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Board of Supervisors approves internet program for low-income households, continues broadband infrastructure development
The Board of Supervisors today approved plans to provide free internet for one year to over 500 low-income Sonoma County households using American Rescue Plan Act funding. The Board also approved the use of approximately $2.3 million of ARPA funding for additional broadband infrastructure development in the Walsh Landing and/or Jenner areas. The Sonoma County Economic Development Collaborative has applied for a $17 million grant from the California Public Utilities Commission that would help further expand broadband infrastructure to underserved areas of unincorporated Sonoma County. Read full story
Sonoma County Board ratifies local emergency proclamation in response to November atmospheric river
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors voted today to ratify the local emergency proclamation issued on Nov. 26 by County Executive M. Christina Rivera in response to the November 2024 atmospheric river. The Board's ratification of the proclamation is a prerequisite for requesting state and federal assistance for response and recovery efforts. Read full story
Valley Pacific Petroleum Services, Inc. Pays $1.1 Million Dollars to Settle California Environmental Violations
District Attorney Carla Rodriguez announced today that her office, in conjunction with the District Attorneys of Fresno County, Humboldt County, Kern County, Shasta County, San Joaquin County and Tulare County, settled a civil enforcement action against Valley Pacific Petroleum Servicves Inc., dba Renner Petroleum for violations of Environmental Laws and Regulations in the amount of $1.1 million dollars. The Stipulated Judgment was signed on November 19, 2024, by the Honorable Bradford DeMeo. Read full story
Deadline for voters to ‘cure’ ballot signature issues is December 2 at 5 p.m.
Signature “cure” forms that were sent to voters whose Nov. 5 General Election ballot envelope signatures were either missing or mismatched must be completed and received at the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters Office no later than Monday, Dec. 2, at 5 p.m., according to Deva Marie Proto, Sonoma County Registrar of Voters. Read full story
Creative Sonoma Announces #TeachTheArts campaign to promote arts education, boost local teaching workforce
Creative Sonoma, a division of the Sonoma County Economic Development Collaborative, today announced the launch of #TeachTheArts, a new campaign to inform and encourage artists, particularly student artists, to consider a career in arts education. The campaign was created by a committee of local arts, education, and cultural partners convened by Creative Sonoma to promote job opportunities in arts education resulting from Prop 28 funding. It is designed to boost the local arts educator workforce by highlighting the demand for arts teachers and by engaging students who have an interest in dance, theatre, music, visual art, and media arts. Read full story
Sonoma County fraud hotline receives 99 reports of suspected fraud, waste or abuse since creation in 2021
A hotline created in 2021 to allow Sonoma County employees, members of the public and vendors to anonymously report cases of suspected fraud, waste or abuse in County government received 99 tips in its first three years of operation, the County of Sonoma announced today. Read full story
County Department of Emergency Management to receive international preparedness award
The Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management has been selected to receive an international award for a program that introduces local high school students to emergency management. The County will be honored for its Model Emergency Operations Center program at the International Association of Emergency Managers conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado on Wednesday. Read full story
Sonoma County Local Coastal Plan approved
The California Coastal Commission has certified Sonoma County’s Local Coastal Plan, a foundational planning document that regulates land use and protects resources along the 55-mile shoreline. The unanimous approval on November 14 ensures the County’s permitting authority for development within the Coastal Zone, which extends from between a half mile and five miles from the coast in Sonoma County. Read full story
Sonoma County tenant rights town hall set for December 4 in Sonoma Valley
Sonoma County will host an in-person town hall in Boyes Hot Springs on Dec. 4 to update residents about their tenant protection rights including new rights recently adopted by the Board of Supervisors. The informational session, which will include Spanish interpretation, will feature representatives from Legal Aid of Sonoma County and the Sonoma County Counsel’s office. Read full story
Russian River inflatable dam to be lowered in advance of forecast storm
In anticipation of a series of storms arriving in the next week and elevated river flows, the Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) will begin the process of lowering its rubber dam located in the Russian River near Forestville on Tuesday, November 19. Sonoma Water routinely lowers the rubber dam when Russian River flow forecasts show the river exceeding 1,600 cubic feet per second to prevent damage to the rubber dam from high flows. Read full story