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🌱 Patch AM: Watch: Fire And Shutdowns In Wind-Whipped Napa Valley This Weekend

Coming up on the Napa Patch calendar: Celebrate Memorial Day Weekend on the Russian River Railbikes

Tuesday May 19th Patch AM

Good day Napa! We're here again with what you need to know today. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☕️️

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In today's newsletter:

  • Whisper Fire contained and key Rutherford route reopens after oak fall
  • How Napa’s DA helped force GM to change its data practices
  • How a past Napa hotel cooling tower became a deadly Legionella source

Also on today's calendar: Celebrate Memorial Day Weekend on the Russian River Railbikes and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: Why does a cow wear a bell ? 🤔 (Answer below!)


Weather forecast:

  • Tuesday: Hot with plenty of sunshine, with a high of 92 and low of 57 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
  • Wednesday: Mostly sunny and very warm, temps: high: 90, low: 53.
  • Thursday: Mostly sunny and very warm, with a high of 90 and low of 53 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Watch: Fire And Shutdowns In Wind-Whipped Napa Valley This Weekend (patch.com) — Napa Valley residents saw a busy weekend as firefighters quickly contained the Whisper Fire near Friesen Road in Angwin, limiting it to just over three acres with no injuries. At the same time, a massive fallen oak shut down Rutherford Cross Road, blocking access to both Highway 29 and Silverado Trail until crews cleared the roadway and reopened it Monday morning.    

2. $13M Settlement: Payout follows unlawful driver data trades (ladowntownnews.com) — Napa County’s District Attorney joined state and big-city prosecutors in a $12.75 million settlement requiring General Motors to change how it handles OnStar driver data in California. Local drivers are urged to understand their privacy rights and can now use statewide tools to demand that data brokers delete their personal information.    

3. 19 Legionella bacteria infections linked to Kaiser Bay Area hospital (latimes.com subscription) — Health officials are investigating 19 recent Legionella infections tied to Kaiser’s Santa Clara medical center, while reminding facilities how easily the bacteria can spread in water systems. Napa readers may recall a 2022 outbreak traced to a malfunctioning cooling tower at the former Embassy Suites Napa Valley, which hospitalized 16 people and led to one death. The piece underscores why rigorous water management and maintenance remain critical.    

4. Foodies and Foragers: Food is Life, Food is Health (mustreadalaska.com) — A major new health and food summit just brought Stanford, Harvard, and Culinary Institute of America leaders together in Napa to explore how cooking and nutrition can prevent chronic disease. While the ideas are global, the gathering underscores Napa’s growing role as a hub where culinary arts, science, and healthcare intersect, highlighting fermented foods, fiber, and chef-led “culinary therapeutics.”    


📸 Around Napa

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Napa

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • My friend lost his prescription glasses on the river walk last week.
    We posted it on Nextdoor and decided to leave a few flyers on the benches asking if anyone had found them and that he would give a reward. Well the… (Nextdoor Silverado Country Club)
  • We're fostering a new little guy from Lake County Animal Shelter.
    He's the one on the left. His name is Domingo. We call him Dom. Penny on the right thinks he belongs to her already. Getting along famously. Dom… (Nextdoor North Westwood)
  • Adidas America, Inc. posted a job opening for P/T Retail Store Associate - Napa Premium, 6222, Napa, CA in Napa. Apply here.
  • Planet Fitness, Inc. posted a job opening for Overnight Closer in Napa. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Napa here.

Ok Napa! 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: Because its horns doesn't work! (Thank you Gary M. for sending it in!)Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!


👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.


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