Santa Rosa tapped Monica Thomas from Oakland Unified as its next superintendent. She starts July 1 as the district continues deep budget work and staff shifts.

Elsie Allen High's Mariachi Lobos were invited to perform at Disney California Adventure on June 11 but still need to raise about $72,000. Ninety students and families are fundraising now.

April EDD data show North Bay jobless rates fell for a second month, with Marin at 3.7% and Lake County still highest at 6.7%. Industry shifts in health care and information shaped the changes.

A new Education Scorecard analysis shows many Sonoma County students lag behind state benchmarks in reading and math, with some districts testing well below grade level.

A proposed redraw of Santa Rosa’s Wildland‑Urban Interface would add about 3,082 parcels and remove 811, affecting roughly 3,893 properties and triggering local defensible‑space and building rules.

Analy High will cut hours for its dance and choir programs after the district says Santa Rosa’s tighter transfer rules have reduced projected revenue. Local families are pushing back.

A new Migration Policy Institute report finds immigrant workers contribute roughly $1.5 billion a year — about 11% of Napa County’s output — and anchor much of its farm labor. Simulations show major revenue and job losses if that labor were removed.

Cal Fire staged a hands‑on demo of aircraft, crews and readiness tools as Northern California warms. Officials urged home hardening and defensible space ahead of peak season.

Michael Spagna took over Sonoma State in January and now faces the task of stabilizing a campus hit by steep enrollment losses, faculty layoffs and the loss of athletics. One‑time state and CSU funds buy time, but restorations hinge on feasibility plans.

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.

Notices telling seniors to "comply or quit" and a police report alleging a maintenance worker grabbed a tenant have escalated tensions at a Petaluma affordable housing site.

Providence has agreed to sell Queen of the Valley Medical Center to NorthBay Health; NorthBay is pledging job protections while the sale undergoes state review.

A mid‑day PG&E outage on April 2 left roughly 5,000 Marin customers without power, with the Tiburon Peninsula hardest hit and local officials urging safety around downed lines.