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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) and Rep. John Garamendi (CA-03) announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has granted Public Assistance for Lake County for the Ranch and River fires, commonly known as the Mendocino Complex fires.
This declaration allows federal funds to be available to state and local governments provide support and assistance during the recovery process for the Mendocino Complex fires, which began on July 27 and burned across the region.
“As Lake County continues to recover and firefighters continue battling this terrible blaze, our community is once again demonstrating our resilience. This public assistance will give state and local governments the support they need as we work to help our community return to normal,” said Thompson. “Again, I want to thank all the incredible firefighters, first responders, and law enforcement who are still working to fight this fire and keep our community safe. This is another important step on our journey to recovery.”
“I appreciate FEMA’s grant of Public Assistance for the victims of the Mendocino Complex fires. This will unlock crucial help as our communities seek to rebuild,” said Garamendi. I thank all the emergency personnel who have been instrumental in saving lives and property and continue to work tirelessly to fight these fires and keep people safe.”
Public Assistance is federal funding for local communities to use to repair critical public infrastructure such as roads, bridges, buildings, water infrastructure and sewage collection facilities.
The federal government covers 75 percent of the costs, and the state and locals governments split the remaining 25 percent.
Individual Assistance for Lake County for the Mendocino Complex fires was granted on Aug. 17, which included federal support for residents who had homes or businesses damaged or destroyed.
On Aug. 7, Thompson and Garamendi, along with Rep. Jared Huffman, led a bipartisan letter to the President urging him to approve the disaster declaration and make these funds available to fire survivors.
Thompson has also prepared a Disaster Guide to help constituents navigate the recovery process that you can read by clicking here.
The Mendocino Complex fires began on July 27, 2018 and burned more than 459,000 acres before the fires were fully contained in September. Over 300 structures were damaged or destroyed. Thousands were forced to evacuate.
This declaration allows federal funds to be available to state and local governments provide support and assistance during the recovery process for the Mendocino Complex fires, which began on July 27 and burned across the region.
“As Lake County continues to recover and firefighters continue battling this terrible blaze, our community is once again demonstrating our resilience. This public assistance will give state and local governments the support they need as we work to help our community return to normal,” said Thompson. “Again, I want to thank all the incredible firefighters, first responders, and law enforcement who are still working to fight this fire and keep our community safe. This is another important step on our journey to recovery.”
“I appreciate FEMA’s grant of Public Assistance for the victims of the Mendocino Complex fires. This will unlock crucial help as our communities seek to rebuild,” said Garamendi. I thank all the emergency personnel who have been instrumental in saving lives and property and continue to work tirelessly to fight these fires and keep people safe.”
Public Assistance is federal funding for local communities to use to repair critical public infrastructure such as roads, bridges, buildings, water infrastructure and sewage collection facilities.
The federal government covers 75 percent of the costs, and the state and locals governments split the remaining 25 percent.
Individual Assistance for Lake County for the Mendocino Complex fires was granted on Aug. 17, which included federal support for residents who had homes or businesses damaged or destroyed.
On Aug. 7, Thompson and Garamendi, along with Rep. Jared Huffman, led a bipartisan letter to the President urging him to approve the disaster declaration and make these funds available to fire survivors.
Thompson has also prepared a Disaster Guide to help constituents navigate the recovery process that you can read by clicking here.
The Mendocino Complex fires began on July 27, 2018 and burned more than 459,000 acres before the fires were fully contained in September. Over 300 structures were damaged or destroyed. Thousands were forced to evacuate.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Thursday a Clearlake Police officer arrested a city resident who was found with a concealed weapon in his vehicle during a traffic stop.
Jason Robert Compton, 30, was taken into custody on Thursday morning, according to Sgt. Rodd Joseph.
Just before 11:15 a.m. Thursday Clearlake Police Officer Mauricio Barreto conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle on 21st Avenue near the intersection with Phillips Avenue, Joseph said. The four-door sedan was displaying false evidence of registration on the rear license plate and had illegally tinted windows.
The driver, who was the only occupant of the vehicle and identified as Compton, was arrested for a misdemeanor violation of displaying false vehicle registration, Joseph said.
During an inventory search of the vehicle before it was towed, Officer Barreto located a 9-millimeter handgun under the driver’s seat. Joseph said the weapon’s serial number had been removed.
Though Compton denied ownership or possession of the illegal firearm, Barreto had witnessed Compton making furtive type movements around the driver’s seat as the vehicle was coming to a stop, Joseph said.
Joseph said Compton was arrested and charged with one misdemeanor count of displaying false registration and two felony counts of possession of a concealed firearm in a vehicle and possession of a firearm with altered or removed serial number. He was later booked into the Lake County Jail.
