🌱 Calistoga’s Hunter Olson conquers Napa’s bizarre Taco Bell 50K

What's up Calistoga! Let's start this morning right by getting caught up on what's going on around town. Keep reading to stay in the loop. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• Calistoga's Hunter Olson conquers Napa's bizarre Taco Bell 50K
• What a Yountville deal could mean for Calistoga's local news future
• How a fire near Calistoga turned into felony charges and lawsuits

Also on today's calendar: 17th Annual Greek & Middle Eastern Festival and 6 more events.

Today's riddle: What is the 1 way to guarantee winning a small fortune at the casino? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Tuesday: Low clouds, then sunshine, with a high of 71 and low of 53 degrees.
• Wednesday: Cool; cloudy, then some sun, temps: high: 75, low: 57.
• Thursday: Rain and drizzle in the a.m., with a high of 70 and low of 52 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Inaugural Napa Taco Bell 30/50K draws runners, gawkers and fans (eastbaytimes.com) — Calistoga runner Hunter Olson was the fastest man in the grueling 50K division of Napa's inaugural Taco Bell 30/50K, downing nine menu items plus extra spicy and soda challenges. The quirky ultramarathon sent more than 60 participants shuttling between Napa's two Taco Bells, mixing serious mileage with stomach-churning food requirements and plenty of lighthearted community spirit.
   

• As investor purchases Yountville Sun, media experts urge local news transparency (pressdemocrat.com) — Highway 29 Media's shutdown briefly took The Calistoga Tribune offline, but a new investor has revived sister paper Yountville Sun and sparked fresh discussion about who owns local news. Media experts stress that any owner must preserve editorial independence and transparency so small-town outlets like Calistoga's can keep holding local government and businesses accountable.
   

• Wine Spectator: A 2025 Wildfire In Napa Triggers Felony Charges And Lawsuits (shankennewsdaily.com) — A major 2025 wildfire that started just outside Calistoga has now led to felony charges against a contracted worker and lawsuits from wineries over smoke-damaged grapes. Cal Fire investigators say improperly disposed hot ashes on a vintner's property sparked the 6,820-acre blaze, which caused an estimated $56 million in crop losses across parts of Napa Valley.
   

📸 Around Calistoga

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Calistoga

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Wednesday September 2
• St. Vincent De Paul Commons Outreach →
  St. Vincent De Paul Commons, 2400 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa
  1:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Wednesday September 2
• Girls Soccer vs Middletown
  Calistoga Junior/Senior High School Calistoga Junior-Senior High School, 1608 Lake St, Calistoga, C
  4:00 pm
• Boys Soccer vs Mendocino
  Calistoga Joint Unified School District Calistoga Junior-Senior High School, 1608 Lake St, Calistoga, C
  6:00 pm
Thursday September 3
• JH Soccer @ Technology
  Calistoga Joint Unified School District Technology Middle School, 7165 Burton Ave, Rohnert Park, CA 949
  4:00 pm
• JH Cross Country @ Petaluma
  Calistoga Joint Unified School District Helen Putnam Regional Park, 411 Chileno Valley Rd, Petaluma, CA
  4:00 pm
• Varsity Volleyball vs Victory Christian
  Calistoga Joint Unified School District Calistoga Junior-Senior High School, 1608 Lake St, Calistoga, C
  5:00 pm
• Football & Cheer vs RUP
  Calistoga Joint Unified School District Calistoga Junior-Senior High School, 1608 Lake St, Calistoga, C
  6:00 pm
Friday September 4
• Fresh Produce Distribution – Calistoga →
  Calistoga Elementary School, 1327 Berry St, Calistoga
  3:00 pm
Saturday September 12
• 17th Annual Greek & Middle Eastern Festival →
  St. George Orthodox Church, 7311 College View Dr, Rohnert Park
  12:00 pm

📣 Calistoga Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Wednesday September 2
• SHPS VA Day ~ office may close early for training
  Saint Helena Unified Saint Helena, CA 94574
  2:00 pm
• RLS Back To School Night
  Saint Helena Unified Saint Helena, CA 94574
  5:30 pm
Thursday September 3
• NVAE Beginners ESL Class - Sep 03
  St. Helena High School Saint Helena, CA 94574
  6:00 pm
• SHHS Back-to-School Night / Thursday, September 3, 2026
  Saint Helena Unified Saint Helena, CA 94574
  6:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Solage posted a job opening for Bathhouse Pool Server in Calistoga. Apply here.
• Sonoma County Office Of Education posted a job opening for School-Based Clinician II-Alternative Education Department in Santa Rosa. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Calistoga here.

🗞 Nearby News

Santa Rosa

• Letter From a Top Retiring Dealer (ceoutlook.com)
• Motorcyclist suffers major injuries in Santa Rosa crash (pressdemocrat.com)
• Local musicians rally for longtime radio host Bill Bowker (pressdemocrat.com)

Kenwood

• Meet the Thru-Hike That Explores California Wine Country (gearjunkie.com)

Healdsburg

• Double-Michelin Starred Hotel Rolls Out Custom Tableside Martini Service In Wine Country (patch.com)

Ok Calistoga! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: By starting with a large fortune. (Thank you Kourtney Z. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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