observance" and the lighting of candles, featuring Solano County District Attorney Krishna Abrams, according to an announcement.
Domestic violence candlelight vigil at Vallejo City Hall on ThursdayThe San Francisco Ferry Service is planning to eliminate some bus rides from Vallejo to San Francisco, replacing most of them with new ferry trips, local transportation officials said.
The WETA Board will consider a final recommendation for Vallejo service at its board meeting on Nov. 10, according to board documents.
Officials plan more ferry trips, fewer bus trips, between Vallejo and San FranciscoAMERICAN CANYON >> For Arvind Nischal of American Canyon, it's all about celebrating the area's multicultural nature. Hence, the Second Annual Multicultural Event is planned from 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 29 at the American Canyon Community Gym.
Admission to the event, which will feature free ethnic-inspired snacks and entertainment from various cultures represented locally, is free, though donations to help children in American Canyon and India are appreciated, he said.
Multi-Cultural event planned for Saturday in American CanyonReferring to Halloween as one of the most highly anticipated and also one of the most dangerous nights for children, the Vallejo Fire Department is offering some safety tips.
On average, twice as many child pedestrians are killed while walking on Halloween compared to any other day of the year, and more than 70 percent of accidents occur away from an intersection or crosswalk, according to Safe Kids Worldwide, fire officials said.
Vallejo Fire officials offer Halloween safety tipsThe idea of having children go door-to-door trick-or-treating can make Halloween scary for parents. It's one reason the American Canyon Family Resource Center is sponsoring its 3rd Annual Halloween at the Plaza event from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31, executive director Sherry Tennyson said.
"We just want to have some safe trick-or-treating options," she said.
Safe Halloween event in American Canyon Oct. 31Nick Bhatt, now of American Canyon, turned his back on an aerospace career three years ago in favor of coffee and baked goods.
The 27-year-old Illinois native and his wife of 2 ½ years, Madhvi, along with his sister and her family, are the newly minted Dunkin' Donuts franchise owners for the area including Napa, Solano, Marin and Sonoma counties.
American Canyon site of first North Bay Dunkin' Donuts shop, only third in state, opens WednesdayKAAGAPAY, the Solano County Behavioral Health Division Filipino Outreach Project, is sponsoring a free "Health & Wellness Fair" from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the JFK library Joseph Room, 505 Santa Clara Street, Vallejo.
Free services being offered include:
• Flu shots (first 100)
• Blood pressure monitoring
• Glucose testing and pre-diabetic counseling
• Legal services information
• Spiritual counseling information
• Healthy lifestyle promotion
• Information on first aid and emergency preparedness
• Nutrition and food safety storage education
• Mental health/Support group resource
• Food distribution (while supplies last)
For more information, contact Roanne de Guia-Samuels, LMFT; email: rrdeguia@solanocounty.
Free Health & Wellness Fair in Vallejo on SaturdayThe unemployment rates in Solano and Napa counties fell in September -- to 3.8 percent from 4 percent in Napa and to 5.3 percent from 5.7 percent in Solano, according to the latest state figures, released Friday.
These figures compare with an unemployment rate of 5.3 percent for California and 4.
Jobless rates continue falling in Solano, Napa countiesVallejo kidnap survivor Midsi Sanchez said she hopes no one ever needs the kits being given away at the free "Stay Alive" Safety Awareness Print-A-Thon event she's planned at the Vallejo Waterfront Park on Saturday.
Like similar events across the country, the event Sanchez is hosting is aimed at fingerprinting and photographing children, along with educating families about child safety at no cost to them.
Kidnap survivor Midsi Sanchez hosts free Print-A-Thon event Saturday at Vallejo waterfrontIt's about wine, about strolling, about lights in the trees in downtown Vallejo.
The 5th Annual Wine Stroll, planned for 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, is also about Vallejo's growing art scene; downtown's changing atmosphere, and lights -- did I mention lights?
The Downtown Arts & Entertainment Advisory Council and Fred Menard of Indian Alley Antiques are producing the event, proceeds from which go towards tree lighting and the general beautification of downtown Vallejo, Menard said.
Vallejo's 5th Annual downtown Wine Stroll is SaturdayKaiser Permanente's California Medicare health plans have earned the highest overall quality ratings from a state oversight agency for the sixth consecutive year, Kaiser officials announced.
Kaiser Permanente's Medicare health plans in California have earned five out of five stars, the highest overall rating in the state for quality and service for 2017 from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, they said.
