As the weather heats up, Napa County officials urge recreational water users to avoid close contact with bodies of water containing blue-green algae.
"While there are currently no reports of algal blooms, we want to make sure people are keeping an eye out to protect their loved ones," Napa County Public Health Officer Karen Relucio said.
Beware blue-green algae, Napa County officials warnSeveral local houses of worship will participate in praying for America on the National Day of Prayer, on Thursday.
Created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman, the National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday in May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for our nation, organizers said.
National Day of Prayer is ThursdayStarting Tuesday, all Dunkin' Donuts California locations, including American Canyon's, will use a new, double-walled paper cup for hot beverages, company officials announced.
The firm has eliminated all foam/polystyrene cups at its restaurants statewide, opting instead for the new type, that area designed to be used without a sleeve, they said.
American Canyon, other Dunkin' Donuts sites switch to 'greener' hot drink cupsRep. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) lauded this week's passage of a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration for six years. That includes his amendment to ensure FEMA mitigation funding can be used to help rebuild and recover from last year's wildfires, and parts of his legislation to strengthen passenger protections, his office staff announced.
Mike Thompson pleased with disaster relief, passenger protections, in FAA ReauthorizationAMERICAN CANYON >> Besides updates on Public Works and Landscape Maintenance, the main items expected at Tuesday's City Council meeting are the public recognition of some city residents' and employees' accomplishments.
One example is American Canyon Orthodontics Jeffrey Nichelini, who recently received the California Parks and Recreation Society's "Champion of the Community Award of Excellence.
Some of American Canyon's best to recognized at Tuesday's meetingTo Life!
Or, more precisely, to the celebration of Jewish diversity in Vallejo/Solano County, with Congregation B'nai Israel's 21st Annual L'Chaim To Life Dinner & Auction, which is planned from 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday May 6, organizers said.
The event serves two main purposes, according to longtime Congregation member Fern Bernstein.
Solano County's oldest synagogue hosts its 21st annual dinner and auctionAMERICAN CANYON >> There is strength in numbers, so as many eligible people as possible should register for the right to vote, and then, exercise that right. That was the basic message at a special assembly at American Canyon High School on Thursday that included a talk by California Secretary of State Alex Padilla.
Secretary of State Padilla talks up voting and new options at American Canyon HighState Route 113 between Hawkins Road and Fry Road in rural Solano County will be closed for five consecutive days for work designed to prevent the kind of flooding that shut the road down last year, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) officials said.
Sections of the culvert underneath the highway will be repaired and/or replaced, just south of the city of Dixon in unincorporated Solano County, they said.
Caltrans road closure planned for rural Solano CountySeveral events are scheduled throughout Solano County in honor of National Bike Month in May, Solano Transportation Authority (STA) officials announced.
The agency and its partners are promoting safe bicycling and physical activity by encouraging Solano County residents to ride their bikes to school, work and throughout the county all month long, they said.
Solano to celebrate National Bike Month in MayWith finding and buying a house in the Vallejo area as difficult as ever, the latest round of falling numbers came as no surprise to Solano Association of Realtors President Johnny Walker.
Industry analytic firm CoreLogic's latest report shows 7,122 new and existing houses and condominiums were sold in Solano, Napa, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Santa Clara, San Francisco, San Mateo and Sonoma counties in March, up 43.
Local housing prices still accelerating, median Bay Area sale price climbs to new peak of $800,000The Vallejo Police Officer assigned to Marcus Tenes/Keshava Sundara missing person case is Kenneth Trimble, not Kent Tribble, as first reported.
Tenes/Keshava was last seen April 13, when he walked away from a care home on Alabama Street, without shoes, money, ID or a cellphone.
Anyone with information, can contact kenneth.
Vallejo man still missing, location efforts intensifyA "real mess" developed on Sunday afternoon after officers responded to a call about a vehicle burglary that had happened on Saturday in the parking lot of the Motel 6 on Sandy Beach Road, Lt. Herman Robinson said.
A woman staying at the motel reported her 2018 silver Hyundai was broken into and some boxes with personal items, along with her children's birth documents, were taken, he said.
Area crime over the weekend: Vallejo, American CanyonA bill to bolster the state's drunken driving prevention program, introduced by Napa Democrat, Sen. Bill Dodd, won overwhelming bipartisan support Monday in the Senate, his office staff announced.
"Drunken driving is taking a heavy toll on our state and we must do everything we can to prevent it," Dodd said in the announcement.
Dodd anti-drunk driving bill passes State SenateThe unemployment rate in both Solano and Napa counties fell slightly in March, according to the latest state figures.
In the Vallejo-Fairfield area, which ranked 21st among California's 58 counties, the jobless rate was 4.1 percent in March, down from 4.4 percent in February, and below the year-ago estimate of 5.
Unemployment falls slightly in March, in Solano, NapaThere are many ways to celebrate Earth Day Saturday around Vallejo, American Canyon, and Benicia. Here's what's happening:
American Canyon
"AmCan By The Bay," a celebration of our life by the water. Learn how to improve ocean health. Plenty of fun, free activities, including booths, live entertainment, a children's area, and food for purchase.
Earth Day events in Vallejo, American Canyon, Benicia on SaturdayThe City of American Canyon, despite pressure from pro-cannabis forces that pack the City Council Chambers whenever the issue comes up, is taking its time in crafting its cannabis-related city ordinance.
"I think the council is taking the right approach to the issue," American Canyon City Councilman Mark Joseph said.
Patience the potential key for American CanyonSeveral Vallejo businesses were caught up in a sting targeting unlicensed contractors in St. Helena this week, Napa County officials announced.
Noting that all "suspects" are innocent unless and until proven otherwise, officials said that more than a dozen were cited for illegal contracting, including 12 for illegal advertising and six for demanding excessive down payments.
Vallejo 'contractors' caught in Napa County "sting"Visit Vallejo hosts its 27th Annual Tourism Luncheon & Board of Directors Installation on Wednesday, May 9 at the USA World Classics Event Center, 1525 Sonoma Boulevard in downtown Vallejo, organizers announced.
Lunch will be catered by Zio Fraedo's of Vallejo, they said.
Celebrating National Tourism Week, this luncheon is held annually at the beginning of travel season to remind Vallejo and other area communities about the economic benefits of the travel and tourism industry and to install the bureau's new officers and directors, organizers said.
Visit Vallejo's 27th Annual Tourism Luncheon is May 9Kevin Lee of the Colorado-based Heartland Institute of Financial Education says he thinks that if more people in Vallejo had been financially literate when the Great Recession hit, fewer people here might have been as devastated as they were.
It's the institute's mission, which it undertook some 20 years ago, to financially educate as many people as possible, and they're setting up shop in Vallejo, he said.
Heartland Institute to teach financial literacy in VallejoIt's an ice-breaker, a party game, a counseling session and a mood enhancer..
It can be done alone or in nearly any type or size of group.
"Get Your Happy! Cards gives you a way to maintain positivity and think happy thoughts," actor, writer, producer, fashion designer, speaker, game inventor and "happiness emcee," Vallejo resident Diana Tenes said.
Vallejo woman creates a happy-making gameThrough his lawyer, Napa County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk-Registrar of Voters John Tuteur on Tuesday filed a motion with the Napa Superior Court to unseal the Napa County Grand Jury transcript served on him Friday under court-ordered seal, Tuteur announced.
The transcript relates to the grand jury accusation of "willful and corrupt misconduct in office" delivered to Tuteur on March 19.
Tuteur files motion to unseal Napa County Grand Jury transcript in case against himIn an effort to limit unilateral action by the Executive Branch without consultation from Congress that could get the U.S. into a protracted conflict, Rep. Mike Thompson on Tuesday announced he's co-sponsoring a resolution to define limited terms for the use of military force in the Middle East.
"After today's classified briefing on Syria, there is no doubt that Congress must pass a new Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) and specify the limitations under which the president can use military force to protect our national security," the St.
Thompson co-sponsors bill to limit presidential action abroadAMERICAN CANYON >> Besides swearing Jason Holley in as the new City Manager and approving his employment agreement, City Council members on Tuesday will consider the fiscal year 2017-18 salary schedule, changing the meeting agenda format and a talk about a marketing plan for the new Valley View Senior Housing Project.
Holley to be sworn in as City Manager at Tuesday's American Canyon City Council meetingA 33-year-old San Pablo man was in Napa County custody Saturday after the American Canyon Police Department allegedly found him in a parking lot, smoking weed, and drinking alcohol, all with a slew of stolen merchandise and a loaded gun in his car, police said.
Keith Alvin Davis was found with 11 purses, seven wallets, four backpacks and two totes from COACH plus a dozen bags of marijuana and a loaded .
Area crime: San Pablo man arrested in American Canyon for variety of offenses. Day 1 - The crash
Jesse Bethel High School senior Janelle Ramirez got a taste Thursday of what it must be like to die. The 17-year-old popular cheerleader "died at the scene" of a car crash in the school parking lot as part of an ongoing program called "Every 15 Minutes."
"It feels surreal," Ramirez said, as she waited, with gory-looking injuries, complete with a piece of glass imbedded in her forehead, to be placed on the hood of the wrecked car through whose windshield she was to be fictitiously thrown.
Vallejo's Jesse Bethel High School students experience powerful, two-day safe driving lessonLocal elected officials say they are determined not to allow area seniors to "fall through the cracks," created by the crises that was recently revealed at the Area Agency on Aging Serving Napa and Solano.
"Our goal is to protect local seniors, and we will do what it takes to right this ship," State Sen.
State won't let local Area Agency on Aging fail, source saysThe Vallejo City Council, with Mayor Bob Sampayan leading the way, unanimously voted on Tuesday to "Authorize the Mayor to send a letter supporting the transfer of the Mare Island Naval Cemetery to the federal government, the state, or some other eligible entity in order to facilitate its appropriate restoration and maintenance," a step retired Navy Captain Ralph Parrott says he believes is necessary to a successful resolution to what he calls "a festering problem.
