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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – This week, the federal government announced it is making available more than $491 million in assistance grants for major 2018 California wildland fires and wind events, including last year’s Mendocino Complex fires.
The award for California was part of nearly $1.5 billion in funding awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to support seven states in their recovery from major disasters that occurred last year, from Hurricane Michael and Hurricane Florence, to California’s devastating wildland fires, among them, the Camp, Carr and Mendocino Complex.
HUD said the funds are provided through its Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery Program and will address seriously damaged housing, businesses and infrastructure in hard-hit areas of these states.
The agency said the program requires grantees to develop “thoughtful recovery plans informed by local residents.”
“Last year’s disasters left damaged homes, businesses and infrastructure in their wake,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “These recovery dollars will help the hardest-hit communities in these states and allow for residents to put their lives back together again.”
California received approximately $491,816,000 for two separately declared disasters.
The first related to wildfires and high winds that occurred between July 23 and Sept. 19 in Lake and Shasta counties, with the major disaster declaration issued on Aug. 4.
That time period covers the Mendocino Complex, made up of the Ranch and River fires, which burned 459,123 acres in Lake, Mendocino, Colusa and Glenn counties from July 27 to Sept. 19.
It claimed the life of one firefighter, destroyed 280 structures and displaced tens of thousands of Lake County residents in late July and early August.
The declaration also covers the Carr fire, which burned from July 23 to Aug. 30 in Redding in Shasta County. The Carr fire killed three firefighters, destroyed about 1,600 structures – more than 1,000 of them homes – and burned 229,651 acres.
Separate from the HUD assistance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency reported that it received 496 applications for individual assistance, with approximately $7,953,959.51 approved. It has also obligated $76,078,556.54 in total public assistance grants for the two counties.
The second allocation for California is for the wildland fires in Butte, Los Angeles and Ventura counties from Nov. 8 to 25, with a major disaster declaration issued on Nov. 12.
The major fire in that group was the Camp fire, the deadliest wildland fire in California history.
It devastated Paradise, killing 85 people, burning 153,336 acres and destroying 18,804 structures.
FEMA said it has received 7,967 individual assistance applications for those three counties, with $85,077,809.73 approved and another $9,170,138.82 obligated for public assistance grants.
On Oct. 5, President Donald Trump signed Public Law 115-254, which provides $1.68 billion in Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery Program funding for “disaster relief, long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure and housing, and economic revitalization in the most impacted and distressed areas resulting from a major disaster declared in 2018.”
In addition to California, other states receiving recovery assistance include:
– Florida: Hurricane Michael, $448,023,000.
– Georgia: Hurricane Michael, $34,884,000.
– Hawaii: Severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides, and Kilauea volcanic eruption and earthquakes, $66,890,000.
– North Carolina: Hurricane Florence, $336,521,000.
– South Carolina: Hurricane Florence, $47,775,000.
– Texas: Severe storms and flooding, $46,400,000.
In addition to those funds, HUD said it will allocate an additional $205 million later in the year following a comprehensive analysis of the recovery needs in American Samoa and the Northern Marianas.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
The award for California was part of nearly $1.5 billion in funding awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to support seven states in their recovery from major disasters that occurred last year, from Hurricane Michael and Hurricane Florence, to California’s devastating wildland fires, among them, the Camp, Carr and Mendocino Complex.
HUD said the funds are provided through its Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery Program and will address seriously damaged housing, businesses and infrastructure in hard-hit areas of these states.
The agency said the program requires grantees to develop “thoughtful recovery plans informed by local residents.”
“Last year’s disasters left damaged homes, businesses and infrastructure in their wake,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “These recovery dollars will help the hardest-hit communities in these states and allow for residents to put their lives back together again.”
California received approximately $491,816,000 for two separately declared disasters.
The first related to wildfires and high winds that occurred between July 23 and Sept. 19 in Lake and Shasta counties, with the major disaster declaration issued on Aug. 4.
That time period covers the Mendocino Complex, made up of the Ranch and River fires, which burned 459,123 acres in Lake, Mendocino, Colusa and Glenn counties from July 27 to Sept. 19.
It claimed the life of one firefighter, destroyed 280 structures and displaced tens of thousands of Lake County residents in late July and early August.
