🌱 County Fires + Prune Packers + No More 'Toxic Coal Train'?

Hello, everybody! I'm back in your inbox this morning to get you caught up on all the most important things happening these days in Healdsburg. Here we go...

First, your daily weather:

• Tuesday: Sunny and hot. High: 91 Low: 51.
• Wednesday: Still sunny, still hot. High: 87 Low: 52.

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Air over Healdsburg:

Here are the top 3 stories today in Healdsburg:

1. A couple of pretty bad wildfires broke out other parts of the county yesterday; you may have seen the smoke. First, the Roblar Fire started around 2:30 p.m. just west of Rohnert Park and quickly spread to 60-plus acres, driven by high winds, according to the Press Democrat — reportedly killing a man who was driving a "skid steer construction vehicle on private property accessible by a curvy dirt road, which firefighters slowly navigated." Then, around 4:30 p.m. in the Novato area, the Redwood Fire "burned more than 130 acres... near the Sonoma and Marin county line along northbound Highway 101, triggering major traffic delays that included the closure of lanes and an hourlong suspension of SMART train service." Both fires have since been put out, and officials are investigating what caused them. Good reminder to stay vigilant during this hot weather! (Healdsburg Patch & Press Democrat & Press Democrat; paywall)
2. Remember the "toxic coal train" proposal that Mike McGuire, Healdsburg's state senator, was making a huge stink about? The one that apparently would have allowed a mystery company to fix up the dilapidated rail line that runs along the Russian River, including through Healdsburg, and use it to transport millions of tons of coal from Marin to Humboldt — thus ruining plans to instead use the line for a SMART passenger train extension with a hiking trail alongside it? Well, Mike seems to have gotten his way. The proposal has been squashed for the time being, according to the PD. From the report: "The federal agency that entertained the idea, the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, which oversees rail rights of way including the 176 miles of defunct tracks between Willits and Eureka, put the brakes on the project in a procedural ruling earlier this month. But as the tide goes out on the audacious and costly coal export scheme — a political anathema in climate-concerned Northern California — questions remain about exactly who was behind the North Coast Railroad Co. and whether it ever had the wherewithal to succeed." Click through for the whole saga. (Press Democrat; paywall)
3. The Healdsburg Prune Packers, our local baseball team in California's collegiate summer league — which serves as a warmup ground for the major leagues, and a place for college players to stay sharp in the off-season — has been crushing it so far this season, after taking home the league championship last year. Out of 16 games they've played so far this year, they've won 14, the team's website says. One standout player so far has been Tennessee college kid Blake Burke, who hit three home runs in three at-bats last Wednesday night at Rec Park, in a game against Novato Knicks. If you wanna the Packers in action, they've got a string of four more home games this Wednesday through Saturday at Rec. (Prune Packers & Rocky Top Insider & Vols Wire)

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Today and tomorrow in Healdsburg:

Tuesday, June 28

• Healdsburg Tuesday Farmers Market, Featuring Live Hawaiian Music by Maille Swing (9AM-12:30PM)
• Meet the Artist: Paris Street Photography Show by Tania Amochaev at the Healdsburg Center for the Arts (2-5PM)
• Tuesdays in the Plaza, Feat. Live Music by The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra & Terrie Odabi (6PM)
• Healdsburg City Planning Commission Meeting (6PM)
• Healdsburg Running Company Pub Run to Geyserville Gun Club (6PM)
• Napa Sonoma Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Center Hosts Roundtable Conversation With Local Homeowners (6PM)
• Spike Sikes & His Awesome Hotcakes Live at the Elephant in the Room (7-10PM)

Wednesday, June 29

• Sonoma County Government Virtual Home Resiliency Workshop: "Solar and Battery Storage Basics" (11:30AM-12:30PM)
• Healdsburg Prune Packers Baseball Game Vs. Lincoln Potters at Rec Park (12PM)
• Teen Anime Workshop With Oliver Chin at the Healdsburg Library (3-5PM)
• Corazón Healdsburg Presents Talleres Para Padres at the Healdsburg Community Center: Clases de Nutrición / Food Smarts Series in Spanish (6PM)
• Dave Rocha Jazz Trio Live at the Healdsburg Library (6-7PM)
• Renter's Insurance Workshop / Taller Sobre Preparación de Emergencias by LISTOS, Redwood Credit Union & Corazón Healdsburg (6-7PM)
• Mini BANG at DaVero Farms & Winery (6-7:30PM)
• Trivia Night at Coyote Sonoma (7-9PM)

From my notebook:

• Anyone feel the 4.2-magnitude earthquake around 16 miles northeast of Healdsburg in the wee hours this morning? (NBC Bay Area)
• More volunteers are needed for the big kids' parade and Duck Dash races in the plaza on the Fourth of July. (SignUpGenius)
• And here's some intel on one of the races! Healdsburg bicycle shop Spoke Folk, who's hosting the "Trike Town" race, shared a map of the course online. "We put the ramp in the middle rather than the side, as it is fairly flat there," a rep says. "The Balloon Tunnel will be low enough that grownups in their big trikes won't be able to go through so the little kids can get around the loop faster." (Facebook Groups)

OK, that's all for today. Catch you right back here tomorrow!

— Simone Wilson

About me: I was born and raised in Healdsburg, CA, where I was the editor of the Healdsburg High School Hound's Bark. I have since worked as a local journalist for publications in San Diego, Los Angeles, New York City and the Middle East. I'm currently a senior product manager for Patch.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Healdsburg Daily? Contact me at simone.wilson@patch.com