Nashelly Chavez
Santa Rosa
Communications Specialist at @SCOESonoma; previously @northbaynews and @sacbee_news. Graduated from @SFSU and grew up in Sonoma County. She/her/ella 🌞
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Nashelly Chavez
Muni Heritage Weekend Returns Sept. 19-20
Miriam Sorell, transit employee performance program manager at the SFMTA, shows off her daughter’s transit-themed dress at Muni Heritage Weekend in 2024. Step aboard transit history during Muni Heritage Weekend! The event returns to Embarcadero Plaza near the San Francisco Railway Museum Sept. 19-20. It runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. Muni Heritage Weekend celebrates the transit system that has connected San Francisco for more than a century.
Citywide Muni Goal Rush Connects Soccer Fans Starting June 11
The Muni Goal Rush is a new citywide crawl that connects soccer fans across San Francisco from June 11 - July 19. A new citywide crawl — the Muni Goal Rush — is coming to San Francisco! This crawl invites you to root for your favorite teams and explore the city during the FIFA World Cup 26™ SF Bay Area. From June 11- July 19, experience world-class soccer, public transit and the best of nine San Francisco neighborhoods. With amazing prizes and the opportunity to explore, you won't want to miss out.
Free Muni March 7 for the Chinese New Year Parade: Learn the Details
Visit our Muni Routes & Stops webpage or call 3-1-1 to plan your trip. SFMTA staff take part in last year’s parade, which celebrated the Year of the Snake. For information about march-related Muni impacts, visit our Travel & Transit Updates page for Chinese New Year. Driving to the parade In addition to the free Muni fares, there will also be one hour of free parking at the Portsmouth Square Garage through March 8. The garage is located at 733 Kearny Street in Chinatown.
Join Us Feb. 20: Hop on Muni Pub Crawl Supports Local Businesses
Joining the scavenger hunt is fun and easy. You can download and print a game card or pick one up at any of the bars on the crawl. Participants will then collect four stickers — one at a bar on each Muni route — plus a couple extra from Standard Deviant Brewing. Players who return their completed game card to Standard Deviant Brewing by March 1 will be entered to win fun prizes. For more information, check out our Hop on Muni webpage (SFMTA.com/HopOnMuni).
Join Us to Honor MLK: Free Commemorative Muni Ticket for Jan. 19 March
For information about march-related Muni impacts, visit our Travel & Transit Updates page. Driving to the event Expect street closures at: Townsend Street between 3rd and 5th streets 4th Street between Brannan and King streets These closures will start at 10:15 a.m. Streets will reopen once marchers clear the area. Special thanks We appreciate the Norcal MLK Foundation for their partnership on this year’s commemorative ticket in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.
45 Black-Owned Businesses in Sonoma County
Looking to support Black-owned businesses in Sonoma County this Black History Month and throughout the rest of the year? From winemakers to restaurant owners and wardrobe stylists, here are the Black entrepreneurs leaving their mark on Sonoma County. Food and drink Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant: Chef-owner Wodeyelesh Merso crafts soul-soothing, spectacularly spiced Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine.
42 Black-Owned Businesses in Sonoma County
Copy URL Six issues | One Great Price Your insider's guide to Wine Country Looking to support Black-owned businesses in Sonoma County this Black History Month and throughout the rest of the year? From winemakers to restaurant owners and wardrobe stylists, here are the Black entrepreneurs leaving their mark on Sonoma County. Food and drink Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant: Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine.
Sheriff’s Office releases footage of fatal shooting involving deputies
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office released 11 videos of unedited body-camera footage and five unedited audio clips surrounding the July 29 fatal shooting of a 36-year-old farmworker by a deputy. David Pelaez-Chavez was shot three times by Deputy Michael Dietrick who along with Deputy Anthony Powers had chased him for 45 minutes over rugged terrain. Pelaez-Chavez, who was barefoot, had fled into the woods after reportedly stealing a truck and damaging property on a farm in the Knights Valley.
Youth leadership program builds ‘a pipeline of youth organizers’ in Sonoma County
Addison Pickrell, a senior at Rohnert Park’s Technology High School, has seen his fair share of stress these past few years. The reoccurring wildfires that have struck Sonoma County and nearby areas since 2017 have forced him and his family to make frequent evacuations from his northeast Santa Rosa home, he said.