A second subject, contacted in conjunction with this investigation near the intersection of 21st and Irving avenues, and identified as 40-year-old Jose Serapio Murrillo of Clearlake, was found to be under the influence of a controlled substance and arrested, Joseph said. Murrillo was additionally charged with a felony probation violation. He too was booked into the Lake County Jail.
The Clearlake Police Department is committed to removing illegal firearms and weapons from those who may not possess them, Joseph said.
Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact Officer Barreto at 707-994-8251, Extension 507, or via his email atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Jason Robert Compton, 30, was taken into custody on Thursday morning, according to Sgt. Rodd Joseph.
Just before 11:15 a.m. Thursday Clearlake Police Officer Mauricio Barreto conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle on 21st Avenue near the intersection with Phillips Avenue, Joseph said. The four-door sedan was displaying false evidence of registration on the rear license plate and had illegally tinted windows.
The driver, who was the only occupant of the vehicle and identified as Compton, was arrested for a misdemeanor violation of displaying false vehicle registration, Joseph said.
During an inventory search of the vehicle before it was towed, Officer Barreto located a 9-millimeter handgun under the driver’s seat. Joseph said the weapon’s serial number had been removed.
Though Compton denied ownership or possession of the illegal firearm, Barreto had witnessed Compton making furtive type movements around the driver’s seat as the vehicle was coming to a stop, Joseph said.
Joseph said Compton was arrested and charged with one misdemeanor count of displaying false registration and two felony counts of possession of a concealed firearm in a vehicle and possession of a firearm with altered or removed serial number. He was later booked into the Lake County Jail.
A second subject, contacted in conjunction with this investigation near the intersection of 21st and Irving avenues, and identified as 40-year-old Jose Serapio Murrillo of Clearlake, was found to be under the influence of a controlled substance and arrested, Joseph said. Murrillo was additionally charged with a felony probation violation. He too was booked into the Lake County Jail.
The Clearlake Police Department is committed to removing illegal firearms and weapons from those who may not possess them, Joseph said.
Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact Officer Barreto at 707-994-8251, Extension 507, or via his email at
California attorney general announces arrests in statewide campaign to combat illegal cannabis grows
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra on Thursday announced the arrest of 52 individuals as part of the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, or CAMP, Program, which is the largest illegal marijuana eradication program in the nation.
This year, CAMP eradicated 614,267 plants in over 254 illegal grow sites across the state. Agents also seized 110 weapons.
Three arrests occurred in Lake County, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
“This year’s results put an exclamation point behind California’s multi-agency illegal cannabis campaign, holding accountable individuals who damage our public lands and hurt our communities,” said Attorney General Becerra. “At the California Department of Justice, we will continue to work with our partners at the federal, state, and local levels through our CAMP program to vigorously enforce California’s laws against illegal cannabis activity.”
The 12-week CAMP operation headed by the California Department of Justice includes local, state and federal agencies that work to eradicate illegal indoor and outdoor marijuana cultivation and trafficking throughout California.
Agents were divided into four teams covering the Northern, Central and Southern California regions.
The following counties were targeted: Amador, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Inyo, Kern, Lake, Lassen, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Plumas, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, San Joaquin, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Stanislaus, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Ventura, Yolo, and Yuba.
In the course of the operation, CAMP teams protected public resources against misuse and safeguarded public land and water from illegal pesticides.
A CAMP team in Stanislaus County stopped drug traffickers from diverting water from the San Joaquin River in order to fuel their illegal operation.
In other cases, the CAMP team busted suspects using a deadly, banned pesticide called carbofuran. Agents shut down these illegal grow sites, shielding public land from this dangerous chemical.
The 2018 operation is a product of a multi-agency collaboration between the California Department of Justice, the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States Forest Service, the United States Department of Interior, the National Park Service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the United States Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Administration, the California National Guard, the California Bureau of Land Management and the Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program and other local law enforcement departments.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The two candidates in the runoff for Lake County Superior Court judge met for a debate in Lakeport on Wednesday evening.
Don Anderson, Lake County’s district attorney, and Shanda Harry, a deputy county counsel for the county of Lake, took part in the event at the Lake County Courthouse.
Anderson and Harry are running for the seat now held by Judge Stephen Hedstrom, who chose not to seek a fourth term.
The two candidates answered a wide variety of questions, from the impacts of recent legislation to innovations they would introduce, how the legalization of marijuana will affect the court, and balancing the rights of victims and defendants, among others.
Each also answered specific questions about their record, knowledge and ability to take on the challenges of being a Lake County Superior Court judge.
The hour-and-a-half-long debate can be seen in its entirety in the video above.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday recognized the efforts to prevent domestic violence in the community and heard an update on the police department’s ongoing work to reduce traffic speeds in a 20th Street neighborhood.