Kaiser top in statewide rankingsA new city job classification passed with a 4-1 vote Tuesday despite opposition from some unionized city workers and a mayoral candidate.
The Sustainability Coordinator position, which will pay some $84,000 annually, including benefits, came before the council in August and met with resistance from Teamsters union reps and rank and file, prompting a re-working by city staff.
New American Canyon city job passes despite union objections, passes anywayA Benicia man was in custody in Vallejo early Wednesday after he was caught in a car reported stolen out of Napa County, Vallejo Police Lt. Herman Robinson said.
"At about 1:10 a.m., officer spotted a light blue, four-door, 1995 Honda Accord traveling northbound in the 1700 block of Tuolumne Street," he said.
Benicia man arrested in Vallejo with a car stolen from NapaTwo suspects were at large Wednesday, after holding up an Vallejo gas station mini-mart at gunpoint Tuesday night, Vallejo Police Department Lt. Herman Robinson said.
Robinson said that at about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, two Black men walked into the mini-mart at the Chevron gas station on Sage Street near Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and threatened the 41-year-old female clerk with guns.
Vallejo mini-mart robbed at gunpointA Vallejo man was arrested on suspicion of being in possession of illegal drugs and other charges Tuesday after being found behind the Target store in a car with his pants down, a Vallejo Police Department spokesman said.
"At about 7:39 p.m. Tuesday, in the area behind the Target center, police contacted a suspect passed out in a car," Lt.
Pantsless man arrested for drugs in VallejoSutter Solano Medical Center wants to know how it's doing, and is forming councils of locals to get insight and feedback about their experiences there, officials announced.
Advisors with the Patient Family Advisory Councils will collaborate with leadership, care teams and clinical initiative teams at Sutter Solano to help in the planning and decision-making process for future patients, officials said.
Sutter Solano seeks community input with new advisory councilsThe Vallejo Kohl's store at 1190 Admiral Callaghan Lane is hiring for the holidays and with that in mind, is holding an in-store holiday hiring event from 4 to 7 p.m. on Saturday company officials announced.
New hires, who must be at least 17 years old, will help "support Kohl's commitment to providing excellent service to customers throughout the year," they said.
Vallejo Kohl's store hiring for the holidaysThree people are on the loose after breaking a store employee's finger in their effort to flee with stolen Halloween costumes Sunday, Vallejo Police Department Lt. Herman Robinson said.
At About 2:20 p.m., police responded to the Spirit Halloween store on Admiral Callaghan Lane, he said, where they were told that two black women and one black man -- all of whom looked to be in their mid-20s -- had been observed taking merchandize and hiding it on their person.
Halloween costumes stolen, employee injuredA large number of Napa County registered voters are evidently confused by the ballots that are arriving in the mail, so county officials want to clear that up, according to an announcement.
The 66,383 official ballots for the Nov. 8 Presidential Election that are arriving in mailboxes this week appear to be causing some confusion among voters based on phone calls and visits to the Election Division, Registrar of Voters John Tuteur said.
Napa Registrar seeks to un-confused county votersAMERICAN CANYON >> An ordinance allowing city police to enforce a new speed limit on a private street is set to be adopted at Tuesday's regular City Council meeting and a new city job gets a second look after opposition from union leaders.
The typical second reading of ordinances adding new "Speed Limits" and "Enforcement on Private Streets"chapters to the city's municipal code are expected to be waived, for the purpose of enforcing traffic laws on Corvina Way and Corvina Court, where police and city officials have found recurring parking and moving violations.
New traffic laws and new city position on tap for American Canyon City CouncilThe Vallejo Chamber of Commerce has hired James Cooper, President and CEO of the American Canyon Chamber of Commerce, to replace its own President and CEO, Rich Curtola, who retires at the end of the year.
"I'm very excited. We're really lucky," Vallejo chamber board member Carol Larson said.
Cooper to leave American Canyon chamber, lead Vallejo'sPumpkins galore floated in the waters of Phillip West Aquatic Center Saturday afternoon in American Canyon.
The second Pumpkin Patch at the Pool had children swimming for their squash as hundreds of pumpkins where dumped into the water while parents sat poolside and relaxed.
Though the skies were cloudy and the threat of rain was eminent, many families still turned out for the event.
Children swim for pumpkins in American Canyon Aquatic CenterLauren Ornelas said she thinks that if a tactic used by some supermarket chains meant to keep out the competition isn't illegal, it should be, and she's started a petition to try and do something about it.
