Sonoma Watchdog Disputes Sheriff’s Handling of Guerneville Assault
Sonoma County’s civilian watchdog is calling out the Sheriff’s Office over how it handled a discrimination complaint tied to a brutal April 2023 assault in Guerneville, saying the department’s internal probe skipped key steps and left major questions hanging. The clash is putting fresh heat on how the county handles...
Petaluma woman, 79, swims length of Golden Gate Bridge for 95th time
In San Francisco Bay, the “Escape from Alcatraz” route from the onetime prison island to the mainland is a well-known quest for triathletes and other open-water swimmers. For one Petaluma swimmer, however, the bay offers a less-traveled challenge that she finds herself returning to time and time again.
Sebastopol man identified as $5 million California Lottery winner after months-long wait
Edy Giron Ruiz of Sebastopol has been identified as the winner of a $5 million Scratchers prize sold on Valentine’s Day.
A Salute to Late Chef John Ash, ‘The Father of Wine Country Cuisine’
The culinary world feels emptier now after the passing of Sonoma County’s James Beard Award-winning chef John Ash on Aug. 8 from a heart condition. The harvest issue of Sonoma magazine had just gone to print, but our team chorused that a proper salute was owed to the legendary talent who put local, exquisitely fresh,...
Wingo, California Ghost Town
Wingo is a ghost town in Sonoma County’s marshlands that once thrived as a strategic transportation hub connecting San Francisco and Sonoma via steamships in the 1840s. You’ll find it was later renamed from Norfolk in 1876 during railroad expansion before declining after the 1937 Golden Gate Bridge construction....
19 Historic Sites Every American Literature Fan Should Visit
The Mark Twain House & Museum – Hartford, Connecticut The Mark Twain House & Museum – Hartford, Connecticut (image credits: wikimedia) The Mark Twain House & Museum sees about 60,000 visitors a year, making it one of America’s most beloved literary destinations. The 25-room Victorian home where Samuel Clemens (Mark...
Who Can I Contact to Report Human Waste in Public Areas?
An unfortunate incident occurred recently when a pedestrian inadvertently stepped into a pile of human feces while strolling around downtown. This is not an isolated incident, as there have been numerous sightings of human waste in public spaces. The question that arises from such an unpleasant experience is whether...
What’s happening this week in Sebastopol?
Tuesday, Nov. 18, Nov. 25, and Dec. 16, 10 am to 6 pm, at the Sebastopol Grange Hall, 6000 Sebastopol Ave. (Hwy. 12), Sebastopol. Join the Sebastopol Grange in a community-wide effort to help our hungry neighbors. The Sebastopol Grange will be hosting a food drive for Redwood Empire Food Bank, which supplies food...
Santa Rosa Police Department Launches Holiday Toy Drive to Support Local Families
The Santa Rosa Police Department has started its third annual Holiday Toy Drive. The event runs from November 6 to December 12, 2025. This year, the department is working with Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu of Santa Rosa. All donations will go to Catholic Charities of Santa Rosa.
Healdsburg’s Jesse Katz named 2025 Winemaker of the Year by Wine Enthusiast
Jesse Katz, the prodigious winemaker behind Healdsburg’s Aperture Cellars and numerous wine partnerships, has been named 2025 Winemaker of the Year by Wine Enthusiast’s Wine Star Awards. As one of California’s most closely watched young winemakers, Katz has earned high accolades in recent years. In 2014, he became...
