This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Sofia Gómez Villafañe (Specialized) comes over the line to claim the women's race at the 2025 edition of the Traka 200 Gómez Villafañe and Klöser hold off Annika Langvad as Matthew Beers and Filippo Conca sprint to complete men's podium both winning solo with late attacks on the 202km course in the surroundings of Girona who spent a long time trying to catch back on to the leaders Matthew Beers (Specialized) came across the line to take second who claimed the title with a time of 6:12:21 after attacking in the final 20km.  it was Filippo Conca (Swatt Club) who had been in a leading pair with Würtz Schmidt being more than two minutes down on the Danish winner The Traka 200 started from the Parc de les Ribes del Ter following on from The Traka 360 on Friday and the 560km Traka Adventure The racing concludes with The Traka 100 on Sunday.  In the women’s race, the debuting Villafañe had to overcome the likes of defending champion Carolin Schiff, The Hills winner Morgan Aguirre, last year's second-placed Klara Sofie Skovgaard Hansen and Cecily Decker, who delivered a show of strong form when she took third at Sea Otter Gravel. Decker was fourth at the end of the day while Schiff took sixth, Aguirre 17th and it was a tough day out for Skovgaard Hansen who struggled in the heat and came 21st.  A group of seven riders formed early in the race, but Villafañe and Klöser rode off the front of that group, Langvad slightly off the back, chasing, but never made it back as the gap widened to the leading duo. Villafañe had headed into the race having grappled with some illness after the winning effort at Cape Epic and then continued on with a hectic spring schedule in the lead up to The Traka 200. "I started to see a little glimmer of myself last weekend at the Belgian Waffle Ride in California, but with Specialized it was clear that I wasn't here for a result; I was here to experience it," said the rider who has dominated the US gravel scene in recent seasons. "That allowed me to test the field and see how the riders ride. I controlled the first two climbs and descents, willing to slam a rock, crash or flat. But my equipment was outstanding."  Villafañe also shared a bottle with her rival while noting that she felt Klöser was in better shape than she was but that tactics were also at play. "I knew my best chance at beating her was on the single track, just because I wasn't at that sprint at Unbound last year, and I didn't want to take my chances. I think I got a nice little gap and then full gas to the finish." After the 200 played out on Saturday, it was then The Traka 100 on Sunday that closed out the racing at the event for another year. European gravel champion Sina Frei claimed the final women's victory while Jo Pirotte claimed the men's win at The Traka 100. The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox! Cyclingnews is the world's leader in English-language coverage of professional cycling Started in 1995 by University of Newcastle professor Bill Mitchell the site was one of the first to provide breaking news and results over the internet in English The site was purchased by Knapp Communications in 1999 and owner Gerard Knapp built it into the definitive voice of pro cycling major publishing house Future PLC has owned the site and expanded it to include top features The site continues to be the most comprehensive and authoritative English voice in professional cycling you will then be prompted to enter your display name Dear Reader,Unfortunately our comment platform isn\'t available at the moment due to issues with our paywall and authentication vendor La Fondita’s Third Street location has been sitting empty for months Dozens of untouched bottles of liquor, colorful chairs and empty tables were still visible Friday behind the windows and locked doors of the empty La Fondita restaurant at 630 Third St For months, questions have persisted about whether the well-known Mexican restaurant, which opened in 2022 Fresh questions arose in the last couple of weeks as a new sign in the window advertised a “restaurant opportunity.” “Business & Commercial,” but there was no contact information available It remains unclear who is occupying the space According to the Sonoma County Health Department the most recent facility permit for the Third Street location — essentially an operating permit — was from July 2024 The owner listed on the records for both restaurant locations was Maria Elena Reyes The Press Democrat has repeatedly reached out to Reyes for a comment but has not received a response and visited the Third Street location on several occasions The Third Street location remained closed and there was no staff available for comment at the Sebastopol Road restaurant according to the Sonoma County Recorder’s Office The Press Democrat also reached out to this company In January, community members speculated about the fate of the restaurant on the Sonoma County Foodies Facebook page “Is La Fondita on 3rd in Santa Rosa closed or are they on vacation I’ve driven by a few times and they have been dark each time.” we went there for lunch and found the doors chained.” read “They have another location on Sebastopol Rd Highly recommend continuing to support them there Downtown is a TOUGH place for business with a lack of parking and such.” the floor manager at Wilibees liquor store at the corner of Third Street said he does not know if La Fondita has permanently closed he has seen many businesses come and leave the storefront at 630 Third St “Downtown is an interesting place right now you walk around and see ‘For Lease’ signs every day,” Arnold said The downstairs restaurant space at 630 Third St. was previously occupied by Mercato Pasta and Produce. La Fondita announced in early 2020 that it would be taking over the space You can reach Staff Writer Melanie Nguyen at 707-521-5457 or melanie.nguyen@pressdemocrat.com A spacious house located at 2621 Sunrise Avenue in Santa Rosa has a new owner The $1,677,000 purchase price works out to $440 per square foot These nearby houses have also recently been purchased: This automated story was produced for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat using artificial intelligence and data science. Property information is compiled from municipal assessors in Sonoma County. For any errors email info@pressdemocrat.com Backers describe the project as transformative and say it could create a sense of place in the North Bay’s largest city revitalize the city’s urban core and inject new money into the local economy Santa Rosa officials are exploring one of the city’s most ambitious projects in a generation, a partnership that could bring professional soccer to the city The proposal calls for a new stadium with a minimum of 5,000 seats that would anchor an entertainment district with restaurants Backers describe the project as transformative and say it could create a sense of place and identity in the North Bay’s largest city inject new money into the local economy and boost government coffers Initial conversations about establishing a men’s and women’s soccer team took off last fall between the city and United Soccer League Officials will spend the next year exploring sites for a stadium and financing options as well as engaging with potential investors according to an agreement presented to the City Council recently players could hit the pitch within three years “We’re really excited,” said Justin Papadakis USL deputy chief executive and chief real estate officer “I really think we’re going to do something special here.” United Soccer League operates in more than 200 communities including the second-tier USL Championship league and professional development and youth teams The men’s team could compete in the USL League One or Championship league while the women’s team could complete in the USL W League or Super League Papadakis said there’s an untapped market of soccer fans in Santa Rosa and the broader region whose main interaction with the sport is through the television screen and are eager for a local team to support Talks of a league expansion come as domestic interest in soccer is rising and the United States prepares to jointly host the FIFA Men’s World Cup next summer and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2031 But plans also come as Santa Rosa faces a long-term operating deficit that will require steep cuts City officials say the proposal is worth exploring “We’re always looking at ways to enhance quality of life for Santa Rosa residents and support a thriving local economy,” said City Manager Maraskeshia Smith “Partnering with the USL … reflects our commitment to creating exciting new opportunities for recreation Community members can learn more about the proposal during a forum 4 to 6 p.m Details about the location will be available closer to the date Papadakis said the organization’s market research shows that “by a significant margin across every data point Santa Rosa would be a great soccer market.” There’s a well-established network of youth soccer and limited professional soccer competition The local soccer fan base is made up of a younger aligning with the league’s target demographic which could help create a dedicated sustainable fan base USL revisited the idea of establishing a team in Santa Rosa late last fall who joined the city in September as chief economic development officer The city’s team signed a letter of intent to negotiate a deal with the USL on March 12 the city and USL will scope out sites for a multipurpose stadium with a minimum of 5,000 seats that meets the league’s field and other playing requirements and could also support year-round programming such as concerts and events Santa Rosa officials are examining USL’s partnerships in other similar markets, including Modesto, where city officials and the league have been in talks since September to bring soccer to the Central Valley Papadakis said the site must support a stadium and potentially other ancillary uses like training facilities and smaller fields The sports facilities should anchor a hub with restaurants shops and other development that can draw game day visitors and keep them there throughout the day “We really want to make sure that families in Santa Rosa can go down there but stay here and have a first-class fan experience,” he said “So that’s why we really think about the whole fan journey and programming those other elements around the district are vitally important.” the city and USL will conduct market feasibility studies and analyze demands for residential stadium capacity ranges from 5,000 to 15,000 seats depending on the market and site Some teams have repurposed underutilized facilities or have partnered with local colleges while others have built or are breaking ground on new facilities the Oakland Roots Soccer Club plays at the Oakland Coliseum which has a seating capacity of about 63,000 USL’s club in Monterey Bay plays in the 6,000-seat Cardinale Stadium on the California State University campus and the interest in having a nearby entertainment district facilities such at Santa Rosa Junior College or Sonoma State University are unlikely to meet the needs of a professional team Santa Rosa and USL have begun evaluating sites across the city and league officials have been in town familiarizing themselves with the region One potential site has already emerged: the Sonoma County Fairgrounds Located near Highway 101 and Highway 12 just outside the city center the fairgrounds features an open-air arena golf course and large lawn area across 200 acres During a discussion among members of a city and county group eyeing the creation of a new tax district downtown city planning chief Gabe Osburn said developers the development of sports venues is shifting from city outskirts to more urban