The founder and executive director of the Food Empowerment Project, which was recently working in Vallejo, has started an online campaign directed at Safeway that as of Friday morning had 3,473 supporters.
Healthy food advocate launches petition against SafewaySomeone stole the new Grocery Outlet's electric cart used by shoppers with physical limitations, and it couldn't have come at a worse time.
The Marin Street downtown store, which the current owners, Jon and Yvonne Holder took over nearly a year after it opened in September, 2015, bought the refurbished cart about a month after that.
Electric cart stolen from Vallejo's Grocery Outlet during difficult time for store ownersFriday's light rain caused power poles all over Vallejo to catch fire, keeping the Vallejo Fire Department and PG&E hopping, Fire Capt. Matt Fenzl said.
"At about 7 a.m. we started getting calls about power pole fires," he said. "This can happen when the first rain isn't heavy enough to wash the dust and stuff off the poles and they can catch fire.
Friday's light rain causes power pole fires in Vallejo, elsewhereThe latest Star Wars film, "The Force Awakens," is playing for free behind Vallejo's JFK library from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday afternoon, weather permitting, organizers said.
Sponsored by Askari Sowonde Productions, the city of Vallejo and others, this is the second installment of the "Free Movies in the Park -- It's a Family Affair" series of events, Sowande said.
The Force will awaken behind Vallejo's JFK Library on SaturdayAMERICAN CANYON >> A local transient was in custody Wednesday after allegedly threatening a security guard at Walmart, Police Chief Tracey Stuart said.
At about 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, officers were in the Walmart parking lot when an employee pointed at a woman and said she had stolen items and threatened to stab the Asset Protection Officer," Stuart said.
Woman arrested for allegedly stealing, threatening Walmart securityNAPA >> Vine Transit riders should plan for possible delays this week due to heavy traffic expected from the Safeway Open golf event, which opened to the public on Wednesday, Napa County transportation officials said.
The event, taking place at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, runs until Sunday, they said.
Napa Vine commuters warned of heavy traffic delays this weekVeteran political columnist Dan Walters returns to Solano County to deliver his insights on California's Nov. 8 ballot at Solano Economic Development Corp. breakfast meeting on Oct. 20 in Fairfield.
A columnist for the Sacramento Bee, Walters has covered California politics for five decades, EDC officials said.
Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Walters's take on election at upcoming Solano EDC eventArt is art -- whether it hangs on the wall or on your body or if it's made part of your body -- at least that's how Andrea Brackett, owner of Vallejo's Ink and Iron Tattoo Studio, Art Gallery and clothing store, sees it.
In January, Brackett, a 32-year-old Vallejo native and single mother of an 11-year-old son, took over ownership of the place, which also used to sell and repair motorcycles, when the previous owner moved out of town.
Popular Vallejo tattoo/motorcycle shop adds more artAMERICAN CANYON >> It is the consensus of opinion among the candidates for mayor and city council here, that traffic, water and economic development are the city's main issues, while each incumbent and challenger has a slightly different approach to addressing them.
That was the main takeaway from Tuesday night's candidate's forum, put on by the American Canyon Chamber of Commerce at Eagle Vines Golf Course, where several dozen people came to hear the men and women seeking a seat on the dais respond to questions.
American Canyon candidates forum yields no big surprisesWith only a couple of bugs discovered in the system, the "soft opening" of Vallejo's new Main Post Office at Valle Vista Avenue and Couch Street went off smoothly on Tuesday, postal officials said.
The new facility, constructed at the site of the old Vallejo City Unified School District offices, is replacing both the Amador Street branch, which closed after the 2014 South Napa Earthquake, and the main branch, which is closing to make way for a planned parking structure.
Vallejo's new main post office boasts a new attitude, tooJiffy Lube has agreed to pay $250,000 and quit certain business practices in response to a legal action taken against the firm by Solano County District Attorney Krishna Abrams and the Santa Clara County D.A.'s office, Solano County officials announced.
Abrams announced that her office, together with the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, resolved a civil enforcement action against MC LLC, dba, Jiffy Lube, for violations of two Business & Professions Code Sections dealing with unfair business practices and false advertising in their operations throughout the state.
Solano County D.A. helps bring Jiffy Lube to better business practicesPeople were lined up for information about cancer screenings, taking turns getting their blood-pressure checked and kneading fake breasts to see what a lump feels like, at Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center's special cancer awareness event Friday.
