Tuesday, 19 March 2024

Regional

Investigators look for the remains of Linda Mercurio in her home in Little River, California, on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. Photo courtesy of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.

NORTH COAST, Calif. — A Santa Rosa man has been arrested for the killing last week of his mother.

Fletcher Pinkham, 39, is being held on $1 million bail for the murder of 75-year-old Linda Mercurio of Little River, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.

At 7:40 a.m. Tuesday, personnel from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office were requested at the scene of a structure fire in the 39000 block of Little River Airport Road in Little River, Capt. Quincy Cromer said in a Saturday report.

Cromers said the request for law enforcement was made by fire personnel who were attempting to extinguish a multiple-story structure fire where it was believed the resident may still be inside the home.

Representatives from the Mendocino Volunteer Fire Department were actively attempting to extinguish the fire when Sheriff's Office personnel arrived. Cromer said Mendocino County Sheriff's Office personnel were advised by the firefighters that the structure was unstable and too hot for search efforts to be conducted in the rubble.

The multiple-story residence collapsed on itself due to the fire, making it difficult to fully extinguish the fire to safely commence search efforts, Cromer said.

Fire personnel also informed the sheriff's office personnel they were familiar with the resident of the property, who they identified as Linda Mercurio. Cromer said the fire personnel stated Mercurio reportedly lived at the residence alone and her vehicle was at the scene and had burned during the fire.

Mercurio was believed to be missing and possibly inside the residence at the time of the structure fire, which prompted the request for sheriff's office personnel to respond, Cromer said.

Approximately five minutes prior to the arrival of sheriff's office personnel at the scene, fire personnel advised Mercurio's adult son had exited the nearby wooded area in an altered state and appeared to need medical attention, Cromer said.

Cromer said fire and medical personnel identified this subject as Fletcher Pinkham, who refused further medical treatment at the scene.

Due to the suspicious nature of the circumstances at the scene, Cromer said Pinkham was detained by sheriff's deputies while the incident was investigated.

During the initial investigation, sheriff's office representatives searched the wooded area where Pinkham was found by fire personnel. Cromer said sheriff's office personnel located firearms, ammunition, clothing and personal belongings, and a vehicle that were all believed to belong to Pinkham.

Based on the evidence located at the scene and nearby wooded area, investigators determined a violent interaction had occurred between Pinkham and his mother, Mercurio. It was also believed based on this evidence and statements provided by Pinkham that Mercurio was shot and killed and the fire was intentionally set to destroy evidence and conceal the violent nature of the crime committed against Mercurio, Cromer said.

Fletcher Pinkham, 39, of Santa Rosa, California, has been arrested for the murder of his mother. Mendocino County Jail photo.

It was determined that probable cause existed to arrest Pinkham for murder and use of a firearm during the commission of a felony resulting in death. Cromer said Pinkham was ultimately transported to the Mendocino County Jail where he was to be held on $1,000,000 bail.

Further search efforts in the wooded area surrounding the residence were conducted with the assistance of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team, Cromer said.

Cromer said the residence was described as a four-story wood-framed structure, on a cinder block perimeter foundation with a concrete slab. The structure had collapsed into the basement and a large amount of smoldering rubble was still burning at the scene.

Fire personnel estimated it would take numerous days of cooling and firefighting efforts to safely search through the debris for Mercurio's remains, Cromer said.

Sheriff's office personnel maintained scene security for multiple days and requested the assistance of additional fire personnel and experts from the Chico State University Forensic Anthropology Department to assist with searching through the rubble. Cromer said the sheriff's office also requested an arson investigator from the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority to also assist with this case.

On Friday morning, sheriff's office and fire personnel were able to safely search the remaining rubble of the structure with the help of experts from Chico State University, Cromer said.

After multiple hours of systematically searching the rubble, law enforcement personnel were able to locate and recover remains they believed were those of Mercurio. Cromer said additional testing and examination will be necessary to confirm the identification of the remains, but the legal next of kin for Mercurio was informed of the findings and circumstances of this investigation.

Cromer said the sheriff's office does not believe anyone else was involved or assisted Pinkham during the crimes committed against Mercurio during this investigation.

Anyone with further information regarding Pinkham or this case, is requested to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office at 707-463-4086. Information can also be reported anonymously by calling the Sheriff's Office tip line at 707-234-2100.

The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office thanked the following organizations for their assistance with this investigation: Mendocino Volunteer Fire Department, Cal Fire, Cal Fire prevention officers, Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue volunteers, Ukiah Valley Fire Authority arson investigator and the Chico State University Forensic Anthropology Department.

UKIAH, Calif. — Warm up your winter by learning the art of needle felting wool buddies.

Join the Ukiah Branch Library on Friday, March 15, from 3 to 5:30 p.m.

Wool needle felting is a fun way to create imaginative and quirky creatures.

This event is for ages 12 and up, reservations are required, and the event is sponsored by the Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library and the Mendocino County Library.

To make your reservation or find out more information, please visit www.mendolibrary.org or contact the Ukiah Branch Library at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-463-4490.

A Northern California black bear walks down a dirt Forest Service road. Photo courtesy of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

In recent weeks, misinformation about black bears has been circulating online and on flyers posted throughout the Lake Tahoe community.

