CAL FIRE’s Sonoma‑Lake‑Napa Unit says residential burn permits are required starting May 1 across six counties. Permits are free, but air districts still decide burn days.

NVUSD is expanding plastic‑free Wednesdays and scaling up scratch‑cooked meals from its central kitchen, aiming to cut thousands of single‑use plastics while serving fresher lunches.

Heightened gate checks, suspended Trusted Traveler access and rising local tensions have left Travis AFB families and Fairfield residents on edge as the Iran conflict unfolds.

No Kings 3 rallies will stage across Sonoma and Napa on March 28, with marches planned from Sonoma Plaza to Santa Rosa and Petaluma. Organizers have posted routes and volunteer sign‑ups.

Nearly two months after a 16-inch force main broke on Jan. 11, Clearlake households still face contaminated wells, bottled water and slow cleanup.

A longtime Chappellet housekeeper says she was fired after reporting injuries and seeking accommodations, alleging disability and race discrimination. The case heads to trial in 2027.

A packed Yountville study session turned contentious after French Laundry chef Thomas Keller and local employers urged the town to slow the Commons housing plan. Officials laid out costs, unit mixes and funding gaps as the council moves toward votes in March.

A 2026 Zillow-based ranking finds multiple Bay Area ZIP codes among the nation's 50 most expensive for renters; Water Mill tops the list at nearly $96k/month.

Mare Island Dry Docks in Vallejo will close after losing a key Coast Guard contract, the city says. About 80–85 workers face layoffs as local agencies scramble to help.

A December UC Merced report links summer immigration enforcement to a 2.9% drop in California private‑sector employment — roughly 447,000 jobs lost, with noncitizen workers hit hardest.

An interactive Chronicle database compiles thousands of California inspection reports and flags possible patient-harm incidents. What Bay Area patients should know before choosing care.

Fairfield’s council reopened a decades-old tree-and-sidewalk rule; staff wants homeowners to pick up maintenance costs and legal risk, with a draft due in January.