Racist deeds in Sonoma County and elsewhere are still on the books. A new state law seeks to get rid of them
Eve Lindi wasn’t prepared for the notice she received from her title company in May as she closed on the purchase of her home in the Santa Rosa Junior College neighborhood.
St. Helena restaurant apologizes to South African musician after racial profiling incident
A South African musician who said he was racially profiled by a manager at a Napa Valley restaurant last weekend has accepted an apology from the restaurant's owner, the eatery said in a post on social media. Jonathan Butler, a Black Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter who had two performances at the Charles Krug Winery's Blue Note jazz club on Sunday, first spoke about the confrontation at the Goose & Gander restaurant in St. Helena in an Instagram video posted the same day of the performances.
Napa Valley restaurant apologizes to South African musician after racial profiling incident
A South African musician who said he was racially profiled by a manager at a Napa Valley restaurant last weekend has accepted an apology from the restaurant’s owner, the eatery said in a post on social media Wednesday.
Napa Valley restaurant apologizes to South African musician after racial profiling incident
A South African musician who said he was racially profiled by a manager at a Napa Valley restaurant last weekend has accepted an apology from the restaurant’s owner, the eatery said in a post on social media Wednesday.
‘You are going to kill me’: Family, experts criticize Sonoma County Sheriff's Office handling of fatal shooting
As two Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office deputies pursued David Pelaez-Chavez through remote and rough terrain outside Geyserville the morning of July 29, the immigrant farmworker shouted in Spanish his fear of the officers. “You are going to kill me,” he yelled at one point as the two deputies pursued him up a ridge line, according to body camera footage released Sunday night by the county. Five minutes later, deputy Michael Dietrick shot Pelaez-Chavez three times with his pistol.
Supporters tout progress in campaign for stronger farmworker safeguards
When Anayeli Guzman, an Indigenous farmworker from Sonoma County, began organizing with the labor group North Bay Jobs with Justice in support of five farmworker safety and wage demands, she said her hope for significant change wasn’t high. The campaign, which started last year, came out of interviews the labor group did with farmworkers about the working conditions they said they faced in local vineyards.
State prosecutors decline to investigate deputy shooting that killed Lake County man amid ongoing investigations
“(The agreement) effectively gutted one of the major provisions of Measure P, what the intent of it was,” Edmonds said. “They can’t have any active part in the, sort of, helping or informing the investigation while it’s in process.” Byers said that in reaching this most recent deal, the county agreed with the unions’ interpretation of Measure P’s language, which OK’d an independent investigation but only after the completion of an internal review by the Sheriff’s Office.
Sebastopol police chief resigns for Rohnert Park job, veteran lieutenant named as interim replacement
Sebastopol Police Chief Kevin Kilgore has accepted a job with the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety and will step down from his post later this month, Sebastopol City Manager Larry McLaughlin announced Wednesday. Lt. Ron Nelson, who oversees the Sebastopol Police Department’s Operations Division, will serve as the interim chief until a permanent successor is selected, McLaughlin said.
Sonoma County panel to examine farmworker safety Original
The Sonoma County Latino leadership group Los Cien will revisit the topic of farmworker safety during a panel discussion Friday, a conversation that follows a year of mounting concerns surrounding the issue. The panel, which is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. at Epicenter in Santa Rosa, will take place as California dives deeper into wildfire season, which so far has included massive blazes in Siskiyou County’s Klamath River and in and around Yosemite National Park.
Family calls for more transparency after Sonoma County deputy shoots, kills Lake County man
A vigil held Friday for a Lake County man who was shot and killed last week by a Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputy near Healdsburg was filled with prayers and calls for greater transparency over the moments that led up to his death. The event commemorated the life of David Pelaez-Chavez, the Lower Lake resident who was fatally shot July 29 by Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Dietrick in a forested area of the Franz Creek bed.
Man shot by Sonoma County deputy had his sights set on American Dream, family says
When David Pelaez-Chavez left his hometown in southern Mexico for Lake County about a year ago, his sights were set on realizing the American Dream. For him, that meant earning enough money to provide for his two young children, who live with their mother in Putla Villa de Guerrero. The town is located in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, where Pelaez-Chavez, 36, was born and raised, his family said.
