🌱 Healdsburg Trib To Fold + Fire District Grows + Duke's Allegations

Hello, hello! It's me, Simone, your host of the Healdsburg Daily — back in your inbox this wet, cozy spring Thursday with everything you need to know about what's going on these days in town. I've got some big, heavy news for you today, so hold on tight...

First, today's weather:

Cool and rainy. High: 55 Low: 37.

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Air over Healdsburg:

Here are the top 5 stories today in Healdsburg:

1. After a couple close calls, it appears this is actually happening: The Healdsburg Tribune is going out of print after 157 years. Their last physical newspaper will be printed on Thursday, April 28. However, the paper's local reporting on Healdsburg will continue online. "This decision came after much research, thought and deliberation into the sustainability of a locally owned small town newspaper," says the board of directors for the Tribune's parent nonprofit, the Sonoma County Local News Initiative (better known as SoCoNews). They're encouraging Trib subscribers to donate to SoCoNews so they can continue their "quality local reporting, from youth sports, to investigative journalism, to in-depth features on your friends, family and neighbors, to deep dives into local government" and meet their "obligations to our employees and to our vendors, which are all locally owned businesses." You can donate to the cause, and subscribe to get email updates about what's happening in Healdsburg, on the SoCoNews website. (SoCoNews Healdsburg & Support SoCoNews)
2. More and more anecdotes keep emerging of people's drinks being spiked at the Duke's Spirited Cocktails bar on the plaza. In an official statement, Healdsburg police say that since receiving a call on April 4 from "a female reporting she believed she had been 'roofied' while at Duke’s Bar in Healdsburg two days prior," multiple other "people have come forward to report that they believed their drinks may have been tampered with during prior visits to Duke’s Bar over the past year." And according to the Chronicle, the number of alleged victims has reached at least nine. More from local officials: "The Healdsburg Police Department is investigating each reported incident, including reviewing video footage, interviewing any possible witnesses, and drug testing of potential victims as appropriate. The personnel at Duke’s Bar have been cooperating with this ongoing investigation. As this is an ongoing investigation no further information will be released at this time. There has been no evidence of any attempted sexual assaults as a result of the reports of drink tampering." (Facebook & SF Chronicle; paywall)
3. Sonoma County's local NPR station has more details on the expansion of the Northern Sonoma County Fire District, which is in charge of defending the fire-prone land surrounding Healdsburg. The district is in the process of annexing areas like "the Geysers, Sotoyome, Fitch Mountain and Red Slide/Mill Creek Road," the station reports — thus growing its footprint "from 273 square miles to just under 400 square miles," or around a quarter of Sonoma County. Of the district's new $1.2 million annual budget, Chief Marshall Turbeville says "approximately $275,000 will go towards having a second firefighter staffed 24/7" and another $200,000 will go directly to the Healdsburg Fire Department to defend fires in areas where their jurisdictions overlap. A bunch of the funds will also reportedly go to "local community services" such as popular neighbor group Communities Organized to Prepare for Emergencies, or COPE — because, as Turbeville points out, "it's more highly likely that your neighbor's going to help you before the fire department gets there.” (KRCB/NPR via NewsBreak)
4. Sonoma County prosecutors are reportedly dropping the assault charges against the City of Healdsburg's former planning commissioner, Jeff Civian. He's on trial this month for allegedly attacking two local teenagers in summer 2020 outside his home, in what the teens argue was a racist attack. But now, according to the Press Democrat, the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office only plans to "uphold two counts of false imprisonment by violence with firearm enhancements in connection with the summer incident, when two teens said Civian pointed a gun at them and choked one. Previously, Civian had been charged with two counts of assault while in possession of a weapon and two counts of abusing or endangering the health of a child." More context from the PD: "Changes to charges before the beginning of a jury trial are common, according to Deputy District Attorney Brian Staebell, who said instead that they’re often a 'strategic choice.' ... 'We amend charges all the time,' Staebell said. 'We’re just filing to bring the charges consistent with the conduct that we believed occurred,' as well as 'evidence we believe will be brought to court.'" (Press Democrat; paywall)
5. While the official opening date for Little Saint — the new 10,000-square-foot food, art and event space going into the old SHED location on North Street — isn't until April 22, the coffee shop housed within the space is now open for service from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. This, according to the Shop Local Healdsburg group on Instagram, who stopped by and talked to general manager Akeel Shah. They also got some great footage of the space taking shape — check it out! (Instagram)

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Today and tomorrow in Healdsburg:

Thursday, April 14

• Walk to End Alzheimer's at Healdsburg Plaza, in Memory of Dennis Parker (8:30-10:30AM)
• AARP Tax Help at Healdsburg Library (Weekly, 10AM-3PM)
• Little Monsters Culinary Mini Cooking Camp at the Villa, Featuring Spring & Easter Themed Recipes (3:30-5PM)
• Healdsburg Running Company Riverfront Regional Park Run, Ending in Wohler Bridge Jump, Swim, BBQ & Skinny Dip (6PM)
• Taller de Crédito / Credit Score Workshop at Healdsburg Community Center (6-7PM)
• COVID-19 Vaccine Community Discussion With Sonoma County Officials (6-7PM)
• Ballet Folclórico at Corazón Healdsburg (6:30PM)
• LIFE & LIFE: Film Screening, Jazz & Blues Concert and Q&A With Reggie Austin at THE 222 (7PM)

Friday, April 15

• Family Storytime at Healdsburg Library (11-11:45AM)
• Healdsburg Running Company Critical Mass at Alley 6 & Amy's Slushtails (5PM)
• Tax Relief: Bubbly Hour at Breathless Sparkling Wines, Feat. Music by Sebastian Link Trio (5-7PM)
• Boards & Bottles at HANNA Winery (5:30-7:30PM)
• The Remedies Live at Coyote Sonoma, Feat. Special Guest Johnny Sansone (6-9PM)
• CIRQ Estate & CHEV Wines Winemaker Dinner at the Matheson (7PM)
• John Jorgenson Quintet Live at the Raven Theater (8PM)
• Todd Bugbee & the Bugbee Project Live at the Elephant in the Room (8-11PM)
• Deadline to Enter Healdsburg Museum's Family History Essay Contest (11:59PM)
• Deadline to Sign Up for Healdsburg Senior Center's "11 Roses Ranch Historical Stagecoach Tour and BBQ Bus Trip" (11:59PM)

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Now you're in the loop for today. I'll be back 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.