Nevada County Public Safety Digest

Students and teachers alike are decrying the actions of the Temecula Valley Unified School District board, which became conservative in majority following the recent elections of three members. The board’s actions include banning critical race theory and mandating parental notification if their child is transgender.

Hackers stole data this week from Blue Shield of California. Historically, this type of data has sometimes wound up for sale on what’s known as the dark web, the part of the internet not typically included in search engine results.

Two miles of public beach were closed in Laguna Beach following a spill of 94,500 gallons of sewage. Orange County is testing water to determine when the beach will be safe to reopen.

Seven times as many patients have been admitted to the trauma unit at UC San Diego Health since the Trump administration raised the height of the border wall to 30 feet in California. The hospital also notes that 23 people have died in falls from the wall since 2019.

Lacking power at the state level, conservatives are leaning into local governance to protest California’s progressive politics. The fight in Huntington Beach could be a harbinger of what’s to come.

Workers are in the final stages of a long, $217 million project: Install a protective barrier at the Golden Gate Bridge. Roughly 2,000 people have died by suicide jumping from the bridge since it opened in 1937.

Tustin Air Base was destroyed Nov. 7 in a raging fire that could last for days. Authorities said letting the 1942 hangar collapse was the only way to contain the fire.

Nevada County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue responds to over 100 incidents per year to locate persons who are lost or in danger. A grant from the Truckee Tahoe Airport District will help fund a new Rapid Response Mobile Command vehicle.

Fire Chief Jason Robitaille of the Nevada County Consolidated Fire District confirmed that the full-time staffing of fire Station 59 in Rough and Ready is an essential piece of the area’s emergency and fire services.

The California Public Utilities Commission issued a staff proposal that seeks CPUC Commissioner approval for a $45 million penalty against Pacific Gas and Electric Company in connection with the 2021 Dixie Fire.

The European Union has banned certain additives that are used in American candies and baked goods. California is on the cusp of prohibiting their sale by 2027.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has identified nearly 500 “zones” that are ill-prepared to tolerate flooding, earthquakes, heat waves, wildfires, landslides and other natural hazards. California topped all states with 51 total zones, followed by 35 in Texas and 32 in Florida.

Incidents involving use of the systems, commonly known as drones, in firefighting airspace have led to the temporary suspension of critical aerial firefighting operations a half-dozen times so far this year.

Attila Colar went to prison for lying to the government. After California gave him another contract as a provider in a rehabilitation program, a federal jury convicted him of fraud for using the personal information of Bay Area parolees and others to collect government COVID funds.

The proclamations support the ongoing emergency response to the fires, which have destroyed homes, caused power outages and driven the evacuation of residents.

After California lost over 4 million acres to fire in 2020, the state funded Task Force Rattlesnake, with National Guardsmen to assist Cal Fire.

A hurricane in the Pacific headed toward the California coast is projected to hit California as a tropical storm, marking the first time a tropical storm has struck the California coast in 84 years.

San Francisco isn’t going to take last week’s robotaxi decision by the California Public Utilities Commission lying down. Joined by the city's transit authority board, fire department and board of supervisors, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu filed motions on Wednesday to halt the unrestricted expansion of autonomous vehicles for commercial use.

Supervisors unanimously agreed to support the reorganization of Rough & Ready Fire Protection District, Penn Valley Fire Protection District, and Nevada County Consolidated Fire District. The county will also provide gap funding to operate Rough & Ready Fire Station #59 while the reorganization is under way.

Locally elected sheriffs manage California jails and are responsible for the safety of the inmates they hold. Record deaths in San Diego’s jail are shaping a plan for new statewide oversight.

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to make prisons a friendlier place for inmate families. An updated strip-search policy has some worried that families will face intrusive encounters during their visits.

Two recent reports on sexual harassment complaints filed against Cal State employees conclude inconsistent data collection makes it difficult to determine a reliable number.

The Biden administration’s app rule makes it harder for migrants to assert a right to asylum, advocates say. Lawsuits are sparking debate about immigration control, safety.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) has awarded the County of Nevada Office of Emergency Services (OES) with $3,914,536 to implement Phase II of the Woodpecker Ravine Shaded Fuel Break.

There’s a possible rise of four invasive animals in California—another consequence from downpours last winter and spring. The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services warned about a potential population surge due to storm-related flooding.

Luis Yauri Oyola hopes one day to buy a tractor to start a business in Peru; he estimates that he is six years away from that goal, for which he will have spent more than a decade of his life living thousands of miles away from his family. He is on call 24/7 and doesn’t leave the job site except for necessities.

Following legal pressure from Center for Food Safety and courts, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has withdrawn its interim approval of difenoconazole, a potent fungicide sprayed on a wide range of fruits and vegetables.

As nights warm and droughts intensify, past models predicting fire behavior have become unreliable. So California is working with analysts and tapping into new technology to figure out how to attack wildfires. Gleaned from military satellites, drones and infrared mapping, the information is spat out in real time and triaged by a fire behavior analyst.

The Climate Transformation Alliance is launching a new program to address building electrification in the region, called the Truckee Tahoe Building Decarbonization Pilot Program.

These new generation helicopters will replace CAL FIRE’s aging fleet of 12 Super Huey Helicopters.

The Olympic Valley Public Service District Board of Directors passed a number of ordinances, approved of contracts and accepted a $45,125 grant to begin plans for fire mitigation work in the area.

The Quality Automotive Servicing van will visit you at any location in the servicing area that has a flat driveway or surface to complete the mobile service.