They were also picking up information about domestic violence, prostate cancer and second-hand smoke, along with a slew of other life-saving information, at the event that was open even to non-Kaiser members and which organizers said looked like it brought even more than the 200 to 500 people they were expecting.
Kaiser Vallejo's free cancer awareness clinic a successThe Highway 37 Fairgrounds Drive/Discovery Kingdom off-ramp in Vallejo will be closed overnight for two consecutive nights next week for road work, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) officials announced.
Caltrans crews are scheduled to perform overnight paving work on State Route 37 at the Fairgrounds Drive/Discovery Kingdom exit -- weather permitting -- from 8 p.
Overnight ramp, connector closures in Vallejo next weekA Vallejo man was taken into custody Tuesday in American Canyon after he was found to be wanted in Sonoma County, police officials said.
Just after 4 p.m. on Tuesday, officers were dispatched for a suspicious vehicle at 260 American Canyon Road, Police Chief Tracey Stuart said. Officers found the white Suburban and contacted the two occupants, she said.
Vallejo man arrested in American CanyonThe San Francisco Bay Ferry will operate modified and expanded schedules from Vallejo to the San Francisco Ferry Building and from Alameda and Oakland for Fleet Week weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 8 and 9, officials said.
Special service includes:
• Vallejo/San Francisco: 11 departures per weekend day vs.
San Francisco Bay Ferry expands service for Fleet Week weekend, divisional playoffsVallejo's Touro University California wants to be the "go-to" place for diabetes clinicians to get the most up-to-date information on disease management, so it's hosting a diabetes conference next month, Touro officials announced.
National diabetes speakers will headline Touro's inaugural diabetes conference in November, offering practical tools and strategies to effectively manage patients with diabetes, they said.
Vallejo's Touro offers latest in diabetes management tools class for doctorsPart of westbound Interstate 80 in Fairfield will be closed for road work overnight for two consecutive nights starting Thursday, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and its project partner the Solano Transportation Authority (STA) announced.
Crews are completing additional drainage work related to the Interstate 80/Interstate 680/State Route 12 (I-80/I-680/SR-12) Interchange Project, officials said.
Overnight lane closures expected on I-80 in FairfieldAmerican Canyon >> This city's Fire Protection District and Police Department invites the public to their annual open house from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 16, at the Public Safety Building, 911 Donaldson Way East.
This is likely the 10th year of this community event, which is timed to coincide with Fire Prevention Week, Fire Executive Assistant/Office Administrator Martha Banuelos said.
American Canyon public safety open house set for Oct. 16AMERICAN CANYON >> After traditionally dressed dancers demonstrated a traditional dance in honor of city officials proclaiming October Filipino Heritage Month, the topic at Tuesday's city council meeting turned to traffic safety, and stayed there nearly the entire evening.
Representatives of the city's Filipino-American Association also noted that a cultural event is planned for Oct.
American Canyon officials assure public they're serious about traffic safetyDuring a recent visit, "delicious" seemed to be the consensus of opinion on the fare available at a new sandwich shop in downtown Vallejo at the corner of Georgia and Marin streets.
Hot Link City is the brainchild of Jerry Hart, formerly of San Francisco and now a Vallejo resident.
The former house painter said he's lived in Vallejo since 2005, but before that, the single father of three with one still at home, owned a deli in San Francisco called Hart to Hart.
New deli opens in downtown VallejoAmerican Canyon City Council candidate Tony Heuschel will hold a free public event from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday at Community Park II, he announced.
Families are invited to see fire trucks and other emergency vehicles, and enjoy popcorn, snow cones, cotton candy, balloons and more - all for free, he said.
American Canyon City Council candidate to hold free family event WednesdayFor just the second time ever, Vallejo's Cal Maritime has opened its Homecoming and Parents' Weekend Festival to the public, university officials announced.
The free event is planned for Saturday, mostly on the campus' waterfront, and will include food, music, activities, entertainment and more, spokesman Robert King said.
Cal Maritime Homecoming Festival free, open to the publicThe Napa County Election Division invites the public, the media, members of the Grand Jury, political party organizations and anyone interested in the election process to observe all aspects of the Nov. 8, Presidential Election.
All processing and counting will take place at the Napa County Election Division 900 Coombs St.
Public invited to observe Napa County election processLocal business owner K. Patrice Williams was selected to be a part of the country's first-ever U.S. Department of Transportation's Every Place Counts Leadership Academy, her office announced.
Hosted by U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, the event will be held in Washington, D.C. later this week.
