🌱 Fourth of July Shooting + School Program Shut Down + Wildfire

Hello, my people! I'm back in your inbox — on the heels of a long and eventful Fourth of July weekend — with a fresh edition of the Healdsburg Daily, full of all the local information you need to know right now. Let's get caught up...

First, your daily weather:

• Wednesday: Some fog and clouds turning to sun. High: 77 Low: 54.
• Thursday: Foggy again in the morning, then mostly sunny. Starting to heat up again! High: 83 Low: 55.

Check out what our local sponsors can do for you:

• Looking to rent in the Healdsburg area? Stacey Bernd at Healdsburg & Artisan Sotheby's International has lived in Sonoma Co. for 48 years and been in real estate for 30. She knows the market the way only a local can. Thinking of listing a property for rent? She can help with that too. Contact Stacey and work with Healdsburg's best.
• Have you stopped by Amy's Wicked Slush near Memorial Bridge lately? Amy's has Slush in glorious flavors like root beer, mango, and orange cream and soft serve in flavors like Cupcake, Blueberry and Brown Sugar Cinnamon. Can’t decide? Get the Split — half-slush, half-soft serve layered up like a parfait! Do yourself a favor and stop by ASAP.

• Looking to buy or sell a luxury property in Sonoma County? Healdsburg’s Sotheby’s International Realty is a local firm with global reach that specializes in luxury real estate, vineyards, wineries and land in Sonoma County. Healdsburg's Sotheby's: local expertise, deep market knowledge, and a passion for the community. Whether buying or selling, it pays to work with the best. Call Healdsburg’s Sotheby’s at 707-433-4800.
• Considering a fire-safe metal roof or siding for your home? Metal Roof Company has specialized in metal roofing and wall panels in the North Bay area for nearly 30 years. They work with homeowners, architects and general contractors on everything from single-family homes to commercial installations — and take pride in getting the job done right. To see a gallery of projects or to learn more, visit Metal Roof Company today or email metalroofcompany.com@gmail.com.

Click here to see your business featured in this spot.

Air over Healdsburg:

Here are the top 3 stories today in Healdsburg:

1. A young man from Windsor was shot dead in central Healdsburg right after the city's fireworks show on the Fourth of July, according to local police. Luis Enrique Gonzalez, 27, was shot around 11:15 p.m. in the 200 block of Monte Vista Avenue, in the housing area next to the high school. Officers responding to 911 calls from the area reportedly found him unresponsive on the sidewalk. The Press Democrat writes that Luis' death "is the first homicide in three years and the third in a decade for the city of Healdsburg, which has developed a reputation as an idyllic Wine Country destination." A neighbor on Monte Vista tells the PD: "You don’t think anything like that is going to happen in this little town. Especially on this street. It was a little unnerving." And another says "it feels like a microcosm of what’s happening all over the country, but obviously it touches a little closer to home." Police believe it was a targeted shooting, but haven't yet released any other insight into the investigation. They say that "anyone with information regarding the homicide is urged to contact HPD at (707) 431-3377 or crimetips@healdsburg.gov." (Healdsburg Police Dept. via Facebook & Healdsburg Patch & Press Democrat; paywall)
2. A couple hours before Monday night's shooting, on Geysers Road in Alexander Valley just north of Healdsburg, a small wildfire burned 8 acres before firefighters stamped it out. The cooler weather and lack of winds "helped us with containing the fire," officials say. More from the PD: "The fire sparked just off the road on private property and burned open grass, trees and logs in an area that burned in the 2019 Kincade Fire, Turbeville said. No structures were damaged. The fire was contained and knocked down by about 10:45 p.m. and crews were on site until 2 a.m. mopping up, he said. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Neighboring property owners reported seeing fireworks, though it’s not clear if that may have caused the fire. The fire could’ve also been started by a vehicle stopped on the side of the road or a vehicle operating on a flat tire, where the rim makes contact with the ground." A much larger, scarier wildfire called the Electra fire also broke out on the Fourth over in Amador County, between Sacramento and the Sierra Nevadas. It "may have been sparked by fireworks or a barbecue on the Fourth of July in a mountainous region that's a top tourism destination," CBS reports, and was only 5 percent contained as of last night. Hundreds have been evacuated and thousands of acres have burned so far. (Facebook Groups & CBS News & Press Democrat; paywall)
3. A longtime mentorship program for Healdsburg junior high and high school kids has been shut down after 13 years. It was called the Healdsburg Public School Success Team, or "PSST!" for short. Here's the explanation from school district officials, via the Healdsburg Tribune: "'With the onset of the pandemic in 2020, PSST! was forced to curtail its contact with and services to students. Since that time, the program has suffered from a lack of available volunteers and a diminished cohort of students,' read an announcement from Cynthia Doubleday. Although the reduced organization focused on Healdsburg Junior High School, where services for struggling students were insufficient, 'it soon became apparent that PSST! was no longer in a position to provide the program that it had offered students for the previous decade.'" So the 2022 cohort of students mentored through this program will be the last. And now, a "Grant Distribution Initiative" is underway to re-distribute the funds earmarked for PSST! “The applicants should be part of education-based organizations that seek to encourage lifelong learning for the youth of Healdsburg," officials say. You can apply on the PSST! website. (Healdsburg Tribune & PSSTHealdsburg.com)

