Latest news with #SonomaCounty
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Sickening claims are leveled against famous billionaire during his time at mysterious elite men-only forest retreat
An employee at the Bohemian Grove elite men's retreat alleged that billionaire businessman Bill Koch requested that the worker 'hand wash his underwear.' Bohemian Grove is an exclusive 2,700-acre campsite on Bohemian Avenue, Sonoma County, California, which hosts the men's-only Bohemian Club. Every July there is a camp on the site for over a fortnight attended by some of earth's most influential men from politics, culture and business. Shawn Granger, Anthony Gregg and Wallid Saad filed a lawsuit alleging wage theft while they worked at the club and it wasn't settled until several wild allegations came out. The suit was over violations of California labor laws and included not giving them breaks to take meals and refusing to pay the state's minimum wage. Granger, Gregg and Saad said they were ordered to work 100-hour weeks but forced by supervisors to clock in just 40 hours, the November 2023 lawsuit obtained by SFGate said. One of the claims was that Gregg was made fun of by members of the Bohemian Club 'for complying with a request from famous billionaire William Koch to hand wash his underwear.' Koch - whose net worth is said to be $2billion, according to Forbes - was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit and a spokesman for him adamantly denied the charge while saying he isn't a members. 'There's no dates given in the alleged incident. There's no detail, period,' Brad Goldstein said. Goldstein claims that the allegations were just to force the club to settle the lawsuit. 'And given the fact that Mr. Koch is not a member of the club and is always confused with his brother, I doubt the veracity of the claim.' The case was dismissed on July 15 after a confidential settlement was agreed between the club and the employees on July 10. Koch is the twin brother of businessman and fellow Republican megadonor David Koch. He and older brother Frederich Koch inherited their father's Koch Industries but later sold their shares to David and their younger brother, the late Charles Koch. Bohemian Grove is an exclusive 2,700-acre campsite on Bohemian Avenue, Sonoma County, California, which hosts the men's-only Bohemian Club. According to the club's website, the vast Redwood forest retreat includes trails, river access and outdoor theatrical and dining venues. Every July there is a camp on the site for over a fortnight attended by some of earth's most influential men from politics, culture and business. The encampment involves over 100 entertainment events, performed by club members, and outdoor activities such as hiking and canoeing. The club's motto reads, 'weaving spiders come not here' - taken from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream - implies that talk of business is supposed to be avoided on the premises, but this has been ignored on famous occasions. One such abandonment of this principle came in 1942, when a planning meeting for the Manhattan Project was held on the campsite, playing a part in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II. The Bohemian Club was started by journalists, artists and musicians in San Francisco in 1872 - Mark Twain was an early member - and the first two-week encampment came six years later. The first camp at what is now known as Bohemian Grove came before the turn of the 20th century, and the club began acquiring the area incrementally from 1901. At its outset, the club was 'for the association of gentlemen connected professionally with Literature, Art, Music, Drama and also those who, by reason of their love or appreciation of these objects and their interest in participating in Club activities, may be deemed eligible.' Over time the artsy roots of the club expanded to include scientists, businesspeople and politicians. Members are allowed to bring guests but the gathering is closed to media and outsiders. The Bohemian Club is made up by some 2,500 members, but there is no complete list of them. However, photographs from the annual retreats and word-of-mouth have revealed many previous Bohemian Grove attendees. These have included presidents Herbert Hoover, Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, as well as an A-list of those in the fields originally stated as the club's target demographic. Over decades, many journalists have attempted to sneak into Bohemian Grove. In 1989, Spy magazine went undercover and mixed with the likes of Henry Kissinger, and called what they saw 'the establishment's secret two-week frat party'. But much more sinister accusations were made by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones in 2000 after he snuck onto the grounds. Jones - whose historic claims have included saying the Sandy Hook shooting was staged, leading to him being ordered to pay victims' families $1.5 billion in damages - recorded one of the camp rituals as guests burnt an effigy at the 'Cremation of Care'. Many refer to the ceremony as a 'satanic ritual', but it is presented as a metaphorical banishment of members;' worldly cares which are to be left outside the Grove's boundaries. The InfoWars host also produced a documentary filled with lurid claims about the goings on at Bohemian Grove including grand plotting and human sacrifice. Jon Ronson, a journalist who accompanied Jones on the trip, reflected differently, writing: 'My lasting impression was of an all-pervading sense of immaturity. 'I wondered whether the Bohemians shroud themselves in secrecy for reasons no more sinister than they thought it was cool.' Outside of the conspiratorial claims, the camp has been the target of anti-nuclear, anti-capitalist and environmental protests in recent years by virtue of those who attend being people of power and influence. Other controversies around the Bohemian Club include a 1978 discrimination charge as it emerged that the club refused to hire women and it was ordered to begin recruiting and hiring female employees in October 1981.
