Lauren Spates

Verified

(She/Her)

Journalist, Freelance

Santa Rosa

Environment, Health, Politics, Weather

As seen in: NPR, The Press Democrat, The Weekly Calistogan, Napa Valley Register, Kirkus Reviews, KRCB-TV (Rohnert Park, CA), The Oak Leaf, Petaluma Voice

Covers: climate change, natural disasters and their aftermath, local news, politics, the social side of sports, parenting

Back to Lauren Spates’s profile

Lauren Spates’s Journalist Portfolio

View as a list

Down the drain no longer: UC Davis students can now sell Napa Valley wine to public thanks to sta...

Lovingly tended in the vineyard. Delicately blended in the lab. Carefully hand-bottled at the winery and disc…

View article →

Calistoga city manager resigns after waves of complaints, 'turmoil' at city hall

Calistoga City Manager Laura Snideman resigned after city department heads and the fire chief raised concerns…

View article →

Fish counting a key part of the job for Sonoma Water biologists

Every summer for the past 20 years, biologists with Sonoma Water don their waders and boots, not to catch fis…

View article →

Federal Cuts and Sonoma Forecasting Part III: NOAA cuts and global buoy network, weather forecasts

Part III in a series illuminating how federal budget cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrat…

View article →

Some La Onda fans enjoy the music, others cheer singer's call for Latino pride

Some La Onda fans sought to simply enjoy the Napa festival's second day. Others cheered and supported a song …

View article →

Update: La Onda performer Pepe Aguilar speaks during concert after Grupo Firme withdraws

Political-angle coverage of Festival La Onda, Northern California's largest Latino music, food and culture fe…

View article →

Federal Cuts and Sonoma Forecasting Part II: Lakes Mendocino and Sonoma face cuts to NOAA funding

My piece starts at the 5:26 mark in First News program. "Lakes Mendocino and Sonoma face federal cuts to NOAA…

View article →

Federal Cuts and Sonoma Forecasting Part I: How will federal cuts affect Russian River forecasts?

What could happen to our forecasts — and to us — if Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency continues cut…

View article →

Canyon Rock Quarry Raises Concerns

Piece begins at 5:14. Forestville residents voice concerns about Canyon Rock quarry's plan to expand into hot…

View article →

Sonoma County LAFCO Vote for Fire Department Merger

Piece starts at 5:09. A Sonoma County commission voted unanimously to allow two historic west Sonoma County f…

View article →

Monte Rio and Gold Ridge Fire Merger

Begins at 3:09. Radio piece teasing a Sonoma County government meeting where commissioners will decide whethe…

View article →

Biodiversity, regenerative agroforestry the focus at Cazadero nonprofit Teravana

5-minute radio feature covering non-profit in Cazadero.

View article →

Sonoma County's largest provider of immigration legal services in 'emergency preparedness' mode

6-minute radio feature covering Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa's support for the immigrant c…

View article →

Monte Rio and Villa Grande homeowners weighing wastewater system options

5-minute radio feature covering west Sonoma County wastewater system upgrade options.

View article →

Hundreds rally on Presidents' Day against second Trump administration

7-minute radio feature covering Presidents Day protest in Santa Rosa.

View article →

Local psychologists give tips for handling high anxiety on this Election Day

6-minute radio feature covering Sonoma County residents emotional state on Election Day.

View article →

"Inflamed: Abandonment, Heroism, and Outrage in Wine Country's Deadliest Firestorm""

Kirkus awarded "Inflamed" a coveted starred review. The reviewers said: "[Inflamed is] a harrowing saga th…

View article →

Atmostpheric River Coverage

1:47 mix of atmospheric river coverage that ran during the 5-6 p.m. hour (newsbreak from "All Things Consider…

View article →

Atmospheric River Coverage

KRCB's Sonoma County First News ran my 1:47 mix highlighting the effects of an atmospheric river on the west…

View article →

Storm coverage from Monte Rio

Northern California Public Media — A gallery of Russian River photos taken in Monte Rio during the Jan. 5, 20…

View article →

Chronic Catastrophe

Chronic Catastrophe is a four-episode podcast about the impacts of cumulative climate change-induced disaster…

View article →

Close to Home: Fireworks this year are 'Sonoma Stupid'

"Sonoma Strong" the signs proclaim, memorializing the community ethos we have trotted out after every environ…

View article →

SRJC should embrace a hybrid digital-and-in-person learning model - in perpetuity

The Oak Leaf is calling for a hybrid education model in which class material is presented both online and in-…

View article →

Climate Action Night spurs students to push for political change

Student presenters at Santa Rosa Junior College's third annual Climate Action Night called on attendees to ch…

View article →