The declaration also covers the Carr fire, which burned from July 23 to Aug. 30 in Redding in Shasta County. The Carr fire killed three firefighters, destroyed about 1,600 structures – more than 1,000 of them homes – and burned 229,651 acres.
Separate from the HUD assistance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency reported that it received 496 applications for individual assistance, with approximately $7,953,959.51 approved. It has also obligated $76,078,556.54 in total public assistance grants for the two counties.
The second allocation for California is for the wildland fires in Butte, Los Angeles and Ventura counties from Nov. 8 to 25, with a major disaster declaration issued on Nov. 12.
The major fire in that group was the Camp fire, the deadliest wildland fire in California history.
It devastated Paradise, killing 85 people, burning 153,336 acres and destroying 18,804 structures.
FEMA said it has received 7,967 individual assistance applications for those three counties, with $85,077,809.73 approved and another $9,170,138.82 obligated for public assistance grants.
On Oct. 5, President Donald Trump signed Public Law 115-254, which provides $1.68 billion in Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery Program funding for “disaster relief, long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure and housing, and economic revitalization in the most impacted and distressed areas resulting from a major disaster declared in 2018.”
In addition to California, other states receiving recovery assistance include:
– Florida: Hurricane Michael, $448,023,000.
– Georgia: Hurricane Michael, $34,884,000.
– Hawaii: Severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides, and Kilauea volcanic eruption and earthquakes, $66,890,000.
– North Carolina: Hurricane Florence, $336,521,000.
– South Carolina: Hurricane Florence, $47,775,000.
– Texas: Severe storms and flooding, $46,400,000.
In addition to those funds, HUD said it will allocate an additional $205 million later in the year following a comprehensive analysis of the recovery needs in American Samoa and the Northern Marianas.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – As it waits for the final count on its Measure M fire parcel tax, the Lakeport Fire Protection District Board this week took steps to ensure it can meet its budget needs through the end of the fiscal year and discussed concerns about a fire dispatch contract with Cal Fire.
The board met Tuesday evening at Station 50 in downtown Lakeport.
On May 7, the district held a special all-mail ballot for Measure M, forecast to bring in a beginning total of $1.2 million annually.
The district decided to move forward with the measure after having to lay off three full-time firefighters as part of the current fiscal year budget, accepted in September, as Lake County News has reported.
The early Measure M election returns, which included a tally of nearly 1,900 ballots, showed the measure receiving 74 percent of the vote. It needs a supermajority of 66.7 percent to go into effect.
Last week, an update from the Registrar of Voters Office said it has 438 ballots yet to count, including those which had been postmarked by the election date and arrived at the Registrar of Voters Office by last Friday.
The Registrar of Voters Office has 30 days from the election to conduct the official canvass, at the end of which it will certify the election results.
District Board Chair John Whitehead thanked firefighters’ union members for their efforts to advocate for Measure M.
Firefighter/paramedic Spencer Johnson said the result is a “big weight off of everyone's shoulders.”
“The level of support apparently shown by the community speaks a lot and I think you guys should be proud of that,” District Board member Alan Flora told the firefighters, noting that Measure M had higher numbers in support of it than fire measures in other parts of the county in recent years.
Engineer Dan Kane said the firefighters were humbled by that support.
While the results so far look promising for the district, if the measure does pass, it will be nearly a year before the proceeds begin to arrive. In the meantime, there are budgeting needs for the current fiscal year that have to be addressed while district board members prepare to consider the new fiscal year budget at the meeting next month.
On Tuesday, in an effort to make sure the district can meet its obligations, the board passed a resolution authorizing the appropriation of up to $200,000 from a reserve fund in order to close out the end of the fiscal year, which runs through June 30.
Mandi Huff, the district’s administrative assistant, said much of the anticipated expenditures are to cover overtime and staffing, as well as the dispatch contract with Cal Fire.
The district has some other possibilities to help its financial picture, including a federal grant that could help it rehire laid-off firefighters.
Chief Rich Bergem said Linda Hedstrom, who wrote the grant for the district, has followed up with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which told her that the district remains in the running for the grant. Announcements are expected in early July.