areas The fairgrounds are centrally located and would provide the necessary land for a project of this type said the organization is excited about the possibility but has not been formally approached by the city or USL The proposal emerges as the Sonoma County Fair Board announced in April they were canceling the nearly 90-year tradition of horse racing for the 2025 season “We’re certainly curious to hear more about this as it unfolds,” Daly said then it’s something we should definitely consider.” Osburn noted there are other potential locations Two key questions are who will own and manage the site and how will it be paid for Any project is likely to take community buy-in and private investment “These projects can only get done with a private-public partnerships,” Papadakis said “They’re just too big and complicated and require so many different stakeholders to be all private and the size of the projects we want are just too big to do by ourselves.” management structures and financing plans vary across the league In Modesto, city and league officials have identified options, including redeveloping a city-owned property, and estimate a project could cost between $125 million and $150 million, according to an update provided to the council. Potential financing options include bonds or other tax revenues In Boise, one of the other markets Santa Rosa is studying, Boise Pro Soccer broke ground in March on a new 6,200-seat stadium at a former horse racing track at the fairgrounds Construction is being paid for by the team’s investors $150,000 lease with the county for the land Santa Rosa and United Soccer League will explore various stadium ownership management and operation structures and analyze public and private financing options as part of the negotiations The city and USL could tap into local taxes Funding could also come from the proposed downtown tax district a portion of property taxes generated downtown would be used to pay for infrastructure improvements and other projects aimed at revitalizing the city center A preliminary financing plan presented on April 2 to the board of city and county officials set aside a portion of the funds for what planning officials described as a catalyst project like a sports Any public investment could be a big bet for the city at a time of financial uncertainty with declining sales tax revenue and budgetary upheaval at the state and federal levels It also raises questions about who is on the hook if the project is unprofitable League officials will begin engaging with potential investors who would own the team and could secure franchise and stadium rights The proposal has already generated significant buzz said Santa Rosa’s long-term economic development strategy calls for creating a vibrant and economically sustainable city A sports and entertainment hub could play a critical role and we’re looking at other cities where this has been done correctly can help to drive not only business growth but can help to bring community together,” he said New dollars could have a domino effect on businesses beyond the stadium area leading to more travel through the local airport and spending regionwide as teams and fans travel to Santa Rosa for games head coach of the Santa Rosa Junior College women’s soccer team said coaching staff and players are eager to see professional soccer in Santa Rosa Chaidez said local interest has exploded over the years from youth to adult leagues A local team would be a boon to the soccer community and could provide opportunities for local players to continue their career at a professional level at home to Sacramento or the East Bay to watch or play,” she said is a nod to what the soccer community has done for the entire Santa Rosa and Sonoma County area and it would take the soccer world around here to the next level and be really exciting.” You can reach Staff Writer Paulina Pineda at 707-521-5268 or paulina.pineda@pressdemocrat.com It is the largest one-day chicken barbecue west of the Mississippi The Sonoma County 4-H ChickenQue is a long held tradition (64 years and counting) and is the largest one-day chicken barbecue west of the Mississippi It’s not too late to get your meal tickets to this event running from 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m Sunday at Saralee and Richard’s Barn at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds along with live music and a must-visit cake table where you can purchase slices or whole cakes made by 4-H members and their families Buy meal tickets online at pdne.ws/4lG1NIr to pick up at will-call You can also purchase tickets at the Sonoma County 4-H office and Lunardi Electric All proceeds benefit 4-H programs for Sonoma County’s 900 youth members Nothing says spring like rosé in your glass which is exactly what you’ll get at Pink Sonoma’s Rosé Fest from noon-3 p.m the event features more than two dozen wineries serving their prettiest pink pours paired with bites from Classic Culinaire catering Guests are encouraged to wear pink attire. Tickets are $93 and can be purchased at pdne.ws/4lMlVcg an organization that advocates for diversity A house located at 504 Heavy Court in Santa Rosa has a new owner The $710,000 purchase price works out to $514 per square foot The lot of the property covers an area of 6,825 square feet Other houses have recently been purchased nearby: A 1,690-square-foot house built in 1973 has changed hands The property located at 5074 Dupont Court in Santa Rosa was sold on Feb The $615,000 purchase price works out to $364 per square foot The lot of the property covers an area of 6,400 square feet Additional houses that have recently been purchased close by include: A house located at 2173 Nectarine Drive in Santa Rosa has a new owner The layout of this two-story house consists of three bedrooms and one bath The property's lot measures 2,800 square feet square feet in area Other houses have recently changed hands nearby: #spch.spch.s2tb-h .spchc {\n background: #fff;\n box-sizing: border-box;\n box-shadow: 0 2px 6px rgb(0 0 0 / 20%);\n height: auto;\n margin: 0;\n min-width: 100%;\n overflow: hidden;\n padding: 24px 115px;\n }\n#spch.spch.s2tb .spchc .inner-container #spch.spch.s2tb-h .spchc .inner-container {\n opacity: 1;\n transition: opacity 0.318s ease-in;\n }\n#spch.spch.s2tb .spchc .inner-container .text-container "I'm happy to see all the guys now as that's starting to happen a lot here in this room and we are a big family in there It's exciting and you see it in their eyes when they show up But it does remind you that life moves quickly trying to stay in the moment and enjoy every day because they do go by quick." — Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) May 5, 2025 which starts on Tuesday at Capital One Arena Be sure to check out the Carolina Hurricanes 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Hub for all postseason stories Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story 1 seed in the East and the second-best record in franchise history with the same core that won 48 games the previous season On this episode of Good Word with Goodwill Vince and Kofie Yeboah react to the Golden State Warriors defeating the Houston Rockets in game 7 and preview the matchup with the Minnesota timberwolves James Harden's postseason struggles and Kofie's eulogy for a successful Detroit Piston's season GMs around the league face the media and a Turbo Mode weekend recap Start your week off right here at the Baseball Bar-B-Cast Here's what to know for the second-round matchup between the Timberwolves and Warriors Following San Diego's weekend sweep of the Pirates the hosts of "Baseball Bar-B-Cast" took a look at the Padres' strengths and weaknesses "But I think it passed the line of physicality." Brock Purdy could hit free agency after the 2025 NFL Season Who wins Thunder-Nuggets and Wolves-Warriors Sherrone Moore will reportedly be allowed to coach against Oklahoma in Week 2 Trent Alexander-Arnold said he'll always be a Liverpool fan in a video announcing his decision The Warriors successfully avoided blowing another 3-1 series lead on Sunday night smart money has Rodgers and the Steelers getting something done just before the June full-squad minicamp with one of the worst collective batting averages in the league The top-ranked golfer in the world held a 10-shot lead briefly on Sunday while wrapping up a dominant week in Texas Caglianone appears to be an immediate upgrade to the Royals' lineup But what hasn't been decided is who advances to stay alive in the race for the NBA championship -- A Freeport man was arrested who was arrested for driving under the influence after a series of disruptive incidents in Santa Rosa Beach on Friday allegedly wiped feces all over a jail cell according to the Walton County Sheriff's Office Deputies say they responded to a call about a heavily intoxicated man harassing patrons at a Grayton Beach restaurant on Friday identified as 47-year-old Jason Lavar Buchanan Deputies say Buchanan was reportedly driving by the restaurant Deputies discovered a firearm within arm's reach in his vehicle Buchanan was confrontational and refused to exit the car leading deputies to use a Taser on him multiple times Buchanan continued his disruptive behavior at the jail smearing feces on the glass window and door Buchanan was charged with driving under the influence and obstruction without violence His criminal history includes a previous DUI conviction and multiple obstruction-related charges He is currently being held in Walton County Jail on a $5,000 bond KQED Live EventsPRX Podcast Garage EventsEvents Around the Bay AreaMember Benefits with KQED LiveVideos from KQED LiveWatch recordings of recent KQED Live events FeaturedThat's My WordAn ongoing exploration of Bay Area hip-hop history See Senior Director of TV Programming Meredith Speight’s recommendations from this month’s KQED 9 Watch recordings of recent KQED Live events Support KQED by using your donor-advised fund to make a charitable gift The Press Democrat’s former printing facility in Rohnert Park on April 11 The sale of the Sonoma County papers to the owner of San José Mercury News and East Bay Times was a surprise twist in a plan to initially sell to SF Chronicle-owner Hearst The Santa Rosa Press Democrat and sister publications have been acquired by the MediaNews Group the nation’s largest private newspaper operator — and not media conglomerate Hearst said the newsroom was “stunned” by the sale which staff learned about in an email from the MediaNews Group — a newspaper publisher owned by investment firm Alden Global Capital — and not from management “We have a lot of questions,” Barber told KQED “We’re a pretty optimistic group by nature and we certainly want to make the most of this and hope for the best but it’s going to open up a period of uncertainty for us.” managing member of Sonoma Media Investments — which owns the North Bay papers — said a viable independent local press was vital to the North Bay community its staff and most importantly the public will be best served under the stewardship of MediaNews Group with the newspaper expertise and financial resources necessary to carry on our mission of delivering the highest-caliber local journalism for future North Bay generations,” Anderson said The announcement was the latest twist in a winding plan to find a new owner for the paper which has been under local ownership since 2012 Earlier this month, The Press Democrat’s staff faced a difficult choice of waiving their union contract in order to make the Hearst deal possible While the union had concerns that Hearst would not recognize their current contract Barber said staff were pressured into signing a memorandum of understanding so that the deal could be made the next communication that we get is that we’re being sold to Alden,” Barber said