Michelle Blackwell

April 17, 2025 — Two annual reports, one from the Fort Bragg Police Department and one from the Mendocino Coast Humane Society, presented to the Fort Bragg City Council, provided insights into crime rates and the number of stray animals.

February 26, 2025 — Three hearings held during the February 24th City Council meeting focused on ways to ease the path for new housing in Fort Bragg, regulate outdoor dining, and approve concessions for an affordable senior housing development on Hazelwood.

December 13, 2024 — The new Fort Bragg City Council began taking action on its vision for the city's future during a contentious meeting on December 9, marked by the election of officers, significant discussions on housing initiatives and city services, and an unsuccessful attempt to objectively address qualifications that make a good councilperson and vice mayor.

November 19, 2024 — The Fort Bragg City Council is allowing a three-story, 68-unit apartment complex on Highway 1, situated between the Fort Bragg Outlet Store and the Emerald Dolphin Inn, to move forward with preliminary conceptual approvals to the proposed plans.

November 4, 2024 — In a recent interview, Fort Bragg resident and property owner Peter McNamee voiced strong opposition to Mendocino Railway's plans to reopen Tunnel One with the aid of a federal loan. McNamee cited a Coastal Commission document that details the environmental harm the the tunnel project will cause.

October 30, 2025 — The Fort Bragg City Council allocated $20,000 to buy a new freezer for the Mendocino County Humane Society and hired an event coordinator to help plan the city's first Blues fest.

October 11, 2024 — The Mendocino Railway's efforts to reopen a collapsed tunnel connecting Fort Bragg and Willits have encountered numerous delays and legal challenges, as the railway company contends with lawsuits and community opposition. But efforts to repair the tunnel are moving forward, the company's president says.

October 2, 2024 — On September 23rd, the Fort Bragg City Council approved a land swap with the Noyo Center on the area commonly known as the mill site, provided direction, and approved with some caveats the conceptual design for the planned Ocean Science Center, received an update on the Municipal Broadband Project and reallocated American Rescue Plan Act or ARPA funding to multiple City needs.In other City news, the Biggest Time originally scheduled for October of this year on the Noyo Headlands has been pushed off until next spring. Police Chief Neal Cervanka was elected to the board of the State Police Officers Association and the council approved the emergency repair of a storm drain on North McPherson. Councilmember Tess Albin-Smith was not in attendance.

September 26, 2024 — Mendocino County is considered a climate haven. While figures about incoming and outgoing populations are mixed depending on which study or part of the county you are talking about, preparation is key. At a meeting hosted by the Grass Roots Institute on September 9th, Tim Robustelli from the Washington DC-based think tank, New America, and local planners from the Cities of Fort Bragg, Point Arena, and Mendocino County, Supervisors Dan Gjerde and Ted Williams, the Mendocino Council of Governments and the Coastal Commission met to discuss the impact climate refugees could have on the county.

September 19, 2024 — Ten years ago a warm water blob in the Pacific Ocean destroyed 93% of the kelp forest off the Mendocino and Sonoma Coasts. Then a wasting disease wiped out the remaining ocean predators for purple urchins.Since that time, abalone season has been closed, the red urchin fishery was declared a national disaster and purple urchins blanket the sea floor consuming everything in their path. Today over 96% of the kelp forest has disappeared.The Nature Conservancy was recently given 1.6 million to develop kelp restoration programs along the coast. Tristin McHugh, the kelp restoration coordinator for The Nature Conservancy, provides an update on what's working to restore kelp forests at Big River and Albion and talks about how the restoration efforts are helping the decimated fishing industry.