Vallejo votes to ask feds to retake Mare Island Cemetery; effort to restore gains steamTouro University students who, through their varied cultural experiences, contribute to its "inclusive excellence," will be honored at the school's Third Annual Mosaic Celebration fundraiser on Thursday, organizers announced.
Carmela R. Castellano-Garcia, Esq., President and Chief Executive Officer of the California Primary Care Association (CPCA), will be honored for her more than 25 years of service advancing multi-cultural health policy issues, they announced.
Touro scholoarship fundraiser celebrates Vallejo's cultural 'mosaic'In an effort to support the community and the arts in Vallejo, The Vallejo Art Walk 2018 in particular, SolTrans is offering free rides every second Friday of the month on all local routes, officials announced.
SolTrans invites everyone to join the activities in downtown Vallejo on April 13th, May 11th, June 8th, July 13th, August 10th, September 14th, October 12th, November 9th, and December 14th from 4 p.
SolTrans offering free bus rides to Vallejo Art WalkAdmiral James Stavridis, former supreme allied commander at NATO, and current dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, will deliver the commencement address at Vallejo's California State University Maritime Academy's April 28 ceremony, school officials announced.
"In recognition of his distinguished career, his contributions to leadership development, and his role as an advocate for the Maritime Industry, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and California State University Maritime Academy will confer upon Stavridis the honorary degree of Doctor of Law," school spokesman Robert King said.
Former NATO commander to deliver Cal Maritime commencement addressCalifornia was awarded $212 million in federal funding through the Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) program to provide long-term recovery from the devastating fires of 2017, Rep. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) and Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-02) announced.
Thompson advocated to the administration and Congressional leadership to help secure disaster relief funding through the Bipartisan Budget Act, his office staff said.
More than $200 million for statewide disaster relief, Thompson, Huffman announceSenior advocacy organization, Area Agency on Aging (AAoA), serving Napa and Solano counties, will likely close for good at the end of June, agencies impacted by the possible change said.
The nearly 40-year-old agency administers the funds that pay for the area's Meals on Wheels program among other services, including transportation programs, Faith in Action and checking on local seniors' well-being, sources said.
Area Agency on Aging serving Napa, Solano likely closing its doors in JuneIt happens every year, they said.
According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), scammers take advantage of tax season to fool people into giving up their personal and financial information, to file fraudulent tax returns ahead of the April 17 deadline. Company officials find out about these crimes in various ways, spokeswoman Deanna Contreras said.
PG&E warns of increased scams as tax day nearsAMERICAN CANYON >> Several of those honored at the 19th Annual Community Recognition Ball earned their accolades at least in part, during last October's North Bay wildfires, officials said.
Powell Helems and Mary Tabbert were named the Gateway Award winner at this year's ball, which was sponsored by the Napa Valley Vintners, it was announced.
American Canyon honors its own at recognition ballVallejo's California State University Maritime Academy's Golden Bear Facility was named the recipient of the United States Navy League's 2018 Albert A. Michelson Award, school officials announced.
The award is given in recognition of "scientific or technical achievement that results in a significant improvement in the strength of our maritime forces or the enhancement of our industrial technology base," they said.
U.S. Navy League recognizes Vallejo's Cal Maritime for scientific achievementJust three years after it opened, the American Canyon location of the Island Pacific Seafood Market is shutting its doors. It is one of about a half dozen the company will close in coming weeks, according to reports and a local store worker.
The "American Canyon" store, as this location has billed itself, but, which is actually in Vallejo, at 5201 Sonoma Boulevard near Mini Drive, will close in May, the worker said.
Area's Filipino market among several company will shutterThe California Highway Patrol (CHP) will honor the dedicated men and women who serve as call-takers and dispatchers during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 8-14, 2018, agency officials announced.
"Whether it is wildfires, mudslides, an injury collision, or any other emergency, dispatchers have proven to be an essential link between our officers, the public, and support services," CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said.
CHP recognizes telecommunications professionals for National Public Safety Telecommunications WeekVallejo, Vacaville, Solano County and the City of Napa are among a slew of California entities getting thousands of dollars in veteran's housing vouchers from the federal government, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) officials announced.
The Vallejo Housing Authority is getting 15 vouchers worth $132,309, while The Vacaville Housing Authority gets 10 vouchers worth $84,123 and 15 vouchers worth $115,566 are earmarked for the Solano County Housing Authority, according to the announcement.
Vallejo, Napa, Solano, Vacaville, getting thousands in federal veterans housing vouchersAMERICAN CANYON >> After postponing the final decision on the matter until Friday partly because one City Council member was absent from Tuesday's meeting, council members officially offered the City Manager's job and a three-year contract to Jason Holley, its former Public Works Director who has been serving as interim.
It's official -- Holley appointed American Canyon City ManagerTroy Plunkett was 17 when an Easter Sunday motocross crash changed everything.
That's not strictly true. The accident didn't change the now-32-year-old Vallejo native's spirit and love of life, and, in fact, revealed a desire to help others that lead to the creation of the SCI Active Network, Plunkett's "positive network for all spinal cord injury survivors and their families.
Troy Plunkett, severely injured as a teen, now works to show others there's life after tragedyEver since it became illegal to drive with a cellphone in your hand, drivers are phoning or texting while driving less often. However, distracted driving remains a serious safety challenge in California, officials said.
Observing April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month and the first week in April as California Teen Safe Driving Week, traffic safety advocates will focus on education and enforcement efforts statewide as California marks 10 years of the hands-free laws.
April is Distracted Driving Awareness MonthAmerican Canyon >> An apparent impasse over contract negotiations with interim American Canyon City Manager Jason Holley means the city will be without a new city manager until at least Friday.
Holley, the city's former Public Works Director, was set to be officially named to the post - with his salary revised - at Tuesday's city council meeting, but closed session negotiations were suspended to conduct regular business.
American Canyon City Manager decision postponedAMERICAN CANYON >> The American Canyon Family Resource Center, the main nonprofit in a city with few of them, is on the ropes and in danger of closing, its executive director said.
"Our families need these resources," Center volunteer and former client Rhonda Zuniga said at Tuesday's council meeting.
American Canyon's main nonprofit in fight for its life, needs funds transfusionAt least some of the people who volunteer at the Vallejo Together Support Services Center, which celebrates its second anniversary Thursday, insist they get more out of the work than those they're there to help.
And no one is more surprised by this as they are.
"I had thought of this city's homeless problem as not necessarily my problem, and as a result of volunteering, I now realize that this is truly more than I thought.
Vallejo's all-volunteer homeless support center marks two years of serviceThe Workforce Development Board of Solano County hosts its Annual Spring Career Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, at the Solano Community College - Fairfield Campus, 4000 Suisun Valley Road, organizers announced.
The Board assists employers' recruitment efforts, and have hosted Career Fairs in Solano County for the past decade.
Solano County Workforce Development Board hosts career fair ThursdayLooking for a way to make an impact in your community for generations? The Solano County Literacy Program is looking for Adult Literacy Volunteer tutors, which is one way to make such a difference, organizers said.
"Literacy is vital for a healthy and thriving community," they said, adding that more than 60,000 Solano County adults are functionally illiterate, meaning that their reading and writing skills are inadequate to manage their daily living and employment tasks beyond a basic level.
With Solano's Adult Literacy Program volunteers can uplift their communitySutter Solano Medical Center is among 21 of Sutter Health's not-for-profit network affiliates to earn recognition as a "Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality" by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, Sutter officials announced.
The Foundation is the educational arm of the country's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, they said.
Sutter Solano named a leader in LGBTQ care equalitySunday, April 1, 1 a.m. - A Vallejo man was taken into custody after police officers contacted him because the Ford Crown Victoria with Texas plates he was driving had a tinted windshield, Vallejo Police Department Lt. Herman Robinson said.
Devron Ardell Grays, 24, was found to have been driving on a suspended license and exhibited objective symptoms of alcohol intoxication, Robinson said.
Area Crime: Arrests in Vallejo, American Canyon over the weekendSolano Association of Realtors President Johnny Walker and other association leaders joined realtors from across the country to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, one of the most significant laws guiding the real estate industry in the United States, Walker announced.
"As we celebrate Fair Housing Month in April, it's particularly important this year as we are also commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act," Walker said.
The Solano Association of Realtors commemorates 50 years of Fair Housing ActAMERICAN CANYON >> Former Public Works Director and current Interim City Manager Jason Holley is set to be officially named to the post and his salary revised, at Tuesday's City Council meeting, the public portion of which is set to start at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall.
Holley has been serving in the position as interim since then-City Manager Dana Shigley resigned in October 2017.
American Canyon expected to name Holley its permanent City ManagerA group of local athletes was "officially" deputized as International Youth Sports Ambassadors Monday for the City of Vallejo, at a news conference at the Vallejo Sister City Association headquarters.
In a Vallejo first, a team of basketball players from several local high schools and a Vallejo Taekwondo team, along with several coaches, parents, City Council members and other Sister City representatives, will be heading to Asia in July for goodwill and competitive sports matches.
Local youth athletes to be Vallejo's cultural ambassadors to Asia with first Sister City sports tripVallejo's Sutter Solano Medical Center was among nine Sutter Health hospitals named to California's 2017 Hospital C-section Honor Roll, meaning they were among those with the lowest cesarean section rates statewide, hospital officials announced.
Several Kaiser Permanente hospitals, including Vallejo's and Vacaville's also made the list.
Sutter Solano, Kaiser Vallejo, among hospitals recognized for lowering C-section ratesAnti-theft technology and other developments may be paying off, as the number of auto thefts statewide dropped last year, California Highway Patrol officials announced.
"After back-to-back annual increases in the number of vehicle thefts, California reversed course in 2017," they said. "The 6.
Vehicle theft trend reverses in most of CaliforniaThings might have been easier for Midsi Sanchez as she worked through the trauma of being kidnapped and held captive by a serial child rapist/killer at age 8 - if something like Solano County's Courage Center 2 had existed.
Vallejo's most famous self-rescued survivor is a featured speaker at the center's second anniversary celebration, set for next week.