While it is not clear what happened to the deal with Hearst or why the sale to MediaNews Group went through Barber said that the newsroom was told that all jobs at The Press Democrat and its sister publications were secure and staff would be allowed to maintain their current union contracts While that news was a “great relief,” Barber said which also includes Bay Area papers like the San Jose Mercury News and East Bay Times in its portfolio has earned a reputation among journalists for buying distressed newspapers and gutting their ranks the papers were in local hands for nearly a century “We’ve all enjoyed our independence and our collaboration as a small cluster of publications,” Barber said The Santa Rosa Press Democrat garnered a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for its tenacious coverage of wildfires in Sonoma County “We are honored to bring a newspaper of this quality into MediaNews Group,” said Frank Pine “We appreciate the importance of local news and information to the communities where we publish and are proud to expand our commitment to Northern California in the North Bay.” KQED’s Natalia Navarro contributed to this report Correction: The description of Alden Global Capital has been updated To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy. The Pirates Welcome Natalia Hall-Rosa for 2025-265/1/2025 11:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball Rosemarie de la Rosa will discuss health impacts of chemical and psychosocial stressors framework applications and implications for health equity de la Rosa is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences at the School of Public Health at the University of California de la Rosa’s research examines how early-life social environments influence biological responses to pollution and environmental exposures in diverse communities Please use this link to register for the seminar: RSVP Link This program is open to all eligible individuals Keck School of Medicine of USC operates all of its programs and activities consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination Eligibility is not determined based on race Congratulations to Pensacola High School’s Molly Amjad Amjad is this week's Escambia and Santa Rosa County High School Student of the Week Runner up Austin Jackson finished in second with 31.57 percent of the vote A new week of voting will start on Tuesday Here's the nomination submitted for Amjad and details on the other nominees: a standout International Baccalaureate (IB) senior at Pensacola High School exemplifies the spirit of academic excellence Molly has balanced a challenging course load while remaining deeply engaged in extracurricular activities and community service Molly is an award-winning scholar and an active member of clubs such as NHS where she has competed and placed at the state and national levels She’s also a varsity athlete on the girls' golf team competing at the regional level as a top player on her team she co-founded a Bible study group and serves as a leader in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Her passion for healthcare shines through her involvement in HOSA her Entrepreneurship and Small Business certification and a research-based Extended Essay exploring Alzheimer’s disease a service project providing care packages to NICU mothers demonstrating both compassion and initiative and heart for others make her an inspiring representative for Pensacola High School and a deserving nominee for Student of the Week Escambia High School - Grady RabbysmithGrady Rabbysmith 12th grade: Grady Rabbysmith is a 12th Grade student at Escambia High School He is currently enrolled in AP English Literature and Composition Harvey explained it best by stating “Grady always has a great attitude He is definitely a positive addition to our AP Biology classroom and is a great role model for younger students.” In addition to being a great student academically Coach Garrett explained that “Grady demonstrates outstanding leadership skills and a great work ethic for Escambia tennis he has improved as a tennis player and demonstrates this work ethic to our younger players daily.” Grady is a positive student and always friendly with his classmates His teachers speak highly of Grady in every aspect Klein-Burson stated that he “stands out as an exceptional student whose work ethic and leadership qualities make a lasting impact both in the classroom and on the field Whether he's balancing academics or pushing himself in athletics and quiet determination make him a role model among his peers Grady’s dedication and character truly reflect the spirit of a Student of the Week.” Northview High School - Aadan AdamsAadan Adams ninth grade: Aadan Adams is a 9th grade student at Northview High School He has passed his industry certification in business as well as 3 certifications as it relates to employability for the future He is always eager to learn new things and has a can-do attitude when he comes into the classroom He is an inspiration to his fellow classmates because of how hard he works in class and his great attitude 12th grade: Her teacher noted that she is a hard worker and she always fully participates in class She is generous with her time and skills with other students She is always willing to help in the classroom Her teachers noted that she is known for her strong work ethic in relation to the completion of her assignments and she is willing to demonstrate respectful and responsible behavior in the classroom setting She is a senior and she is looking forward to graduating from high school; her teacher reports that she is the type of student with that “ I can do it” attitude towards her classes and studies; and because of this I have no doubt that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to An attitude like that can change the world it’s clear that you take pride in your work The confidence you have in your academics is impressive Tate High School - Kingston HirschKingston Hirsch 12th grade: Kingston truly deserves to be the Student of the Week because he consistently demonstrates a positive attitude and a genuine love for learning Kingston’s kindness and respect are evident in his interactions with others always showing politeness and consideration One of the most remarkable qualities is his thoughtful gesture of choosing a classmate every Friday to write positive notes about for his Free Write Friday journal This act of kindness not only uplifts his peers but also fosters a supportive and encouraging classroom environment Kingston regularly checks in to ask how I’m doing showing his empathy and care for those around him His positive influence in the classroom is truly inspiring 11th grade: We are pleased to nominate Austin Jackson Austin has consistently pushed and challenged himself academically across all disciplines earning a 3.9 unweighted and a 4.5 weighted GPA thus far which is illustrated by the fact that he constructed a functional model of a swing bridge "Austin constructed a working swing bridge that was scaled down to accommodate transportation of the bridge to school This bridge is an excellent example of a moveable bridge that would allow water traffic to ingress and egress from bays and inlets into other protective bodies of water Although few of these bridges remain in our area his product is a great example of the history of moveable bridges." Additionally "Austin Jackson is a highly motivated and extremely dedicated young man His positive attitude combined with his eagerness to learn make him a pleasure to teach and is very respectful to teachers and peers Austin has a gift for understanding advanced mathematical concepts and ideas He is exactly what I look for in an AP Calculus student He is engaged – leaning forward soaking in everything I have to offer His questions are insightful and forward thinking He boldly responds to questions I ask the class This engagement in a calculus class is crucial He is a team player – not only willing but excited to help his peers who may not grasp concepts as readily." Finally his AP English teacher offers this comment " Austin is a conscientious student who has a great curiosity a desire "to know." He also has great integrity and values honesty and his faith." In short Austin Jackson goes about life in the most West Florida Way possible A 1,250-square-foot multi-unit house built in 1997 has changed hands The property located at 995 Kingwood Street in Santa Rosa was sold on April 17 The $490,000 purchase price works out to $392 per square foot The lot of the property covers an area of 3,410 square feet A hearing in the case brought by Allred is set for next month Another case against the Santa Rosa private school has settled A high-profile sexual harassment lawsuit against Sonoma Academy two former teachers and a former administrator is still making its way through court more than two years after a dozen female graduates of the school alleged rampant abuse while they attended the Santa Rosa college prep high school The civil complaint, filed in December 2022 by well-known attorney Gloria Allred’s law firm, is the most sweeping detailed and explosive of several civil cases that alleged the campus and its leaders failed to protect female students from staff misconduct over nearly two decades “We are still fighting for justice,” Allred said in an email to The Press Democrat last week The lawsuit accuses former humanities teachers Marco Morrone and Adrian Belic of inappropriate conduct toward students that included grooming Much of Allred’s lawsuit cites findings outlined in a 49-page independent investigation paid for by the school and made public in November 2021 by New York-based firm Debevoise & Plimpton concluded Morrone had acted inappropriately with 34 students during his 18-year tenure at Sonoma Academy The suit alleges additional details that, if true, fill out the investigators’ findings against Belic, an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker who taught a film course at the school in 2004. School investigators found he had fostered a sexual relationship with two students educators do not need state licensing to teach at private schools Morrone “self-revoked” his California teacher’s credential in 2022 while the allegations were pending According to Sonoma County Superior Court records the lawsuit has had several “case management conferences“ this spring Another such case conference is scheduled for May 13 with Superior Court Judge Patrick Broderick Attorneys listed in court documents for Morrone Durgin and Dwight did not respond to email requests for comment It’s unclear if Belic is still a defendant in the lawsuit Judge Broderick ruled that Belic was not properly served his lawsuit summons under the state code of civil procedure Though Belic is named in the third amended complaint Allred ― who has brought sex-abuse cases against Harvey Weinstein Sean “Diddy” Combs and others ― declined to comment about Belic Her lawsuit is one of at least filed after abuse allegations became public following a Press Democrat investigation in 2021. A third amended complaint in her case was filed in Sonoma County Superior Court on Aug Her suit cites “repeated failure … to protect underage (Sonoma Academy) students from the pervasive inappropriate mental and physical abuse and sexual misconduct of certain members of its faculty and staff.” It also accuses administrators of engaging in a “cover-up of incidents of sexual assault and sexual harassment of … female students by … faculty and male students.” Current Sonoma Academy Head of School Tucker Foehl could not be reached for comment about the Allred lawsuit said in an email Wednesday “we are not able to comment at this time.” a class action case seeking tuition refunds for alums who felt they were misled about their safety was dismissed