Top weekend news stories from Sonoma County

Here are the top weekend news stories from Sonoma County.|

This weekend’s top stories include a look at the Sonoma County water supply and at the details of a police investigation into sexual assault allegations against former Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli.

We hope you’re enjoying your weekend, Press Democrat readers!

Thanks for supporting local journalism and for subscribing to The Press Democrat.

Hania Nazario, 5, a kindergartner at Cesar Chavez Language Academy, does her homework at home in Santa Rosa on Friday, November 5, 2021.  (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)
Hania Nazario, 5, a kindergartner at Cesar Chavez Language Academy, does her homework at home in Santa Rosa on Friday, November 5, 2021. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)

Sonoma County students’ return to school clouded by pandemic setbacks:

More than halfway through their first school year back in classrooms since the coronavirus prompted a shift to online learning, educators know more about the steep toll of the pandemic: 2021 graduation rates, year-end and interim assessments and student surveys offer new insight.

In Sonoma County, the pandemic compounded academic woes from repeated disasters — wildfires, floods and power outages — that have canceled weeks of instruction across many school districts since 2017.

Santa Rosa's 46 gas stations plotted on a map show that 44 of them are in areas where low income and communities of color overlap, according to 2020 census data. (Amy Nicholson/City of Santa Rosa)
Santa Rosa's 46 gas stations plotted on a map show that 44 of them are in areas where low income and communities of color overlap, according to 2020 census data. (Amy Nicholson/City of Santa Rosa)

Is 138 gas stations in Sonoma County enough? Wave of local cities banning new ones:

While it may be years yet before electric vehicles dominate the roadways, elected officials think planning ahead for a successful transition away from planet-fouling, gas-powered cars makes sense. And that includes putting a stop to any more fuel pumps in the Sonoma County.

The recreation area at Yorty Creek remains high and dry, with the nearest body of water at Lake Sonoma nearly 400 yards from the recreation area, Thursday, March 10, 2022. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 2022
The recreation area at Yorty Creek remains high and dry, with the nearest body of water at Lake Sonoma nearly 400 yards from the recreation area, Thursday, March 10, 2022. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 2022

Sonoma County braces for another year of drought:

At a workshop this week, Sonoma County water managers highlighted what’s to come as the latest drought continues: disciplined conservation will be necessary, additional water use restrictions may be coming, Russian River curtailments will be back, farmers will continue to struggle and salmon and steelhead trout are at risk.

Dominic Foppoli
Dominic Foppoli

Florida police release details of probe into reality television star’s sexual assault allegations against Foppoli:

Reality television star Farrah Abraham told Florida authorities she woke up with no memory of a night spent with then-Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli after sampling several wines and drinking part of a cocktail, according to a report released Friday by the Palm Beach Police Department.

Santa Rosa's safe parking lot for local homeless people at 55 Stony Point Rd.
Santa Rosa's safe parking lot for local homeless people at 55 Stony Point Rd.

Santa Rosa launches ‘safe parking’ program for homeless in vehicles:

Santa Rosa began its “safe parking” program Monday near the Finley Community Center on the west side of the city for about 20 local homeless people living out of their cars and RVs.

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.