District Attorney Jill Ravitch has announced that Johnny Lee Sommerhalder, 78years old of Santa Rosa, has been denied parole by the California Board of Parole Hearings.

Defendant Jesus Paniagua-Rojas, 51 years old of Santa Rosa, was found guilty Wednesday afternoon by a Sonoma County jury of committing 18 felony sex offenses against two children from 2014 to 2018.

The Two-Basin Partnership, comprised of California Trout, the County of Humboldt, the Mendocino County Inland Water & Power Commission, the Round Valley Indian Tribes, and Sonoma County Water Agency, on September 2 asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to allow additional time to re-evaluate the proposed plan to take over the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project (Project).

View a list of our current and upcoming job opportunities, including:

- Child Welfare Legal Processor

- Operations Finance Analyst

- Public Assistance Systems Technician

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors acting as the Sonoma County Community Development Commission (SCCDC) is pleased to invite you to respond to this Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) of two million dollars ($2,000,000.00) in County General Fund dollars for municipalities and/or County departments, working alone or in cooperation with local community-based organizations (CBOs) for 24/7 Safe Parking Locations and/or Indoor-Outdoor Non-Congregate Shelters. 

The Sonoma County Registrar of Voters Office will randomly draw the precincts and batches to be hand tallied as a check of the ballot counting equipment on Monday, September 20, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. at the Registrar of Voters Office, 435 Fiscal Dr., Santa Rosa.

This message is to remind you about the Community Advisory Council’s (CAC’s) September 13 meeting which will start at 6:00 pm. 

During this virtual meeting, the CAC will discuss their plans and goals for the upcoming year.

This week’s digest provides helpful and important updates on the following: 1) Update on the start of in-person school; 2) County issues new guidance for youth sports; 3) Vaccination required for home health workers, pharmacists; 4) Free upcoming COVID-19 vaccine and testing clinics; 5) COVID-19 community resources & support; 6) Other county news items; and 7) Emergency preparedness tips & resources.

La Agencia de Agua del Condado de Sonoma y el Supervisor del Segundo Distrito, David Rabbitt, organizarán un Ayuntamiento virtual sobre la sequía el miércoles 15 de septiembre a las 5:30 p.m. El Ayuntamiento se llevará a cabo utilizando un seminario web Zoom. El enfoque de la reunión estará en la sequía y los impactos en el Segundo Distrito de Supervisión y la cuenca del río Ruso.

Sonoma County Water Agency and Second District Supervisor David Rabbitt will host a virtual Drought Town Hall on Wednesday, September 15 at 5:30 p.m.  The Town Hall will be held utilizing a Zoom webinar.  The focus of the meeting will be on the drought and impacts to the Second Supervisorial District and Russian River watershed.  

Three of four eligible Sonoma County residents are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, an important milestone reached amid efforts to keep everyone safe from the highly contagious Delta variant.

Sonoma County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase today issued a health order requiring jail inmates to be tested for COVID-19 upon entry. The measure is designed to curb the spread of the virus and prevent outbreaks at county detention facilities.

The Sonoma County Registrar of Voters reminds voters that the deadline to return vote-by-mail ballots for the Sept. 14, California Gubernatorial Recall Election is only days away. 

The community of Guerneville will soon get its first public boat launch as part of Sonoma County Regional Parks’ effort to expand river access and public recreation on the Russian River. Construction of the launch area for non-motorized watercraft began in August at Guerneville River Park.

August recap: ARPA funds in Sonoma County, Board makes progress on climate goals, County Archives relocated, and community announcements on cannabis, housing vouchers and more!

This week’s digest provides helpful and important updates on the following: Update on the status of in-person school; State offers new app to find out if you were exposed to COVID-19; Free upcoming COVID-19 vaccine and testing clinics; COVID-19 community resources & support: Other county news items; Emergency preparedness tips & resources.

Sonoma County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase today took steps to curb the spread of COVID-19, including issuing a health order requiring home health care workers and pharmacists to show proof of COVID vaccination or undergo regular testing, and recommendations for youth sports.

County of Sonoma Chief Administrator Sheryl Bratton today announced the appointment of Jeff Mitchell, Sonoma County’s Chief Deputy Public Defender, as interim Public Defender. 

The Sonoma County Community Development Commission (SCCDC) is pleased to invite you to respond to a Request for Proposals (RFP) for qualified applicants interested in applying to be the operator of the Coordinated Entry System (CES). 

"On behalf of the Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics Northern California, we want to personally thank you and the members of your agency for the extraordinary dedication that made the 2021 Final Leg a tremendous success. With the support of 205 agencies and over 2,500 runners, we are excited to announce…together, we raised over $285,000!"

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors today voted to remarket the surplus 71-acre county-owned Chanate Campus for sale in an online auction beginning Sept. 7 and ending Nov. 9.

Defendant Albert Meredith, 27 years old of Cazadero, was sentenced today by the Honorable Mark Urioste to serve 14 years and 8 months in state prison after pleading no contest in May to charges of physically abusing his newborn daughter, and sexually molesting the baby’s 4-year-old half-sister.

Esta semana, el lago Mendocino cayó por debajo de los 20,000 acres-pies (Acre Feet, AF) de almacenamiento, esto significa un estado por debajo de la meta de conservación del agua establecida para mantener los flujos de la parte río abajo adecuados para la pesca y las necesidades de salud y seguridad humanas de los usuarios municipales.

Lake Mendocino this week fell below 20,000 acre-feet (AF) of storage, falling short of a water conservation goal established to maintain adequate downstream flows for fisheries and human health and safety needs for municipal users.

County Administrator Sheryl Bratton has appointed Janeene de Martinez to serve as Director of Child Support Services for Sonoma County beginning in September. 

The Sonoma County Registrar of Voters Office is reminding Sonoma County residents that the deadline to register to vote for the Sept. 14 California Gubernatorial Recall Election is Monday, Aug. 30, at 11:59 p.m. 

El Distrito de Desarrollo Económico Sonoma Mendocino (SMEDD, por sus siglas en inglés) invita a los miembros de la comunidad de los condados de Sonoma y Mendocino a ayudar a moldear la economía regional. Los miembros de la comunidad pueden participar respondiendo a la encuesta perteneciente a la Estrategia de Desarrollo Económico Integral (CEDS, por sus siglas en inglés) o participando en un Laboratorio Comunitario de Ideas, un foro virtual de la comunidad.

The Sonoma Mendocino Economic Development District (SMEDD) invites Sonoma and Mendocino County community members to help shape the regional economy. Community members can get involved by taking the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Survey or by participating in a Community Think Tank, a virtual community forum.

Sonoma County is seeking residents to serve on a work group that will help allocate $96 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to provide relief from public health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Los CDC han actualizado los consejos para mujeres embarazadas y lactantes para RECOMENDAR que se vacunen contra Covid-19.

FDA has given full approval to the Covid-19 vaccination and 5 other reasons to get vaccinated if you are pregnant or chest/breastfeeding. 

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to Elections Code Section 12109, the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters Office, 435 Fiscal Drive, Santa Rosa, CA, will be the central counting place for ballots cast in the California Gubernatorial Recall Election, September 14, 2021.

California state prison Inmate Kelly Mclaughlin-Cross (60 years old, formerly of Sonoma County) was denied “Elder Parole” by the State Board of Parole Commissioners during a Tuesday afternoon hearing. Commissioners Ground and Lam ruled that McLaughlin-Cross would not be eligible to reapply for parole for an additional 5 years.

The County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors today adopted a resolution with the goal of achieving zero waste in Sonoma County by 2030, consistent with objectives of the Climate Action and Resiliency pillar of the County’s Five-Year Strategic Plan to reduce consumption emissions, conserve energy and decrease methane emissions from landfills. 

The County of Sonoma’s Women-Infants-Children Supplemental Nutrition Program (WIC) has received national recognition from the United States Department of Agriculture. The Loving Support Award of Excellence at the Gold Premiere level recognizes and celebrates Sonoma County’s exemplary breastfeeding programs and support services. County of Sonoma WIC is the only agency in California to receive the Gold Premiere Award.

This month the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (Ag + Open Space) will transfer ownership of a 1,236-acre coastal property to Sonoma County Regional Parks. This land, owned and managed by Ag + Open Space as Wright Hill Ranch, will eventually open to the public as a regional park and open space preserve adjacent to the Red Hill portion of Sonoma Coast State Park, just south of where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean.

The Registrar of Voters Office reminds Sonoma County residents that the last day to register to vote for the Sept. 14, 2021, California Gubernatorial Recall Election, is Monday, Aug. 30.

Sonoma County will follow the guidance of the California Department of Public Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in providing booster shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to certain immunocompromised individuals in Sonoma County.

The Sonoma County Registrar of Voters Office is alerting voters planning to vote at their assigned polling place in the Sept. 14, California Gubernatorial Recall Election, that they will need to bring along the ballot they received in the mail in order to exchange it for an official polling place ballot. If they do not, they will be offered a provisional ballot, which will be reviewed by the Registrar of Voters Office after Election Day to ensure that the voter has not already returned their vote-by-mail ballot.  

Preventing lead exposure in pregnancy also helps keep children safe from lead exposure.

While COVID hospitalizations continue to increase, four out of five eligible Sonoma County residents are now either fully or partially vaccinated against COVID-19, Sonoma County Department of Health Services leaders reported to the Board of Supervisors today as part of an update on the County’s pandemic response.

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors today approved a policy requiring all county employees to either show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or submit to weekly testing. 

Sonoma County residents are encouraged to take advantage of an array of tools and feedback mechanisms available to them to help shape the County’s supervisorial districts for the next decade or so.

In response to growing demand for testing amid the current surge of COVID cases, the Sonoma County Department of Health Services has greatly expanded testing opportunities through private providers while freeing County Health to focus instead on outbreak and surveillance testing.

The Sonoma County Housing Authority will accept applications from now through Sept. 17, 2021 for Project-Based Voucher Waitlists tied to three-bedroom units at Crossroads Apartments in Santa Rosa, Fetters Apartments in Sonoma, Logan Place Apartments and Downtown River Apartments in Petaluma, Fife Creek Commons Apartments in Guerneville and Windsor Redwoods Apartments in Windsor.

Held by the Sonoma County Community Development Commission, this training will focus on the requirements to be considered chronically homeless as HUD defines it, as well as go over the documentation process for Continuum of Care (CoC) Program funded permanent supportive housing units. This training will be useful for providers who will be participating in the Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) referral process and will be recorded and posted to our website for those who were unable to attend.

Sonoma County Registrar of Voters announced that vote-by-mail ballots for the Sept. 14 California Gubernatorial Recall Election will begin going out in the mail today and should arrive in voters’ mailboxes within three to 10 days.

The Sonoma County Registrar of Voters office announced today that it will be holding three virtual public hearings at the end of August on the County of Sonoma’s draft election administration plan for transitioning to the Voter’s Choice Act election model.