by a trial court last summer a San Diego-based attorney representing those student alums Schack said the trial court ruled the parents did not have standing to sue because they were not directly affected by the “pervasive inappropriate conduct.” Schack said his firm appealed a case but got a similar ruling He said he hired a longtime California Supreme Court clerk to review the case and on Tuesday the clerk filed a petition for the state Supreme Court to review the case can happen anytime within the next 90 days,” Schack said in an email Schack is also the attorney behind a separate lawsuit filed in December 2021 the first case brought by a former Sonoma Academy student over staff misconduct and abuse That suit names as defendants Sonoma Academy It was filed on behalf of a former student alleging that the student experienced sexual abuse and harassment in the educational setting among other alleged civil rights violations which initially sought $2 million in financial damages ended with a confidential settlement two years ago Schack said this week he could not comment on the details of the settlement You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com The property located at 2015 Bay Meadow Drive in Santa Rosa was sold on April 18 The $695,000 purchase price works out to $535 per square foot has an interior space of 1,300 square feet The layout of this two-story house includes three bedrooms and one bath The property is situated on a lot spanning 4,333 square feet Additional houses that have recently changed hands close by include: A 2,632-square-foot house built in 1988 has changed hands The spacious property located at 332 Miramonte Way in Santa Rosa was sold on April 16 The $1,425,000 purchase price works out to $541 per square foot The layout of this single-story home includes two bedrooms and one bath The lot of the property covers an area of 0.4-acre These nearby houses have also recently changed hands: Organizers across the United States have framed this year’s protests as a pushback against what they called a sweeping assault on labor protections diversity initiatives and federal employees Lea el artículo en español aquí. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world turned out Thursday for rallies marking International Workers’ Day many united in anger over President Donald Trump’s agenda — from aggressive tariffs stoking fears of global economic turmoil to immigration crackdowns thousands of people joined planned rallies in Sonoma and Napa counties at least 300 people gathered Thursday afternoon outside the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Mexican and state of California flags and toting dozens of signs “Justice for immigrants,” “100 Days of Hell,” “Bring back federal workers,” “No DICtator,” “Abolish ICE,” “Democracy not oligarchy” and “Hands Off our Immigrant Neighbors!” the group then marched to Old Courthouse Square downtown where they joined hundreds of others as they listened to music and planned speakers “America was built on all of us coming from other places,” said Mary Pappas as she made her way down Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa with the procession People with signs lined Third Street on the square awaiting the arrival of the walking masses “The abuse and criminal behavior,” Pappas said “They are pulling people out of their homes members of The Hubbub Club band of Sebastopol played tunes as the marchers approached from the north passing drivers honked in support of protest signs that displayed Trump’s face and called for “No Kings!” Thursday’s action and rally on the square was about building connections to protect vulnerable communities from the Trump administration’s actions whether that is deportations or dialing back long-established LGBTQ+ protections “I’m hoping to get connected to more people to be safe,” she said “You are not safe unless you are connected and plugged in you are not safe and that community needs to stand up for you as a trans woman standing up for immigrants,” she said the usual afternoon traffic flowed along the East Washington Street corridor as more than 70 protesters gathered on the south side of the freeway overpass Passing cars — traveling beneath the Highway 101 overpass and along the east-west city street — honked continuously in support of the group Some of the protesters held signs that read “Tariffs Cause Job Losses,” “Save Social Security,” and “Eat the rich.” said many of the participants are “unhappy” with the current the Trump administration He underscored that “May Day is about workers.” People decried the administration’s cuts to funding for scientific research while still others said Trump’s actions are threatening the U.S "A lot of us have been feeling overwhelmed and wondering what the heck we can do in Petaluma we haven't had any events that we could easily get to so I thought that this would be a nice way for people to be able to express their feelings about the horrible regime in Washington," Little said about 200 people turned up at Veterans Memorial Park to protest sang along to a protest song and marched around the city’s downtown bridges waving signs to passing motorists who honked in support Protester Denise Faciani said she’d been at several major protests recently and the potential loss of due process rights is a huge reason people need to be protesting now She referenced the high-profile abduction and deportation of Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador by the Trump administration saying that it was important to stand up for due process rights for moral and constitutional reasons Others spoke to the pressures face by immigrants and immigrant workers Napa City Council member Bernie Narvaez said in a speech that he couldn’t help but think of his own parents on International Workers’ Day who immigrated to the United States from Mexico to build a better future “International Workers’ Day is not just any day,” Narvaez said The Associated Press and Press Democrat staff writers Kerry Benefield Edward Booth and Jennifer Sawhney contributed to this report which owns or manages 68 daily newspapers and more than 300 weekly publications throughout the U.S Lea el artículo en español aquí. Sonoma Media Investments, parent company of The Press Democrat, Sonoma Magazine and five other North Bay publications, is being acquired by MediaNews Group Denver-based MediaNews is part of Alden Global Capital which owns or manages 68 daily newspapers and more than 300 weekly publications throughout the United States The company and its affiliates comprise the largest privately held network of newspapers in the country MediaNews has a wide presence in California including the San Jose Mercury News and the San Diego Union-Tribune New York Daily News and other storied titles Sonoma businessman and lobbyist Darius Anderson did not return a phone call Thursday seeking comment But in a statement Anderson co-signed with former SMI CEO Steve Falk the two said the “economic challenges” facing media companies today are greater than what they were in 2012 when Anderson joined several local investors in purchasing The Press Democrat “This is particularly true for local media like ours,” Anderson and Falk wrote “It has become difficult for a small group of local investors to guarantee the paper’s long-term future.” Sonoma Media Investments’ largest publication when the Sonoma Democrat was sold to Ernest L The company was locally owned for nearly a century before it was sold to The New York Times Company in 1985 The Times sold the newspaper to Halifax Media Holdings led by California businessman Darius Anderson wife of famed “Peanuts” cartoonist Charles Schulz; former Dolby Labs CEO Bill Jasper; Norma Person widow of late PD publisher Evert Person; former Intel Executive Vice President Les Vadasz; and former Citigroup executive Sandy Weill offering 7-day home newspaper delivery there and changing its tagline to “the voice of Sonoma and Napa counties — and the North Bay.” News of the sale came to SMI employees in an email Thursday afternoon in advance of the formal announcement MediaNews Group said in the email that the purchase of SMI will allow the company to “advance its stewardship in California as the largest provider of news and information across the state.” Besides the Mercury News and Union-Tribune the group also owns the Orange County Register East Bay Times and Marin Independent Journal The purchase came as a surprise to many SMI employees including members of the union representing SMI journalists Pacific Media Workers Guild Local 39621 for weeks had been told that SMI ownership was negotiating a sale with Hearst Corporation a majority of union members voted to waive their collective bargaining agreement to facilitate the sale to Hearst But ultimately SMI opted to sell to MediaNews which will keep the collective bargaining agreement intact Press Democrat visual journalist Christopher Chung noted Alden’s reputation for cutting jobs within its newsrooms The company also has been criticized by media industry observers for its staffing decisions “Clearly money was more important to him than his commitment to local community journalism,” Chung said Press Democrat investigative reporter Phil Barber told KQED he was relieved the collective bargaining agreement will remain but that members “have a lot of questions” about the way the sale to MediaNews came together “We’re a pretty optimistic group by nature but it’s going to open up a period of uncertainty for us,” he said Anderson said that “We believe that the newspaper with the newspaper expertise and financial resources necessary to carry on our mission of delivering the highest-caliber local journalism for future North Bay generations.” a former Press Democrat columnist and longtime reporter expressed hope that MediaNews Group will continue to invest in The Press Democrat and its other publications Coursey was a journalist at The Press Democrat when it was purchased in the mid-1980s by The New York Times which modernized the newspaper and invested heavily into its operations including the construction of a now-defunct printing plant in Rohnert Park who was a longtime president of the paper’s guild face far greater competition and economic challenges now than they did in the 1980s But he said he hopes The Press Democrat will continue to be a “paper that puts a high value on local news and serious coverage of serious issues.” said in the news release that The Press Democrat’s new owners intend to do just that “We are honored to bring a newspaper of this quality into MediaNews Group,” Pine said “We appreciate the importance of local news and information to the communities where we publish and are proud to expand our commitment to Northern California in the North Bay.” You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com The joint news release by Sonoma Media Investments and MediaNews Group is below Santa Rosa, Calif., May 2, 2025 — Sonoma Media Investments, owner of The Press Democrat, has reached an agreement to sell the newspaper and its sister publications to MediaNews Group the nation’s largest private operator of newspapers independent local press was vital to our North Bay community with the newspaper expertise and financial resources necessary to carry on our mission of delivering the highest-caliber local journalism for future North Bay generations,” said Darius Anderson managing member of Sonoma Media Investments MediaNews Group has a major Bay Area presence with its ownership of the San Jose Mercury News and the East Bay Times The company owns 68 daily newspapers in major cities across the country Denver and Orlando as well as another seven larger-market dailies through Tribune Publishing MediaNews Group publishes more than 300 weekly papers across the U.S The sale to MediaNews Group includes a provision