Sign In Subscribe Now That’s Rick Hugh’s message to fair-goers coming down for the pancake breakfast at the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair on Sunday morning Visitors can get into the Fairgrounds for free that morning for a donation to the Cloverdale Rodeo Youth Initiative Foundation (CRYIF).  Hugh is the 1st vice-president of the Cloverdale Rodeo and Exhibition Association He said fair-goers who attend the foundation’s pancake breakfast get good food and get to support a good cause at the same time “The pancake breakfast serves as an important fundraiser as it generates scholarship funds,” said Hugh "A lot of people come to the pancake breakfast and then carry on to Cowboy Church after that." (Cowboy Church begins at 10 a.m.) Entrance to the pancake breakfast runs from 9 - 9:45 a.m Hugh said the suggested donation minimum is $5 The money is used by CRYIF for scholarships and funding of other community service endeavours in the Lower Fraser Valley area He added this year they are taking a greater focus on those non-scholarship initiatives "Our number one mandate is to provide scholarship funds but we're looking again to assist other community organizations that benefit families and youth." Hugh noted CRYIF is also partnering with the Cloverdale Community Kitchen (CCK) this year on a pair of initiatives at rodeo to help raise money for CCK's outreach services.  "A lot of the proceeds from beverage container returns will go to CCK," he said sort of, re-creation of the Stardust roller rink days has free skates for a donation All donations for Roll-A-Rama again are going to CCK." Hugh said they'll have their regular pancake turners back for the breakfast with Turkey Kielesinski He said the location of the pancake breakfast has been moved for 2025 which will be located at the east side of the rec Hugh said longtime supporter Save-On-Foods is once again sponsoring the breakfast Since the inception of CRYIF several years ago the Foundation has provided more than $80,000 in scholarship money to local high school students as well as financial support to youth-focused programs in the Lower Mainland Two examples of programs CRYIF supports are “You Wear It Well,” which provides graduation wear to high school students who face financial challenges and “Hold High The Torch,” a project developed at École Salish Secondary School to recognize veterans for their service to Canada “The pancake breakfast has been a mainstay of the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair for a number of years,” he explained “It began as a way to involve our youth volunteers in one more way to give back to the community.” For more info on the Cloverdale Rodeo Youth Initiative Foundation, visit cloverdalerodeofoundation.com. For more info on the pancake breakfast, visit cloverdalerodeo.com Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines Dear Reader,Unfortunately our comment platform isn\'t available at the moment due to issues with our paywall and authentication vendor The man was a 58-year-old Potter Valley resident Authorities identified the man who died Thursday after a UTV he was riding crashed down the steep embankment of a private road north of Lake Sonoma and flipped was going an “unsafe speed” on a Honda Pioneer UTV and lost control on a curve near Cooley Ranch Road west of Cloverdale the California Highway Patrol said in a news release The vehicle hit a wire fence and overturned Firefighters from the Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District’s Geyserville unit were dispatched to the crash site around 9:40 p.m and CHP’s Santa Rosa office responded about 40 minutes later The Sonoma County Coroner’s Bureau identified Beeson CHP is continuing to investigate the crash and is asking that anyone with information call the Santa Rosa office at 707-806-5600 You can reach Staff Writer Madison Smalstig at madison.smalstig@pressdemocrat.com Cloverdale’s famous rodeo and fair returns May long weekend the Cloverdale Rodeo will celebrate its 77th anniversary and the Country Fair will celebrate its 134th This will be the third year in a row the rodeo and fair are back after three consecutive cancellations (The event was cancelled because of COVID in 2020 and 2021 and because of structural problems with the Stetson Bowl in 2022.) The Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair stormed back in 2023 and looks to eclipse last year's numbers in 2025 Kathy Sheppard told the Cloverdale Reporter president of the Cloverdale Rodeo and Exhibition Association (CREA) said she’s looking forward to welcoming everyone to the rodeo again “We’re just excited to be able to have people back again,” she said “We’re three years in now and we’re getting bigger and better each year.” She said CREA is adding new events and features to the rodeo each year both expanding and elevating one of B.C.'s most iconic events “You’re getting so much value for your Fairgrounds admission ticket,” Sheppard added “You could spend all day on the grounds going to the different stages and seeing the different shows for no additional cost.” (A Cloverdale Fairgrounds admission ticket is $15 online in advance Kids 12 and under get onto the grounds free of charge.) "An Original Kind of Country." She said they feel it embraces the evolving identity of rodeo and “speaks” to the deep history of "our" rodeo and country fair—and the uniqueness that is Cloverdale “We’re a great country community in a big city.” The familiar May long weekend event (May 16-19) unofficially opens with the Cloverdale Bed Races Thursday on May 17 (Saturday morning) and will include floats The rodeo will feature roughstock rodeo events—bareback riding bull riding—along with ladies barrel racing There will be five competitions in the Stetson Bowl for the 2025 rodeo: May 16 @ 7:30 p.m.; May 17 @ 2 p.m and @ 7:30 p.m.; May 18 @ 2 p.m.; and May 19 @ 2 p.m Sheppard said producer Kynan Vine will bring a new experience to the rodeo entertainment side of things “Kynan will bring in a few changes that will make it more of a production,” she said “There will be some pyrotechnics and some showmanship added." She also said they're building a VIP viewing area in the Stetson Bowl they’re calling the Wild Mustang The special area will have two levels and it will be located right off the alleyway where the barrel racers burst into the Stetson's arena ground “It will be right close to the dirt,” said Sheppard “You’ll be able to get some food and drinks and it will be a nice upscale seating area It’s going to be a very nice place to watch the cowboys and cowgirls compete.” She said Vine is also bringing in something new this year where a segment called “Stories from the Road” will play up on the big screen for rodeo audiences These will be interviews with those competing in Cloverdale “Our half-time act is a sing-along duo called Foxx Worthee,” Sheppard added “So the crowds are going to be dancing and clapping their hands and singing along And again we have Ricky Ticky (Wanchuk) back as our arena clown And of course we have Duane Kesler Championship Rodeo Stock we'll have the best contestants in North America and what we believe is the best stock in North America.” Ninety-six of the world’s best cowboys and cowgirls will battle for more than $300,000 in prize money And there will also be autograph sessions with rodeo athletes after each competition "Rodeo Weekend," as it is known locally, also promises visitors a whole slate of other events too along with a multitude of other feature attractions. The West Coast Lumberjack show is returning this year and the “Buckaroo Barn” in the Cloverdale Rec Centre (formerly called the Kids Zone)—among many other features Country and Western Music superstar Corb Lund will headline the musical side of things and play the CR Main Stage on Sunday night That show is included with admission to the grounds The first Cloverdale Rodeo was held in 1945 and the first Country Fair was held in 1888 Tickets for the rodeo are on sale now. Visit cloverdalerodeo.com/tickets to grab some The Indigenous Village Stage has a jam-packed lineup of musical artists and acts scheduled for the 2025 Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair artists will perform on stage all four days of Rodeo Weekend “We have a lot of new stuff going on,” said Germaine Langan “We’ll have full-time entertainment on stage too.” She told the Cloverdale Reporter last year there were a few gaps in the lineup but this year a full-slate of entertainment awaits fair-goers This is Langan’s first year being involved with the Cloverdale Rodeo but she is known for organizing other festivals Langan arranges the Indigenous components for both the Fusion Festival and Surrey’s Canada Day celebration She said two groups are co-hosting the Indigenous Village: the Surrey Delta Metis Association and the Stalew Arts and Cultural Society The Indigenous Village will be located at the Bill Reid Millennium Amphitheatre with the amphitheatre playing host to the stage Langan noted that Brenda Prince will host an open mic from 12-1 p.m Wild River singers will hit the stage after that followed by V’ni Dansi Metis Dancers Later in the afternoon and evening more contemporary artists will entertain the crowds. Bitterly Divine headlines at 7 p.m on Saturday and JJ Lavallee and Friends headlines Sunday night at 7 p.m “We’ve got a little bit of everything,” she added Langan said the set up will be slightly different this year as the vendor booths and artisan craft tables will take the shape of a circle rather than a rectangle around the area in front of the amphitheatre “We’re going to have two new banners on each side of the stage and we’ll have some totem poles decorating it,” she revealed “We’re trying to put (all the vendors) in a circle in front of the stage,” Langan explained The circle is really important to Indigenous people because there's no beginning and there's no end The vendor booths will be selling all types of arts and crafts in the village area There will also be a couple of food and drink vendors one offering bison burgers and another offering bannock Langan added that they'll have three tepees set up one ten-footer at one of the entrances and 18-foot and 20-foot tepees inside the Indigenous Village area She encouraged everyone who attend the rodeo and fair to come over and check out the Indigenous Village for some great entertainment “Everybody is welcome and you don't have to be afraid to come in and talk to people and ask questions,” Langan explained It's for us to be able to share information We want to bring everybody together and just have fun.” The Indigenous Village made its debut at the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair in 2023 and has gotten bigger each year You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience homicide in the Cloverdale area is in custody awaiting extradition to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office Devin Wheeler had been