Researchers dig into Sonoma County housing voucher, safety net data to identify trends
What role does subsidized housing have in bringing stability to someone’s life? Researchers with the California Policy Lab, a nonpartisan research institute that analyzes data to help government agencies better serve the public, are partnering with Sonoma County to answer that question.
West County interim superintendent resigns amid racist ‘promposal’ backlash
April 19, 2022, 4:59PM Updated 42 minutes ago Just six weeks after coming out of retirement to take the helm of West Sonoma County Union High School District, Interim Superintendent Eric Hoppes resigned abruptly Friday, District Board President Patrick Nagle said. Hoppes told Nagle he wanted to return to retirement, however his departure came amid criticism over his response to a racist incident at West County High School April 7.
Local farmworkers share hardships during rally for emergency protections
April 18, 2022, 8:56PM Updated 1 hour ago Several Sonoma County farmworkers on Monday shared stories of discrimination and hardship while working Sonoma County’s vineyards during an event meant to rally support for countywide policy changes that would solidify agricultural worker protections during emergencies. The event, held from 5 to 7 p.m. outside the Sonoma County Administration Building, was attended by more than 100 people and hosted by North Bay Jobs with Justice.
Local labor advocates, wine industry coalition square off over farmworker safeguards during dueling rallies
April 18, 2022, 8:56PM Updated 9 minutes ago A new wine industry coalition is pushing back against renewed claims made by a labor advocacy group that Sonoma County vineyard workers are put in jeopardy during wildfire season. Sonoma Wine Industry for Safe Employees assembled about 100 vineyard workers Monday at the Mary Agatha Furth Center in Windsor where the workers dismissed claims raised by North Bay Jobs with Justice that they have been placed at risk during recent wildfires.
Sonoma County farmworker advocates to rally for protections during emergencies Original
April 17, 2022, 2:48PM Updated 3 hours ago A local nonprofit is urging the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to include farmworker protections in the county’s pending evacuation zone access policy, which would determine when agricultural workers are given access to farmland during wildfires and other types of emergencies.
Sebastopol affordable housing project draws strong opposition, but state law may help fast-track the project anyway
Critics of SB 35 contend it strips local control over proposed housing developments. Weeks, though, believes the law is the stick needed to poke cities into action that aren’t acting swiftly enough to build much-needed housing. “The objections that are being raised, I think are largely centered around attempts to advance some of the strong environmental values that Sebastopol has, which there is nothing inherently wrong with,” Weeks said.
Sonoma County created a culturally competent emergency plan. Why is it still not enough?
March 20, 2022, 7:32PM Updated 1 hour ago On Tuesday, during the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors meeting, directors for the county’s Equity Office and Emergency Management Department will present a retooled emergency operations plan that accounts for the cultural needs of this region’s diverse communities.
Bay Area experts discuss ‘State of Black housing’ in virtual panel
March 14, 2022, 4:18PM Updated 3 hours ago Policies that have made it harder for Black residents to own homes in Sonoma County and efforts to reverse the impact of those practices were among the topics covered during a virtual panel event Monday evening. The event was hosted by the Sonoma County chapter of the NAACP in partnership with the Sonoma County Black Forum.
Expert panel explores how housing policies could be more fair to Sonoma County’s Black community
Historical and modern-day policies that have made it harder for Black residents to own homes in Sonoma County, their impact and the efforts to repair the harm done by those practices were at the center of a discussion by a Bay Area panel of experts convened earlier this week. The virtual event, “The State of Black Housing in Sonoma County,” was hosted Monday evening by the Sonoma County chapter of the NAACP in partnership with the Sonoma County Black Forum.
Rohnert Park Mayor Jackie Elward named ‘Woman of the Year’ by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry
March 9, 2022, 9:27PM Updated 11 hours ago Rohnert Park Mayor Jackie Elward, a political newcomer whose election to the Rohnert Park City Council made history in 2020, was selected by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry as her district’s 2022 Woman of the Year. Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, announced the recognition via social media on Tuesday, which coincided with International Women’s Day, a global holiday that honors the achievements of women in politics, society and culture.
