News

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – After a long and dry summer and early fall, the forecast for this weekend and next week includes predictions of rain.

The National Weather Service’s specific forecast for Lake County said there are chances of rain beginning on Saturday and Sunday, and more slight chances of rain through Tuesday.

The forecast then shows sunny and clear conditions returning on Wednesday and Thursday.

Temperatures also are forecast to drop into the high 60s during the day and the mid 50s at night across the county through Tuesday.

Daytime temperatures are forecast to rise into the high 70s again by midweek.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Two men were arrested this week, and hundreds of marijuana plants and a stash of weapons were seized during a search warrant service in the south county.

Pedro Landa-Alvarez, 40, of Lower Lake and Jose Trinidad Carrillo-Gonzalez, 44, of Clearlake were arrested at a location in Lower Lake while harvesting marijuana, according to Lt. Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

On Friday, Sept. 21, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit served a search warrant in the 13000 block of Spruce Grove Road in Lower Lake related to illegal marijuana cultivation, Paulich said.

During the service, detectives located a total of 271 mature marijuana plants being cultivated outdoors and inside a greenhouse. Paulich said no suspects were located on site, but during eradication, detectives observed the plants were possibly contaminated with a dangerous illegal insecticide.

After conducting a further search of the cultivation site, detectives located a product label for a dangerous toxic substance known as “Carbofuran.” This substance is manufactured in Mexico and is illegal in the United States, Paulich said.

While on site, Paulich said detectives learned the subject responsible for the operation was Landa-Alvarez.

On Monday, Sept. 24, detectives served a search warrant at a residence for Landa-Alvarez in the 18000 block of Horseshoe Road in Hidden Valley Lake. Paulich said that during this search, detectives located evidence of marijuana cultivation and sales.

Detectives located a total of $10,000 of US currency and a 2017 Chevrolet 2500 truck which was determined to be proceeds of illegal marijuana sales and subsequently seized. Paulich said detectives located additional evidence which led to a search warrant service at a residence in the 19000 block of Mountain Meadow South in Hidden Valley Lake, which had been completely transformed to cultivate marijuana indoors.

Paulich said a total of 537 marijuana plants were located and eradicated from this residence which was only being used to cultivate marijuana.

Detectives also learned of another associated property and obtained a search warrant for the location in the 14000 block of Spruce Grove Road in Lower Lake. Paulich said that during this search, detectives located Landa-Alvarez and a second Hispanic male identified as Carrillo-Gonzalez.

Both men were actively harvesting and processing marijuana from a large indoor grow at this location. During the search of the property, Paulich said detectives located three loaded 1911 semi-automatic pistols, a loaded AR-15 style assault rifle and several additional hunting style rifles.

Approximately 400 pounds of bulk processed marijuana was located and seized from the property. Paulich said Landa-Alvarez was also in possession of over $9,000 in US currency which was also seized as illegal proceeds.

Both Landa-Alvarez and Carrillo Gonzalez were placed under arrest for violations of cultivation of marijuana while using a hazardous substance, being armed while committing a felony, conspiracy to commit a crime, possession of marijuana for sale and possession of an assault weapon, Paulich said.

Paulich said both subjects were later booked into custody at the Lake County Jail where they were later released after posting bail.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Repair crews are working to restore power to thousands of south county customers impacted by an outage first reported on Thursday afternoon.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said the outage is impacting Middletown and parts of Cobb Mountain.

The electrical outage is not fire-related, the agency said.

Pacific Gas and Electric reported that the outage began at approximately 12:43 p.m.

It is impacting approximately 4,490 customers, PG&E said.

As of 2:30 p.m., PG&E had not reported a cause and said its crews were assessing the cause.

PG&E estimated power would be restored by 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

The sheriff’s office asked community members to not call 911 to report the electrical outage.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A blue ribbon committee tasked with recommending ways to improve water quality at Clear Lake will hold its inaugural meeting Oct. 10, in Lake County, Natural Resources Secretary John Laird announced.

The meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 10, is open to the public and will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Running Creek Casino, 635 State Highway 20, in Upper Lake.

The agenda and additional information be found here.

The 12-member Blue Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake, created by Assembly Bill 707 (Aguiar-Curry) of 2017, includes representatives from tribes, Lake County, UC Davis and the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board.

It also includes four members appointed by Lake County with expertise in agriculture, economics, environment and public water supplies.

