NEWS ARTICLE ARCHIVE — in chronological order, with pagination below
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Skunk Train
Wow, the company that owns the Skunk Train line changed hands last month, what will Hart family role be going forward? We don’t know but are asking
A press release on PR Wire announced a stunning development: a new company is stepping into a key ownership position in the Skunk Train line. Railroad‑industry outlets are already describing the move as a buyout of the Hart family–run Sierra Railroad, which rescued the Skunk from bankruptcy 25 years ago and has owned it ever…
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US Coast Guard
Hurrrrah! Coast Guard Crew Cheers Noyo Buoy Fix — Check Out the Video; Pay Concerns Linger Amid DHS Shutdown
The 225‑foot Coast Guard Cutter Alder was stationed at the mouth of Noyo Harbor today, working on all three navigation buoys that keep boats from drifting too close to the big underwater rocks lurking just offshore — some rising to within 100 feet of the bluffs. Any harbor boater knows exactly what those buoys mean:…
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Ukiah
‘Serial’ illegal camping violator arrested in industrial area north of Ukiah city for allegedly making huge mess that created health risk, bad smells.
Michael Menke, 33, has been arrested again on charges related to illegal camping. He has been arrested and charged in the past, back to 2023, with camping on private property, in a park, and various charges of storing camping paraphernalia illegally. He was placed into a diversion program. He also had shoplifting arrests and one…
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California Highway Patrol
18‑Year‑Old Dies in Boonville Crash; Teen Driver Arrested on Manslaughter, Alcohol Cited, Bail Set at $100,000
We have now confirmed that both the victim and the driver were 18. The passenger who died has not yet been publicly identified; authorities say they will release his name once family notifications are complete. The uninjured driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI and vehicular manslaughter. Bail was set at $100,000. The following is…
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Frankly Speaking
The Stories Beneath the Stories: Blues Beach, the Redwood Trail, and the Rogers JDSF Bill Take Sharp, Unseen Turns Behind the Public Narrative
We are failing our history‑deprived leaders by not paying attention to these stories — and our neglect is part of the problem. 1. The Blues Beach tribal transfer was a great idea — and it’s days from the finish line. The media threw a parade on Day One (after Frank broke the story and started…
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Boonville
Update- Boonville man dies in early April 1 rollover, we have confirmed the victim was 18 year old man, 18 year old driver unhurt, CHP says alcohol was factor.
We redid our story yesterday until we could confirm the victim as well as the driver was 18, which is what we heard. It’s true, the unhurt driver and the killed passenger were both 18. The name of the young man who died still has not been released. The following is a press release from…
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Newsletters
April 2026 Newsletter 🐰 Mendocino Coast .News
Howdy, Mendocino Coast News Subscribers, Happy Spring! As we are experiencing this first quarter of 2026, our small coastal community has once again shown its resilience, spirit, and connection to the wild land and sea around us. From a peaceful political rally that drew hundreds, to a rare shark bite incident on the Big River…
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Mendocino County Sheriff's Office
Pennsylvania man/non profit tracks down predator- turns Brooktrails man’s case over to Mendo Sheriff’s Dept, they make arrest, Wow! Something new
A man in Willits was allegedly lured into trying to meet a 14-year-old girl at the Brooktrails airport for eventual lewd acts at his house. The “girl” was actually a man in Pennsylvania that built the case then turned the case over to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department and worked with them. The unidentified man…
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Frankly Speaking
JAG Shake‑Up: Amy Wynn Resigns, John Anderson Signals Exit as New Chris Rogers Bill seeks to redefine demonstration forests
COME JOIN ME/US for a fascinating forest tour at noon! Amy Wynn, a prominent Fort Bragg businesswoman, has led the Jackson Advisory Group (the civilian advisory body to Jackson Demonstration State Forest) through some of its most contentious years. She became emotional as she announced she would be leaving the JAG at its next meeting,…
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Arts & Culture
No Kings Fort Bragg Stays Peaceful, Productive, and 900+ Strong — Join Our Video and Photo Adventure- Other groups should use the great energy to accomplish local progress
Resist and Unsubscribe We went back and checked out or No Kings from the past photos and videos and we are pretty sure this one was actually smaller than the other two. Not by too much and there was also an unknown sized event at the stoplight in Mendo. We always do our own counts…
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Letters to the Editor
Could This Be the Biggest No Kings Protest Yet? Ukiah, Fort Bragg, Point Arena — and 2,000 Cities Worldwide — Mobilize for a Massive Saturday Action; Fort Bragg Protest Details Below
Organizers of the loose‑knit No Kings movement say this weekend could mark the largest turnout yet — 100,000 people across more cities than ever before, stretching from small coastal towns to major metros. The flagship rally in Minneapolis is expected to draw thousands, with Bruce Springsteen performing in what organizers describe as a “democracy‑defining moment.”…
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Frankly Speaking
How big was Big River shark? Authorities still don’t know, is sea lion population crash changing shark behavior?