that honors the existing contract with the Pacific Media Workers Guild the union that represents the editorial staff “We are honored to bring a newspaper of this quality into MediaNews Group,” said Frank Pine The Press Democrat is one of the most respected local news organizations in the country The paper’s editorial staff has consistently produced some of the nation’s best local reporting including earning a Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting in 2018 for coverage of the Tubbs Fire Anderson formed Sonoma Media Investments in 2012 with local community leaders to preserve and revitalize local journalism in the North Bay at a time when it was uncertain if The Press Democrat would survive The group invested significantly in the newsroom and acquired (and started) other North Bay publications Sonoma County Gazette and the Spanish-language La Prensa Sonoma “This has never been a business venture for me or my fellow investors as much it has been an investment in ensuring there is a trusted voice that informs and reflects the diverse voices of the North Bay,” Anderson said “I am grateful to my fellow investors for putting their resources and reputations on the line to the newsroom staff for their dedication to the mission and to the North Bay community for their support.” “I am immensely proud of what we’ve accomplished including a Pulitzer Prize – an award that is rarely earned by a publication of our size These results are a tribute to the dedication and hard work of our editorial staff on behalf of the community about which we care so much,” he said Santa Rosa Plaza officials have so far declined to say why the statue was being removed or whether new artwork would take its place Lea el artículo en español aquí. A 7.5-ton marble hand that has become a defining symbol of downtown Santa Rosa was removed from Santa Rosa Plaza Friday morning after sitting at the mall’s B Street entrance for nearly three decades Crews used a crane and gently lowered the sculpture Agraria onto a large flatbed truck padded with rubber tires at 7:30 a.m Watch video of the removal below: The sculpture is headed north to Geyserville and will be installed at the corner of Geyserville Avenue and Highway 128 president of the Geyserville Community Foundation The foundation will cover the costs of relocation and constructing a new base for Agraria the Geyserville Chamber of Commerce and the town’s Kiwanis Club Read more about the statue’s relocation and its history in downtown Santa Rosa here. Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application she was the daughter of the late Earnest and Rosabell Fields She was also preceded in death by her husband Herbert "Ronnie" Moody; daughter Rosa was a dedicated mother and grandmother an active member of Mount Poole Baptist Church in Ford and an avid supporter of numerous charities She was a Certified Nursing Assistant who retired after many years of working with the State of Virginia and Tomeika Moody Fox (Jermaine); grandchildren and Joseph "Buck" Fields (Bertha); sisters Lillie Mae Holcomb and Ernestine Manley (Jake); brothers-in-law A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Rosa was passionate about supporting wounded U.S donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Sheldon Flinn planted peanuts on 75 acres in Santa Rosa County's Allentown community April 28 for what he believes will be the last time "This is probably our last year out there," he said "Obviously we're under a lot of pressure from developers It has really impacted farmers and the farming community," said Trent Matthews Santa Rosa's district conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service "It's hard even trying to get down the road in a tractor." He wasn't the first to suggest moving the county's rural protection zone south to help protect farmers from development pressure but this year he has successfully lobbied his fellow board members to bring the concept to a vote A public hearing will be held at the May 8 regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners to consider pushing an existing Rural Protection Zone approximately four miles south from its present location at County Road 182 A new southern boundary will be established along a line that on the west side of the county designates the border between the Pace and Allentown fire districts and the Allentown and Skyline fire districts "This would be more of an actual line," Rowell said who has been critical at times of the arbitrary nature of the existing Rural Protection Zone Plans call for a "transition zone" to be designated to extend one mile below the new rural protection zone to allow a smooth transition from urban to rural space Agricultural experts present annual reports to the County Commission to remind them of the importance of the farmland National Agricultural Statistics Service and University of Florida statistics collected for the County Commission last year showed 752 farms in Santa Rosa County 9,526 people employed in businesses associated with farming and nearly $90 million in annual revenue generated from livestock and crop production Eight row crops make up the county's primary inventory with peanuts and cotton by far the most popular Santa Rosa County battles neighboring Escambia County most years to place second behind Jackson County for the state's highest yields of both peanuts and cotton In 2023 it was estimated Santa Rosa had 17,485 acres dedicated to cotton production and harvested 11 million pounds holding a gross value of $8.9 million Two of Florida's four cotton gins are found in Santa Rosa County There were 21,522 acres used for peanut production that same year and Santa Rosa County farmers harvested 24,406 tons of peanuts and made $12.8 million from doing so "We're approaching a billion dollar industry in the past decade in agriculture in Santa Rosa County," Santa Rosa's Conservation Program Coordinator Levi Blackmon told board members "In every year for the last 10 years we have had an average of at least $90 million in revenue." Ever encroaching developmentFlinn farms about 2,000 total acres with his father and grandfather in the Allentown community and the area around Pond Creek the family owns some of the land they raise crops upon and some of it like the 75 acres he presumes lost to development has gotten "horrible," and the farming economy in general is not good "It's not good and it hasn't been good for several years now," he said He said he could see a time when he is done farming and there is nobody coming along behind him to take his place harvesting the fields While he said he sees the value of protecting the agricultural economy it's hard to look past the lure of the kind of money developers interested in acquiring property are willing to pay "If I have all this land and can make a heck of a lot out of selling it "If you get a chance to make some pretty good money More: Farming in Santa Rosa is nearly a billion dollar industry. So why is it disappearing? Estimates of how much land will be added to the existing Rural Protection District with the proposed expansion range between 70,000 and 100,000 acres Matthews said that as large a swath of land as that seems to be it comprises just one-sixth of the total land area of the county The area brought into the Rural Protection Zone with the southerly slide of its border pushes the boundary into an area Matthews described as "currently rural but in some places on the fringe of where urban sprawl is happening." "There's kind of scattered development where farming is being impacted," he said pointing to 10 Mile Road in Chumuckla as one location where farmers are struggling mightily just to get access to their land but you can't get a tractor through it because people have built right up to the road," Matthews said "It's hard enough to get a pick up truck through there." Can forward thinking save the farmland?Matthews said that establishing and enforcing a rural protection zone will give county leaders breathing room to better plan for future growth and balancing the needs of a growing community and a long established agricultural culture "From my perspective it's really a positive," he said It's hoped we can slow it down and plan for the future what land use might look like in Santa Rosa County." Once the change to the boundary is established the County Commission will begin the process of establishing some framework by which to make the guiding principles for which it was established work in the real world The Rural Protection Zone presently exists as a separate document within the county's Land Development Code and according to County Commissioner Colten Wright Commissioners discussed at length at an April 21 meeting what language they would like to see added to the Rural Protection Zone document to give it some muscle Rowell said it will be important to ensure that no existing zoning will be changed as a result of adoption of the new boundary line and that the document not prevent smart growth and development around "crossroad communities" within the Rural Protection Zone would be based on an existing future land use plan "That's still allowing smart growth while preserving what we have in District 3," he said One thing he and other commissioners agreed they want to see eliminated is 70 foot lot lines Rowell suggested the lot lines within the Rural Protection Zone be extended to 125 or 150 feet Commissioner Bobby Burkett said that seeing an acre of land set aside for development on a lot 70-feet across "gets all over me." "It looks like you're trying to build on a basketball court Wright called the existing Rural Protection Zone "a document that contradicts itself." He said he does not favor rural zoning that limits home construction to one dwelling unit per acre and indicated he could get on board with development that provides for higher density housing but insists that at least 50% of a developed site be devoted to agriculture or conservation much as like was envisioned by the county's since-eliminated alternative subdivision provision Wright also said he wants to see provisions included to protect important waterways such as the Blackwater River and Pond Creek which was a proposal championed by Milton area resident John Szymoniak but this strengthening the Rural Protection Zone ordinances is going to be a very long term thing critical to the watersheds in this county," Szymoniak said The end of the 2024-2025 school year for students enrolled in Escambia County Public Schools and Santa Rosa County District Schools is just around the corner all school districts must have 180 teaching days according to the Florida Department of Education May 23 is the last day of classes for Escambia County Public Schools students May 29 is the last day of classes for Santa Rosa County District Schools students How did record snowfall impact the school schedule?On Jan. 21, a winter storm dumped an average of 7.27 inches of snow in Santa Rosa County with Milton receiving 10 inches Escambia County received an average of 7.55 inches of the snow which was initially scheduled a professional development day for teachers and staff Santa Rosa Schools also revised its spring semester calendar Students lost a “storm day” (and day off) on March 24 The date was originally a planning day for teachers but students were required to attend classes for half a day May 27 and 28 were also designated full days for Santa Rosa high school and middle school students The two days had originally been early release days because of final exams When do students go back to school?Students in both districts return to classes on Aug All activities are weather-dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather when traveling through a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway For more information visit the Florida Department of Transportation District Three on the web at www.nwflroads.com Copyright © document.currentScript.insertAdjacentHTML('afterend', '' + new Intl.DateTimeFormat(document.documentElement.lang, {year: 'numeric'}).format() + ''); Santa Rosa Press Gazette. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy Italy Provence of Frosinone to the late Gino and Maria Tomei Loving wife of Santino Ferrante for 56 wonderful years Dearest sister of Gabriella (Joseph) Marchioni Luigina Rellihen and Graziella (Jeff) Laswell Rachiel (Andy) Clay and great Nonna to Addy Christopher and also leaves behind many other nieces and nephews to cherish her memory The newspaper’s ownership picture had been in flux for weeks amid negotiations to sell to media conglomerate Hearst MediaNews Group swooped in and bought the paper a subsidiary of investment firm Alden Global Capital owns more than 100 newspapers across the country The Orange County Register and the Boston Herald but it has earned a reputation among journalists for buying distressed papers and gutting staff This week’s deal was for all of Sonoma Media Investments (SMI) a locally based ownership group that also included the Petaluma Argus-Courier and the Sonoma Index-Tribune a staff representative with the Pacific Media Workers Guild the union representing the Press Democrat’s editorial staff said he was disappointed in the lack of transparency around the sale Employees learned about the change in ownership through an email sent on Thursday “[We’re] disappointed in the way that the SMI owners went about doing business with MediaNews Group to complete that sale doing so without notifying us at all after we had spent months talking with them about the potential sale to Hearst,” he said “Not only are we disappointed in that part of it but also just concerned about what it means to lose local ownership.” The Press Democrat has been owned locally since 2012 As more local papers like it are sold to media conglomerates elected leaders want to put in some guardrails to protect local ownership This year, Assemblymember Alex Lee (D–Milpitas) introduced a bill known as the Keep News Independent Act, which aims to increase transparency around the sale of newspapers. AB 611 would require local media outlets to provide at least 120 days’ notice to staff and subscribers before a transaction is made “Local media outlets are embedded in our communities reporting on local issues that matter most to people,” Lee said in a statement to KQED “The notice will give newsroom staff and local communities the opportunity and time to approach the owners with alternatives to keep the outlet independently owned.” The Santa Rosa paper earned a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for its coverage of the Sonoma County wildfires It previously won a Pulitzer for photography in 1997 said a newspaper’s quality depends on its access to resources He said he has seen the newspaper shrink in its size and scope over the years as people move away from traditional media and toward internet publications “When the current owners bought the paper … it was seen as a good thing because local ownership generally means better local interest in the paper the reputation of Alden is that they don’t have a good reputation for building up newsrooms — in fact Press Democrat reporter Phil Barber told KQED that while his newsroom was “stunned” by the sale staffers were told all jobs at the newspaper were secure and that they would be allowed to maintain current union contracts The union’s current contract is valid through next August Coursey said he hopes that MediaNews Group’s reputation will not dictate how it treats future employees but that he and other readers will remain alert “People expect good local coverage from the Press Democrat,” he said but we’re all going to be watching very closely.” The new sandwich and salad shop in Montgomery Village will be the first Sonoma County location for the fast-casual restaurant chain Fast-casual restaurant Mendocino Farms will have its grand opening on May 13 in Santa Rosa’s Montgomery Village, according to its website. Originally started in 2005, Mendocino Farms now has over 60 locations in California, although this will be the chain’s first location in Sonoma County. The restaurant is known for its salads, sandwiches and soups. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Montgomery Village (@montgomeryvillageca) Montgomery Village first announced the restaurant was joining the center in August the shopping center announced skin care bar FACE FOUNDRIÉ and luxury makeup retailer Bluemercury were also coming to the center Several other new businesses are also occupying spots near Mendocino Farms, such as ice cream shop Salt & Straw and Blue Bottle Coffee café Across from the restaurant, women’s clothing brand Anthropologie will open in the former Talbots location. Dates for those openings have not been released yet. You can reach Staff Writer Melanie Nguyen at 707-521-5457 or melanie.nguyen@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @mellybelly119 Rosa Glombicki assistant director of regional recruitment in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions was named a recipient of the inaugural Courtney E Wallace Distinguished Service Award by the Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling The award recognizes IACAC members with a least 15 years of service who “serve and advocate for students and families with passion and integrity,” along with other criteria a Marquette counselor based in the Chicago area was one of four individuals to receive the honor was a dedicated college admission professional known for championing access to higher education encouraging younger admission professionals and uplifting voices “Courtney meant so much to the world of admissions and impacted countless students and other professionals,” Glombicki said “She is someone who mentored me throughout my career and I am incredibly proud to call her my friend and I am humbled to carry on her legacy in this way.” Take part in Baccalaureate Mass, May 10  Apply to join Les Aspin Washington, D.C., internship program by May 5  A Nurses Week reflection from Dean Jill Guttormson Bea had an artistic eye and enjoyed tie-dying She enjoyed shopping trips and going fishing She was a great baker and cook and made the best lasagnas and cheesecakes and Christine Garza; and many other loving relatives and friends She is preceded in death by her infant daughter; father followed by the funeral service at 2:00 P.M. Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The Bay Area will be bustling with labor actions on Thursday, with thousands of workers and activists expected to take to the streets and picket lines across the region on a May Day that more than 50 marches and strikes are slated to take place — among thousands nationwide — many taking aim at the Trump administration’s bold efforts to fundamentally reshape American government and society “We want to work freely,” said Socorro Diaz Diaz said she felt compelled to start organizing fellow workers when the administration launched its sweeping immigration crackdown “Our rights as immigrants are human rights and we want worker rights to be respected,” Diaz said Many demonstrations are being organized by May Day Strong a national coalition of more than 160 grassroots organizations united in their opposition to the administration’s right-wing policies on everything from immigration and labor issues to health care access and education demonstrators are planning to march in the late afternoon from City Hall to the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement office downtown to show “we are all together as a working class and that immigrant workers are the backbone of our economy,” said Maria Moreno an organizer for Jobs with Justice San Francisco “One historic thing that we’re doing this year is marching with every union in the city,” said Moreno predicting that many workers who have never marched before will be galvanized to show up this year “It’s to show solidarity across the movement.” Meanwhile, at UC Berkeley and UCSF, thousands of health care, research and technical workers are planning a one-day strike, accusing the University of California of unfair labor practices following last month’s announcement of a systemwide hiring freeze Some 60,000 workers in the UPTE-CWA 9119 and AFSCME Local 3299 — which includes social workers pharmacists and IT workers — are expected to walk off their jobs at all 10 UC campuses across the state — in what will be their fourth strike since November The two unions have negotiated unsuccessfully with the UC system for months over new contracts Both recently filed separate complaints to state workforce regulators alleging that UC failed to provide notice of the hiring freeze or allow the unions to bargain over it in advance UPTE’s president and chief negotiator said the stalled contract negotiations and hiring freeze come amid a severe shortage of frontline workers at UC medical centers and other facilities “Our workers have seen the impacts of short staffing for years now with clinical trials being canceled or paused clinics closing their doors to new patients students waiting longer and longer for appointments with therapists patients waiting longer and longer in emergency rooms,” he said Russell said UC’s hiring freeze was ostensibly prompted by the Trump administration’s bid to slash billions in federal grants to universities those cuts have so far been blocked by the courts “This is the university using ‘storm clouds’ on the horizon even though there have not been significant financial cuts yet as an excuse to deepen a crisis that they have created,” he said “As a way to hoard billions in reserves and expand their market share.” UC officials emphasized that the hiring freeze applies to future hires only and does not in any way impact the status of current employees They also said they have consistently tried to negotiate “mutually beneficial contracts” with both unions “We are disappointed by the union’s continued choice of striking as a negotiation tactic,” UC said in a statement “These strikes cost union members a full day of pay and they cost the University system millions of dollars This is especially harmful considering the current economic and fiscal uncertainty in higher education and nationally.” On a brighter note, the Oakland teachers union called off its planned May Day walkout after reaching a last-minute tentative deal with the city’s school district the Oakland Education Association said the district agreed to maintain contracts for 120 high school teachers whose hours would have been reduced in next year’s budget to shrink the district’s deficit whose roles would have been centralized after this year as part of the proposed budget cuts will also remain at their assigned school sites under the new $2.5 million deal with the Oakland Unified School District “This outcome reflects the power of educators standing together against cuts harmful to our goal of retaining experienced teachers in Oakland’s hardest-to-staff classrooms,” OEA President Kampala Taiz-Rancifer said The averted walkout would have been the fourth Oakland teachers’ strike since 2019 KQED’s Farida Jhabvala Romero and Katie DeBenedetti contributed reporting spiced aroma of daal — a slow-cooked lentil stew — floated through the air as hundreds of people poured into Santa Rosa’s new Sikh temple Sunday praying and celebrating a long-awaited dream fulfilled After years of gathering in a smaller space Sonoma County’s Sikh community officially opened its new home: the 12,000-square-foot Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara located at 792 Todd Road — now the largest gurdwara in the North Bay a kitchen to prepare free communal meals known as langar four