CC2, Solano's safe place for abused children, celebrates two years in operationThe American Canyon High softball team was shut out by Vanden 5-0 on Wednesday in Solano County Athletic Conference.
Vikings pitcher Dari Orme struck out 12 and fired a two-hitter for the Vikings (7-1-1, 2-0). Katherine Montuya had a double for one of the Wolves' two hits.
Lisa Bolton struck out 11 in the circle for American Canyon (6-2, 1-1), which will host Bethel on Friday.
American Canyon High softball team loses to VandenThe California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has started work on a long-term project to repair the pavement on State Route 29 between the City of Napa and just south of St. Helena, agency officials announced.
As part of the project, Caltrans and its contractor will perform overnight pavement preparation which includes drainage and culvert work on northbound and southbound SR-29 between Yountville and St.
Overnight work scheduled along Highway 29 between Yountville, St. Helena in Napa CountyVallejo's Senior Round Table is coming back for the first time since 2015, organizers announced.
The new iteration of the senior citizens informational gatherings will kick off at 1:30 p.m. Monday, at the Florence Douglas Senior Center, and will meet at 1:30 p.m. the first Monday of each month, thereafter, organizer Tom Bartee said.
Vallejo's Senior Round Table reborn at senior center next weekThe main traffic artery through Vallejo is currently shut down for several blocks, following a single vehicle crash into a power pole early Wednesday, Vallejo Police Department Lt. Herman Robinson said.
A Kia hit the pole at around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, causing several live electrical wires to hang too low to be safe, so the road was closed from Highway 37/Lewis Brown Road to Sereno Drive.
Highway 29 closed for several blocksAt an average of $3.37 per gallon of unleaded, Vallejo's gas prices in March aren't the highest in the Bay Area, but, they're up there, according to the latest report from AAA of Northern California.
The highest they've been in March since 2014, gas prices statewide are likely to spike this spring in response to record travel demand in the U.
Gas prices on the rise, locally, statewide, AAA saysStephen and Erika Myers of Vallejo have been doing it since 1992.
Dan Lyke has been coming all the way to Vallejo from Petaluma for the past six years to do it.
And none of them - all members of the Vallejo Pioneers Square Dance Club - would have imagined themselves doing it until they tried it and got hooked.
60-year-old Vallejo square dance group offering free starter lessons next monthTwo San Francisco women were in custody Friday after leading law enforcement on a pursuit through American Canyon, Vallejo and beyond, American Canyon Police officials said.
The episode started at about 9:10 p.m., when police were dispatched to Walmart, after two women were caught stealing and loss prevention personnel were unable to detain them, American Canyon Police Chief Oscar Ortiz said.
Car chase through American Canyon and Vallejo ends with arrest of two San Francisco womenFAIRFIELD>> Those who think they have a winning business idea but need a free place to test it out have until March 30 to enter Solano Town Center's "The Challenge: Battle of the Pop-Up Contest," mall officials announced.
Since Feb. 9 Solano Town Center officials have been encouraging local entrepreneurs to submit "fresh, fun and innovative retail concepts.
Pop-up Solano mall contest ends FridayThe unemployment rates in Solano and Napa counties fell in February, according to the state's most recent report, released Friday.
The jobless rate in the Vallejo-Fairfield area was 4.4 percent last month, down from 4.5 percent in January, and below the year-ago estimate of 5.5 percent.
This compares with an unemployment rate of 4.
Unemployment falls in Solano, Napa counties in FebruaryThree years to the day that Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn were attacked in their Mare Island home by an intruder in a wet suit - setting off what became known as the "Gone Girl" kidnapping case - the couple will appear tonight on 20/20.
ABC News' Amy Robach sits down for the first interview with Huskins and Quinn, who describe the anguish they felt when authorities dismissed Huskins' kidnapping as a hoax, an announcement from ABC says.
Vallejo's 'Gone Girl' kidnapping case couple on ABC tonightJason Kishineff of American Canyon is running for United States Congress.
A Los Angeles native living in the North Bay for more than 15 years, the 48-year-old stay-at-home dad and former pharmacy technician has filed official papers as the Green Party candidate in the 2018 race against Mike Thompson (D.
American Canyon man hopes to unseat Mike Thompson in Congressional bidHaving taken some lessons from the wildfires that devastated the North Bay and Southern California last year, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is making some changes that some of its local customers may notice, company officials announced Thursday.
With PG&E's comprehensive Community Wildfire Safety Program, people mostly in the North Bay and the North Coast may notice more diligent vegetation management, PG&E spokeswoman Deanna Contreras said.
PG&E announces pro-active fire prevention actions in the North BayTension was in the air in the City Council chambers during Tuesday's meeting, and it occasionally sparked among those in the gallery during discussions on the city's elusive cannabis ordinance and water rate reform.
Though both matters - extending the cannabis moratorium until mid-November, and significantly raising the water rates over the next four years - eventually passed.
American Canyon extends cannabis moratorium despite some contentious objectionsThe state Senate passed a bipartisan resolution by Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa) declaring March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month in California, Dodd's office staff announced. The purpose of the declaration is to raise public awareness of problem gambling and connect individuals in need with treatment, they said.
Dodd bill about problem gambling passes California SenateAMERICAN CANYON >> The city is looking for volunteers who can beautify the area and give Mother Nature a boost for Meadow Bay Trail Volunteer Day.
Hosted by the American Canyon Community & Parks Foundation and the City of American Canyon, the effort, spearheaded by Eagle Scout candidate Raul Cortez, will upgrade the landscaping along the Meadow Bay Trail, organizers said.
Volunteers needed to spruce up water's edge in American CanyonRosie the giraffe, a resident of Vallejo's Six Flags Discovery Kingdom since 2009, died Monday, park spokeswoman Nancy Chan said.
"Six Flags Discovery Kingdom mourns the loss of its beloved female reticulated giraffe, Rosie, who passed away (Monday) night in her indoor enclosure," Chan said in a statement.
Discovery Kingdom staff mourn death of giraffe that died this weekAn American Canyon man will likely die in prison, having been handed the maximum sentence of 740 years to life for child molesting, Napa County officials announced.
Miguel Segura Roman, 43, was convicted in February in Napa County Superior court of 38 counts related to molesting two female family members, between ages 5 and 13 between 2009 and 2013.
American Canyon man draws 740-year sentence for child molestationRents in Vallejo fell slightly last month - among the few areas to see decreases - but, anyone hoping this means the city's upward rental trajectory is through, will likely be disappointed, one local and one regional expert said.
"The Zumper SF Bay Area Metro Report analyzed active listings in February across 30 metro cities to show the most and least expensive cities and cities with the fastest growing rents," according to the latest report, released Wednesday.
Vallejo rents down slightly in FebruaryAs of Tuesday afternoon, some 37,600 people from across the United States have signed a petition asking the federal government to retake responsibility for the badly decaying Mare Island Cemetery.
It's part of a year-long effort to right what its champions feel is a serious wrong done to the military personnel and others buried there.
Petition for Mare Island Cemetery gains thousands of signaturesAMERICAN CANYON >> Ron Banasik and his Eagle Vines Realty family have come up with an out-of-the-basket way to raise funds for American Canyon's new Boys and Girls Club facility.
Called "Egg Your House," the fund-raiser involves volunteers going to the homes of people who pay $30 for 20 candy-filled eggs or $40 for 60, after dark, and hiding them around the front yard in time for Easter Sunday.
American Canyon businessman launches unique Easter fund-raiser for Boys & Girls ClubAfter six years, a missing cat was found, and its owner located. But this was not destined to be one of those heartwarming stories that go viral on the internet, said Kirstin Eddy of Vallejo's Human Society of the North Bay.
"A woman came in to the shelter with a kitty she said she'd found that was very sweet and loving but she already has several cats and couldn't take care of it," Eddy said.
Lil' Orphan Annie cat, six years missing, needs a home, as found owner rejects herKaiser Permanente Northern California and its unionized nurses have reached a tentative contract agreement, both sides announced Monday.
Debora Catsavas, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, said management is pleased.
"We are pleased to announce that Kaiser Permanente and the California Nurses Association (CNA) have reached a tentative agreement for a new five-year contract for nurses in our Northern California region," she said.
Kaiser Permanente, nurses union, reach tentative contract agreement for Northern Californiarzrihen@timesheraldonline.com @RachelVTH on TwitterFor the second time in nearly a decade, Visit Vallejo is holding a contest to determine the best Vallejo-related photo to represent the City far and wide.
Shoot, Share + Win! is a chance to showcase your photography prowess, and your Vallejo vision, organizers said.
Visit Vallejo holds its second photo contest in nine years, for fame and 'fortune'First there was the underground railroad, a vast network of people who helped fugitive American slaves escape to the North. Then there were Oskar Schindler, Marion Pritchard, Raoul Wallenberg, and a few others, who helped hide and/or rescue Jews being hunted by the Nazis in Europe.
Today, people living in the United States without permission are feeling increasingly hunted and others have stepped up to help them in various ways.
North Bay Rapid Response Network trains Legal Observers to keep ICE agents in lineUC Davis public health researchers are asking survivors of the North Bay Wildfires to fill out an online questionnaire to find out what went right and what went wrong with the official response.
The questionnaire - called the Northern California Fire and Health Impacts Survey - is about their experiences before, during and after the October 2017 fires, they said.
Northern Californians asked to share fire experiencesRep. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) will host a Discussion on Gun Violence Prevention on Saturday, March 17, at Benicia's Heritage Presbyterian Church, he announced.
The event is planned in from 10 to 11:30 a.m. to discuss Thompson's work to prevent gun violence, he said.
"In the wake of the school shooting in Parkland, Fla.
Thompson to host gun violence prevention talk in Benicia on SaturdayThe Vallejo Ferry, as part of the Bay Area-wide Water Emergency Transportation Authority system, is doing so well, officials are finding it challenging to keep up, they said. Big plans are underway and more are on the horizon, they said.
The Vallejo/San Francisco ferry run represents nearly half the area's annual ridership, Vallejo Economic Development Director Ron Gerber said.