With all this information swirling, it can be challenging to tell inaccurate information from facts — supported by science. The Tahoe Interagency Bear Team, or TIBT, is here to help.

TIBT is a collective of bear experts across state and local agencies who study and understand these animals and have devoted much of their professional lives to ensure the health and well-being of the Lake Tahoe Basin’s black bears.

TIBT would like to set the record straight by debunking some of those claims and educating the public about the real issues and dangers this misinformation poses.

Tahoe bears may at times seem like a unique bear species due to their general lack of fear and boldness around humans, but these black bears follow the usual biological patterns of black bears across California and Nevada.

Whether living in or visiting bear country in the Lake Tahoe Basin or beyond, this information should clarify what is really needed to help wild bears survive and thrive.

The claim: Bears need human help denning during hibernation

Many have seen photos and videos perpetuating the myth that property owners and residents should allow bears to den under homes and in crawl spaces.

Some may have even seen people encourage this unwanted behavior by laying out hay and other materials for the bears.

But most homeowners don’t even know a bear is under or around their home until it has already established a makeshift den.

Bears will tear out wood and insulation, exposing pipes to freezing temperatures or damaging them in the process. And once a bear gets nice and cozy, it can be difficult to get it out. This increases the chances of human-bear conflict and habituated behavior.

Bears have evolved to comfortably survive winter without human help so it is very important to board up all crawl spaces around homes to discourage bears from setting up camp and damaging property.

The claim: Bears are starving, and people need to feed them

False! Black bears are some of the most resilient and adaptive animals and they can tailor their diet to what is available around them. It is true that bears need a lot of calories, especially in preparation for winter but giving them handouts will not set them up to thrive.

Giving a bear food will teach it to keep coming back and possibly investigate further by breaking into homes, vehicles and garbage bins.

This behavior will also condition cubs to do the same and continue a cycle of human-dependent bears. Human food and garbage are not good for bears and can make them sick and damage their teeth, leaving painful abscesses that can lead to death.

And importantly, feeding bears is illegal in the states of California and Nevada.

Bears instinctively forage on a variety of natural foods including insects, plant material and carrion (dead animals) and have a vital biological role to play in the health of forests, from spreading seeds and fertilizing through their scat to curbing disease and keeping insect populations in check.

If people teach bears to search for food in neighborhoods or other developed areas, that biological role is lost. Even after an incident like the 2021 Caldor Fire, where a huge swath of vegetation was burned, wildlife biologists saw bears find natural ways to survive like the resilient omnivores that they are.

The claim: Bears belong in neighborhoods

It can be exciting to see a big, beautiful animal like a black bear in a neighborhood, but that is not where bears belong. Neighborhoods have roads with cars, which bears must cross in order to get to the unhealthy human food and garbage in developed areas.

By allowing bears to comfortably live in or pass through neighborhoods, the chances that they will get struck and killed by vehicles increases immensely. If a bear is in a neighborhood, encourage it to move on by scaring it away so that it can lead a safe, natural life in the forest.

The claim: Don’t call the experts

TIBT is dedicated to creating the best environment for bears to thrive and remain wild in an ever-growing, ever-changing environment like the Lake Tahoe Basin. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, or CDFW, and the Nevada Department of Wildlife, or NDOW, should be the first point of contact for any bear-related incidents or questions.

CDFW and NDOW have dedicated and committed black bear experts who will help navigate any human-bear conflicts.

Learn more about keeping Tahoe bears wild at TahoeBears.org and BearWise.org.

To report bear incidents or conflict in the Lake Tahoe Basin, use the following:

• In California, contact CDFW at 916-358-2917 or report online using the Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at https://apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir.
• Non-emergency wildlife interactions in California State Parks can be reported to its public dispatch at 916-358-1300.
• In Nevada, contact NDOW at 775-688-BEAR (2327).
• If the issue is an immediate threat, call the local sheriff’s department or 911.

MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. — Mendocino County officials on Friday urged voters to check a county website to determine if the supervisorial district in which they live may have changed as part of the 2021 redistricting process.

Every 10 years, supervisorial districts are redrawn so that each district is substantially equal in population.

This process, called redistricting, is an important part in the election process and helps to ensure that substantially the same number of voters are in each district.

After the ballots for this year’s election were mailed, Mendocino County officials learned that some voters whose district had changed were not mailed the ballot for their new district.

New ballots have been sent to those affected voters. Based on information provided by the Elections Office, it is estimated that less than 300 voters might be impacted.

“The districts were redrawn in 2021 and we are finding that some residents may not realize that they are in a different supervisorial district than the last time they voted,” said County Chief Executive Officer Darcie Antle. “There may be some confusion and we want to provide clear answers to voters, so we are urging them to check our website to verify which district they are located.”

To verify your voting district, you can go to the County website located at: https://gis.mendocinocounty.org/portal/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=11e075ede3104623aa9458521b32538f.

It shows the boundaries of the Supervisorial Districts in which residents reside.