One potential action that the district board discussed again and once more decided to table was the possible sale of the Finley fire station. It hasn’t been used as a fire station in decades and currently houses the operations of the Clearlake Gleaners’ food bank.
The district’s considerations have included keeping the building and making it a volunteer-staffed station, with an engine stationed there, which Bergem said would lower insurance rates for businesses in Finley and at the nearby Lampson Field airport.
Whitehead restated his opposition to selling the Finley station, noting he would be willing to reconsider it in the future of the district got a new fire station.
Flora said that, at some point, the district board needs to have a discussion about all of the stations, explaining that they have three but only use one.
He said he’s not supportive of letting the building sit and have maintenance costs pile up, adding he thought it is a win-win to use it as a volunteer station.
Board members agreed with Bergem that with Measure M’s apparent passage, it takes the pressure off to make a decision about the station.
Bergem said that if Measure M does indeed pass, he wants to create a five-year plan for the district, and that he would like to see investment in Station 52, located in north Lakeport.
Firefighters raise concerns about dispatch contract
Another main item of discussion on Tuesday was the dispatch contract which Lake County fire districts as a group hold with Cal Fire.
Johnson and Kane both told the board during the meeting about their many concerns with Cal Fire’s performance, with Johnson adding that they’ve not been impressed with the contract since it began last year.
Bergem said he’s been part of meetings with Cal Fire in which an agency representative said they wanted to resolve the issues on the contract, which is in effect until June 2020.
“It's out there that we are dissatisfied,” said Bergem.
Bergem said he has met with Sheriff Brian Martin and County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson about the option of returning to a contract with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Central Dispatch. He said he had a positive reception. “They would like to have us back.”
Some of the problems mentioned at Tuesday’s meeting by firefighting personnel include being sent to the wrong locations. In one instance, Kane said they were dispatched to Beach Lane in Lakeport for a medical call.
When they received no answer at the door, Kane said he was preparing to break in when Cal Fire canceled Lakeport Fire’s response because the actual location was Beach Lane in Nice.
Kane said such misdirected dispatches have happened time and again, and it “really scares me to death.” He said they never had such issues with Central Dispatch.
Bergem said Sheriff Martin gave a rough estimate of $60,000 to take on dispatch for Lakeport Fire, which is close to what it previously cost the district.
Huff told Lake County News that the Cal Fire contract cost is determined on a per-call basis, and runs about $15,000 a quarter. She said it’s possible the district could save some money if it went back to the county.
Flora pointed out that Lakeport Fire needs to give Cal Fire a one-year written notice – due by July 1 – if it wants to pull out of the contract.
Whitehead said he wanted Bergem to contact other chiefs about the concerns. Flora said the district needed to document its problems in order to take them to Cal Fire and make a decision.
Flora said he also didn’t want to upset other districts by pulling out, explaining that a lot of them have been picking up the slack for Lakeport Fire due to its staffing issues.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoN
The board met Tuesday evening at Station 50 in downtown Lakeport.
On May 7, the district held a special all-mail ballot for Measure M, forecast to bring in a beginning total of $1.2 million annually.
The district decided to move forward with the measure after having to lay off three full-time firefighters as part of the current fiscal year budget, accepted in September, as Lake County News has reported.
The early Measure M election returns, which included a tally of nearly 1,900 ballots, showed the measure receiving 74 percent of the vote. It needs a supermajority of 66.7 percent to go into effect.
Last week, an update from the Registrar of Voters Office said it has 438 ballots yet to count, including those which had been postmarked by the election date and arrived at the Registrar of Voters Office by last Friday.
The Registrar of Voters Office has 30 days from the election to conduct the official canvass, at the end of which it will certify the election results.
District Board Chair John Whitehead thanked firefighters’ union members for their efforts to advocate for Measure M.
Firefighter/paramedic Spencer Johnson said the result is a “big weight off of everyone's shoulders.”
“The level of support apparently shown by the community speaks a lot and I think you guys should be proud of that,” District Board member Alan Flora told the firefighters, noting that Measure M had higher numbers in support of it than fire measures in other parts of the county in recent years.
Engineer Dan Kane said the firefighters were humbled by that support.
While the results so far look promising for the district, if the measure does pass, it will be nearly a year before the proceeds begin to arrive. In the meantime, there are budgeting needs for the current fiscal year that have to be addressed while district board members prepare to consider the new fiscal year budget at the meeting next month.