Ferry ridership exploding, especially in VallejoVallejo is full of well-meaning people working to make a positive difference, but they may lack coordination, so some of them have organized the Magnanimous Mixer for 7 p.m. Friday, at the H Lounge, 472 Benicia Road.
The event was the brainchild of Diedre Carter of Mothers Against Hunger, Vallejo Together founder Maria Guevara said.
Do-gooder gathering set for Friday in VallejoThe Joint is owner Stephanie Brown's wild ride - a nervous-making step into the untried - that, so far, anyway, seems to be working out better than expected, she said.
The Joint is a "new lifestyle boutique," at 419 Georgia St., Suite 29, that carries a "cool mix of handmade, vintage and modern goods," according to the company's website.
The Joint, a 'Southwestern, Bohemian,' boutique opens in downtown VallejoFor those hooked on video games, there's now a way to get out of the house, be with others at the mall and still indulge your obsession, Solano Town Center officials announced.
"PLAYlive Nation, one of the hottest social opportunities for gamers of all ages and abilities, has opened its first location in Fairfield at Solano Town Center," they said.
Game arcade for the 21st Century arrives at Solano Town CenterIf you're a family of four in Solano County, you need about $7,500 per month, or nearly $90,000 annually, to live halfway decently, a new report shows. That same family in Napa County needs about $103,000 annually or nearly $9,000 per month to maintain that same modest lifestyle, it shows.
The Economic Policy Institute's Family Budget Calculator measures the income a family needs to attain a "modest yet adequate" standard of living, Institute officials said.
New study shows who pays what to live whereThe Vallejo Police Department will be on the lookout for impaired drivers on St. Patrick's Day weekend, agency officials announced.
Additional officers will be deployed on special DUI Saturation Patrols specifically to stop and arrest drivers showing signs of alcohol or drug impairment during the hours of 8 p.
Vallejo police watching for impaired drivers over St. Patrick's Day weekendNapa >> Parkinson's patients will have a new training program starting March 19, at Queen of the Valley's Wellness Center's Synergy Medical Fitness Center, hospital officials announced.
Rock Steady Boxing, a unique exercise program, based on training used by professional boxers and adapted to people with Parkinson's, will be available at Queen to men and women of all ages and levels of ability who have been diagnosed with the disease, they said.
Rock Steady Boxing for Parkinson's sufferers now offered in NapaTwo armed robberies plagued Vallejo over the weekend, with one pair of criminals hitting a residence and another set hitting a business, both in broad daylight, Vallejo police said.
"On Sunday at 2:20 p.m. in the 1100 block of Monterey Street, there was a residential robbery," Lt. Herman Robinson said.
Two armed robberies in Vallejo over the weekend, both in broad daylightA huge fire in the 100 block of Vallejo's Corporate Place early Sunday badly damaged a vinyl windows manufacturing facility's office, and brought mutual aid fire suppression units from around the area, Capt. Eric Strom said Monday.
The site houses Petrochem Insulation, Inc.
"At about 4:53 a.
Vallejo business badly damaged in huge blaze early SundayAMERICAN CANYON >> Two Vallejo men were taken into police custody early Saturday, after allegedly attacking a man in American Canyon and driving away from the scene impaired, American Canyon Police Chief Oscar Ortiz said.
"At about 3 a.m. Saturday, American Canyon Police were dispatched to a report of two male subjects jumping on and assaulting one male on the street in the 2100 block of Elliott Drive," he said.
Two Vallejo men arrested for attacking another in American CanyonShe was president of the Filipino Community of Solano County for so long, people were starting to compare her to Ferdinand Marcos, Norma Placido said, jokingly.
Having retired in 2017 after 10, two-year terms in which she ran unopposed each time, Placido is being honored by her community with An Evening Dinner and Dance from 6 to midnight on Friday, March 23, at the Filipino Community center, located at 611 Amador St.
March 23 event celebrating longest-serving Filipino Community of Solano County presidentThe upside of being the least expensive (or most depressed) city in the Bay Area may be losing less than most others from the new Trump tax changes, a newly released industry report shows.
"In Vallejo, we estimate that owners of median-priced homes will lose approximately $300 in housing-related deductions under the new tax code," said Chris Salviati, housing economist for ApartmentList.
Study: Vallejo home owners to lose less than others in Bay Area with Trump's tax changesIn a first-time collaborative effort, some science students from Vallejo's St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School, are teaming with UC Davis scientists in an effort to catalog the plant life in Solano County, but, there's a catch, school officials said.
They had six weeks to raise $6,000, now, less than that, they said.
St. Patrick-St. Vincent High students raising funds for UC Davis science collaborationNAPA COUNTY >> A long-term project to repair the pavement on State Route 29 between the City of Napa and just south of St. Helena has begun with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and its contractor, Caltrans officials announced.
The preparation work includes drainage and curb repair at various intersections on SR-29 in the City of Napa, including at Trower Avenue, at Wine Country Avenue and at Salvador Avenue, they said.
State Route 29 repairs in Napa area beginOfficials may consider a second fire station, north of the one on Donaldson Way, for the American Canyon Fire Protection District, as the number of calls for mutual aid exploded statewide in 2017.
The North Bay Firestorm was not the only thing that kept the American Canyon Fire Protection District busy with mutual aid in 2017, Chief Glen Weeks said during his annual report presentation at Tuesday's City Council meeting.
American Canyon fire fighters' response times improving, despite especially busy 2017American Canyon High School's drama class has never ventured into musical theater, until now. A special NBC grant, based on a new TV show premiering next week, will help make this better than could have been hoped for before, teacher Summer Heartt said.
"We've never done a musical show until this year; we're doing 'Bye-Bye Birdie.
American Canyon High School's drama class's first musical runs in April; tickets on sale nowThere was a lot of screaming and tears of joy at American Canyon High School on Monday, when students learned theirs is among just 50 schools from across the United States to win a $10,000 grant from NBC, theater instructor Summer Heartt said.
"At first I couldn't believe it. My heart just jumped," Vallejo resident and American Canyon High School senior Deangelo Cipriano, 17, said, adding that he's found a home in the theater arts.
American Canyon High School one of 50 to win nationwide NBC theater grantKaiser Permanente registered nurses have OK'd a strike if their negotiators deem it necessary, though no strike date has been set, California Nurses Association union officials said Monday.
Kaiser officials say this is a common tactic unions use during negotiations, and management remains certain agreement can be reached that both sides can live with.
Kaiser's unionized nurses vote to OK strike if management doesn't heed warningsA Vallejo woman and an American Canyon man were in custody Saturday, after leading American Canyon police on a high speed chase, Police Chief Oscar Ortiz said.
The incident began just after 8 p.m. with a report of a shoplifter fleeing Walmart security and climbing into a white Nissan Rogue.
Ortiz said officers arrived promptly and attempted to make a traffic stop on the Nissan, but the driver, later identified as 34-year-old Stephanie Lopez of Vallejo, failed to yield, and, instead, lead the ACPD units on a high speed pursuit.
American Canyon police arrest alleged shoplifter, getaway driver after high-speed chaseLongtime Vallejo resident Kathryn Marocchino said that when she and her husband lost their beloved cat Nikki some two decades ago, they learned something was missing. So, they started the Nikki Hospice Foundation for Pets and an annual candle lighting event for those mourning animal companions.
This year's 13th Annual Pet Remembrance Candle Lighting event is from 7 to 8:30 p.
Mourners to gather in Vallejo for Pet Remembrance Candle Lighting on MondayAMERICAN CANYON >> Close followers of city government here might notice some slight changes to the way they run City Council meetings, starting with the one set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, at City Hall.
For one thing, council comments will be heard at the end, instead of at the start of the meeting - a format tested the last two meetings and found preferable, according to the staff report.
Some minor changes to American Canyon City Council meetingsMarta Flores of American Canyon was winging her way to Guatemala on Friday to help give a measure of independence to those with mobility issues so serious, they now must rely on people to carry them.
The Queen of the Valley Registered Nurse - one of 49 Providence St. Joseph Health caregivers volunteering with Global Partnerships and Faith In Practice - said she was ecstatic to have been selected a few weeks ago, for the week-long mission of mercy to Central America.
American Canyon nurse heads to Central America to help handicappedU.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) will hold a Town Hall on Gun Violence Prevention from 2 to 3 p.m. on Saturday at Vallejo High School's Bottari Gym.
Thompson plans to discuss his work to prevent gun violence he said.
In the wake of the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., measures to prevent gun violence have again captured the nation's attention, and Thompson will discuss his work in Congress as chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force to address these issues.
Thompson gun violence prevention Town Hall at Botari Gym on SaturdayConcern rippled through the local immigrant community Wednesday when talk of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Vallejo and Solano County began spreading.
In Vallejo, a previously removed citizen of El Salvador, who has multiple criminal convictions for driving under the influence, was arrested according to a news release from ICE sent out on Thursday afternoon.
Fear of ICE raids grips Vallejo immigrant communityA convicted Napa Area murderer will not be freed after all, since Gov. Brown reversed a parole board decision granting him parole, Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley announced.
Brown this week, at Haley's urging, reversed the decision following the Sept. 28, 2017 decision of the Board of Parole Hearings to grant parole to Robert Shippman, now 80, she announced.
Gov. Brown reverses parole granted to convicted Napa area murdererRep. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) is holding a Town Hall on Gun Violence Prevention at the Vallejo High School Theater from 2 - 3 p.m. Saturday, March 3, his office staff announced.
The purpose of the gathering is to discuss Thompson's work to prevent gun violence, he said.
"In the wake of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, measures to prevent gun violence have again captured the nation's attention, and Rep.
Thompson to hold gun violence prevention Town Hall on Saturday at Vallejo HighIf you want to live in California and also save money, the 10th best place to do that is Solano County, according to a new study by smartasset.com.
Smartasset.com's Stephanie Ciosek said the site's most recent study ranked Solano County, with a median household income of $66,828, the 10th best place to save among California's 58 counties.