“I am proud to chair the initial meeting of the Blue Ribbon Committee,” Laird said. “The Committee has been given the important charge of making recommendations for rehabilitating Clear Lake, which is critical to Lake County’s economy, ecosystem, and heritage. The expertise of these committee members will be invaluable to restoring this precious resource.”

Creation of the committee is part of the State of California’ ongoing investments in Clear Lake, which include a $2 million multi-year scientific research contract with UC Davis, $5 million in voter-approved bonds from Proposition 68 and a recent $15 million bond-funded investment to aid in the Middle Creek Restoration project.

“This committee is a first step towards revitalization of the local economy,” said Assembly Member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry. “Whether the work of the committee establishes a scientific record that Clear Lake is doing fine or we have work to do to protect and restore it, my goal is to provide proof the ‘anchor’ of Lake County is a healthy, valuable lynchpin in the local economy. I look forward to working with the California Natural Resources Agency, Board of Supervisors, Lake County Tribal Community, and all the stakeholders to ensure Clear Lake is Clear.”

Blue Ribbon Committee members include: Karola Kennedy, Elem Indian Colony; Sarah Ryan, Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians; Cecilia Guevara Zamora, Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians; Linda Rosas, Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake; Alix Tyler, Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians; Jennifer LaBay, Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board; Dr. Paul Dodd, UC Davis;
Supervisor Jim Steele, Lake County Board of Supervisors; Wilda Shock, Lake County, local economic development expert; Brenna Sullivan, agriculture expert, Lake County Farm Bureau executive director; Dr. Harry Lyons, Lake County, environment expert; Jan Coppinger, Lake County Special Districts administrator.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – A Lakeport woman who was taken into custody on Tuesday after a deputy found her on the Lower Lake High School campus in possession of pepper spray and meth pipes later was found to have concealed in her clothing several drugs, which authorities believe she planned to sell at the school.

Amanda Ann Guajardo, 23, of Lakeport was arrested in the case, according to Lt. Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

On Tuesday at approximately 1 p.m., a Lake County Sheriff’s school resource deputy was patrolling the Lower Lake High School campus when he observed a Toyota Corolla, driven by a female with two male passengers, drive through the school parking lot to the rear of the school, Paulich said.

Paulich said the vehicle drove to an area where only school staff and students are allowed. It appeared to the deputy that all the occupants in the vehicle were adults. Students on campus were also on their lunch break.

The vehicle parked illegally in a handicapped space. The deputy saw the female driver, later identified as Guajardo, get out and walk away from the vehicle while the male passengers stayed at the vehicle. Paulich said the deputy contacted Guajardo and escorted her back to the vehicle.

Guajardo told the deputy she was at the school to pick up her cousin. Paulich said the deputy checked with school staff and learned that Guajardo’s cousin was not a student at the high school.

The deputy conducted a records check on the three subjects and found that one of the males was on parole and that Guajardo was a convicted felon, Paulich said.

Paulich said the deputy conducted a search of the three subjects and the vehicle. He did not locate any illegal items on the males or in the vehicle. While searching Guajardo, he located a small canister of pepper spray and two glass methamphetamine pipes.

Guajardo was placed under arrest and transported to the Lake County Jail for being a felon in possession of pepper spray, possession of glass methamphetamine pipes, being on school grounds with no lawful reason and driving on a suspended license, Paulich said.

During the booking process, correctional officers located a plastic bag containing approximately 1 gram of heroin, 7.4 grams of methamphetamine, and 14 ecstasy pills that were hidden in Guajardo’s bra, according to Paulich’s report.

The deputy believed Guajardo possessed the items with the intent to sell them on school grounds, Paulich said.

Paulich said Guajardo was additionally booked for possession and transportation of a controlled substance for sale, possession and transportation of a narcotic substance for sale, drug sales on school grounds, and bringing a controlled substance into the correctional facility. Guajardo was also on felony probation and remains in custody on a no bail hold.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Local and state officials hosted a Wednesday forum to discuss recovering the county’s tourism industry.

The hour-and-a-half-long “Visit California Crisis Tourism Recovery Community Forum” took place at the Soper Reese Theatre in Lakeport, hosted by Visit California and the county of Lake.

Visit California is working with partners to help restore the region's tourism economy following the recent wildfires.

The full presentation is show in the video above.