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Judge Sentences Man to Prison for Child Molest
Defendant Robert Herrera was sentenced yesterday by the Honorable Laura Passaglia to 12 years and 8 months in prison. Herrera’s sentence was the result of his 2023 convictions following a jury trial involving charges that he molested two children. Read full story
Sonoma County Community Development Commission to break ground on Tierra de Rosas infrastructure in Roseland
Sonoma County will celebrate a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, May 3 beginning at 9:30 a.m., remarks at 10 a.m., for the Tierra de Rosas project, a mixed-use development planned for 75 affordable housing units, a one-acre public plaza, Mercado Food Hall, a civic-use building and 100 units of market-rate housing. The groundbreaking ceremony and celebration represents a monumental step forward in the project and will include light refreshments. The event will take place at Mitote Food Park located at 665 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa. Read full story
Sonoma County announces 2024 paving and construction season, encourages road users to plan ahead, follow detours and go slow
The Sonoma County Department of Public Infrastructure today announced the Summer 2024 road resurfacing program will soon get underway with pavement treatment on nearly 30 miles of road segments across 45 separate county-maintained roads. Residents who live near project sites will be notified by county contractors in advance of the start of work. All impacted road users are asked to plan ahead, follow signage for detours and slowdown in the vicinity of work crews. Read full story
Charles M Schulz – Sonoma County Airport to undergo training exercise on Thursday
On April 25 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Charles M. Schulz – Sonoma County Airport will be conducting its Triennial Emergency Response Exercise, a practical exercise and safety training that takes place every three years at commercial service airports across the United States. Mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration, the training exercise is a comprehensive mass-casualty event simulation that tests the planning, operational readiness, speed, and effectiveness of emergency personnel in real-time. Read full story
Board of Supervisors adjusts cannabis business tax rates in response to market changes
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted unanimously to adjust county tax rates for cannabis operations in unincorporated areas in response to changes in the cannabis market. The amended Cannabis Business Tax Ordinance, which is scheduled to go before the Board of Supervisors for a second reading on April 30, would, upon final approval, take effect July 1. Projected cannabis tax revenue is $1.4 million for fiscal year 2024-25, a slight decrease from the previous year estimate. Read full story
County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors to hold annual budget workshops April 22 to April 24
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors will hold its annual budget workshops on April 22, 23 and 24 to provide county residents and taxpayers an opportunity to learn about the 2024-2025 fiscal year preliminary spending plan and provide input to the Board of Supervisors before it adopts a final budget in June. The County of Sonoma fiscal year runs July 1 through June 30. The workshops are informational, and the Board will not make any determinations for fiscal year 2024-25 until the June budget hearings. Read full story
Local Program Receives Community Awareness Project Funding for 2023 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week
The Victim Services Division of the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office has received funding from the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators (NAVAA) through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), within the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, to promote community awareness of crime victims’ rights and services during the 2024 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. Read full story
Sonoma County Supervisors approve updated tree ordinance
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved an expanded version of the county’s tree protection ordinance, which will preserve more of the county’s trees and help to combat climate change given that woodlands pull carbon from the atmosphere. Read full story
Sonoma Water Board of Directors approves wholesale water rate adjustment in support of infrastructure
The Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) Board of Directors on Tuesday voted to increase wholesale water rates to address the pressing needs of aging infrastructure.The adjusted wholesale water rates are forecasted to make a modest impact on household budgets of between $2 to $3 per month, based on location and water usage. Funds produced by these rates will largely go toward operations and maintenance of Sonoma Water’s supply and distribution infrastructure, including cathodic protection to stave off rusting aqueducts, replacement of aging pumps and valves, enhancements in water treatment processes and upkeep of water storage tanks. Read full story
Local partnership completes first project initiated by Sonoma County’s Climate Resilience Fund
A partnership between local government, conservation districts and environmental groups today announced the completion of a pilot project that removed carbon from the atmosphere by applying compost on agricultural land, the first project initiated by Sonoma County's Climate Resilience Fund. Read full story