arrested in Ouachita Parish following the investigation of the death of 63-year-old William “Billy” Ray of Adams County “It has been a very long night working on this case that led our team in multiple directions but there is a murder suspect in custody with another agency at this time,” Patten said Thursday morning Devin Wheeler is the brother of Adam Cade Wheeler who was being sought earlier for questioning about the incident Wheeler later reported to ACSO and has not been charged with anything as it relates to this case and has been released ACSO deputies responded to a call about an unresponsive person at 22 Hillcrest Drive in the Cloverdale area where they were able to identify Ray as the victim of a shooting investigators were able to acquire and analyze digital forensic data with the help of the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office Digital Forensics Unit Investigators assisted the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office with a search warrant at a residence in West Monroe Devin Wheeler was arrested for felon in possession of a firearm for an incident that took place in Catahoula Parish on April 15 deputies located a loaded 9 mm pistol that was seized and will be sent for analysis ACSO obtained arrest warrants for Devin Wheeler for first-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm Patten said that his Investigators are going to the Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Office and serving the arrest warrants He said his investigators had very little evidence to go on at the crime scene but were able to secure arrest warrants within three days which “is a testament to their abilities and dedication.” “This would not have been possible without the help of the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office Mississippi Department of Corrections and the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office,” he said Monday’s SWAC college basketball lineup has lots in store Among those contests is the Southern Jaguars squaring off… Ranked squads are on the Monday college basketball schedule in two games including the Wake Forest Demon Deacons… Monday’s college basketball schedule has several interesting games including the matchup between the McNeese Cowboys and the Stephen… which includes the Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the Florida Panthers Top-25 teams will take the court across two games on Monday’s college basketball slate Adams County residents: Could you live with once-a-week garbage pick up if it would save you significantly on your monthly garbage collection bill View Results Idaho Transportation Department The Idaho Transportation Department has securely fastened 32 new American flags onto the Cloverdale Overpass replacing the damaged ones that were removed Wednesday due to vandalism These flags serve as a visible tribute to the fallen airmen who tragically lost their lives in a 2018 crash ITD is also exploring options for a permanent memorial or other lasting ways to honor them at this site in the future “Vandalism of this type is not typical in Idaho Working with community members and the Boise Police Department our crew took quick action to remove the damaged flags and replace them with new ones we made sure the entire process was carried out with the utmost respect,” ITD Chief Deputy Director Dan McElhinney said ITD is deeply committed to supporting those who have served our country as reflected by the 167 veterans currently employed by the department making up more than ten percent of its workforce This underscores ITD’s respect for military service and the invaluable contributions these individuals make to the department’s mission and success American Legion Post 201 will hold a flag decommissioning ceremony in the near future to properly retire the damaged American flags The West Coast Lumberjack Show is back again at the Cloverdale Rodeo The always-popular event will be held outside on the CR Main Stage and is free with admission to the Cloverdale Fairgrounds told the Cloverdale Reporter fans can expect high energy and an “all-around good time” at their show Those events also include the hot saw race Dean said the high-speed logger sports will entertain audiences over multiple shows across all four days of Rodeo Weekend. The event features some of the best professional lumberjacks in Canada The competitors will showcase their strength He added one of their longtime competitors is a 12-time Canadian champion and he’ll be competing in Cloverdale this year He noted Rodeo Weekend opens their season each year the lumberjacks are always excited to come to Cloverdale. He said the crowds are always great and it's always a good atmosphere “We're definitely looking forward to being back in Cloverdale,” Dean said “It's one of our favourite events and it’s how we kick off our season.” Dean’s outfit performs 50 to 60 “show days” per year over 12 to 15 different events spread across The West Coast Lumberjack Show will feature nine performances: Friday “It's a great show for those of all ages,” Dean added The lumberjack show has been entertaining fair-goers for more than 40 years The event was first showcased at the 1982 Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair For more information on the West Coast Lumberjack Show, visit cloverdalerodeo.com Initial findings suggest potential murder-suicide Police suspect two people found dead Saturday night in a Cloverdale home died by murder-suicide though authorities said the investigation is ongoing Officers went to the house after neighbors who had not seen the couple “recently” requested a welfare check at the home near Syrah Court and Riesling Street in the middle of the city, the agency said in a Sunday news release Cloverdale police found a weapon in the home and said initial evidence points to a possible murder-suicide Beau Gastineau said he would not further specify the findings The couple will be identified by the Sonoma County Coroner’s Bureau and their autopsies will be conducted soon Cloverdale Police Chief Chris Parker called the case “heartbreaking” in the release and encouraged anyone with information on the situation to contact the department at 707-894-2150 or email Detective Katie Vanoni at kvanoni@ci.cloverdale.ca.us and more Lego will be on display in the “Brick Corral" during the 2025 Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair The Lego exhibition will feature many different builds and will also be interactive said Lego fans of all ages can expect to be amazed by the displays which are ‘My Own Creations,’ which are built by AFOLs from all over the Lower Mainland,” explained Peters He said one of the highlights this year will be a 9'6" tall Wayne Tower from the world of Batman “We’ve also got a fella who’s bringing in a bunch of historic buildings based on buildings that are in Richmond.” There will also be interactive areas where kids can play with Lego and build their own creations And there will be a Lego giveaway to anyone who donates $1 with all proceeds going to the Cloverdale Rodeo Youth Initiative Foundation Peters also said Robin Sather will be coming out to the Brick Corral again this year Sather is one of only a handful of “Lego Certified Professionals” in the world “He’ll be doing a big build on site,” Peters said he’ll be building a large Stetson-type cowboy hat.” “He’ll be doing the same thing,” Peters added Sather will also be running games at different times and hosting Lego build challenges he challenged kids to build a crime in progress so they got to work building a police car chasing some criminals Sather also awards prizes for those contests it's not just 2x4 bricks anymore,” he said “Everybody remembers the 2x4 bricks they grew up with but there's some really amazing stuff that people are doing now.” Peters is also going to bring out some if his own builds along with a wedding cake he and his wife built this year The Brick Corral will be located in the main gym in the Cloverdale Rec For more info, visit cloverdalerodeo.com The mayors of North Cowichan and Nanaimo are urging the province to increase the amount of timber that can be harvested annually in the province In a letter to Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas and Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog said that despite its recent struggles the forest industry continues to be a major part of the local economies of both municipalities providing high-paying jobs while contributing millions of dollars in taxes every year that help pay for municipal services and build critical infrastructure the Domtar pulp mill in Crofton and the Western Forest Products sawmills and remanufacturing plant in Cowichan Bay and Chemainus employ 655 workers and contribute $7.7 million per year in property taxes while Nanaimo’s Harmac Pacific mill has 350 employees and contributed more than $2.3 million in property taxes in 2024 But they said that in the face of softwood lumber duties and the declining annual-allowable cut in the amount of timber that is permitted to be harvested in B.C. they are increasingly concerned about these companies' ability to continue operating The mayors point out that while softwood-lumber duties and tariffs are beyond Parmar’s ability to control setting the annual allowable harvest is a responsibility of his ministry They said the province’s budget for 2025 projects that only 30 million cubic metres of timber will be allowed to be harvested on Crown land this year further declining to 29 million cubic metres by 2027 while more than 60 million cubic metres were allowed to be harvested in 2024 Douglas said the effects of the fibre shortage are already being felt in North Cowichan where Western Forests Products has announced a two-week shutdown in March and April due to a lack of timber “Your mandate letter from Premier David Eby includes as a priority to ‘work with all partners toward ensuring a sustainable land base to enable harvest of 45-million cubic metres per year while fulfilling our commitment to protect old growth’,” the mayors said to Parmar “We want the government to commit to the promised allowable cut of 45 million cubic metres for 2025 and maintain these levels for future years We anticipate a continued decline in volume harvested compounded with softwood lumber duties and U.S will potentially devastate the forest industry and result in the closure of more mills meaning communities like ours will lose family-supporting jobs and major taxpayers exacerbating the already high cost of living that our residents are facing.” The mayors also said they want to see the province’s permit and regulatory processes for timber harvesting streamlined “Your government has made commitments to fast-track approvals for the housing and mining sectors and we would like to see a similar approach to timber harvesting with metrics to allow the government and industry to measure success,” they said to Parmar “The backlog of cutting permits