Community

Jameson Humane announced on Oct. 20 that its first Real Cat Men of Napa Valley calendar pairs 13 of the valley's wine men with the cats who share their homes, cellars, and vineyards. A release party with signings, wine, and pizza is set for Nov. 15 at the Borreo Building in downtown Napa, and every sale feeds the organization's animal work.

Pope Valley Elementary, a one-school district of about 50 students in northeastern Napa County, reported that 57 percent of its students met or exceeded state English language arts standards in 2025-26, up from 12 percent in 2022-23 and ahead of both the Napa County and California averages.

The Land Trust of Napa County announced on Oct. 15 that it is acquiring the 436-acre Coppin property inside the Knoxville Wildlife Area in a $1 million bridge deal funded by a state Wildlife Conservation Board grant, ahead of an eventual transfer to the state.

PG&E widened its possible shutoff scope for a third time in three days on Wednesday, adding about 25,000 customers statewide. The Napa County estimate did not move: 3,027 customers, 138 of them Medical Baseline, remain in scope through Saturday.

Days after a weekend shutoff event ended, PG&E says a new round of preventive outages could reach about 70,000 customers in 29 counties from Wednesday evening through Saturday, including an estimated 3,027 customers in Napa County.

Condé Nast Traveler readers ranked St. Helena's Harvest Inn the No. 1 hotel in Northern California, with Napa Valley Lodge, Auberge du Soleil and Vintage House also making the 2026 Readers' Choice list.

The City of Napa has closed the Lake Hennessey boat launch until further notice, and boats entering Lake Berryessa face a 30-day quarantine, as agencies try to keep the invasive golden mussel out of the county's reservoirs.

The California Legal Pathways Collaborative is bringing a 10-week Introduction to Law dual-credit course to Pacific Union College, the first time the program has partnered with a four-year college. Napa County Deputy District Attorney Shashawnya Worley will lead it on campus.

The citizens' initiative backed by Napa Firewise and the Land Trust of Napa County would add a half-cent countywide sales tax for 18 years to fund wildfire resilience, watershed protection, and open space. Ballots go out this week.

Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1890 on September 30, doubling annual state matching funds for Napa County's three farmworker centers to $500,000.

County elections officials begin mailing ballots by October 5 for the November 3 general election. Drop boxes open the same week, registration closes October 19, and vote centers open October 24.

A state license application for a business called Tacote lists 610 1st St in Napa. A restaurant report says tacos to go.

Napa Valley Vintners announced a $1.2 million investment in afterschool and summer programs on September 30, its second major youth-giving commitment in two months. The money reaches 8,500 Napa County students, and the largest share lands at the Boys & Girls Clubs.

At its annual Destination Symposium, Visit Napa Valley laid out the visitor economy's 2025 scorecard: 3.8 million visitors, $2.8 billion in economic impact, and one in every seven jobs in the county. The numbers are strong. The open question is what the valley does with them.

The biennial Napa Art Walk plants sculptures all over downtown, and the Rail Arts District paints murals two miles long. Taken together, they make the city its own gallery, no ticket required.