Local business woman selected for national transportation workshopAMERICAN CANYON >> With two pedestrians hit by cars in the past few weeks, the city's traffic issues will take center stage at the public session of Tuesday's City Council meeting, set for 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall.
Public Works Director Jason Holley will present a report about traffic safety issues in town and facilitate a discussion of improvements already completed and underway, as well as those planned for the future.
Traffic safety tops American Canyon council agendaWith Friday's campaign statement deadline, it is known that incumbent Mayor Leon Garcia has raised and spent about twice what challenger Douglas Lindsey has.
And in the contest for two open City Council seats, incumbent Joan Bennett, 77, has out-fundraised and outspent all three challengers by a significant margin.
American Canyon candidates raise, spend funds to get electedThe Arbor Day Foundation is offering 10 free autumn classics trees or five free Crapemyrtle trees when someone joins the organization in October, officials announced.
The free trees are part of the nonprofit Arbor Day Foundation's Trees for America campaign, a program dedicated to environmental stewardship through the planting of trees, they said.
Free trees offered for joining Arbor Day Foundation this monthA man ran off with an unknown number of rings after robbing the Kaiser Pernamente Vallejo Medical Center gift shop Saturday, a Vallejo Police Department spokesman said.
"At about noon, a guy came into the gift shop and told the clerk he wanted to look at some rings, and as the clerk was showing them to him, he pushed the clerk away, took the rings and fled on foot," Lt.
Man robs Kaiser Vallejo gift store, runs with a handful of ringsA 32-year-old Elk Grove woman was hit and killed on the freeway in Solano County Saturday after her car broke down and she apparently went to walk for help, California Highway Patrol officials reported.
At about 9:48 p.m. Saturday CHP dispatchers began receiving calls about a crash with an ambulance responding on Interstate-80 Westbound at Green Valley Road, they said.
Elk Grove woman killed on freeway near FairfieldA bill co-authored by Assemblyman Bill Dodd (D-Napa) and introduced in response to the notorious Stanford rape case verdict, was signed into law Friday, Dodd's office announced.
Assembly Bill 2888 by Dodd and Assembly member Evan Low (D-Silicon Valley) and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday, requires anyone convicted of sexually assaulting unconscious or severely intoxicated victims be sentenced to prison.
New law based on Stanford rape sentencing, signed by Gov. BrownSolano County's first responders save lives every day.
Kaiser Permanente in the Napa Solano area celebrated them last week, in a special event at the Vacaville Medical Center.
It was the second annual tribute, at which elected officials, business leaders, hospital staff and patients turned out to show their appreciation to the men and women on the front lines.
Solano County's first responders honoredAmerican Canyon is the most diverse city in Napa County -- a fact of which city officials are rightfully proud.
In keeping with the city's unofficial slogan -- "We (heart) everyone in AmCan" -- the city's second ever Latino Heritage Month Celebration is planned for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at this city's weekly Farmers Market, organizers said.
Latino Heritage celebration in American Canyon SundayChere Rush of Brentwood said she waited too long to check on a lump she found in her breast nine years ago, and considers herself lucky to be alive today.
Convinced that early detection save lives, Rush and four other California survivors dreamed up Pink Plates as a way to raise awareness, and two of them will be at Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center on Friday, Oct.
Cancer survivors bringing new Pink Plates to Kaiser Vallejo eventVallejo native Michelle Madison said she worked for a decade at the Department of Motor Vehicles and knows what a trial doing business there can be.
That's why she started STARS -- Speedy Transfers And Registration Services -- basically a privately owned, mini-DMV, at 1422 Springs Road, Suite B, in Vallejo.
Mini-DMV now open in VallejoWiener dog races, chicken dancing and beer are just three reasons to attend the 8th Annual American Canyon Chamber of Commerce Oktoberfest, from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, organizers said.
Being held this year at Napa's SpringHill Suites Marriott Napa Valley, 101 Gateway Road, the annual Oktoberfest event is the American Canyon chamber's main fundraiser, chamber president and CEO James Cooper said.
American Canyon Oktoberfest is almost hereWeather permitting, Caltrans will be closing portions of Highway 29 in Napa County over night for four nights next week so it can do paving work in advance of winter weather, officials announced.
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will perform four nights of pavement repair work on northbound and southbound Highway 29 between the State Route 12 and the State Route 221 interchanges near the Napa County Airport, just north of American Canyon, starting Monday, Oct.