On Tuesday, in an effort to make sure the district can meet its obligations, the board passed a resolution authorizing the appropriation of up to $200,000 from a reserve fund in order to close out the end of the fiscal year, which runs through June 30.
Mandi Huff, the district’s administrative assistant, said much of the anticipated expenditures are to cover overtime and staffing, as well as the dispatch contract with Cal Fire.
The district has some other possibilities to help its financial picture, including a federal grant that could help it rehire laid-off firefighters.
Chief Rich Bergem said Linda Hedstrom, who wrote the grant for the district, has followed up with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which told her that the district remains in the running for the grant. Announcements are expected in early July.
One potential action that the district board discussed again and once more decided to table was the possible sale of the Finley fire station. It hasn’t been used as a fire station in decades and currently houses the operations of the Clearlake Gleaners’ food bank.
The district’s considerations have included keeping the building and making it a volunteer-staffed station, with an engine stationed there, which Bergem said would lower insurance rates for businesses in Finley and at the nearby Lampson Field airport.
Whitehead restated his opposition to selling the Finley station, noting he would be willing to reconsider it in the future of the district got a new fire station.
Flora said that, at some point, the district board needs to have a discussion about all of the stations, explaining that they have three but only use one.
He said he’s not supportive of letting the building sit and have maintenance costs pile up, adding he thought it is a win-win to use it as a volunteer station.
Board members agreed with Bergem that with Measure M’s apparent passage, it takes the pressure off to make a decision about the station.
Bergem said that if Measure M does indeed pass, he wants to create a five-year plan for the district, and that he would like to see investment in Station 52, located in north Lakeport.
Firefighters raise concerns about dispatch contract
Another main item of discussion on Tuesday was the dispatch contract which Lake County fire districts as a group hold with Cal Fire.
Johnson and Kane both told the board during the meeting about their many concerns with Cal Fire’s performance, with Johnson adding that they’ve not been impressed with the contract since it began last year.
Bergem said he’s been part of meetings with Cal Fire in which an agency representative said they wanted to resolve the issues on the contract, which is in effect until June 2020.
“It's out there that we are dissatisfied,” said Bergem.
Bergem said he has met with Sheriff Brian Martin and County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson about the option of returning to a contract with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Central Dispatch. He said he had a positive reception. “They would like to have us back.”
Some of the problems mentioned at Tuesday’s meeting by firefighting personnel include being sent to the wrong locations. In one instance, Kane said they were dispatched to Beach Lane in Lakeport for a medical call.
When they received no answer at the door, Kane said he was preparing to break in when Cal Fire canceled Lakeport Fire’s response because the actual location was Beach Lane in Nice.
Kane said such misdirected dispatches have happened time and again, and it “really scares me to death.” He said they never had such issues with Central Dispatch.
Bergem said Sheriff Martin gave a rough estimate of $60,000 to take on dispatch for Lakeport Fire, which is close to what it previously cost the district.
Huff told Lake County News that the Cal Fire contract cost is determined on a per-call basis, and runs about $15,000 a quarter. She said it’s possible the district could save some money if it went back to the county.
Flora pointed out that Lakeport Fire needs to give Cal Fire a one-year written notice – due by July 1 – if it wants to pull out of the contract.
Whitehead said he wanted Bergem to contact other chiefs about the concerns. Flora said the district needed to document its problems in order to take them to Cal Fire and make a decision.
Flora said he also didn’t want to upset other districts by pulling out, explaining that a lot of them have been picking up the slack for Lakeport Fire due to its staffing issues.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service said another weather system due to arrive this weekend will bring still more rain into the middle of next week.
The short range forecast explained that a low pressure system moving over the West will allow for unsettled weather and chilly temperatures to continue.
Lake County already this week has received a significant amount of rain.
Based on the National Weather Service’s local observation stations, the 72-hour rainfall totals in inches as of 12 a.m. Friday are as follows:
Bartlett Springs: 2.49.
Boggs Mountain: 4.46 (among the highest totals in California).
Cache Creek: 2.24.
High Glade Lookout (above Upper Lake): 1.61.
Indian Valley Reservoir: 1.18.
