If you're planning on a trip to the beach this weekend, avoid Drakes Beach, it's occupied. Elephant Seals have taken hold of the beach at Point Reyes National Seashore, restricting human visitors and their pets from intruding. Over 200 elephant seals are ashore, causing the National Park Service to close the entry to Drakes Beach this week, unless staffers are there.

The State Senate approved a pair of wildfire safety bills from Senator Bill Dodd that will help prevent and prepare for future blazes. SB 190 increases awareness of Defensible Space, and SB 209 establishes a network of automated weather and environmental monitoring stations. (photo courtesy Westman Journal)

Starting this weekend, the CHP will be ramping up their efforts to keep motorcylists safe. Every year, nearly 100 crashes involving motorcycles happen in Sonoma County, some of them fatal. Additonal CHP officers will be on patrol looking for motorcycle riders who make unsafe lane changes, follow too closely, and other collision factor violations. (photo courtesy Quora)

Congratulations to Santa Rosa chef, and now world famous TV celebrity chef, Guy Fieti, who was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Guy's star is the 2,664th. Guy Fieri started his rise to fame after opening Johnny Garlics in 1996, and then winning the Food Network Star contest in 2006. He's now involved with several cooking realated TV shows. (photo courtesy Today Show)

With a big emphasis on creating defensible space around properties to help prevent wildfires, Sonoma County is offering the use of their chipper. Properties in unincorportated Sonoma County are eligible to receive up to 3 hours of free chipping on a first come first served basis. (photo courtesy The Sonoma Index-Tribune)

PG&E has created a housing fund to help wildfire victims. A $105 million housing assistance fund was approved by a bankruptsy judge to help those displaced by the 2017 North Bay wildfires and the 2018 Camp Fire in Butte County. (photo courtesy PG&E)

State Senator Mike McGuire is the Legislator of the year. At the annual legislative conference for the California Special Districts Association, Senator McGuire from Healdsburg was selected because of his long track record on local government issues. McGuire represents District 2, which stretches along California's Northern Coast from marin to the Oregon border. (photo courtesy Times-Standard)