News Archives - Sonoma Independent

Supervisors to Consider Historic Affordable Housing Vote to Protect RV’s & Tiny Homes on April 5 Urgency ordinance that would curb 200 annual Permit Sonoma evictions would avoid costly federal lawsuit over housing rights

Posted by Tim Ryan - April 1, 2022

Sonoma County has a historic opportunity to protect thousands of people living in alternative housing…

Vote Yes on Measures A & B to Preserve Local High Schools Don't buy the tea party lies! Our civic duty includes paying taxes for public services that sustain our communities

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - February 20, 2021

Sonoma County is among the ten wealthiest counties in the richest state of the wealthiest…

Investigative Series on Palm Drive Hospital Wins Top SF Area Journalism Awards Independent truth telling challenged deceptive political narrative

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - January 1, 2019

(this article first appeared on April 16, 2016) Last weekend, the SF Peninsula Press Club…

Palm Drive Board Candidate Jim Horn’s Campaign of Deception to Close Our Hospital Candidate Klich-Heartt Joins Effort to Divert Hospital Tax Dollars to West County Health Centers

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - October 28, 2018

(This article first appeared on October 28, 2016) With the election less than two weeks…

Why Did Press Democrat Run Extortionist Claims Against Hospital on Front Page? Newspaper Editors Refuse to Answer Questions or Run Letters About Journalistic Ethics of Providing Megaphone for Shakedown Lawsuit

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - August 14, 2017

(this article first appeared on August 14, 2016) In one of the worst breaches of…

Five 2016 Election Victories that Prove Sonoma County is ALREADY Great! Historic Local Victories for Women, Library, Hospital & Organic Ag as Voters Reject the New Normal

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - November 16, 2016

During these bewildering post-election days, a number of friends have told me that they are…

Five 2016 Election Results that Prove Sonoma County is ALREADY Great! Historic Local Victories for Women, Library, Hospital & Organic Ag as Voters Reject the New Normal

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - November 12, 2016

During these bewildering post-election days, a number of friends have told me that they are…

Sonoma Independent Wins Greater Bay Journalism Award for Library Story Column About Supervisors Refusal to Fund Restoration of Library Hours Despite Record Budget Surplus Wins First Place Award

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - October 14, 2016

The San Francisco Peninsula Press Club awarded the new Sonoma Independent its first two journalism…

Will the Monsanto Doctrine Destroy NorCal’s GMO-Free Farming Zone? Historic legal ruling will determine whether local government has power to protect public safety and the environment

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - September 10, 2016

This November, Sonoma County voters will vote on Measure M, an important ballot initiative that…

Thriving New Hospital Passes Key Profitability Milestones Temporary Cash Flow Crunch at SWMC Caused By Reopening Costs, Not Operational Losses

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - February 12, 2016

With flowers budding everywhere, balmy sunny days and the greenest, best- watered fields to be…

Friends Group Launches Petition to Help Sonoma West Hospital’s Cash Flow Crisis District Board bridge financing needed for shortfall caused by delayed insurance reimbursement; Congressmen Huffman and Thompson urge Medicare bureaucracy to speed up back payments

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - January 27, 2016

A new grassroots Friends of Sonoma West Medical Center launched its first public campaign today…

Sonoma West Medical Center Opens to Patients & Praise Smooth sailing first week; ER traffic already tops Palm Drive's

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - October 30, 2015

Just one week after the October 30 ribbon cutting ceremony in which the Sonoma West Medical…

Can Moderate Income Housing Return to Sonoma County? Small homes and reduced regulations offer new solutions to a growing crisis

Posted by Lynda McDaniel - October 5, 2015

Against all odds. Over the years, that’s been a powerful mantra whenever I’ve faced overwhelming…

State Parks Agency Uses Drought As Excuse to Cut Beach Showers That Benefited Millions Shower shutdown impacts 15 million park visitors and likely to waste 100 million gallons of water each year

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - July 22, 2015

Last week, in the middle of a record hot summer, and for the first time…

Board of Supervisors Respond to Sonoma Independent Petition Three of five express support for Commission-led effort to Restore Library Hours

Posted by Sammy Vanek - July 20, 2015

On June 16, 2015, Jonathan Greenberg addressed the County Supervisors during public comment about the…

Debunking Supervisors’ Six Excuses for Not Reopening Libraries Countering Our Supervisors' Spin About Why They Are Abandoning 100,000 Library Users

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - June 11, 2015

Libraries are the only existing countywide program serving tens of thousands of citizens that was…

Citizens Speak Out: Supervisors, Restore Library Hours! Unedited public comments from more than 120 Sonoma County taxpayers

Posted by Carey Caccavo Wheaton - May 25, 2015

Well over 100 Sonoma County taxpaying citizens expressed the written comments below, taken directly from…

What’s New and Exciting About the Sonoma West Medical Center How the new hospital plans to become the "Hospital of Choice" for the North Bay

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - May 31, 2015

Ray Hino, the warm-spirited, highly accomplished new CEO of the soon-to-open Sonoma West Medical Center…

Despite Record Budget Surplus, Supervisors Refuse to Restore Library Hours

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - May 14, 2015

After four years, no end in sight for unprecedented Monday closings of all Sonoma County's…

Judge Rejects D.A.’s Five Year Request and Sentences Kubrin to One Year Is the Tide Turning on Sonoma County’s Secret War on Weed?

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - May 5, 2015

The overfilled Santa Rosa courtroom of Judge Rene Chouteau was standing room only, as nearly…

“Stop Incarcerating Parents for Victimless Marijuana Crimes” Busting Sonoma County’s Secret War on Weed

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - April 27, 2015

On April 3, 2015, Sonoma County’s secret war on marijuana confronted an unprecedented roadblock. A freedom…

Epic Earth Day Eco-Fail On Electric Vehicles Most Sonoma County Cities Fail to Walk the Talk in Greening City Fleets

Posted by Ben Boyce - September 1, 2016

First published for the initial launch of the Sonoma Independent April, 2015 Sonoma County has…

Is Fukushima Radiation A Danger to the California Coast? Eastward currents and cumulative effects suggest hazardous impacts

Posted by Paul-André Schabracq - April 17, 2015

From the very beginning of the Fukushima Daiichi disaster, the public in Japan and around…

Behind Palm Drive Hospital’s Closing: Wells Fargo Bank & the Shutdown Playbook Decision to close made before single hearing; attorney for bond holders misleads public

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - April 15, 2018

(This article first appeared at WaccoBB.net on May 21, 2014; it has been slightly updated…

Palm Drive’s Lawyers Say That The Public Does Not Want to Re-Open the Emergency Room Bankruptcy judge unsuccessfully tries to pressure hospital to negotiate with doctor-led effort to restore services

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - April 15, 2018

(This article first appeared on Wacco BB in 2014) It was nearly noon on Friday,…