Jerusalem Grade: 2.03.
Knoxville Creek: 1.71.
Lake Pillsbury: 2.47.
Lakeport: 1.52.
Lyons Valley: 2.11.
Portable station south of Lake Pillsbury: 3.82.
Whispering Pines: 3.88.
The National Weather Service said the current weather system bringing rain now to Lake County and the rest of the West Coast, as well as snow in the higher elevations, is forecast to approach the Great Plains by the weekend.
Another system, moving in from the eastern Pacific, is forecast to arrive on the West Coast on Saturday, with more rain forecast into Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.
The Lake County forecast calls for rain to continue with an anticipated break on Saturday, with showers to continue through the weekend.
Chances of weather are forecast through Wednesday, clearing by Wednesday night, with partly cloudy conditions predicted to begin on Thursday.
There also is a chance of thunderstorms on Sunday, the National Weather Service said.
Wind also remains in the forecast, with gusts into the low 20s predicted on Saturday.
Nighttime temperatures will continue to hover in the low 40s, with daytime temperatures rising into the low 50s, the forecast said.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
The short range forecast explained that a low pressure system moving over the West will allow for unsettled weather and chilly temperatures to continue.
Lake County already this week has received a significant amount of rain.
Based on the National Weather Service’s local observation stations, the 72-hour rainfall totals in inches as of 12 a.m. Friday are as follows:
Bartlett Springs: 2.49.
Boggs Mountain: 4.46 (among the highest totals in California).
Cache Creek: 2.24.
High Glade Lookout (above Upper Lake): 1.61.
Indian Valley Reservoir: 1.18.
Jerusalem Grade: 2.03.
Knoxville Creek: 1.71.
Lake Pillsbury: 2.47.
Lakeport: 1.52.
Lyons Valley: 2.11.
Portable station south of Lake Pillsbury: 3.82.
Whispering Pines: 3.88.
The National Weather Service said the current weather system bringing rain now to Lake County and the rest of the West Coast, as well as snow in the higher elevations, is forecast to approach the Great Plains by the weekend.
Another system, moving in from the eastern Pacific, is forecast to arrive on the West Coast on Saturday, with more rain forecast into Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.
The Lake County forecast calls for rain to continue with an anticipated break on Saturday, with showers to continue through the weekend.
Chances of weather are forecast through Wednesday, clearing by Wednesday night, with partly cloudy conditions predicted to begin on Thursday.
There also is a chance of thunderstorms on Sunday, the National Weather Service said.
Wind also remains in the forecast, with gusts into the low 20s predicted on Saturday.
Nighttime temperatures will continue to hover in the low 40s, with daytime temperatures rising into the low 50s, the forecast said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
A man wrongfully convicted in a 2002 shooting has had his conviction reversed based on newly discovered evidence, uncovered by the Northern California Innocence Project and the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, about a crucial eyewitness identification.
On April 2, 2002, a young man was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in front of his younger brother.
While he was recovering from severe injuries in the hospital, the victim identified 22-year-old Lionel Rubalcava as the shooter from a photo lineup.
The brother also identified Rubalcava, who was in the lineup for being at the wrong place at the wrong time:he had stopped in front of the victim’s house two days after the shooting.
At the three-day trial, Rubalcava provided powerful alibi evidence and testified to his innocence. But the victim and his brother both pointed to Rubalcava as the shooter.
The jury, which deliberated for longer than the trial lasted, found Rubalcava guilty of attempted murder. He was sentenced to life in prison based solely on the two eyewitness identifications.
NCIP teamed up with investigators Dre McEwen and Grant Fine and pro bono partners at Simpson Thacher to investigate Rubalcava’s case.
The team put together information showing the eyewitness identifications were unreliable and that Rubalcava should never have been convicted.
NCIP presented the case to the Conviction Integrity Unit in Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office, a special unit devoted to correcting wrongful convictions in the county.
Assistant District Attorneys David Angel and Stacey Capps immediately saw the need to investigate the case further.
Among the new information the DA’s office found was the stunning admission by the victim, who was paralyzed and has worked hard to overcome what he has been through, that he had never been completely sure of his identification.
He told them that he had only seen a tiny portion of the shooter’s face – and only for a brief moment before he was shot.