Study: Solano County 10th best place in California for saving moneyOn Tuesday Rep. Mike Thompson offered a resolution to force a vote on two gun control measures - the bipartisan Thompson-King Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act, and the Background Checks Completion Act of 2017. This follows his petition on Monday to force a vote on the matter meant to reduce gun violence.
Thompson petitions to force vote on background checks billVoting will be different in Napa County this year, since its a test area for 2016 Voter's Choice Act, Registrar of Voters John Tuteur said.
The Napa County Election Division in cooperation with its community partners is hosting six Voter's Choice Act workshops throughout the County, so voters here can learn about the changes, he said.
Napa County to test new statewide voting approach, offers helpful workshops in advanceThe week of Feb. 26 to March 4, 2018 was proclaimed Eating Disorders Awareness Week by the state Senate this week, based on a resolution by Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa), his office announced.
In the United States, 30 million individuals suffer from clinically significant eating disorders at some time in their life, Dodd's office spokespeople said.
It's Eating Disorders Awareness Week, thanks to Bill DoddA job fair is planned for noon to 2 p.m. Thursday at the Napa Valley College's Community Room 1731, organizers announced.
The quarterly Employers Hiring Event, presented by the NVC Career Center, is open to the public, and will include about a dozen employers like Fit Body Camp, Nike Factory, Westamerica Bank, NapaSan, The Learning Tree, and Windsor Cares, organizers said.
Napa Valley College to host hiring event ThursdayThere's no telling what can come from involvement with Vallejo's Cal Maritime's Women in Maritime Leadership Conference, which is open to the public, and is set this year for March Friday and Saturday, event organizers announced.
Three years ago, for instance, now alumnus Jamie Mattos, volunteered to be the conference intern and did such a remarkable job, she was offered an internship in the summer of 2015, which led to her landing her dream job upon graduation, they said.
Cal Maritime Women Leadership Conference features past OlympiansAn American Canyon man was taken into custody Sunday for being in possession of a truck stolen out of Sanger, in Fresno County, American Canyon Police Department officials said.
At about 5:30 p.m. an American Canyon Police officer noticed the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado reported stolen out of Fresno County, on Los Altos Drive, and 39-year-old Anthony Perales Sanchez, who lives on that street, around the vehicle.
American Canyon man arrested with truck stolen from Fresno areaEven before the most recent mass shooting - at Stoneman Douglas High in Florida - local law enforcement and school districts were aware of the terrifying trend in the United States and had begun training to maximize people's survival odds in the off chance it happens here.
While no one said they were happy that this type of training is necessary, they do say it's better than not having it.
With mass shootings nationwide, local public institutions opt for survival trainingHoli is a Hindu festival celebrating friendship and the colors of spring, during which you can smear the colors of the rainbow all over your friends and acquaintances.
That's why Helping Hand Indo American and the American Canyon Arts Foundation is presenting the 11th annual Holi A Festival of Colors from 3 to 5 p.
American Canyon hosts Holi festival on March 4A Vallejo man's deadly fall from a Napa winery roof may wind up costing Sutter Home Winery, Inc. and a cooling company called Process Cooling International, more than $100,000 in workplace safety fines, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Napa Valley Register reported.
Daniel Mario Colombo, 56, was working at Sutter's St.
Napa area winery appealing fines recommended after Vallejo man's deadly fall last yearCantonese and Mandarin language options have been added to the Bay Area's 511 phone system, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, officials announced on Thursday.
This latest expansion of the toll-free 511 traveler information service allows Cantonese- and Mandarin-speaking drivers, carpoolers, and transit riders to access key services to help them on their commutes and other journeys throughout the nine-county Bay Area, they said.
Bay Area's 511 phone service now available in Cantonese, MandarinAMERICAN CANYON >> With the sought-after marijuana ordinance having taken most of the Tuesday's city council meeting, council members - excluding Mariam Aboudamous who didn't return from the break - also addressed some other issues.
They received an update on how a committee and staff members devised new water rates, which raises the fixed amount to 20 percent, decreases the variable amount to 80 percent, and raises rates 9.
Water rates likely to nearly double in American Canyon over five yearsAmerican Canyon >> The division over legalized pot in this city was reflected on the dais during Tuesday's city council meeting, which ended with council members agreeing - finally - to ask staff to work toward crafting a partial ordinance before November.
Otherwise, there was little agreement among council or audience members, several of whom spoke fairly passionately from each end of the opinion spectrum - to agree to the elements of an ordinance, or to buy time to gather more information by extending the existing moratorium until November.
Pot still perplexing problem in American CanyonHundreds of Kaiser Permanente health care workers plan to protest Friday in front of the health care giant's Vallejo campus over what they call "the corporation's plans that would undermine patients and the people who care for them."
The Kaiser Vallejo protest is one of 32 being held at Kaiser facilities across California between Feb.
Health care workers to picket Kaiser Vallejo on FridayWhen it comes to housing, the idea of "affordable" is relative - as illustrated by the most recent Zumper SF Bay Area Metro Report, which shows it's getting increasingly more expensive to rent a place in Vallejo.
"Notably for Vallejo, this month's is the highest recorded rent since we started creating these metro reports about a year ago," Zumper analyst Crystal Chen said.
Vallejo rents still area's most affordable, but catching upThe American Canyon High girls basketball team lost 68-21 to top-seeded Christian Brothers in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs on Tuesday night.
With the loss, the No. 16-seeded Wolves finish the season with a record of 6-20.
Robyn-Elizabeth Yan had seven points and Adriauna Samodio chipped in six for the Wolves, who fell behind 12-0 to start the game.
American Canyon High girls basketball team loses to Christian Brothers in playoffsAMERICAN CANYON >> A construction crew accidently hit a gas line on Tuesday afternoon, prompting an evacuation of the Los Altos area, according to PG&E.
The crew reportedly struck a three-quarter steel line with a backhoe around 2 p.m. PG&E safely stopped the flow of gas around 2:30 p.m., a spokesperson for the utility said.
PG&E crews restore gas line struck in American CanyonLocal black history, served with light refreshments, jazz, and gospel, are on the menu for American Canyon's Black History Month Celebration, set for Feb. 24 at the American Canyon Senior Center, organizers said.
The free event is scheduled from 6 to 10 p.m. at the center, 2185 Elliot Dr., organizer and City Councilmember Mark Joseph said.
Black History Month celebration in American Canyon includes music, foodThe highest concentration of Jews in the Bay Area can be found in the East Bay, including Solano County, according to a first-of-its-kind study released last week.
The Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma counties-commissioned report, shows that about 122,000, or 35 percent, of Bay Area Jewish households live in the East Bay - including Solano, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties.
Bay Area Jewish population growing in Solano County, shrinking in San Francisco, new study findsJohn McMahon, Jody Renee and Alzinia Pailin of Solano County Red Cross, hunted up 40 blankets for Vallejo's homeless population to be distributed Monday in anticipation of freezing temperatures over night, a local homeless advocate said.
Maria Guevara of Vallejo Together said she and others will be handing the blankets out to those in need who are sleeping on the streets, in bushes and open spaces around town.
Vallejo Together hands out Red Cross blankets to homeless ahead of freezing temps over nightAMERICAN CANYON >> Topics for Tuesday's city council meeting include water rates likely climbing, , the Farmers Market trial failing and city officials still aren't ready with a pot-related ordinance. Plus, recirculating a revised Draft Environmental Impact Report for the long-stalled Watson Ranch project will be discussed.
Climbing water rates, farmers market gone among American Canyon City Council tasksThe Sac-Joaquin Section released its brackets for boys and girls soccer on Friday with five local teams making the cut.
The Vallejo High School boys soccer team earned a No. 9 seed and will travel to No. 8 River City of West Sacramento on Tuesday in the Division II bracket. The Redhawks won the Solano County Athletic Conference.
Five local schools receive seeds for Sac-Joaquin Section soccer playoffsThe progress made in American Canyon in the past 20 years, will likely pale in comparison to what's in store in the next 20.
That was essentially the main takeaway from the 2018 State of the City event held Thursday at the city's DoubleTree Hotel, hosted by the American Canyon Chamber of Commerce.
American Canyon State of the City shows it continues growing, improvingAn African American and a Jew walk into a bar. ...
The Black-Jew Dialogues, A Multi-Cultural Comedy, presented at Touro University at noon on Thursday, Feb. 22, takes whatever you think comes after that line, and turns it into a lesson in ethnic relations in the United States, organizers said.
Free Dialogues on Diversity comedy play at Touro on Feb. 22AMERICAN CANYON >> So far, City Councilman David Oro is the only person to officially launch a campaign for the Nov. 6, 2018 General Election, City Clerk Suellen Johnston said.
The actual period for filing nomination papers starts in mid-July, so it's early, yet, she said.
There are two seats up for grabs in November - Oro's and Councilman Mark Joseph's.
Oro announces bid for re-election in American CanyonThe effort to get the dilapidated Mare Island Cemetery re-claimed by the federal government has a new, local champion in Nestor Aliga, who has launched an online petition on the matter.
The petition, which was posted Sunday night, already had at least 100 signatures by Monday morning, Aliga said.
Petition to get federal government to own the Mare Island Cemetery now circulatingVallejo and American Canyon first responders are among more than 30 named by U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) as recipients for the Fifth Congressional District Public Safety Hero Award.
"This award is given to exceptional law enforcement officers and first responders in our community who perform above and beyond the call of duty," his staff said in the announcement.
Thompson names 5th Congressional District Public Safety Heroes of the yearThe man found dead in his motor home after a solo-vehicle crash on Saturday, was identified as Darryl Huckaby of American Canyon, 47, Vallejo Police Department Lt. Herman Robinson said Tuesday.
The nature of Huckaby's injuries were such that Vallejo Police who arrived on the scene, near the Sutter Solano Medical Center at Tuolumne Street and Hospital Drive, around 10:30 p.
Mortally wounded American Canyon man who crashed his motor home in Vallejo identifiedThe Third Annual Vallejo Lemon Festival, set for 5:30 p.m. Saturday, will benefit the Capital Street Stairs Project, organizers said.
