Madison Smalstig

1 week ago | firerescue1.com | Madison Smalstig

By Madison SmalstigThe Press DemocratSANTA ROSA, Calif. — The Santa Rosa Fire Department has brought in some unusual help this summer: more than 1,000 goats — and possibly some sheep. The animals, hired through two contractors, began work June 8 and are expected to munch through about 130 acres of dry grass and weeds across eight city sites. The contractors — Goats R Us of Orinda and CAPRA Environmental Services of Roseville — will manage the herds as they move through the properties.

1 week ago | sanluisobispo.com | Anna Armstrong |Madison Smalstig |Raquel Issenberg

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested two people in two days in Santa Rosa this week, according to the North Bay Rapid Response Network, which tracks local ICE activities and keeps immigrants informed of their rights. The arrests marked an apparent sudden escalation of ICE's presence in Sonoma County, based on Press Democrat reporting since President Donald Trump took office in January.

1 week ago | modbee.com | Madison Smalstig

Juneteenth's origins stretch back 160 years, to June 19, 1865 - more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation - when enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned they had been freed. Early Juneteenth celebrations, first held in 1866, included reunions, singing and wearing new clothes to represent newfound freedom. Through much of its history, the holiday remained a cherished tradition within Black communities across the country.

1 week ago | pressdemocrat.com | Madison Smalstig

Juneteenth’s origins stretch back 160 years, to June 19, 1865 — more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation — when enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned they had been freed. Early Juneteenth celebrations, first held in 1866, included reunions, singing and wearing new clothes to represent newfound freedom. Through much of its history, the holiday remained a cherished tradition within Black communities across the country.

1 week ago | pressdemocrat.com | Madison Smalstig

Santa Rosa city workers were puzzled last week when the murky ponds at Juilliard Park suddenly turned a vivid, unnatural blue. The transformation was discovered June 10, prompting an investigation by the city’s Recreation and Parks Department. Staff soon found a one-gallon bottle of Aquashade dye — an aquatic colorant that tints water and suppresses algae growth — discarded in a nearby trash can, city spokesperson Kristi Buffo said.