As the council does each year, it offered a proclamation designating October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Mayor Mireya Turner presented the proclamation to staff from the Lake Family Resource Center.
The proclamation, which Turner read, explained that in the past 12 months Lake County law enforcement agencies have responded to more than 547 incidents of domestic violence – including men, women and children.
Also in the past year, the Victim Witness Division of the District Attorney’s Office has served 234 victims of domestic violence, and the District Attorney’s Office has prosecuted 51 felonies and 160 misdemeanor acts of domestic violence, according to the proclamation.
The proclamation said Lake Family Resource Center responded to 407 crisis line calls, served victims, and additionally sheltered 171 domestic violence victims and their children for a total of 6,047 bed nights.
Sheri Salituri-Young, the Lake Family Resource Center’s victim services program director, told the council than anyone can be a victim of domestic violence.
She said the center currently has more than a dozen people staying at its emergency shelter, with more than 100 active outreach clients.
Salituri-Young recognized center staff and partners, and thanked the city for its support.
Council gets update on 20th Street speed surveys
Lt. Jason Ferguson presented the council with an update on the efforts to reduce speeds on 20th Street between Alden Avenue and Hartley Street.
In 2016, a speed survey found that the 85th percentile speed on the street was 36 miles per hour, while the speed limit was 25 miles per hour. Based on state law, the city needed to reset the speed zone to 30 miles per hour or police would not have been able to enforce the speed limit, according to Ferguson’s written report.
The Lakeport City Council ultimately voted to approve the change, but took heed of residents’ concerns and directed police to do increased outreach and enforcement in order to reduce the 85th percentile speed back down to between 25 and 30 miles per hour, Ferguson’s report explained.
The report said that measures the city has taken include public outreach through Nixles and social media, increased patrols and traffic enforcement, the placement of a radar trailer and traffic control measures such as restriping.
Ferguson told the council that the department has been very aggressive in its enforcement effort in the area.
They’ve continued to collect more speed data, which indicates the 85th percentile speed hasn’t gone down, but has edged up – from 36 to 37 miles per hour.
He said that between April 6 and Sept. 6 Lakeport Police officers wrote seven speeding citations in that area, and also stopped and gave warnings to drivers. Since the speed limit was raised, 58 total citations for speeding and other issues have been written for the area of the intersection of 20th and Hartley.
Ferguson said the effort has been hampered by the floods at the start of 2017 and the wildland fires, as well as short staffing. However, he said further deployment of the radar trailer, more education and increased enforcement is planned for that area before another speed survey is done.
Councilwoman Stacey Mattina asked if there are signs up in the area. Ferguson said yes, the speed limit signs were updated to say 30 miles per hour, which was required.
“We're trying to be out there, as visible as we can be, as proactive as we can be,” he said, adding that department members have received compliments from the community about their proactive efforts.
Councilman George Spurr asked if they’ve found out if the speeders live in the neighborhood. Ferguson said he can research it further and get that information.
Councilman Kenny Parlet said the people who have been driving in that area for years know the width of the street, despite the visual narrowing work, so they continue to drive at high speeds.
“Obviously, this is going to take a little more effort, more education and more outreach,” he said.
Mattina called the situation with the speed “just totally disappointing,” noting she’s afraid the speed will go up. “We tried everything.”
Spurr thanked police for the work. “We’ll continue to do it,” said Ferguson.
There was no public comment and no required action by the council, which simply received the report.
At the Tuesday night meeting the council also met new city utilities employees Alex Sharp and Tony Lynott. Sharp is a native of Mississippi and recent graduate of Auburn University, and Lynott is a utility operator who has previous experience working for a local pumping contractor.
The council also held a brief public hearing and approved an ordinance amending Chapter 3.05 to the Lakeport Municipal Code to take advantage of the Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that 58 citations had been written between April and Sept. 6 for the area of the intersection of 20th and Hartley. The article has been corrected to show that number is the total since the speed limit was raised at the end of 2016.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
100218 Lakeport City Council agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Congressman Mike Thompson, State Sen. Mike McGuire, Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Sheriff Brian Martin and representatives from CalTrans will host a remembrance and unveiling ceremony in memory of Lake County Deputy Sheriff Robert Rumfelt next week in Lakeport.
They’ll be coming together with family members and community leaders on Thursday, Oct. 11, at 11 a.m. to rename a portion of Highway 29 as the “Deputy Sheriff Robert Rumfelt Memorial Highway.”
A new highway sign will be unveiled recognizing Deputy Rumfelt’s service and sacrifice to our country and the people of Lake County.