"If Gilroy can have a garlic festival, Vallejo can have a lemon festival," organizer Sarah Nichols said. "This town is filled with lemon trees. We will be harvesting lemons all around town and giving them away at Moschetti's (coffee roaster) and at the Farmer's Market and elsewhere.
Vallejo's 2018 Lemon Festival to benefit the Capital Street Stairs ProjectJohn Tuteur filed for re-election as Napa County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk for a sixth term, using 569 signatures he personally collected over the past six weekends, he said in a news release.
"I appreciate the trust Napa County voters have placed in me for the past 40 years," he said.
Tuteur seeks re-election to sixth term as Napa County Assessor-Recorder-County ClerkA 43-year-old man was convicted by a Napa County jury last week of 38 child molestation-related counts, Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley announced.
On Feb. 8, Miguel Segura Roman, was found guilty of dozens of serious crimes against children, in a trial that lasted more than a week and a half, according to the announcement.
Napa County man faces life in prison after nearly 40 child molestation count convictionAMERICAN CANYON >> The good news is that injury car crashes are down in the city. The bad news is that auto thefts here are on the rise. And the big question is whether more lenient drug possession laws are contributing to a rise in mental health issues and property crimes.
So says the city's new police chief, Oscar Ortiz, who compiled and recently presented his department's 2017 annual report to the American Canyon City Council.
Front and Center: The state of crime in the city of American CanyonAMERICAN CANYON >> City residents got an earful at Tuesday's City Council meeting, about what their Police Department's been doing and what they will be doing going forward to help ensure the city's safe.
They also got a new pay philosophy for the Parks & Recreation Department, an update on the city's Housing Element, and will be getting their share of Measure T funds, as council members approved the resolutions needed to make that happen Tuesday.
American Canyon housing, crime, streets, department pay rates all discussed at council meetingBesides their abiding love of rocks and such things, the 230 or so members of the Vallejo Gem & Mineral Society would seem to have little in common. But, that geological appreciation appears to be enough to have kept the group together and solvent for 63 years and counting.
The society holds it 57th Gem Mineral & Jewelry Show - its largest fund-raising event - from 10 a.
Vallejo Gem, Mineral and Jewelry Show, 57th edition, planned for Fairgrounds this monthIn an effort to prevent drunk driving, State Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) introduced a bill to increase the reach of the California Highway Patrol's education and outreach providing, Designated Driver Program, Dodd's office staff announced.
"Drunk driving and related accidents, injuries and deaths are sadly too common," Dodd said.
Dodd bill aims to reduce drunk drivingDue to the rash of vehicle vs. pedestrian crashes since the beginning of the year, the Vallejo Police Department is launching a stepped-up pedestrian safety enforcement operations on Friday, Lt. Michael Nichelini said in a news release.
The new effort will focus enforcement on collision-causing factors involving motorists and pedestrians, with routine traffic patrols directing efforts to trouble spots and special targeted patrols deployed to crack down on drivers and pedestrians who violate traffic laws meant to protect everybody on the roads, he said.
Vallejo police launch effort to curb vehicle vs. pedestrian crashesAMERICAN CANYON >> What kind of service American Canyon citizens got from the city's police department last year is set to be spelled out at Tuesday's City Council meeting, during the department's 2017 annual report.
ACPD officers booked 532 people into jail last year, according to the staff report, with 31 percent (166) of them American Canyon residents.
Details of the American Canyon Police Department's year on tap for Tuesday's meetingVallejo traffic investigators have developed some new evidence in their search for the hit and run driver who hit and killed a Vallejo mother of two, police officials said.
Investigators have "pieced together debris left at the scene and have determined the parts belong to a 4-door 2006-2008 Honda Civic," they said.
New evidence in fatal hit and run that killed Vallejo mother of twoA Vallejo man and a Oakley woman were arrested in American Canyon after police found them apparently stealing from a bank of mailboxes early Monday, American Canyon Police Chief Oscar Ortiz said.
At about 1:36 a.m. Monday, a Napa Sheriff's Department patrol sergeant noticed a 4-door Toyota with two people inside parked at a bank of mailboxes along Broadway Street near Veterans Park, he said.
Vallejo man and woman friend arrested stealing mail from community boxes in American CanyonJoining the Arbor Day Foundation can help get you in the mood for spring planting, since anyone who joins in February will get 10 free Norway spruce trees or 10 free redbud trees to plant when the weather warms, foundation officials said.
The free trees are part of the nonprofit foundation's Trees for America campaign, they said.
Join the Arbor Day Foundation in February and get 10 free treesThe state, federal and local community partners conducting the Consolidated Debris Removal Program have reached a major milestone with the removal of more than 1 million tons of fire-related debris from properties affected by the October 2017 Northern California Wildfires in Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties, officials said.
North Bay Fires debris removal milestone reachedChild advocate Midsi Sanchez is scheduled to be part of 2018 Courage Conference, a two-day children's advocacy awareness event, organizers said.
The Solano Family Justice Center, a division of the Solano County District Attorney's Office, invites those interested to register to attend the event at Fairfield's NorthBay Healthcare Administration & Conference Center, 4500 Business Center Drive, from 9 a.
Vallejo kidnap survivor Midsi Sanchez is featured speaker at upcoming Courage ConferenceAMERICAN CANYON >> The Friends of American Canyon Library's three-day Book Sale - postponed in October because of the Wine Country wildfires - is set for Feb. 15-17 at the city's library.
Organizers say the delay may mean more books will be available than usual for the event, at 300 Crawford Way.
American Canyon Library book sale set for next weekThe American Canyon Parks and Recreation Department will honor outstanding community volunteers at the 19th#xa0;Annual Community Recognition Ball from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 7 at the Community Center Gym, 100 Benton Way, officials announced.
It's how, for nearly 20 years, community members and city officials have chosen "to recognize the incredible volunteers that make American Canyon the caring and vibrant community it is," they said.
American Canyon to honor community volunteers at 19th annual eventCoinciding with National FFA Week - Feb. 17-24 - Tractor Supply customers can donate $1 or more at checkout between Feb. 16-25, in-store or online at#xa0;www.tractorsupply.com.
"Donations will fund the national Grants for Growing program, supporting local FFA chapters that are making a difference in their communities through unique and sustainable agricultural projects," officials said.
Future Farmers funds being raised this month through Tractor Supply storesCal Maritime Alumnus Kim Estes, winner of the 2017 Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series, will speak on campus on Feb. 27 as part of the Academy's Black History Month activities, school officials announced.
Estes won the award for his role as Sgt. Amanda Smith in the series "Dicks.
Vallejo's CMA Black History Month includes Emmy Award-winning alumAMERICAN CANYON >> The aging sewer line under part of Los Altos Drive in this city will be replaced by May, by Argonaut Constructors, City officials announced.
The sewer line under the area between 124 and 155 Los Altos, and the southern end - 11 to 55 - of Theresa Avenue, is being replaced, they said.
Needed sewer line work may impede traffic through April in American CanyonThere are several avenues for Pacific Gas & Electric Company can and is helping those impacted by October's Northern California Wildfires, company officials said.
"From contributions to community organizations helping to drive recovery efforts, to direct assistance to those who lost their homes or businesses in the October 2017 Northern California Wildfires, (PG&E) reminds its customers and neighbors of the numerous programs available to them including bill relief, payment assistance and customer protections, as well as in-person and online services to assist with new or temporary construction of electric service," they said in a statement.
PG&E offers various types of help for those impacted by North Bay wildfiresThe devastating North Bay wildfires left "numerous" residents "unable to open their garage doors to flee the flames," so Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) introduced a bill requiring newly sold or installed garage door motors to have a battery backup, his office announced.
"This devastating fire season exposed a number of vulnerabilities and underscored the need to take swift action to prevent people from becoming future disaster victims," Dodd said in a statement.
Dodd floats bill to require battery back-up for garage doors based on wildfire experienceThe American Canyon Family Resource Center is providing free Earn It! Keep It! Save It! tax clinics for families earning $54,000 or less annually, for the 11th year, agency officials announced.
"Our trained tax preparers will be available during the months of February, March and April at the American Canyon office and at Napa Valley College," Executive Director Sherry Tennyson said.
Free tax prep help for moderate, low-income earners in American CanyonAAA is offering free "Tipsy Tow" service to keep drunk drivers off the roads on Super Bowl Sunday.
If you're planning to attend a Super Bowl party, then you should also plan ahead for a safe ride home that night, AAA of Northern California officials said.
"But if your designated driver calls an audible, AAA will offer its free Tipsy Tow service to ensure that drunk drivers stay on the sidelines," spokesman Michael Blasky said.
AAA offers free Tipsy Tow service to keep drunk drivers off the roads on Super Bowl SundayVallejo's status as the most affordable Bay Area city in which to rent could change, according to the people at Zumper, an industry analysis firm.
"While Vallejo had the fastest growing one-bedroom rent last month, along with Mountain View and Petaluma, Santa Rosa rent, the second most affordable, is still around 9 percent more expensive than Vallejo's," Zumper spokeswoman Crystal Chen said.
Report: Vallejo rents continue rising, though still area's most affordableAll Northern California Kaiser Permanente hospitals - including the Vallejo and Vacaville medical centers - received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's#xa0;Get With The Guidelines-Stroke#xa0;Quality Achievement Awards, health plan officials said.
Also, 20 hospitals earned a place on the Target:#xa0;StrokeSM#xa0;Honor Roll-Elite Plus, the organization's award for excellence in rapid stroke care.
Kaiser Vallejo among those recognized for stroke careAMERICAN CANYON >> A new strip mall near the Napa Airport is set for discussion during a Joint City Council/Planning Commission Workshop, along with some Fire District business, at Tuesday's city council meeting. The meeting's public portion is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.
The proposed Norcal Commercial Center Project is located at the southwest corner of Highway 29 and S.
