The state Legislature on Thursday approved a measure from Sen. Bill Dodd creating a sister-state relationship between California and Lviv, Ukraine. “One of the largest Ukrainian communities in the United States is in California, so it makes sense that we forge an official bond with the Lviv region,” said Dodd, a Napa resident, in a press statement. “We share many mutual values, aspirations and interests including economic cooperation, academic research, cultural exploration and technological innovation,” added the lawmaker, whose 3rd Senate District spans part of the East Bay to Sacramento. “I ..read more

The size of high school swimming rosters in Vallejo has gone down significantly in the past few years. However, the swimmers who did show up Thursday at Cunningham Pool were more interested in personal records going down. St. Patrick-St. Vincent and Vallejo high schools had a combined 23 swimmers show up for a Tri-County Athletic League Championships meet, just under 13 percent of the 195 total swimmers at the event. Nine schools were represented at the meet. “COVID seemed to kill all our momentum with the Vallejo swimming program,” coach Brendan Kearney said. “We lost all our senior swimmers ..read more

A 19th Century anchor caked with rust, barnacles, moss and mud has been hoisted from the Napa River, adding to an assortment of similar artifacts commemorating the nautical history of the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard and the city of Vallejo, just across the river. The anchor, hooked onto the Mare Island seawall, was spotted by Mare Island Brewing Co. co-founder Kent Fortner during an early-morning walk. Brewery co-founder Ryan Gibbons used a forklift to lift the 200-pound-plus anchor off the seawall and move it to a warehouse. It’s not known who raised the anchor from the bottom of t ..read more

The Solano-Napa County Small Business Development Center will celebrate National Small Business Week next week with several events aimed toward supporting local small businesses. On Thursday, the organization will host Business Connect from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at the Daily Desk, 490 Chadbourne Road, in Fairfield. SBDC describes the event as “an evening of networking and inspiration as we celebrate the resilience and success of the Solano and Napa business community.” SBDC will also offer four different online trainings on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, each covering different topics. Those ..read more

Rebuilding Together Solano County will once again be distributing Disaster Safe at Home Kits for veterans, active military and other military families in Solano County. The kits will be distributed on Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Solano County Events Center located at 601 Texas Street, Fairfield, CA  94533. In addition, RTSC will have a raffle for grocery gift cards, raised garden boxes and garden hoses. The organization’s Disaster Safe At Home Kit includes: An Earthquake 4-1 Tool (gas turnoff, water turnoff, prybar and glass breaker) LED Lantern Cell Phone Charger (solar / hand ..read more

SACRAMENTO— As the California State Water Resources Control board meets at the California Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters for three days of discussion on its Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan Solano County water officials are there to speak in opposition to a course of action that could see the county’s water allocation from Lake Berryessa cut by 75 percent. Chris Lee and Alex Rabidoux of the Solano County Water Agency presented information regarding the growth of salmon populations in Putah Creek in recent years. The state has claimed that diminished river flows in these areas ..read more

A 58-year-old convicted killer charged with the 1982 bludgeoning death of a 14-year-old Vacaville girl faces a newly scheduled September jury trial in Solano County Superior Court. Marvin Ray Markle Jr. appeared earlier this month in Department 2 for more proceedings in the case. Judge Daniel Healy, vacating a May 28 trial, ordered him to return at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 30 for a trial in the Justice Building in Vallejo. The judge also ordered him to return at 8:30 a.m. June 7 for a trial confirmation, court records show. In custody without bail in Solano County Jail, Markle is being defended by Chie ..read more

A federal judge on Monday sentenced a 40-year-old San Diego man to five years in prison for firearms trafficking in Vallejo. Jeremy Michael Benner also was sentenced to three years of supervised release after completing his prison term, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert said in a press statement. According to court documents, from August back to September 2022, Benner sold firearms to a confidential informant four separate times in Vallejo. One of the firearms had previously been reported stolen. Three of them came with extended magazines. Benner did not have a license as a firearms dealer. As ..read more

In an annual observance, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office and Vacaville and Fairfield police leaders will mark National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Thursday in Fairfield. The “moment of reflection” will be at noon at the steps of the courthouse, 600 Union Ave. Themed “Options, Services, and Hope for Crime Survivors. How Would you Help?” the event “asks all of us — friends, family members, neighbors, colleagues, community leaders, victim service providers, criminal justice practitioners, and health professionals — how we can help crime victims?” according to a press statement from th ..read more

Due to a water main break, about 1,000 homes in the Glen Cove area were without water for about two hours on Wednesday night. The impacted streets where residents were without water included Wellington Place, Suncliff Place, Barington Drive, Bayhurst Drive and Summersville Court. Those residents were advised to conserve water starting at 9 p.m. but by 11:20 the same night Vallejo City staff said “that water service in Glen Cove neighborhood has been restored.” According to Vallejo staff, “the problem was an internal valve issue identified and subsequently repaired.” Vallejo Water Department Di ..read more