“The more we all dug, the more evidence of innocence we found. Every person we spoke to, every tape we transcribed, every new document we uncovered pointed to Lionel’s innocence,” said NCIP’s attorney on this case, Paige Kaneb.
The District Attorney’s Office said the new evidence was pivotal, “Had we known this at the time, we would not have filed the case.”
Rubalcava’s ability to get his conviction reversed hinged on the passage of a new law that NCIP helped get passed on Sept. 30, 2016.
That law, Senate Bill 1134 authored by Senators Leno and Anderson, loosened laws that had
previously made it virtually impossible for wrongfully convicted people to get a new trial based on new evidence.
Instead of the new evidence needing to “point unerringly to innocence”, the new law requires only that – had the new evidence been available at the original trial – there would “more likely than not” have been a different outcome.
As the District Attorney’s Office noted when it joined NCIP in asking the court to reverse Rubalcava’s conviction, “The foundation of our democracy and criminal justice system is the presumption of innocence.”
This bill was sponsored by the California Innocence Coalition that includes NCIP, the California Innocence Project in San Diego, and Loyola Project for the Innocent in Los Angeles.
On April 24, 17 years and 16 days after Rubalcava was arrested, his conviction was reversed by Judge Daniel Nishigaya in the Santa Clara County Superior Court.
On Wednesday, the charges against Rubalcava, who has been residing in Pleasant Valley State Prison, were dropped and he was freed.
The Northern California Innocence Project is a non-profit clinical program of Santa Clara University School of Law whose mission is to promote a fair, effective, and compassionate criminal justice system and protect the rights of the innocent.
Since its inception in 2001, NCIP has processed more than 10,000 requests for inmate assistance, investigated hundreds of cases, pursued litigation or collaborative resolution in dozens, and obtained the freedom of 26 wrongfully convicted individuals.
On April 2, 2002, a young man was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in front of his younger brother.
While he was recovering from severe injuries in the hospital, the victim identified 22-year-old Lionel Rubalcava as the shooter from a photo lineup.
The brother also identified Rubalcava, who was in the lineup for being at the wrong place at the wrong time:he had stopped in front of the victim’s house two days after the shooting.
At the three-day trial, Rubalcava provided powerful alibi evidence and testified to his innocence. But the victim and his brother both pointed to Rubalcava as the shooter.
The jury, which deliberated for longer than the trial lasted, found Rubalcava guilty of attempted murder. He was sentenced to life in prison based solely on the two eyewitness identifications.
NCIP teamed up with investigators Dre McEwen and Grant Fine and pro bono partners at Simpson Thacher to investigate Rubalcava’s case.
The team put together information showing the eyewitness identifications were unreliable and that Rubalcava should never have been convicted.
NCIP presented the case to the Conviction Integrity Unit in Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office, a special unit devoted to correcting wrongful convictions in the county.
Assistant District Attorneys David Angel and Stacey Capps immediately saw the need to investigate the case further.
Among the new information the DA’s office found was the stunning admission by the victim, who was paralyzed and has worked hard to overcome what he has been through, that he had never been completely sure of his identification.
He told them that he had only seen a tiny portion of the shooter’s face – and only for a brief moment before he was shot.
“The more we all dug, the more evidence of innocence we found. Every person we spoke to, every tape we transcribed, every new document we uncovered pointed to Lionel’s innocence,” said NCIP’s attorney on this case, Paige Kaneb.
The District Attorney’s Office said the new evidence was pivotal, “Had we known this at the time, we would not have filed the case.”
Rubalcava’s ability to get his conviction reversed hinged on the passage of a new law that NCIP helped get passed on Sept. 30, 2016.
That law, Senate Bill 1134 authored by Senators Leno and Anderson, loosened laws that had
previously made it virtually impossible for wrongfully convicted people to get a new trial based on new evidence.
Instead of the new evidence needing to “point unerringly to innocence”, the new law requires only that – had the new evidence been available at the original trial – there would “more likely than not” have been a different outcome.
As the District Attorney’s Office noted when it joined NCIP in asking the court to reverse Rubalcava’s conviction, “The foundation of our democracy and criminal justice system is the presumption of innocence.”