Help us make this newsletter better!

We’ve been getting so much positive feedback about the Healdsburg Daily that we’re starting to get a big head. Want to bring us back down to earth with some constructive feedback? If so, take our simple — and quick! — reader survey. Your feedback will help us make sure we’re covering the kind of local news, events and scuttlebutt you really care about. And it will help us toward our goal of being an indispensable local resource and the last email you’d ever unsubscribe from.

We’d be so appreciative of your feedback that, if you take the survey, we’ll enter your email address in a drawing for a small mountain of Patch swag. You know you want that tote bag — so click the link and give it to us straight. Thank you!

Take the Survey 👉

Healdsburg pic of the day:

Want to see one of your pics featured in the Healdsburg Daily? Send it on over. Please just confirm in your email that you took the photo, and that Patch has permission to republish it! 📸

Today and tomorrow in Healdsburg:

Wednesday, July 6

• Sonoma County Government Hosts Virtual Home Resiliency Workshop: "Saving Energy at Home - Your House Is a System" (11:30AM-12:30PM)
• "Learn How to Crochet" for Teens With Purls of Joy Co-Op Experts at the Healdsburg Library (3-5PM)
• African Drumming With Onye Onyemaechi at the Healdsburg Library (6-7PM)
• "Knits N Knots": Learn How to Knit or Crochet Mason Jar Covers With Purls of Joy Co-Op Experts at the Healdsburg Library (6-8PM)
• Trivia Night at Coyote Sonoma, Feat. "The Office" Theme (7-9PM)

Thursday, July 7

• New Exhibit at the Healdsburg Center for the Arts: Emerging Artist Show (July 7-August 14, 11AM-5PM)
• Interactive Bilingual Music, Storytelling & Dance Program at the Healdsburg Library: Cascada de Flores Cuenta "El Brujo y la Sirena" (11AM-12PM)
• Sonoma County Government Hosts Virtual Town Hall on Drought & Russian River Impacts (4PM)
• Dallas Symphony Orchestra Performs at BACA Wines (5-6PM)
• Cookbook Author Erin Gleeson Reads From "The Forest Feast Road Trip" at Grape Seed Wines (6PM)
• Healdsburg Running Company Run to Windsor, Ending at Barley & Bine for Beers & Tator Tots (6PM)
• Healdsburg Prune Packers Baseball Game Vs. Sonoma Stompers at Rec Park (6PM)
• Karaoke at Coyote Sonoma (7:30-11PM)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• 2022 Petaluma Art & Garden Festival (July 10)
• Add your event

Alrighty, now you're in the loop. I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow with more!

— 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