The City of Sonoma has placed free sand at Depot Park and will distribute up to 10 free sandbags per resident as forecasters warn heavy rain and gusty winds this week.

Queer land stewards in Sonoma County are blending prescribed burns, farming and gatherings to restore forest health and queer community along the Russian River.

A Lightcast study finds SRJC generated about $1.8 billion and supported nearly 19,000 Sonoma County jobs in FY 2023–24.

A fight over deed restrictions and loan terms has stalled a county-backed plan to build sober-living homes in Santa Rosa.

Supporters marched through the Mission to demand Gov. Newsom pardon Zoe Rosenberg after she was ordered to serve 90 days in a high‑profile 'chicken rescue' case.

A Santa Rosa memorial on Dec. 19 will honor 43 people who died while experiencing homelessness this year. County officials cite recent housing gains but warn progress is fragile.

Laura Chenel says it has stopped sourcing milk from Grand Barr Dairy after a PETA investigation alleged neglect. The creamery says it will review supplier animal-care standards while authorities review the case.

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.

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.

Caltrans reports nearly 600 encampments cleared and 27,000 cubic yards of debris removed across the Bay Area, with Santa Clara county accounting for 223 sites.

Clearlake handed management of its troubled city shelter to a local nonprofit, which says it's racing to treat animals and recruit volunteers.

Parents forced Petaluma trustees to pause approval of site safety plans after spotting "collect intelligence" language about student walkouts and social-media monitoring.

Trustees approved 33 position cuts and will discontinue Napa Valley College’s adaptive physical education program starting in 2026–27, a change administrators say is driven by projected budget shortfalls. The decision drew a packed meeting and hours of public comment.

A Sonoma County commission paper warns women and girls face rising mental‑health strain after fires and the pandemic and urges stable funding, more clinicians and clearer care pathways.

An SF Chronicle tract‑level map ranks Bay Area neighborhoods by how evenly incomes are spread, highlighting surprising pockets of mix and entrenched zones of wealth or poverty.

Petaluma City Schools approved reductions to alternative‑education staff to help close a $6.1M budget gap and will have a task force review programs in October.

Families at Browns Valley TK‑8 say they were blindsided after NVUSD announced a leadership change for Principal Meshach Osborne and have launched a petition.

A CHIS briefing shows food insecurity among Bay Area low‑income adults jumped sharply in 2024, with county rates varying widely and charities shifting operations.

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

Napa County officials say several mailed property‑tax checks were stolen, altered and cashed. The county urges residents to use e‑checks or confirm mailed payments online immediately.

NapaSan will raise sewer charges about 3% a year through 2030, pushing a typical single‑family annual bill from $738.60 toward about $856.

A former French Laundry dishwasher filed a representative wage-and-hour lawsuit in Napa County, alleging unpaid hours, missed breaks and inaccurate paystubs. The restaurant group denies the claims.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.