The Napa town where it’s easier to win a Michelin star than build an...
It’s Wine Country’s worst-kept secret: Tourists are welcome to bunk down, but many who sauté their days away in its world-famous restaurants have nowhere to sleep nearby. Napa and Sonoma counties have nine Michelin-starred restaurants between them, but few major apartment projects under construction. The development...
The Symphony of Recycling: Touring Recology Sonoma Marin
Members of NorCal Public Media tour the Materials Recovery Facility at Recology Sonoma Marin. Ever wonder what actually happens to your recycling after the truck pulls away? This week, we go behind the scenes (and behind the sounds) of Recology Sonoma Marin’s newly upgraded Materials Recovery Facility. Following a...
Fire Tax Money Finally Flows to Sonoma County Crews
Sonoma County’s new half-cent fire tax is no longer just a line on a receipt. Fresh financial filings show local fire agencies pulled in $45.7 million in the 2024-25 fiscal year, as Measure H revenue starts landing in department budgets instead of sitting in county ledgers. County tax collector Erick Roeser told the...
Cockfighting ring bust in Sonoma Co. nets 833 roosters
More than 800 roosters were seized by Sonoma County Sheriff's deputies this week as part of a monthslong investigation in to a suspected cockfighting operation in Santa Rosa.
Magnitude 3.4 earthquake felt in the North Bay
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. - A magnitude 3.4 earthquake struck in the North Bay on Thursday night, according to officials with the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicenter of the quake that shook at 9:25 p.m. is about 4 miles west of Cobb, California in Lake County. This is an area located roughly 40 miles north of Santa Rosa.
Permit Sonoma Announces Streamlined Permitting: Expedited & Over-the-Counter Programs
Many common residential projects don’t require a lengthy plan review? Permit Sonoma offers two pathways designed to get you permitted quickly and keep your project moving. The Expedited Permit Program focuses on complete, clearly prepared residential applications that are limited in scope and ready for streamlined...
Officials urge caution in Guerneville as heavy storm moves through the Bay Area
Gray skies and steady rain are moving across Northern California, and people in the Bay Area are feeling it. A strong storm system is pushing in from the Pacific, bringing periods of showers and gusty winds. This system is expected to drop up to about 3 inches of rain in...
Musical Artist Rodney Crowell Brings Tour to Napa
Musical artist Rodney Crowell realized long ago that rather than become a star, he wanted to become exactly what the first two words of the sentence denote: a musical artist. After his 1988 album “Diamonds and Dirt”garnered him 5 consecutive #1 hit songs on the country music charts, an inevitable crash was almost...
2024 Kirkland Signature Sonoma County Old Vine Zinfandel
It's interesting that we're seeing the 2024 vintage of this wine arriving in Costco stores right now. It was just over two years ago that we reviewed the 2021 vintage, so a bit of a jump to 2024. But it's not uncommon for Costco to skip a vintage, or for...
Louisiana Soul Storms Napa’s Main Street At Lil Sista’s
Downtown Napa has a new kind of weekend scene, and it comes with shrimp and grits. Lil Sista’s Goody’s, a full-service soul food restaurant opened by cousins Ann Groux and Sheneen Brown, is serving Louisiana staples like shrimp and grits, oxtails and a big Sunday buffet on Main Street. Diners and local reporters say...