New development and Fire District business on tap for American Canyon City Council on TuesdayAt least some of the estimated 50 or 60 locals who attended Thursday's Tax Town Hall at the Florence Douglas Senior Center came away with more clarity - and plenty of concern - about the nation's recently adopted new tax law.
The purpose of the meeting was to give attendees information about the new laws, relevant to seniors specifically, an organizer said.
Dozens of seniors leave better informed, still worried, from new federal tax laws talk in VallejoAMERICAN CANYON >> If city officials were hoping for a consensus among residents to make it easier to craft an ordinance regulating cannabis cultivation and sales in town, they were disappointed after this week's workshop on the issue.
Community Development Director Brent Cooper said positions on pot came from both ends of the opinion spectrum, from the event's 40 or so attendees.
American Canyon holds well-attended recreational pot workshopIn less than a month, five California Highway Patrol officers have been struck by vehicles while helping motorists on local freeways - five too many, say agency officials. In response, the CHP is launching an anti-DUI campaign.
Of the last five collisions involving CHP vehicles in the San Francisco Bay Area, three were DUI related, officials said.
CHP launches zero-tolerance campaign after five officers hit on Bay Area freeways in past monthMore than 30,000 hazardous trees in fire-impacted North Bay communities - some 13,000 of them in Napa County - have been cut down by Pacific Gas and Electric Company crews, to reduce wildfire and public safety risk, company officials announced Thursday.
PG&E will haul away larger wood its crews cut down near its power lines in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties at no cost to property owners, but, if the wood qualifies, customers must request the wood removal service.
Opt-in program to have PG&E remove dangerous trees in fire area ends next monthThere are too few women in the building trades, as far as Tradeswomen, Inc. and the carpenters union's officials are concerned. However, they want women to know there are a slew of trades-related career choices through which good money can be made.
So, for the first time in Fairfield, the organizations have partnered with the Bay Area Apprenticeship Coordinators Association to hold a "Women Can Build" Carpenters Apprenticeship Day from 10 a.
Solano area trade union woos women with trade fair in FairfieldLocal hospital officials say they were braced for this year's flu season.
Sutter Solano officials say the number of flu cases coming in seem to be about the same as past years, though the number of people admitted to the hospital with the flu is higher this year.
"Sutter Solano Medical Center is seeing about nine to 12 cases of the flu per day," Emergency Department manager Gary Cole said.
Sutter Solano, Kaiser Permanente report no staffing issues related to flu seasonImprovement to Highway 37 through Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties as well as increased numbers of ferries were among the congestion-abatement elements approved Wednesday by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's Bay Area Toll Authority affiliate. But, it's going to cost Bay Area drivers.
Agency members approved a resolution to place on the June 5 ballot in all nine Bay Area counties, a sweeping $4.
Bay Area traffic congestion to get $4.45 billion in relief, paid for through higher tollsEnthusiastic, sustained applause followed the balding, white-haired, 86-year-old Holocaust survivor as he made his way up the center of the St. Patrick/St. Vincent High School gym on Wednesday to take the microphone.
It was the retired lawyer's third or fourth time speaking to St. Pat's students, some 500 or so of whom filled the gym for the special assembly featuring Hungary native Bernie Rosner.
Students hear Holocaust survivor's story first hand at St. Patrick-St. Vincent HighRep. Mike Thompson (D- St. Helena), on Tuesday, joined Reps Bill Johnson of Ohio, Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico, and Arizona's David Schweikert in introducing a bill designed to improve access to prescription medications for Medicare beneficiaries, Thompson's office staff announced.
H.R. 4841, the Standardizing Electronic Prior Authorization for Safe Prescribing Act, will make the processes more efficient, they said.
Thompson co-sponsors legislation to improve prescription access for Medicare beneficiariesAll that potential Vallejo's been hanging on to for decades is about to be realized, with some half billion dollars of development in the pipeline right now, the city's Economic Development Manager, Ron Gerber said.
Mayor Bob Sampayan said that was his main takeaway from a recent presentation Gerber made to a group of international economic development students.
Vallejo's potential coming to fruition?Rep. Mike Thompson, State Sen. Bill Dodd, and State Assemblymember Tim Grayson will host the grand opening of their new, shared office in downtown Vallejo from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, their staff members announced.
It's the first time in decades that local representatives have shared a space, they said.
New all-in-one elected officials offices Open House set for ThursdayRep. Mike Thompson's staff has been fielding calls from local seniors concerned about how the newly passed "Republican tax reform law" is going to impact them, so, he is hosting a Town Hall for Seniors planned for 3 p.m. Thursday.
"There's a ton of confusion out there among seniors and every other kind of taxpayer," Thompson spokesman TJ Adams-Falconer said Tuesday.
Thompson to hold Vallejo Town Hall on new GOP tax law's impact on seniorsPart of Curtola Parkway in Vallejo is closed until further notice, following the collapse of a portion of a pedestrian overcrossing, Vallejo City and California Department of Transportation officials announced.
Working closely together, Caltrans closed Curtola Parkway between Solano Avenue and Lemon Street as of 1 p.
Partial collapse of pedestrian overcrossing prompts Vallejo street closureA police chase through parts of Vallejo on Sunday ended with a Vallejo man taken into custody, Vallejo Police Department Lt. Herman Robinson said.
A man later identified as Eric Hill, 46, of Vallejo, was seen trying to park a stolen vehicle in a parking lot in the 2500 block of Sonoma Boulevard just before 12:30 p.
Vallejo man leads police on a car/foot chase through parts of townA Vallejo man was arrested at Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center for trying to shoplift from the gift store there, on Monday, Vallejo Police Department Lt. Herman Robinson said.
"Monday morning, a gentleman entered the Kaiser gift shop and was observed placing several items into a bag he was carrying," he said.
Vallejo man arrested for trying to steal from the Kaiser gift shopThe prize for the best decorated table at the 143rd Annual Vallejo Chamber of Commerce Installation Dinner on Friday, went to the steampunk-themed City of Vallejo, which even had city officials, including Mayor Bob Sampayan, decked out in steampunk.
This year's event sold out at 320, the Times-Herald's Shawna Gilroy said.
Vallejo's 'steampunk' mayor swears in Chamber's new board, officersTouro University California is welcoming Vallejo native Sarah Sweitzer as Provost and Chief Academic Officer to join the school Jan. 29, school officials announced.
"Dr. Sweitzer's intelligence, enthusiasm, and talent are exemplary," Touro College and University System President Alan Kadish said.
Vallejo woman welcomed as Touro's new provostDue to scheduled road closures for the Women's March Napa Valley in downtown Napa on Saturday, Vine Transit buses that normally operate on Third Street will run on First Street starting at 9 a.m., with temporary stops at Seminary and Main Streets, agency officials announced.
The Seminary stop is the nearest to Napa City Hall, where the march is scheduled to start at 10 a.
Napa women's march Saturday prompts bus route changesUnemployment rose slightly in both Solano and Napa counties in December, though it remains lower than expected in both, according to the latest figures from the California Employment Development Department, released Friday.
Solano County's jobless rate was 4.1 percent in December, up from 3.
Unemployment up slightly, but still relatively low in Solano, NapaVallejo may have a dozen new international ambassadors who city officials hope will go home to their far-flung native countries with a positive impression and a desire to do good works.
On Thursday, 12 Soka University of America students from 10 countries accompanied educator Mary Patrick Kavanaugh on a Bay Area tour to study social enterprise and economic development.
Class of international college students get schooled in VallejoRents in the Vallejo area continue rising, threatening to eliminate what may be the only relatively affordable housing market in the Bay Area, according to an industry publication's year-end report.
Having analyzed rents in more than 50 Bay Area cities, RENTCaf#xe9; found that while "rent growth slowed down in pricey markets like San Jose or San Francisco, the Bay Area's most expensive cities saw rents decrease," officials said in an email.
Continued rent increases in Vallejo, Solano County, Napa area shrinks 'affordable' optionsNAPA >> There are several ways Napa County people displaced by the North Bay fires can exercise their right to vote, Registrar of Voters John Tuteur said in a news release Wednesday, spelling them out.
"Voters who lost their homes in the October 2017 Napa Fire Complex have several ways to make sure that they receive their June 5, 2018 Primary Election vote by mail ballots," he said.
Vote by mail options for Napa area voters who lost homes in October firesThe southbound State Route 29 on-ramp from Lincoln Avenue in downtown Napa will be closed weeknights likely through March, so the California Department of Transportation can widen shoulders on the ramp and install a concrete barrier, agency officials said.
For worker and public safety, the southbound Highway-29 on-ramp from Lincoln Avenue will be closed 11 p.
Road work means closed Highway 29 exit in Napa through MarchAMERICAN CANYON >> The long-awaited Watson Ranch Project took a baby step forward with the unanimous approval Tuesday of a "Term Sheet and Project Schedule Agreement," at the City Council meeting.
The agreement between the City of American Canyon, American Canyon I, LLC and the Newell Family allows for the continued analysis and processing of the project, once called the Town Center.
American Canyon's Watson Ranch Project inches forwardAMERICAN CANYON >> The new Ikea warehouse opening soon in American Canyon needs several dozen warehouse workers and is holding a job fair next month to find them, Mandy Le of the American Canyon Chamber of Commerce said.
The job fair is scheduled from noon to 5 p.m. Feb. 20 at the American Canyon Welcome Center, 3860 Broadway, Suite 103.
New American Canyon Ikea logistics center seeks to hire dozens of warehouse workersNAPA >> The deadline for Napa County residents who want to apply for Covered California health plans, including Blue Shield of California, Kaiser Permanente, Western Health Advantage, and HealthNet, is Jan. 31, county officials said.
To assist with enrollment, the Napa County Health & Human Services Agency will offer extended business hours during January on until 6 p.
Napa County urges residents to get health coverageVallejo Police responded to reports of shots fired Monday night but wound up with only a few shell casings and a security video of a car fleeing the scene, Lt. Herman Robinson said.
Calls came into Vallejo Police Department dispatch at about 10:15 p.m. of shots fired in the area of Webb Street and Grandville Avenue, and when officers arrived, they found a number of shell casings in the street, but no victim or damage, he said.