Highway 29 in Napa County closing for repairs four consecutive nightsNearly 100 businesses are expected to be represented at the Workforce Development Board (WDB) of Solano County's annual Fall Career Fair on Thursday, Oct. 6.
The event, planned from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fairfield's University of Phoenix, 5253 Business Center Drive, is among the county's largest career fairs and attracts "a substantial number of skilled job seekers from throughout the region," organizers said.
Solano County Fall Career Fair plannedA bill by Assemblymembers Bill Dodd (D-Napa) and Jim Frazier (D-Oakley) designed to encourage economic growth in Solano County and statewide was signed into law this week by Gov. Jerry Brown, Dodd's office announced.
Sponsored by the city of Fairfield and the League of California Cities and passing the Legislature with bipartisan support last month, the law enables cities and counties to offer loans to owners or tenants for rehabilitation of commercial buildings and to create economic opportunities through the purchase, sale or lease of properties, he said.
Dodd/Frazier economic development law signed by governorMissouri-based Tyson Foods Inc. is recalling some 132,520 pounds of fully cooked chicken nugget products that may be contaminated with hard plastic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Tuesday.
The fully cooked Panko Chicken Nuggets items were produced on July 18, 2016, according to the announcement.
Tyson chicken nuggets recalled for plastic contaminationNAPA >> In a California first, and just in time for National Library Card Sign-up Month in September, a new partnership between Napa County Library and Napa Valley Unified School District means Napa's middle and high school students are already signed up, officials announced.
The One Card program allows middle and high school students to use their school-generated student ID as their public library card, with a ready-made account there to greet the student at the library building or online, officials said.
New program turns Napa student IDs into library cardsA free cancer awareness event called "Saving Lives" is planned for next month at Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center, and you don't need to be a Kaiser member to go, organizers announced.
Saving Lives will take place from 11 a.m .to 1:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, at Kaiser Vallejo, 975 Sereno Drive.
Free cancer awareness, screening event at Kaiser VallejoA man and a woman both wound up in the emergency room after a domestic violence situation "turned ugly" Sunday night, a Vallejo Police Department spokesman said.
It started at about 8:45 p.m. Sunday, when a 38-year-old man broke up with his 35-year-old girlfriend and tried moving out of their shared place in the 100 block of Sunrise Way, Lt.
Domestic violence case sends Vallejo couple to ERAMERICAN CANYON >> City Council candidate Mariam Aboudamous hosts a birthday/campaign fund-raising event from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Doubletree Hotel and Spa in this city, she announced.
The event, which features guest speakers Assemblymember and State Senate candidate Bill Dodd on Napa County Supervisor Keith Caldwell, will also include wine and hors d'oeuvres, she said.
American Canyon candidate holds event WednesdayA new law designed to help better manage state water supplies was signed by Governor Jerry Brown this week, the bill's author, Assemblymember Bill Dodd (D-Napa) announced.
Known as the Open and Transparent Water Data Act, the law "creates a transparent and universal platform for sharing water data across the state," Dodd's office said.
Dodd water data act signed into lawAMERICAN CANYON>> A 13-year-old boy was taken to a local hospital Monday morning after being hit by a city truck, while in a crosswalk on his way to school, a Police Department spokeswoman said.
Just before 8 a.m. Monday, officers responded to a reported vehicle vs. pedestrian crash on American Canyon Road and Hummingbird Way, Police Chief Tracey Stuart said.
American Canyon child in crosswalk headed for school hit by city truckA man was arrested on the grounds of an elementary school and another on was the loose, after robbing a Vallejo convenience store at knife-point early Monday, a Vallejo Police Department spokesman said.
At about 2:11 a.m. Monday, two men entered the 7-Eleven in the 2800 block of Georgia Street, one of which threatened the 24-year-old female clerk with a knife and demanded money, Lt.
Armed robber arrested on Vallejo elementary school groundsMindy Cooper Grenke said Vallejo has never been on her radar before, but suddenly the city looms large in her consciousness.
Grenke's father, David Cooper, 81, of Colorado, was hit by a car here last week and died Tuesday without ever regaining consciousness, she said.
World travelers and adventure lovers, Cooper and his wife were part of a group of longtime friends who pick somewhere in the world each year, rent a big house and stay there together for a vacation, Grenke said.
Putting a face on a fatal Vallejo crashAn American Canyon mother and child were hospitalized with minor injuries after being hit by a car Thursday evening, an American Canyon Police Department spokesperson said.