and the performance of BC Timber Sales are major concerns These issues reduce the overall wood availability for sawmills and impact the supply of residual chips which are vital for the operations of our pulp and paper mills Prompt resolution of these issues is critical for maintaining a steady log flow.” Several leaders from Lake and Sonoma counties remain worried about the future of local water supplies as a key PG&E hydropower facility prepares to go offline Although stakeholders have approved a closely watched plan to continue diverting some Eel River water into the Russian River when a key hydropower facility goes offline in several years Cloverdale and elsewhere remain concerned about how the move might impact the region’s water supply Cloverdale city leaders will host a town hall meeting at 6 p.m Thursday at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building which isn’t slated to be broadcast on Zoom or another video platform will provide an opportunity for residents to learn more about the decommissioning of PG&E’s 117-year-old Potter Valley power plant with related plans to eventually tear down the Scott and Cape Horn dams on the upper Eel River via a tunnel carrying Eel River through the mountains a crucial portion of the Russian River’s annual flows rural residents and cities along the upper Russian PG&E’s decision to not relicense the project ― which is aging and would need costly upgrades including for fish passage ― led stakeholders in the two river basins to reach a compromise that would continue the supplemental flows albeit with stronger protections for Eel River interests Lake County representatives, however, have never endorsed that deal and continue to oppose it, raising objections over the draining of Lake Pillsbury and the impact on firefighting capabilities They include Sonoma County Farm Bureau Executive Director Dayna Ghiradelli who said Monday the current diversion solution “will have tremendously negative effects on farmers and ranchers brilliant minds working to devise an alternate solution Mendocino County and Marin County,” Ghiradelli said whose North Coast district includes the Potter Valley facility and who helped craft the two-basin compromise said the solution — one that focuses on the health of both the Eel and Russian rivers — “is nothing less than remarkable.” who represents the north part of the county but this is the best deal the coalition could get.” Indeed, a 7-member coalition endorsed the future water diversion plan in early February the Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife The plan also would require water customers in the Russian River watershed to develop new water supply and storage solutions said the solution will create a “quality of life issue” for Cloverdale residents but this is about making sure Cloverdale has an economy and access to basic needs With hotter summers he says access to the river is vital for people who need cost-effective ways to cool down He’s also concerned about an increased demand for water as its availability dries up “The housing mandates we have to hit combined with the weather changing through climate change A lot of his frustration stems from not being able to have a seat at the table when the final decision was made in February “And so it comes down to the health and safety of our community.” Huffman said he respects concerns about health and safety but warns against misunderstanding the reality of the situation “There is some genuine fear that things have been the same way for the last 100 years and a lifeline of the Russian River is going away,” Huffman said Both Huffman and Gore noted the deal will likely give Sonoma County more water than it is getting today from the Eel River This is the last best deal we’re going to get,” Huffman said Amie Windsor is the Community Journalism Team Lead with The Press Democrat She can be reached at amie.windsor@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5218 A 895-square-foot house built in 1935 has changed hands The property located at 130 North Main Street in Cloverdale was sold on April 11 The property occupies a lot of 5,000 square feet 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 Dana Johnson and Vickie Norris launched Cloverdale Connect in 2020 providing a monthly newspaper to the Cloverdale community that emphasizes positivity Cloverdale’s Dana Johnson never expected the job she applied for on a whim to become the springboard that launched her career in the advertising she can probably best be described as a media maven she was intensely curious about everything and prone to give a different answer each time someone asked what she wanted to be when she grew up Even when she got to Sonoma State University despite trying three different majors before running out of money and having to get a full-time job The classified ad that changed her life was for an advertising salesperson at radio station KMGG in Santa Rosa She was working in outside sales for a Healdsburg manufacturer at the time and only decided to apply so she could practice her interviewing skills “I didn’t think it was something I was really interested in but went to the job interview anyway,” she said “I discovered advertising when I walked through the door And the moment I met the (KMGG) general manager Kent Bjugstad Accepting his job offer was one of the best decisions I have ever made.” Johnson was the station’s intrepid sales manager dreaming up lively promotions and listener contests and making sure the station was a visible presence at various events around Sonoma County from business grand openings to the annual Luther Burbank Rose Parade in downtown Santa Rosa When it was sold a year later she went on to work in advertising sales at Santa Rosa’s TV50 she had gained enough experience to feel confident opening her own advertising business the Cloverdale Reveille became another casualty of the newspaper industry closing its doors after more than 140 years of continuous publication whose family owned the Cloverdale Reveille from 1988 until they sold it to Sonoma West Publishers in 2013 was heartbroken by the news and said she cried when she heard the news I could have seen us continuing the paper for years,” said Hachett who is the executive director of the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce “The community of Cloverdale supported us and the paper through all the economic downturns I know both print and online newspapers are having a tough time making ends meet was in disbelief when she learned the Cloverdale Reveille was closing Her first thought was that the town still needed their newspaper she decided to jump in and do something about it “This was a time when we were all feeling isolated “It felt like the perfect time to launch a paper that brought people together and kept them informed about the positive things going on in their community.” Choosing to focus on hope rather than bad news Johnson began laying the foundation for the paper sketching out what she thought would make a good publication “I felt it should have photos with stories about people we care about provide support for local businesses keeping their doors open and identifying other ways to stay connected when we were isolated in our homes,” she said She recruited her friend Vickie Norris of the Norris Group in Healdsburg to handle the website graphic design and bookkeeping while Johnson takes care of all content The two women collaborate on the layout each month from Norris’ home in Healdsburg The first issue of the full-color monthly newspaper, aptly named Cloverdale Connect was published in July 2020 and mailed to over 6,300 households businesses and post office boxes in the greater Cloverdale area free of charge “It really is a community paper for local businesses and residents to keep abreast of what’s happening here,” Hanchett said I encourage them to take a copy of Cloverdale Connect with them to get a better sense of who we are.” What started during the pandemic with an initial investment of $1,760 with a monthly distribution of 6,750 copies Special photo spreads are created for Mother’s Day Valentine’s Day and the annual high school graduate photos are the focus of the June issue There are about two dozen contributing writers who cover everything from city council meetings to legal and real estate advice school and community activities and local profiles Deadline for all articles and press-ready artwork is the third Friday of the month Johnson and Norris spend three days laying out the pages Once the files are uploaded and sent to the Hayward-based printer they start planning the next issue and the cycle begins all over again longtime resident Carolyn Ramos is not on Facebook or any other social media platform so she depends on Cloverdale Connect to find out what is happening in town “I really look forward to receiving it each month and always read it cover to cove,” she said Johnson has served on the boards of both the Cloverdale Senior Center and Westminster Woods She is also the founder of the Windsor Presbyterian Church’s Food Pantry She dabbles in the arts with her handcrafted soap company One hundred percent of the gross profits are donated to local nonprofits a friend saw a notice that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Weather Service was looking for a new weather monitor location in Cloverdale Johnson made contact and offered up her time and property there is now an official calibrated rain gauge a temperature monitor in their front yard and digital equipment inside the house Each day she collects the previous day’s weather data before logging in to the government websites to report her findings This summer she hopes to launch a podcast station she’s creating called Media Minute that will offer advertising tips and marketing do’s and don’ts to help businesses get the most out of their advertising dollars Cloverdale Connect will celebrate its fifth year of publishing in July it has become a successful business as well as a valuable community resource created by the community and shared with the community,” she said “My goal was for Cloverdale Connect to be a celebration of small town living and that is exactly how it has been received by the community.” Lyle and Erin Mews, owners of two downtown retail businesses, Erin Mavis Clothing and Mavis Mavis say they are grateful for Cloverdale Connect the paper is invaluable in helping us share our events and promotions with the readers,” said Lyle Mark your calendar: Cloverdale’s Earth Day cleanup is April 22 April brings a burst of color to this corner of Sonoma County and you can practically hear Mother Nature shouting you’ll spot neighbors finally emerging from their winter hideaways You might as well circle April 22 on your calendar now since Earth Day isn’t exactly known for subtle entrances Cloverdale River Park is bracing for its annual volunteer cleanup which is basically a treasure hunt minus the gold If you’ve got sturdy