Sonoma County lawmaker’s bill aims to honor Native American naming ceremonies
March 6, 2022, 2:20PM Updated 52 minutes ago Assemblymember Jim Wood, D-Santa Rosa, is spearheading a bill that would give California families more time to register the birth of a child, a change that would allow Native Americans who celebrate naming ceremonies to practice the custom without disruption from hospital staff.
‘Broadening horizons’: Public safety event focuses on teens, young women to expand industry’s diversity
March 2, 2022, 5:22PM Updated 5 hours ago Long before Kemplen Robbins became an assistant fire marshal for the Santa Rosa Fire Department, she worked at a Sonoma deli as a teenager. It was there, during a conversation with a regular, that she first had the idea to become a fire marshal. While Robbins doesn’t remember his name, she said the man told her he was a Sonoma County fire marshal — work that took him to beautiful destinations throughout the county to conduct fire code inspections.
Man uninjured, placed on psychiatric hold after collision with SMART train
March 1, 2022, 5:11PM Updated 27 minutes ago A man was placed on a psychiatric hold Tuesday afternoon after SMART officials said he was struck, but uninjured, by a Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit train at the Santa Rosa Downtown station Tuesday afternoon. The crash involved a slow-moving southbound train and happened about 3:36 p.m., SMART spokesman Matt Stevens said. Santa Rosa officers responded to a report about the crash.
‘Second opportunity’: Santa Rosa committee expands list of languages on unity sculpture, reversing prior decision
Santa Rosa’s Art in Public Places Committee voted Tuesday to expand the list of languages to appear on a unity sculpture slotted for installation at Santa Rosa’s Old Courthouse Square this summer, reversing its previous decision to limit the list despite objections from the public. The seven-person arts committee, which on Tuesday included a new member, revisited the list after a procedural error nullified a Jan.
Former La Luz employee now heads statewide Latino fund to ‘tap into entrepreneurs and small businesses’
February 20, 2022, 7:00PM Updated 1 hour ago Veronica Vences knows the difference $100 can make to those in need. She dealt with repeated instances of this between 2009 and 2013, when she was employed as a Sonoma County eligibility worker. Vences examined the earnings of local families who sought access to Cal Fresh, Medi-Cal and other forms of government assistance. She had to determine if they qualified for these benefits.
Former La Luz leader now heads California Latino business fund
February 20, 2022, 7:00PM Updated 1 hour ago Veronica Vences knows the difference $100 can make to those in need. She dealt with repeated instances of this between 2009 and 2013, when she was employed as a Sonoma County eligibility worker. Vences examined the earnings of local families who sought access to Cal Fresh, Medi-Cal and other forms of government assistance. She had to determine if they qualified for these benefits.
Local Black Student Unions spotlight community building, campus culture
February 15, 2022, 8:41PM Updated 3 hours ago When Harerta Tesfamicael joined the freshman basketball team at Montgomery High School in the winter of 2019, she found she was missing something important: the sense of camaraderie that came with being a part of a team. Tesfamicael, who grew up in the Roseland neighborhood on the other side of Highway 101, said she watched as her teammates bonded with one another, though none seemed interested in being friends with her.
Consultant for former Bay Area NFL coaches to headline SSU Black History Month event
February 14, 2022, 6:24PM Updated 2 hours ago Dimitrous Chattman, a former college football player who found success as a consultant for two former Bay Area National Football League coaches will headline Tuesday’s Black History Month event at Sonoma State University. Chattman, who is Black, is a former linebacker and safety at San Jose State. He will lead the talk, sharing his insights and experiences in the profession that he first entered as a Black student-athlete.
Local groups to participate in Day Without Immigrants protest, rally
February 12, 2022, 5:32PM Updated 22 minutes ago More than 100 Sonoma County residents will convene Monday at the San Francisco Federal Building to apply pressure on President Joe Biden over his stalled social spending plan, legislation the rally’s organizers say must include a pathway to citizenship for the country’s 11 million undocumented immigrants.
Proud Boys hosts small anti-abortion protest in Santa Rosa, met by counterprotesters
A far-right group held an anti-abortion rally Saturday in Santa Rosa as a cadre of counterprotesters gathered across the street. The protest, billed as a “Walk for Life” event hosted by Bay Area Proud Boys on fliers that circulated on social media, was attended by about seven pro-life supporters and was held at the Planned Parenthood Clinic on Sonoma Avenue.
