Online Producer and Reporter

Charles Swanson

Charles Swanson is a reporter and the online producer for The Press Democrat. He has covered a wide range of topics for the paper, including local arts and entertainment news, live event coverage, local nonprofit efforts, food and wine, wildlife stories and more. Before joining The Press Democrat in 2022, Charles was the arts editor for the North Bay Bohemian, and he previously worked as a freelance music and arts journalist. He has a bachelor's degree in communications from Sonoma State University.

Los Angeles Special Screening Of A24's "Eternity" - Arrivals

Elizabeth Olsen reveals she lives in Sonoma, recommends local restaurant

December 8, 2025 at 11:06 a.m.

Actress and producer Elizabeth Olsen recently revealed on a popular Youtube series that she is a Sonoma resident and recommended a nearby restaurant.

California To Ban Sale Of New Gas Cars By 2035

Tolls to rise at 7 Bay Area bridges in January

December 3, 2025 at 11:11 a.m.

The cost of getting around the Bay Area is once again more expensive for commuters. Tolls at seven state-owned bridges are set to rise on Jan. 1, the first in...

The dining room inside SingleThread restaurant in Healdsburg. (Garrett Rowland / SingleThread)

Bay Area restaurant named the best in the world by global dining guide

December 2, 2025 at 10:56 a.m.

A renowned Sonoma County restaurant has claimed the top spot on a prestigious ranking of the world’s best dining destinations.

Sonoma County celebrity chef Guy Fieri told Fox News Digital on Nov. 24 that he suffered a fall recently that required him to be in a wheelchair and using crutches for 8 weeks. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

‘Yeah, it sucked’: Guy Fieri says he will be in a wheelchair for 8 weeks after slip that sent him for emergency surgery

December 1, 2025 at 7:06 a.m.

During an interview Monday with Fox News Digital, the Sonoma County celebrity chef explained how he "exploded" his quad muscle in a fall.

Apple TV will stream “A Charlie Brown Christmas” for free Dec. 13-14, 2025. (Courtesy of Apple)

‘Peanuts’ holiday specials streaming free this season. Here’s how to watch them

November 13, 2025 at 7:13 a.m.

With Thanksgiving and the holidays fast approaching, families can look forward to watching their favorite “Peanuts” holiday television specials for free online.

Elleonor Hoffman works a roulette table at Graton Resort & Casino in Rohnert Park on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. Hoffman was crowned “Best Dealer in America” at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)

Local casino dealer crowned ‘Best Dealer in America’

October 22, 2025 at 5:59 a.m.

Elleonor Hoffman, a dealer at Graton Resort & Casino in Rohnert Park, beat out over 30 other people to win the title in Las Vegas.

A screen showing the photos of Mary E Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi who were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology, at the Nobel Assembly of the Karolinska Institutet, in Stockholm, Sweden, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. (Claudio Bresciani/TT News Agency via AP)

The Sonoma County connection to an off-the-grid Nobel Prize winner

October 17, 2025 at 7:02 a.m.

Fred Ramsdell, who won a Nobel Prize in medicine, made headlines by missing the announcement because he was camping.

Host Guy Fieri with contestants Adam Sobel, Christian Petroni, Mei Lin, Nini Nguyen, Amanda Freitag, Aaron Sanchez, Jet Tila, Ashley Holt, Alex Guarnaschelli, Antonia Lofaso, Aarti Sequeira, Crista Luedtke, Jonathan Sawyer, Zac Young, Britt Rescigno, Sara Bradley, Damaris Phillips, Michael Voltaggio, Bryan Voltaggio, Maneet Chauhan, Stephanie Izard, Kevin Lee, Dale Talde, Shirley Chung, Sherry Yard, Marcel Vigneron, Tobias Dorzon, Marcus Samuelsson, Rachel Sherriffe, Graham Elliot, and Giuseppe Tentori, as seen on ‘Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas.’ (Anders Krusberg / © 2025 Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. or its subsidiaries and affiliates. All rights reserved)

Bay Area chef competing on holiday edition of Guy Fieri’s ‘Tournament of Champions’ on Food Network

October 15, 2025 at 8:53 a.m.

A Sonoma County chef will be among the 32 competitors appearing on the upcoming holiday version of the Food Network program, debuting in November.

A display of Lush cosmetics with a Día de los Muertos theme at Santa Rosa Plaza features packaging designed by local artist Blanca Molina on Oct. 2, 2025. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)

Lush unveils Día de los Muertos collection featuring Sonoma’s Blanca Molina

October 16, 2025 at 8:13 p.m.

The Cloverdale artist said Lush was particularly drawn to her illustrations of traditional iconography, such as sugar skulls, corazones sagrados (sacred hearts) and altars.

A waved albatross was spotted by a group of birdwatchers aboard a seabird tour off the coast of Sonoma and Marin counties, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. It is the first reported sighting of the bird north of Costa Rica. (Cris Heins)

Endangered bird spotted off Bay Area coast in first-ever documented US sighting

October 9, 2025 at 9:14 a.m.

A seabird tour off the coast of Sonoma and Marin counties over the weekend included the sighting of a species of albatross that normally lives near the Galapagos Islands.