“We are receiving information that some voters may be confused by the fact that they are in a new district post the 2021 redistricting and that they have, in fact, received the correct ballot. To ensure this, we want everyone who has a question to visit the website and check the Supervisorial District number and match it with where they reside and vote,” Antle added.

She also encouraged anyone who wants to report an issue with their ballot to call 707-234-6819.

Antle said Mendocino County is continuing to work with the Mendocino County Elections Office which conducts all elections in the county.

She added that the Elections Office has informed the California Secretary of State’s Office of these issues.

Mendocino County continues to seek advice and guidance from the California Secretary of State’s Office as well as Mendocino County Counsel’s Office.

“Most importantly, we want to assure voters that they will receive and get the proper ballots and that every vote will be properly counted,” Antle said. “We are going to be working overtime to get to the bottom of what occurred and to ensure voters receive the proper ballots.

MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. — Mendocino County officials on Wednesday said they are investigating new reports of incorrect ballots for the upcoming March election and are seeking guidance from the Secretary of State’s Office on how to address the situation.

The county of Mendocino was made aware on Wednesday of candidate and resident concerns that voters may be receiving ballots from the incorrect supervisorial districts.

The initial belief is that the 2021 redistricting may not have been correctly imputed into the voter files.

“We want to bring this new issue to the immediate attention of Mendocino County voters as soon as we learned of it,” said County Chief Executive Officer Darcie Antle. “We are investigating the issues with the Register of Voters Office and their vendor. We are seeking guidance from the State of California’s Secretary of State’s Office.”

Antle added, “Most importantly, we want to assure voters that they will receive and get the proper ballots and that every vote will be properly counted. We are going to be working overtime to get to the bottom of what has gone wrong and to ensure voters receive the proper ballots.”

The county of Mendocino is also seeking assistance from Renne Public Law group, one of the state’s top municipal government law firms, in determining next steps.

Top left: Resighini Tribe of Yurok People Leadership and State Parks Leadership at the MOU signing in Klamath on Feb. 14, 2024. Bottom left: State Parks Director Armando Quintero and Resighini Tribal Chairperson Fawn C. Murphy sign the MOU. Bottom right: State Parks Director Armando Quintero, Resighini Tribal Chairperson Fawn C. Murphy, and Resighini Council Treasurer Kendra Jones. Photos from California State Parks.

KLAMATH, Calif.— California State Parks and the Resighini Tribe of Yurok People have announced the signing of a historic agreement to protect the natural and cultural resources in state parks within the Tribe’s traditional territory.

“We are honored to be leaders in ocean and coastal stewardship and to continue to work with State Parks toward our common goals,” said Fawn C. Murphy, chairperson of the Resighini Tribe of Yurok People. “Tribes have an inherent responsibility to steward and co-manage important cultural and natural resources in our ancestral territories. This MOU establishes a path to revitalizing Indigenous knowledge, supporting access to traditional cultural resources, and putting us back in the places we’ve been removed from for far too long.”

Signed at the Resighini Tribal headquarters in Klamath on Wednesday, Feb. 14, the memorandum of understanding, or MOU, outlines the mutual responsibilities of State Parks and the Resighini Tribe of Yurok People to promote a successful cooperation, co-management, and collaboration between the parties.

This includes incorporating indigenous traditional knowledge to better protect and preserve state parks, and ensuring consultation and meaningful dialogue takes place sufficiently in advance of final decision-making on what may affect the cultural and natural resource management.

The Resighini Tribe of Yurok People is one of three North Coast Tribes that formally designated, under their sovereign authority, the first Indigenous Marine Stewardship Area, or IMSA, in the United States – the Yurok-Tolowa Dee-ni’ Indigenous Marine Stewardship Area.

Through this MOU, State Parks will also work with the Resighini Tribe of Yurok People to educate the public about the significance of the Indigenous Marine Stewardship Area and its importance to cultural and natural resource protection, as well as its contribution to meeting the State of California’s goals to protect 30% of lands and waters by 2030 (30x30).

“This agreement with the Resighini Tribe represents a formal reconnection with the deep-time knowledge of cultures who have been here for hundreds of generations,” said Armando Quintero, director of California’s State Parks. “Our commitment to working with each other is a commitment to the healthy future of the natural and cultural resources in the state parks which are in the Resighini Tribe’s territory.”

The State Parks Tribal MOU program seeks to facilitate collaboration between California Native American tribes and State Parks by establishing protocols for continuous open discussions and outlining the responsibilities of each party to promote successful cooperation and partnership. This is the 11th MOU between State Parks and a California Native American tribe. The first one was signed on April 13, 2017.

To learn more about the program, please visit www.parks.ca.gov/TribalMOUProgram.

Upcoming Calendar

19Mar
03.19.2024 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Board of Supervisors
19Mar
03.19.2024 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Lakeport City Council
22Mar
03.22.2024 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
‘Steel Magnolias’
23Mar
03.23.2024 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
‘Steel Magnolias’
24Mar
03.24.2024 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
‘Steel Magnolias’
30Mar
03.30.2024 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Lakeport Community Cleanup Day
31Mar
03.31.2024
Easter Sunday
1Apr
04.01.2024
Easter Monday
15Apr
04.15.2024
Tax Day

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