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Healdsburg
January 28, 2026

Open Mic: Surprise Raid in Kern County Foreshadows What’s to Come

Farmworkers in a Kern County field
The Border Patrol conducted unannounced raids throughout Bakersfield on Tuesday, Jan. 7, descending on businesses where day laborers and field workers gather. Agents in unmarked SUVs rounded up people in vans outside a Home Depot and gas station that serves a breakfast popular with field workers. "It was profiling; it was purely field workers,” said the manager of a local gas station.

The Ruse approved for abuse rehab

Front door of The Ruse on Grove Street
After two hours of discussion on Sep. 23, the commission voted 5-1 to approve the conditional use permit for the property as a “luxurious 13 bed Substance Use Disorder Facility,” to be renamed The Ruse Treatment...

‘Breathtaking kineticism’ carries new auto racing movie

Scene from the movie 'F1"
If you’re into Formula One and racing movies, it’s absurdly entertaining watching Pitt and Idris doing what appears to be a lot of their own driving. At the end of the day, when movies hit all the stereotypical sport movie beats, it can be comforting...

‘Shenkman Letter’ Prompts Overhaul of City Elections

Healdsburg overview
The names on the letterhead strike terror in the hearts of city governments across the state: Malibu-based attorneys Shenkman & Hughes since 2011 have made it their mission to call out local governments in California that elect officers by “at large” voting. Now it's Healdsburg's turn, to split its area into five districts for city council elections. This could be interesting...

The City in Colors: Building Coalitions, Drawing Districts

Liz Stitt of Redistricting Partners speaks
As of Jan. 13, the DistrictR tool was live and functional, and anyone can draw up a city map of four, five or six districts, with the five-district model the only option for a rotating mayor, as Healdsburg has at present. Various tools are located in the upper right corner, as is common in such applications—a hand tool to move the map, a pen tool to select a district and color it, an eraser tool to fall back on. Residents have another three weeks to work with the mapping tool....

Lew Sbrana Passes the Baton

When Lew Sbrana strikes up the band this coming Sunday afternoon at Healdsburg Community Church, it will mark the end of a remarkable career for a man who has probably touched more lives through music than anyone else in Healdsburg, and perhaps the county. For...

Legal High Comes to Healdsburg

Ribbon cutting
As the first cannabis dispensary opened in Healdsburg, more than one customer observed he was cutting down on VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled), a key metric in the city’s goal of reducing greenhouse gasses. The next nearest dispensary is 10 miles away in Larkfield, and beyond that twice that far to Cloverdale...

This year’s Packers pack a punch

SECOND-INNING SLUGGER Jonathan Kim hits the first home run of the year
It took the Healdsburg Prune Packers less than two innings to start sending balls over the Rec Park fence. Center fielder Jonathan Kim of the University of Michigan slammed a high fly over the right field fence with two runners on, and from that point on the power-hitting Prune Packers have made hitting homers part of their game plan.

Still Healdsburg’s Favorite Holiday

St. Patrick's Day Parade in Healdsburg
This coming Monday will begin a bit differently for most Healdsburgers, as the dawning hours are celebrated with a parade and a party. That doesn’t usually happen, but March 17 is the date of one of the town’s favorite holidays—St. Patrick’s Day. And with...

‘The Row’: The other Mill district

Business sign at 44 Mill St.
It’s with an eye toward making the most of that most valuable of assets—parking in Healdsburg—that Mat Humphrey is filling up the available leases on the property at 44 Mills St. one by one, and staggering their prime hours so the lot is productively filled as much as possible. The highest and best use, one might say, to echo the realtor’s mantra.
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Arts & Entertainment

Gabrielle Cavassa at Healdsburg Jazz

Healdsburg stakes claim as year-round jazz destination

This year brings the second Healdsburg Winter Jazz Festival, which starts Thursday, Jan. 29, at the Harmon Guest House’s Merritt Hall and concludes Sunday night, Feb. 1, at the Healdsburg Community Church. It once again showcases a diverse line-up of jazz talent, genres and venues. A total of six programs are being presented at off-beat stages, with a suitably wide-ranging menu of music.
Ralph Fiennes

Zombie sequel raises hopes