Shots fired in Vallejo neighborhood may be connected to video of fleeing carCalifornia State University Maritime Academy's Captain Harry Bolton, Director of Marine Programs and Commanding Officer of the USTS#xa0;Golden Bear, announced he's retiring after the upcoming summer training cruise.
Captain Bolton, a 1978 Academy graduate, returned to Cal Maritime on May 1, 2008 after a 30-year career with American Maritime Officers.
CMA's Bolton to retireIn the wake of devastating California wildfires, State Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) introduced new insurance reform legislation aimed at helping victims of such fires and other major disasters, his office staff announced.
The October Tubbs, Atlas and Nuns fires were in Dodd's district.
The bill, co-authored with Sen.
Dodd floats disaster insurance reform billA hiker stumbled onto a man hanging from a tree in a Vallejo park at about 2:30 p.m. on Monday, the victim of an apparent suicide, a Vallejo Police Department spokesman said.
"A hiker came upon a guy hanging from a tree in the back part of Blue Rock Springs Park," Lt. Steve Cheatham said. "He hiked back down, called the PD, and lead us to the site.
Hiker finds apparent suicide victim in Vallejo parkHere's what will be open and closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Closed or not operating:
. The cities of Vallejo, Benicia and American Canyon
. Solano and Napa county offices
. Solano and Napa public libraries and the Benicia Public Library.
.
Open/Closed for MLK Day on MondayHere's what will be open and closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Closed or not operating:
. The cities of Vallejo, Benicia and American Canyon
. Solano and Napa county offices
. Solano and Napa public libraries and the Benicia Public Library.
.
Open/Closed for MLK Day on MondayNAPA >> Dr. Patrick J. Sweeney, superintendent of Napa Valley Unified School District since July 2010, will retire on June 30, at the end of this school year, he announced Friday.
"It has been an honor and privilege to serve the students, families, faculty, staff, administrators, classified managers and Board," Sweeney, 61, said in an announcement to staff.
Napa school district superintendent announces retirementVallejo and American Canyon are closer to earthquake fault lines than anyone knew until the 2014 South Napa Earthquake shook loose information scientists didn't have before. The California Geological Society has released a new and revised Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zone map covering the area, agency officials announced Thursday.
Vallejo, American Canyon, added to earthquake fault mapsMonday's Martin Luther King Day event begins at 9 a.m. with a march that will travel from the corner of Tuolumne and Tennessee Streets to Hogan Middle School at 850 Rosewood Avenue, where the planned program is scheduled to start at 10 a.m.
Clarification: Monday's MLK event in Vallejo starts with march at 9 a.m.Vallejo's 22nd annual Martin Luther King event helps mark the 100th anniversary of the local NAACP branch's incorporation, event organizer Jimmie Jackson said.
"This is a good year; the branch was incorporated in June, 1918," he said.
To help celebrate, event organizers have planned a program, in advance of the annual march, that includes a keynote address by Pastor Marvin D.
Monday's MLK Day event in Vallejo to stress moving forwardNAPA COUNTY>> A Fairfield man was killed in a crash caused by a rock slide on State Route 121 Tuesday evening, California Department of Transportation and Napa area California Highway Patrol officials said.
The highway remained closed between Wooden Valley Road and Vichy Avenue in rural Napa County until just before 1 p.
Fairfield man identified as victim of Napa area rock slide crashDepending on the weather, mandatory bridge inspections will be performed on Interstate-80 in Fairfield on Thursday, the California Department of Transportation, officials announced.
The inspection of multiple overcrossings above I-80 are part of Caltrans' regular preventive maintenance schedule.
Solano County freeway lane closures on ThursdayThere have been two or three drownings in Vallejo residential swimming pools in the past five years, police and fire officials said, but lawmakers hope new rules that kicked in Jan. 1, will help prevent such tragedies statewide in the future.
A man drowned in Vallejo last year, Vallejo Police officials said.
New swimming pool laws meant to help prevent child drowningsA bill designed to provide preschool to all 4-year-olds statewide was introduced by Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa), his office announced.
"Adopting universal preschool is an investment in our future that will pay dividends for years to come," Dodd said in a statement. "As a father and a grandfather, I know that there is no more precious resource than our young people.
Bill Dodd floats universal pre-school billNAPA >> Napa Valley residents and visitors can ride Vine Transit for free Jan. 15 to 17 as part of the "Resolution to Ride" campaign, which encourages people to give public transit a try in 2018, agency officials announced.
"Whether the goal is to stress less during your commute, help the environment or save money, taking public transit is a great way to check off a number of boxes on New Year's resolution lists," they said.
Vine Transit offers free rides Jan. 15 to 17The fate of the "orphaned" Mare Island Cemetery may have come a step closer to a solution Monday, following a conference call between Vallejo Mayor Bob Sampayan and the retired Navy captain whose efforts to save the sacred site, appear to be about to bear fruit.
"The call involved a discussion of seeking the transfer of the Mare Island Naval Cemetery and adjacent land for additional grave sites to the (Veterans Administration) for integration into the National Cemetery System," Capt.
Possible solution to Mare Island Cemetery situation in sightNew information indicates that the first fatal car crash of 2018 may have been caused by a motorist who drove off afterwards, and Vallejo Police Department officials are trying to track that person down, they announced Tuesday.
Traffic investigators have learned that the cause of the Jan. 4 crash that killed 23-year-old Mario Soto-Landa of Vallejo, was "the result of an additional vehicle that did not remain at the scene," police said.
Officials: Mystery driver likely at fault for Vallejo's first fatal crash of 2018Rep. Mike Thompson on Monday, released a statement about the services he provided to constituents and the legislation he sponsored in 2017.
"As a Member of Congress, serving you is at the very heart of the work I do every day," the statement reads. "That's not only by voting and working on your priorities, but by being your champion in the federal government.
Thompson recounts his 2017 accomplishmentsThe founder and former owner of one of downtown Vallejo's oldest business fixtures has passed away, friends and family of Christ Pappakostas said Monday.
"With great sadness, I have to announce the passing of our long-time parishioner Christ Pappakostas," lifelong friend Deme Stall-Nash said on Facebook.
Pappakostas, longtime downtown Vallejo smoke shop owner diesAn emergency regulation was adopted Monday by the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection (Board) to help facilitate recovery from "the unprecedented damage" caused by the October 2017 wildfires in the forested portions of Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino counties, officials announced.
The North Bay Wildfires were the deadliest and some of the costliest in California history, they said.
Emergency rules adopted to support North Bay Wildfires recoveryNearly 11,000 Vallejo residents are among those selected for a pilot program from Pacific Gas & Electric Co. aimed at lowering energy use, by charging more for it during peak hours, utility officials announced.
PG&E customers should be receiving letters in the mail about a new CPUC "Time of Use" pilot program, in which some 150,000 customers territory-wide will test out this new program, officials said.
Vallejo to lead region in testing new PG&E rate planWeather permitting, the new Laurel Street Bridge should be open to traffic by Friday, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) officials announced.
Work has been completed on a major portion of construction of the new Interstate-780 Laurel Street Bridge, located over I-780 just east of downtown Vallejo, they said.
Laurel Street Bridge work finished, expected to reopen by FridayAMERICAN CANYON >> Several businesses here have had their windows shot at over the past several months, so police posted a notice on the department's Facebook page in the hope of shaking loose some leads, American Canyon Police Chief Oscar Ortiz said.
"It's a repetitive problem, that's been going on since about November," he said.
Police looking into windows being shot out in American CanyonAMERICAN CANYON >> The Walmart Supercenter's parking lot on Friday became the site of a stakeout that helped police nab one of several suspected carjackers, American Canyon Police Chief Oscar Ortiz said.
The incident began with an armed carjacking in Fairfield early Friday evening, he said.
The alert about the crime went out at about 6 p.
Fairfield carjacking ends in American Canyon arrestAmerican Canyon High coaches and players were disappointed with their energy two days earlier against St. Patrick-St. Vincent.
Senior Malik Ghiden and company wouldn't let it happen again.
Ghiden poured in a game-high 33 points and the Wolves dispatched visiting Rodriguez 74-52 on Friday in the final boys basketball preseason tune-up of 2018.
Ghiden scores career-high 33 as American Canyon High boys beat RodriguezThe magnitude 4.4 earthquake that shook the Bay Area early Thursday rattled some nerves in and around Vallejo, though some folks snoozed right through it.
The temblor struck at about 2:39 a.m., some two miles from Berkeley, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which reported fielding more than 34,000 calls about it from the public.
Thursday's Berkeley-centered temblor woke folks in and around VallejoCalifornians are kicking off 2018 with the most expensive gas to begin a year since 2014, according to AAA, but prices are expected to fall in coming weeks as travel demand subsides after a busy holiday travel season. At $3.05 per gallon for regular unleaded, Vallejo's gas prices Thursday were higher than the national average ($2.
Vallejo, statewide gas prices likely to drop in coming weeksAMERICAN CANYON > > A Vallejo man was arrested on suspicion of attempting to sell narcotics early Thursday morning.
According to police, at around 2 a.m., an officer spotted a suspicious vehicle with mismatched plates on its front and back. The suspect, 29-year-old Gregory Sottan, was detained and his car was searched.
Vallejo man arrested on suspicion of intent to sell methCrews managed by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery have completed the removal of wildfire debris on properties in Butte, Nevada, and Yuba counties following October's devastating Northern California wildfires, agency officials announce.
Since Nov. 16, crews removed more than 63,000 tons of ash, debris, and contaminated soil from 250 properties in which owners chose to participate in the CalRecycle-managed cleanup, they said.
CalRecycle completes wildfire debris removal in several Northern California countiesThough it's too early to worry about a repeat of the recent drought, Wednesday's Department of Water Resources manual snow survey in the Sierra Nevada east of Sacramento, found little snowpack - which was predictable after a dry December statewide, agency officials said.
Measurements at Phillips Station revealed a snow water equivalent of .
Snowpack test disappointing, but not yet worrisome, officials say