At Tuesday’s meeting, the Benicia City Council did not approve Mayor Elizabeth Patterson’s request to adopt an Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO), at least not yet. Instead, the council voted 3-2 to direct staff to monitor Solano County’s implementation of Program 4 for the county’s Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) and meet with the Valero Benicia […]
Benicia Mini Maker Faire moves to Fairgrounds, becomes Solano County Mini Maker Faire
The Benicia Mini Maker Faire is no more. However, those who love seeing innovative technologies on display in a carnival-like setting need not worry. The annual event by Benicia Makerspace has morphed into the larger Solano County Mini Maker Faire, and it can be viewed at the Solano County Fair on June 30 and July […]
Benicia Library celebrates silver anniversary in current building
(This post has been updated.) Today marks 25 years since the Benicia Public Library opened its doors to its state-of-the-art new building to the public. The facility got a head start on the festivities Saturday with a birthday celebration featuring cake, history and speeches by local dignitaries as well as those who helped make […]
Benicia FD puts out grass fire off Lake Herman Road
The Benicia Fire Department extinguished a two-alarm grass fire that burned 10 to 12 acres near Lake Herman Road on Friday. At approximately 3 p.m., the Benicia Fire Department had responded to a grass fire on Lake Herman near the city limits. No injuries or damage to structures was reported. The Fire Department also […]
Planning Commission OKs Accessory Dwelling Unit resolution, clears way for council
Following discussion of proposed draft text amendments for Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) regulations, the Planning Commission approved a resolution making recommendations to the City Council at its Thursday meeting. Discussions on ADUs, also called in-law or secondary units, have been held at city meetings since March, including a public hearing by the Planning Commission and […]
Man convicted for 2015 murder of family members
(This post has been updated.) A Benicia teen accused of murdering family members in 2015 was convicted Wednesday, according to a press release by the El Dorado County District Attorney’s office. The jury had deliberated for two hours before returning the verdict. Nolen Buchanan, then 16, was at his family’s vacation cabin in Greenwood on […]
Second step of Industrial Safety Ordinance process on council agenda
More than a year after the Benicia City Council approved the first step in a two-step process to consider bringing an Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO) to Benicia, the council will resume its discussion Tuesday when the matter is brought back for the second step of the process. Following the flaring incident at the Valero Benicia […]
School board OKs 18-19 budget
The Governing Board of the Benicia Unified School District approved the budget for the 2018-19 school year at the final school board meeting of the 2017-18 year on Wednesday. Chief Business Official Tim Rahill noted there were no changes to the budget from the May 31 meeting when a public hearing was held. Rahill said […]
Fire Department distributes child ID kits to kindergarten families
No parent ever wants experience having a child go missing, but should that happen, the Benicia Fire Department has acquired a resource to assist in bringing lost children home safely. City firefighters have partnered with the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and California Fire Foundation as well as the Benicia Unified School District to distribute […]
Tossed materials become art in Gallery 621 exhibit
Benicia artist Robert Nelson has a knack for turning trash into art— literally. The discarded items that line the shores of the Carquinez Strait often end up in the hands of Nelson, who takes littered materials like wooden objects and tin cans and uses them to create three-dimensional sculptures of rabbits, sharks and more. How […]