Sen. McGuire’s legislation that is renaming the portion of Highway 29 in honor and memory of Rumfelt was signed earlier this year by Gov. Jerry Brown.
“Deputy Rumfelt selflessly served his country and dedicated his life to keeping the hard working people of Lake County safe. His impact on this community is immeasurable and the contributions he made will be his lasting legacy. After all Deputy Rumfelt’s done for our nation and right here at home, the least we can do is honor his tireless work and sacrifice so generations will know about his achievements, bravery and big heart. We’re honored to partner with Congressman Thompson, Assemblywoman Aguiar-Curry and Sheriff Martin on this special occasion,” Sen. McGuire said.
“Deputy Rumfelt was a true American hero, saving lives overseas with the United States Military, and protecting and serving his community in Lake County,” Martin said. “We’re grateful to work with Sen. McGuire, Congressman Thompson and Assemblywoman Aguiar-Curry to honor his legacy by renaming a portion of the highway that runs through his home town in his memory.”
For the past three decades, Rumfelt worked tirelessly to protect and serve his country and the greater Lake County community. After graduating from Clear Lake High School, he answered the call to serve our nation by enlisting in the United States Marine Corps and earned numerous accolades for his honor, courage and commitment.
Deputy Rumfelt continued serving when he was hired by the city of Lakeport as a police officer in 1995 and then as a sheriff’s deputy for Lake County in 2014.
In 2010, while taking a leave of absence from the Lakeport Police Department to serve as a Police Advisor to Iraqi law enforcement agencies in Ramadi, Baghdad, Kurdistan, and Mosul, he risked his life during an IED attack on an Army convoy to save the life of a badly injured soldier.
On Aug. 22, 2017, Deputy Rumfelt tragically died in the line of duty.
Deputy Rumfelt was an inspiring and positive force in the lives of many young people. He spent countless hours at Clear Lake High School, his alma mater, coaching the football team and mentoring youth.
Rumfelt was a dedicated family man. He is survived by his wife Kelly, his two daughters Nikki and Britney, his grandsons Robby and Johnny, his parents, and his siblings.
The ceremony will take place at 52 Soda Bay Road, Lakeport.
A hot dog barbecue lunch, with all the fixings, will be provided.
They’ll be coming together with family members and community leaders on Thursday, Oct. 11, at 11 a.m. to rename a portion of Highway 29 as the “Deputy Sheriff Robert Rumfelt Memorial Highway.”
A new highway sign will be unveiled recognizing Deputy Rumfelt’s service and sacrifice to our country and the people of Lake County.
Sen. McGuire’s legislation that is renaming the portion of Highway 29 in honor and memory of Rumfelt was signed earlier this year by Gov. Jerry Brown.
“Deputy Rumfelt selflessly served his country and dedicated his life to keeping the hard working people of Lake County safe. His impact on this community is immeasurable and the contributions he made will be his lasting legacy. After all Deputy Rumfelt’s done for our nation and right here at home, the least we can do is honor his tireless work and sacrifice so generations will know about his achievements, bravery and big heart. We’re honored to partner with Congressman Thompson, Assemblywoman Aguiar-Curry and Sheriff Martin on this special occasion,” Sen. McGuire said.
“Deputy Rumfelt was a true American hero, saving lives overseas with the United States Military, and protecting and serving his community in Lake County,” Martin said. “We’re grateful to work with Sen. McGuire, Congressman Thompson and Assemblywoman Aguiar-Curry to honor his legacy by renaming a portion of the highway that runs through his home town in his memory.”
For the past three decades, Rumfelt worked tirelessly to protect and serve his country and the greater Lake County community. After graduating from Clear Lake High School, he answered the call to serve our nation by enlisting in the United States Marine Corps and earned numerous accolades for his honor, courage and commitment.
Deputy Rumfelt continued serving when he was hired by the city of Lakeport as a police officer in 1995 and then as a sheriff’s deputy for Lake County in 2014.
In 2010, while taking a leave of absence from the Lakeport Police Department to serve as a Police Advisor to Iraqi law enforcement agencies in Ramadi, Baghdad, Kurdistan, and Mosul, he risked his life during an IED attack on an Army convoy to save the life of a badly injured soldier.
On Aug. 22, 2017, Deputy Rumfelt tragically died in the line of duty.
Deputy Rumfelt was an inspiring and positive force in the lives of many young people. He spent countless hours at Clear Lake High School, his alma mater, coaching the football team and mentoring youth.
Rumfelt was a dedicated family man. He is survived by his wife Kelly, his two daughters Nikki and Britney, his grandsons Robby and Johnny, his parents, and his siblings.
The ceremony will take place at 52 Soda Bay Road, Lakeport.
A hot dog barbecue lunch, with all the fixings, will be provided.