Alleged Sex Abuse; Rowboat Theft; Solar Settlement: Patch PM

NORTH BAY, CA – Missed today's headlines? Here are the Patch stories from Marin, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties that people are talking about today:

Vallejo Man Accused Of Sexually Abusing Children At Local Church

• According to police, the victims all attended the same church, and some of the alleged "continuous" sexual abuse happened at the church.

Settlement Reached Over CA HERO Solar Financing Program: Napa DA

• Napa and six other CA counties claimed consumers were misled, with elderly and non-English-speaking homeowners particularly vulnerable.

Group Seeks Sales-Tax Hike To Fund Bay Area Transportation

• A coalition dubbed FASTER Bay Area proposes putting a tax increase on the November 2020 ballot for all nine counties in the region.

Workers Protest At Petaluma Valley, Queen Of The Valley Hospitals

• Workers at the two North Bay hospitals say a proposed Northern California health-care merger would reduce staffing and create a monopoly.

Suspected Rowboat Thief Arrested In San Rafael

• A witness spotted a man taking a 15-foot aluminum boat from a dock on Canal Street and rowing the boat into the bay, police said.

Rare Beaked Whale Washes Ashore At Drakes Beach In Marin County

• A rare beaked whale washed ashore on Drakes Beach in the Point Reyes National Seashore, according to the National Park Service.

Transient Accused Of Threatening Store Clerk, Sonoma Co. Deputies

• The 27-year-old threatened to kill deputies who responded to Bartlett's Market, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.

Several Fires Break Out Along U.S. Highway 101 Near Windsor

• California Highway Patrol reported numerous fires burning along southbound 101 near Shiloh Road, north of Santa Rosa.