classrooms and a backyard area on its 4-acre property it features entrances on all four sides to symbolize welcome to all the Sikh flag known as the Nishan Sahib and its sacred scripture “We built it as big as we could,” said Dilraj Singh Bhadare son of the man who helped finance the project The new gurdwara can fit up to 700 people at a time — a size meant not just to serve the current community “It’s not normal for us to not have a temple nearby it’s kind of the norm for most other towns,” he said “So I think people have been missing this.” paid for by $2.3 million in community donations about $5 million in loans and a significant personal contribution from Ajaib Singh Bhadare and his family he had planned to turn the property into a gas station — until his wife convinced him to invest in the community instead but we got through it with the encouragement from my wife my family and the community,” he said Sunday The opening celebration drew visitors from across California So many people arrived that parking spilled onto neighboring roads attended alongside families who shared free meals of daal chum chum and other foods while listening to prayers and music from the Guru Granth Sahib “A lot of family is new … we are really happy to see them,” said Rajni Thakur who volunteers in the gurdwara’s kitchen and prays there daily “Hopefully we see everybody every Sunday.” Serving and receiving free food is a fundamental practice in Sikhism — symbolizing equality and community the gurdwara’s opening marked not just a place to worship but a cultural homecoming Sonoma County’s Sikh community only had a small gathering place that couldn’t accommodate large weddings or funerals Larger gurdwaras were hours away in cities like Fremont and San Jose said it was bittersweet to leave the old space behind but feels the new temple represents a powerful step forward “That place was such a major part of all of our lives before,” Sharma said “But it also feels like we’re finally here We can respect the community and build as a community in a way we couldn’t before.” The gurdwara’s classrooms will also offer education on Sikhism and Punjabi language Ajaib Singh Bhadare said he hopes to also invite local schools to visit and learn about Sikh traditions — a way to counter misunderstanding and bias that have targeted Sikhs especially after the 9/11 terrorist attacks I would like to have schools come visit the temple share the meals with us and tell them about this religion,” Ajaib Singh Bhadare said For community members like Jaskaran Singh Sangha the new gurdwara is about more than worship — it’s about belonging “There’s a religious aspect to it and there’s a cultural aspect,” he said 8 a.m.): This story has been updated to correct the breakdown of the payment for the gurdwara You can reach Staff Writer Madison Smalstig at madison.smalstig@pressdemocrat.com Construction projects cause traffic delays: Here's what areas to avoid this weekPensacola News JournalMultiple Florida Department of Transportation projects will cause traffic disruptions in the upcoming week Here's a rundown on the highways and streets to avoid Escambia County trafficBeulah Road (State Road 99) Resurfacing from Mobile Highway (S.R 10A) to Isaacs Lane - Drivers will encounter intermittent lane closures on Beulah Road from Nine Mile Road to Mobile Highway May 4 through May 8 Signs will be in place to detour drivers around the work zone using Rebel Road Garden Street (Business U.S. 98) Construction from Pace Boulevard to the Interstate 110 (I-110) Ramp: The week of May 4 drivers may encounter the following construction related traffic disruptions: 98 (Gregory Street) Resurfacing from North Palafox Street to east of 14th Avenue: Drivers on Gregory Street intermittent lane closures May 4 through May 8 drivers may encounter intermittent lane closures on Pine Forest Road Interstate Circle Bridge Over Eight Mile Creek Construction: Interstate Circle is closed at the Eight Mile Creek Bridge through mid-2025 while crews replace the bridge Signs are in place to detour drivers around the work zone using Pine Forest Road Interstate 10 (I-10) at Nine Mile Road Interchange (Exit 5) Construction: Drivers will encounter the following construction related traffic disruptions: drivers will encounter the following construction-related traffic disruptions: Construction: I-10 construction project at U.S. 29 will last until 2030 90 Resurfacing from west of Avalon Boulevard to east of Stewart Street: Drivers may encounter intermittent U.S between Avalon Boulevard and Stewart Street May 4 through May 8 for shoulder work and placement of thermoplastic striping 90 Bridge Replacement over Simpson River: Drivers on U.S 90 may encounter intermittent lane closures over the Simpson River Bridge Drivers are reminded that the speed limit is 35 mph through the work zone from south of East Bay Boulevard (County Road 399) to Vonnie Tolbert Road: Drivers may encounter intermittent lane closures on S.R from East Bay Boulevard to Vonnie Tolbert Road May 4 through May 8 281 (Avalon Boulevard) Bridge Rehabilitation over Garcon Point Bridge: Motorists will encounter intermittent lane closures May 5 through May 9 from 9 a.m 98 Widening from Bayshore Road to Portside Drive: Motorists will encounter the following traffic impacts: Median and turn-lane closures from Bayshore Road to Tiger Lake Drive.Intermittent lane closures and additional median closures between Bayshore Road and Tiger Lake Drive May 4 98 Turn Lane Operations near Catamaran Drive: Drivers will encounter intermittent lane closures May 5 through May 22 from 8 p.m with protests calling out Trump administration policies around 200 marched Thursday afternoon from the Fruitvale BART Station to San Antonio Park “Even though the conditions that we are living in are frightening and terrifying a lot of our communities know that this is nothing new and that the constant escalation is something that we want to be prepared for and organized for,” said Priya Prabhakar Prabhakar said the Trump administration is not the root cause of struggles but rather the symptom of systems that are built to oppress people Organizers also drew parallels between rights for workers and immigrants and the push for a free Palestinian state Similar marches took place in San Francisco More than 50 marches and strikes were slated to take place on May Day also known as International Workers’ Day KQED’s Samantha Kennedy and Matthew Green contributed to this report After nearly 30 years as a downtown landmark Santa Rosa Plaza’s iconic Agraria sculpture is moving north Lea el artículo en español aquí. After nearly three decades at the heart of downtown Santa Rosa the 7.5-ton marble sculpture Agraria is being removed from the Santa Rosa Plaza — a move the mall has declined to fully explain as it eyes potential redevelopment near the site Created by artist Larry Kirkland in 1996, Agraria has served as a familiar downtown landmark: a giant white marble hand symbolizing Sonoma County’s agricultural heritage Inspired by a visit to the nearby Luther Burbank Home and Gardens designed the piece to honor generations of farmers who planted grew and harvested the food that helped shape the region “A lot of my pieces are landmarks in different communities,” Kirkland told The Press Democrat It’s supposed to give a sense of identity to a community because it’s unique.” The Santa Rosa Plaza declined to say why it was removing the sculpture, or whether new artwork would take its place. It also declined to comment on the long-stalled P.F. Chang’s project which proposed building a new driveway and parking spaces directly in front of the restaurant’s entrance on B Street — near the sculpture’s longtime location said officials were pleased to donate the piece to a new community “We are pleased to donate Agraria to the Geyserville Community Sculpture Trail where everyone can enjoy the sculpture’s beauty and story,” Nelson said “It was important to us that we received Larry Kirkland’s blessing to find a destination that is representative of his vision decades ago.” The mall’s silence about its broader plans has left some residents questioning why a familiar piece of Santa Rosa’s identity is quietly being moved out Despite the uncertainty surrounding its departure said the statue will be installed at the corner of Geyserville Avenue and Highway 128 “I’m sure that there’s a sense of loss down the road with this beautiful work of art coming north Cash said the foundation had been negotiating with the mall for about three years to secure the piece When he announced the move at a recent town meeting “You should have seen the enthusiasm,” he said how many people played on it as kids — there’s just a very enthusiastic response from the community to have it here in our town.” a rotating outdoor exhibition featuring dozens of pieces Cash said he hopes Agraria will remain a permanent feature in town “It’s a work of art that was designed to honor the agricultural heritage of Sonoma County,” he said “Where better to have it than at the heart of the agricultural community of Sonoma County?” Agraria wasn’t just a backdrop for celebration — it became a symbol during moments of community unrest The mall chose not to pursue legal action in either case Despite these turbulent moments — or perhaps because of them — Agraria became deeply woven into Santa Rosa’s public life reflecting both the region’s agricultural pride and its evolving civic identity Kirkland said he’s grateful that the sculpture will continue to have a home “It’s had its time in Santa Rosa,” he said we’re just going to throw it away,’ but instead they really looked at trying to save it -- Emotions are still high over on Ibis Road Developers are reporting thousands of dollars in damage to their equipment after a recent development on their project The company was building a connecting road between a new and existing neighborhood. Residents are standing firm saying they have nothing to do with the damage Project manager Cecil Sasser tells WEAR News this damage extends beyond the equipment impacting the livelihood of their employees Sasser says construction could be slowing down over on Ibis Road as Heaton Brothers Construction Company reports thousands of dollars in damage to their equipment "We're real not sure what exactly we're going to be able to fix," said Sasser "And we're not sure exactly what we're going to be able to necessarily do about it yet." The company’s attorney says vandalizers drilled holes into equipment sitting on the developers property The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office estimates more than $900,000 in damage Sasser says the company started working on a new subdivision near the Avalon Estates Community about a year ago He says the company noticed the vandalism after a recent development in the neighborhood "We didn't have any problems or any issues until we broke ground to break through into the Ibis Road section of it," said Sasser The sheriff's office says they received the report of vandalism on Monday telling WEAR News they did not want to make matters worse Multiple people say they had nothing to do with the vandalism they say the did not see any suspicious activity County Commissioner Colten Wright says the vandalism is "disgusting," regardless of who may have done it "If it's truly none of ya'll I would all band together and try to help in every way to find out who did it to prove that someone from your group is completely innocent," Wright said Sasser says the company was within its rights to construct a connecting road Residents say the project violates a long-standing agreement with the neighborhood the county revoked a portion of a development order that allowed the build putting barricades where a connecting road would have been Sasser says the company will move forward with