CBS News
5 days ago
- CBS News
Driver with gunshot wound crashes into Sonoma sheriff patrol car, later dies
The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office is investigating after a driver who suffered a gunshot wound crashed into a patrol vehicle and later died. Around 7:05 p.m. Thursday, a deputy was patrolling the area of West Napa Street and Riverside Drive in the community of Sonoma when the driver struck the deputy's vehicle at a low speed. After the crash, the deputy exited his vehicle and found the driver covered in blood and suffering from a gunshot wound. The sheriff's office said a handgun was found on the driver. Additional deputies arrived and applied a tourniquet to the driver's leg to control severe bleeding. The driver was airlifted to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries. His identity has not been released. Deputies said a preliminary investigation suggests the incident was isolated and is posing no ongoing threat to public safety. "We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased during this challenging time," the sheriff's office said in a statement.
CBS News
15-07-2025
- CBS News
Sonoma sheriff identifies victims in separate weekend drownings
Authorities on Tuesday morning released the names of two people who died in separate drowning cases in Sonoma County over the weekend. The victims were Elan Miranda, 17, of Oakland, and Pranav Narain, 31, of San Francisco, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office. Miranda died Sunday afternoon after a raft tipped over at Monte Rio Beach on the lower Russian River. Miranda and another teenager had been floating without lifejackets when they capsized around 3 p.m. One teen was rescued by a bystander, but Miranda could not be located immediately. First responders found the victim about 20 minutes later and administered CPR, but Miranda was pronounced dead at the scene. Less than an hour later, emergency crews responded to Martinelli Beach, where Narain had fallen into the ocean while paddleboarding. He was not wearing a lifejacket when he stood on the board and lost balance. A woman accompanying Narain tried to rescue him, but was unable to reach him. She swam to shore and called 911, then a sheriff's helicopter located Narain in the water. CPR was administered by fire personnel, but he was also pronounced dead at the scene.
Forbes
07-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Kosta Browne Winery Goes Global: What Drove This California Winery To Craft Wine In Burgundy
Julien Howsepian, Head Winemaker at Kosta Browne, Studying the Soil in a Burgundy Vineyard ALBIN DURAND Why would a highly successful California pinot noir producer suddenly adjust their business strategy and begin making and importing pinot noir wine from Burgundy? Since 1997, Kosta Browne winery, located in Sonoma County, has focused on producing luxury wines from some of the most legendary pinot noir and chardonnay vineyards in California. However, in 2020, they formed a partnership with a Burgundian négociant to produce wine in Burgundy and import it in bulk for finishing, aging, and bottling in Sonoma County. 'As far as we know, we are the only California-based winery that is implementing this strategy,' said Julien Howsepian, Head Winemaker for Kosta Browne, when I visited him at the winery recently. 'The idea came about in 2020 during the pandemic when consumers were buying a lot of wine, but then the wildfires hit. We realized we were at risk of losing our grapes, so we started considering new ideas,' Julien explained. However, since embracing innovation and pushing boundaries was already part of the winery's DNA, instilled in the company by founders Dan Kosta and Michael Browne, two waiters who pooled their tip money to make the first barrel of wine, crazy ideas were not so foreign. 'Dan and Michael were always dreamers, and Michael Browne, especially, wanted to make wine from Burgundian grapes, but it was very difficult to get the fruit here,' Julien added. It turns out that Burgundy will not allow its wine grapes to be shipped out of France without losing the Burgundy designation. However, it is possible to produce wine in Burgundy, bottle it in the U.S., and maintain the prestigious appellation. Given that Julien Howsepian is half French, with contacts who live in Burgundy, he was able to identify a Burgundian négociant /producer, who was willing to work with them. Fortunately for Kosta Browne, they had access to the strong legal team of Duckhorn winery. Duckhorn had purchased Kosta-Browne in 2018, and Neil Bernardi, MW, who was VP of Winemaking for Duckhorn at the time, was an enthusiastic proponent of the Burgundy idea. (In 2024, the Duckhorn portfolio was acquired by private equity firm Butterfly, for $1.95 billion.) 'The contract was negotiated out over Zoom in 2020, but we are required to keep the name of our Burgundian partner anonymous,' said Julien. The timing was perfect because that year, Kosta Browne realized that it couldn't produce wine from many of its California vineyards due to smoke taint. So Julien flew to Burgundy and tasted through hundreds of wine samples before he selected the five Burgundian wines Kosta Browne imported for the 2020 vintage. Gallery Tasting Room at Kosta Browne, Overlooking the Small-Lot Fermentation Room Troyce Hoffman Kosta Browne Customer Response to Burgundy Wines As a luxury wine producer, Kosta Browne sells the majority of its wine on allocation to a membership list of consumers. The preferred member pricing range is from $90 to $145 per bottle, and the ability to purchase some of these wines requires that consumers be placed on a wait list. So I asked Julien what the response was to Kosta Browne suddenly introducing a Burgundy Series? 'We sold out in two days!' he responded with a big smile. 