Authorities don’t know how big the shark was that bit teacher James Eastman on Big River Beach on Wednesday. “We’re still waiting on the personal/witness accounts, wetsuit and wound photos that calibrated with ruler for bite analyses. There is team that works on these data but it takes time to get all that information, run…
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Frankly Speaking
Linda and Frank Got to See Two Pods of Risso’s Dolphins — a Rare Whale‑Watch‑Month Treat
Thanks to Dan Maxwell, the biological observer for the Blues Beach construction project, Frank got to see Risso’s dolphins for the first time today. They were maybe 500 yards off the coast, and Dan had a very cool scope dialed in on them. Frank brought the Nikon P1000 and zoomed all the way out, but…
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Frankly Speaking
Teen Hunter Shot in Leg in Accidental Shooting; Transported Out of County in Stable Condition
A 15‑year‑old boy accidentally shot himself while hunting on Robinson Creek Road off Highway 253 west of Ukiah on Tuesday morning, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. CalFire’s Howard Forest Dispatch Center notified the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office of the accidental shooting at 10 a.m. Tuesday. While all shootings are investigated by the Sheriff’s…
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Frankly Speaking
UPDATE- No more avian flu cases after Point Reyes murre; But everyone vigilant for move north as birds, seals head here and beyond for summer
Update March 25: Sonoma and Marin county health have been monitoring and watching for any more cases of avian flu after a common murre was found and tests ultimately showed it died of avian flu. Hundreds of elephant seals at a Bay Area facility famous for its elephant seal colony have died of avian flu…
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Jackson Demonstration State Forest
Three Days Lost in Jackson Forest: “Wonder Woman” 71, was OK but Missing all this Gear — Check Our Safety Kit Before You Go Hiking!
Somewhere out there is Wonder Woman. Turns out she’s real — she’s 71 — and she just spent three days and nights lost in Jackson Forest before anyone even knew she was missing. No food, no water, no gear. When Skunk Train railbike guides finally found her, she thanked everyone, waved off the ambulance, climbed…
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Caspar
Updated story- Allegedly drunk driver blamed for tow truck head on that closed Caspar Creek Bridge off and on for three hours + on March 9
We have gotten needed details on a crash that caused one of the biggest traffic tieups of the year on the Mendocino Coast. We wrote a story that day and LInda and i took photos under the bridge and Brutus and I hiked up to the north end of the bridge. We got enough of…
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City of Fort Bragg
A Little Food Truck Drama, a Big City Survey: Help Rewrite Fort Bragg’s Dining Map. Where? What kind of food?
One of our most‑read stories lately was the drama surrounding Sergio and Bertha’s food truck. We caught up with Sergio in his new spot last week, and he was genuinely relieved — and happy — to be back to business. Good News, Sergio and Bertha’s Fort Bragg food truck finds home! Thanks Purity!! The couple…
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California Highway Patrol
On a Sunday night and early Monday morning, I heard three bad crashes come over the scanner — and CHP confirmed every one was suspected DUI
Editor’s Note — Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Truly. Any one of these individuals could be found innocent. An arrest is not a conviction; it isn’t even a charge. It’s simply a suspicion that must be tested and proven in court. On Sunday, March 8, while gathering news for the Monday KOZT report, I…
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Frankly Speaking
What You Weren’t Told: The Crimes That Go Unreported — and the Ones That Get Overhyped
Creepy Crime Stuff from Mendo Frank joined the rest and reported on some old news during Frank’s stint on KOZT recently. The Sheriff’s Department sent out a press release last Monday about a horrific attack on a 72‑year‑old woman in Brooktrails — an attack that actually happened on Friday. From the law‑enforcement side, I get…
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