legal action "We're not going to go past our property line but we'll continue the project and the rest of the way," Sasser said "And then we'll cross that bridge when we get there." the sheriff's office says they have not found a suspect related to the vandalism it's unclear how many machines were damaged Sasser tells WEAR News they will continue making progress on the subdivision with whatever functioning equipment they have Metrics details an endemic perennial herbaceous plant in China possesses significant medicinal value in traditional herbal practices the absence of a reference genome has hindered its development and utilization we present a chromosome-level de novo genome assembly of two haplotypes (Hap1 and Hap2) of R laevigata by integration of Hifi long reads and both of them were assigned to 7 chromosomes each The mapping rate of BGI short reads to the two haplotypes genome is approximately 99.26% and 99.23% and BUSCO assessment reveals that 98.6% and 98.7% of the genes are complete we predicted 43,480 and 41,251 protein-coding genes in two haplotype genomes laevigata enhances the genetic resources available for Rosa species and lays the groundwork for subsequent medicinal development Rosa plants are rich in a variety of compounds such as flavonoids and triterpenoids which have a variety of pharmacological effects such as antitumor laevigata has received limited research attention which has significantly hindered the development and utilization of its medicinal potential we have unveiled the whole-genome sequences of two haplotypes of R achieved through the integration of Pacbio hifi long reads Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) short reads and high-throughput chromatin conformation capture sequencing (Hi-C) reads The assembled genomes size were approximately 493 Mb and 479 Mb and were anchored to 7 pseudo-chromosomes The 2 haplotype genomes contained 43,480 and 41,251 protein-coding genes and 626 snRNAs in the Hap1 genome and 127 miRNAs This newly assembled genome provides a crucial resource for investigating the evolutionary history of Rosaceae studying the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds and exploring its potential medicinal value as a Chinese endemic plant laevigata plant specimens were collected from Gaopo Town Yuemei Zhao from Guizhou Education University Fresh leaves were sampled and immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored in −80 °C refrigerator until DNA/RNA extraction the pressed voucher specimens were numbered (collection number: Rla_00978) and deposited at the herbarium of Guizhou Education University the libraries were constructed by MGIEasy Universal DNA Library Prep Kit (MGI and sequenced on DNBSEQ-T7RS platform of GrandOmics (Wuhan and the raw paired-end reads (150 bp) were qualified by Fastp software with default parameters and acquired about 118.808 Gb clean reads These provided an estimated genome coverage of 236X and were utilized for both genome survey analysis and error correction during the genome assembly of R The library was constructed strictly following the method in the SMRTbell® prep kit 3.0 kit manual (Pacbio and sequenced on PacBio Revio equipment of GrandOmics (Wuhan Approximately 1.8 million Pacbio Hifi long reads totaling around 39.924 Gb with an N50 value of approximately 23 Kb were generated for de novo whole genome assembly A modified procedure, based on the protocol introduced by Belton et al.17 Fresh leaf tissue was initially fixed by immersing it in a formaldehyde solution The fixed tissues were then homogenized and centrifuged to isolate the nuclei Chromatin cross-linking was achieved through DpnII digestion followed by biotin labeling and ligation using T4 DNA ligase Protease digestion was used to break down the cross-linked DNA and proteins and the resulting purified DNA was fragmented into segments ranging from 300 bp to 700 bp DNA fragments containing interactions were selectively captured using streptavidin magnetic beads for library construction The concentration and quality of the library were evaluated using a Qubit 4 Fluorometer the Hi-C libraries were sequenced on the DNBSEQ-T7RS platform (BGI Inc. generating approximately 128.826 Gb of Hi-C data for the subsequent assembly of pseudochromosomes stems) were used for extraction of the total RNA through the TRIzol reagent following the protocol provided by the manufacturer The poly-A RNAs were enriched and reversely transcribed into the first cDNA using random primers and reverse transcriptase The synthesized double cDNA was used for construction of RNAseq libraries strictly according to the protocol provided by manufacturer (MGI the qualified libraries were sequenced on DNBSEQ-T7RS platform (MGI and the raw paired-end reads were qualified by Fastp program with default parameters laying the groundwork for subsequent genome annotation All library preparation and sequencing were conducted by Wuhan GrandOmics Technology Co (A) The heatmap shows all-by-all interactions among 7 chromosomes of R (B) Blocks on the outmost circle represent all 7 chromosomes of R Peak plots from outer to inner circles represent 7 chromosomes Annotation of protein-coding genes of the R (A) Annotation stastics of the haplotype 1 genome (B) Annotation stastics of the haplotype 2 genome These results collectively indicate a high level of genome assembly completeness for R All data processing commands and pipelines were executed in accordance with the instructions and guidelines provided by the respective bioinformatic software No custom scripts or code were used in this study Rosaceae) revisited: molecular analysis of nrITS-1 and atpb-rbcl intergenic spacer (IGS) versus conventional taxonomy Volatile components of tea-scented modern roses and ancient Chinese roses Plant Systematics & Evolution 266(1-2) Phylogeny and biogeography of wild roses with specific attention to polyploids A high-quality genome sequence of Rosa chinensis to elucidate ornamental traits A Review on the Phytochemical and Pharmacological Properties of Rosa laevigata: A Medicinal and Edible Plant Structural analysis and biological effects of a neutral polysaccharide from the fruits of Rosa laevigata Effects of flavonoids from Rosa laevigata Michx fruit against high-fat diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats Phenolic constituents from the roots of Rosa laevigata (Rosaceae)[J] Extraction and isolation of polyhydroxy triterpenoids from Rosalaevigata Michx fruit with anti-acetylcholinesterase and neuroprotection properties Yuan, J. Q. et al. New triterpene glucosides from the roots of Rosa laevigata Michx. Molecules. 13(9), 2229–37, https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules13092229 (2008) Functional starch and applications in food A Rapid DNA Isolation Procedure for Small Quantities of Fresh Leaf Tissue Hi–C: A comprehensive technique to capture the conformation of genomes Fastp: an ultra-fast all-in-one FASTQ preprocessor lock-free approach for efficient parallel counting of occurrences of k-mers GenomeScope 2.0 and Smudgeplot for reference-free profiling of polyploid genomes Haplotype-resolved de novo assembly using phased assembly graphs with hifiasm Fast and accurate de novo genome assembly from long uncorrected reads Pilon: an integrated tool for comprehensive microbial variant detection and genome assembly improvement Dudchenko, O. et al. De novo assembly of the Aedes aegypti genome using Hi-C yields chromosome-length scaffolds. Science 356, 92–95, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aal3327 (2017) Juicebox provides a visualization system for Hi-C contact maps with unlimited zoom RepeatModeler2 for automated genomic discovery of transposable element families Benchmarking transposable element annotation methods for creation of a streamlined TEclass-a tool for automated classification of unknown eukaryotic transposable elements a database of eukaryotic repetitive elements Using repeatMasker to identify repetitive elements in genomic sequences tRNAscan-SE 2.0: improved detection and functional classification of transfer RNA genes RNAmmer: consistent and rapid annotation of ribosomal RNA genes Infernal 1.1: 100-fold faster RNA homology searches Using native and syntenically mapped cDNA alignments to improve de novo gene finding Identifying bacterial genes and endosymbiont DNA with Glimmer Automated generation of heuristics for biological sequence comparison Graph-based genome alignment and genotyping with HISAT2 and HISAT-genotype Transcriptome assembly from long-read RNA-seq alignments with StringTie2 BRAKER2: automatic eukaryotic genome annotation with GeneMark-EP+ and AUGUSTUS supported by a protein database MAKER2: an annotation pipeline and genome-database management tool for second-generation genome projects Sensitive protein alignments at tree-of-life scale using DIAMOND InterProScan 5: genome-scale protein function classification Challenges in homology search: HMMER3 and convergent evolution of coiled-coil regions visualization and analysis in functional genomics research NCBI Sequence Read Archive https://identifiers.org/ncbi/insdc.sra:SRR32570793 (2025) NCBI Sequence Read Archive https://identifiers.org/ncbi/insdc.sra:SRR32570794 (2025) NCBI Sequence Read Archive https://identifiers.org/ncbi/insdc.sra:SRR32570795 (2025) NCBI Sequence Read Archive https://identifiers.org/ncbi/insdc.sra:SRR32570796 (2025) NCBI Genbank https://identifiers.org/ncbi/insdc.gca:GCA_049191285.1 (2025) NCBI Genbank https://identifiers.org/ncbi/insdc.gca:GCA_049191275.1 (2025) Zhang, R. The genome assembly annotation for the Rosa laevigata, figshare. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.28159286.v1 (2025) clone sequences and assembly contigs with BWA-MEM BUSCO: assessing genome assembly and annotation completeness with single-copy orthologs and phasing assessment for genome assemblies Quality assessment of gene repertoire annotations with OMArk Download references This work was funded by the Science and Technology Support Plan of Guizhou Province (Qiankehe Support [2021] General 253) These authors contributed equally: Rongxiang Zhang Laboratory of Plant Systematics and Evolutionary Biology School of Resources and Environmental Science Key laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education) College of Life Sciences/Institute of Agro-bioengineering contribute to the genome assembly and annotation contributed substantially to the revisions The final manuscript has been read and approved by all authors The authors declare no competing interests Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-05025-5 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science in the 800 block of Fourth Street near downtown Firefighters battled two different fires in Santa Rosa on Saturday — one at an apartment and one in the garage of a home The fires left both structures uninhabitable and left one firefighter with injuries the interim fire marshal at the Santa Rosa Fire Department The first blaze broke out in the garage of a home in the 1600 block of Ridley Avenue just before 12:40 p.m quickly spread to the roof of the house and partially collapsed the garage A firefighter battling the blaze sustained a minor injury and was transported to a local hospital for treatment Two families were displaced by the fire and the home sustained an estimated $200,000 in damage The second fire happened shortly after 2 p.m near downtown Santa Rosa and left a four-unit apartment building uninhabitable The blaze in the 800 block of Fourth Street The building was tagged “unsafe” at 3:10 p.m. Two of the four units sustained fire damage but the fire caused an estimated $600,000 in damages Investigators are actively working to determine the cause of both blazes Contact Staff Writer Anna Armstrong at 707-521-5255 or anna.armstrong@pressdemocrat.com