'We had 4,000 cases and offered it on a first-come, first serve basis.' The only problem was that the following year, in 2021, Burgundy vineyards were hit by very bad frost and lost over 50% of their crop in some areas. 'We couldn't import as much wine from Burgundy, and some of our members were disappointed because we could only offer them 4 bottles on allocation instead of a case of wine.' Fortunately, the 2021 crop in California was bountiful, but due to the need to age the wine for 12 to 24 months, it was not immediately available. Since that time, Julien has been overseeing winemaking production in both California and Burgundy. He has become more fully engaged with the winemaking in Burgundy, flying to France several times per year to work with their partner to select the grapes, barrels, and participate in the winemaking – just as he does in California. After the wine is crafted in Burgundy and aged in barrel for some time, it is shipped in container to California, where Julien and his team ensure that it finishes aging and is then bottled under the 'Kosta Browne' name. When asked about the impact of the tariff situation, Julien responded that they are currently paying the 10% U.S. imposed tariffs on products imported from France, but are hoping it will go away. Kosta Browne Burgundy Wine Series for 2022 Kosta Browne Tasting The Wines of Kosta Browne Kosta Browne only produces pinot noir and chardonnay, which are available in five different series to consumers: Appellations Series – wines from the well-known California appellations of: Russian River Valley, Anderson Valley, Sonoma Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands and Santa Rita Hills. Starting in 2022, Kosta Browne started making wine in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, for this series. Estate Series – special wines made solely from vineyards owned and farmed by Kosta Browne Single Vineyard Series – wines produced from famous vineyards in California Burgundy Series – wines produced in Burgundy and imported to the U.S. for final aging and bottling Observation Series – a very limited experimental group of wines, available only to members who visit the winery I was able to taste and analyze 13 wines with Julien, from all five of the series. For this article, I will focus on tasting notes from the Burgundy Series, but the wines from the other appellations are all excellent, with each clearly expressing the unique characteristics of the region or vineyard. Kosta Browne 2022 Volnay Pinot Noir – aromatic nose of red cherry, dried lavender, and cranberry, with darker red fruit on palate. Very elegant and streamlined with silky tannins, and a long finish with refreshing acidity. Kosta Browne 2022 Pommard Pinot Noir – classic nose of black cherry, earth and spice, with a richly structured mouthfeel brimming with blackberry and hints of pepper. Kosta Browne 2022 Beaune Premier Cru Pinot Noir – an exquisite wine with seductive Bing cherry and dried rose petal on the nose, followed by succulent raspberry and spice on the palate. Silky smooth tannins, crisp acidity, and a vibrancy that dances across the palate in a very long finish. Kosta Browne 2022 Nuits St. George – a dark and earthy wine with notes of mushroom and dried black fruit on nose and palate. Well structured, powerful and rustic, with fresh acidity and a complex finish. Kosta Browne 2022 Chablis Premier Cru – enticing nose of white blossoms and lemon, with mouth-watering peach, citrus and chalky stone on the palate. Refreshing, vibrant, and very satisfying with a bright cleansing finish. Visiting Kosta Browne Winery The Kosta Browne winery is located in Sebastopol, California and is open to all visitors, by appointment. They offer three different tasting formats: A Taste of KB for $75 per person, The Observations Flight for $150 per person, and The Reserve Flight for $185 per person. The winery is located in the Barlow Market of Sebastopol that offers a great variety of excellent restaurants, shops, events, and other winery tasting rooms. From the outside, it looks like a warehouse district constructed of metal building, but once inside the Kosta Browne winery, visitors will be awed by the beautiful tasting areas, impressive winemaking equipment, and stunning tank room.
CBS News
04-07-2025
- CBS News
Santa Rosa police arrest suspect in 2024 robbery of Chase Bank branch
More than a year after a bank branch in Santa Rosa was robbed, police said they made an arrest in the case Thursday morning. Officers said the suspect was arrested in connection with a March 21, 2024 robbery of the Chase Bank on Sonoma Avenue. According to police accounts at the time, an unidentified man entered the bank and presented a note demanding cash. The man, who was seen wearing a black jacket, dark pants and a black "Cali" beanie, left the bank after taking an undisclosed amount of money. No weapon was threatened or brandished, police said. Surveillance photo from a bank robbery in Santa Rosa on March 21, 2024. Santa Rosa Police Department Following a 15-month investigation that included reviewing video surveillance and digital forensic analysis, the department's Violent Crimes Investigations detectives identified the suspect as 54-year-old Christopher McKusick. Around 10:40 a.m. Thursday, detectives located McKusick on Administration Drive and took him into custody without incident. A search warrant was also executed at his home on Doyle Park Drive. Police said the search yielded additional evidence in connection to the robbery. McKusick was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of robbery. He is also accused of violating probation in two unrelated cases. Jail records show McKusick remains in custody Friday, with a court appearance scheduled for Tuesday.