At about 7:41 p.m. Thursday, officers were dispatched to a vehicle vs. pedestrian crash on Kimberly Drive at Danrose Drive, Police Chief Tracey Stuart said.
Mother and child hit, injured by car in American CanyonBrenda Knight of American Canyon has been to Washington, D.C. many times, but the trip planned for next month is special, she said.
The former Napa College Trustee, professional event planner and founder of the Ladies In Red women's empowerment group, is leading 107 group members on a trip early next month to the National Museum of African American History and Culture at the Smithsonian Institution.
American Canyon woman leads trip to new African American Smithsonian museumThe Department of Health and Social Services, In-Home Support Services (IHSS) Public Authority is looking for a few good men and women to become paid caregivers for seniors and the disabled in Solano County, officials announced.
The Public Authority uses a customized database to match the needs of Solano County IHSS clients with pre-qualified Registry Home Care Providers, but, demand for services is growing and there's a need for more caregivers, officials said.
Final Solano County care giver recruitment session of 2016Highway 12 at Red Top Road will be closed three consecutive nights starting Thursday, so the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and its project partner the Solano Transportation Authority (STA) can complete drainage work related to the Interstate 80/Interstate 680/State Route 12 (I-80/I-680/SR-12) Interchange Project.
Overnight closures on Highway 12 at Red Top RoadBENICIA >> City officials launched a new emergency alert system Thursday, noting that the apparent crude oil leak that released fumes sending hundreds of Vallejo residents to local emergency rooms Wednesday is just the kind of event this new system is geared for.
Benicia's new system is with Everbridge, which city officials describe as "the worldwide leader in unified critical communications," and is designed keep residents, businesses, staff and emergency personnel safe and informed with quick and reliable emergency notifications and public service announcements, according to a press release.
Benicia launches new emergency alert system, urges people to sign upKaiser Permanente's Medicare and commercial health plans in Northern California received the highest possible ratings from a national health plan rating group, Kaiser officials announced Wednesday.
Kaiser Northern California, which serves 3.9 million members, received the highest ratings from the National Committee for Quality Assurance, which rates health plans for consumer experience, prevention and treatment, they said.
Kaiser Permanente health plans get highest rankings nationallyLuis Arnold of Vallejo admits he's a little bit obsessed with skateboarding, so, he's overjoyed that fellow skater Derrick Kerr opened his skate shop on Georgia Street earlier this year.
Official Goods Company opened at 541 Georgia St. in January, Kerr said.
"Vallejo needs a skate shop because the community is beginning to grow here and the store really helps fuel that," said Arnold, a 27-year-old video editor and Victory Stores clerk.
Official Goods Company, a one-stop skate shop in VallejoAMERICAN CANYON >> Police officials now have the authority to enforce traffic laws on private streets here after City Council members unanimously approved a measure aimed at addressing issues on two specific roads.
"Enforcement on Private Streets" will be added to the "Vehicles and Traffic" section of the American Canyon Municipal Code, especially for Corvina Way and Corvina Court, where illegal parking, speeding and going the wrong way on the one-way street prompted nearly everyone who lives there to ask the city for help.
Bad drivers on notice in American CanyonNAPA >> Napa Fire Chief Mike Randolph has announced he's retiring Dec. 30, after more than 27 years on the job.
Randolph began his fire fighting career with the Napa Fire Department in 1989, was promoted to firefighter/paramedic in 1994, fire captain in 1998, battalion chief in 2000 and division chief in 2005, city officials said.
Napa Fire Chief Mike Randolph retiringSutter Solano Medical Center staff on Monday formally dedicated the first chapel the facility's had in more than a dozen years, as hospital officials and others gathered in the serene first-floor area specifically designed to help meet users' spiritual needs, CEO John Boyd said.
The new chapel, a former storage space, is decorated in muted blues, grays and tans, with splashes of color in the form of a large floral bouquet and a glass-enclosed sand sculpture.
Sutter Solano's new chapel designed to recharge the spiritA new law by Assemblyman Bill Dodd and signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown last week, will speed up the process for identity theft victims to clear their names, Dodd's office announced.
Dodd, a candidate for State Senate, wrote the Identity Theft Resolution Act after becoming a victim of identity theft himself last year, his office said.
Dodd's ID theft bill signed into lawTwo ordinances aimed at fixing some vexing traffic-related issues are up for discussion at Tuesday's City Council meeting, the public portion of which is set for 6:30 p.m.
An extension of a temporary moratorium on cellphone towers is also on the agenda.
The plan is to waive a first reading of an ordinance adding "Enforcement on Private Streets" to the "Vehicles and Traffic" section of the American Canyon Municipal Code, especially for Corvina Way and Corvina Court.
Traffic enforcement on American Canyon side streets at issue for Tuesday's meetingBill Darwin says that living in a south Vallejo hotel has made it difficult to find convenient access to healthy foods, like fruits and vegetables, and that he's pleased that the nearby 7-Eleven has added some of those things.
It's especially helpful now that his 81-year-old mother, Lois Gilmore, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease and is now homeless, is staying there with him, the 61-year-old unemployed man said.
South Vallejo convenience store now carries healthier optionsRenovations at the Napa County Library begin Monday and are expected to be completed by June, officials announced.
The $4.4 million design and construction project will focus on children's area updates, the circulation area, including adding a modernized automated handling system and garage conversion to improve materials delivery and returns as well as new bathrooms, increased meeting space and improved heating and air conditioning.
Napa library facelift under wayKaiser Permanente's hospitals and medical offices in Napa and Solano Counties are offering free flu vaccinations to members again this year, starting this month, officials announced.
The flu can be serious, even fatal, with symptoms often including fever and chills, muscle or body aches, headaches, coughing, sore throat, exhaustion and diarrhea, they said.
Kaiser Permanente offering free flu vaccinationsThe unemployment rates in Solano and Napa counties inched downward in August, leaving the former with rates slightly higher than the state and national averages, and the latter with lower, according to the latest state figures.
Solano County's August jobless rate was 5.7 percent, down from 6 percent in July, and below the year-ago estimate of 6 percent, the latest state figures show.
Unemployment down in Solano, Napa counties in AugustThe first 100 customers at the community celebration of the newly healthified 7-Eleven in Vallejo on Friday will get free fruit, organizers announced.
The store at 1095 Magazine St. was given a healthy makeover as part of a Solano County program, and the community is invited to check it out from 2 to 5 p.
Newly made-over Vallejo 7-Eleven holds community celebration FridayA Richmond man in his 40s was shot and injured fleeing from a would-be armed robber in Vallejo early Thursday, a Vallejo Police Department spokesman said.
The episode unfolded at about 5:23 a.m. Thursday morning, in the 700 block of Lincoln Road West, when the Richmond man said he was approached by "a male suspect of indeterminate race, brandishing a hand gun," Lt.
Richmond man shot while fleeing an armed robber in VallejoVeteran Police Officer and American Canyon City Council candidate Tony Heuschel is offering a free public safety workshop, to help prepare community members for emergencies, his campaign announced.
Heuschel says anyone 15 or older who is concerned about personal safety is encouraged to attend the workshop.
Free public safety workshop to be held in American CanyonIn honor of September as World Alzheimer's Awareness Month, Home Instead Senior Care -- serving Napa and Solano counties -- announced the launch of a new community education program to help bring awareness to this cause.
Prevent Wandering, a free program developed with the Alzheimer's Association, offers tips and resources to help families better prepare "for the challenging and unfortunate situation that occurs when a loved one living with Alzheimer's wanders off.
Local senior care firm launches two free Alzheimer's-related programsNapa County Public Health officials are offering free seasonal flu vaccine shots to anyone over three years old, they announced.
This year the flu spray vaccine is not available because it is not effective in stopping the flu viruses expected to be circulating this season, they said.
"Although the spray version of the vaccine is not available this year, the flu shot is still the safest and most effective way to avoid getting the flu," Napa County Public Health Officer Karen Relucio said.
Napa County offers free flu shotsIf you're one of likely millions of California voters who got a partially filled-out voter registration card in the mail, don't worry. It doesn't appear to be an attempt at voter fraud or ID theft, or anything else nefarious, local elections officials said Tuesday.
Solano County Deputy Registrar of Voters John Gardner said the sender is a nonprofit with the best of intentions, if not the greatest researchers.
Officials say unsettling mailed voter card not sinisterAn elderly Colorado man was on life support in a local trauma center after being hit and badly injured by a car as he tried to cross Sonoma Boulevard in Vallejo on Monday night, a Vallejo Police Department spokesman said.
Just before 8 p.m., Vallejo police officers responded to an injury collision at the intersection of Sonoma and Redwood Street involving a vehicle and a pedestrian, Lt.
Colorado man hit, injured, in Vallejo crosswalk