shoes and a willingness to wrestle riverbank weeds if your idea of celebrating the planet involves less grunge and more green thumb the Cloverdale Garden Club is your new best friend pollinator-friendly plants and preventing the dreaded squash apocalypse (it’s real The club might host spring plant sales or demos so check the local listings before you end up elbow-deep in potting soil without a clue talk at recent city council meetings has centered on an ongoing push to extend the Great Redwood Trail It’s the shiny plan to transform old railroad tracks into a breezy path for walking biking and maybe the occasional rollerblading daredevil big dreams and small-town grit go hand in hand you’re living among people who turn oranges into an annual festival — nothing is impossible here the Cloverdale Citrus Fair caused its usual sweet stir in February The fairgrounds might host smaller events this spring and early summer performances or even a random chili cook-off that’ll make you question your spice tolerance Because nothing says “community bonding” like collectively sweating over a plate of hot peppers If you’re the type who’d rather skip the sweat Redwood Empire Food Bank continues its monthly distributions around town You can always chip in a little time to pack boxes or help direct traffic you’ll find the support you need right there lending a hand to your neighbor just comes with the territory April also marks the return of the Cloverdale Certified Farmers’ Market maybe discover a homemade jam that changes your life and question whether goats should be standard market fare every week (spoiler: they probably should) If you crave a side of culture with your kale the Cloverdale Arts Alliance serves up gallery exhibits and live performances There’s something satisfyingly small-town-chic about seeing local artistry while balancing a bag of fresh tomatoes One moment you’re admiring a painting of Sonoma hills the next you’re chatting with the painter like old friends consider stepping out of your comfort zone — maybe onto a riverbank a trail-in-progress or a farmers market stall that tempts you with honey so fresh it nearly does cartwheels The Cloverdale police identified the bodies officers found Saturday night at a home near Riesling Street and Syrah Court state and national contacts are available to help with various crises: • National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988 (call or text) • YWCA Sonoma County operates a 24/7 domestic violence crisis hotline and a confidential Safe House shelter • Family Justice Center of Sonoma County: 707-565-8255 and healing center: 24-hour crisis line 707-545-7273 • National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-4673 or online.rainn.org • National Alliance on Mental Illness/Sonoma County provides support groups and resources for families and individuals affected by mental health challenges: 866-960-6264 • 24-hour Emergency Mental Health Unit: 800-746-8181 • Redwood Empire Chapter of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists: recamft.org Resources also are available for those who have lost someone to suicide: • Youth Survivors of Suicide Loss Support Group for ages 14-24 meets virtually second and fourth Tuesday every month by Buckelew Programs and the Felton Institute Register and get the Zoom link at bit.ly/4atSS6x • SOS: Survivors of Suicide bereavement support group for adults 25 and older by Buckelew Programs meets virtually the second and fourth Wednesday every month call/email 415-444-6000 or SOSinfo@Buckelew.org • Sutter VNA & Hospice offers several support groups children who have experienced a loss and parents who have lost a child Lea el artículo en español aquí. Autopsy results released this week support what Cloverdale police say appears to be a murder-suicide involving a man and woman found dead Saturday night inside a home on the city’s south side contacted police after not seeing the couple for several days Officers conducted a welfare check at their home near Riesling Street and Syrah Court and found both dead inside Sandoval was discovered in bed with at least one gunshot wound Investigators determined he shot Sandoval and then died by suicide Police believe the shooting likely occurred late on April 8 or early April 9 The two had recently ended their seven-year relationship and were in the process of separating Sandoval had been preparing to move back to San Diego There were no previous reports of domestic violence between the two, police said. A handgun was found near the bodies Detectives are still working to determine a motive and are awaiting the final autopsy report Cloverdale police ask anyone with information related to the case to call the department at 707-894-2150 or email Detective Katie Vanoni at kvanoni@ci.cloverdale.ca.us This is Sonoma County’s fourth homicide case of 2025 The other three homicides occurred in Santa Rosa The Cloverdale Country Fair embodies 134 years of tradition From its roots in the bounty of the fall harvest it’s transformed over the years to include much more “Our country fair just keeps getting bigger and bigger,” said Kathy Sheppard president of the Cloverdale Rodeo and Exhibition Association “We're using every acre of our grounds now." Sheppard told the Cloverdale Reporter this year’s fair will have some more than 60 performers there's something for everybody,” she noted They’re not even teenagers yet and they’ve been playing for four years already.” The Coyotes play the CR Main Stage Sunday morning at 11:15 a.m “The CR Main Stage will be much bigger this year,” she added “It’s really going to be a prominent area to go and to listen to music Sheppard said the Country Fair embraces both old and new—iconic “This community’s Country Fair has grown into one of Western Canada’s most popular events,” she noted over 70,000 attendees take part in rodeo and agriculture traditions and a range of modern attractions that reflect the community’s evolving identity.” “An Original Kind of Country,” reflects this evolving change “One hundred and thirty-four years of tradition plus a one-of-a-kind modern mix of attractions make this Canada’s most unique country fair.” Sheppard said there are many things to do at the fair that suit people of all ages She said there are fair favourites like rides a massive farm area with demonstrations and chances to interact with the animals Along with West Coast Amusements and their 30-plus rides the Buckaroo Barn—a family-friendly area filled with tons of activities and much more. New this year is Jelk’s Carnival which will have big inflatable games for little kids The Brick Corral is back and will feature a massive amount of Lego There will be tons of vendors and some food offerings as well as a jam-packed line up of artists who’ll fill the Indigenous Village Stage for all four days of Rodeo Weekend including famous Metis country musician JJ Lavallee. Lavallee will headline the Indigenous Village Stage Sunday at 7 p.m which is going to be in the curling rink,” revealed Sheppard Vancouver-area roller derby teams will battle it out in Roll-A-Rama Fair-goers will be able to rent skates for a donation with all proceeds given to the Cloverdale Community Kitchen for their outreach programs (Only acts in the Longhorn Saloon require an extra ticket and only after 6 p.m as All Star Wrestling in the Longhorn is also free.) New this year is the Hall Constructors Lasso Lounge The lounge will have a couple of acts per night and will livestream the rodeo competitions from the Stetson The Lasso Lounge will also host Cowboy Church Sunday morning at 10 a.m Sheppard said more than 40 food trucks will be on hand “I just want everyone to come out and have a great time and celebrate Cloverdale and rodeo and our country fair,” she added The first Cloverdale Country Fair was held in 1888 Idaho (CBS2) — American flags vandalized on the Cloverdale Overpass were officially retired and decommissioned Tuesday morning The Idaho Transportation Department and the American Legion Post 201 held a ceremony to retire the damaged flags Over half of the flags were spray-painted and taken down Boise Police still seek information on those responsible for damaging the flags and nearby traffic cameras Anyone with information is asked to call Boise Police or Ada County Dispatch The flags were originally hung on the overpass to serve as a tribute to three airmen who died there in a 2018 crash Editor’s Note: A different person was later arrested in this case and the person of interest was let go. Read more here. NATCHEZ — The Adams County Sheriff’s Office has identified and is searching for a person of interest related to a homicide that took place Sunday afternoon in the Cloverdale area Adam Cade Wheeler has been named as a person of interest in this case and is wanted for questioning,” Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten said Anyone who sees Wheeler or knows of his whereabouts is urged to call 911 ACSO at 601-442-2752 or Crime Stoppers to leave an anonymous tip at 888-442-5001 ACSO responded to a call about a deceased person on Hillcrest Drive in the Cloverdale area where they were able to identify 63-year-old William “Billy” Ray of Adams County as the victim of a shooting The incident remains under investigation by ACSO A 1,672-square-foot house built in 2000 has changed hands The property located at 285 Red Mountain Drive in Cloverdale was sold on April 10 The lot of the property covers an area of 7,072 square feet Andrés Marquez was appointed to a two-year term after Wolters resigned for health reasons Andrés Marquez, the runner-up in the last Cloverdale City Council election in November, has been appointed to fill the seat left vacant by longtime Council member Gus Wolters As one of five qualified candidates who ran for the two open council seats in the November election Marquez received the third highest number of votes 26 council meeting and serve as a council member for two years The council chose to appoint an individual to the council in lieu of a holding a special election A special election was estimated to cost between $8,000 and $13,000 Marquez is a business owner and ardent supporter of the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce where he serves on the organization’s board Marquez ran on pro-business messaging focused on the importance of Cloverdale’s Main Street According to Cloverdale City Attorney Alex Mog there is no standard method cities must use for appointing a person to a vacant city council seat Some cities, like Cotati can choose to seek candidates for an appointment while others may choose to fill an open seat with the next highest vote-getter A council may also choose to simply appoint a person; the only requisite for sitting on council is that a person must be 18 years old be registered to vote in the city and not be convicted of a crime that prohibits them from running for office said his first order of business will be “getting up to speed” on council issues like water resiliency and revitalizing the city’s downtown corridor Cloverdale Mayor Todd Lands said Marquez will be “a great asset” to the council volunteer and third highest-vote getter in the last election the council felt he was the right person to fill the empty seat,” Lands said “I look forward to working with him over the coming years.” Water resiliency could be a burden for Cloverdale in the upcoming years. With an agreement penciled for the decommissioning of the Potter Valley Project the city — which relies on the Russian River as its main water source — will need to focus on developing new water supply and storage solutions so it can be self-reliant in the future A city report from May 2024 indicates that nearly 28% of city roads are in poor or very poor shape including just over 22% of residential roads The city’s police department is also in need of an overhaul The city’s new three-quarter-cent sales tax — passed by voters last November — will help will smaller infrastructure projects like roads and park maintenance. The sales tax, expected to put about $1.66 million into city coffers each year, will go into effect April 1. It will bring the sales tax rate in Cloverdale to 10%. that is already in the Stardust Hills and Stardust Road areas of Cloverdale the Cloverdale Town Council sent a clear message last week during its town council meeting.  At issues was a request by a property owner to rezone 15 acres of a vacant lot from local commercial to general commercial zoning The property owner wanted to turn three of the 15 acres into a parking lot for semi trucks The petitioner had previously gained a favorable recommendation from the Putnam County Planning Commission.  After a brief discussion about the amount of truck travel already in the area and what the lot would look like the council voted 5-0 to reject the request.  Council vice president Brice Howell told those in attendance it was his opinion the road did not need to handle any more traffic.  if we zone it right now it is going to be a slippery slope what's to say we don't rezone it for something else That road gets used enough let alone adding a bunch of semi trucks to it," Howell said.  Fellow councilman Greg Jay echoed those sentiments saying the road could not handle more traffic.  told the council he is familiar with type of lot in question and he has never seen anything other than dropped semi trailers on the site and never a boat or an RV.  Some may be put in places that are beautiful it is a big no for me," Stierwalt said A gentleman in the audience told council there is already a significant amount of truck traffic on Stardust Road that is going to C bar C every week.  "You already have parking with some of them loaded and unloaded on the north side almost across from my entrance to Stardust Hills We have truck parking in there every night motorhomes and RV's carries a considerable amount of truck traffic," he said.  Council president Brandon Tancak asked the gentleman if he thought it would be a good idea to have semis constantly going up and down Stardust Road all the way to C bar C.  "There are semis now," the resident said Tancak fired back asking again if the resident thought it would be a good idea for that road and that part of town.   "I don't think it would hurt it any more than it is being used now," the resident said "You don't think having the traffic of 18 wheelers doubled or tripled to a parking lot that will you think that's the best for this town I am asking for your opinion," Tancak said.  The man responded that while he did not think it would be the best use of that property and road he would like to see a steakhouse restaurant Click Here for your 5 day Forecast As Smash Theatre School's founder and leader there's something inspiring about seeing young people take on the challenge of tackling professional-level theatre Beyond any applause they receive for their efforts they are building qualities that will last them a lifetime – self-confidence These qualities – and a generous helping of precocious talent – will be showcased this month as the South Surrey-based Smash Theatre Company takes on Newsies – one of the most celebrated musicals in the Disney canon Based on the real-life strike by impoverished and homeless newsboys (newspaper sellers) in New York City in 1899 the show will be presented at Delta's Genesis Theatre (5005 45 Ave.) from May 10 to May 18 The show (with music and lyrics by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman and book by Harvey Fierstein) demands bold choreography and powerhouse vocals to deliver its inspiring messages of courage and unity in the face of violence intimidation and corruption – but the current production's two full casts of eager students are measuring up to the challenge Established 11 years ago by Reader-Romo (a recipient of the White Rock/South Surrey Chamber of Commerce's Business of the Year Supporter of the Arts Award) and run by her and her daughter, Smash offers musical theatre and dance classes for children ages six and up The program is nothing if not ambitious according to a media release – this year alone the company has already taken on The Lion King (Kids); while productions of High School Musical Reader-Romo described the program as a “launchpad for confidence “Some of these kids train over 20 hours a week — dancing singing — and the personal growth I get to witness is truly incredible,” she said “None of it would be possible without our incredible parent volunteers and the support of this community Students travel from as far as afield as Abbotsford to be part of the program and many alumni return to teach or volunteer “I am absolutely blown away by what these kids are able to put on," said parent Natasha Young "Watching them shine on stage is an unforgettable experience,” she added "The dedication is amazing – and it means everything to them to have the support of the community." May 16 there will be one performance at 7 p.m. Tickets for Newsies ($30.74 to $34.94) are available at smashtheatreschool.ca  addressed PG&E’s controversial plans to decommission two dams on the Eel River—Scott and Cape Horn Dams focused on the potential impacts of PG&E’s decision to abandon the Potter Valley Project (PVP) and its consequences for water supply Scott Dam and Lake Pillsbury in Lake County and Cape Horn Dam and Van Arsdale Reservoir Water from these dams is pumped year-round through a mile-long tunnel into Potter Valley and into the Russian River The PVP is owned by PG&E and is governed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.  PG&E and Congressman Huffman’s office were not represented on the panel “Cloverdale did not have a seat at the negotiating table even though they are severely affected.” The City Council and Fire Department of Cloverdale are “extremely worried” about a safe and reliable water supply for the future Land continued “This is not a partisan issue This isn’t an attack on those that have been working to find solutions and we thank them for all of their hard work they put in over the years.”  Sonoma County Supervisor is willing to listen to other points of view Gore attempted to convey the feelings of those on the Eel River side Many in Humboldt County and Lake County are not happy with the proposed solutions but what they’re telling their Board of Supervisors and other people is that you failed because you were supposed to shut that down and you created a project that is a basically an energy project and you delivered free water for the next 120 years.” Under FERC regulations PG&E cannot sell water under an energy license.  Sonoma Water determined that maintaining an aging dam was not worth the liability The decision to build a new diversion facility was difficult “There’s nobody who’s running around giving high fives right now grinding conversation that yielded a result that will sustain the amount of water that we have gotten over the last 10 years.”  which manages 650,000 customers in Sonoma County Sonoma Water is legally obligated to maintain a certain amount of water in the river to support recreation 150,000 acre-feet was diverted through the tunnel annually the National Marine Fisheries Service told PG&E to cut back to approximately 60,000 acre-feet per year .those diversions have been more like 30 or 40,000 acre-feet.”  Mendocino County Inland Power and Water Commission and Round Valley Indian Tribes al hold board seats on ERPA The purpose is to build a new diversion facility after PG&E removes the dams.  A Water Diversion Agreement will support the Two Basin Solution both fish migration and habitat of the Eel River and continued water diversion from the Eel to the Russian River.  Manning showed a poster of the proposed NERF run of the river diversion that will function “when there’s enough water in the Eel River to safely extract that water and leave enough water in the river for the Eel River’s fish population.” This is a “very different paradigm than having the reservoir there able to store water and then release it year-round.” Lake Mendocino is not large enough to store the diverted water year round There will be a need for more water storage.  it’s so significant that about 20% of the years the storage in Lake Mendocino without the diversion would be zero.”  Speakers who advocated for keeping Lake Pillsbury intact drew cheers repeating the themes that “our community needs water,” and “there is nothing more important than the water.” He noticed while traveling the region that “70% of us have no idea what’s going on We must have more water if we are going to survive as a region .I can tell you empirically that if this dam disappears .if we go forward with this proposal as it stands we will not have water in Lake Mendocino six years out of 10.” Coloumbe did not provide a citation for the six out of ten years statistic and we saw the State Water Board come to our farms and tell us that water flowing in that river was not our water That’s what we’re looking at in the future The economic impacts from whatever happens with the Potter Valley Project is going to affect everyone not just farmers like me.” In the last 20 years California farmers saw a 1400% increase in the cost of regulatory compliance 15,000 farms in California went out of business Pauli’s priorities are to keep the diversion and add additional storage Elected officials should delay removal of any infrastructure until all of the questions have been answered.  Mendocino County Supervisor explained that water supply and then a private company that has decided to go through this decommissioning process this uncertainty alone impacts us all of us Lake County Supervisor stated that as former Chair of the Robinson Rancheria Tribe and having relatives on both the Eel and Russian Rivers He advocates for Lake Pillsbury and the headwaters of the Eel River He wants to minimize and mitigate adverse impacts to Lake County and Lake Pillsbury businesses and residences Crandall respects Round Valley Indian Tribes’ sovereignty but pointed out that there are tribes in Sonoma we’re at odds with each other because of it.”  said we have been told this is “a done deal.” Lake County has not been allowed a seat at the negotiating table.  Sabatier said two of the largest fires in California occurred in or around Lake Pillsbury “But we never really talk about the amount of fires that the lake was used to stop before they became large We have a massive National Forest that surrounds that lake we will start seeing more large scale fires.”  Sabatier suggested that PG&E upgrade the power station and transformers with high tech equipment saying “I’m not sure if you know the CPUC did approve for PG&E to raise your rates so they can pay for the decommissioning public money is going to pay and it’s not even close to enough.” Because of silt and debris left behind after dam removal “they want to flush everything down the river Basically Lake County will have either a SuperFund site or at least one pretty giant massive landfill left over from all of this.” Dayna Ghirardelli, Sonoma County Farm Bureau Executive Director spoke about the July 2023 economic impact report commissioned by the Farm Bureau to study the impact of dam decommissioning on all of Sonoma County “The total amount of income lost at only 10% reduction is $65 million dollars with 297 jobs lost with a tax revenue loss of $2.24 million.”  David Taber runs the Palomino Lakes water company serving about 300 customers with well water .we are totally dependent on Russia River water.” Taber advised people who own and depend on a well to check the State Water Resources Control Board website to find out the type of water right they hold and surface water rights are vulnerable to being shut off in case of water rationing “Groundwater rights are a bit safer,” said Taber who is collecting signatures to form a new water district in the Alexander Valley to provide water security.  The flow will only go into Lake Mendocino during high water or flood times,” when Cloverdale does not need the water If Lake Mendocino will go dry two out of ten years “With one year of less than average rainfall that turns into three to five years out of the ten.” He called for “ a guarantee in writing for a minimum amount of water that is to be diverted into Lake Mendocino year round and then a minimum released into the Upper Russian River from Lake Mendocino.”  Lands cited page 125 of Sonoma Water’s report listing three different solutions with only one solution providing water security for both the environment and the humans but was not allowed to be further explored because “It didn’t meet the project related goals and objectives of the resource agencies non-governmental organizations and impacted Native American Indian Tribe See MendoFever’s April 3, 2024 article on The Russian River Water Forum meeting discussing design alternatives recounted his experience in the Pacific Palisades fire Hydrants in Cloverdale have gone dry in a previous fire.  Some of the same points were made by several speakers California has mandated that every city build low-income housing this doesn’t leave room to build middle-class housing “No one disagrees that housing is a critical need,” but that the state is “choking small cities like ours.”  Every Two Basin Partners study contained the phrasing “additional information is needed a farmer in Potter Valley and member of the IWPC said Congressman Huffman “actually tried to prevail upon FERC to hustle up the demolition of the dams,” but that FERC insisted on following procedure.  Editor’s Note: A portion of the article was removed as it included comments from two speakers that focused on personal criticisms of panelists rather than addressing water issues or providing substantive analysis of the Potter Valley Project Coloumbe and co just talking out of their asses throwing around made up numbers More thoughtful farms practices not just here but throughout the state need to be adopted He’ll just look how much the central basin of the state has sunk over the last 100 years We have drought and wet cycles as long as it’s been recorded We have had totally moronic forestry practices which predispose us to big fires compounded by totally negligent maintenance and hardening by PGE Van Arsdale and Lake Pillsberry will survive This is going to bring national attention eventually and I’m guessing Trump will add like Pillsbury to the national forest and it will be managed by the army Corps of Engineers Lake Pillsbury and VanArsdale will survive This is drawing so much attention now Trump will get involved Lake Pillsbury is completely within the confines of Mendocino national Forest The lake can be added to the Mendocino national forest and the dam can be managed by the U.S Removing Vanarsdale Dam and Scot Dam is regional suicide and madness Everybody should be writing letters to Trump I have written several already handwritten letters and mailed them to the White House Do you really think trump gives a damn about anything in California besides the amount of tax money we send to Washington If it’s an opportunity for him to stick it to the left then he will love to stab the knife and turn it while he is at it Mendocino county is involved at a local government level all urging the feds to get involved to save this critical water source The more attention this gets the better because he could sign a single executive order and the privately held Lake Pillsbury would become part of the national forest […] “A packed town hall in Cloverdale addressed PG&E’s controversial plans to decommission two dams on the Eel River—Scott and Cape Horn Dams focused on the potential impacts of PG&E’s decision to abandon the Potter Valley Project (PVP) and its consequences for water supply “Cloverdale did not have a seat at the negotiating table even though they are severely affected.” The City Council and Fire Department of Cloverdale are “extremely worried” about a safe and reliable water supply for the future Land continued “This is not a partisan issue This isn’t an attack on those that have been working to find solutions and we thank them for all of their hard work they put in over the years.” … ”  Read more from Mendo Fever I recently retired as Superintendent of the Potter Valley Irrigation District in Mendocino County I am a captain with the Potter Valley Volunteer Fire Department where I have been a member for 34 years an Army veteran of seven years and served in Vietnam father and grandfather that grew up in the Lake Pillsbury basin Lake County Everyone south of the Eel River Potter Valley Project on the Russian River side is very unhappy with the pending removal of Scott Dam and the 77,000 acre feet of water storage Storage meant for hydroelectric power generation supplemental fisheries habitat flow requirements I understand the Army Corps of Engineers has received an additional service mandate or mission statement that includes water storage and infrastructure management Scott Dam at Lake Pillsbury would be a great place for implementation Please read the attached excerpts from a study commissioned years ago by the Non Governmental organization (California Trout) I am certain you will come to the same conclusion I have Removal of Scott Dam and the release of 20,000,000 cubic yards of additional sediment into the main stem Eel River now would be catastrophic to salmon and steelhead fisheries for another century and beyond Reinstituting hatcheries on the Eel River to recover fisheries makes more sense than removing Scott Dam It might be a more cost effective alternative and a win-win for everyone “C:\Users\selli\Documents\Letters Steve\Eel River Hatcheries 3-19-25 001.tif” Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" We provide you with the latest breaking news and videos straight from the entertainment 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Web Design by Company Juice Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive James Unick is accused of killing Sara Ann Geer in May 1982 He was charged last year in Sonoma County Superior Court Shortly after Sara Ann Geer’s body was discovered in a Cloverdale alleyway police interviewed the man charged more than four decades later in the 13-year-old’s death and claimed he was with friends the night she died said Thursday in Sonoma County Superior Court testified in Unick’s preliminary hearing that concluded Friday with Judge Laura Passaglia ruling there’s sufficient evidence for the defendant to stand trial He remains incarcerated at the Sonoma County jail without bail Six witnesses testified during the preliminary hearing Proceedings ended without any insight into why police interviewed Unick in 1982 or whether he knew Geer before she was killed DNA evidence and Unick’s encounters with law enforcement Pina said his interview with Unick in 1982 was brief and “friendly,” but no one verified his alibi No evidence to show a follow-up was needed,” Pina said Investigators said they ultimately relied on DNA evidence to link Unick to Geer and he was arrested in July while living in Willows in Glenn County a Department of Justice senior criminalist testified Friday DNA evidence was recovered from Geer’s underwear and tampon Katie Vanoni testified Friday investigators approached Unick in June and obtained a saliva sample that was compared to the original DNA evidence Vanoni said Unick still denied knowing Geer or being involved in her death The Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office charged him with one count of murder with an enhancement for committing lewd or lascivious acts on a child and/or kidnapping Geer was a Washington School seventh grader in 1982 and police at the time said her death was Cloverdale’s first homicide to their recollection according to Press Democrat coverage from that year Investigators said Geer had spent the weekend with friends before being dropped off at home on a Sunday evening she continued downtown and was last seen at a video game arcade on Cloverdale Boulevard Her body was discovered behind an apartment building at the end of an alleyway along Main Street including a Cloverdale City Councilman’s 6-year-old granddaughter who lived at the apartment and was playing in the backyard testified Friday he was walking past the scene when he was flagged by an area resident about Geer’s body An autopsy showed she’d died from “manual traumatic injuries” from a beating or strangulation Prosecutors on Thursday presented photos from 1982 showing abrasions covering her mostly nude body Her shorts were “knotted around her neck,” Pina testified Pina said it appeared Geer had been dragged toward Third Street leaving behind a path in the gravel that filled the alleyway The investigation went cold and Cloverdale police reopened it in 2021 Police said they worked with a private investigator on the case You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin.atagi@pressdemocrat.com forced some evacuations Thursday evening (May 1) which is 56 hectares and burning out of control was discovered on Thursday and is believed to be human caused Wildfire Service says 12 firefighters are responding alongside the Fort St along with two helicopters and an air tanker.  John posted on its Facebook page that the wildfire not currently threatening any structures as it moves beyond the Community Forest into the Peace River Regional District Evacuees were directed to the Pomeroy Sport Centre for emergency support services.  Joseph’s Church wiped his eyes several times and apologized for being emotional as he described visiting the scene of the attack that killed 11 people during a Vancouver street festival “There were flowers in different parts along the fence and what was [especially moving] was the people and some crying,” Guilles told a candlelight vigil held Sunday at Langley City’s Douglas Park He was one of several speakers to address more than 200 people who attended More than 200 attended a candlelight vigil in Langley City for victims of the Vancouver attack that killed 11 pic.twitter.com/u46lxvufM5 “The trauma of the incident is still very fresh,” Deacon Guilles said trying to put some rational to something irrational The mind tries to find the reason to what only our hearts can know our hearts through which the Holy Spirit abounds.” MC Ana Marie Panczel said family members were at the festival my aunt was there the day that it happened,” Panczel  recalled I received a panicked call from my cousin saying Langley City Mayor Nathan Pachal called it a “sombre day.” “Our community stands together with the Filipino community and just the community as a whole,” Pachal told the crowd Township Mayor Eric Woodward said "it’s a time for us to remember and it's a time to remember community and what makes us stronger.” Langley-Willowbrook MLA Jody Toor said while “we cannot undo what happened Langley Township-Fraser Heights MP Tako van Popta had a message for the Filipino community and we'll be strong with you." van Popta declared The event concluded with Langley Township councillor Tim Baillie playing 'Amazing Grace' to conclude the event Eleven people were killed and dozens more were injured when a man drove an SUV into crowds at the Filipino street festival on Saturday was arrested at the scene and faces eight charges of second-degree murder with Vancouver Police indicating more charges may be laid The online book will remain open until 5 p.m NATCHEZ — A person of interest is in custody and being questioned by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office in relation to a Sunday afternoon homicide investigation Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten issued a public notice Monday saying Adam Cade Wheeler was being sought for questioning for the incident that took place Sunday afternoon in the Cloverdale area Wheeler reported to ACSO Tuesday after the notice was published No one had been charged in the case as of Tuesday afternoon Anyone with additional information about this case is urged to call 911 The Cloverdale newcomer is adding to the small town’s destination dining cache Contact: 707-894-6438, wolfhousebrewing.com Summary: We all need a neighborhood hangout like this pub that’s also destination-worthy thanks to excellent craft beers When Twinkies celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2020 social media memes joked that the company might be ready to finally fire up a second batch of the legendarily long-lasting chef and co-owner Dwayne Moran is fiercely protective of his self-titled Cloverdale Twinkies based on premium ingredients like garden-fresh local jalapeños hand stuffed with cream cheese and avocado then deep fried to a pillowy golden brown with just enough spice to demand respect ($8) “We need a certain standard and size of pepper,” he explained of the secret menu favorite that usually comes from his kitchen April through September they're a labor of love to make when the chiles are large — and impossible if they're tiny.” Insider tip: In the spring he sometimes makes them on request if he has enough notice Regulars also like to ante up the artery damage and have the Twinkies wrapped in bacon for an extra $3 The Wolf House is a 10-barrel brewhouse with small-batch seasonal suds crafted weekly by co-owner and Master Brewer Kevin Lovett whose pedigree includes brewing for Napa Smith Stumptown and Cloverdale Ale (formerly Ruth McGowan’s Brewpub and current home of Wolf House) the pub is what you’d expect for laid-back Cloverdale When I walked in on a busy Sunday afternoon everyone swiveled their heads to look at me then returned to their beers and boisterous conversation Holding court in the center of the group was a white-haired gentleman dressed in a coonskin cap and fringed leather — local legend Davy Crockett Mike He’s a regular at Wolf House after decades of strolling around Healdsburg and Windsor plus periodic live music from Bay Area favorites such as The Beer Scouts band Wolf House is also not what you would expect for quiet Cloverdale only recently recognized for its destination dining (The Beet Wine Lounge and fine dining bistro Moran and Lovett took over the former Cloverdale Ale in October 2019 The long-standing pub already had a full kitchen and menu Moran owned Got Balls Meatball Factory of Glen Ellen California's first mobile meatball catering company Chef Meatball (as Moran is still known) said that as he got older he didn’t want to keep tearing down and setting up a restaurant every day Elice Moran (Lovett’s sister and now Wolf’s third co-owner) suggested the trio start a brick-and-mortar restaurant Opening Wolf House was challenging from the get-go While waiting for permission to open outside dining the creative team spent months selling beer out the front door it was one of the best things that ever happened because we created this organic customer base that you could never pay for,” Moran said and we’ll give you a dollar off your next pint smoked bacon brat from Healdsburg’s boutique Journeyman Meat Co The fresh cod is enrobed in a batter made with Burning Daylight Pilsner and served with coleslaw ($17 for two pieces topped with grilled onions with American and Swiss cheese on sourdough ($16) with lightly smoked tri-tip tucked into a buttered soft roll with housemade jus for dipping ($16) I’ll definitely stop in again for the fried chicken sandwich andseasoned well enough only to need its cap of fresh lettuce Moran later told me that it won the Best Fried Chicken from the Sonoma County Sandwich Club — who knew there was such a thing My braver companions gave high points to the messy a fried chicken sando with habanero-cayenne sauce I focused on my beer sampler (four 5-ounce pours $15) and a nibbler of very nice fried green beans ($7) Another tip: I now keep close track of the restaurant’s Facebook and Instagram pages to pounce on specials like prime rib or a crispy chicken sammy topped with a cheesy You’ll also see frequent specials like Chef Meatball’s grinders — the dense and chewy orbs smothered in lots of gooey cheese and brightly herbed marinara on a soft bun There’s a fenced patio for any roughhousing plus a wee one’s menu offering reliable bites like mini corn dogs but we get quite a few coming in from Santa Rosa Carey Sweet is a Sebastopol-based food and restaurant writer Read her restaurant reviews every other week in Sonoma Life NATCHEZ — A man died from a gunshot wound on Sunday afternoon that has been ruled a homicide Adams County Coroner James Lee said William Ray on the scene Sunday at 22 Hillcrest Drive in the area of Coverdale “This was an unbelievable act of violence,” Lee said The victim’s body will be transported to the state crime lab for autopsy The Adams County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident This story will be updated with more information How will the imposition of new tariffs affect your spending View Results The driver approached the other vehicle’s driver-side after the crash but fled after seeing people injured A driver fled after an early morning collision that injured two people in Cloverdale and police were still looking for him Monday afternoon at Healdsburg Avenue and South Franklin Street according to the Cloverdale Police Department The intersection is in a residential area and directly south of Washington School Officers found the two adult occupants of a silver sedan and both were taken to a hospital Police described them as a man and woman from Cloverdale The woman suffered major injuries that weren’t life threatening and the man’s injuries were detailed as minor to moderate They were involved in a collision with a dark-colored Ford pickup and police are trying to identify the driver He “approached the sedan’s driver-side door then fled the scene after observing the injuries neglecting to offer assistance or provide information,” police said in a news release Monday The pickup appeared to be a model made between 2015 and 2022 and should have front-end damage “no matter how small,” call them at 707-894-2150 The driver suffered minor injuries in the Highway 101 crash A red Chevrolet Corvette crashed at a high speed Wednesday night on Highway 101 in Cloverdale leaving the sports car “unrecognizable” and the driver with what appeared to be minor injuries the southbound Corvette sped off the western shoulder of the freeway struck a small sign and two trees and then came to rest in the right lane just north of the Dutcher Creek Road exit California Highway Patrol Officer and spokesperson David deRutte said a rescue unit from the Cloverdale Fire Protection District and CHP-Santa Rosa responded to the collision was out of the vehicle when first responders arrived He was taken to a local hospital for his injuries Cloverdale Fire Battalion Chief Rick Blackmon said The collision "disintegrated" the Corvette and car parts were spread out around the crash site Authorities closed the right lane of the highway for about an hour to clean up debris Officer deRutte said speeding caused the crash though investigators have not determined how fast the driver was going When the new marquee finally lights up Thursday, April 3 at the Capri Theatre it'll be a sight many in Montgomery — at least those here prior to 1962 — never thought they'd see again so we haven't seen what it actually looks like at night," said Capri director Martin McCaffery since McCaffery has only been with the theater for 40 years The marquee lights will turn on sometime between 6:45 and 7 p.m dual signs and new standing "CAPRI" letters the new marquee already stands out in daylight hours at 1045 E The design is remarkably similar to one that was in place for just over 20 years from when the theater first opened as the Clover Theatre in 1941 as part of the Wilby-Kincey chain More: Village Green Records in Montgomery is celebrating its anniversary with live music, deals and totally redid the front face," McCaffery said They tore down the marquee and put up the box-like one that you see from 1962." That 1962 remodel was done under then-owner John Moffit there were many owners and operators in the years to come the theater had to undergo extensive repairs after a fire in June 1977 caused major damage to the lobby firefighters were able to keep the blaze from reaching the auditorium McCaffery said they've had to replace and patch pieces of the 1962 marquee through the years "It was just coming apart," McCaffery said The new marquee lighting will be preceded by a reception for donors to the Marquee Magic campaign "We want to thank all of the donors who so generously contributed to our campaign," said McCaffery "This has genuinely been a community effort." the Capri Theatre — Alabama's longest continually operated movie theater — has been leased and operated by the Capri Community Film Society Inc became an art house home for screenings of independent McCaffery said the building was purchased by the society in 2010 the society began a campaign to restore the marquee That plan hit a snag in 2020 during the pandemic and the impact on theater operations is still being felt today which has been especially challenging over the past few years and from what I've seen the other theaters in town too," he said "We are hoping the marquee will at least let people know that we're still alive and pique their curiosity to maybe come in and see things We certainly hopes that it lightens up the neighborhood." The Capri has operated as a non-profit organization since CCFS took over "Our existence is completely due to the generosity of the people of Montgomery who have supported us over the years and helped save the building," McCaffery said A theater's work is never doneMcCaffery said there are always new projects ahead for the Capri including more furnishing for the inside lobby to allow more places to sit down They also plan to replace a broken wheelchair lift the next big project is probably the stage," he said adding that they want to make it more solid and easily accessible The stage is especially important for live events like concerts that are a growing part of the Capri's programming Two days after the marquee lighting, two-time Grammy nominated songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman will perform at the Capri at 7 p.m. on April 5. General admission tickets are $50. Doors open at 6:15 pm. Tickets are available at capritheatre.org involves much more live performance," he said Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel covers things to do in the River Region. Contact him at sheupel@gannett.com The Saints delivered an early statement win in North Central League I action handing the Eagles their first loss of the season in a run-rule decision Wednesday blew the game open with seven runs in the third Tahlia Smith went 4-for-5 with two doubles and four RBIs and struck out 10 with one walk four hits and an unearned run allowed as she worked all six innings in the circle Ada Blanton also tripled with two RBIs and Ellie Carmichael doubled with two RBIs Cloverdale fell to 9-1 on the year and 1-1 in league with the loss The Prospectors rolled to a big win over the Greyhounds on Wednesday in NBL-Redwood action Mialynn Membrilla had a monster all-around game going 3-for-3 with three doubles and three RBIs at the plate and striking out 11 with five hits no walks and one run allowed over all six innings in the circle Genavieve De Mauro also hit a home run in two-hit game with two RBIs and Ava Parra had two hits with an RBI and three stolen bases for Piner (4-7 The Wolves put up a season-high 18 hits as they rolled to another big win in Vine Valley Athletic League play Wednesday against the Dragons with four RBIs and allowed four hits with a run and a strikeout in all five innings in the circle for American Canyon (4-2 Aliyah Harris had two hits with an RBI and Raquel Winterburn and Brianna Velasco each doubled twice The Braves picked up their first win of the season in a run-rule victory over the Grizzlies on Wednesday in VVAL play with five RBIs and Ale Guerrero had three hits with five RBIs to lead the charge offensively for Justin-Siena (1-4 Guerrero also pitched all five innings with two strikeouts Casa Grande 5, Petaluma 0 You can reach Staff Writer Gus Morris at 707-304-9372 or gus.morris@pressdemocrat.com Power has been restored to 2,677 Pacific Gas & Electric customers in Cloverdale after an unplanned outage Friday morning Power has been restored to all 2,677 Pacific Gas & Electric customers in Cloverdale after an unplanned outage Friday morning power went out due to an issue with the company’s underground equipment a technician was on scene investigating the cause of the outage Crews were able to restore power to 1,937 customers by moving them to a different circuit but 740 customers were still without power The outage impacted a large area encompassing Cloverdale and past the Sonoma and Mendocino county border You can reach Staff Writer Alana Minkler at 707-526-8531 or alana.minkler@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter,) @alana_minkler 2024 at 3:18 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A rendering shows the Alexander Valley Resort Specific Plan adopted in 2008 CA—The 266-acre Alexander Valley Resort property in the Northern California wine country city of Cloverdale is being considered for a planned walkable community called Esmeralda the Esmeralda Land Company is conducting due diligence to ensure its development vision is feasible for both the city and Esmeralda According to its website, the Esmeralda Land Company team has met with Cloverdale’s city manager the mayor and all five council members to understand their hopes for the property and build upon the city’s vision "We started to reach out to key city leaders over a year ago, and we’ve been delighted by the positive response we’ve received from locals," wrote Devon Zuegel we will proceed with purchasing the property!" The concept for Esmeralda is inspired by Chautauqua, New York and she spent summers there during her childhood the Chautauqua Institute transforms the community into a college-like campus with a nine-week schedule of lectures and classes Chautauqua sprang up during the Industrial Revolution and attracted great American inventors and entrepreneurs like Thomas Edison and Henry Ford who spent summers there with their families It is said that Chautauqua's main hotel was the first to be lit by an Edison bulb "Our vision for Esmeralda is to build a year-round community that takes the best parts of Chautauqua and updates it with the Bay Area’s dynamism Chautauqua was built through what Zuegel calls the "ladder of commitment " The community began as a temporary gathering in 1874 "We’ve followed this same playbook by organizing a 'pop-up village' called Edge Esmeralda as a prototype for the village we are building." the pop-up attracted some 1,300 people to Healdsburg a Sonoma County city neighboring Cloverdale Another gathering is planned for May 2025 in Healdsburg Zueguel's vision for Esmeralda is also inspired by "Invisible Cities," a book by Italian writer Italo Calvino Esmeralda is one of the fictional cities in the book "If you dream of living in a small town while being surrounded by creative we’re building this for you," Zuegel wrote on X " Two key components will make Esmeralda special: 1 Our "software" – a culture of learning & building." "Very Different From The California Forever Project" Esmeralda, Zuegel said, should not be confused with another North Bay project called California Forever, which is on the November ballot as the East Solano Homes, Jobs, and Clean Energy Initiative "Esmeralda is not related to California Forever and our project is very different from their proposal," she said "They are building a large new city built from scratch in a rural unincorporated area; we are creating a new neighborhood inside the boundaries of an existing incorporated city The political and social context couldn’t be more different." Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. After having less than desirable results in the past with a K9 program the wait will continue for Cloverdale officials and residents after a lengthy conversation amongst police and town officials during this week's town council meeting.  The town council heard from Cloverdale Police officer Larry Freund a 501c3 that rescues dogs up for euthanasia and offers them to police departments to serve as a K9.  "Several departments are going through this It will be a narcotics K9 and that is why there is an opening it is a three week training course for the dog and handler The dog is licensed under the State of Indiana vets bills and re-certification is all provided," Freund told council.  Council president Brandon Tancak asked Freund how many K9s there are in the county and was told there are currently two for the Putnam County Sheriff's Office and one for the Greencastle Police Department.  "We only have so much time to get a dog there We can't prolong that traffic stop anymore than what is reasonable We have a small window of about 17 minutes to get that K9 there and use it effectively," Freund said.  Tancak then asked in the officer's five months on night shift how many times has he called for a K9 and was told almost 20 times Freund shared that he had gotten a K9 three times and each one was a positive indication for drugs.  factual information is we have done well with K9 programs in the past we are not ready to enter the K9 world again at this point in time," Tancak told his fellow councilors Cloverdale Town Council Vice President Brice Howell agreed "We need a K9 in this town with the drug problem we have in this town my opinion is we are not set up for this right now," Howell said.  After a few more minutes of interaction and discussion Scott Stierwalt made a motion to start the K9 program immediately I think we are more than ready for it just due to the facts of the drug problem We have to find a way to be ready to expedite a way This really should get some action taken on it," Stierwalt said as he made his motion.  died on the floor without receiving a second or further discussion.  Tancak then told Freund to come back with more information in the future The Cloverdale Town Council President told The Putnam County Post why he asked for more information in the future "It has been a while since we have had a K9 it just hasn't worked out with the previous K9's and handlers What is important to keep in mind when deciding to bring this program back are a multitude of things Cost being at the top of that list and just as important there has to be a bond between the handler and the K9 There are a lot of expensive things some might overlook and forget about that the town would be responsible for," Tancak told The Putnam County Post Tancak said he understands the need and desire for a K9 especially in the wake of a drug bust last week a mile from Cloverdale schools.  give it another try," Tancak said.