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: Written by: Noah Abrams; Published: 26 May 2022

Local elected officials, civil leaders, and student representatives gathered for a press conference on reproductive freedoms in Santa Rosa this morning. As the fallout from the leaked draft Supreme Court decision on Roe v Wade continues, local leaders are affirming their support for abortion rights and reproductive freedoms.

Anger and resolve characterized the morning’s speeches. North Bay Congressman Mike Thompson, who represents Santa Rosa and parts of eastern Sonoma County organized the event.

"And we're here because we all believe that a woman has the right to make decisions about her reproductive health. And the idea that the United States Supreme court is poised to reverse nearly 50 years of law to take the right away from women to control their reproductive health, we find appalling." Thompson said.

Rohnert Park Mayor Jackie Elward said she is exhausted from the continued battle over women’s right to choose, and fearful for the impact on members of the black community.

"As a black woman, I am tired to even be here and talk about my womb. When men out there don't have to, they are free and to do whatever they want with their bodies. My people will be the first one to endure the despicable actions that they will be taking." Elward said.

Michaela Schillinger, a student leader from Sonoma County spoke as well.

"As a young woman. I am in a lot of fear, always about having rights to my own body. And the fact that we're taking such a huge step back is incredibly upsetting." Schillinger said.

Mariana Martinez, a professor and Santa Rosa Junior College Trustee, said as recently as 1970, Latina women’s bodies were the site of struggle.

"Before then. Our bodies were still not ours. We were sterilized; and today we're actually reprimanded because our bodies are still not ours in the sense that we don't have money for education. We don't have money for healthcare access." Martinez said.

: Written by: Marc Albert; Published: 25 May 2022

Despite a large number of challengers and major geographical changes to his district, professional prognosticators insist North Bay congressman Mike Thompson will easily sail to re-election.

He's turned back every challenger since seeking a congressional seat in 1998. Thompson and his mainstream Democratic positions have proven quite popular in the district. He trounced his last Republican challenger, Scott Giblin, by a 3-to-1 margin. Thompson also outperformed President Biden in the district by 4 percentage points.

This time around though, much has changed. Many voters represented by Thompson barely know him. That's not because of complacency, but redistricting.

Once centered on Napa County and dipping into Vallejo and Martinez, the district now excludes those cities, while now including the bulk of Lake, Solano and Yolo counties, nearly reaching Sacramento itself. Much of Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park and Penngrove remain in Thompson's district.

In 2020, Thompson faced a Republican and two Democrats in the primary. In the June 7th primary, three Republicans, Matt Brock, Scott Giblin and Jimih Jones are challenging Thompson from the right, while Democrat Andrew Engdahl and independent candidate Jason Kishineff look to unseat him from the left.

Ballots for the June 7th primary may be mailed in, left in official drop boxes scattered around the county, or delivered to any of seven vote centers set to open Saturday.

Another 17 vote centers begin operating June forth. Ballots must be received or postmarked by or on June seventh.

: Written by: Marc Albert; Published: 25 May 2022

The future of close to 200 miles of derelict railroad tracks and right-of-way stretching from Sonoma County to Arcata is inching into view.

A decision by the federal Surface Transportation Board last week clears the way for a final ruling. No trains have plied the tracks between Willits and Arcata for a few decades. They're remnants of what was once the Northwestern Pacific Railroad. The southernmost segment has been re-invigorated into SMART.

State and local officials seek to build a 175-mile hiking trail next to the abandoned tracks, reserving the rights to restore the line if it ever becomes economically viable. Restoration would require billions in repairs, according to a state study.

That's an expense hard to justify. A landslide washed away track in the Eel River canyon a quarter century ago.

Meanwhile, several entities are seeking restoration, including a group hoping to export Wyoming and Utah coal through Eureka, likely to Asia. Similar proposals at other west coast ports, including Oakland and Portland, were shot down.

The federal board's action, mainly dealing with ancillary issues, also started a clock on the alternate proposals. Those seeking to revive the line must file what's called an "Offer of Financial Assistance" or OFA--showing they have the funds for repairs by the end of May.

Caryl Hart is chair of the Great Redwood Trail Agency, the quasi-state entity behind the trail effort. She said a credible financial offer would doom the recreational trail.

"Just to be clear, an OFA would result in the taking of the right-of-way and the rail line, from the public agency and put it in private hands, so it's a huge threat. It would be the end of the road, for the trail."

Nevertheless, Hart is fairly confident the bar is simply too high.

"They have to show that they have the ability to repair these lines. You're talking literally billions of dollars , then they also have to show that they have the money to operate it and that they have goods that need to be transported by rail, that there's a demand for use of that rail line," she said.

: Written by: Noah Abrams; Published: 20 May 2022

Despite a five percent increase in the number of homeless individuals in Sonoma County since the start of the pandemic, a state program is helping to move people into permanent housing in Sonoma County.

Growing out of statewide efforts to house vulnerable homeless individuals in the early days of the pandemic, Project Homekey provides money for local governments across California to buy and renovate motels into supportive housing. As part of the first phase of the program, the Sebastopol Inn and Santa Rosa's Hotel Azura were purchased and renovated into the Elderberry Commons and Mickey Zane Place, providing 75 supportive housing units between the two projects.

Dave Kiff with the county's Community Development Commission said three new projects are imminent as part of Project Homekey’s Phase 2.

"60 beds in Petaluma, north part of town, it'll transfer to 60 units of permanent supportive housing. Then Rohnert Park has a model also with 60 beds, but it'll be interim housing. And then Healdsburg is purchasing a older motel and that will become 22 units of interim housing." Kiff said.

Kiff said the projects should be completed by the end of this year.

"They're all supposed to be up and running by this fall. Healdsburg might be as soon as August. Petaluma is probably November, Rohnert Park is probably somewhere in between." Kiff said

Michael Gause, who manages the county department focused on ending homelessness, said Sonoma County is looking to move those still housed through older Roomkey programs, like from a site at the fairgrounds, into new accommodations.

"And that's the last one that's still open. We're working on transitioning folks out of that site as we speak, that's mainly due to the FEMA funding going away." Gause said.

With other Project Homekey sites currently in the works, more housing units could be added to the 217 to be completed by the end of this year. That'll push Sonoma County closer to it’s goal of creating 1,000 more supportive housing units.