This bill was sponsored by the California Innocence Coalition that includes NCIP, the California Innocence Project in San Diego, and Loyola Project for the Innocent in Los Angeles.
On April 24, 17 years and 16 days after Rubalcava was arrested, his conviction was reversed by Judge Daniel Nishigaya in the Santa Clara County Superior Court.
On Wednesday, the charges against Rubalcava, who has been residing in Pleasant Valley State Prison, were dropped and he was freed.
The Northern California Innocence Project is a non-profit clinical program of Santa Clara University School of Law whose mission is to promote a fair, effective, and compassionate criminal justice system and protect the rights of the innocent.
Since its inception in 2001, NCIP has processed more than 10,000 requests for inmate assistance, investigated hundreds of cases, pursued litigation or collaborative resolution in dozens, and obtained the freedom of 26 wrongfully convicted individuals.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – Whether you drive on a scenic highway or a congested freeway, motorcycles are all around.
As such, motorcycle-involved crashes in California continue to be a major concern for the California Highway Patrol.
From January 2017 through May 2019, provisional statistical data revealed there were three fatal traffic collisions involving motorcycles in the CHP Ukiah Area jurisdiction.
In an effort to reduce the number of motorcycle incidents or collisions resulting from unsafe speed, following too closely, unsafe lane changes, improper turning and other primary collision factor violations by motorcyclists and other drivers, the CHP Ukiah Area will deploy additional officers in Mendocino County.
The operation will commence on May 25.
To assist the CHP in this traffic safety effort, the Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has awarded a grant titled “Get Educated and Ride Safe.”
With the grant funding, the Ukiah Area CHP will continue to deploy additional enforcement efforts through Sept. 30.
As such, motorcycle-involved crashes in California continue to be a major concern for the California Highway Patrol.
From January 2017 through May 2019, provisional statistical data revealed there were three fatal traffic collisions involving motorcycles in the CHP Ukiah Area jurisdiction.
In an effort to reduce the number of motorcycle incidents or collisions resulting from unsafe speed, following too closely, unsafe lane changes, improper turning and other primary collision factor violations by motorcyclists and other drivers, the CHP Ukiah Area will deploy additional officers in Mendocino County.
The operation will commence on May 25.
To assist the CHP in this traffic safety effort, the Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has awarded a grant titled “Get Educated and Ride Safe.”
With the grant funding, the Ukiah Area CHP will continue to deploy additional enforcement efforts through Sept. 30.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Nearly 300 Lake County high school students, parents, school administrators and counselors packed the Thomas Aikens Student Center at Kelseyville High School on Monday for the University Admittance Reception.
This was the 14th year the Lake County Office of Education has hosted the event.
Ninety Lake County students were recognized for their acceptance into four-year universities for the 2019-2020 school year.
Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg opened the evening, proclaiming, “Lake County has some of the brightest students in the country.”
Almost 70 percent of college-bound Lake County students will attend a California State University in the 2019-2020 school year.
Nearly 25 percent of college-bound Lake County students will attend UC campuses, including UC campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Los Angeles, Merced, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz.
The remaining college-bound Lake County students will attend universities in different states across the nation including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii.
Students from Clear Lake High School are traveling the furthest to attend college. Nicabec Casido
will be attending Princeton University in New Jersey, and Seth Mix will be studying at the Aux Marseille Université in southern France.
Jacquelyn Ross, assistant director of admissions at UC Davis, and Gina Geck, director of student outreach and recruitment at Sonoma State, were on hand to congratulate the soon-to-be graduates.
They presented each senior with a gold cord to honor their achievement. The students were encouraged to wear this cord at their individual high school graduations.
Two former Lake County students returned as keynote speakers.
Shao-Ji Chang, CLHS Class of 2013, is currently a constituent services and field representative for Congressman Mike Thompson.
Charles Crockett, CLHS Class of 2015, will be graduating from St. Mary’s College of California in a few weeks.
Both Lake County students offered advice based on their own college experiences.
Beth Hampson, education specialist from the Lake County Office of Education, organized the event.
Hampson closed out the evening with a heartfelt thank you to those who helped coordinate and sponsor the event including Kelseyville Lumber; Michelle Borghesani, director of food services at Kelseyville Unified School District; and Kelseyville Unified School District for providing the facility.