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County approves $7.14 million in grants for community development projects
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors today approved $7.14 million in grants for affordable housing, public facilities improvements, rental assistance, emergency shelter operations, fair housing services, homelessness prevention, case management, and financial stability for low income residents. Read full story
Sonoma County Weights and Measures advises shoppers to review sales receipts after rise in failed retail inspections
The Sonoma County Department of Agriculture/Weights & Measures is encouraging local shoppers to verify charges on all retail sales receipts after nearly 36 percent of local grocery stores and retail businesses failed a price accuracy inspection over the last 13 months, a 10 percent increase from the prior year. Read full story
Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, Department of Health Services host special mental health forum
With Sonoma County experiencing a rise in substance use disorders, homelessness and a shortage of services to address an unprecedented mental health crisis, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and Department of Health Services on Tuesday convened a first-of-its-kind summit of behavioral health professionals from across the county for a listening session on the mental health care needs of the community. Read full story
Main Street bridge in Monte Rio closed temporarily to ensure public safety following winter storm damage
The Sonoma County Department of Public Infrastructure today announced the temporary closure to vehicle traffic of the Main Street bridge over Dutch Bill Creek in Monte Rio after the bridge sustained critical damage in recent winter storms. One lane of the road had remained open with traffic control, but department officials determined that a full temporary closure to vehicles is necessary to ensure public safety following reports of drivers not observing the lane closure. Read full story
WOMAN CONVICTED OF KNOWINGLY MAKING A FALSE REPORT OF ATTEMPTED KIDNAP
Kathleen Sorensen, 31 years old, formerly of Sonoma whose Instagram video went viral on December 2020 after she falsely claimed a Petaluma couple tried to kidnap her children at a local Michael’s store, was convicted of one count of making a false report of a crime. The jury deliberated for about a full day before returning a guilty verdict on one of the three counts charged. The Honorable Judge Laura Passaglia presided over the trial. The defendant was remanded into custody after the verdict and bail was set at $100,000. Read full story
Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, Department of Health Services to host special mental health forum May 2
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and Department of Health Services are hosting a day-long community forum on Tuesday, May 2 concerning the state of mental health in the county. The forum, to be held at the Finley Center in Santa Rosa, will include panels of county behavioral health officials and mental health service providers discussing key challenges and issues facing the community. Read full story
Avelo Airlines Continues Sonoma County Expansion with New Exclusive Nonstop Service to Central Oregon
Avelo Airlines announced today it is expanding service at Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport (STS) with new nonstop service to Bend, Oregon’s Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM). Avelo will be the only airline offering nonstop flights between California Wine Country and Central Oregon. Read full story
Kindergarten readiness in Sonoma County continues decline in aftermath of pandemic
Only one in five Sonoma County children were ready for kindergarten when they entered school last fall, according to a report released today by the county Department of Human Services that found continuing disparities along ethnic, racial and economic lines. Read full story
Regional Parks’ YES! Parks program earns statewide recognition
Sonoma County Regional Parks has earned a Best of the Best, Creating Community award of excellence from the California Parks and Recreation Society for its YES! (Youth Exploring Sonoma) Parks program. YES! Parks is one of only six programs in the state to receive the award in 2023. Read full story
Board of Supervisors votes to change vacation rental regulations and rules for timeshares
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors today voted to change vacation rental regulations, create caps and exclusion zones for vacation rentals and to define fractionally owned housing as timeshares. The first action involved creating a business license program that standardizes operating requirements for vacation rentals to protect neighbors from nuisances, while the second action placed caps and exclusion zones in specific neighborhoods in the first, fourth and fifth supervisorial districts to reduce over-concentration of vacation rentals in these areas. Read full story