25 Black-Owned Businesses in Sonoma County
February 2022 Copy URL Six issues | One Great Price Your insider's guide to Wine Country Slide 1 of 4 Malia Anderson stylist and founder of Style by Malia at her studio in Santa Rosa. (Alvin Jornada/The Press Democrat) Slide 2 of 4 Letitia Hanke is the president and CEO of ARS (Alternative Roofing Solutions) Roofing, Gutters and Waterproofing.
30 Black-owned businesses in Sonoma County
Looking to support Black-owned businesses in Sonoma County this Black History Month, and throughout the rest of the year? From winemakers to restaurant owners and wardrobe stylists, here are the Black entrepreneurs leaving their mark on Sonoma County. Food and drink: –Big River Coffee Company: Gourmet coffee business started in 1991.
How a reignited racial justice movement altered the landscape for local Black entrepreneurs
When the coronavirus pandemic forced the lockdown of Sonoma County nearly two years ago, Chris Christensen, a Santa Rosa resident and owner of Bodkin Wines, worried his business could be on shaky ground. Christensen, who started the business in 2011 as a way to establish himself as a winemaker, knew the lockdown orders would dampen sales because he relied on restaurants to purchase and carry his wines.
Santa Rosa man found with loaded firearm during traffic stop, police say
A Santa Rosa man was arrested early Saturday after he was found carrying a loaded firearm during a traffic stop related to an equipment violation. Ozzy Smith, 20, was a passenger in the stopped vehicle, which was pulled over for an unspecified equipment violation at about 1 a.m. on Petaluma Hill Road and Santa Ana Drive in southeast Santa Rosa, the Santa Rosa Police Department said in a news release.
Error nullifies committee vote on downtown Santa Rosa unity sculpture Original
The Santa Rosa Art in Public Places Committee will revisit its controversial decision to limit the number of languages that will appear on a unity sculpture planned for the city’s square after city staff subsequently found there were not enough “aye” votes cast to approve the proposal. The error occurred during a Jan.
Santa Rosa committee to revisit controversial vote on unity sculpture
The Santa Rosa Art in Public Places Committee will need to revisit a controversial decision to limit the number of languages that will appear in a sculpture slotted for the city’s square after city staff subsequently found there were not enough “aye” votes to pass the motion. The error occurred during a Santa Rosa Art in Public Places Committee special meeting on Jan.
10 key findings from the 2021 Portrait of Sonoma County
The 2021 Portrait of Sonoma County, a data-driven report that gauges the well-being of Sonoma County’s communities, contained a number of significant findings. The report uses health, wealth and education data to better understand how specific racial, ethnic, gender or geographical groups fare in the region. The Human Development Index, or HDI, is used to gauge well-being via a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the highest or best score. Here are 10 crucial findings contained in the new report: 1.
Sonoma County officials vow to combat inequities in well-being report
January 27, 2022, 6:52AM Updated 28 minutes ago Sonoma County officials are vowing to combat the inequities that exist among local residents in the areas of education, wealth and health, conditions illustrated in a newly published report that gauges the region’s well-being. Their commitment was emphasized Wednesday by Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Chairman James Gore, who spoke with The Press Democrat Editorial Board in a meeting also attended by high-level county staff.
2021 Portrait of Sonoma County: Well-being study finds new successes, ongoing challenges along race, ethnicity, gender and geographic lines
January 26, 2022, 6:41AM Updated 55 minutes ago Sonoma County residents as a whole make more money, live longer and are more likely to have a bachelor’s degree than nearly 10 years ago. But there are some areas of distress: Disparities in health, education and wealth across race, ethnicity, gender and geographic lines have stunted progress for some locals, particularly those who are Black, Latino or members of other minority groups.
‘We just need more voices’: Sonoma County arts agency launches equity fellowship, grant program
Sonoma County’s art agency has launched a fellowship grant program to further the careers of six early and mid-career artists and art organizers whose work advances the well-being of local communities of color and other traditionally marginalized groups. Creative Sonoma, a division of Sonoma County’s Economic Development Board that promotes local artists, is organizing the fellowship, which will provide awardees $5,000 in grant funding and an additional $1,250 training stipend.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Nashelly
Contact Nashelly, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack