News

I sure love spring—our hills are green, flowers are blooming, and freshness is in the air! Spring is a time for “out with the old and in with the new!” It’s a time to pull those old clothes out of the closet, spiff up the garage, and even turn over the garden to plant summer veggies. Yep, everything about... (Read more →)

Fighting Back

School and workplace shootings—what we call “active shooter” situations— are difficult to talk about. No one wants to imagine an active shooter situation affecting our kids at school or our family members at work; but even though it is about as unpleasant a subject as we can imagine, it’s also one that, if... (Read more →)

The Great-Future Equation

The Boys and Girls Club of America says the equation for greatness is simple: To be great, a child needs a great education and a great afterschool program. For more than twenty years, our local Boys and Girls Club of Ukiah has been helping to create great kids! And the Boys and Girls Club needs our help to continue... (Read more →)

Our Lifeline

This week is Dispatcher Appreciation Week. Our emergency (911) dispatchers are the first people you talk to when you call with a crisis, and I can’t begin to express the gratitude I have for the work they do. Even though dispatchers can't see what’s happening, they are the eyes and ears of our first... (Read more →)

Safe RX

In an effort to reduce the abuse of prescription opioid painkillers, the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced it now requires new warning labels on these highly addictive drugs. Due in part to the wide availability of opioid drugs, their abuse has become all too common in our country. What... (Read more →)

Two Wolves

The other day I came upon a picture of two wolves and it reminded me of a story I learned as a boy scout years ago. I really like the story, and seeing the picture brought the power of the message back instantly. The Native American legend starts with a grandfather talking about life. He tells his grandson that in... (Read more →)

Spring Fever!

Let’s face it; although rain is important (especially now, during a drought), a little extra sunshine sure brightens our spirits. As the weather warms we start thinking of being outside—of spring break, spring vacations, and spring fever. A great way to soak in some of that sunshine is to get out of the house... (Read more →)

Empowering our Employees

Did you know that during the last two years, Ukiah has averaged more than 20 robberies a year? And based on the number of armed robberies that have already occurred in Ukiah at the beginning of this year, this trend is continuing. It’s important to know that a robbery is different from a burglary or theft. A... (Read more →)

Stranger Danger

I can’t think of many things as scary as having one of our students attacked or abducted on their way to or from school. Our kids should be safe walking around town, especially during the day. It’s been more than a month since the first of several attempted abductions was reported in Ukiah, and our officers have... (Read more →)

Be Awesome—Be a Book Nut

Today, March 2, 2016, marks the seventeenth anniversary of Read Across America day, a day to celebrate the joy of reading and the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. Dr. Seuss knew how to make reading fun; his whimsical rhymes have entertained generations of kids. And helping kids love to... (Read more →)

Home Safety

A few weeks ago, two elderly Ukiah residents were victims of a home invasion robbery. In this terrifying incident, two or three male suspects in their 20s or 30s broke into the home and tied up the residents. The suspects disabled the phones and searched the house before deciding they were at the wrong location.... (Read more →)

PLEASE – HANG UP!

During the first few weeks of February, several local business owners called to tell me they received threatening calls from scammers posing as IRS investigators. I have written about this scam before, but the information is worth repeating since these scammers are trying to steal money from people and businesses in... (Read more →)